Hidden Pleasures – not so satisfying for me

Hidden Pleasures (Kimani Romance)
by Brenda Jackson

I was disappointed with the storyline of hidden pleasures. Usually every book that I read by Mrs. Jackson is awesome, great, wonderful romance. But with this book I feel as if she might have fell a little short of her target.

Galen bought a house that Britney wanted (it belonged to her birth mother who died). Then he told her, he would give the house to her in exchange for one week living with him. I did not like this premise at all because it was plainly obvious she was sleeping with him to get her house. It seemed to me that she was prostituting herself.

Not romantic.

Granted there was a lot of attraction between the two of them, but the storyline did not sit well with me.

Galen and his brothers were players going through women like water. The house was the only game he had to use to get Brittany into his bed. Considering how he was supposed to have such a way with the ladies, there should have been another way to convince her to sleep with him.

That being said, the story was too lackluster for me. After the finishing the book, I felt blasé. Usually after reading a Brenda Jackson book, I am energized. I did not feel the heat from this book. It can be tough coming up with plots that work. Some people might find this book extremely entertaining. But as for me, sorry Mrs. B, not the home run I thought it would be.

Rating Scale of 1 – 5: ♥ ♥

You can buy Hidden Pleasures (Kimani Romance) on Amazon by clicking here

Relax at Oakhill Country Inn in Franklin NC

Jan30

Oakhill Country Inn – Bed and Breakfast , Franklin NC

I made another visit to the Oakhill Country Inn – Bed and Breakfast in Franklin NC. I could not stay away. I was craving the tranquility, peace, and quiet. Plus, I wanted to take some better pictures so you can get an idea of how great this place it.

This time, I spent a longer vacation here, which gave me time to explore more of the home, relax, and unwind. As usual, I loved the breakfast. It was simple but delicious.
One day, I walked around the property. There is a moderately steep hill in the backyard. I thought that there was a creek at the bottom, but I did not get that far. I decided I was exerting myself too much for a leisurely vacation and returned to the house where I could lounge around and read a book.

I love Connie’s (the innkeeper) attention to detail with setting the table. Using fine china plates and teacups made me feel like a special guest.

I think the pictures speak for themselves, showing the personality of Oakhill Country Inn. This is my favorite B&B. I want to try others in the area to compare, but I am hesitant, thinking that they will not live up to the high expectations that I am accustomed to having.

Osteria – Philadephia, PA

Jan28

When I was in Philly visiting some friends, I went to Osteria for dinner one night. We went because we heard that it was good. I am always up for adventure when it comes to trying to find tasty nibbles.

Lamb is one of those things that is rare for me to have at home since the local grocery does not usually stock it. If lamb is on the menu, I ordered it. As you can see in the picture, it was served medium rare. Finger licking good. If you have never had lamb, you should try it. If you order it medium rare, it has less of a gamey taste to it.

The vegetable was fava beans. I never had those before. I almost did not eat them because they look like lima beans. I decided to give them a try and I am so glad I did! They were firm not mushy on the inside, so when I bite down there was a little bit of a crunch. Finally, another bean that I like!

While I was waiting for my food, the waiter brought some crusty bread to the table. Bread is my weakness, but I tried not to eat too much. The breadsticks were crunchy and super tasty.

All in all, Osteria gets 2 thumbs up from me. The dinner was delicious. I did not have room for dessert. Maybe next time. In which case, I will probably have to forgo the bread so that I can eat dessert. This is a Philly restaurant that is definitely worth checking out if you have never been there before.

Speed dating works sometimes

Jan27

Speed Dating (Harlequin NASCAR) – Nancy Warren

Main characters Dylan Hargreave and Kendall meet under crazy circumstances. Dylan is a NASCAR driver with an ex-wife who thinks they are destined to be together. So when Dylan goes to her wedding, he knows that he had to bring a date and appear to be in love to prove to Ashlee the ex that he has moved on relationship wise.

Kendall is an actuary (sidenote: before reading this book I had no idea what an actuary was) having a pretty good life until her fiancé tells her that he cheated on her with a co-worker, the woman is pregnant, and they are breaking up. To make it worse, he tells her this on the night when she is supposed to be getting a prestigious Actuary of the Year award. Her life went from good to bad to worse in a matter of minutes. Since analyzing risk and weighing options is something that Kendall does for a living, she kind of flips out and decides not to play it safe. Making conservative choices seems to have brought misery to her life. It was during this mini breakdown that she met Dylan and decided to be his date to his ex-wife’s wedding. Throwing caution to the wind means her life will never be the same.

I can empathize with Kendall. I am not an extreme risk taker. That being said, I don’t know how I would react if everything that I thought to be true came crashing down around me in one swoop. I probably would have went cray cray too. The chemistry between Dylan and Kendall created a believable story. There are many different layers to the playboy Dylan that he keeps hidden from the public in order to market his image. And the more that Dylan and Kendall learn about each other, it brings them closer together.

I guess he can thank his crazy ex-wife for helping him find his true love.

Overall: Nice story!

Rating Scale of 1 – 5: ♥ ♥♥

Click Speed Dating (Harlequin NASCAR) to buy from Amazon

Liebster Blog award

Jan25

Thanks Rohan for nominating my blog for the Liebster Award. Thanks for thinking of me 🙂

Questions to Answer

1. What is your favorite kitchen? My kitchen when hubby is cooking some of his seriously good eats

2. What you hate the most about people? I hate the senseless violence and cruelty against woman, children, animals… well, violence and cruelty period.

3 . Where would you travel first, if the money won`t matter? I would go to Japan the foodie capital of the world. Home of the ramen. Yum!

5. What is your favorite part of the day? Why? Nighttime because I get my best creative ideas when I am getting ready to go bed. It’s a blessing and a curse…

6. Where would you like to live? Belize- the birthplace of my Nana

7. What is one of the funniest things you have ever done? Sang karaoke with friends “Friends in low places” by Garth Brooks- it was pretty hilarious

8. Which movie is better than the book? Don’t know if that is ever possible!

9. What is your favorite song? Why? As Long As the Grass Shall Grow by Johnny Cash – it is a classic love song about the journey of two people who had to wait for their time to love. But once together, nothing will ever separate them and they will love “as long as the grass shall grow”…It gets me in my heart every time

10. What is the first thing on your bucket list? I don’t have a “bucket list” but I do have a “To Do list” and I want to go to Smithsonian in DC (I know! I cannot believe I have never been!)

11. Who is your favorite actor/actress? Mark Walberg is a HOTTIE – in the words of Dottie from Animaniacs “Hellooooo Nurse!” (am I the only one who remembers that show?)

Now to name 11 8 blogs well worth a visit and ‘nominate’ them in turn (supposed to name 11 but I only have 8 nominations)