ARC Review: You Never Forget Your First Earl by Ella Quinn

Series:	Worthingtons #5
Pub. Date:	May 29, 2018
Publisher:	Kensington
Length:	304 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

I have been enjoying the tight-knit family in the Worthingtons series, even though it seems I have missed a book along the way. It's not necessary to read these in order, particularly if you are starting with You Never Forget Your First Earl. In this book, we have exhausted our Worthingtons, and it seems and we are going with a friend of the family instead of one of the Worthington brood.

ARC Review: Bring the Heat by G.A. Aiken

Series:	Dragon Kin #9
Pub. Date:	Aug. 29, 2017
Publisher:	Kensington/Zebra
Length:	416 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

This is another book from my blogger shame pile... another one that got caught up in my moving transition between New Orleans and Tucson. But I'm kinda glad that I waited on it now because it really helped lighten my mood this week while I've been trying to read and not die of the plague (thanks to all those germ harbingers of doom that you pick up on an airplane). 

It seems like its been a long time since I've read a Dragon Kin book. I had no problem remembering our heroine, Branwen the Awful, but I couldn't seem to place our hero, Aidan the Divine. That didn't really matter in the long run as Aidan is the typical egotistical dragon, he thinks he's the GOAT (greatest of all time) and its up to our heroine to bring him back down to earth. I like it when the pretty boy and/or intelligent dragons have been paired with the Cadwaladr females, who are big tough fighting machines. Branwen definitely takes after her mother, Ghleanna, and is a renowned warrior known in all the realms. I like the mix of ridiculous and relatable and felt like Branwen hit both of those marks. She and Aiden definitely kept me entertained.

ARC Review: Positively Pippa by Sarah Hegger

Series:	Ghost Falls #1
Pub. Date:	May 30, 2017
Publisher:	Kensington
Length:	352 pages
Source:	NetGalley

As a fan of Sarah Hegger's Sir Arthur's Legacy series, this is my first time giving her contemporary romance a shot. I'm not a huge reader of contemporary romance because I have gotten rather picky (it's a side effect of finding gray hair, I promise). But I will be adding Sarah to my trusted authors list for contemporary. Positively Pippa checked all my boxes with mature characters, a likable heroine, a fun flirty hero, a lovable secondary character, minimal angst and drama, and an awesome setting.

ARC Review: It Started with a Kiss by Ella Quinn

Series:	Worthingtons #3
Pub. Date:	March 28, 2017
Publisher:	Zebra/Kensington
Length:	320 pages
Source:	NetGalley

The ginormous Worthington family is back in this third installment of the series, with a strong-willed young heroine and a prideful hero in a refreshing love at first sight scenario. While I don't believe its absolutely necessary to read the earlier books... I would recommend reading at least the first book, Three Weeks to Wed, to get the background on the very large blended family of eleven!!! children. Grace and Matt (the children's guardians) showed that romance was possible even when responsibility is weighing you down.

ARC Review: The Unyielding by Shelly Laurenston

Series:	Call of Crows #3
Pub. Date:	March 28, 2017
Publisher:	Kensington
Length:	400 pages
Source:	NetGalley

The Crows are back for the third installment of the series, and I think this is my favorite thus far. This series is action-packed and full of Norse Gods and their minions that kind of protect humans, but not really. These crazy warriors are all about the glory of battle, and are somewhat single-minded in that focus. They are mostly violent vikings who like to fight, fly, screw and eat. The minions are split into clans based on the god they serve... the Crows serving Skuld and the Ravens serving Odin. The Norse Gods don't feature overmuch in the series, but seem to pop in and cause trouble from time to time.

ARC Review: The Edge of the Blade by Jeffe Kennedy

Series:	Uncharted Realms #2
Pub. Date:	Dec. 27, 2016
Publisher:	Kensington
Length:	400 pages
Source:	NetGalley/Author

In this latest installment of the Twelve Kingdoms spinoff, we are off to the Uncharted Realm of Dasnaria, where men are self-important and women are seen and not heard. I was very much looking forward to this book to see how Jeffe's strong-willed heroines fared in such a misogynistic society. This book takes place somewhat contemporaneously with The Pages of the Mind, and I do not recommend reading any of these as a standalone. Read them in order to the full continuing story arc.

ARC Review: Roger's Bride by Sarah Hegger

Series:	Sir Arthur's Legacy #4
Pub. Date:	Dec. 20, 2016
Publisher:	Lyrical Press
Length:	274 pages
Source:	NetGalley

While Roger's Bride is the fourth installment of Sir Arthur's Legacy, it is only my second read from the marvelous Sarah Hegger. I am reading these stories all out of whack, but I haven't had a bit of trouble with the character crossover. The series follows the children of the Angelsea family which is headed by fearsome knight, Sir Arthur.  There are five children - Richard, Bea, Faye, William and Henry - each getting their own love story for our reading pleasure.

Audiobook Review: Highland Chieftain by Hannah Howell

Series:	Murray #21
Pub. Date:	Sept. 27, 2016
Publishers:	Tantor Audio Kensington/Zebra
Narrator:	Angela Dawe
Length:	352 pages 8 hrs 35 min
Source:	Publisher

The Murray series has been around quite a long time, over fifteen years if I am remembering correctly. While I haven't read the whole series, I am a fan of Hannah Howell and do pick up one of her books occasionally when I'm in the mood for a lil' bit o' Scotland. This latest installment of the series surprised me a bit with darker tones than I remember reading from her other books.

ARC Review and Author Interview: My Fair Princess by Vanessa Kelly

Series:	Improper Princesses #1
Pub. Date:	August 30, 2016
Publisher:	Zebra / Kensington
Length:	352 pages
Source:	NetGalley

This is my first read from Vanessa Kelly, and I am looking forward to trying more of her books. I am particularly interested in the Royal Renegades series, which I think may feature Griffin Steele, who fascinated me in this book. The Improper Princesses series promises to be entertaining, with unconventional heroines who must overcome of the stain of illegitimacy during a time when the circumstances of one's birth were blamed as much on the child as the parent.

ARC Review: Conquering William by Sarah Hegger

Series:	Sir Arthur's Legacy #3
Pub. Date:	Aug. 30, 2016
Publisher:	Lyrical Press
Length:	250 pages
Source:	NetGalley

I have been trying to work a book by Sarah Hegger into my calendar ever since I met her at RT earlier this year. Trust me when I say that she is one cool cat! I had planned to start with Sweet Bea, but I ended starting the series out of order with Conquering William. There is some character crossover from the earlier books of the series. I believe that William is the sister of the two prior heroines in Sweet Bea and My Lady Faye. But even with the character crossover, I didn't feel lost or have any trouble following the story. So you should be fine if you are reading out of order like me.

ARC Review: All In by Simona Ahrnstedt

Pub. Date:	June 28, 2016
Publisher:	Kensington
Length:	336 pages
Source:	NetGalley

I was quite interested in this book when it was presented to us by Kensington reps at RT16. Simona Ahrnstedt is Sweden's first romance author. Crazy, right?!?! I couldn't believe it when I heard that romance, as a genre, was virtually unheard of in Sweden. I don't know how to feel about that! But kudos to Ahrnstedt for not being afraid to take that first step.

ARC Review: Once a Soldier by Mary Jo Putney

Series:	Rogues Redeemed #1
Pub. Date:	June 28, 2016
Publisher:	Kensington/Zebra
Length:	343 pages
Source:	NetGalley

Mary Jo Putney is back with a new series that spins off from her original Lost Lords series. Where the Lost Lords all attended Westerfield Academy together, this new Rogues Redeemed series will focus on a group of spies who found themselves facing death together during England's fight with Old Boney.

ARC Review: The Pages of the Mind by Jeffe Kennedy

Series:	The Uncharted Realms#1
Pub. Date:	May 31, 2016
Publisher:	Kensington Publishing
Length:	432 pages
Source:	NetGalley

Gah! This book!  Jeffe Kennedy has truly outdone herself with this story.  From the beautiful cover to the very last word, I was captivated by this fantastical tale. I predict it will be one of my favorite books of the year.

ARC Review: How to Manage a Marquess by Sally MacKenzie

Series:  Spinster House #2

Pub. Date:  April 26, 2016

Publisher:  Zebra / Kensington

Pages:  352

Format:  eARC

Source:  NetGalley

How to Manage a Marquess takes place somewhat contemporaneously with the last part of What to Do with a Duke. I recommend you read the first book because you will need the backstory to understand the story of the Spinster House, and you meet all the characters in that first book.  If you haven't read the first book, the short of it is that Isabelle Dorring cursed the Dukes of Hart to perish before their heir is born. When Isabelle was jilted 200 years ago by the Duke, she took up residence in a house in Loves Bridge, now known as the Spinster House. Part of the curse requires that whenever the Spinster House becomes vacant, the current Duke of Hart must choose another spinster to live in the house. Unfortunately for Marcus (the current duke), three assertive spinsters are all vying for the chance to move in and aren't going to make the process easy for him.

Stackin' the Shelves #30 - #RT16 Recap!

Hosted by Tynga's Book Reviews

Hello Bambinas!

I made it home from Vegas (mostly) unscathed. I am freakin' exhausted though!  I slept until 10:30 this morning, and have been dragging myself (barely) to work at the last possible minute all week. The RT Convention, if you have never been, is very peopley. So you have to be *on* all the time. And there are lines. Lots and lots of lines. Your feet and back will hate you. But I met some fun people, bloggers that I have been interacting with on social media, and lots of my favorite authors and some new-to-me authors as well.

This episode of Stackin' the Shelves is gonna be somewhat long, because I got SOOOOO many pretties from the RT Convention - and I want to do a convention recap so I can go back and reference it next year. Let's start with the pretties, shall we?  Check it - this is just some of the stuff I brought back that I was either given or purchased. This does not include the suitcase full of books I took to get signed.

Oh and let me just apologize now for the quality of my photos. There is just SO much stuff that there is not a good place to photograph it... and I am out of bookshelves!  So I have everything thrown on my guest bed until I can go out and get another shelf (or three).

ARC Review: The Undoing by Shelly Laurenston

The Undoing 
by Shelly Laurenston
Series:  Call of Crows #2
Pub. Date:  March 29, 2016
Publisher:  Kensington
Pages:  400
Format:  eARC
Source:  NetGalley


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

A risk worth taking… 

No one would ever accuse Jace Berisha of having an easy life—considering her husband…you know…killed her. But that was then! Now she fights for mighty Viking gods with the spectacular and vicious Crows.

But things are turning very bad, very quickly because a vengeful, ancient goddess has come into the world with just one thing on her mind—ending it. And the only way they can hope to stop her is if the Crows join forces with their one-time enemies, the Protectors. A Viking Clan created to do nothing but kill every Crow they see. 

Thankfully, Protector Ski Eriksen is a peace loving kind of guy. Because the woman he is desperately trying to get close to is the beautiful and not-very-chatty Jace. Battling Nordic clans? Unkillable goddesses? Jace’s mean-spirited dog? None of these things would ever get in the way of a true Viking! 

I don't want to say that this book was much better than The Unleashing, but I will say that it was much less confusing. I enjoyed both books, but I listened to The Unleashing in audio, and there were so many POVs that it was hard to tell who was who, and who was doing what. This installment had less POVs and it was much easier to figure out who was who when I was reading instead of listening. I also felt like there was a bit more world building in this story, particularly with regard to the explanation of who each clan was and how they came to be.