February 2008 Reading List

Here's my February reading list. I started out trying to do one or two word snippets. Uh, yeah. You can see how well that worked out. I do want your opinion on something though.

What do you think, should I keep giving my little mini-reviews and commentary? Would you rather just see the list? Be honest. Pinky swear I really want to know.

February was a bit better month for reading. Twelve books this month. THE ROAD TAKEN by Megan Hart was the free download at eHarlequin and wasn't very long so it's hard for me to consider it a book. Realistically I have to say twelve books and a short story.

Oh, and I found SPYMASTER'S LADY by Joanna Bourne with some books on GG's night stand. That is actually one more I can add to my January List. So now my January total is nine books. Woo hoo? Anyway I do know I gotta get my system back in order. All these "accounting errors" are making me nuts. Does anyone else notice these problems suspiciously coincide with GG reading more of my books? Hmm...

Yours, Mine...or Ours? by Karen Templeton
This is a Silhouette Special Edition category romance. I picked it up when I saw several good reviews of DEAR SANTA. I didn't track down DS so I bought this Jan 08 release and started the series with the second book. I had no problem reading this as a stand alone. An old house, a guy with a 12-year old daughter and a woman with two young sons remodel the house together and become a family in the process. This was only an okay read for me. While it is well written I just wasn't invested in the characters. It's on the sweet side, so if that's your thing you'll like this book.

The Mercernary by Cherry Adair
This was a re-issue and a re-read for me. It's back to the beginning of the T-FLAC days, a group of spies she continues to write about. It's short, to the point and was an enjoyable quick read.

Bedded for Diamonds by Kelly Hunter
I found this new release Harlequin Presents coincidentally after reading Nath's review of Ms. Hunter's Wife for a Week. It was a happy surprise. The story takes place in Australia and is about a burnt out Interpol agent and a part-time chauffeur/jewelry maker who meet. No espionage or contrived plot. A good solid realistic story about two people trying to fall in love. Well done.

The Silver Collar by Mathilde Madden
This is a Black Lace book about werewolves. I think I will always return to stories about werewolves and vampires because they are my equivalent of being fascinated with fairy tales. In this one we have a woman Iris who became a werewolf hunter after a horrid attack kills her brother and infects her lover. Now determined to rid her little piece of the world of these monsters she finds herself face to face with a lover she thought dead and a discovery of who her real friends and enemies are.

This has an interesting premise and theory that most of the people who become werewolves are "infected" from receiving a bite from another werewolf usually against their will. While the virus or infection runs it course most of the wws have a violent unhappy and relatively short life span of a few years after they are bitten. This interesting hook along with not knowing who were the good guys and who were the bad guys kept me interested in the story. Caution though this is a bit of a cliffhanger. While the couple does end up together not everything is resolved and the book ends with the words "to be continued".

Dawn's Awakening by Lora Leigh
This is standard fare for Ms. Leigh. Readers of her Breed series, like me, will feel compelled to read it, but there is no new ground here. As I mentioned in a post earlier in the month, I was more interested in the progressing story of the Breeds as a whole and in particular the future story of Cassie Sinclair.

Darker than Love by Kristina Lloyd
Another Black Lace book that was a backhanded rec by Tumperkin in a review of Ms. Lloyd's book Split on Bam's blog. I've read both books now and didn't find myself as taken as Tumperkin was by Ms. Lloyd's writing. In fact I had a tough time finishing this one. I had just enough curiosity to grind it out until the end. In all fairness this wasn't Tumperkin's favorite book by KL, so if you want to know more, read her review.

The Road Taken by Megan Hart
This was the free download I linked to above. A road trip and an Impala are big stars. It was just too short for me. More please, Miss Megan!

Hard to Handle by Lori Foster
Another book in her fictional wrestler's world. A wrestler on retreat rents a cabin from a "life" guru. I liked that Harley had rented the cabin many times in the past from Anastasia and they had always politely kept their distance until a storm and circumstance throw them together. Easy read and enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

A Reason to Sin by Maureen McKade
See Review

Outlaw Bride by Jenna Kernan
I wrote about this book already. I really liked this one and the title and cover don't come anywhere near doing it justice. If you like westerns or frontier books you have to read this one.

To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke
This book was a rec by SL Wendy. It's been languishing in my tbr for a while now and was one of the books that rose to the surface when I was reorganizing. Mara Eliot, a widow in 1889 England, inherits a small factory and little else from her globe trotting, mercurial, and hopelessly unreliable husband. Enter another dreamer. Toy maker Nathaniel Chase made a deal with the now deceased husband, unbeknownst to Mara, to use the factory to make toys. Again, the back blurb doesn't really do justice to what this book is about which is partly why I procrastinated reading it.

Ms Guhrke does a wonderful job of capturing the time period. These are not two rich and beautiful people. Mara and Nathaniel are both struggling first for survival and then to overcome the rejection, disappointment and grief that life has dealt them. While the success of the factory is a well done backdrop for this story the focus remains on the two main characters...just the way I like it!

Surrender by Pamela Clare
Another book I mentioned previously and a rec from Kristie. If you liked the movie LAST OF THE MOHICANS you'll love this book. I know I sure did.

Last Wolf Standing by Rhyannon Byrd
This is also a category book, a Nocturne. It is the first book in Ms. Byrd's Blood Runner series. I gave it a try because I've enjoyed a couple of her Ellora's Cave releases previously. This one is all about hot, carnal language and finding "the mate" . The story/plot lacked substance or anything new or interesting in my opinion. It's unlikely I'll be buying the next book in the series.