Category: This one’s a Keeper

Confessions of a Bookworm #5

Posted April 29, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 4 Comments

book confession I love taking part in features and memes. It brings us book lovers and book bloggers a bit closer together, if only in our shared love of reading great books.

There is a new feature over at Parajunkee. Confessions of a Bookworm. Here’s the link. And the information about all of this is located at that link.

This week’s question is:

Do you prefer using bookmarks, or bending the book page?

I raise my hand and swear I just got the shivers like fingernails on a blackboard at the very thought of bending book pages. *visible shudder*

I have a lovely collection of bookmarks from vacations, presents, saw it and just had to have it – that is the only way to mark the place in one of my books. I get violent when a book is returned to me with bent pages. My own mother used to do this and it drove me crazy. Needless-to-say, she got pretty new bookmarks every single Christmas.

On the now rare occasion when I do loan out physical books, several bookmarks go with them – with stern instructions to use them or else no more books loans for you. I will be frank in that I am anal retentive about never bending or folding down book pages. Never, ever.

Waiting on Wednesday #12 ~ Snatched

Posted April 29, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 5 Comments

“Waiting on” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating… cannot wait to get our hands on… having hissy fits at having to wait… you know, waiting for the book is exhausting work!

This one caught my attention for several reasons.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Cocoon (which was made into an Academy Award–winning movie) comes a sci-fi adventure about family, love, and, in a universe teeming with life, deciding who and what are the aliens.

Six single, semi-retired, “older” women are inseparable friends. But their lives start to go haywire when mischievous Rosie submits her friends’ names to an ad soliciting “Mail Order Brides for Farmers & Miners—Distant Locations.” A few weeks later, as the six women are driving along a lonely beach road, their vehicle suddenly begins to shake, the sky grows dark, an eerie light envelops the van, and ZAP—it’s gone!

Exactly three years later, the van reappears on the same road. But this time, the women appear to be thirty years younger—and they’re all pregnant!

The “distant locations” advertised were, in fact, elsewhere in our galaxy. A process, required for deep space travel, has somehow reversed their aging. They are happy with their new lives. However, a universal law requires that babies of “mixed-mating” be born on the mother’s home planet, forcing their return. But as they re-adapt to life on earth, surprises and problems arise as they’re faced with a media circus, doctors, nurses, police, priests, and nuns, not to mention their new humanoid mates.

In Saperstein’s wacky, comedic-drama tradition that’s out of this world, Snatched builds to an exciting, uplifting climax that celebrates life, love, and the universal condition known as family.

No matter your age now, at some point in your life you might have heard about a movie called Cocoon – the trailer is below… Snatched is by the same author. This is why I think his latest book is going to be a fun ride. 🙂 Snatched releases on May 19, 2015

Review: The Werewolf Wears Prada by Kristin Miller

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

Title: The Werewolf Wears Prada
Series: San Francisco Wolf Pack #1
Author: Kristin Miller
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Melina Rosenthal worships at the altar of all things fashion. Her dream is to work for the crème de la crème fashion magazine, Eclipse, and she’ll do much anything to get there. Even fixing up the image of a gorgeous, sexy public figure who’s all playboy, all the time. Even if he’s the guy who broke her heart a year ago…

Even if Hayden Dean is a werewolf.

Since his father’s death, Hayden’s the heir apparent to the San Francisco Wolf Pack—well, once he settles down. Hayden isn’t interested in giving up his partying ways, except he’s pretty sure he’s found his fated mate, and the fact that she’s a non-shifter is bad news. Now he must find a compromise between the traditions of his wolf world and his certainty that Melina is his…before fate (or another werewolf) bites them both in the butt.

Read on for my thoughts on The Werewolf Wears Prada. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Harlot Countess by Joanna Shupe

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

Title: The Harlot Countess
Series: Wicked Deceptions
Author: Joanna Shupe
Genre: Regency Romance, Historical Romance
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Kensington Books
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Maggie, Lady Hawkins, had a debut she’d rather forget—along with her first marriage. Today, the political cartoonist is a new woman. A thoroughly modern woman. So much so that her clamoring public believes she’s a man…

FACT: Drawing under a male pseudonym, Maggie is known as Lemarc. Her (his!) favorite object of ridicule: Simon Barrett, Earl of Winchester. He’s a rising star in Parliament—and a former confidant and love interest of Maggie’s who believed a rumor that vexes her to this day.

FICTION: Maggie is the Half-Irish Harlot who seduced her best friend’s husband on the eve of their wedding. She is to be feared and loathed, as she will lift her skirts for anything in breeches.

Still crushed by Simon’s betrayal, Maggie has no intention of letting the ton crush her as well. In fact, Lemarc’s cartoons have made Simon a laughingstock…but now it appears that Maggie may have been wrong about what happened years ago, and that Simon has been secretly yearning for her since…forever. Could it be that the heart is mightier than the pen and the sword after all?

Read on for my thoughts on The Harlot Countess. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Wild Heat by Lucy Monroe

Posted April 27, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Wild Heat
Series: The Northern Fire #1
Author: Lucy Monroe
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

In the quaint little town of Cailkirn, Alaska, it’s impossible to keep a secret, especially one as juicy as the unexpected return of Kitty Grant. Tack MacKinnon remembers her wild red curls and even wilder spirit—and still feels the sting from when she shattered his heart in college. But there’s a pain in Kitty’s gorgeous eyes that guts him to the core, and Tack is determined to do whatever it takes to see the woman he still loves smile again—even if it means taking on her demons as his own.

After fleeing an abusive ex-husband, Kitty decides that the best way to heal her broken heart is to come back home. But she gets a whole new shock when she sees how undeniably sexy Tack has become. More handsome, more muscular, more charming—more everything—he’s impossible to resist. Before she knows it, they’re reigniting sparks that could set the whole state of Alaska on fire. Yet trust doesn’t come easy to Kitty anymore, and as things heat up between her and Tack, she can’t help but wonder if one of them is going to get burned .

Read on for my thoughts on Wild Heat No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Wolf by Nicole James

Posted April 27, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Wolf
Series: Evil Dead MC #4
Author: Nicole James
Genre: Romance, Motorcycle Club Style
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Mark My Words Book Publicity
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

The Evil Dead Motorcycle Club gave Wolf his nickname. They said it was because women stood about as much chance with him as Little Red Riding Hood stood against The Big Bad Wolf. And maybe that was true.

For Wolf, when it comes to his club, he’s all about loyalty. He loves his brothers, he loves the freedom of the road, and he loves his independence. When it comes to women, Wolf is all about the chase. He likes the hunt, he likes the challenge, and he loves women. And for the hot-as-hell badass biker, they’ve always come too easily. But they never fully satisfy him.

That is, until he met Crystal.

Buried under that hard-edged sexy-as-sin tomboy with the smartass mouth that can put any brother in the MC in his place, is a feminine side she only reveals when pushed. And Wolf is just the man to push. Problem is she’s the only woman to ever push back. Which only makes him more determined to have her.

Life in the Evil Dead MC isn’t easy, and neither is loving one of them. It’s a life that can leave a man scarred and bloody. And sometimes the fallout is far reaching and takes more than a man is willing to give.

It can be just as risky for any woman brave enough to love one of them.

The scars of life run deep, for both of them.

Sometimes life doesn’t give you a fairytale, sometimes you have to make your own.

And sometimes it takes a spitfire to tame a hell-raiser.

Read on for my thoughts on Wolf. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Sinfully Yours by Cara Elliott

Posted April 26, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Sinfully Yours
Series: The Hellions of High Street #2
Author: Cara Elliott
Genre: Regency Romance, Historical Romance
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

After an eventful Season, Anna Sloane longs for some peace and quiet to pursue her writing. Though her plots might be full of harrowing adventure and heated passion, she’d much prefer to leave such exploits on the page rather than experience them in real life. Or so she thinks until she encounters the darkly dissolute-and gorgeously charming-Marquess of Davenport.

Davenport has a reputation as a notorious rake whose only forte is wanton seduction. However the real reason he’s a guest at the same remote Scottish castle has nothing to do with Anna . . . until a series of mysterious threats leave him no choice but to turn to her for help in stopping a dangerous conspiracy. As desire erupts between them, Davenport soon learns he’s not the only one using a carefully crafted image to hide his true talents. And he’s more than ready to show Anna that sometimes reality can be even better than her wildest imaginings.

Read on for my thoughts on Sinfully Yours. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Bedding Proposal by Tracy Anne Warren

Posted April 24, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: The Bedding Proposal
Series: The Rakes of Cavendish Square #1
Author: Tracy Anne Warren
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance
Published: March 3, 2015
Publisher: Signet
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: Owned, Personal Collection
Synopsis:

Lord Leo Byron is bored with the aristocratic company he keeps; he needs a distraction, preferably in the form of a beautiful new female companion. So when he sets eyes on fascinating and scandalous divorcée Lady Thalia Lennox, he’s determined to make her intimate acquaintance. But the spirited woman seems to have no intention of accepting his advances no matter how much he chases—or how hard he falls….

Once a darling of Society, Thalia Lennox now lives on its fringes. The cruel lies that gave her a notoriously wild reputation have also left her with a broken heart and led to a solemn vow to swear off men. Still, Leo Byron’s bold overtures are deliciously tempting, and, for the first time, she finds herself wondering whether it just might be worth the risk to let the attractive rake into her life—and her bed.

Read on for my thoughts on The Bedding Proposal. No true spoilers, promise.

Feature & Follow #10

Posted April 24, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 33 Comments

FeatureFollowParaAlison Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers — but you have to know — the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs! The rules are simple…Follow the Hosts and the Featured Blogs of the week – then do the blog hop, Follow those blogs that you don’t already and remember, if someone Follows you be sure to return the favor and Follow them right back.

This week’s Feature Blogs are: Mountain Rhinestones ~ and Book Yabber Be sure to check out their blogs and give them a Follow (if you aren’t already).

Because this blog does not have the ability to put up GFC I would appreciate a follow through Bloglovin’. Thanks so much.

This week’s question:

How did you come up with your blog title and address? Does it have a special meaning for you? – Suggested by The Paperback Princess.

Keeper Bookshelf came about when I combined two other book blogs that weren’t “clicking” with me. I knew what I wanted but it just didn’t feel right. A book read-aholic friend had come over and as usual was looking for new to her books to read – and like good, old friends do headed for my bookcases to start browsing like I own a library. I immediately called out “Keep away from the 4th shelf that’s my Keepers Bookshelf where all my favorites live”… and this website was born. There was a time when readers often called a good novel that they intended to read again as a “Keeper” – and it was a phrase I had used for years. So when it came time to finally put a new name on a website about books: Keeper Bookshelf was my only logical choice. Fortunately, GoDaddy had the domain name available and the rest is history.

So now that the mystery of how Keeper Bookshelf got it’s name ~ This is a blog hop people, let’s get hopping for books!

Waiting on Wednesday #11

Posted April 22, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 22 Comments

There are so many truly interesting novels coming out soon that it’s difficult to pick just one – but I have long been a Krewe of Hunters fan, and the next installment is out in June.

Where is Lara Mayhew?

Lara, a congressman’s media assistant, suddenly quits her job—and disappears on the way to her Washington, DC, apartment.

Novice FBI agent Meg Murray, a childhood friend of Lara’s, gets a message from her that same night, a message that says she’s disillusioned and “going home.” To Richmond, Virginia. Meg discovers that she never got there. And bodies fitting Lara’s description are showing up in nearby rivers… Could she be the victim of a serial killer?

Meg is assigned to work with special agent Matt Bosworth, a hard-nosed pro in the FBI’s unit of paranormal investigators—the Krewe of Hunters. They trace the route Meg and Lara took more than once in the past, visiting battlefields and graveyards from Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg. Places where the dead share their secrets with those who can hear… As Meg and Matt pursue the possibility of a serial killer, they find themselves in the middle of a political conspiracy. Is there a connection? And who—besides each other—can they trust?

I can always count on Heather Graham to give me a gripping mystery paranormal with a touch of romance mixed in. This is an amazing ongoing series and the wait is only about two months til this one releases. Looking forward to it so much.

Review: All’s Fair in Love and Scandal by Caroline Linden

Posted April 21, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 4 Comments

Title: All’s Fair in Love and Scandal
Series: Scandalous 2.5
Author: Caroline Linden
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Avon
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: Owned, Personal Collection
Synopsis:

Nothing wagered…

Douglas Bennet can’t resist a good wager, especially not one that involves a beautiful woman. When a friend proposes an audacious plan to expose the most notorious woman in England, Douglas agrees at once. After all, it would be quite a coup to discover the true identity of Lady Constance, author of the infamous erotic serial scandalizing the ton, 50 Ways to Sin.

Nothing won…

Madeline Wilde is used to being pursued. For years she’s cultivated a reputation for being unattainable and mysterious, and for good reason: her livelihood depends on discretion. When Douglas turns his legendary charm on her, she dismisses him as just another rake. But he surprises her—instead of merely trying to seduce her, he becomes her friend…her confidant…and her lover. But can it really lead to happily-ever-after…or are they about to become the biggest scandal London has ever seen?

Read on for my thoughts on All’s Fair in Love and Scandal. No true spoilers, promise.