Books read so far in 2010:

Must Love Mistletoe by Christie Ridgway - 2 stars

Not Another New Year's by Christie Ridgway - 2.5 stars

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber - 4 stars

Can This Be Christmas by Debbie Macomber - 5 stars

Return to Promise by Debbie Macomber - 4 stars

Mail-Order Bride by Debbie Macomber - 3.5 stars

Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber - 3 stars

The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber - 4 stars

The Snow Bride by Debbie Macomber - 4 stars

The Lover's Knot by Clare O'Donohue - 4.5 stars

Secret Vampire by L.J. Smith - 5 stars

Daughters of Darkness by L.J. Smith - 3 stars

Spellbinder by L.J. Smith - 4.5 stars

Ghost a la Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian - 5 stars

The Inn at Eagle Point by Sherryl Woods - 5 stars

Killer Crab Cakes by Livia J. Washburn - 4.5 stars

Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke - 4.5 stars

A Mother for the Tycoon's Child by Patricia Thayer - 4 stars

Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming by Paula Graves - 4 stars

A Man She Couldn't Forget by Kathryn Shay - 4.5 stars

Wedding Bells at Wandering Creek Ranch by Patricia Thayer - 5 stars

Brady: The Rebel Rancher by Patricia Thayer - 4.5 stars

I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson - 4.5 stars

Never Say Goodbye by Irene Hannon - 5 stars

Crossroads by Irene Hannon - 4.5 stars

Millionaire Dad, Nanny Needed by Susan Meier - 4 stars

The Bridegroom's Secret by Melissa James - 3.5 stars

A Drunkard's Path by Clare O'Donohue - 4.5 stars

The Proof is in the Pudding by Melinda Wells - 4.5 stars

Vanished by Margaret Daley - 4.5 stars

What the Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie - 4 stars

The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie - 4 stars

Coming Home to the Cowboy by Patricia Thayer - 4.5 stars

Out of Body by Stella Cameron - 3 stars

Whiskey on the Rocks by Nina Wright - 0.5 star

April in Bloom by Annie Jones - 4 stars

Among the Tulips by Cheryl Wolverton - 4 stars

In His Sights by Carol Steward - 2.5 stars

Four Little Blessings by Merrillee Whren - 5 stars

Beg for Mercy by Toni Andrews - 5 stars

Heatwave by Richard Castle - 3.5 stars

Heaven Sent by Jillian Hart - 4 stars

Dark Angel by L.J. Smith - 4.5 stars

Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay - 5 stars

The Chosen by L.J. Smith - 3.5 stars

All She Ever Wanted by Barbara Freethy - 4.5 stars

Soulmate by L.J. Smith - 4 stars

The Sweetheart's Knitting Club by Lori Wilde - 4.5 stars

Double Minds by Terri Blackstock - 5 stars

Down River by Karen Harper - 4.5 stars

Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence - 4 stars

Sew Deadly by Elizabeth Lynn Casey - 4.5 stars

The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse by Leann Sweeney - 3.5 stars

Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck - 4 stars

The Diva Takes the Cake by Krista Davis - 4 stars

Dropped Dead Stitch by Maggie Sefton - 5 stars

Tressed to Kill by Lila Dare - 4 stars

Dead and Kicking by Wendy Roberts - 4.5 stars

How to Wash a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale - 0.5 star

Death Threads by Elizabeth Lynn Casey - 5 stars

Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley - 4 stars

Dead Girls are Easy by Terri Garey - 4 stars

Cut to the Corpse by Lucy Lawrence - 4 stars

I'm the Vampire That's Why by Michele Bardsley - 3 stars

Dead Air by Mary Kennedy - 3.5 stars

Since You're Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash by Dixie Cash - 4 stars

The Diva Paints the Town by Krista Davis - 4.5 stars

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene - 4 stars

What I read in 2009:

Santa Baby by Lisa Jackson, Elaine Coffman, Kylie Adams and Lisa Plumley - 3.5 stars

Double Threat Christmas by Terri Reed - 3 stars

Eclipse (Twilight Saga, book 3) by Stephenie Meyer - 4.5 stars

Single Mom Seeks.... by Teresa Hill - 3.5 stars

Her One and Only Valentine by Trish Wylie - 3.5 stars

Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton - 1.5 stars

Falling for the M.D. (Wilder Family, book 1) by Marie Ferrarella - 4 stars

First Time Valentine (Wilder Family, book 2) by Mary J. Forbes - 4.5 stars

Paging Dr. Daddy (Wilder Family, book 3) by Teresa Southwick - 4.5 stars

Baby Twins, Parents Needed by Teresa Carpenter - 4 stars

Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga, book 4) by Stephenie Meyer - 4 stars

Once Upon a Pregnancy (Wilder Family, book 4) by Judy Duarte - 4 stars

Her Mr. Right (Wilder Family, book 5) by Karen Rose Smith - 4.5 stars

A Merger... Or Marriage? (Wilder Family, book 6) by Raeanne Thayne - 4.5 stars

Some Like it Hot Buttered by Jeffrey Cohen - 2 stars

The Mournful Teddy by John J. Lamb - 3.5 stars

Winning the Single Mom's Heart by Linda Goodnight - 4 stars

The Rancher's Doorstep Baby by Patricia Thayer - 4.5 stars

Her Baby, His Proposal by Teresa Carpenter - 4.5 stars

A Mother in a Million by Melissa James - 3 stars

Having Justin's Baby by Pamela Bauer - 4 stars

Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris - 3 stars

Sweetheart Lost and Found by Shirley Jump - 4 stars

The Heir's Convenient Wife by Myrna Mackenzie - 3.5 stars

SOS Marry Me! by Melissa McClone - 4.5 stars

All That Matters by Stef Ann Holm - 4.5 stars

Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux - 4.5 stars

Death in Daytime by Eileen Davidson - 4.5 stars

Your Planet or Mine? by Susan Grant - 1 star

A Date with the Other Side by Erin McCarthy - 3 stars

Heiress for Hire by Erin McCarthy - 3.5 stars

How to Murder a Millionaire by Nancy Martin - 2.5 stars

The Sacrifice by Beverly Lewis - 4 stars

Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich - 4 stars

The McCafferty's: Thorne by Lisa Jackson - 4 stars

A Peach of a Murder by Livia J. Washburn - 4 stars

Murder by the Slice by Livia J. Washburn - 4 stars

A Murderous Glaze by Melissa Glazer - 1 star

Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss - 4 stars

The Shack by William P. Young - 4.5 stars

Vision in White (Bride Quartet, book 1) by Nora Roberts - 4 stars

Wanted Man by Ellen Hartman - 4 stars

Hot Case by Patricia Rosemoor - 4 stars

Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson - 5 stars

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen - 3.5 stars

The Single Dad's Patchwork Family by Claire Baxter - 3.5 stars

I'll Love You Till I Die by Meg O'Brien - 2.5 stars

Permed to Death by Nancy J. Cohen - 3.5 stars

The Bridesmaid's Best Man by Barbara Hannay - 4 stars

A Slice of Murder by Chris Cavender - 3.5 stars

Texas Ranger Takes a Bride by Patricia Thayer - 5 stars

The Italian's Cinderella Bride by Lucy Gordon - 3 stars

Caring for His Baby by Caroline Anderson - 4 stars

Candy Apple Red by Nancy Bush - 3.5 stars

Hounding the Pavement by Judi McCoy - 5 stars

Asking for Trouble by Millie Criswell - 4 stars

Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells - 5 stars

Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way - 3 stars

Coming Home to the Cattleman by Judy Christenberry - 4.5 stars

Adopted: Outback Baby by Barbara Hannay - 3.5 stars

Expected a Miracle by Jackie Braun - 5 stars

The Millionaire's Nanny Arrangement by Linda Goodnight - 4 stars

A Total Waste of Makeup by Kim Gruenenfelder - 2 stars

Gotcha! by Christie Craig - 5 stars

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell - 4 stars

Dying to Sell by Maggie Sefton - 3.5 stars

Chicks with Sticks by Elizabeth Lenhard - 3.5 stars

Married to the Mob by Ginny Aiken - 4 stars

Devil May Ride by Wendy Roberts - 4.5 stars

Dead Over Heels by MaryJanice Davidson - 3 stars

Love You Madly by Linda Palmer - 3.5 stars

Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells - 4 stars

Mistaken for the Mob by Ginny Aiken - 4 stars

Mixed Up with the Mob by Ginny Aiken - 3.5 stars

Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke - 4.5 stars

Sleeping with the Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson - 3 stars

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis - 5 stars

Dyer Consequences by Maggie Sefton - 5 stars

Kiss and Tell by Suzanne Brockmann - 5 stars

The Kissing Game by Suzanne Brockmann - 4 stars

Otherwise Engaged by Suzanne Brockmann - 5 stars

Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke - 5 stars

Home in Time For Christmas by Heather Graham - 4.5 stars

A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid - 4 stars

Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton - 4.5 stars

Delivered by Christmas by Linda Howard, Joan Hohl and Sandra Steffen - 3 stars

The Christmas Cookie Killer by Livia J. Washburn - 4.5 stars

I'm being a bad blogger again! Well the last time I had a perfectly good excuse lol I had no internet where I was living for 8 months. But this time, I have my laptop and no excuses lol.

This is what I read the rest of 2008: (I will do proper updates soon)


His Mistletoe Bride by Cara Colter
Silver Bells by Fern Michaels & 3 other authors
Wanted: Christmas Mommy by Judy Christenberry
A Stone Creek Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

Book Number in 2008: 56
Book From: Own
Date Started: 12/03/08
Date Finished: 12/04/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Judy Christenberry
Title: Cinderella and the Cowboy
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 256


My Comments:
I loved the 2 holiday books I read by this author last Christmas season, and I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed this year either!

Her characters really come alive on the pages... She draws you into their world and you become so caught up in their emotions and relationships. :)

I cant wait to read more of her books soon!



Description from the publisher:
The hardheaded, dyed-in-the-wool cowboy had been called many things…but could he ever be called husband and daddy?

With her newborn and toddler in tow, struggling widow Elizabeth Ransom stepped onto the Ransom Ranch looking for the family she'd never had. Luckily the children's grandfather welcomed them with open arms. But it was the blue-eyed ranch manager whom Elizabeth dreamed of….

Jack Clayton had to leave now that the Oklahoma ranch was no longer for sale. But the lovely Elizabeth would be tough to walk away from….

Book Number in 2008: 55
Book From: Own
Date Started: 11/30/08
Date Finished: 12/03/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Marin Thomas
Title: The Cowboy and the Angel
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 210


My Comments:
Oh wow... This was truly an amazing story full of romance and emotions along with holiday spirit.

Reminded me of a made for TV holiday movie. Sure wish it was!! I could see a few of my favorite soap stars playing the parts. ;)

I'm looking forward to her next book due out in April 2009. :)



Description from the publisher:
Renée Sweeney will do whatever it takes to keep a roof over the heads of Detroit's street kids. Even if it means stepping in front of a ten-ton wrecking ball aimed at their temporary home. And especially if it means clashing with gorgeous corporate cowboy Duke Dalton.

To Duke, the blue-eyed blonde seems more like an angel than a social worker. Until he discovers a group of runaways camping out in his warehouse! The Tulsa businessman came to set up shop in a new town, not provide free housing for the masses. But Renée and the kids are making him rethink his bottom line…and what the spirit of the Christmas season really means.

Now this cowboy Santa is looking to give Renée—and her young charges—a gift straight from his heart!

Book Number in 2008: 54
Book From: Library
Date Started: 11/26/08
Date Finished: 11/30/08
My Rating: 3.5

Author: Cynthia Reese
Title: The Baby Wait
Series: Harlequin Superromance (Suddenly a Parent)
Genre: Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 275


My Comments:
I had a hard time getting into this story at first, the writing seemed a bit jumpy to me... And the story was much heavier than I thought it would be for a Harlequin Superromance. But I loved Sara and Joe right away and I enjoyed watching their story unfold. And I cried with them at every setback.

This story really made me think about what couples must go through to geth their babies when they adopt from from China. Sure does make them special to go all the way accross the planet for these beautiful babies. :)



Description from the publisher:
Sarah Tennyson has it all planned. In two months she'll travel to China to adopt the beautiful baby girl she's always wanted. Even after a mountain of setbacks, she has the faith that one day she'll hold her daughter. But that's before the man she loves starts to doubt….

Joe is Mr. Fix-It. The only thing he can't do is get Sarah her baby. Now, after all the disappointment they've faced, he's begun to wonder if their little family was really meant to be.

Sarah can't give up her dream, but what if waiting for her baby means losing Joe?

Book Number in 2008: 53
Book From: Own
Date Started: 11/24/08
Date Finished: 11/25/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Janet Evanovich
Title: Foul Play
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 228



My Comments:
I so love her cute little romances! My friend Kym and I decided we would read more of them together really soon. :)

Her humor is just so real.. And it strikes your funny bone over and over, all through the stories.

I thought the ending was rather abrupt though.. It could have been a little longer of a story and probably would have gotten a 5 star rating from me instead of a 4. But doesn't matter.. I still can't wait to read the next one!



Description from the publisher:
When Amy Klasse loses her TV job to a dancing chicken, handsome veterinarian Jake Elliott rescues her with an offer to be his receptionist. Jake just can't resist a damsel in distress, and Amy certainly doesn't mind Jake's charming sincerity.

Then, the job-stealing chicken suddenly disappears and Amy is suspected of foul play. Amy and Jake search for clues to prove her innocence. But will Jake be able to show Amy that love, too, is a mystery worth solving?

Book Number in 2008: 52
Book From: Library
Date Started: 11/19/08
Date Finished: 11/23/08
My Rating: 3.5

Author: Susan Mallery
Title: Sweet Talk
Series: 1st in Keyes Sisters Bakery series
Genre: Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 370



My Comments:
I really enjoyed these cute characters and I look forward to reading Nicole and Jesse's stories as well.

I felt a lot of this story was solved too quickly and wrapped up tight with a little pink bow. But I still enjoyed the story and fell in love with little Amy... I hope we get to read more about her in the next 2 books as well.

I could also hear Claire playing the piano in my mind while reading.. Was a nice touch to the story. :)



Description from the publisher:
Don't ask Claire Keyes. The twenty-eight-year-old piano prodigy has never had a regular boyfriend, much less a real romance. Her music career has left little room for friends or family—which is just part of the reason she hasn't seen the family bakery or her two sisters in years.
But now Nicole is sick, and Jesse is AWOL. Despite the fact that Claire can't boil water, she's determined to play caretaker. Connecting with her sisters tops her to-do list…along with falling in love, or at least in lust, for the first time.
Ruggedly sexy Wyatt just might fit the bill. Although he keeps saying that he and Claire come from entirely different worlds, he lights up hotter than a bakery oven whenever Claire is near. If this keeps up, she just might sweet—talk him into her bed…and her life.

Book Number in 2008: 51
Book From: Library
Date Started: 11/10/08
Date Finished: 11/18/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Title: New Moon
Series: Twilight Saga, book 2
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 563


My Comments:
I was not as over-the-top-thrilled with this second book as I was with the first. But I still really loved it.. If that makes sense? ;)

I've never been so emotional over a book that I cried so hard even after I put it down! What a powerful beginning.. And I felt Bella's pain all through the story.

I'm a little unhappy about some of the outcome.. But thrilled about the main outcome! :)

For a young adult book I'm finding this story to be pretty heavy on my emotions, so I think I need a little bit longer of a break between them this time... However on the other hand, I'm still really looking forward to reading the next book!



Memorable Quotes:
"Before you, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars - points of light and reason. ...And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything."


Description from the publisher:
Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Book Number in 2008: 50
Book From: Library
Date Started: 11/3/08
Date Finished: 11/8/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Leslie Meier
Title: Trick or Treat Murder
Series: 3rd in Lucy Stone series
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 245


My Comments:
I adore this series. :) I love the family and always look forward to reading more.

I noticed a change in the character of Lucy's husband Bill in this story.. He seemed less "grumpy". I liked it, but also liked the edge he had in the previous books.. It seemed to make the story more real with a grumpy man. LOL But it was nice to see him being so sweet too :)

Can't wait to read Back to School Murder!! I wonder what kind of trouble Lucy will get into next?

(I'm a little amused by the description below.. Though it is found on the back of the book, it's not exactly all accurate. From what I know after reading this book..
The Halloween party is the first one they had and wasn't called the All-Ghouls festival.. but was just a party in an abandoned mansion.)



Description from the publisher:
It's October in Maine, and everyone in Tinker's Cove is preparing for the annual Halloween festival. While Lucy Stone is whipping up orange frosted cupcakes, recycling tutu's for her daughters' Halloween costumes, helping her son with his pre-teen rebellion, and breast feeding her brand new baby girl, an arsonist is loose in Tinker's Cove. When the latest fire claims the life of the owner of the town's oldest house, arson turns into murder.
While townsfolk work to transform a dilapidated mansion into a haunteded house for the All-Ghouls festival, the hunt for the culprit heats up. Trick-or-Treat turns deadly as a little digging in all the wrong places puts Lucy too close to a shocking discovery that could send all her best-laid plans up in smoke...

Book Number in 2008: 49
Book From: Book I own
Date Started: 10/28/08
Date Finished: 11/3/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Heather Graham
Title: The Seance
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 371


My Comments:
As always, I love Heather Graham's story telling! She is such an amazing author and really sucks me into the worlds of her characters. And I loved the characters in this story. The story was chilling, yet once we "met" the ghost we learned to like him too! And another really great thing is that it kept me guessing right till the end! Gotta love it when you can't predict a story lol :)



Description from the publisher:
A chill falls over Christina Hardy's housewarming party when talk turns to a recent murder that has all the hallmarks of the so-called 'Interstate Killer' murders from fifteen years before. To lighten the mood, the guests drag out an old Ouija board for a little spooky fun—and that's when things become truly terrifying.
Summoned by the Ouija board, the restless spirit of Beau Kidd, the lead detective—and chief suspect—on the original case, seeks Christina's help: the latest killing isn't a copycat crime, and he wants his name cleared. Back in the real world, cop-turned-writer Jed Braden is skeptical of Christina's ghostly encounters, but his police sources confirm all the intimate details of the case—her otherworldly source is reliable, and the body count is growing. The spirits are right. The Interstate Killer is still out there, and Christina's life is hanging in the balance between this world and the next.

Book Number in 2008: 48
Book From: Library
Date Started: 10/23/08
Date Finished: 10/27/08
My Rating: 5+

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Title: Twilight
Series: Twilight Saga, bk 1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 498


My Comments:
I don't know what to say... I gushed and gushed in a post last night on my Book Girl's Babble Blog... That sure did say a lot!

But tonight, now that I've finished the book.. I'm sad.
My friend Kym read this book with me.. Her words after reading the last page were: "I feel like I've lost some friends.".. And I can definitely relate to that thought!
I've thought about the next book I planned to start.. And I've looked forward to reading this book for 1 year now.. But every other book seems to pale in comparison to what I've just read.

I've never been so emotionally involved with the characters of a book... I've never been able to see every move the characters make so clearly in my mind the way I did with this one.

OK.. In all that I'm sure you've figured out that I really loved this book! And I've already requested from my library the next book in the saga, New Moon. I hope it doesn't take 2 months to get to my turn! Because I don't think I can wait that long. I wish I could afford to buy these books for my collection.. But I can honestly say that some day I will. Some day I want to buy them new so that I can give just a little bit to an author that deserves every penny and then some!


Memorable Quotes:
These 2 quotes were spoken by Edward to Bella and really touched me:

"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb...."

"It's like you've taken half my self away with you."


Description from the publisher:
About three things I was absolutely positive:
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

“I’D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD DIE– I’d had reason enough in the last few months –but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. . . . Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.”
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.
What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .
Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight will have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned.

Book Number in 2008: 47
Book From: Library
Date Started: 10/20/08
Date Finished: 10/23/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Maggie Sefton
Title: A Killer Stitch
Series: A Knitting Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 260


My Comments:
I love the characters in this series.. They really feel like friends I could actually know and love. :)

The author really has a way of dragging you into their friendly world of knitting, yarns and emotions. I really felt for Lucy and Diane in this story.. And just love how their circle of friends expand to help new friends in each book of the series. :)

And I really can't wait to read the next book in the series! I have all I can do not to run out and get the next book in the series, since this one ended with this sentence:
"But in the pit of Kelly's stomach, there was a bad feeling that she just couldn't shake."


Memorable Quotes:
There are so many quotes and comments in this book that had me giggling.. But it's like a group of old friends! The kind of jokes you just have to be there for to understand why they are so funny. :)


Description from the publisher:
'Tis the season for knitters in chilly Fort Connor, Colorado: scarves, sweaters, mittens—and murder. Amid the seasonal cheer of her local family of cowboys and yarn weavers, Kelly Flynn's intent on trying to separate innocence from icy deceit.

Book Number in 2008: 46
Book From: Library
Date Started: 10/18/08
Date Finished: 10/19/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Title: Spells & Sleeping Bags
Series: 3rd in Magic in Manhattan (All About Rachel)
Genre: Young Adult Chick Lit
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 293


My Comments:
This series is so adorble! A great pick-me-up for a rainy day.. Or any day for that matter! :)

I love Sarah Mlynowski's fun characters and this book was a great addition to the series with lots of twists and turns that had me guessing and shocked! :)

I can't wait to read the next one when it comes out i a couple of months!



Description from the publisher:
At long last, Rachel's powers have arrived and she's a bona fide get-your-broom-ready witch! And it's happened just in time. No Manhattan for her this summer—she's spending her vacation at Camp Wood Lake.

But she's having some serious issues:

Mosquitoes in the Adirondacks are incredibly thirsty.

Her stepmom keeps sending embarrassing feminine hygiene care packages.

She accidentally zapped away all her clothes.

And there's a backstabber in her cabin intent on making life miserable.

Good thing Rachel's a witch.

Book Number in 2008: 45
Book From: Library
Date Started: 10/13/08
Date Finished: 10/17/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Terri Blackstock
Title: Dawn's Light
Series: 4th and final in the Restoration series
Genre: Christian
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 406


My Comments:
Wow.. I just finished. I'm not even sure what to say. What I want to say I can't say because I've got a little promise at the top of this Blog stating that I will never give an ending away! :)

I was blown away by how gripping this book was! Terri Blackstock is really an amazing author..
But I can't say I was fully OK with all of the outcomes in the story... But hey, that's just me being me. ;) We can't always get what we want lol

But even though I am unhappy about some of it, the rest of it was just so darn good! :) So good in fact that my friend Kym and I have already put a request in at our libraries for Cape Refuge... which is the first book in another series by this same author.


Memorable Quotes:
"Don't worry about the food, we have apples galore. We'll have apple pie, apple hors d'oeuvres, apple cider.. Do I sound like that guy in Forrest Gump with the shrimp?"



Description from the publisher:
In the final book of the Restoration Series by bestselling author Terri Blackstock, the end of a global electrical blackout signals the beginning of the Branning family’s ultimate test. Murder and affairs of the heart form the backdrop for a family sifting through the lessons they have learned—and how well they have truly learned them.

Book Number in 2008: 44
Book From: Library
Date Started: 10/09/08
Date Finished: 10/13/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Vicki Myron
Title: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Non-Fiction
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 271





My Comments:
A really touching story about a librarian and "her" cat who lived his 19 years in a small-town library in Iowa.

I fell in love with Dewey in the pages of this book.. His story really touched me and I found it very inspiring how a whole town and eventually even some people much further away could love one animal so unconditionally. :)

I will say that I wasn't really into the parts of the story telling of the town history.. But it did help bring together the story nicely. I did however, really enjoy reading about Vicki's family. And I found it so cute how Dewey loved her daughter Jodi so much that he stuck to her side like glue every time he saw her. :)

This book had me smiling so much my face hurt!
But it also had me misty eyed quite a few times through out the story as well... from tears of joy to tears of sadness. As we all know the story of anyone's life will also include their death.. Hearing of Dewey dying just broke my heart in two for Vicki and all those who loved such a wonderful animal like him. :'(


Memorable Quotes:
I really got a laugh at the comment about Vicki's daughter Jodi saying that someone "Burps in their pants" when she was a kid. :)


Description from the publisher:
How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.

As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.

Book Number in 2008: 43
Book From: Library
Date Started: 9/25/08
Date Finished: 10/9/08
My Rating: 5

Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson
Title: Nerd in Shining Armor
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 324


My Comments:
What a cute story! I found myself all wrapped up in the building relationship of Gen and Jack and having them stuck on a deserted island made it all the more fun! :)

I also found it nice that there was a side romance story going on with Gen's mother Annabelle and her boss Matt. :) Made it more interesting and more real.

Hope all of this authors books are this good! I'm already dying to read more soon.


Memorable Quotes:
She wasn't sure what all the kinds of martial arts were and she got the names mixed up with Chinese food. Kung Fu sounded like something you ate and Kung Pau sounded like breaking boards with your hand, but she thought maybe she had that backward.


Description from the publisher:
For Genevieve Terrence it seemed like a dream come true: a weekend alone on Maui with her sexy boss, Nick Brogan. But little did she know that Nick had dreams of his own--a nefarious scheme that nearly got her killed on the flight over the Pacific.

Book Number in 2008: 42
Book From: Library
Date Started: 9/9/08
Date Finished: 9/24/08
My Rating: 3.5

Author: Beverly Lewis
Title: The Betrayal
Series: 2nd book in the Abram's Daughters series
Genre: Christian/Amish
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 358


My Comments:
I wasn't quite as taken by this story as I was with the first, but I am still in love with this family and enjoy learning about their ways.

I think my reasons for not enjoying it as much were more personal rather than the story itself. The story was a little deeper (or more emotional) than I probably should be reading right now during some hard family times.

I'm really looking forward to reading more from this series sometime not too far off I'm sure. :)



Memorable Quotes:
Books are like friends to me. Words come alive on the page.



Description from the publisher:
Book 2 of Abram’s Daughters. Though confident that their love will survive a separation, Leah, Jonas, and their families will face a bitter test.

Book Number in 2008: 41
Book From: Library
Date Started: 9/15/08
Date Finished: 9/19/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Wendi Lee
Title: The Good Daughter
Series: 1st book in the Angela Matelli series
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 211


My Comments:
This was so much fun to read since I live so close to where the story took place! I was smiling at every mention of places and streets that were known to me.

But besides all that the story was really great.. The lead character is a private detective named Angela, and she had me laughing and coming back for more!

I'm looking forward to reading more from this series soon. :)


Description from the publisher:
Angela Matelli, a good Italian-American girl from East Boston, leaves the Marines to return to the bosom of her family and begin a new career as a private investigator. Her first client (a referral from her Uncle "No-Legs" Charlie) is retired policeman Tom Grady, who hires Angela to check up on Brian Scanlon, his daughter's new boyfriend. This simple background check, however, soon becomes a confusing tangle of murder, cover-up, and intrigue when Grady is found dead outside his favorite bar and Scanlon is seen keeping company with the suspected leader of a terrorist group. With a dead client and a bag full of loose ends, Angela starts to investigate Tom Grady's suspicious death and continues to dig into Brian Scanlon's checkered past, inquiries that lead her to an organization whose seemingly idealistic waters run deceptively deep, a daughter who is torn between her father and her lover, and someone who is out to kill Angela before she is able to find out the truth.

Book Number in 2008: 40
Book From: Library
Date Started: 9/8/08
Date Finished: 9/12/08
My Rating: 3.5

Author: C.J. Carmichael
Title: The Dad Next Door
Series: Three Good Men
Genre: Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 282


My Comments:
Cute, typical Harlequin feel good Romance. :)

This one could be a made for TV movie :) Gavin Gray is a single dad that loses 1 of his young twin daughters in an accident.. This story picks up as they are finally starting to cope with their loss and move to a new small town where they both find some comfort in their new neighbor Allison. :)

I really enjoyed this story and was touched by the relationships that built between Gavin and Allison and also between his daughter Tory and Allison.



Description from the publisher:
His daughter needs her mother. And Gavin Gray will do anything for Tory--even reunite with the woman who abandoned them. That's the only reason they've moved to Squam Lake, his ex-wife's last known address. Now it's a waiting game.

That game has suddenly gotten more complicated. Because of Allison Bennett, the next-door neighbor he never expected to fall in love with. Just as their future looks promising, his ex-wife returns with a past that haunts them all.

Book Number in 2008: 39
Book From: Library
Date Started: 8/31/08
Date Finished: 9/7/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Title: Frogs & French Kisses
Series: Magic in Manhattan/All About Rachel
Genre: Young Adult Chick Lit
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 277


My Comments:
I love this series!! It's just too cute and funny. And also, like the 1st in the series, I felt it had a strong message on how people should be treated.. Which is important for all of us to think about at times. :)

Rachel really matured in this story and I'm curious to see how that goes in the next book considering the surprise ending in this one. :)

Read this one with my friend Kym too.. We're going to read the next one real soon! Sarah Mlynowski is quickly becoming of a favorite for me..



Description from the publisher:
Rachel has finally come to terms with the outrageously unfair fact that her younger sister, Miri, has inherited magical powers from their mom. But now the whole witchcraft thing is spiraling out of control. Mom is a magicaholic, Miri's on a Save the World kick, and the one teeny tiny love spell that Rachel begged for has gone embarrassingly, horribly wrong.

Suddenly, the fate of everything is in Rachel's hands.

Her family.

The world.

Senior prom.

Book Number in 2008: 38
Book From: Library
Date Started: 8/27/08
Date Finished: 8/31/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Leslie Meier
Title: Tippy-Toe Murder
Series: 2nd in Lucy Stone series
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 227


My Comments:
I'm really enjoying this series and look forward to the 3rd book soon..

It really captures true to life family lives rather that a phony "perfect" family.. We get it all complete with husband being a pain in the butt and whining kids. ;)



Description from the publisher:

When Lucy Stone's neighbor, Caro Binney, a retired dance teacher, disappears, and Morrill Slack is killed with a video camera, Lucy sets out to track down Caro, who could be linked to Morrill's murder.

Book Number in 2008: 37
Book From: Library
Date Started: 8/21/08
Date Finished: 8/27/08
My Rating: 3.5

Author: Jonnie Jacobs
Title: Murder Among Neighbors
Series: 1st in Kate Austen series
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 299


My Comments:
This was yet another buddy read with my friend Kym. :)
I'm already looking forward to reading more of this series.

The ending was a real shocker, which is unusual in most "cozies".. though this book had a few un-cozy parts, it did appear to be one for the most part.

Normally a shocker ending is a good thing... But this time I'm left with an unsatisfied feeling.. I wasn't really happy with the outcome and probably would have given it a better rating had it been different since I felt the story was very well written and loved the characters. :) And I'm very curious to find out where the characters personal stories go from here.



Description from the publisher:
Abandoned by her husband, Kate Austen has all she can handle carpooling her five-year-old daughter to pre-school, baking for good causes, keeping her lawn mowed and devising survival tactics. It looks like everyone else in her affluent suburban neighborhood has it ultra-easy--until her fabulously wealthy next-door neighbor is found murdered.

Book Number in 2008: 36
Book From: Library
Date Started: 7/31/08
Date Finished: 8/15/08
My Rating: 3.5

Author: Terri Blackstock
Title: True Light
Series: 3rd in the Restoration series
Genre: Christian
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 284


My Comments:
Didn't find this one as gripping as the previous two.. But still adore this family and am looking forward to reading the final book of the series with my friend Kym as a buddy read in about a month or so.



Description from the publisher:
Still in darkness, the Brannings help to start a government system in their neighborhood, and establish a church and a school, but a new outbreak of murders threatens their work. Book Three in the Restoration series.

Book Number in 2008: 35
Book From: Library
Date Started: 7/24/08
Date Finished: 7/31/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Terri Blackstock
Title: Night Light
Series: 2nd in Restoration series
Genre: Christian
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 352


My Comments:
I'm really enjoying this series. This book was a little more "preachy" than the last one, but not so much that it affected my enjoyment.

I wished for a different outcome for one of the story lines, but all in all a great story.

Really makes you think.. And very inspiring the way the families and neighbors come together to help each other during these hard times.


Description from the publisher:
As the power outage continues, the Brannings struggle to bring their neighborhood together into a functioning community where everyone helps each other make their homes ready for winter, and fight the crime that is running rampant among them. Book Two in the Restoration series.

Book Number in 2008: 34
Book From: Library
Date Started: 7/18/08
Date Finished: 7/24/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Linda Howard
Title: Kill and Tell
Series: 1st in John Medina
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 305


My Comments:
Very good, very gripping story! An amazing tale of mystery, romance plus thrills and chills! :)

Like the last book I read by this author (Cover of Night) we read both the good guys and the bad guys stories. I find the bad guys to be a bit boring and too much extra info. But the good guys have me hooked in minutes!

A little too much graphic sexual details for me again.. but it isn't a main focus and I'll choose to get past that part to enjoy the greatness of this author's writing in future books! :)


Description from the publisher:
Some secrets need to be told...

Still reeling from her mother's recent death, Karen Whitlaw is stunned when she receives a package containing a mysterious notebook from her estranged father, whom she has barely seen since his return from the Vietnam War decades ago. Then, a shocking phone call: Karen's father has been murdered on the gritty streets of New Orleans.

Even if they lead to murder....For homicide detective Marc Chastain, something about the case of a murdered homeless man just doesn't add up -- especially after he meets the victim's daughter. Far from the cold woman he expected, Karen Whitlaw is warm and passionate. She is also in serious danger. A string of "accidents" have shaken Karen to the core, and forced her into the protective embrace of the charming detective she vowed to resist. Together they unravel a disturbing story of politics, power, and murder -- and face a killer who will stop at nothing to get his hands on her father's secrets.

Book Number in 2008: 33
Book From: Library
Date Started: 7/13/08
Date Finished: 7/17/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Title: Bras & Broomsticks
Series: 1st in Magic in Manhattan/All About Rachel
Genre: Young Adult Chick Lit
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 310


My Comments:
I'm so in love with this book! It was so adorably cute and funny, but with some strong morals. :)

Rachel was a blast! :) I laughed through most of the book and can not wait to read the next one.. I think it's so great that a story with an important lesson can be told with such humor and fun. :)


Memorable Quotes:
How sweet is he? He's like chocolate mixed with cotton candy mixed with Kool-Aid. If I weren't so in love, I would get a cavity.


Description from the publisher:
Hilarious, fast-paced and bewitchingly clever, this is the first novel in a big new series for teenagers. Fourteen-year-old Rachel Weinstein just can't believe it. Her younger sister, Miri, and her mum are both witches! How come SHE didn't get the powers that could have propelled her effortlessly into school superstardom? Miri refuses to use her witchy skills for the benefit of humankind (i.e. Rachel). Which is a drag, given that Rachel has an urgent need of some supersonic dance talent - not to mention a boyfriend like gorgeous, unobtainable Raf. But maybe there's one cause Miri just CAN'T refuse. With their dad about to marry awful STB (aka Soon To Be Step-Monster), some witchy wiles may be the only way to derail a major family disaster...But a charmed life has its problems - as Rachel is about to find out!

Book Number in 2008: 32
Book From: Library
Date Started: 7/7/08
Date Finished: 7/13/08
My Rating: 5

Author: Beverly Lewis
Title: The Covenant
Series: 1st in Abram's Daughters
Genre: Amish
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 318


My Comments:
What a wonderful-gut story! I will for sure and for certain be reading the rest of this series soon. And probably continue on with her other series soon after that.

You totally get sucked into their world and don't want to put the book down! So simple, yet hard their lives really are.. So close the families stay... It's how families should always be. :)


Description from the publisher:
Book 1 of Abram's Daughters series from bestselling author Beverly Lewis. Years of secrecy bind the tiny community of Gobbler's Knob together more than the present inhabitants know, and the Plain folk who farm the land rarely interact with the fancy locals. So when Sadie is beguiled by a dark-haired English boy, it is Sadie's younger sister, Leah, who suffers from her sister's shameful loss of innocence. And what of Leah's sweetheart, Jonas Mast, sent to Ohio under the Bishop's command? Drawn into an incomprehensible pact with her older sister, Leah finds her dreams spinning out of control, even as she clings desperately to the promises of God. The Covenant begins a powerful Lancaster portrait of the power of family and the miracle of hope.

Book Number in 2008: 31
Book From: Library
Date Started: 7/1/08
Date Finished: 7/7/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Jessica Conant-Park with Susan Conant
Title: Steamed
Series: 1st in Gourmet Girl Mystery
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 287


My Comments:
What an adorable story! Had it all.. Mystery and Romance.. Was a cross between Cozy Mystery & Chick Lit.

Loved Chloe and Josh and look forward to reading more of this series soon. Really enjoyed reading about cooking and all the great sounding food Chloe had throughout the story. :)

Plan to check out Susan Conant's Dog Lovers series soon as well.



Description from the publisher:

Susan Conant, the acclaimed author of the Dog Lover's mysteries and the Cat Lover's mysteries, now teams with her daughter for a new culinary mystery series featuring Chloe Carter (known in the chatrooms as GourmetGirl), food connoisseur and survivor of failed romances. On a quest for the perfect meal-and man-she risks a blind date with a fellow food lover who's stabbed to death before the check comes.

Talk about a rocky love life. Chloe's first date of the week is murdered. Her second date is with the prime suspect. The investigation plunges the amateur sleuth into the gourmet restaurant scene to discover a cutthroat world of killer competition, stormy love affairs, and a recipe for Baby Bok Choy Slaw to die for.

Book Number in 2008: 30
Book From: Library
Date Started: 6/20/08
Date Finished: 6/30/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Kat Martin
Title: Scent of Roses
Series: 1st in Paranormal II
Genre: Paranormal Mystery & Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 414


My Comments:
Very slow start, about 100 pages in is where it picked up and left me dying to know more!

There were some really gripping (sometimes scary) moments too! :)

I really loved the couple and look forward to reading more from this author soon.


Description from the publisher:
Elizabeth doesn't believe in ghosts.
But this time she has no choice.

Family counselor Elizabeth Conner isn't sure what to think when Maria Santiago comes to her for help. Pregnant and terrified, Maria claims to be visited each night by the ghost of a little girl, warning her to flee. Her husband, Miguel, a migrant worker at Harcourt Farms, dismisses her fears as hormonal changes, but Elizabeth agrees to help by contacting Miguel's employers who own the cottage where the young couple lives.

Elizabeth immediately picks up on the deep enmity between the two Harcourt brothers: Carson, the handsome scion running the estate for his incapacitated father, and Zack, the rebellious black sheep. While Carson is more interested in Elizabeth than in her concerns, Zack grudgingly agrees to help her look into the history of the house.

But even as unexpected desire draws them together, Elizabeth and Zack feel something dark and disturbing at the house, a cloying scent and lingering chill of pure evil. Elizabeth knows something terrible has happened here before, something that has its roots in murder

Book Number in 2008: 29
Book From: Library
Date Started: 6/14/08
Date Finished: 6/19/08
My Rating: 3

Author: Blaize Clement
Title: Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter
Series: 1st in Dixie Hemmingway series
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover (large print)
Pages: 437


My Comments:
My friend Jackie told me a couple of weeks ago that she's been reading this series and thought it was pretty cute.. I figured I'd give it a try too. :)

I'm not sure if this book is considered a Cozy Mystery or not, but I had thought it was when I picked it up.. But after reading it I would say it isn't since I found there were some gruesome details and a few crude/rude comments.. Just didn't have a cozy feel to it.

That aside, the story really kept me reading.. I really liked Dixie and would like to know more about her.. I may give the next one a try sometime in the future.


Description from the publisher:
Dixie Hemingway knows first-hand that many things in life are worse than a dirty litter box. Once happy as a Florida sheriff's deputy, she lost everything when senseless tragedy shattered her world. Now Dixie laces up her sneakers, grabs some kitty treats, and copes with one day at a time as a pet-sitter. Her investigations deal strictly with “crimes” such as who peed on the bed . . . until she finds a dead man face down in an Abyssinian's water bowl. With the local cops stymied—including a handsome detective who catches her eye—she decides to clip a leash on a lead or two and go sleuthing herself. Dixie soon finds out that the Abyssinian's pretty owner has vanished and left behind a shocking past, a lonely cat, and a chilling reason for Dixie to start running when she's out walking the dogs.

Book Number in 2008: 28
Book From: Library
Date Started: 6/10/08
Date Finished: 6/13/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Terri Blackstock
Title: Last Light
Series: 1st in Restoration series
Genre: Christian
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Pages: 367


My Comments:
Wow! What a powerful story... Really makes you stop and think about our lives and the technologies that we've all become so used to. What would we do if all we ever knew just stopped working? No lights, no clocks, no cars, no stoves, or fans or even TVs... None of anything most of us just take for granted..

When we lose power due to electrical storms or snow storms I feel so lost without a light to read by, a computer to use or TV to distract me.

How would we feel, what would we all do if it just stopped working?

Hurricane Katrina comes to mind... And a lot of people behaved similar to this story... stealing for food or other needed items. I can't even imagine the desperation if the whole world were to lose power and the use of anything mechanical at all for months or more!!

Kym recently read this book and told me how amazing it was.. I didn't even know the half of it till I actually began reading it for myself. :) Here is the link to her review on this same book.



Description from the publisher:
After an unexplained catastrophic event in the atmosphere knocks out all electronics in the world, materialistic, well-to-do Americans are suddenly left helpless. And as they get down to the essentials of life, they learn to lean on God as they never have before. Book One in the Restoration Series.

Book Number in 2008: 27
Book From: Library
Date Started: 6/7/08
Date Finished: 6/9/08
My Rating: 4.5

Author: Maggie Sefton
Title: A Deadly Yarn
Series: 3rd in A Knitting Mystery
Genre: Mystery
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 259


My Comments:
How weird is this? I noticed in the last book I just read that names of actual people were used for characters and now it happened again in this book LOL This time it was Allison Dubois, who is a psychic that the tv show Medium is based on.

I guessed the killer from very early on in the story.. But you know what? When a series is THIS good it just doesn't seem to matter all that much! The characters are written so well that I feel like I actually know these people.. And I just love the relationships and friendships as well. :)

Every time I finish one of her books I say this, but I'll say it again anyway lol It really makes me want to learn how to knit! I don't know what the heck I'm waiting for. ;)



Description from the publisher:
Knitter Kelly Flynn is thrilled that her friend Allison is joining a New York designer's studio. But when the young artist's new life ends before it begins, Kelly must unravel Allison's messy, fast-track social circle-and its lethally wound threads.

Book Number in 2008: 26
Book From: Library
Date Started: 6/3/08
Date Finished: 6/6/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Kate Collins
Title: Mum's the Word
Series: 1st in A Flower Shop Mystery
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover (large print)
Pages: 418


My Comments:
Another buddy read with my friend Kym :)
This book started out slow... I was having trouble with all the extra details that didn't really seem to matter to the story... However once past all that from the middle to the end was really very good! Had you guessing and really thinking how it would all come together...We clearly knew who the bad guys were, but not the how or whys till the very end.. :)

And this may seem silly to even mention, but I loved how Marco kept calling Abby "Sunshine" :) It was just so sweet.

Another part though that really annoyed me were her brothers names.. Their last name is Knight... Her brothers names were Jordan and Jonathan... I mean come on? Get original and not borrow the names of brothers in a long ago boy band lol ;)



Description from the publisher:
Abby Knight is the proud owner of her hometown flower shop, but a new low-cost competitor is killing her profits-and a black SUV just rammed her vintage Corvette in a hit-and-run. She's determined to track down the driver, but when the trail turns deadly, the next flower arrangement might be for her own funeral.

Book Number in 2008: 25
Book From: Library
Date Started: 5/29/08
Date Finished: 6/3/08
My Rating: 4

Author: Linda Palmer
Title: Love Her To Death
Series: 2nd in Daytime Mystery series
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover (large print)
Pages: 437


My Comments:
Another really fun and cute series! I love reading about a Daytime Drama show! Even if it is made up. ;)

The main character, Morgan Tyler, is the head writer for a fictional daytime drama called Love of My Life.. cute title. :) She's finding herself getting caught up in murder mysteries and trapped between choosing to get serious with 1 of 2 great guys.. No wonder she can write for daytime tv!! ;)


Description from the publisher:
Soap writer Morgan Tyler has a new title--co-executive producer--and a new responsibility: take care of everything. When an actress on the show is murdered, Morgan better find out who's behind the bloodshed before someone else is written out of the picture.

Book Number in 2008: 24
Book From: Library
Date Started: 5/26/08
Date Finished: 5/28/08
My Rating: 4

Author: JoAnna Carl
Title: The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle
Series: 4th in the Chocoholic series
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover (large print)
Pages: 323


My Comments:
I really love this series!! Lee and Joe are such a cute couple and Aunt Nettie should be my aunt!

You get a little of everything with this series, happy & lots of laughs, chills with the mystery and always edge of your seat endings! :)

Can't wait to read the next one, maybe I'll get it real soon! :)



Description from the publisher:
Hollywood comes to Michigan when a film producer decides to turn a local author's romance novel into a blockbuster. Although the movie mogul's chocolate labrador is charming, Lee McKinney thinks the producer's talk is a bunch of sweet nothings-and she grows even more suspicious when she stumbles upon a dead body.

Book Number in 2008: 23
Book From: Library
Date Started: 5/25/08
Date Finished: 5/25/08
My Rating: 4

Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Title: Undead and Uneasy
Series: 6th in the Betsy Taylor Vampire Queen series
Genre: Paranormal
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272


My Comments:
Even though I recently said I was sick of Vampire stories I still LOVED this book! :) And love this series as well . :) It's just too cute and funny for words. lol

I can't wait for the next book to come out in July and hope to read it soon after..

No more unwed for this vamp couple :)


Memorable Quotes:
There were SO many quotes! I was texting them to my friend Kym the whole time I was reading the book.. But I didn't write any of them down. :(


Description from the publisher:
Betsy Taylor, undead vampire queen, has been given a new nickname by her nearest and dearest: Bridezilla. Because whether you're alive or undead, planning weddings is a bitch - especially when your groom thinks the whole thing is a waste of time. Betsy's also dealing with a full house: she lives with a ghost (Cathy), a werewolf (Antonia), a gay physician/human (Marc), her fiance and vampire king (Eric Sinclair), her best friend (Jessica), a recovering Fiend (Garrett). But when Sinclair disappears, Betsy begins to get seriously unnerved...

Book Number in 2008: 22
Book From: Library
Date Started: 5/21/08
Date Finished: 5/24/08
My Rating: 2.5

Author: Tori Carrington
Title: Sofie Metropolis
Series: 1st in Sofie Metropolis series
Genre: Mystery
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 280


My Comments:
I had such high hopes for this series.. I wonder if that is part of why I was so disappointed? It also reminded me a little too much of another series and that also might be what turned me off a bit.

The whole time I was reading I felt like it was a bunch of nothing... Meaning, there was too much going on all at once, but nothing really being solved.

In the end most of story lines were resolved though. :) I did enjoy the main character.. I don't think I will be reading the next in the series right away, but I do plan to eventually.

I read this book as a buddy read with Kym, and she pretty much agreed with my feelings too.



Description from the publisher:
On her wedding day, right before the ceremony, right there in the Greek Orthodox church, Sofie Metropolis discovered her groom and her maid of honor in each other's arms. Sofie took this as a sign, and since then, she's been doing her best to confound her own, and her family's, expectations.
First, she is no longer waiting tables at either her father's or her grandfather's dueling Greek restaurants in Astoria, Queens. Second, she kept the engagement ring (the garbage disposal choked on it) and all the wedding presents, including the small apartment building that was a gift from her parents. It's not easy to collect rent from an eccentric group of tenants that includes a trio of lackadaisical business school students and a nice little old Jewish lady who plies Sofie with ethnic delicacies, but at least Sofie has a roof over her head. And her ex-fiance's recliner in the living room.
Sofie also has a new career, thanks to uncle Spyros's detective agency. Okay, so far, the cases haven't been all that exciting-mostly, Sofie's been tracking down lost pets and cheating spouses-but at least she's in control of her life. And even Sam Spade had to start somewhere.
Then Sofie's mother's best friend, Mrs. Kapoor, who seems to dose everything, even tea, with curry, reports that her dog has been stolen. Sofie must drop everything to search for the meanest mutt on the face of the earth . . . .
The agency's usually unflappable office manager comes to Sofie in terror because the neighborhood "vampire" has disappeared, replaced by his even creepier nephew . . . .
Tailing a wayward wife, Sofie is caught in a shoot-out and is rescued by Australian man-of-mystery Jake Porter, who might be a bounty hunter and who definitely gets Sofie's engine started . . . .
And what is Jake Porter doing in the middle of Sofie's adultery case anyway, and why is the cheating wife now on the run?