So, I've decided to try starting a monthly meme sharing the best books I've read in the past month. It's called Recommended Reads and it will replace the Monthly Blog Recap I've been doing so far. 

I'm inviting all my blogger friends and readers to join in by writing a short blog post, or just on FB/Twitter or any other social media, at the end of each month highlighting the books that they read and recommend in the past month. You can leave a link to your post in the Linky sign-up form. You can also choose to write a post of recommendations based on different criteria - genre, topic, type of hero, type of reader, etc. Feel free to base your recommended reads on any principle you like. 

It was a short notice for this month, but the linky sign-up will be open till the last week of September, so you can join at any time during this period. 

Recommended Reads - August

August was a month of great reads for me, so I can recommend two books and list a few more as honourable mentions. 

Recommendations:

Genre: Romantic suspense, bikers

Read my review - 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

I've read a couple of Cara McKenna's books and I really enjoy her style and the sexy story she tells. Lay It Down was no exception. It's an intense romantic suspense (not as MC romance, though the characters ride bikes and stick together as a group). The mystery kept me on the edge till the end the romance was both deep and passionate. Both the hero and heroine are complex, real characters that you can't help but get involved in their fate. 

Genre: Contemporary romance

Read my review - 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

Beauty and the Mustache is book 4 in the Knitting in the City series by Penny Reid. This one is not as funny and carefree as the previous ones but it is just as good. The unique characters of the hero (rough-looking poet and game warden) and the heroine (a nurse, a knitter and a sister to 6 brothers) fall into an all-encompassing, life-changing, epic-kind of love under the worst possible circumstances. It's a wonderful story full of poetry and philosophical musings, balanced out by geeky humour and some crazy antics of the Knitting club ladies and the 6 bearded Winston brothers. 

Leave a link to your post in the sign-up below. I will be happy see what were your favourite books this August.

Title: Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling # 6)
Author: Nalini Singh
Date of publication: 7 July 2009
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters
Author's links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 4.5 Stars




Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.

But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man—before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire…

Note: I've already finished the series and I've posted my review of the latest book, Shield of Winter, on the blog. I've decided to post spoiler-free mini-reviews of all the books over time.

I loved the romance between Riley and Mercy. The two changeling were not afraid of their emotions and they acted in their desires right from the start, unlike the Psy in previous books who need time to embrace their sensuality. Still, Mercy and Riley had their own problems to deal with - on the one hand both of them were dominants and on the other, they were members of different packs - wolves and leopards, so this made mating a challenge on many levels and ultimately their actions affected not just them and their families but also both changeling packs as a whole.

I liked the intensity of their relationship, it was perfect reflection of their changeling nature and the need for touch. The story opens with some very hot love making which both of them try to play off as a casual thing, a physical contact to satisfy  their needs.

We see how different members of both pacts react to the new couple and I have to say that Mercy's family were just wonderful and Riley's brother and sister, together with Hawke were just as fun to read.

I didn't particularly like the suspense plot line. We see a new player coming to the scene, the Human alliance, yet the whole issue with the kidnappings and assassination attempts took a back seat to the turbulent relationship between Riley and Mercy. He is he typical dominant changeling - powerful, possessive, protective. The thing is that Mercy was just the same - the road to their mating it was true clash of wills. 

It was another intense installment of this series. Mercy and Riley are of my favourite couples, though I was not particularly invested in the criminal aspect of the story and loved the romance with it complexity and passion.

 

Genres: Contemporary, Humor, Romance

Purchase from: Amazon • Nook • Kobo • iBooks •

Add to Goodreads

   

Synopsis

Shannon MacLeod has always gone for the wrong type of man. After she drifted from one toxic relationship to the next, her last boyfriend gave her a wakeup call in the worst possible way. With her world shattered, she’s sworn off men—especially those of the bad-boy variety.

Cole Walker is exactly the sort that Shannon wants to avoid—gorgeous, tattooed, charming, and cocky. But his rough exterior hides a good man who’s ready to find “the one.” He’s determined to pull Shannon from her self-imposed solitude and win her heart.

As Shannon opens up in the face of Cole’s steady devotion, the passion between them ignites to blazing levels. But when Shannon’s past comes back to haunt her, her fears may destroy the trust Cole has built between them—and tear them apart for good…

Why am I waiting for this? I really enjoy this contemporary romance series and I've read all the books but one. I had some issues with the last one, Fall From India Place, but Cole (the hero in this one) made a nice impression on me and I'm curious about his story. I like Ms Young's writing style and hope this book will ne another winner for me.

Title: Branded (Cavanaugh Brothers #1)
Author: Laura Wright
Date of publication: 3 June 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Cowboys

Author links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 2 stars

When the Cavanaugh brothers return home for their father’s funeral, they discover unexpected evidence of the old man’s surprising double life—a son named Blue, who wants the Triple C Ranch as much as they do. The eldest son, Deacon, a wealthy businessman who couldn’t wait to leave the ranch and move on with his life, is looking to use his powerful connections to stop Blue at any cost. He never expected the ranch’s forewoman, Mackenzie Byrd, to get in his way.

Mac knows Deacon means to destroy the ranch and therefore destroy her livelihood. But as the two battle for control, their attraction builds. Now Deacon is faced with the choice of a lifetime: Take down the Triple C to feed his need for revenge, or embrace the love of the one person who has broken down every barrier to his heart.

I've read a previous book by Ms Wright - a contemporary romance, First Ink (my review) - which I enjoyed and my main complaint was its novella length didn't allow for much character development. So, when I got a chance to read an ARC of her full-length cowboy romance, Branded, I was curious to read it. 

Unfortunately, it didn't work well for me. I expected a cowboy story of love and second chance and instead I got a billionaire hero (a character which I generally don't like and avoid reading about) and some instalust and over-the-top love scenes which read more like paranormal that contemporary.

The hero and heroine had a complicated history, he was her best friend's older brother, her teenage crush and he had tried to stay away from her. At present they have opposite goals and nothing much in common. The beginning was promising - liked the atmosphere at the ranch and getting to know the characters, not Deacon and Mac, but Deacon's brothers as well. They had an important role and strong presence in the story which I quite liked. 

Deacon and Mac didn't work for me as a couple. I felt we were not given any reasons for them coming together (except, pure lust) and no real development of their relationship. They became from adversaries to soulmates overnight. It was unrealistic and their romance seemed forced. 

The love scenes, which were plenty, were so over-the-top that I skipped a lot of them. The chemistry didn't seem authentic but forced, the dialogue was stifled. 

On the positive side, there was a strong mystery/thriller element and it really held my attention throughout the whole story. This, together with the interactions between the Cavanaugh brothers were the best elements in this book.  

Still, despite being intrigued by the mystery I had too many issues with this story and I'm on the fence about continuing with series.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

Sarah McCall, food truck co-owner and recent Manhattan transplant, savors each moment of her new job—whether it’s refining the truck's menu, learning the city, or spending afternoons in bed with the hot paramedic who's fast becoming her favorite customer.

Tim Cannon spends his days sprinting from one emergency to the next. He eats like he works—at top speed—somewhere along the line he lost his ability to enjoy life's simple pleasures. Hooking up with Sarah is just another way to cope with the stress of his job, until their afternoon trysts coax Tim into enjoying everything he's avoided. Can Tim learn to balance his job saving lives with the everyday delights that make life worth living? If anyone can teach him, it’s Sarah.

Why am I waiting for this? Anne Calhoun writes intensely emotional and realistic love stories in a engaging style and I can't resist a good romance by a favourite author. 

Title: No Limits (Ultimate #1)
Author: Lori Foster
Date of publication: 26Aug 2014
Genre: Romantic suspense, Fighters

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3 stars




A surprise inheritance reunites a mixed martial arts fighter with the woman he's never forgotten in the first in a smoldering new series from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster… 

Cannon Colter is quintessential hero material: chiseled jawline, shredded body—the works. He's also the guy who rescued Yvette Sweeny from kidnappers, only to put an end to her romantic dreams. These days, she's older, smarter, determined to face whatever life throws her way. Even the prospect of sharing a house and business with Cannon. 

Cannon knew Yvette wanted him three years ago. But she was young—and some things are worth waiting for. Thrown together by her grandfather's legacy, he realizes how deep Yvette's scars really go, and how much danger lurks in their quiet town. As pent-up desire explodes between them, protecting her becomes the only fight that matters. And he'll break all the rules to do it…

This is the first full-length novel in a new series, spin-off of Love Undercover series. There as a prequel novella, Hard Knocks, which sets the stage for the future novels, though No Limits can be read as a standalone. Still, I'd recommend to read Dash of Peril (Love Undercover #4) where we meet the hero and heroine for the first time.

I enjoyed a lot in this MMA fighter romance, especially the hero, Cannon and his fighter friends. My rating would have been higher but there was some plot weaknesses, some slut shaming and I disliked the heroine, Yvette, most the time.

We meet Yvette and Cannon in Dash of Peril (Love Undercover #4), we see her as a love struck teenager/young girl and he rescues her is some rather dangerous situation. After one hot kiss they go on their separate ways only to meet three years later back in their hometown.

I loved Cannon a lot, he was the perfect hero - honest, hot, kind, the neighborhood vigilante. All the women were falling for him which I didn't particularly like since they were portrayed as too pushy and somewhat slutty and the same time he was judging them for being easy. Still, he was kind and patient with Yvette and he was amazing with his friends.

Yvette was his opposite in many ways - shy, trying to stay in the background. Initially, I sympathized with her because of the violence she had suffered but her drama dragged on too much and was annoying. Yvette's hang-up (in terms of a sexual relationship) didn't seemed believable and was resolved all to easily.She kept wanting to come off as independent, strong, yet she was whiny, childish, immature. She was always pushing everyone away when in reality she needed their support.

Cannon was open and honest about his feelings for her being more than his need to protect her and take care of her, yet she continued to question his motifs. Yvette easily believed what other women said about him over his honest declarations and actions.

I very much enjoyed Cannon's interaction with the other fighters, especially Armie. I quite liked him and I literally can't wait to read his book. There was a great sense of brotherhood among the fighters - they were all fun and carefree, yet also loyal and reliable.

The final 10% of the story was action-packed but the resolutions of some of the conflicts were too quick and simplistic.

The story ends with the expected happy end, yet it was not completely satisfactory. I would have liked to see more of Yvette and Cannon together, being open and honest, not playing games or keeping secrets.

Even though I was slightly disappointed with this story and I'm intrigued about the rest of the characters and will be reading their stories when they come out. Armie is a particular favourite of mine - he is a bad boy with a good heart and a lot of baggage and getting his nice girl should be quite an adventure.

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

Max Crawford has reached the point in life where he's starting to think about settling down. Unfortunately, he's always been a little awkward when it comes to social interactions, and working from home doesn't help. He spends so much time alone, painting beautiful, historically accurate model trains that half of Whitford has begun to joke that he may be a serial killer. Not exactly prime husband material.

Tori Burns has found happiness in Maine, thanks in large part to her shifts at the Trailside Diner. She likes the work, and she loves the local gossip. When shy, geeky Max Crawford becomes a regular, she's intrigued. When she finds out he's in the market for a wife, she's fascinated…and determined to help.

Molding Max into every woman's dream turns out to be much easier than expected. But has Tori's plan worked a little too well? As she turns his comfortable life all sorts of upside down, she'll have to find a way to show just how she's fallen for him…the real him.

Another great installment in the Kowalski series, though we have already moved away from the Kowalski family to other inhabitants of Whitford, Maine.

I have read almost all the previous books in this series and I really like the style of Ms Stacey - light romances some of which I loved, others didn't really win me over. This one falls in the category of my favourites.

I was intrigued by the blurb since I have a soft spot for awkward, shy, somewhat nerdy characters. And I found Max to be pretty wonderful, his issues made him real and rather endearing. He resented when Tori described him as adorable, but he was exactly that, in every aspect of his behaviour. Still, this didn't take away from his manliness and sex appeal. 

His portrayal was fair and sounded authentic, he didn't appear childish or naive, even simple, as is sometimes the case. He was literal in his understanding of the world but he also had a sense of humour. He liked to follow a plan, but his friendship with Tori helped him become more open, flexible. He was honest and sometimes even blunt in his opinion, but he had learned to be respectful of the feelings of other people, he even managed to flirt and actually woo Tori (without either of them realizing it initially).

What I liked most about Tori was the fact that she liked Max the way he was, she didn't force him to change, to pretend to be someone else. His opening to her and to the world was a gradual process and it felt natural.

The I-am-teaching-you-how-to-be-with-someone-else trope doesn't always work well for me, but I found it fitting here. Max needed to take things slow, to get used to the new people and situations in his life and the trnasition from friendship to love was the natural path for him.

I felt that Tori's anti-marriage stance was a bit too much. The bad divorce of her parents (which happened recently when she was already a grown-up) affected her too much. At the same time I don't know people in similar situations in real life so I don't know how authentic her feelings and fears might be. 

I liked seeing some of the couples from the previous books and their presence created the warm and noisy small-town feel which I really like in this series.

Overall, this is a cute romantic story with no major issues or drama, some awkwardness and nerdiness and a lot of fun. A recommended to read to fans of the series and to all lovers of sweet romances.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

When you open up, who will you let in?

When Alex Morris loses her fiancé in dreadful circumstances, she moves from London to Edinburgh to make a break with the past. Alex takes a job at a Pupil Referral Unit, which accepts the students excluded from other schools in the city. These are troubled, difficult kids and Alex is terrified of what she's taken on.

There is one class - a group of five teenagers - who intimidate Alex and every other teacher on The Unit. But with the help of the Greek tragedies she teaches, Alex gradually develops a rapport with them. Finding them enthralled by tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge, she even begins to worry that they are taking her lessons to heart, and that a whole new tragedy is being performed, right in front of her...

Why am I waiting for this? - It's a new to me author and I'm intrigued by the blurb - a realistic contemporary story with some mystery and characters dealing with difficult psychological issues. It's right up my alley.

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme hosted The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new topic for each week and the participating bloggers are invited to post their Top Ten lists on it.

 

Top Ten Books I Wanted to Read but I'm Not Sure Anymore

The Promise by Kristen Ashley – I loved Benny and Franky in At Peace, but I’ve read far too many negative reviews of their book and I’ve been disappointed in the latest books by Kristen Ashley that I read.

What books are you hesitant to read? Leave me a comment and I'll stop by the check your blog.

Website / Twitter / Tumblr  /Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars - Recommended Read

“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.” 

Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver.

Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy.

I'm a not the biggest fantasy reader or expert out there but I do enjoy the occasional fantasy story and I have to say that this one goes straight into the list of my favourties of this year.

It's my first book by Mr Abercrombie and initially I was surprised by the sarcastic, rather laconic and blunt voice of of the main characters, Yarvi. I expected the writing to be more poetic and descriptive, typical for the fantasy novels I've read so far. I did discover that I very much enjoy Mr Abercrombie's writing style. It quickly got me deeply involved in the story and made me care about all the characters and I just couldn't put the book down. 

I guessed some of the plot twists and other were a complete surprise. The story flowed nicely and I quickly grew to care for Yarvi, who is the narrator. He is an unlikely hero, a physically deformed second son, never meant to be a king or hero, yet fate had other plans for him. It was a true coming-of-age story for him and I enjoyed myself immensely following his growth from a scared, grumpy boy into a a cunning, strong young man.

The story had its fair share of political intrigues, betrayals and battles set against a complex Viking-like world with a rather unique mythological system. I found it rather curious how the author reversed the traditional male/female models in the mythology he builds in this book. We have Father Peace and Mother War, many women taking typically male positions - sea captains and navigators, king's advisers and religious leaders.  

There is politics and intrigues, betrayals and bloody battles, but mostly it's a story about the human nature, about the choices that make us. Yarvi and the other characters are not perfect, they make mistakes and learn from them, they have honour and loyalty. He and the other oarsmen are on a journey, each one of them learning about themselves and friendship.

Yarvi's companions on his journey to reclaim the throne were a colourful bunch of characters and each of them added a lot to the story. Each of them had an essential role to Yarvi's growth as a person and each of them had his/her own story to tell and destiny to fulfill. They secondary characters, yet the author made me care a lot about them and I hope to see more of them in the next books in the series.  

I loved the complexity of the relationships throughout the story, how they grow and change, representing a world in constant motion.

One of the reasons why I absolutely loved this book was the ending which I felt was just perfect. It completed the story in the best possible way, with a twist I never expected, yet it left plenty of room for the news plotlines to develop in the next installment of this series. 

In short, I'd say this book is a MUST read for fans of well written, imaginative fantasy stories.

Purchase links: Amazon.com | BarnesandNoble.com | IndieBound.org

It was a slow month on the blog since I took a week off to go on vacation with my family. It was my first time going to the seaside with my daughter, so I needed a lot of time for preparation before we went there. In short, I read a lot of books but I fell behind with my reviews and I was not as active as usual with the memes and other feature and promo posts on the blog. Here is what happened in July.

I reviewed only 4 books:

Release Day Blast for Six of Hearts by L. H. Cosway
Blog Tour for Between the Sheets by Molly O'Keefe - ongoing giveaway 

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Genre: Romance, YA/NA
Add on Goodreads
Release Date: 26 Aug 2014

Why am I waiting for this book? - I came across this book by chance and I was intrigued by the idea of telling the love story of the main characters through the eyes of the people around them. I'm always on the look out for romances outside the box and this sounds like a cute, fun read which I'll enjoy.

It's been a while since I've done a Teaser Tuesday post but I'm back in the game today. I'm sharing an excerpt from Lay It Down by Cara McKenna. It's a contemporary romantic suspense and I absolutely loved. It releases on today, 5 Aug. I'll be posting my review later this week.

Lay It Down

(Desert Dogs #1) 

Synopsis

Backbreaking days, wild nights, and the hard hum of steel between your thighs...

That’s a life well lived, according to the Desert Dogs—four friends who call Fortuity, Nevada, their badlands home.

Vince Grossier is the self-crowned outlaw king around here. But when Fortuity’s slick new mayor invites a casino development to town, greed isn’t far behind—and it claims Vince’s good friend as its first casualty. With the law turning a blind eye to the mysterious death, Vince must seek his own brand of justice. The pretty photographer hired by the developers might be the key to uncovering the truth. And she’s a temptation too good to pass up.

Finally free of a controlling ex, Kim Paget’s not looking to be taken for a ride—not on the back of some tattooed roughneck’s bike and definitelynot in his bed. But when she uncovers evidence supporting Vince’s suspicions of murder, Kim must entrust her safety to a man whose body threatens danger of a whole different kind.

 

Goodreads Blurb

*** *** *** 

Review
My rating - 3.5 Stars

I've read an really enjoyed Ms Cosway's previous book, Still Life with Strings (my review), and after seeing the blurb for thus one, featuring an illusionist, I was more than excited to read it. It was a nice romantic story with some elements of suspence and I liked it but didn't love it as I hoped.

The story is told from the heroine's, Matilda, POV. She came off a too naive, especially in the beginning, and even though she had little experience with men, her total obviousness towards Jay's reactions/feelings for her, didn't seem convincing and I found it mostly annoying. She acted Ms Goody Two-Shoes most of the time and it took me while to warm up to her. Through her relationship with Jay she became more adventurous, dared to take some risks (albeit some stupid ones) and I liked the her growth into her own self, as a young independent woman who is not afraid to experience love.

Jay, on the other hand, made the book work for me. He was a very interesting character, absolutely mesmerizing, truly magical. He kept playing tricks on people, playing with their emotions and despite some disputable choices, he was a noble guy fighting for a good cause. Jay was drop-dead gorgeous and I found his pursuit of Matilda endearing and romantic in an old-fashioned way, even when he put things between them on hold just to protect her and to give her a fair chance to be with with him without lies and secrets between them, really endeared him to me.

Plot wise, I felt the beginning (him coming to their firm to seek a lawyer and ending up taking lodging with her and her dad) was too contrived. It was unrealistic but gradually the story got better, it picked up pace and the final 1/3 was great - fast-paced and intense, all the puzzle pieces finally falling into place. The mystery was no mystery for the reader, since the prologue of the story made things pretty clear, yet Matilda was ignorant about that till the very end. This put her in somewhat of a disadvantage since she appeared clueless a lot of time and even made some poor decisions because she didn't know the facts. 

I wish there was more emphasis on the magic shows and people who make them happen. I felt Jay was presented more as a man on a mission to revenge the evil done to him and to win his woman, than as an artist creating illusions and doing magic tricks for a living.

It's a intense romance with some magic and mystery, some hot sexy times and some suspense which I can recommend to all fans of the genre.

*** *** *** 

Excerpt

Jay tugs on my hand and leads me out to the back garden, where the sun is shining down warmly. “I created a magic trick just for you. I think I have it perfected.”

“For me? Seriously?” I ask in delight. He hands me what looks like a small beige chicken’s egg, placing it in my upturned palm.

“It’s an egg,” I say, stating the obvious.

Jay nods. “Just keep watching.” He passes his hand over it once, and it starts to crack, like maybe there’s a tiny chick inside. Then he passes his hand over the top of it again, and it cracks completely open. I gasp with surprise as five gorgeous red and black butterflies with white spots practically explode from the shell, their wings flapping through the air. They flutter all around me, and my heart lifts when one of them comes to sit on my shoulder.

“Oh, wow,” I whisper, smiling like crazy and trying my hardest not to move. Another comes and sits on my hand, tickling me and making me giggle.

When I look at Jay, his eyes are shining bright under the sun as he soaks up my reaction, his mouth curving ever so slightly at the edges. I’m not even going to ask him how he did it. I’m locked in his spell, and I don’t want to break it.

“That was amazing,” I say to him when the butterflies have all finally flown away.

Stepping closer, he takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Look at those eyes, so full of wonder. I love your reactions. They make me feel like I can reclaim the childhood I never had.”

His heartfelt words make my throat tighten with empathy. I feel like hugging him, but I can’t. It would be…too much.