Follow Me
Grab my feed
Posts
All Comments
Wanna Shop?
2013 Reading Challenge
Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) has
read 0 books toward her goal of 75 books.
New-To-Me Authors
2013 reading goal:
15 new-to-me authors.
1) Stacy Gail
2) Heather Massey
3) Sidney Bristol
4) Ann Mayburn
5) Thea Harrison
6) Virna DePaul
7) Mary Quast
8) Molly Harper
9) Eleri Stone
10) PJ Schnyder
11) Kait Ballenger
12) Denise L. Wyant
13) Lucy Monroe
Sunday Snippets
More Blogs
original images by marin & papaija2008 at FreeDigitalPhotos.com
banner designed by Jennifer from Books Make Me Happy
Monday, December 26, 2011
Nima's Top Ten List of Authors You May Have Missed
When I escape my real life into the pages of a book, I like to really escape, like into another dimension. As a female reader, however, even the most fascinating time traveler or brilliant spaceship captain better have a love interest to hold mine. I have yet to figure out what the magic formula is that designates one book as “science fiction/fantasy” and another as “paranormal romance.” The cross-over is so common these days that there is virtually no distinction to me except with marketing. It hasn’t shown up in bookstore banners yet, but I have recently begun to see a classification popping up called Science Fiction Romance or SFR. I have found Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changling series under both banners, even within the same chain of booksellers. Maybe it’s a simple matter of shelf space.
Every year romances far out-sell sci/fi, and yet sci/fi readers adamantly refuse to cross the aisle. (Ever notice they’re always next to each other in bookstores?) I have discovered that many romance readers too refuse to venture where they erroneously believe science will over-power the story of relationships and descriptions of technology will make their brains hurt. They’re both wrong! So for you die-hard romance readers, let me offer you my 2011 Top Ten List of Author’s You May Have Missed Because They Were in the Science Fiction Section:
1. N.K. JEMISIN (Inheritance Trilogy)
Description: Gods and mortals. Power and love. Death and revenge. In the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, gods dwell among mortals and one powerful, corrupt family rules the earth. Three extraordinary people may be the key to humanity’s salvation.
Thoughts: Look for an in-depth review of this series in 2012! Some might say that Jemisin’s series is reminiscent of Greek and Roman mythology. Some will draw connections anywhere they can. For me, Jemisin’s style is unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Let me just say that I have no idea why this author and her Inheritance Trilogy have gone nearly completely under the radar, even for sci/fi readers. She has remarkable world-building skills and all three books are completely relationship driven. Perhaps she is too much of both genres to be classified as one or the other. Jemisin’s descriptions are so complete and so creative that if I could, I would love to live inside her head for just a day to see the scope of what she’s imagined before it’s edited and distilled down to the story we have in print.
2. ANN AGUIRRE (Sirantha Jax series)
Description: As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her...for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order.
Thoughts: I love a strong female lead. Over the course of the series, told in first person, Sirantha makes the journey from flawed party girl to seasoned navigator with a maturity born of intense experiences. Aquirre’s writing is witty and insightful. Romance readers will appreciate not getting bogged down in heavy techno-babble, but still enjoy the fantasy of space travel and alien worlds. The final book in the series, End Game, is due to be released in September of 2012.
3. LINNEA SINCLAIR (Dock of Five Universe 1-5)
Description: After a decade of piloting interstellar patrol ships, former captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’t commit–and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows. Gabriel Sullivan–alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue–is supposed to be dead.
Thoughts: Most romance readers who have read Sinclair all say the same thing, “I don’t usually like science fiction, but I couldn’t put this one down!” Sinclair is convincing in her world-building and still makes her headstrong lead characters sympathetic. It’s not hard to care about their stories until you find yourself sucked in. Told in first person from the perspective of Chas, full of action, don’t pass this series up.
4. LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD (Sharing Knife Series 1-4)
Description: Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. But on the way to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers, nomadic soldier-sorcerers from the northern woodlands. Feared necromancers armed with mysterious knives made of human bone, they wage a secret on-going war against the scourge of the “malices,” immortal entities that draw the life out of their victims, enslaving human and animal alike. It is Dag—a Lakewalker patroller weighed down by past sorrows and present responsibilities—who must come to Fawn’s aid when she is taken captive by a malice.
Thoughts: I realize that in medieval and even Victorian times it was customary for young girls of fifteen or sixteen to marry much older men. In practical terms, such suitors were established and could provide for a wife and family. A younger bride was more likely to survive childbirth and be more submissive. As a modern reader, however, such unions kinda creep me out. We have such a union in the very first book of the Sharing Knife Series between our hero and heroine. The book held an interesting premise and was very well written, but I honestly wasn’t convinced at first. The first books set-up the next so well that I couldn’t leave the story alone. The second book convinced me the unconventional union was a good idea and I completely indulged myself in the rest of the four-book series.
5. JESS GRANGER (Realms Beyond Series)
Description: After five years behind enemy lines, Captain Cyani is ready to retire to her homeworld of Azra as one of the Elite—the celibate warrior sisterhood that rules the planet. But first she must complete one final mission to rescue her fellow Union soldiers. The last thing she expects to find is a prisoner, chained and beaten—but radiating feral power and an unbroken spirit.
Thoughts: I had the pleasure of meeting Jess Granger at Lori Foster last May. This quirky new author, only having released two books so far, shows great promise with books a little heavier on the romance than the science. This series is probably more of a cross over into romance for sci/fi readers. Nevertheless it has no shortage of exotic alien worlds and cultures.
6. C.J. Berry (Unforgettable Series 1-5)
Description: Life on Earth was just getting interesting for Tess MacKenzie. She’d postponed her singing career to support the family business and after eight long years, she finally earned her chance to shine. Her band was hot, her songs were rocking and Tess was on her way to becoming a star. Things were definitely looking up. That is until Cohl Travers, alien extraordinaire, swoops out of the night sky and snatches her off her planet. When he says he desperately needs her voice for a dangerous cosmic mission and the fate of two planets hangs on her song, she figures one of them is in for some serious therapy.
Thoughts: You’ll need a non-descript dust jacket for these painfully cheesy covers. It definitely reads more romance, smutty in a good way, than science fiction. The first book is not as strong as those that follow, but all are excellent adventure stories.
7. ROBIN McKINLEY (Blue Sword/Sunshine/Beauty)
Descriptions: The Blue Sword - This is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who becomes Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman has wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle.
Sunshine - Rae, nicknamed Sunshine by her stepfather, is the baker at her family's coffeehouse. She's happy getting up at 4 am to make cinnamon rolls for the breakfast rush, and dealing with people and food all day. But one evening she needed somewhere she could be alone for a little while, and there hadn't been any trouble out at the lake for years. She never thought of vampires. Until they found her.
Thoughts: I have largely found Robin McKinley slated into the young adult section, when I can find her at all, where there are generally no distinctions made between genres at all. Her fantasy books have a fairytale flair to them, especially her re-telling of the classic “Beauty and the Beast.” (I wonder if Disney didn’t pull from this 1978 edition in the making of their 1991 award-winning animated feature. It is being re-released in 3D on January 13th.) As YA books, they are not as explicit as adult romances, but let me assure you the relationships are intense because McKinley’s writing style is intense. It is one that you mentally chew on more than flow through. She demands that you think and so the escape comes not in being consumed by the romance, but being consumed by the art of her words. Some readers will find her tedious. I love words so I loved her writing style.
8. AUDREY NIFFENEGGER (The Time Traveler’s Wife)
Description: A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.
Thoughts: You may or may not have already seen the movie. As a book snob, I have to admit the movie was remarkably well done, but if you haven’t read the book, let me assure you it’s completely worth it. I was given a copy of this book long before the movie was even in production and I was stunned by its construction. You start out reading a story that jumps around all around through time and about half way through its hefty 560 pages, you realize it is, in fact, being told in chronological order. I was so in love with Clare and Henry’s romance that I was crying by the climax. I’m stunned that this was written by a first time author.
9. ANNE McCAFFERY (Acorna Series 1-7)
Description: The Acorna series is a lesser known series, written in collaboration with two other authors. Acorna is found in an unusual escape pod by three galactic miners, Gill, Rafik, and Calum. Raised by the three unlikely fathers, Acorna, a unicorn girl, matures almost to adulthood within three years. While she is growing up, the miners discover that their 'daughter' has magical powers such as the ability to clean air and water, heal the sick, and detect the slightest scent. Furthermore, she is extraordinarily smart, picking up everything quickly. However, her unique looks and special powers make her an object of desire by many, be it for scientific studies or a rare-item collection, or sex.
Thoughts: Famous for her Dragon Riders of Pern series of over 20 books, McCaffery is not exactly unknown to romance readers—or to anyone who’s been in a book store in the last thirty years. I’m including her here because she passed away late last month. She was the first female author to receive both the Hugo and Nebula awards for her writing. In a 2004 interview with science fiction magazine Locus she said, “I have always used emotion as a writing tool…The thing is, emotion — if it's visibly felt by the writer — will go through all the processes it takes to publish a story and still hit the reader right in the gut. But you have to really mean it." McCaffery was probably the first of the paranormal/fantasy cross-over writers. She co-wrote the last five Pern books with her son and perhaps, we can hope for more titles from the McCaffery family.
10. JULIAN MAY (The Saga of Pliocene Exile)
Description: When a one-way time tunnel to Earth's distant past, specifically six million B.C., was discovered by folks on the Galactic Milieu, every misfit for light-years around hurried to pass through it. Each sought his own brand of happiness. But none could have guessed what awaited them. Not even in a million years....
Thoughts: The Saga of the Pliocene Exiles is the first of two linked series covering nine volumes. They should absolutely be read in order, but the first book, The Many Colored Land, is now out of print. You should still be able to get it from your local public library. I’m including in this list for two reasons, first because it was released in e-book form this year (with some pretty harsh criticism over lack of proofing) and secondly it’s just outstanding science fiction that paranormal readers have the ability imagine and enjoy.
May follows a group of people who are irrevocably exiled back in time to the Pliocene era during the period between the extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of homo sapiens, six million years ago. She was one if the first proponents of the ancient alien astronaut theory of human evolution made so famous now by Eric Daniken and his book and subsequent movie Chariots of the Gods. If you’re inclined to try some straight, make you think science fiction, try this series. It takes readers on an amazing journey from the distant future to the distant past, using unexpected routes all along the way.
Labels:
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday Snippet #90
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
The Night Before Christmas
Author: Clement Clarke Moore
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Happy Holidays & Year in Review
I would like to take a moment to wish all of my friends, followers, readers, tweeps, etc... a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanza and Wonderful New Year!If you are surfing the web tomorrow, please be sure to stop by for a very special Sunday Snippet... one you can even share with your family!
Next week the review team and I will be bringing you some fun "Top Tens" as we look back at 2011 and look forward to 2012. Check out Nima's Top Ten Authors you may have missed, Vampbard's Top Ten Hotties, Una & Gikany's Top Ten Heroines & Top Ten Series to Re-read. I will have my Top Ten highlights of 2011... and there are a few fun surprises along the way!
Thank you so much for stopping by and Happy Reading!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Review: Daybreak
Daybreak
Author: Ellen Connor
Release Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Publisher: Berkley
Dark Age Dawning #3
ISBN: #978-0425243404
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (312 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
|
Their mission was to save the world.
Their destiny is to fall in love.
Their destiny is to fall in love.
It’s been twelve years since the Change, and Penelope Sheehan is one of the few still practicing magic for the good of humanity in this dark, dangerous world. Determined to infiltrate the notorious O’Malley organization, she poses as an abducted girl–until a furious lion thwarts her mission. When the beast turns into a devastatingly handsome man, she recognizes in him the troubled boy she once knew.
Since becoming a skinwalker, Tru Daugherty has allowed his animal nature to take over. Aloof and cynical, he takes no interest in making the world a better place. He’s a creature of instinct and impulse, living only to satisfy his senses–ignoring the scarred heart nobody has ever reached. He’s also the best man to help Pen bring down the O’Malley crime ring.
Fighting alongside the last holdouts of humanity, they unleash a passion that tempts them to risk everything for love. But if they succeed, Tru and Pen hold the power to brighten the Dark Age for all time.
What G & U are talking about:
|
Gikany and Una are so honored that we were able to be on the fabulous ride that is the Dark Age Dawning trilogy. As in many really well done trilogies, we are both thoroughly satisfied with the ending and yet a little sad that it is over. If you haven’t read this series yet, you can jump in and read Daybreak, but we highly encourage you to read all three books. Each novel in this trilogy illustrates a very distinct point in time along the change from a technologically based world to one that functions solely on magic. Though the characters Tru and Pen, the story is truly brought full circle. This story does not have Happily-Ever-After ending, but implies that people and the world will continue and thrive.
The Dark Age Dawning world is rich and intriguing. The way the “Change” occurs and what it does to the world in wiping away technology and introducing magic is incredibly fascinating. How the different characters in the three different books are affected and how they survive is gripping. The characters are engaging and jump off the page. The world is vividly described and we found ourselves lost in it. We particularly enjoyed we seeing “our” world transformed by the Change. The extent of these changes is made humorously clear in a scene where Tru is talking with Adrian, a boy who was too young to remember “our” world. Tru is talking about a moment that occurs during Midnight (review HERE) when he was off on his own. This is a snippet from Tru and Adrian’s conversation from Daybreak:
“I wasn’t thinking about them. I just wanted to see the world. Find my place in it. And it’s not like I can just call home.”
“You’d have to live right next door.”
Wow. That was how the world had altered in a generation. Chills washed over him. In Tru’s time, the word “call” meant phones. In Adrian’s, it meant yelling for somebody, or maybe a magical thing like they did from the island to contact the mission. No technology anymore. He and Pen were among the last bridges, joining what had been lost to what would come after.
One aspect that we loved in Daybreak is the reunion of Tru and Pen. They were children in the first book, Nightfall, not seen in the second book, Midnight, and reappear as adults in Daybreak. If you did not read Nightfall, you won’t realize the true depth of maturation and growth that occur in Daybreak. Both of our main characters are deeply scarred by witnessing the Change and seeing the transformation of the world. Tru also bears scars from his poor family situation prior to the Change. Though Tru and Pen are adults, they haven’t finished maturing by the time they are reunited. Through the course of this book much needed healing and emotional growth occurs. What we truly loved is that neither character had to change, but their transformation comes from within and the choices each makes. Once they make these decisions and learned what being an adult truly is, the bond between them solidifies.
If Gikany and Una were able, we would give Daybreak a 4.75 stars rating, however we do not have that option, so we are giving it a 4.5. The trilogy overall is a 5 star, it is certainly a must read. Please go out and pick up the Dark Age Dawning books: Nightfall, Midnight, and Daybreak. Trust us, it is so worth it! And if this review doesn’t convince you, come back on and catch our Sunday snippet from it!
Their Ratings:
|
Daybreak Rating:
Trilogy Rating:
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Review: Shaedes of Gray
Shaedes of Gray
Author: Amanda Bonilla
Release Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Shaede Assassin Series Book 1
ISBN: #978-0451235299
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
|
Darian has lived alone for almost a century in the shadows of the night. Made and abandoned by her former love, Darian is the last of her kind—an immortal Shaede who can slip into darkness as easily as breathing. With no one else to rely on, she has taught herself how to survive, using her unique skills to become a deadly assassin.
Darian finds herself struggling to keep her employer, Tyler, at arm’s length, especially since his seductive smile makes her want to break her rules about love. The work he offers is necessary to protect the innocent—and a welcome distraction. But when Darian’s next mark turns out to be Xander Peck, King of the Shaede Nation, her whole worldview is thrown into question. Darian begins to wonder if she’s taken on more than her conscience will allow, but a good assassin never leaves a job unfinished….
What B is talking about:
|
Darian has spent nearly a century as an eternal Shaede, and most of that time she’s been alone. Born an embarrassingly outspoken daughter in an era when women were only worth the connections they could ensure through their marriage, she’d lived most of her human life alone, at least figuratively, as well. Believing herself to be the last of her kind after the death of her lover and maker, Azriel, she learned to take care of herself, and remade herself into a deadly assassin.
So many things change for Darian from the very beginning. She starts out believing she’s the biggest, baddest thing out there, but that notion is immediately shaken, and once the shattering of the illusion she’s been living under begins, it doesn’t stop. Bonilla doesn’t spare her main character anything, yet Darian proves to be surprising and capable, not only to the other characters in the novel, but to me as a reader as well.
Bonilla uses the first person narrative to near-perfect effect and does an excellent job of opening up Darian’s world to the reader step-by-step through her eyes. Darian proves to be a methodical guide into her new world from her realization, through her acceptance, and finally, to her thorough immersion in it.
One other thing I very much enjoyed about Shaedes of Gray, was that there is real romance awakening throughout the novel. As with most other Urban Fantasy novels I’ve read, it is not the main focus or objective to the narrative, but it is woven into the rest of the story, and is prominent enough to soften the edges of the journey Darian must take to learn the truth of what she is.
There were one or two stumbling blocks I encountered during key moments of conflict, but they weren’t enough to keep me from being riveted by Darian’s story. I have to say I’m especially happy to have been able to read the first novel in this series. Bonilla is a gifted writer, and has gotten the Shaede Assassin Series off to a very promising start. If Shaedes of Gray sets the standard for the rest of the novels to follow, I’ll definitely be on board for the entire ride.
B’s Rating:
|
Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Purchase Info:
Shaedes of Gray: A Shaede Assassin Novel
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Contest Winner - Hawaiian Holidays Vol. 1
I would like to thank everyone for stopping by That’s What I’m Talking About for my AAD Author Spotlight on Melissa Schroeder. I also want to thank Mel for stopping by and for graciously donating a copy of Hawaiian Holidays Vol. 1 for the giveaway.
Every person that commented on the post was entered into the contest - one entry per person. The winner was selected using random.org.
The Winner:
~*~Wendee~*~
CONGRATULATIONS!!
I am contacting the winner via email to find out her book preferences so that the author may send the book. Please email me at twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com with your information so I can send you the books. You have until Tuesday December 27, 2011 (end of day) to contact me. If I don’t hear from you by then, I will draw another winner.
Thank you and Happy Reading!
Review: Her Christmas Pleasure
Her Christmas Pleasure
Author: Karen Erickson
Release Date: Nov. 28, 2011
Publisher: Carina Press
The Merry Widows series #2
Genre: Historical Romance, novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: NetGalley
About the book:
|
Damien Morton is madly in love. Unfortunately, it’s with his best friend’s widow, Lady Danver. Damien is not worthy of Celia. Or so he thinks. Desperate to escape his feelings for her, he plans to leave the country at the first of the year. Celia treats him as a family friend and nothing more—until they share a heated kiss beneath the mistletoe…
Celia is shocked by the passions that surge within her at her dear friend’s kiss. One touch and one taste aren’t enough to satisfy her cravings, and she is startled into action. Damien has stirred something inside her that she never expected to experience again, and she must have more. Full of shameless desire and emotions newly discovered, she decides to pursue Damien and won’t be deterred. Will she be able to convince him to stay—both in her heart and life—forever?
What VampBard’s talking about:
|
What a lovely little read for a Sunday morning! You know, some people read the paper over coffee? I read a novella. Ms. Erickson definitely had a winning combination with Damian and Celia's chemistry in Her Christmas Pleasure.
Even though Damian is the bestie of Celia's departed husband, it doesn't stop his heart from loving her. He doesn't feel he's worthy of her love, doesn't feel that she even cares about him, and is wrestling with his upcoming move out of the country, where he won't even be able to see Celia for an indefinite period of time.
Celia, on the other hand, seems to be empowered to make things happen in her life. All it took was a teeny-tiny kiss under the mistletoe to set-in-motion a series of rather fortunate events, bringing Celia and Damian together *finally*. Strange thing? Celia's in-laws (yes, the parents of her dead husband) condoned the relationship. I actually thought it was pretty cool.
Even though historical fiction isn't really my cup-o-tea, Her Christmas Pleasure was a great read for Sunday morning coffee. Author & editors did a great job - the Grammar Police didn't have to prevent my latte from spewing on my Kindle this morning :) Strong characters, and detailed situations (and HOT 'coupling' - keeping it in the time period!) provided an excellent base for a novella that was a nice, quick read.
VampBard’s Rating:
|
Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Grab My Button
