Lucky Harbor is Simply Irresistible

Sometimes a book comes along right when you need it, making it the right book at the right time. Simply Irresistible was the “right time-right book” for me. I’d been in a reading rut and, eager for something light, humorous and full of just-right romance tropes — small town, clumsy heroine, sure-of-himself hero — Jill Shalvis’ Simply Irresistible more than delivered. This book is the epitome of a romance done right.

SYNOPSIS: Seeking a fresh start, Maddie Moore heads to Lucky Harbor where she’s been left part-ownership of a broken down inn with her two estranged sisters. As soon as she steps foot into town, she runs into Jax Cullen, who’s instantly smitten with Maddie and wastes no time telling her so. Having sworn off men, Maddie makes it clear that she’s off the market, but decides that the “new” Maddie should have a bit of fun while in town. “Fun” includes a no-strings fling with Jax, which soon turns into something more that neither of them expected. In addition to juggling between her heart versus head, Maddie realizes that running the inn could be her new calling, but has to find a way to convince her sisters to hop on board with the idea — if she can get them to reign in their catfighting. Will the “new” Maddie reign supreme in the end, or will everything backfire and crumble to pieces for the timid middle child?

From the start, Jax makes it clear that he wants Maddie and though it takes her a minute to catch up, Maddie eventually comes around, making their cat-mouse game enjoyable to follow. Maddie has a serious case of middle-child syndrome and watching her come out of her shell was a real treat and had me cheering for her success.

Since this is the first book in the Lucky Harbor series, it also deals with the fledgling relationship between Maddie and her sisters. Though the three of them are complete opposites, it’s clear that they would do anything for the other, despite not having grown up together. Their storyline is wrought with emotion, revealing what I feel is a true-to-life depiction of sibling interaction (you can’t pick your family, am I right?).

In the end, a trip to Lucky Harbor was exactly what I needed. Now, not only do I have a renewed love of romance books, but I also have a new favorite author as well as a new fictional town to add to my list of “fictional places I wish were real.”

Roaming Around the Web

Howdy! Consider this the first edition of Roaming Around the Web, a linkfest for romance and bookish-related happenings. Depending on how much good stuff I come across during the week, R.A.W. posts will range from lengthy to short ‘n sweet. Yikes… One paragraph in and this post is already dripping with double entendre (including this sentence). Shall we begin?

• One of my fave authors, Carly Phillips, waxed poetic on the Penguin blog on what makes a contemporary romance. It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for small-town romance, and Ms. Phillips does an excellent job at articulating why they’re just so darn charming (and addictive!).
• What’s better than scoring a new read? Scoring a free new read. Double it and you’ve got yourself a surefire good time. Currently, Ripped Apart (a romantic suspense by Miriam Minger) and At His Mercy (an erotic short story by Alison Kent) are listed as freebies in the Kindle store. If you’re anything like me, you’ve already DL’d them or you’re eagerly clicking the links before you can even finish reading this sentence!
• Ever wondered what goes on in editors’ minds while wading through the slush pile? Thanks to Carina Press Exec Editor Angela James’ Edit Report, your burning questions can be quelled. Her most recent report answered questions like what percent of submissions are sent R&R (revise and resubmit) letters (A: 5%) and what type of books do editors decide to accept (A: Said of recently acquired book, “I love [its] vivid small town setting, rich secondary romance & how author explores the complex family dynamics.”). Be sure to follow @AngelaJames and/or her #editreport on Twitter for more of her behind-the-scenes POV in the world of editing & books.

ROAMING QUESTION: Have you come across anything interesting (romance/book-related or not) in the World Wide Web? If so, please share! I’m especially keen to links that feature cute animals doing even cuter — and quirkier — things.

Update: 2012 Reading Goals

It’s me again! Remember when I discussed my reading goals for this year? Since we’re about a quarter of the way through the year, I figured it was time for an update on how I’m holding up so far with the challenges I set for myself.

Goal 1: Read books outside my comfort zone — While the majority of the books I’ve read thus far have been romances, I did give in to peer pressure and read the Hunger Games trilogy, a YA series about a girl who is sent to fight to the death against other teenagers in the annual Hunger Games competition. With the movie coming out and all the hype surrounding the books, I just had to see what all the hoopla was about. While the first book was just okay (reminded me too much of Battle Royale), I was completely entranced with books two and three, consuming them both in less than a week. I dabble in YA every now and then, but these books were a bit outside my normal realm of reading because of the dystopian theme and violent nature.

Goal 2: Read more — Well, as of now I’ve read 13 books since the beginning of the year. According to my (okay, Goodreads’) calculations, I’m four books ahead of schedule, which I’m taking as a sign that I’ve been reading plenty. Plus, there’ve been many a night when I’ve curled up on the couch with my Kindle and read while the beau watched T.V. After about ten minutes, I’m in the zone and so caught up in my book that don’t even hear what’s playing in the background.

Goal 3: Visit my local public library — I’m very proud of this one, as I just happened to have taken a trip to the library this past weekend! I admit, I was a bit jaded when I walked in (bad past experiences), but all my doubts were quickly squelched when I came across book after book that I just had to read. In the end, I only checked out five books, but believe me, I had my eye on many more than that.

Goal 4: Blog more — Sigh. Okay, so I haven’t been doing so well with this one. I really need to start carving out time to blog and sit down and force myself to write. It’s not that I don’t have anything to write about — in fact, I have a whole list of post ideas — but I just need to develop a blogging routine so that I can be somewhat regular with posting. I’ll try harder, I promise!

And finally, I’ve decided on a reading challenge number for this year. Drum roll, please… My goal is to read *50* books this year! It’s the perfect number between reasonable and slightly pushing myself. So far I’m ahead of schedule, which I hope to maintain, but if not, it’ll be good to have a buffer if something ever comes up and causes me to take a reading break for a bit. Oh, and If you’re ever interested in keeping tabs on how far along I am with my reading challenge, my progress meter is conveniently located on the sidebar. For more detail about which books I’ve read or the reading challenge in general, just clickety-click on the appropriate links.

I know it’s only March, but I’m doing pretty darn good on keeping my goals so far! *Pats self on back* Hopefully I’ll stick to it as the months tick by, but only time will tell. I plan on doing another update in another couple of months, so be sure to keep a look out for part II.

Roaming Question: Did you make any goals for the new year? Have you kept up with them?

Bookish Books for Bookworms

For a bookworm like myself, the only thing better than reading and books is reading books about books. Did I confuse you there? What I mean is that I’m a sucker for plots centered around books, settings that include libraries and/or bookstores, and characters that are librarians/writers/readers.

After a trip to my charming local library this weekend, I fell even more in love with libraries and bookish establishments. Then I thought, what better way to feed my need for all things book-related than to, well, read about all things book-related? So I sifted through my TBR list and searched for titles that feature libraries, bookstores and/or bookish characters. Unsurprisingly, I had more than a few that fit the bill. Instead of listing them all, I’ve compiled a short list that covers a variety of genres — after all, bookish books span beyond the romance genre!

• The Major and the Librarian by Nikki Benjamin: A category romance featuring — you guessed it — a major and a librarian. No need to even read the blurb — you had me at “librarian”!
• How to Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson: a fictional tale about a girl whose parents try to get her to read by having a book written especially for her.
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman: a collection of essays in which the writer recounts her love of books.
• Provoke Me by Cari Quinn: Both the hero and heroine manage a bookstore and love books… but can they admit their love for each other?
• Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett: the first in a cozy mystery series about an entire town known for its abundance of bookstores.
• Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: A contemporary YA featuring two bookish teens, the infamous Strand bookstore, and a crazy fun scavenger hunt around New York City.

Roaming Question: Do you read books about books? If not, what topic or hobby are you a sucker for & can’t help reading about?

Faith + Romance

I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to romance and religion, I tend to think of the two as mashed potatoes and chocolate — fine on their own, but preferring to keep them separate from each other. Because of that, I found myself steering clear of inspirational romances, under the impression that the romance would be diluted and overshadowed with talks of God and religious virtues. Silly, I know, but then it dawned on me that I couldn’t truly consider myself a romance lover unless I at least gave every category a chance.

Enter Souvenirs by Barbara Phinney, an inspirational romantic suspense and my first foray into the “inspy” sub-genre. You can read my RT review below, but in terms of the inspirational genre, let me just say: if all inspys are as well-written and filled with awesome character chemistry as Phinney’s books, then I’ll be seeing a lot more of them in my future! Harlequin has multiple faith-based categories — Steeple Hill Café, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Historical, Love Inspired Suspense, plus more —  so there’s an abundance for me to choose from. Glancing through them, I can’t help but notice the great covers, and everyone knows that a standout cover only makes books that much more enticing… Am I right??

Fun on the Slopes

I stumbled across my latest read while searching for a sexy romance set in snow. Living in the South, snow is a rarity, and I figured if I couldn’t make snow angels in real life, I may as well curl up with a book whose snow-capped setting fulfills my winter wonderland desire. Enter Vivian Arend’s  Falling, Freestyle, a story about three best friends — two guys, one girl — who use a winter weekend getaway to take their relationship to the next level.

SYNOPSIS: Dara, Kane and Jack have been the Three Musketeers for years, and while Dara trusts them with her life, lately she’s grown tired of being considered “one of the guys”. Wanting to show them that she’s got moves that extend beyond the slopes and a figure underneath all the snow gear, she decides to seduce them during their annual ski trip. Kane and Jack’s love for Dara has begun to creep beyond “best friend” territory, but don’t want to frighten her off or force her to choose between them. But when Dara proposes that the three of them spend the weekend getting to know each other better, Kane and Jack figure it’s better to share Dara than neither having a chance with her at all. While their relationship may work during their weekend away, the trio must face reality when they return home. Who will Dara choose as her boyfriend and as her boy friend? Can they go back to being friends?

Dara, Jack and Kane’s relationship is unorthodox, to say the least, but I really admired the friendship between the trio. While Kane and Jack are opposites, their love for Dara and respect for the other man feel genuine, which makes it hard to choose a favorite amongst them — and also explains why Dara couldn’t decide between them. Although the story contains sexual encounters that involve all three of them, the scenes are well-written and believable in the sense that the POVs of each character are realistic — i.e., wrought with self-consciousness and worry about the effect it will have on their friendship.

However, there are still parts of the story in which belief needs to be suspended, such as the perfect hotel conditions where there just happens to be an already-heated hot tub awaiting their arrival. But, hey, I read to escape reality, so this was just fine by me. All-in-all, Falling, Freestyle is perfect for a cold night in, and most definitely one that is hot enough to melt the ice caps.

*Click here to read my review and view my star rating on Goodreads.

The Grey Finale

There are books that come along and captivate you, pulling you into the world that the author has so masterfully crafted. Books that have you staying up until 2 a.m., promising that you’ll go to bed after “just one more page”. Needless to say, Fifty Shades Freed (as well as the entire The Fifty Shades trilogy) was it for me. And now that the series is over… Well, I just don’t know what to do with myself.

In the final installment of the Fifty Shades series, Ana and Christian are married, but that doesn’t mean that it’s all roses and sunshine for the happy couple. Not only is there the mystery of trying to find out who’s trying to kill them — the suspense definitely has its heart-pounding moments — but the newlyweds are also adjusting to married life and learning even more about each other. There’s more than just nail-biting suspense, though. Of course there’s also plenty of spicy bits to go around — I mean, c’mon, Christian was a Dom when he first met Ana. Obviously their bedroom (and other room) scenes are going to sizzle! But their sexual interactions are beautifully interwoven with humorous and somber plot points, character arcs, and the infamous email exchange between Ana and Christian (love those!).

Ana and Christian’s character evolution throughout the trilogy is unlike any I’ve ever seen. She started off as a naive, shy college student, while Christian (AKA Fifty) was a cold, aggressive businessman. By the end of Fifty Shades Freed, not only are they closer to one another, but they’re also more confident in themselves.

After reading Fifty Shades Freed, I kept trying to decide which of the three books I loved best. After thoughtful deliberation, I honestly could not come up with a favorite because I love them ALL. So much so that gray may be my new favorite color. Kidding… sort of.

*Click here to read my review and view my star rating on Goodreads.

**I received Fifty Shades Freed as a complimentary copy for review from the publisher.

Diving Head-First into 2012

Wow, it’s been a while since my last post. I didn’t intend for my hiatus to be so long, but then again, I’m all about the “absence makes the heart grow fonder” philosophy. That said, instead of harping about the past, let’s dive right in — Happy New Year! Despite what the Mayans thought, I believe 2012 will be *my* year. My reading drought has finally passed (hooray!) and I’m adding books to my TBR list at lightning speed! Speaking of TBRs, am I the only one who gets just as much pleasure from looking for books as I do from actually reading them? I can literally spend hours surfing Amazon, Goodreads and the bookstore just skimming through books and deciding whether or not to add them to my constantly expanding list of books to read. What can I say, I just love books — paperback, e-book, hardcover… If it has words, count me in!

Which brings me to my next point: my 2012 reading goals. Goodreads has a section where you can set your own personal reading goal, in which I plan on participating. The thing is, though, I haven’t quite decided what I want my numerical goal to be. Fifty books? Twenty-five? Sixty? I’m still mulling it over, but in the meantime, I have made up my mind about other reading goals for the year. This is only a quick ‘n dirty list of what I’ve come up with so far, so I’m sure this will change and expand as the days weeks go on:

1. Read books outside my comfort zone. As if it wasn’t obvious from the title of this blog, romance is my favorite genre. However, I know there are other amazing books out there and I don’t want to limit myself simply because it falls outside my “happily ever after” expectations. I plan to test the waters with YA, thriller, comic books — anything that I normally wouldn’t jump to read, I plan to.

2. Read more. This sounds absurd since I already read a lot, but believe it or not, there are times when I choose to watch TV or surf the ‘net instead of picking up a book. Don’t get me wrong, I cherish my TV/internet/etc. downtime, but there are times when I’m mindlessly flipping through the channel when I could instead be getting lost in a good book.

3. Visit my local public library. I go back and forth with this one. Not because I don’t like libraries — I love them! In fact, I used to check out a dozen books a time when I was younger — but because of the state of them nowadays. Don’t get me wrong, I completely empathize with the whole lack of public-funding, catering-to-everyone ordeal, but the last few times I went to the library my experiences were less than stellar. For instance, a librarian asking “Who?” when I asked where the Jane Austin books were (don’t even get me started on that day). And of course there’s the likelihood of them not carrying a book I want to read or the “checked out indefinitely” status. Plus, it also comes down to the lack of instant gratification. Why would I put myself on a months-long waiting list to read a book when I could just go out and buy it? Nothing against those who do, and I’m definitely no Mr. Ms. Moneybags, but buying books is something I will always allow myself to do. And also why I bought a Kindle.

Well, that’s about it for now. Three things may not seem like a lot on the surface, but it’s definitely enough to keep me busy in the next upcoming months. Oh! There is one more:

4. Blog more! Or should I say, blog more regularly. I did a decent job last year of updating RtR, but I don’t want to fall into another three-month dry spell. Plus, perhaps blogging more could help me through my reading droughts (which is inevitable in every reader’s life). I won’t set myself up for unrealistic expectations and vow to blog every day, or even every other day (if I do, though, great!), but a minimum of once a week seems manageable.

Okay, so there you have it. My reading/bookish goals for the year. When I decide on a numerical reading goal or if I think of more general goals, I’ll be sure to fill you all in. In the meantime, I’m off to add more to my TBR list. It’s times like this I’m proud to be a bookworm!

Reading is Sexy

I came across the piece below while fluttering around the ‘net and I couldn’t help but share it with those who’ve never read it. I know it’s not technically part of the romance genre, but seeing as it combines love and reading, which is essentially the basis of this blog, I suppose it does in a way relate. That said, as a lifelong reader, I can totally identify with this essay since I have been known to do many of the things described in it. Lucky for me, I’ve found a beau who not only understands my passion for reading, but encourages and enables it as well. What can I say, I’m a lucky gal!

“Date a Girl Who Reads” by Rosemarie Urquico

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

Knit One, Read One

Whenever the temperature begins to drop and the end of Daylight Saving Time is upon us, I tend to spend more and more nights cozying up on the couch with a cup of tea, alternating between a good book and my trusty pair of knitting needles. This year, instead of having to choose between reading and working on a new project, I came across the perfect solution that would allow me to combine them both!

Debbie Macomber’s Blossom Street series + Knit Along with the Blossom Street series

I’ve mentioned my fascination with Ms. Macomber’s fictional town of Cedar Cove before, and if I were to ever visit, I’m sure the majority of my time would be spent on Blossom Street. It has everything a girl like me needs: a café, flower shop and, of course, A Good Yarn — the yarn shop that’s the setting of The Shop on Blossom Street, the first book in the Blossom Street series. Not only is it a place where the characters go to pick up yarn, but it’s also where they come together and bond with one other while creating scarves, baby blankets and other knit projects.

I’ve read books that feature knitting before, and I have to say, there’s something so warm and fuzzy about them. I don’t know if it’s because the characters who knit are always so amiable or if it’s because I imagine the knit blanket in the story draped over me while I read. Either way, it’s been my experience that you can’t go wrong with a story about knitting. Plus, with the holidays approaching, I’m sure that cozy feeling will only be intensified as decorations go up and the smell of firewood begins to waft through the air.

Anyway, back to the books. There are currently ten books in the Blossom Street series and most, if not all, feature knitting in one way or another. After reading each book, you can knit the projects mentioned in the story with the patterns listed in the Knit Along With Debbie series. For instance, after reading The Shop on Blossom Street, pick up Knit Along with Debbie Macomber – The Shop on Blossom Street to find the pattern for the baby blanket mentioned in the story. A word to the wise, though — you’ll want to make sure you’ve read the story beforehand, or else you may come across spoilers while looking up the patterns.

I’ve already got a fresh skein of yarn, now I just have to pick up the books. Between the series and knit along books, there’s no doubt I’ll have plenty of stories to get by during the holidays, not to mention an assortment of homemade knit projects to give as Christmas presents. How do you like that? Killing Knitting two birds with one stone two needles without having to leave the comfort of my own couch. Now that’s what I call multitasking.