It's a Suzanne Brockmann Marathon!!!

Review:  Into the Storm 

I was in the habit of reading Suzanne Brockmann's books as soon as they came out - especially her Troubleshooter's Series. However, along the way I found that I wasn't quite excited when her books came out as I used to be simply because the stories didn't do anything for me anymore. Like once Sam & Larissa got married, I kind of lost interest. I liked Into the Storm because the storyline was interesting to me, but some of the characters in the book REALLY got on my nerves (Tracy - the office receptionist comes to mind), but she redeemed herself at the end to me showing she had some backbone after all. Mark Jenkins and Lindsay Fontaine, the main hero and heroine in the story had what I thought was a "high school" relationship. This also got old after reading half way through the book. The secondary characters (Izzy comes to mind) had a big role in this book and I will be looking forward to reading their stories in future books. The villain in the story truly gave me goosebumps and his main victim (Number 5) was a very brave woman. I found myself wondering if I could ever survive what she went through at the hands of this psycho. I would recommend this book but would advise those that haven't started reading this series, to start with the first book, Unsung Hero. It still is my favorite one!

Review:  Stand-In Groom

I started reading this book on a whim since I knew it would be a fast read. This originally came out as a Loveswept romance and was reissued. I enjoyed this book about Johnny Anziano and Chelsea Spencer who met when Johnny rescued Chelsea from some thugs that were trying to still her purse. I liked how their relationship developed but there were a couple of things in the story that was kind of hard to swallow. Johnny was a very "easy going" man and went with the flow on EVERYTHING - including marrying Chelsea so she could get an inheritance after a friend who had already said he would marry Chelsea, backed out because he ended up falling in love himself with someone else. I also thought that the fact that Chelsea didn't get to know Johnny that well (she didn't event know what he did for a living - she just assumed) was pretty far-fetched. I understand this is fiction, but give the reader some credit for at least having some smarts! LOL! Wouldn't you find out all you could about him before you took that big step - even though it would be short term? With all this aside, this was a fun, light read and would recommend if you were in the mood for something like this.

Review: Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison

This is actually my first audio book of the year I have completed (one down - 11 to go to meet my audio book goal for 2011!).  Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison is your typical chick lit book.  Fun, light and fast reading (or listening in my case).  

 The story revolves around 4 women who have various issues in their personal lives and they all come together when Lorna, who is in financial debt because she can't stop buying expensive designer shoes,  puts an ad on "Greg's List" for Shoe Addicts Anonymous.  Helene, Sandra and Joss end up joining the group and the ladies get together every Tuesday night and exchange size 7-1/2 designer shoes.  It was fun to read each of the character's story and how they develop personally throughout the story (for the better, of course - this is chick lit after all!).  This audio book had a good narrator's voice and handled each person's voice very well.  I really think a narrator's voice can make or break an audio book and this one was one of the better ones.  Whether you read or listen to story on audio book, I think you will really enjoy this fun story about women who bond over...SHOES!!!

Review: Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice

Since I'm a big romantic suspense fan, I had seen this book when I was surfing on the web and after reading description what the book was about, decided to give it a read.  Sam Reston, very much an alpha male and former Navy SEAL had his sights on Nicole Pearce.  Nicole is a beautiful, intelligent woman who is trying to keep her business afloat as a translator while taking care of a very ill father.  Sam, who owns a security company, works across the hall from Nicole's office and that's how they meet.  I liked the steamy relationship Sam & Nicole share, but the story was only "okay" for me.  There was definitely suspense in this story, but the terrorist plot seemed a little off.  Especially the end of the book.  Like most books, everything ended up rather "neat and tidy" as most endings in these stories do. Since this is the first story from the Protectors series, I look forward to reading about Sam's "brothers" (not actual brothers but foster brothers) and the relationships they will have in upcoming books. 

Review: Under Fire by Beth Cornelison

 
If you're a romantic suspense fan, then Under Fire by Beth Cornelison will not disappoint!  I found this book at my local library when I was browsing the shelves.  Never heard anything about the book or the author.  I read the description on the back of the book that included the words - terrorists, father and daughter kidnapped, female smokejumper - and was intrigued so checked it out.  I have to say I have never read a book with this type of story.  The book started with a bang, and kept you reading until the last page.  I loved the hero, Jackson McKay and his daughter Emily.  Emily is a 9 year old little girl who is quite brave and is one of the main protagonists in the story.  Jackson is a researcher who does nanotech research for a biochemical firm.  He has created some research that the terrorists want and threatens Emily's life as assurance that Jackson will give them what they want.  Since the terrorists who kidnapped Jackson and Emily took them up in the mountains where a forest fire is starting, this is where Lauren Michaels "Mike" has her fellow smokejumpers call her, come in.  I really liked the heroine in this story.  She is brave, resourceful and intelligent, but also has a vulnerability about her that I really liked.  I also thought her fellow smokejumpers, Boomer & Whitefeather, were very entertaining.  Whitefeather ends up playing a huge role in Emily's rescue...I won't say more than that!

The story flowed really well and the relationship with Jackson and Lauren was fun to read - and very steamy!  I'm so glad I found this book and this author.  It was a great story and I would highly recommend.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Lockenest

I Want a NookColor!

Pam at Bookalicio.us has this great giveway going on right now.  It's her Two Year Blogging  Anniversary, and to celebrate, she is giving away a NookColor and some other great prize packets.  Check out this link http://bklc.us/2y.  My sister-in-law got a NookColor for Christmas, and I "drooled" playing with it when we were there Christmas Day.  What a great thing to be able to have!  The fact you can view everything in color in addition to viewing magazines, makes it all the more on the "cool scale" for me!  Look at this thing of beauty:

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this might be in my hands one day!  LOL!  Thanks Pam for this giveaway and thanks for blogging for two years!

Read On...
Lockenest

Now "Hear" This!

I was meandering through blogland, and found the 2011 Audio Book Challenge hosted by Teresa's Reading Corner.   The challenge goes from January 1 through December 31, 2011.  Here are the following levels of the challenge:

Curious:       3 Audio Books

Fascinated:  6 Audio Books

Addicted:  12 Audio Books

Obsessed: 20 Audio Books

I think I'm going for the "Addicted" level!  12 audio books is definitely do-able for me.  Matter of fact, check out the cover of the audio book I'm currently listening to:

This is definitely your typical "Chick Lit" book.  But what fun it is to listen to!  I'm half way through it and am truly enjoying the story.  I'll write a review of this when I finish listening to and this will give me an audio book to put under my belt for the 2011 Audio Book Challenge!  Cool beans!

Until next time...


 Lockenest

I'm Addicted...

I find myself always in possession of more books that I can read in a certain amount of time.  Does that happen to you?  For example, I get in a groove where I'm reading one or two books, finish them, then find myself surfing the web checking out other blogs, reviews and Amazon and see if the books I'm interested in are available at my local library.  It they're not available, I reserve them and if they are available, I try to get down to my library so I can check them out.  Of course, I always check out WAY more books that I can read until they're due back to the library...does that make me a book slut???  LOL!  I think so!  Keep in mind, I already have a HUGE TBR pile here at home.  I think I'm hopeless...but HAPPY!

Here are a couple of books I'm in the middle of reading:

 Under Fire by Beth Cornelison.  I happened upon this when I was looking from something to read at the library.  Saw the spine, so pulled the book from the shelf and read the description.  Never heard of the author and this is the first book from Samhain Publishing I've read.  All I can say is I have not been disappointed so far.  A lot of action, romance and the dialogue is great.  I will have more of a summary of the book after I read.  I'm glad I stumbled upon this find!


Cover your eyes on this cover!  LOL!  I saw this available via eBook that I can check out from the the library.  Pretty cool!  I have heard of Lisa Marie Rice but never read any of her books.  Thought I'd give it a try with this one.  I'm pretty pleased with it so far.  I will also give a summary of this book once I finish it.  I installed an app on my iPhone called OverDrive.  Since the eBook system that I check out from uses this program, I can download these eBooks right to the OverDrive app. It's pretty cool.  NOTE:  It must be in Adobe ePub Format.  I've already got a few on my wish list and a couple on reserve.  I get an email when they are available.  What a great find this was!

Trying to get in the swing of things again after having time off during the holidays.  Unfortunately, that's less time for reading, but I'll definitely make the time! 

Happy New Year!
Lockenest