A Bite to Remember

Author Lynsay Sands

Pages 362

rated 4 stars

Back Cover:

Rule #1: Never get involved with someone who won't be there for you when the sun comes up.

Once bitten, twice shy, and sexy PI Jackie Morrisey wasn't going there again. Vincent Argeneau may be the hottest guy she's ever met, living or dead, but she's here to stop a killer from turning this vampire into dust, not to jump into bed with him.

Rule #2: Never kiss a vampire...it can be a pain in the neck.Okay, so Vincent's had four hundred years to perfect his kissing skills, and he does look rather tempting when he runs around the house shirtless. He's also charming, protective...did we mention he can kiss? Jackie needs to be on her guard, or else she'll have to come up with a new rule:

If you're going to fall in love with a vampire, make sure it's a bite to remember.

My Thoughts:

I just enjoy these Argeneau's. I think they are fun and light, and sexy. I felt heartbroken for Jackie upon learning of her past with the "immortals" of this world. Being controlled and manipulated to do things that are against your morals, in order to humiliate yourself and your family. Then to come to the aid of an "immortal" and find yourself attracted, is a stretch. However, Ms. Sands accomplishes this with grace and a sense of humor. Jackie is won over by the true character of Vincent and he is won over as well. Add in a giant of a mortal named Tiny who can cook like a God, and a half dozen fabulous Italian immortal hotties, and what's not to love? I can't wait to read more and especially add in the Notte family. Hubba Hubba!!

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves

Rated 5 stars

Pages 378

Back Cover:

Marry in Haste...Accountant Heather Montgomery is a planner. So never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd run into sexy charmer Tony McCaffrey in Vegas, play lady luck, and celebrate his jackpot with a champagne-soaked night. And she certainly never expected to wake up the next morning married! How could this good girl pick a man whose fridge is empty and whose apartment is a disaster zone, yet still drives her crazy with lust she can't see straight?

Lust at Leisure! Quickly hitched and happily ditched, Tony can't wait to get back to his playboy ways. But when Heather's family is thrilled that their no-nonsense daughter is finally in love, he proposes a plan: stay married for a month to repay his good luck charm, even though she sterilizes his toothbrush and forbids anything between the sheets. But Heather is more than he bargained for---a sharp-witted, passionate woman who just might turn his near miss into wedded bliss!

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story. I've been giving out a number of 5's lately, but I did really like it. Heather is not a perfect size 2, who's soooo beautiful that she makes men lose their minds at the site of her. Tony, is a good looking guy who hides a good heart. They both have their insecurities and family issues. Even though the premise is a little weak, I don't care. I like that they come to a friendly place and work together. I like that the sex is fun, not just steamy. I mean don't get me wrong, they have plenty of steamy, but most real people are ticklish too. They spend much of their first time together giggling, and that is good to me. Healthy, normal! I mean really, sometimes when your fella lightly caresses your (fill in the blank) is kinda tickles. It does! Especially if your nervous, or something, so I like that these characters had some real responses. Not to mention purple fuzzy handcuffs!

It also helps that I live minutes from Plano, Tx. and it's so cool to read a book set in (almost) my backyard! I knew the highways, roads and malls that she mentions. So groovy! There's even a little sports bar about a mile from my house! They have kids karaoke on tuesday nights.

The Pagan Stone

The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts

Rated 5 stars

Pages 305

Back Cover:

Shared nightmares, visions of blood and fire, and random violence plague the longtime friends and Quinn, Layla, and Cybil, the women bound to them by Fate. None of them can ignore the fact that, this year, the demon has grown stronger ---feeding off the terror it creates. But now the three pieces of the bloodstone have been fused back together. If only they could figure out how to use it.

A gambling man like Gage has no trouble betting on his crew to find a way. And though he and Cybil share the gift of seeing the future, that's all they have in common. Were they to take their flirtation to the next level, it would be on their own terms, not because Fate decreed it. But Gage knows that a woman like Cybil---with her brains and strength and devastating beauty---can only bring him luck. Whether it's good or bad has yet to be determined---and could mean the difference between absolute destruction or an end to the nightmare for Hawkins Hollow.

My Thoughts:

Ok! You all know that I love Nora Roberts and that I love her heroes. Gage, was that tortured alpha male! He made me cry in the first couple of chapters. His mother died when he was very young, and left him with an alcoholic abusive father. Cal's and Fox's moms became surrogates. Gage, not being the type of guy who is comfortable withe the ooey gooey emotional stuff, buys them flowers and tells them how much he loves them. He struggles to express that love and devotion to them, and I cried. Cybil, is the perfect match for him. She's not too needy, and she's strong and sassy! She gives as good as she gets. Tit for Tat!! I love a couple who are like that.

This is the final book in the trilogy and the climax between good and evil. Blood and fire and sacrifice. Someone has to willingly make the ultimate sacrifice and I could feel the raw emotion as the 6 stood together until the very end. That they understood that only through great loss could the ultimate destruction of great evil occur. I felt the resolve as they each came to terms with their grief and pain to ensure the greater good. I cried again. There are twists and turns and I loved how she writes the love and affection that all 6 have for each other.

My 2009 Reading List

This list should include any/all books read for any and all challenges I'm participating in. It will also contain any other books I read. I'll just be keeping a running total. I'm hoping to read 75 this year. I read over 100 last year, but wasn't working either. So, since I have less free time, it'll be 75 and hopefully more. I'll probably put into parenthesis the challenges I read this book for (WRC)= Winter Reading Challenge (SRC)= Serial Readers Challenge (SPRC)= Spring Reading Challenge (NAC)= New Authors Challenge etc.

1. Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood (WRC) (SRC)

2. The Gift by Julie Garwood (WRC)(SRC)

3. When I Fall in Love by Lynn Kurland (WRC)(NAC)

4. Only for a Knight by Sue Ellen Welfonder (WRC)(SRC)

5. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt (WRC)(SRC)(NAC)

6. Dakota Born by Debbie Macomber (WRC)(SRC)

7. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts (SRC)

8. The Hollos by Nora Roberts (SRC)

9. The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts (SRC)

10. Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves (NAC)

11. A Bite to Remember by Lynsay Sands (SRC)

12. The Rustler by Linda Lael Miller

13. The Texas Ranger by Diana Palmer

14. A McKettrick Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

15. Wild Jinx by Sandra Hill

16. Dakota Home by Debbie Macomber (SRC)

17. Always Dakota by Debbie Macomber (SRC)

18. Match Me if You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (SRC)

19. Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson (NAC)

20. DarkFever by KM Moning (SRC)(SPRC)

21. To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning (SRC)(SPRC)

22. Sisters Found by Joan Johnston (NAC)(SPRC)(SRC)

23. The Secret by Julie Garwood(SPRC)

24. Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (SPRC)(SRC)

25. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt (SPRC)(SRC)

26. Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson (SPRC)(NAC)

27. Dark Lover by JR Ward (SRC)(RORSRC)(NAC)

28. Lover Eternal by JR WArd (SRC)(RORSRC)

29. Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands (RORSRC)

30. Lover Awakened by JR Ward (SRC)(RORSRC)

31. Lover Revealed by JR Ward (SRC)(RORSRC)

32. Lover Unbound by JR Ward (SRC)

33. Lover Enshrined by JR Ward (SRC)

34. Untamed by Pamela Clare (RORSRC)(SRC)

35 Flat Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy (RORSRC)(SRC)

36. Sea Swept by Nora Roberts (rorsrc)

37. Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery (SRC)(rorsrc)

38. Sweet Spot by Susan Mallery (SRC)(RORSRC)

39. She's Got it Bad by Sarah Maybery (NAC)

40. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (NAC)(SRC)

41. Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery (SRC)

42. Montana Creeds: Logan by Linda Lael Miller (SRC)

43. Montana Creeds: Dylan by Linda Lael Miller (SRC)

44. Montana Creeds: Tyler by Linda Lael Miller (SRC)

45. MacKensie's Mountain by Linda Howard (RORSRC)(SRC)

46. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (RORSRC)(NAC)(SRC)

47. MacKenzie's Mission by Linda Howard (RORSRC)(SRC)

48. The Nerd Who Loved Me by Vicki Lewis Thompson (NAC)(RORSRC)

49 Vampire, Interrupted by Lynsay Sands (SRC)(RORSRC)

50. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt (SRC)

51. Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force (NAC)(RORSRC)

52. Delicious by Susan Mallery (RORSRC)(SRC)

53. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn (SRC)

54. Lover Avenged by J R Ward (SRC)(RORSRC)

55. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas (RORSRC)(SRC)

56. Irristible by Susan Mallery (SRC)

57. Sizzling by Susan Mallery (SRC) (RORSRC)

58. Rising Tides by Nora Roberts (SRC)(RORSRC)

59. Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy (SRC)(RORSRC)

60. Twin Victories by Cathy Marie Hake (RORSRC)

61. So Into You by Sandra Hill (RORSRC)(SRC)

62. Bite Me if You Can by Lynsay Sands (SRC)

63. Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas (SRC)

64. Tempting by Susan Mallery (SRC)

65. Vampires are Forever by Lynsay Sands (SRC)

66.The Bridegroom by Linda Lael Miller (SRC)

67.The Lyon's Lady by Julie Garwood (SRC)

68. Dreaming Of You by Lisa Kleypas (FRC)

69. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (FRC)(SRC)

70. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (FRC)(SRC)

71. An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (FRC)(SRC)

72. Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy (FRC)(SRC)

73. The Secret Life of Bryan by Lori Foster (FRC)(NAC)

74. Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James (FRC)(NAC)

75. The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands (FRC)(SRC)

76. Diamon in the Rough by Diana Palmer (FRC)

77. Winfall by Nora Roberts

78. Reckless Love by Elizabeth Lowell (FRC)(NAC)

79. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzieby Jennifer Ashley (FRC)(NAC)

80. Gingham Mountain by Mary Connealy(FRC)(SRC)

81. MacKenzie's Pleasureby Linda Howard (FRC)(SRC)

82. A Highlander in her Dreams by Allie Mackay(FRC)(SRC)

83. To Sir Phillip with Love by Julia Quinn (SRC)

84. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn(SRC)

85. To Die for by Linda Howard (FRC)

86. Noble Destiny by Katie MacAlister (SRC)

87. Morning Light by Catherine Anderson

88. Say No To Joe? by Lori Foster (SRC)

89. MacKensie's Magic by Linda Howard (SRC)

90. A Game of Chance by Linda Howard (SRC)

91. For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper (NAC)

92. Inner Harbor by Nora Roberts (SRC)

93 A Husband's Wicked Ways by Jane Feather (SRC)

94. Noble Intentions by Katie MacAlister (SRC)

95. The Trouble with Harry by Katie MacAlister (SRC)

96. It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn (WRC)(SRC)

97. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn(WRC)(SRC)

98. At Home in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller (WRC)

99. Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts (SRC)(WRC)

100. Gentle Warrior by Julie Garwood (WRC)

101. Christmas Wishes by Debbie Macomber

102. A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

103. Stuck with You by Vicki Lewis Thompson (WRC)

104. It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale (WRC)(NAC)

105. The Frasers-Clay by Ana Leigh (WRC)(NAC)

Spring Reading Challenge!!

For more information about the Readers of Romance Spring Reading Challenge click Here!!

Here is my list as it stands now!! We'll see if there are tons of changes!!

1. Read a Western: The Rustler by Linda Lael Miller or Sisters Found by Joan Johnston

2. Set in Scotland: To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning

3. Sun/Moon/Stars title: Dreams of Stardust by Lynn Kurland

4. Angel/Devil Title: Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands

5. First Romance Author: Probably a Chesapeake Bay re-read! **sighs**

6. "Spring" Title or Cover: Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

7. Reader's Choice: Flat Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy

8. Favorite/ 5 star from Friends Shelf: MacKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard

9. AAR Top 100: The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

10. Secret/Lie Title: The Secret by Julie Garwood

11. Winter Reading Challenge Title: Dark Lover by JR Ward

12. Romeo/Juliet Theme Book: Untamed by Pamela Clare

13. Trilogy Pt. 1: Sweet Spot by Susan Mallery

14. Trilogy Pt. 2: Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery

15. Trilogy Pt. 3: Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery

The Hollow

The Hollow by Nora Roberts

Rated 5 stars

Pages 318

Back Cover:

As the madness, which happens for seven days every seven years, prepares to descend upon the town of Hawkins Hollow, three men bound by blood and three woman bound by ancestry to a demon join forces to stop the terror from beginning again.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Sign of Seven Trilogy. It is Fox and Layla's story. Cal and Quinn from Blood Brothers both shared a "gift". They were able to "see" some of the past. Fox and Layla also share a gift, the ability to "see" into the now. You might say Psychic, but it's not exactly that. To some degree they are able to understand others emotions, as well as their thoughts. Fox was born and raised in Hawkins Hollow and has dealt with "The Seven" since he was 10 years old. Layla managed a boutique in New York until she felt...compelled to come to a place she'd never heard of, for no reason. It was there that she met Quinn and then Cal, Fox and Gage. In this book, she comes to terms with her gift, and her part in defeating the demon that intends to destroy the Hollow and all those in it. It is also for Fox to come to terms with falling in love and having that love make him vulnerable to the evil force he's been fighting since he was a child.

I love that Fox comes from a hippie tree huggin family. I love that even though he loves that part of him, he's also a Coke and Little Debbie's man. **I think Nora Roberts has been watching my spending habits** I love that he has an F-word jar. That he puts a dollar in it even when there is noone to catch him saying it. I also like the inner struggle Layla has as she comes to terms with all the changes in her life.

Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

Rated 5 stars ( I just love her!)

Pages 314

Back Cover:

In the small village of Hawkins Hollow, three best friends who share the same birthday sneak off into the woods for a sleepover the evening before turning 10. But a night of pre-pubescent celebration turns into a night of horror as their blood brother oath unleashes a three-hundred year curse. Twenty-one years later, Cal Hawkins and his friends have seen their town plagued by a week of unexplainable evil events two more times - every seven years. With the clock winding down on the third set of seven years, someone else has taken an interest in the town's folklore. Quinn is a well known scholar of local legends, and despite Cal's protests, insists on delving in the mystery. But when the first signs of evil appear months early, it's not only the town Cal tries to protect, but also his heart.

My Thoughts:

Ok, so I just love Nora Roberts. I did Cal and love the opening when they are 10 year old kids. I have a daughter who just turned 11, and would never let them go camping like that. I'm an over protective mother...sue me!! I do think that Cal and Quinn fall pretty darn quick, and that there is a lot of "set up" in this book. I expected that, cuz it's a trilogy, with the final climax in the final book. I can dig that. I also like that it's the sensible one who falls first and fast. It would've been too easy for the hippie lawyer to have done that. Ya know? I give it 5 stars cuz I love it. This trilogy has gotten mostly lukewarm reviews from non-Nora junkies. That's ok. Reading Nora's trilogies is like..."coming home" to me. It's like mac and cheese the perfect comfort food. It makes me feel warm, fuzzy, and ooey gooey on the inside. I can't wait to snuggle down with The Hollow.