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A few weeks ago, I found myself at Borders with a coupon and some Borders Bonus Bucks burning a hole in my pocket. I walked up and down the romance aisles searching for a book to buy. Finally, I stumbled upon Christie Ridgway. I’m always on the lookout for new-to-me contemporary authors. I recognized her name from the 2010 RITA nominee list, so I figured she must be good, so what the hey?

The beachside knitting shop Malibu & Ewe is the perfect place for L.A.’s hip young crowd to enjoy colorful yarn and intimate conversation. For personal chef Nikki Carmichael, it could be the softest place to land if her new job falls through. Working for magazine writer Jay Buchanan has come with some strange conditions—like pretending to be his girlfriend. As for Jay, he finds himself drawn to the kitchen, where he’s intrigued by his sexy cook’s ability to withstand the heat between them. And now he thinks it’s time to turn up the flames.

I bought How to Knit a Wild Bikini because it was the first in the trilogy. I’m a sucker for a series. Apparently, I’m not alone based on the sheer number of them on the market. The premise intrigued me as a reader. As a writer, I was ready to glean any knowledge I could on how to write a single title. One of my 2011 goals is to write one (more on this Friday).

Reader self: I enjoyed the book. Ridgway successfully lured me in to wanting to read the last two books in the trilogy. The book was funny and sexy, which is the best combination in my opinion. There was a running joke from the first meeting between Jay and Nikki that Ms. Ridgway keeps going the whole book, and it had me laughing.

My one gripe was that, especially in the first part of the book, Nikki kept complaining she needed the job because she was broke. However, it was never explained why she had no money. Did she not know how to budget? Did she not have (adequate) health insurance and all her money went to paying medical bills? Who knows?  

Writer self: It seems to me that one of the keys to single title is the use of subplots. Ms. Ridgway upped the ante by having three subplots. Obviously, the main plot was the relationship between Nikki and Jay, but there were subplots involving Nikki’s connection to the knit shop and its owner, the next door neighbor (an older Paris Hilton), and Jay’s teenage cousin. That’s a lot.

My problem with subplots is that a lot of time I feel they take attention away from the main focus of the book. That’s something I’ll definitely be mindful of when I write my book.

In a nutshell: Reader self, overall happy. Writer self, learning more each time I read a book.

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By day, Lena Morrison is an ambitious grant writer. By night, she's an escort to some of Chicago's most successful men. Sex isn't on the menu—Lena's job is to provide her elite clients with companionship and sparkling conversation. She enjoys the extra income, but even more, Lena loves the empowering feeling of being admired for her beauty and her brains.

When tycoon Roderick Brand hires Lena as his date for a private party, their electric attraction leads to the most erotic night of her life. As incredible as the experience is, she vows not to mix work and pleasure again. But Roderick is relentless. His irresistible proposal: three weeks fulfilling all his fantasies, in exchange for a million-dollar grant that will guarantee Lena a major promotion.

Lena can play that game. She'll give Roderick the hottest, wildest sex he's ever had, then she'll walk away, leaving him aching for more. But when it comes to desire, rules—and hearts—are easily broken. And the best-laid plans have a way of working out in ways neither could expect….

I blogged about Ms. Smith’s Recipe for Temptation awhile back. I loved that book, so when I saw Whatever You Like in Target, I snatched it up despite my reservations. The heroine is an escort. Even though she doesn’t sleep with her clients, just the thought of escorts kind of grosses me out.

But anyway, do you want to know how much I adored this book? I started reading it Saturday morning and finished it that afternoon. I couldn’t put it down. That hasn’t happened for me in a long time.

The book was very steamy. The byplay between Lena and Roderick, in and out of bed, kept me entertained. I still wouldn’t classify it as erotic, but it was inching that way.

There is one choice Ms. Smith made that I'm still thinking about. She decided to tell the entire story from the point of view of the heroine. We never go inside the hero’s head. There were a few times I wish we had, like when Lena reveals something he doesn’t like. Roderick gets mad and leaves. She’s wondering what he’s thinking and so was I.

I’m assuming Ms. Smith made the choice because the novel was supposed to be about the heroine’s journey and not the hero’s, but who knows?

It didn’t drastically affect my enjoyment of the book. I did read it in one day, after all, and highly recommend it.

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I haven’t updated the blog in a few weeks, mostly because I’ve been lazy. I apologize. One of these days I will get on the ball. I have read though. Here is one of the books.


In England, Harlequin/Mills & Boon publishes a line of books called Modern Heat. In the U.S., these books are packaged as Harlequin Presents (Extra). This is significant because Modern Heats have a different sensibility than your typical Presents. As a reader, you just have to “know” or be able to figure out which books are Modern Heats and which ones are regular Presents.  I like to think of Modern Heats as cousins to Harlequin Blazes.  

I became aware of Ms. Hunter earlier this year. I bought her March Presents, Misbehaving with the Magnate, the first in a duet, and stuck it in my “to be read” pile. One day while looking at the RITA nominees, I discovered that the second book in the duet, Revealed: A Prince and a Pregnancy, was nominated. I instantly became more curious about the book I’d just bought. She had to be a great writer if she was nominated for a RITA, right? Needless to say, I loved it! I actually liked Misbehaving with the Magnate better than the RITA nominee. Isn’t it funny how subjective these things are?

Anyway, I’d been on the lookout for more of her books. And this was published in November.

I know there’s a difference between regular Presents and Modern Heats, but Untameable Rogue still threw me for a loop. The heroine, Madeline, has more money than the hero, Luke. He struggles with this, even more so with the fact that she doesn’t apologize for her history. She married an old guy for the stability and money he brought (she didn’t have a good childhood). In a regular Presents, the hero is a billionaire and the heroine needs his help for something. Madeline doesn’t need Luke's help for anything. She’s running her very successful business and living her life. Their mutual goal is to have a fling and go their separate ways. Like I said, very Blaze-like.

It was an adjustment for me. I enjoyed the book, but I kept thinking how different it was, which distracted me sometimes. It was nothing Ms. Hunter did. I can’t wait to read her next book.

I'd planned on writing about the other book I read, but this post was a little longer than I thought it would be, so I'll save it for tomorrow.

How's that for a tease?

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This week’s entry is Huddle with Me Tonight by Farrah Rochon.

All Paige Turner wants is to be taken seriously as a journalist. The entertainment columnist and blogger extraordinaire gets more notoriety than she planned when her scathing review of NFL superstar Torrian Smallwood's memoir sparks an online confrontation. But that's nothing compared to the sensual heat that tackles her when she meets the heart-stoppingly sexy athlete face-to-face….

Torrian can't let Paige derail his dream of a new career as a restaurateur. Even if the sassy, sultry writer is making America's favorite wide receiver yearn to be on the receiving end of her desire. And with a reality TV cook-off propelling them into the spotlight, Torrian can no longer hide his passionate secret goal—to build a future with the woman who's making an end run around his heart….

If you’ve ever met me or read this here blog or my tweets, it probably took you five minutes to realize I’m a sports fanatic. Okay, maybe like three minutes.

I’m as passionate about sports as I am romance novels. And when the two are combined, this is me.
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*Clears throat*

I met Ms. Rochon at the Harlequin Pajama Party at the RWA Conference this summer. She writes for Kimani Press, the same line I’m targeting.  Turns out she’s also a sports nut. When she told me her book about a football player would be released in September, I knew I’d be buying it.

And I happily did. I could tell you what I thought about it, but who cares whether or not it was any good? Have you seen the cover? I mean, seriously. 

After I drooled over the cover, I forced myself to open the book and actually read. I loved it.

Torrian and Paige have amazing chemistry even though they’re not too thrilled with the other at the beginning. Excuse me while I take us back to the 1950s for a moment. Torrian is a dreamboat. He’s as nice and down to earth as he is hot. Paige is no pushover. She’s ambitious. I’ve always been ambitious, and I connect with others who are the same way whether they’re people or fictional characters. Paige and Torrian fit together. They made my heart sigh.

But those aren’t the main reasons I loved Huddle with Me Tonight.

I was reading the book last night while at work (Don’t worry. I have the type of job where this is okay). I was sitting next to my student worker and I start cracking up. She looks at me like crazy. I apologize and continue reading, only to crack up again a few minutes later. It was the scene in which Torrian and Paige are having a meeting with TV executives. I’d type it out, but I dumbly forgot the book at home this morning. Trust me, it was funny.

I heart books that can make me laugh out loud. If an author can do that, I am hers forevermore.

And I did I mention, she writes about football? J

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie

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My goal with Whatcha Reading Wednesday is not to do reviews. It’s more of an experiment to determine what books I’m attracted to and why. You won’t find any stars or thumbs here. I’d feel bad writing a negative review. Also, it can be hard for me to pinpoint exactly why a book works for me or not. I do think about it because I have this blog to write, but it doesn’t come naturally to me at all. Especially if it’s a book I love. My inclination is to squee, hold the book to my chest, and just proclaim to the world how much I loved the book.

Which is the case with Shannon McKenna’s Fade to Midnight. As I mentioned here, even acquiring the book took some soul searching on my part. While I’m still not too keen on the book being published in hardcover, the novel itself is wonderful, and I’m so happy I bit the bullet and bought it.

I’ve been waiting for this book for years. Ms. McKenna had written books about all the other McCloud brothers and some of their friends. She finally, FINALLY got to Kev’s story. It didn’t disappoint. Fade to Midnight is almost 500 pages, and honestly I wouldn’t have had a problem with it being longer. The action never stopped, and I kept flipping the pages. One night I stayed up till 5:30 a.m. because I couldn’t put it down.

Ms. McKenna’s heroes are all alpha to the nth degree trained in combat techniques that I can only dream of. They think nothing of saving the day even if their lives are put in mortal danger. As more than one of them has noted, they don’t possess many (or any) of the social niceties people expect. They’re blunt to a fault. My favorite word to describe them is intense. They’re always ramped up ready to do whatever needs to be done. But as intense as they are, they’re ten times more intense about the special women in their lives. For instance…

He lay there afterwards, shaking. Every time they made love, he felt more naked. More out of control. Carrying on like a crazed barbarian warlord, waving his dick around like a club. But it was all bullshit. The power dynamic between them was brutally clear.

He was on his knees to her. She owned his ass.

Squee! I love that last line so much.

My only minor quibble is the interaction between Kevin and his brothers. I would have liked to have read more about that. However, I think I understand why Ms. McKenna didn’t go there – besides the book being ridiculously long. It’s not in the McClouds’ nature to gush and emote. These men are stoic. They have deep emotions, no doubt, but talking about them isn’t really their way. Their actions definitely showcased their love, but I’m a girl and I would have loved to have seen it expressed in words anyway.

But the book is great. It made me want to reread all of the books in this series.

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie

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This week's entry is His Virgin Acquisition by Maisey Yates.

I have a confession to make. I have an addiction to Harlequin Presents. I read them in droves.

Why, you ask? They’re short, which means it doesn’t take long to read them and get to the happily ever after I love. The books are usually set in Europe or Australia, which means I can go to Sydney or Paris or London just by cracking open a book. Everybody's rich, too! The books just have a different vibe than I’m used to as an American.

A lot of romance readers don’t like them because of the alpha heroes found inside. Strangely enough, they’ve never bothered me. Whenever I find an indignant hero certain he knows everything, I just laugh and say, “Looks like we got another angry one.” These heroes amuse, not anger, me.

Anyway…

I became aware of Ms. Yates late last year when she sold this, her first, book, and a party commenced at eharlequin.com for her. Over the past year, I’ve gotten to “know” her mostly through Twitter. When her book was released, I bought it eager to support a new author and did I mention the Presents addiction I have?

When Elaine gives her business presentation to Marco De Luca she thinks she can be cool, calm and collected. She's wrong! The fierce tycoon can see straight through her shapeless suits and scraped-back hair and get right under her skin….

She may have proposed marriage as the perfect business arrangement, but suddenly Elaine's not quite so confident. Marco's made it clear that he's no modern man—if he takes a wife, he wants a ravishing beauty by his side, obedient and willing day…and night!

This book didn’t disappoint. As an aspiring author, I read tons of blogs about how to become a better writer and how to hook the reader. Great opening lines and first pages are often touted as some of the best ways to do so. Ms. Yates did not disappoint. 

“I think the numbers speak for themselves. Marriage is definitely the most profitable course of action.”

It seemed Elaine Chapman had finally come to the end of her lengthy presentation. 

Marco De Luca scanned the expanse of his office, looking for hidden cameras or some other sign that she was here on assignment from a reality show. There was no way she could be serious.

I cracked up reading this. I loved it.

What made the book enjoyable as a whole for me was Elaine, the heroine. She has a goal and a purpose in life. Many times, HP heroines get on my nerves. Why must they be poor and/or destitute? Sometimes they just exist until the hero comes and sweeps them away. Yes, Elaine needs Marco’s help, but he is most definitely her last resort. And as is the case in romance novels, she saves him as much as he saves her. Very Pretty Woman.

 
*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*
However, the one thing that made me sigh is the pregnancy that occurs. Not that I’m opposed to babies, but it seems like the contraception in Presentsland NEVER works. These are the richest people in the world. Are you really telling me NONE of them can find some decent condoms? It wasn’t the end of the world that Ms. Yates used this tried and true device, but it did make me sigh.

*SPOILER ALERT OVER*

All in all, I enjoyed the book and can’t wait to follow Ms. Yates’ career.

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie

 

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Who's ready for funny story time?

Discussion points
1.    I love Shannon McKenna.
2.    I am cheap.

Please keep these points in mind as you read especially number 2.

Ms. McKenna has a series about the McCloud brothers. I love them. Her heroes always make me giggle because they’re sooo intense. They’re intense about whatever mission they’re on, and they’re about ten times more intense about their love interest.

The last McCloud brother is Kevin. I won’t spoil anything, but I’ve been waiting to read Kevin’s story for five or six years. When I found out his story was coming, the squees could be heard all over Dallas.

And then I found out the book would be published as a hardcover. Slam on the brakes time. Really?

Here’s the thing. Kensington always publishes Ms. McKenna’s books in trade size at a cost of $14. Sigh. Let’s remember our talking points. Because I could never figure out Kensington’s mass market printing schedule (mainly because there never seemed to be any rhyme or reason to it), I’ve always just sucked it up and bought the trade edition because I love Shannon McKenna. Granted, I wait until I have a lovely Borders coupon in hand before doing so, but even with the coupon, I still spend $8-$10 on a book. Which I NEVER do.

I must really love Shannon McKenna.

As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper when I found out about the hardcover plans. When the book came out a few months ago, I went to Borders and stared at it. I think I mentioned that I’ve been waiting for this book for years. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger. I would wait for the trade or mass market edition. Yeah, this scene played itself out several times in the past few months.

Until Monday night.

Recently, I started a new job, which means I don’t have to be quite so tight-fisted with the cash. I also happened to have a 40% off coupon from Borders. I hopped in my car knowing just the book I wanted to buy, but then the little devil (angel?) on my shoulder whispered in my ear, “Why don’t you buy Shannon McKenna’s book instead? You know you want it.”

I thought about it and decided what the heck? I have a little extra cash and a great coupon. Let’s go for it.

Now, usually, when I have a coupon ready to spend on a specific item, I work out in advance how much the item will be before I ever get to the store. However, because this was a spur of the moment decision, I didn’t have time for calculations.

I got to Borders, picked up the book, flipped it over, and glared at the price. $20.95. Yikes. I debated for a second about putting it back, but NO. I wanted this book, and I was gonna have it.

I marched downstairs to the checkout line and hand the cashier my coupon and Borders reward card. She rang up the purchase and said $15.xx. In my mind, I was thinking, “Excuse me?! I don’t think so! That’s not 40% off.” But I didn’t have to say a word because my facial expression did all the talking. Oh, how I wish I’d had a camera to take a picture of my face.  A slightly panicked look flashed across her face before she dropped her head to reread the coupon and stared at the computer screen.

I said, “Is the 40% not good on hardcovers?” Because if it wasn’t, I was going to take it as a sign from the money and book gods that I wasn’t supposed to have this book and put it back.

Luckily, she said no. She’d screwed up typing the code. She called the manager who fixed it. The total was $13.xx. Still bad, but more in line with what I expected.  

So now I have Fade to Midnight. I’ve only read the first few pages, but I’m loving it.

I must love Shannon McKenna.

How do you feel about hardcovers? Will you follow your favorite authors wherever they happen to take you even if it’s to the Land of Expensive?

xoxo,
Jamie 

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Yeah, yeah, I know it’s Thursday. I’ll get back on the ball…at some point.

Anyway…

This week's entry is If You So Desire by Yahrah St. John.

Hard-charging labor lawyer Sage Anderson is a barracuda in the courtroom. But when it comes to romance, the burned-by-love sister isn't interested in playing the field. Until her hunky new client tosses the ball into her court.

Hotshot media mogul Ian Lawrence has a killer rep—in and out of the bedroom. But when he's hit with a lawsuit, the freewheeling playboy is intrigued by his gorgeous, go-get-'em attorney. When Sage refuses to mix business with pleasure, he ramps up the seduction, tempting her with a kiss that's in both of their best interests.

From a passion-filled cruise on the Hudson to whisking her away to his Malibu beach house, Ian is a man on a mission. With things heating up between them, he isn't ready to sit this one out. It's time to get personal and convince Sage it takes two…to fall in love.

I chose this book for several reasons.

1. Ms. St. John is a fellow alumna of Northwestern University. I wanted to support a fellow Wildcat.

2. The plot intrigued me. A lawyer getting involved with her client is pretty much a big no-no. It’s a situation ripe with potential conflict.

3. The hero REALLY intrigued me. I do love an arrogant hero. They annoy some readers because they can often venture into jerk territory, but they just amuse me because they can be so over the top. I can’t be mad. And let’s be real.  A guy who goes after what he wants is sexy.

The hero, Ian, does not disappoint. The story works because of him. He cracks me up. He wants what (or who, in this case) he wants and doesn’t take no for an answer because the word isn’t in his vocabulary. He’s rich and privileged and uses these facts to his advantage.

But it’s not all about Ian. I also liked the heroine, Sage. She’s smart and great at her job. She knows what she wants and deserves and doesn’t want to compromise even when that leads to hurt.  

As a writer, there was something about the book that stood out to me. Ms. St. John head hops A LOT. I’ve read Nora Roberts, the Queen of Head Hopping, for twenty years. Head hopping (aka rapid point of view changes) doesn’t bother me. When it’s done between the hero and heroine, I’m fine. However, Ms. St. John goes inside most of the characters’ head. This bothered me because I don’t care what every character thinks. The story isn’t about them.

I asked myself if this would have bothered me a few years ago before I ever heard the term “head hopping.” My answer is, “I think so just” because I don’t think knowing what every character thinks at all times is necessary.

Did it affect my enjoyment of the story? No, not really. It was a little annoying, but I still really liked the story and would recommend it. Did I mention that Ian amused me? J

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie
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This week's entry is Burning Up by Susan Andersen.

She's So Good at Being Bad

Though it’s been years since the infamous Macy O’James stepped foot in Sugarville, Washington, everyone remembers what she supposedly did. The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment.

Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate  enough sparks to burn down the town, he’s a law-abiding, line-towing straight arrow. So not her type.

But, maybe—just maybe—he could change her mind about that.

I bought this book last week because I wanted to show support for one of my favorite authors, Susan Andersen. I was lucky enough to meet her briefly at the Romance Writers of America Conference in July. I was a total fangirl and gushed about how I’d read all her books. She was gracious, and I left before I made a complete fool of myself. Ahem.

Although I bought the book, the plan was to throw it on my TBR pile and read something that had been in the pile a lot longer. But then I started thinking. I remembered how much I love Susan Andersen. Then I read the back of the book blurb and really wanted to read the book. That was the reader me coming out.

Then my writer self spoke. My two manuscripts are category length, i.e. 55,000. I’ve thought about writing a full-length story, but the thought of writing an 80,000-90,000 book scares the crap out of me. I decided that reading the book would be a good exercise for me. I could analyze how Ms. Andersen writes a single title.

Decision made. Boy, am I good at rationalization or what?

Reader self: I love this book! Ms. Andersen hooked me on the first page and never let up. A feisty heroine, who still has plenty of scars from her childhood, and a hero, who’s determined to resist her charms, make for a great mix. I love the chemistry between the two. I know the book is good when I’m yelling at the couple, “Come on, y’all. Just get together already!”

Writer self: What drives this book is the internal conflict between the hero and the heroine. The black moment is all about the internal conflict. I rely heavily on internal conflict, so this made me happy. However, she mixes in a few other things, like the hero’s career, thus making sure the two of them aren’t just sitting around moaning about their feelings for the other the entire time. There’s an external conflict that keeps them apart at the beginning, but I don’t want to ruin it. Also, Ms. Andersen employs the popular secondary romance subplot. It’s not my favorite device, but it certainly can eat up some pages. And I liked the characters in the secondary romance, so it’s all good.

The other thing I noticed is that in a single title, there’s more time for a slow build. Macy and Gabriel don’t get together right away, even though the sexual tension makes its presence known right away. I realized I have a little more space to play in single titles. I don’t know if I can do it, but I do like a good challenge, so I suspect I’ll be giving it a shot soon.

In a nutshell –
Reader Jamie: Extremely pleased.  :)
Writer Jamie: Extremely pleased. :)

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie
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This week's entry is Vision in White by Nora Roberts.

The first book in the Bride Quartet—following the lives and loves of four friends who run Vows, a wedding-planning company. Wedding photographer Mackensie “Mac” Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be’s brother…an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

A stable, safe English teacher, Carter Maguire is definitely not Mac’s type. But a casual fling might be just what she needs to take her mind off bridezillas. Of course, casual flings can turn into something more when you least expect it. And Mac will have to turn to her three best friends—and business partners—to see her way to her own happy ending.

I picked this book because I needed some Nora in my life, dangit. I’ve been a huge fan of La Nora since I began reading romance in the early 1990s when she used to write for Silhouette. A few of those, namely Luring a Lady and Falling for Rachel, still hold a special place in my heart. I’ve read most of her single titles and enjoyed them all.

However, her contemporaries have always been my favorite. There are not enough words to describe how much I adore Born in Fire and Sea Swept.

Ms. Roberts writes across romance subgenres and it had been awhile since she wrote a straight contemporary. When I heard about The Bride Quartet, I nearly jumped for joy. I hadn’t read a Nora book in awhile, so I thought I’d treat myself this week.

I’ve always marveled at her style. She has such a lovely way with words and description that draws the reader in and paints a perfect picture. And the detail she puts in her books are amazing. These strengths hold true for Vision in White. I feel like an expert on wedding planning reading this book.

The best part of the book is the hero, Carter, who is adorably beta. He’s geeky, clumsy and sweet, but strong in such a quiet, effective way.

Is this my favorite Nora book? No, but I’m glad I’m reading it. As a reader, I find the book to be so comforting. It’s old school Nora. The storyline isn’t complicated, but that’s okay. As a writer, I’m taking copious mental notes on how she handles certain situations.

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie

 

 
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