Review: Loving Cara by Kristen Proby

Posted February 4, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

Loving Cara KPAnyone looking for a love story?  Just a love story without any magic or fangs or space warps – a love story.  If so, I offer you the first novel in Krisen Proby’s series Love Under the Big Sky.

Title:  Loving Cara
Series:  Love Under the Big Sky #1
Author:  Kristen Porby
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  January 21, 2014
Source:  own

Josh King is an expert at running his family’s multi-million dollar ranch in Montana. (And all that outside manual labor has done wonders for sculpting his six-foot-three body, too.) But as sure footed as he is when it comes to the ranch, Josh doesn’t know anything about how to deal with an adolescent boy—so when his twelve-year-old nephew, Seth, is dropped off on his doorstep, looking scared and acting surly as hell, Josh knows he needs help in straightening him out.

Cara Donovan loves her quiet life as a teacher in her sleepy hometown, so she jumps at the chance to make a little money over the summer as a tutor. But when she learns she’ll be teaching Josh King’s nephew, Cara’s sweet summer job gets a little bit hotter. Cara tries to focus all her attention on tutoring Seth, but Josh proves to be a delicious distraction, while Josh’s memories of the shy girl he once teased in high school are nothing like the beautiful woman he’s facing now. Can he persuade her that there’s more between them than a summer fling?

Catch your interest?  Then read on for my thoughts on Loving Cara.  No true spoilers, promise.  🙂

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Waiting on Wednesday #3

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

Waiting on Wednesday“Waiting on” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is from a favorite author and is part of a long series:

A Pirate’s Wife For Me #11 in the Governess Brides series

A Pirates Wife For Me CDCaitlin MacLeod of Scotland is proud to announce her graduation from The Distinguished Academy of Governesses. She specializes in the womanly arts of housekeeping, picking locks, and overthrowing ruthless dictators, and is looking for a position wherein she can utilize these skills. No dashing, dastardly pirates or faithless, former lovers need seek her services.

Ship’s captain (and prince in disguise) Taran Tamson is by coincidence in need of the best lockpick in the land; he needs the reckless auburn-haired beauty to retrieve the papers that will help him leave behind his swashbuckling ways and win his island kingdom of Cenorina. He assures said lady that he will honor her demand for a proper, chaste relationship for as long as she desires it, then use his every sensual wile to make sure she desires only one thing — him…

I have enjoyed Christina Dodd’s Historical novels for years – (I love her paranormal The Chosen Ones series as well).  This is one Historical I cannot wait to get my hands on.  🙂

How about you?  What are you waiting for this week?  Is it just me or do those eyes remind you of a certain swashbuckling pirate of movie fame ?  *wink*

 

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Review: Riding The Odds by Lynda K. Scott

Posted February 4, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Riding the OddsTitle:  Riding The Odds
Series:
Author:  Lynda K. Scott
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: February 2, 2015
Source:  NetGalley

Book Blurb:

Spaceship captain Tara Rowan has her secrets. One is her Rider, Zie. Zie is an organic symbiote—like a living tattoo—that enhances Tara’s physical abilities, including superhuman strength and reflexes. The other is the past she’s tried so hard to leave behind her. But it’s not until oh-so-sexy Trace Munroe decides to blackmail Tara that she realizes her secrets aren’t so secret after all…

Trace is a Holy Knight who does everything by the book. Desperate to find a missing princess, he’ll do whatever it takes to rescue her and bring her kidnappers to justice. Including blackmail. Yet something about the feisty ship captain draws Trace in and stirs his desire—even if she is a wanted criminal. Because the last thing he needs is any complications…especially when he has his own secrets to hide.

**disclaimer:  I received an e-ARC copy of Riding the Odds from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  The fact that I did not pay for this novel does not change what I thought of it.**

Riding the Odds is sci-fi at its best.  We have a female spaceship captain (an Independent so she’s on her own out there in the void of space) – a feisty, charming symbiote who steals not only hearts but the story – and a Holy Knight, who is deep undercover in his search for his missing sister, a kidnapped princess.

Read on for my thought on Riding the Odds.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Teaser Tuesday #3

Posted February 3, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 30 Comments

teaser tuesdayOne of the fun parts of taking part in blog hops (aside from getting to visit new to me blogs) is finding great ways to interact with other book lovers.  This is one:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“I love your body, I love every curve on you, how soft you are, how smooth your skin is.”  He’s seducing me with his soft words, and if we weren’t standing so close, the mountain breeze would have blown the sound away.

“But the sexiest curve on your body is your sweet smile.” ~Loving Cara by Kristen Proby 45% in Kindle edition

 

Finished Loving Cara in the wee hours of this morning.  One word?  Yum. 😉

Loving Cara KP

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Are You Ready For Mr. Grey?

Posted February 2, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 2 Comments

Valentine’s Day isn’t that far away.  And neither is the premiere of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Are you ready?

Will you brave the theater?

Or wait for the chance to view Fifty Shades of Grey in the privacy of your own home, later?

I’m curious.  Aren’t you?

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Review: Seducing Lauren by Kristen Proby

Posted February 2, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

Seducing Lauren KPA sexy, contemporary love story

Title:  Seducing Lauren
Series:  Love Under The Big Sky (book 2)
Author:  Kristen Proby
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  August 19, 2014
Source:  owned paperback

Book Blurb:

Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?

How can you not just fall in love with a hot, sexy man who will always protect the women in his life – no matter what they face?  I certainly cannot.

Read on to see my thoughts on Tyler and Lauren story.  No true spoilers, promise.

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The Series That Never Ends Challenge

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 4 Comments

The-Series-that-Never-Ends-ChallengeWe all know those series that just keep on going.  For me it’s the GhostWalkers series by Christine Feehan or the In Death series by J. D. Robb or even the Dark series by Christine Feehan (again).  The series just takes on a life of its own.

There is a very interesting Challenge going on over at Delighted Reader – The Series that… Never Ends Challenge.  The signup page, rules and information can be found by clicking on the graphic or on the written link above.

This is a very specific Challenge, the number of books read from a series matters a lot, so please head on over to the signup page and look it over before you decide what to do with this.

I own a lot of novels in ongoing series.  But they do not count for this Challenge because I’ve read them already.  This idea is to read a new to you series, or get caught up on one you started – as I said, very specific rules here.

I gave it a lot of thought – visited many author websites to find something that I hadn’t read, but could see myself finishing the series before the end of 2015.

I finally decided on Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series.  It has 12 novels in it, at the moment plus a couple novellas.  I’ve read Ms. Macombers works before, enjoy them but for some reason I have never read anything in that ongoing series.

I created a sub-page under Challenges to track my progress on this one.  It’s located HERE.  It’s a bit different than the others though.  I have all the novels in the Cedar Cove series already listed on that page in order to quickly know which novel I’m looking for next in line.  I will link each title as I read and review it for this blog.

Sound like something you might be interested in?  Then head on over to Delighted Reader and check it out for yourself.  🙂

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Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2015

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Flights of Fantasy 2015The Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2015 is being hosted by Alexa Loves Books and Hello Chelly.  You can find the signup pages, information, rules and more by following the links above.

It’s hard to turn away from Reading Challenges when the subject is so close to my heart.  During the time I spend on weekly memes, I have seen and read about a lot of Fantasy novels I want to read, many series I need to get caught up on. Taking part in this challenge just makes perfect sense.

I have a sub-page under Challenges for this one.  I need to keep track of what I’ve read throughout the year.  That is the easiest way to keep it documented.  If you want to see what I’ve read so far that page is HERE.

If you read Fantasy, then this might be a Reading Challenge that you’d want to take part in.  Go on, check it out.  You know you want to 😉

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Historical Romance Reading Challenge 2015

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 2 Comments

historical challenge 2015I have loved Historical Romance novels for – well, as long as I’ve been a reading adult I suppose.  Lords and Ladies, Prince and Princess they have always been on my bookshelves.

That’s why I was delighted to find the Historical Romance Reading Challenge 2015 hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup. You could find the signup page, information and rules by clicking either on the graphic or the written link above.

I’m aiming for the Level 3 of 24 novels read this year.  I believe I can reach that goal, and perhaps a bit beyond – we shall see.  I am lucky in that I have a very good friend who also enjoys Historical Romance novels and will bring me half a dozen each week plus the ones I have in the TBR pile, the ones I know I’m going to buy this year and the always available Library copies.  🙂  Yes, I really do love Historicals of all eras.

I have created a sub-page under Challenges to track my progress throughout the year.  You could see how I’m doing HERE.  Simply have to remember to update it when I finish a novel.  That will be the most difficult of any Challenge I’ve joined… remember to track.  🙂

If you love Historicals and you know you’re going to be reading them anyway – why not click on the signup page link and join in the fun!

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New Authors – Seeking New Escapes Reading Challenge 2015

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

New Authors 2015 largerBy following so many amazing book blogs I have discovered tons of new novels I want to read.  Many are by authors unknown to me – so joining in on this challenge is perfect for my education and reading enjoyment this coming year.

New Authors – Seeking New Escapes a 2015 reading challenge is being hosted again by Literary Escapism.  You can find the signup page, rules & suggestions plus the linky by following the link above or clicking on the graphic.

I am truly looking forward to a new year of brand new to me authors, exciting new novels to explore and perhaps finding new auto buy favorite authors along the way, too.

I have created a sub-page under Challenges to keep track of my progress this year.  That can be found HERE if you’d like to find suggestions from my list.  It just makes keeping track so much easier for me if I keep all the Challenges separate.

I’m going for the 25 new authors goal.  How about you?  Check it out, might as well have some fun while you discover new authors throughout the year.  🙂

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Gothic Reading Challenge 2015

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Gothic Challenge 2015The Gothic Challenge and Read-Along 2015 is hosted over at Books Under The Bed.

You can join in as well by following the link above.  It will take you to the signup and rules page.

I have wanted to add different genres to the novels I read.  There are so many good books around, but I often don’t read them because they do not fall into my “normal reading” material.  So I thought I’d change it up a bit this year by joining Challenges that not only challenge me to read a set number of books – but to try new ones as well.

I will be keeping track of my progress on my sub-page, The Gothic Reading Challenge 2015.

I believe I can hit the Level 1 of 1 to 5 books this year.  Maybe more, we’ll see.

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