Archive | April 2015

D is for Dangerous #ABCofRomance #a2zchallenge @aprila2z

Synopsis
Prudence is 25 (old maid by Victorian standards) and meets with Sebastian in the middle of the night to request that he not fight her brother in a duel. Sebastian is intrigued that Prudence has such a lack of regard for social conventions, that he grants her request. Additionally, they share an interest in investigating mysteries.

It seems that Prudence is constantly getting into precarious situations and Sebastian feels obligated to stick close to her in order to help her. Prudence has nothing but confidence in Sebastian’s abilities to protect her because she thinks he is a gentleman despite his supposed reputation.

Opinion
Before I begin, I must preface this opinion by saying that I have loved Amanda Quick’s writing style since I was a teenager (all her heroes are my book boyfriends). Even though a lot of her books have a very consistent formula using a surly, but honor bound hero and a very independent, sometimes rash thinking heroine, I find her books very entertaining. This book met expectations and did not stray from the proven base formula.

One of the things that I most enjoyed about this book is the dialogue between Sebastian and Prudence.

“My dear, there are occasions when I don’t know quite which it is that I admire most about you: your cleverness or your passionate response to me in bed.” – Sebastian

Prudence’s reply, “I know it is a difficult choice.”

Of course, Prudence rarely listened when Sebastian told her to stay in one place. This led to many potentially risky situations. Sebastian took it all in stride. He knew his woman.

“I had a hunch you wouldn’t follow orders” – Sebastian

He only had himself to blame for marrying a woman who shared his enthusiasm for investigation.

Prudence was not my favorite heroine of all of the books that I have read by Amanda Quick because at times I thought she seemed to be shrewish. However, I think that Sebastian’s personality was so strong that it didn’t matter as much that she was too bossy because he’s only going to let her get her way when he wants her to. The most important aspect is how she made him feel and that was all that mattered.

She was so warm and he had been cold for so long.

Should you buy? Yes! Especially so if you are a Victorian romance fan. I think you will laugh out loud at some of Prudence’s antics.

Book details from Goodreads
Paperback, 339 pages
Published April 1993 by Bantam Books (first published January 1st 1993)

Available on Amazon

Foodie Friday #graze #snackfood

Apr3

I debated doing Foodie Friday this month since I am already doing an April challenge that is consuming my free time. Check out my A to Z blog posts throughout the month. Anyways, as you can see, I decided I did not want to skip a month. I will make this short and sweet.

Foodie Friday is all about delish food and I have found this wonderful snack subscription service at Graze.com. My friend told me about it because she knows I am a foodie.

Graze provides wholesome, portion controlled sized snack options delivered to your each week. I admit the concept intrigued me. However, I was worried that I would get snacks that I did not like because you do not choose specifically which snacks are in your subscription box each week. I rated their snacks in one of four categories: never send, try, like, or love.

In the beginning, I had several snacks that I said that I would like to try.

Now many of those “will try” have been changed to love.

My absolute fave so far has been Chili & Lime Pistachios. I love pistachios and the added seasoning kicked up the snack to a whole different level. I wish they had included an additional packet of the seasoning so that I could just eat that. It was a little spicy, salty with a hint of lime sour.

Second fave is Caramel apples. And this snack was on 80 calories!!!! While I wish the apples had been crunchy, the caramel sauce was perfection. Knowing the snack was 80 calories meant that I could eat all my caramel sauce. I am very picky when it comes to caramel sauce because many times it is too sweet.

The other two snacks in the picture are Thai Sweet Chili bites and Cinnamon Fig roll.

These are gourmet snacks and the company is committed to making snack food healthy. The quality can be tasted in their products. I hope they keep making these for a very long time.

If you want to try for yourself, first box is free when you use my reward code AMARYL6XP

Or you can click here https://www.graze.com/us/p/AMARYL6XU

And Graze management, if you are reading this, I am willing to be a food tester for future snack flavor combinations.

Book Review: Kali- Destroyer of Worlds

Apr3

My first review for The Reading Bud.

The Reading Bud

19078778

Author: Mike Kuykendall
Release Date: 1st September 2014
Series: Stand alone
Genre: Dystopian | Post-Apocalyptic
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 384 (4523 Kindle pages)                            
Publisher: Createspace
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Blurb

A gamma ray burst starts civilization crumbling, and a suicidal little girl must embrace her inner darkness to survive. Through death and fire, Rebecca Wilder has been reborn. Will her destructive revenge take the world with it, or can a twelve-year old girl salvage her humanity and stop nuclear annihilation? Kali – Destroyer of Worlds follows Becky’s journey as she confronts the horrors that are left behind after the world ends.

Rating

3-stars

Review

Plot/Story:

With an opening scene of Becca running and bleeding after slitting her wrist in a suicide attempt, the story begins at a fast pace. As she transforms from Becca to her Kali persona, there was a definite energy that I felt as a reader in…

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C is for Caught #atozchallenge #ABCofRomance

Apr3

Caught on Camera ♥♥♥

Synopsis

Ty is an outdoorsman whose television show is about surviving in the wild. Kate is his assistant who does all the organization to make sure the show is in operation.

She gets hurt during filming and it scares him. It could have been worse and she could have died. From that point on, the pair explores the feelings they have for each other and try to decide what should happen next.

Opinion

The story had promise in the beginning. By the end though, I was tired of both of them. Ty and Kate argued a lot. I wondered if that was what their relationship would be like in the future. Ty deciding what was best without consulting Kate. Then they would argue. Then make up. Then argue some more.

When Ty makes his grand gesture to prove his love, I was left wondering if that made up for the rest of the book.

I am conflicted.

I am not annoyed with the ending, but I think the characters could have been written better in order to develop their romantic relationship.

Should you buy? This is one of those books that I would suggest buying if on sale OR part of a compilation. It is light romance. Perfect if you are looking for something that is not too serious, this is fine.

Book Details from Goodreads
Mass Market Paperback, 224 pages
Published March 22nd 2011 by Harlequin
Available on Amazon

B is for Baby #AtoZChallenge #ABCofRomance

Apr2

Baby Bonanza (Silhouette Desire) ♥♥

Synopsis

Nick, a cruise ship owner and playboy billionaire, cannot stand a liar. That is what he thinks Jenna did to him and he will not forgive her for it.

“I’m not a lonely rich boy looking for love.”

Jenna sees the circumstances differently. While heartbroken, she had cut her losses. Until she found herself taking care of the result of her lovefest with Nick: TWINS. She came to ask for child support, but as usual, Nick does things his way.

Opinion

This is the standard Harlequin romance: playboy, commitment phobia billionaire, unplanned pregnancy, reluctant dad. And a woman in love with a man who does not trust her.

I did not like Nick. He was a self-righteous jerk for most of the book. He has women throwing themselves at him and he pretends that the only reason he flirts back with all of them is to prevent embarrassing them. I do not buy it. He is setting up his booty call girl of the week.

Plus he was overbearing. When he decides he wants something, he will not stop until he gets it. Jenna is in his crosshairs and he wants her. Objectify much?

“She was trouble. He knew it. Felt it. And couldn’t stop himself from wanting. From having.” – Nick

“We both feel it. We both want this. Why deny ourselves?” – Nick

When he decided that he wanted Jenna, she was caught up in the romance of it all that she decided to deal with the consequences later.

Bad idea Jenna. But sometimes a person gets steamrolled into poor decision making.

About half way through the book, she finally grew a backbone. You go girl!

… but that did not last long.

“Why does it have to be you who touches my heart?” – Jenna

Yes it all works out in the end. In real life, he would have sent the child support checks and continued his playboy lifestyle. The END.

Should you buy? I am undecided. If you love Harlequin, then you will probably enjoy since the writing style is typical Harlequin. I think I got the book because the cover looked so comical. I did not even read the blurb. I knew there would be at least one billionaire and two babies.

Book details from Goodreads
Paperback, Silhouette Desire #1893, 184 pages
Published September 2008 by Silhouette (first published October 1st 2007)
Original title Baby Bonanza
Available on Amazon