Author: Marsha

Less Than A Lady by Eva Devon

Posted December 28, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Less Than A LadyTitle:  Less Than A Lady
Series:
Author:  Eva Devon
Genre:  Historical Romance
Published:  December 28, 2015
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing / Select Historical
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

To win a lord, you can’t be a lady…

Darcy Blake, Earl of Chase, is a solider, rogue, and a loyal King’s man. Commanded to spy on the luscious actress Amelia Fox, Darcy must pretend to be her student for a court theatrical. He is certain he can school her in the art of seduction while discovering if she is a traitor. But to his shock, he finds Mrs. Fox teaching him an entirely different kind of lesson.

As London’s most popular actress, Amelia is famous at court, and she doesn’t have a husband to tell her what do. Unfortunately, the king has ordered her to train the rakehell, Lord Chase to act for the court. Before long, the Earl is driving her wild with desire and awakening her heart to love. As an actress, society dictates she can never be more than Lord Chase’s mistress, and Amelia has vowed never to be less than a lady.

When Darcy learns the witty actress is indeed linked to a traitor, he’ll have to decide if love or loyalty will rule the day.

Read on for my thoughts on Less Than A Lady.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Four Killing Birds by Leslie Langtry

Posted December 28, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance / 0 Comments

Four Killing BirdsTitle:  Four Killing Birds
Series:  12 Days of Christmas #4, & Bombay Assassins #8
Author:  Leslie Langtry
Genre:  Christmas Romance
Published:  December 4, 2013
Publisher:
My Rating:  3 snowy stars
Source:  Borrowed, Kindle Unlimited
Cover Description:

Shortly before the holidays, inventor and former assassin Missi Bombay gets orders to perform one last job. It’s the granddaddy of all hits—to be carried out on Christmas Eve, no less.

Missi knows she has only one chance at success, so she enlists the help of her cousins Gin, Dakota, and Coney. Together the Bombay cousins come out of retirement to stamp out the world’s most evil cabal.

Armed with four enormous, prehistoric-looking birds and Missi’s quirky inventions, will these Bombays succeed before their window of opportunity closes for good?

Read on for my thoughts on Four Killing Birds.  No true spoilers, promise.

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The Devil Wears Spurs by Soraya Lane

Posted December 27, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

The Devil Wears SpursTitle:  The Devil Wears Spurs
Series:  Texas Kings #1
Author:  Soraya Lane
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  June 30, 2015
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Paperbacks
My Rating:  4.5 stars
Source:  Owned, Paperback Edition
Cover Description:

Always in the shadow of his over-achieving brothers, youngest brother Ryder fell in love with rodeos as a teenager and soon became the most successful bull and Bronco rider in the state. The ultimate playboy, Ryder likes to party hard, and he often makes bad decisions… including gambling. He’s so used to winning that he doesn’t hesitate to up the stakes one night, betting more than he can handle—his third of the King Ranch.

Chloe has seen Ryder on the rodeo scene, but she’s also noticed him at the bar where she works. She’s trying to work to save enough to put herself through college—she completed two years before she had to bail her dad out of a bad debt—losing all her savings in the process. Her father gambled all her life, and she had it tough as a kid, but the one thing she does know how to do is play—and win—at any kind of card game. When she finds Ryder in trouble, she makes him an offer—she will win his ranch back, if he pays her college fees and promises to walk away from gambling, for good. But while she’s winning back Ryder’s cash, what she doesn’t count on is winning his heart.

Read on for  my thoughts on The Devil Wears Spurs.  No true spoilers, promise.

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The Goose, The Gander and Three French Hens by Robin Kaye

Posted December 27, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance / 0 Comments

The Goose, The Gander, And Three French HensTitle:  The Goose, The Gander and Three French Hens
Series:  12 Days of Christmas #3
Author:  Robin Kaye
Genre:  Christmas Romance
Published:  December 4, 2013
Publisher:
My Rating:  4 snowy stars
Source:  Borrowed, Kindle Unlimited
Cover Description:

Seven years ago, Jack Bennett gave Mary Claire Coleman an ultimatum: marry me or I’m out of here. When she declined, he kept his word and moved halfway across the globe.

Imagine Mary Claire’s surprise when Jack walks into her local Boise watering hole—and back into her life—two weeks before Christmas. Although Mary Claire put romance aside long ago to run her successful antique shop, this chance encounter has all the crackling electricity of their previous passion. She tries to keep her emotions in check, but a scorching hot date proves that their chemistry isn’t just in her head—it’s in every part of her body. If she can find a way to move beyond the ghosts of her past, this might be the year that Jack and Mary Claire unwrap the best Christmas presents ever—each other.

Read on for my thoughts on The Goose, The Gander and Three French Hens.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Getting Ready for 2016

Posted December 26, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 4 Comments

heartWell, look at that.  We made it through, well almost through, 2015.  Five more days to put the finishing touches on the plans for 2016.  And then we’re gonna start all over again.  Gotta love dedicated readers like us, right?  🙂

And I’m just abut a week away from having Keeper Bookshelf up and running on a daily basis for its first complete year.  Not bad at all.  This is an accomplishment I certainly am proud of.

I learned a lot.  Certainly embarrassed myself at times.  Met some amazing book people.  And talked to authors for the very first time.

And I guess most importantly – I didn’t give up on the dream, the plan – the crazy idea to take what I love doing, reading, and create something about that personal joy of mine.  I’ve got a long way to go, but I kept at it for this first year.  Day after day, even when I was certain no one even knew this place existed.  But I did – and that’s all that mattered then.

So here I am, late in the evening letting my mind wander to all the things I want to do this coming year.  And wondering just how the heck I’m going to manage it.  I’ve got this notebook that I’ve jotted stuff down in all of 2015 – you too?.  So now comes the time to take the ideas and make them reality.  That is the scary part, but also the adrenaline pumping part too.

I simply wanted to say to all of us who sit and read, find that extra moment to get lost in another world for a bit – to those of us who call ourselves review bloggers or book bloggers… Good Job.  Take a bow, we’ve earned it.  Okay – now back to work.  The new year is about to start and it’s time for us to jump in to the reading frenzy for another round of the stuff that we consider fun.  Yeah, maybe a bit crazy but someone’s gotta do it.

Thank you for a fantastic 2015 — and here’s to an amazing 2016.

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Wrapped In You by Kate Perry

Posted December 26, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Wrapped In YouTitle:  Wrapped In You
Series:  Laurel Heights #10.5
Author:  Kate Perry
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  November 17, 2014
Publisher:
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  Owned, Kindle Edition
Cover Description:

Trudy Hawke’s mission: to go on vacation and have fun.

A prison sentence, more like it. She doesn’t take vacations, and she especially doesn’t go anywhere during the holidays. But her boss insists it’s the price she needs to pay to become a full partner in his new private investigation firm. She’ll do anything to become partner–even subject herself to love, peace, and Christmas music.

Trudy figures it’s no big deal: she’ll hole up in a hotel in Laurel Heights, drink gin, and watch action movies until she can return to London. Only her tyrant boss gives her a holiday list of to-do items, for which she must email picture proof of completion.

It’s impossible… Until she meets Mason, who proposes a deal: he’ll help her with the list if she’s his date to his office holiday events, to show his edgy tech employees that he’s more than a nerd from Iowa.

From the moment she agrees, Trudy gets more than she bargained for, but she refuses to be corrupted by the magic of the season–or love.

Read on for my thoughts on Wrapped In You.  No true spoilers, promise.

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A Cupcake Christmas by Beth Barany

Posted December 26, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Series / 2 Comments

A Cupcake ChristmasTitle:  A Cupcake Christmas
Series:  Touchstone #5
Author:  Beth Barany
Genre:  Christmas Romance
Published:  December 25, 2015
Publisher:  Firewolf Books
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  Owned, Kindle Edition
Cover Description:

Florian MacMillian needs a final job to complete his baking resume—preferably a job where he’s unlikely to blow things up with his unruly magic—before returning to the North Pole and taking his rightful place as Master Baker to all the elves.

Kate Delore desperately needs help in her fast-growing cupcake business. Florian is a perfect fit, so she brings him on as baker. For a short time, Florian is happily up to his elbows in batter, and Kate’s business is booming.

But when things heat up between them, Florian wonders if he should risk his legacy to cook up something truly special.

Read on for my thoughts on A Cupcake Christmas.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Two Turtle Island Doves by Kim Law

Posted December 26, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance / 0 Comments

Two turtle Island DovesTitle:  Two Turtle Island Doves
Series: 12 Days of Christmas #2 & Turtle Island #2.5
Author:  Kim Law
Genre:  Christmas Romance
Published:  December 4, 2013
Publisher:
My Rating:  4 snowy stars
Source:  Borrowed, Kindle Unlimited
Cover Description:

Kelly and Becky Griffin can’t seem to keep their hands off each other—which would be fine if they weren’t divorced. Every few months, looking for “closure”, they fall into bed together.

To keep his mind off of Becky and his foundering acting career, Kelly heads to Turtle Island, Georgia, to be a contestant in the Yummy Santa contest. But when Becky shows up, winning the title is suddenly the last the thing on his mind.

Becky has arrived with more than hot ex-sex on the agenda. She’s got a big secret to get off her chest, if she can only get Kelly to listen. Will these two finally get the closure they need, or will their reunion spark a second chance at first love?

Read on for my thoughts on Two Turtle Island Doves.  No true spoilers, promise.

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To Catch His Mate by Savannah Stuart

Posted December 25, 2015 by Marsha in Series / 0 Comments

To Catch His MateTitle:  To  Catch His Mate
Series:  Crescent Moon #5
Author:  Savannah Stuart
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Published:  December 15, 2015
Publisher:  KR Press
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

When she ran, she didn’t think he’d follow…

Pack princess Alyssa Clare was trying to come up with ways to get out of her arranged mating to alpha wolf Reece O’Shea—until she meets the powerful male. After getting to know him, mating doesn’t seem like such a bad idea anymore. But when he makes it clear she’s just a business arrangement for him and his pack, she calls off the mating and heads south to stay with a friend to lick her wounds in private.

But he’s not willing to let her go without a fight.

Reece can’t let Alyssa go, not when he’s completely fallen for the sweet, sexy female. He doesn’t care about the arranged mating deal, he just wants her and has no idea why she ran. To win her back he infiltrates another alpha’s territory, knowing it could mean his death. Luckily Grant Kincaid allows him in his domain—as long as Alyssa is okay with it. Convincing her that she’s all he wants is a bigger challenge than he imagined. But he’s not giving up, because he knows she’s the one he’s meant to be with forever.

Read on for my thoughts on To Catch His Mate.  No true spoilers, promise.

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A Partridge in the Au Pair’s Tree by Susan Donovan

Posted December 25, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance / 0 Comments

A Partridge in the Au Pair's TreeTitle:  A Partridge in the Au Pair’s Tree
Series:  12 Days of Christmas #1
Author:  Susan Donovan
Genre:  Christmas Romance
Published:  December 4, 2013
Publisher:
My Rating:  5 snowy stars
Source:  Borrowed, Kindle Unlimited
Cover Description:

British nanny Noelle Clarke finally gets a break when her wealthy employers and their two high-maintenance children go to Aspen for the holidays.

Despite feeling a little homesick, Noelle can’t wait to kick back and relax with a bottle of wine and some telly. But when she accidentally trips the family’s alarm system and the dashing American cop Ryder Partridge comes to her aid, Noelle may get a far more satisfying Christmas than she’d hoped for.

Read on for my thoughts on A Partridge in the Au Pair’s Tree.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Jessica’s Christmas Kiss by Alison May

Posted December 24, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Jessica's Christmas KissTitle:  Jessica’s Christmas Kiss
Series:  Christmas Kisses #3
Author:  Alison May
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  December 12, 2015
Publisher:  Choc Lit
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Real Christmas miracles only ever happen in the movies – don’t they?

When Jessica was fifteen, she shared the perfect kiss with a mystery boy at a Christmas party. It might have only lasted a moment, and the boy might have disappeared shortly afterwards but, to Jessica, it was just a little bit magic.

Fourteen years later, and Jessica is faced with a less than magical Christmas after uncovering her husband’s secret affair. And, whilst she wouldn’t admit it, she sometimes finds herself thinking about that perfect Christmas kiss, back when her life still seemed full of hope and possibility.

But she never would have guessed that the boy she kissed in the kitchen all those years ago might still think about her too …

Read on for my thoughts on Jessica’s Christmas Kiss.  No true spoilers promise.

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