My Weekly Reading: 8/19/2012

Lot of novellas and shorts this week and a great book I somehow forgot to mention last week.


The Best...

One Night Rodeo (Blacktop Cowboys #4) - Lorelei James

Whoops, I forgot this one last week.  I love Lorelei James like mad, and this latest release is one of her best yet.  Kyle and Celia have been antagonizing one another since childhood and have been dancing around each other romantically for the last couple of books in this series.  In the wake of one fateful drunken Vegas wedding and a major familial upheaval, the two decide to temporarily join forces while both are secretly wondering if they can manage to turn their accidental marriage into a real happily ever after.  An incredibly endearing and sexy romance ensues.  I just know this one's going to end up really high on my list of "favorite Lorelei James books ever."

The Governess Affair (Brothers Sinister #0.5) - Courtney Milan

Oh, Courtney Milan.  I didn't love her incredibly popular novel, "Unveiled," as much as everyone else seemed to, but every book of hers I've read since has surprised me with how interesting and unique and emotionally gripping they are. 

In this prequel novella for Milan's new series, a woman determined not to back down and a man determined to not stray from his prescribed path find themselves at an impasse. Hugo Marshall's job is to clean up the Duke of Clermont's problems with ruthless and brutal efficiency but he finds it impossible to stay detached when dealing with a severely wronged governess who refuses to go quietly on her way.  A truly lovely romance develops between the two.

I was really enjoying this novella until Hugo and Serena started volleying insults and quips via notes.  Then I fell madly in love.  Also, the consummation scene made me swoon.  I am eagerly anticipating the next book in this series.

Saving Grace - Julie Garwood

I discovered Julie Garwood's 1990's medieval romances featuring spirited English lasses and stubborn Highland Lairds only just this past year.  They're all so much fun, it's ridiculous.  This was the last one I needed to complete the collection and it was really enjoyable but I did find myself hollering at the heroine not to do something stupid (with her not heeding me, of course) more often than I would have liked.

Magic Dreams (Kate Daniels #4.5) - Ilona Andrews

I'm going through Kate Daniels withdrawal so I figured I'd go back and hit some of the companion novellas I missed along the way.  This one has no Kate in it, but follows two other prominent shapeshifter characters (Jim the jaguar and Dali the nearsighted white tiger).  I didn't really care much for Dali's appearances in the main Kate books but found that I really loved her when she got her own story and got her own chance to kick ass and save the man she loves.

He sat and lowered his voice. "What happened to your mother's accent?"
"We're past that now," I whispered to him.  "Her little Asian lady act is just for show.  She has a master's in chemistry from Princeton."

The Rest...

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine: I read this for August's "Vaginal Fantasy Hangout" book club.  This month's theme was "djinn."  It's got a really unique supernatural premise but I though the tone was rather erratic.  One minute, the heroine's being a single-minded badass focused on saving her own hide and then next second she's swooning over a cute guy and taking time to try on velvet clothes in the mall.  The disconnect, which continued through out the novel, drove me a little batty.  I've heard good things about this series but I don't yet know if I'll continue on or not.

Kamikaze by Moira Rogers:  Free erotic short. Fun werewolf mating frenzy sexytimes. 

Hurricane by Moira Rogers:  Another erotic short. This one involves a witch who has been cursed to a life of no orgasms by a vengeful asshole ex-boyfriend and can no longer stand it. Lots of property destruction and crashing lamps and such in this one. Also, a little thing that comes up in paranormal romances from time to time that I like to refer to as "magical phantom penis."  Oh yes, "magical phantom penis" is a thing.  I am trying to pace myself, but I will probably read this whole series of shorts eventually.

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale: A fun, if short and a little lightweight, time-travel adventure/romance with a little bit of a steampunk flair.   A spunky time-travelling heroine must go and bamboozle the "The Loony Duke of Leister" out of the time-travel device her brother lost to him on a wager.  Things take a turn she never saw coming.  Looks like a sequel is coming out soon and I will have to track it down.


Next Up:  I tallied my "unread" ebooks  and discovered I had gotten way out of hand so expect lots of short ebooks again next week.  Also, sexy pirates.