Nitty Gritty - Romance and Erotica reviews

April Paranormal/Fantasy Romance link up

2011-04-03T04:12:00.000-05:00

April Romance Reading Link Up

2011-04-03T04:10:00.002-05:00

April Romantic Suspence Link Up

2011-04-03T04:09:00.000-05:00

Better Late Than Never ~ $65 CSN Winner

2011-03-12T08:19:00.003-06:00

I apologize for not getting the winner of the $65 CSN gift certificate chosen sooner. I've had some things come up in real life and I honestly forgot as a result of those things. So here is our winner (chosen by random.org): VAL!
Congrats Val! I'll be emailing you in a minute to let you know that you are the winner!

Review and Giveaway ~ Highland Master by Amanda Scott

2011-03-04T00:14:00.003-06:00

Title: Highland Master
Author: Amanda Scott
Series:
Publication Date: March 3, 2011
Source: Received from publisher as part of the From Scotland With Love Tour

Synopsis:

When eighteen-year-old Lady Catriona Mackintosh discovers a wounded man in the forest near her Highland home, little does she know that he has sworn a sacred oath to kill her father and other members of the powerful Highland confederation known as Clan Chattan. Nor does she realize that she has met her soul mate. Independent, competent, intelligent, fiercely proud of her heritage, determined always to live near her own family, and known to her family as the "wee wildcat" because of her quick temper, Catriona is the daughter of a Highland chieftain and granddaughter of the even more powerful Chief (or Captain) of Clan Chattan. But her life changes forever when she persuades Sir Finlagh Cameron to return with her to her home to recover from his wounds.

Sir Finlagh "Fin" Cameron is on a mission for the heir to Scotland's throne, who has sent him to the Highlands to persuade the Chief of Clan Chattan to arrange a secret meeting for him with two other great lords (the Lord of the Isles and the Lord of the North). Until Fin meets Catriona, however, he has no idea that her father was the Clan Chattan war leader who led them in the battle that wiped out many of Clan Cameron's best warriors, including Fin's own father. The sole survivor of that battle, Fin accepted a bequest of vengeance from his dying father, providing him with a dilemma to face as he begins to fall in love with Catriona. He is not the only one enticed by her charms, either. There are two other contenders, one of whom is his own master, the heir to Scotland's throne. With royal mischief afoot, if Catriona and Fin are ever to find happiness, they must first avoid disaster that could change Scotland's history, and find ways to be open and honest with each other.

Review:

I found this tour randomly on the Book Blogs ning and I immediately signed up. Who doesn't enjoy a Highland Hottie every now and then? Amanda Scott is another new to me author and I will be reading more of her books in the future after reading this book. It was a delightful read and I'm really glad that I found this tour!

At the beginning of the book Sir Finlagh Cameron swears to his father that he will avenge his death against the Clan Chattan's war leader. Many years later, Fin has been attacked by an unknown would be assailant with an arrow and is saved by lovely and very spirited Lady Catriona. It doesn't take long for Fin to figure out that her father is the man that he's sworn to kill. But at the same time he is trying to tackle his growing desire for Catriona, which makes it very difficult to concentrate on his original mission.

For the most part I thought that Fin wasn't as angsty as he could have been...Which was a good thing. He is experiencing all sorts of internal conflicts through a fair piece of the book...Mainly his vow to his father, his growing respect for Catriona's father (the man he's supposed to kill), and his growing love for Catriona herself. I thought that Fin was written as a very mature warrior who realizes that he has to let go of his past in order to have a future. I thought that this was pretty refreshing considering I've read a couple of books lately where the hero is VERY wishy washy towards the heroine. I think the best part for me was that Fin realized early on in the book that he was falling in love with Catriona and pretty much focused on her. Cat is very young and very headstrong.

The second best part of the book for me was how the author made me feel like I was actually in the ancient Highlands while I was reading the book. I really like a book that is able to transport me out of reality. This book is NOT a light "fluffy" read by any means. There are plenty of politics, intrigue and twists and turns to add a level of complexity to the story as well. My main quirk with the book was I thought that the romance between our two main characters was pretty slow moving for a portion of the book but at the same time realistic. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read.

RATING:

4.5/5

Now it's time for the GIVEAWAY! Courtesy of the publisher I have 2 copies of Highland Master to giveaway to 2 lucky commenter's. Now here are the rules...

1. Leave a meaningful comment on the review.

2. Must include an email address so that I can contact you if you should win

3. Open to US only

4. Contest is open until 11:59 pm on March 10

Giveaway and Guest Post By Kira Morgan, author of Seduced By Destiny

2011-03-04T00:07:00.001-06:00

Today I am participating in the blog tour for the From Scotland With Love tour. Our guest poster this morning is Kira Morgan, author of Seduced by Destiny, which is one of the books on the tour. I just want to thank Kira for stopping by. I really enjoyed reading your book!

PROMPT: WHY SCOTLAND? WAS IT THE COUNTRY ITSELF, THE TIME FRAME, THE HISTORY, ETC. THAT DREW YOU TO THE COUNTRY?

It’s great to be here with you today! (Though wouldn’t it be nice if we were all in Scotland?)

I’ve always loved towering castles, trusty swords, and knights (and damsels) in shining armor. But my affection for all things Scots started with my high school sweetheart, who was a Campbell. In the way of teenagers in love, I was driven to learn the history of his people, look up his clan tartan and motto, and find out whether he had any castles in Scotland with his name on them!

As it turned out, when we went on our U.K. honeymoon years later, we found castles Kilchurn and Inveraray, which were indeed owned by Campbells. But what made an even bigger impact on me was exploring the dramatic Scots countryside—the rolling Lowland hills and rugged Highland peaks split by waterfalls, the heather-cloaked moors, the wild North Sea, the lush green forests, and the narrow, winding roads that threaded through it all.

Living in such a wild, isolated, and sometimes hostile landscape before the time of rapid transit required a special kind of individual. It was a matter of humanity and survival to offer shelter to whatever strangers passed by. (Unfortunately, in the 17^th century, the Campbells violated that hospitality by murdering their hosts, the McDonalds, but that’s another story.) This simple concept of hospitality has survived the generations, which is why Scots to this day are notoriously warm and welcoming.

Why did I choose to set SEDUCED BY DESTINY in the 16^th century? It was an exciting time in Scots history, when the country was experiencing great change and on the cusp of being civilized. When 19-year-old Queen Mary returned from France to rule Scotland, she and her entourage must have been shocked by the differences in stylish Paris and rough-hewn Edinburgh. But she embraced the simplicity of the Scots, and she brought a bit of French sophistication with her, creating an interesting culture where velvet gowns coexisted with sheepskin cloaks; petits gatelles (little cakes) evolved into the famous shortbread petticoat tails; and town fairs and harvest festivals attracted everyone from bare-legged Highlanders to bejeweled French noblewomen.

This country-in-upheaval provides an inspiring backdrop for my book, where I explore the romantic tension between Josselin Ancrum, a Scots heroine employed as a spy in Queen Mary’s service, and Drew MacAdam, an Englishman-in-disguise who participates in the birth of the great Scots sport of golf.

If you’ve never been to Scotland, start saving your pennies! Stay in B&Bs, go on walkabouts, have a wee dram in a pub, and soon you’ll feel like you’re one of the clan. Until then, I’ll spirit you away on a Scottish adventure in SEDUCED BY DESTINY.

You can friend me at www.facebook.com/kiramorganauthor, follow me at www.twitter.com/kira_morgan, and find me at www.glynnis.net/kiramorgan, where you can enter a sweepstakes to win the silver thimble Drew gives to Jossy in SEDUCED BY DESTINY.

How about you? Do you like stories set in Scotland? Why?

Now it's time for the GIVEAWAY! Courtesy of the publisher I am able to giveaway 2 copies of Seduced by Destiny to 2 luck readers! Now here are the rules for the giveaway:

1. In the comments below you MUST answer the question that Kira asked. The question is in red.

2. You MUST leave me an email address so that I can contact you if you should win.

3. Open to US only.

4. Contest closes March 10 @ 11:59 pm.

Seduced by Destiny by Kira Morgan

2011-03-04T00:01:00.002-06:00

Title: Seduced By Destiny
Author: Kira Morgan
Series:
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Source: Sent book from publisher as part of the From Scotland With Love Tour

Synopsis:

SWORN TO REVENGE

All her life, Josselin Ancrum has been trained for combat, hoping to exact vengeance for her heroic mother, who was killed fighting the English. When asked to spy for the Scottish Queen, Jossy joyfully accepts. But when a handsome stranger rescues her from sudden danger, his charm distracts her from her mission.

SHROUDED BY SECRECY

On the surface, Drew MacAdam may appear to be nothing more than a carefree champion, but his heart harbors a dark secret: This Highland hero is actually a skilled English soldier with a hatred for war and for the Scottish. Yet from the moment he meets the feisty Jossy, he's captured by her fiercely loyal heart. He's determined the honey-haired lass will be his ultimate prize - until the tragedy of their entwined legacies is revealed. Are these star-crossed lovers to be divided by their pasts? Or will they be...

Seduced by Destiny

Review:

I randomly found the posting for this tour in one of the groups that I follow on the Book Blogs ning and I signed up immediately. Kira Morgan is a new to me author and I'm very happy to say that I really enjoy her writing. :)

Seduced By Destiny takes place in Scotland in 1561 and is written in a manner that there are all sorts of twists and turns. On top of all the twists and turns throw in romance, some history on the game of golf, some pretty witty banter, some spying as well as many other elements and you get a pretty fast paced read.

Our heroine, Josselin (Jossy), is a Scottish lass who was raised by three combat warriors after her mother was brutally killed during a battle with the English. Jossy is not only beautiful and smart...she has a hatred for the English. Now this is were things start to get real interesting....

Our hero, Andrew (Drew) is an English soldier who hates war, hates the Scottish BUT is pretending that he is indeed a Scottish Highlander. With a pretty wicked golf game. Drew was raised by his three uncles after his father killed himself. His father could not live with the fact that he had killed a woman in men's clothing on the battlefield.

When Jossy and Drew meet the sparks start to fly. They are both easily attracted to one another, but with all the dark secrets that they have between them will there attraction and growing love survive the dangers that await them?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romances or stories with Scotland as the backdrop. The only quirk that I really had with the book was that I thought that after the prologue it kind of leveled off for a little bit. But that's really all I had issues with.

RATING:

4.5/5

Blog Tour and giveaways!

2011-03-01T03:02:00.000-06:00

Coming up on March 4th there will be a blog tour rolling through Nitty Gritty. There will be chances to win a copy of 2 different books...If you have a thing for historical Scotland these are right up your alley! There will also be a guest post by one of the authors. I hope you'll drop by and check it.

March Romance Reading Link Up

2011-03-01T02:49:00.000-06:00

March Romantic Suspence Link Up

2011-03-01T02:48:00.000-06:00

March Link Up ~ Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

2011-03-01T02:46:00.000-06:00

Winner to be drawn soon....

2011-02-14T04:04:00.000-06:00

The winner of the $65 CSN gift certificate will be drawn soon. Didn't want anyone to think that I forgot.

Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2) by Robyn Carr

2011-02-14T00:30:00.000-06:00

John "Preacher" Middleton is about to close the bar when a young woman and her three-year-old son come in out of the wet October night. A marine who has seen his share of pain, Preacher knows a crisis when he sees one—the woman is covered in bruises. He wants to protect them, and he wants to punish whoever did this to her, but he knows immediately that this inclination to protect is something much more. Paige Lassiter has stirred up emotions in this gentle giant of a man—emotions that he has never allowed himself to feel.

But when Paige's ex-husband turns up in Virgin River, Preacher knows his own future hangs in the balance. And if there's one thing the marines' motto of Semper Fidelis—always faithful—has taught him, it's that some things are worth fighting for.

Why I decided to read this book: I signed up to try to win a copy of Promise Canyon on Goodreads and I decided to start at the beginning of the series so that book 11 would makes sense to me. I was also able to download the first 4 books of the series on to my Nook as a book bundle! :)

Likes?.....: I really liked Preacher. He's a big ole burly badass former Marine who doesn't think that he's capable of loving or being loved. I also enjoyed Paige and Chris who bring out the best and at some points in the book, the worst in Preacher. I also really enjoyed how the town rallied around Paige and Chris to make sure that they were safe from Paige's abusive ex-husband. Oh and let's not forget about "unlovable" Preacher turned lover extraordinaire Preacher. Everyone calls Preacher by his nickname rather than his given name in town, then Paige comes along and starts calling him John and to me that was pretty sexy in it's VERY simple way.

Dislikes?.....: Paige's brother and ex husband....They BOTH deserve to be beaten to within an inch of their lives in my honest opinion. There were a couple of odd breaks in the story that seemed a little off to me but not enough to be distracting.

Overall: I think that this book was even better than the first book in the series. Another one that once I started reading I had a VERY difficult time putting down. I think that the series builds really nicely from one book to the next with the inclusion of new characters as well as reoccurring roles of the "regulars." I can hardly wait to keep reading! I'm just soooo mad at myself for not reading this series before now!

Virgin River by Robyn Carr

2011-02-13T00:28:00.000-06:00

Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she's made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans…and a former marine cements them into place.

Melinda Monroe may have come to Virgin River looking for escape, but instead she finds her home.

Why I decided to read this book: I signed up to try and win a copy of Promise Canyon on Goodreads and thought that I should probably start at the beginning so book 11 might actually make sense to me...provided I was able to win a copy. :) Lucky me...I was able to find the first four books bunched together in a bundle available on my Barnes and Noble Nook.

Likes?.....: I really liked the premise of the story....Jack and Melinda (Mel) are both damaged souls looking for a change....and Boy Howdy do they get it in spades! I also enjoyed the mostly good hearted turmoil between Doc and Mel....everyone thinks he needs some help and he doesn't. I also enjoyed picturing Jack helping out the town as well as helping with a an abandoned newborn baby....Here's this big burly badass former Marine who is actually a gentle giant underneath all that big burly badassness. I also enjoyed the reunion with Jack and his fellow Marine buddies and Jack's "fall from Grace" as a result of the reunion.

Dislikes?.....: I think that the reason for Mel to stick around at times was a little thin. Sure Mel's a midwife and babies are her thing but once she made sure that the baby was safely placed she could have easily taken off. I also thought that in some places (not very many, just a few) that the story was a little bit rushed. Another small thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way a little bit at the beginning of the story was how Jack became almost instantaneously possessive of Mel.

Overall: I think that this was a pretty good start to the Virgin River series. Minus my few quirks with the book I think that it was a VERY good. Once I started reading it I was pretty much sucked in and could NOT put it down. But my quirks prevented this story from getting a 5/5. Jack and Mel's story is very sweet and it makes me wish I had a big burly badass Marine who's just a big ole gentle giant underneath all that badassness!

Changes are coming...

2011-02-12T11:58:00.000-06:00

I have been doing some thinking for a while now and I have come to the decision that I am going to join this blog with my YA blog. I have been struggling with my book blogging for a while now and I've come to realize that it's a result of spreading myself to thin with 3 book blogs. As of MARCH 1 I will no longer be posting reviews here.

For those who are participating in challenges I will keep posting the review link ups but once the year is over this blog will be shut down. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but I am trying to make my book blogging life a little simpler.

Falke's Peak by Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle

2011-02-12T00:25:00.000-06:00

She couldn't believe her eyes.

Stressed out ad-exec Dakota wandered into Catamount Outfitters in search of a guide for a wilderness excursion. She didn't expect to be greeted by not one, but five of the most ruggedly delicious-looking men she'd ever seen. Not to mention a live cougar guarding the shop.

The Falke brothers have more than just good looks in their genes.

Eldest brother Axel agrees to guide Dakota on her mountain trek. In cougar form, Axel's twin, Gunnar, was there as a protection from predators—but he had his eye on the sexy client instead.

Into the wild...

While the rule with clients was "paws-off," both Axel and Gunnar couldn't resist Dakota's seductive Native American beauty and determination. As cold days led to hot nights in the cabin, Axel and Gunnar wondered if they'd finally found a woman strong enough to tame them...

Why I decided to read this book: I was looking through all the new releases on Netgalley and saw this one and as you can see from the reading the synopsis, it really tripped my trigger. That and the cover I think is pretty neat too.

Likes?......: What really drew me into the story was Dakota. The way she's described you think "fluffy city girl," but the farther you read into the book you definitely start to change your tune about her. I also liked the premise of "modern day" shapeshifters....Especially extremely HOT "modern day" shapeshifters who give one hell of a back rub! Is it wrong that I really liked the internal struggle of Axel and Gunnar? Cause I REALLY did.

The sexual stuff?!?!?!?...Just as HOT as the "modern day" shapeshifters!

Dislikes?......: I don't have very many....I didn't particularly care for the "deception" scene. I did feel that at certain points the story was a little bit rushed. Overall, not too many dislikes.

Overall: I really enjoyed this story. Even with the couple of dislikes that I found in the story I think that this is a VERY good beginning to the author's series. I can hardly wait to check out the rest of the series! Hopefully each of the remaining brothers and Heidi will get their own stories!

Discussion Post ~ Bloggers Beware of Authors behaving badly (AKA Authors laying a smackdown on book bloggers?!)

2011-02-11T04:18:00.000-06:00

NOTE: I will be adding my extremely personal thoughts on this at the end of this post. It does seem that all hell has broken loose in the book blogging community again. Not good peeps! I've been going through my google reader and I've been reading all these horror stories about all the hell that's being unleashed on us "unprofessional reviewers*" (AKA Book Bloggers). The post that I just linked to is written by an author who had a couple of bad reviews of posted about her book and had the nerve to "call out" two book blogs (Book Binge and Chick Lit Plus). On top of that the author (Sylvia Massara) had this to say about book bloggers: "Oftentimes, the people who set up these kinds of blogs have never written a thing in their lives, except maybe a grocery list. Most are avid readers who think they are qualified to review someone else’s work. So it’s very sad when they go about damaging the image of upcoming small press and indie authors with the rubbish they write." I think that this post was EXTREMELY unprofessional and I think that the two blogs that were called out in this post responded in a professional manner and put the facts out there for their readers to see and read. If you want to check out their responses Book Binge had this to say and Chick Lit Plus had this to say. Ah, and then we get to the good stuff....How In My Mailbox** is to quote the unnamed author “those "in my mailbox" posts represent everything that's wrong with the whole scene. It's all about status and swag.” Then there's the whole book bloggers don't sell books/shouldn't be given ARC's/and how we're only in it for the free books. Seriously, I have some pretty serious thoughts on all of this.....which your about to read.

MY THOUGHTS:

I saw all these posts and I was deeply troubled by all of this. For a while now I've been struggling with my book blogging (if you hadn't noticed from my lack of posting). I feel that it has turned into a job and I already have one of those. I know that this is mostly my fault and I asked for it when I decided to start 2 additional book blogs. But getting back on point...All of this negativity has really troubled me. I just don't understand how an author could go so far as to attack a blogger on a VERY public form of media known as the INTERNET! That is completely classless and trashy on their part. Sure we as book bloggers don't always write glowing reviews of everything that we read. It happens. Life isn't all sunshine and happiness. Put on your big girl/boy under ware and get over it. JMHO. I don't know about anyone else out there but I think that In My Mailbox is a pretty AWESOME meme. I don't always get to participate but even if I don't I always find more books to add to my wish list when I go through my google reader. Honestly, I look forward to In My Mailbox...even if I don't get to participate. It makes me happy to see all those bloggers out there gushing with happiness over the books they got in the mail, from the library or just went out and bought. FOR KRISTI~ Party on Kristi! I think it is very unfair to say that book bloggers don't sell books. I think that there are enough of us out there that anyone who comes across some one's review either intentionally or accidentally that we might influence a book buyers decision. I know that before I started book blogging I came across some review blogs for a couple of books that I was considering buying and reading the reviews helped me to make my decision. For another blogger's opinion on book bloggers and their impact click here OR to read an author's take on book blogger's check out this post. I was extremely offended when I found that many people believe that we book bloggers are only in it for the free books and ARC's. I don't know about anyone else but I spend more money and time buying books or checking them out of the library or swapping them on Paperbackswap.com than I spend trying to coherse a book out of an author. Actually, I've NEVER approached an author about getting a copy of their book and I am only occasionally contacted with review requests. Maybe there are bloggers out there who are fishing for "free books." I am NOT one of them. So I am going to conclude this post before I turn it into a full length novel. Though I do have 1 message for all the haters out there.....Hell Hath No Fury Like Book Blogger's Scorned. *Found in a post posted by Jeremy West of Novel Thoughts**Found in a post posted by Kristi of The Story Siren

Follower Love Giveaway ~ $65 CSN Gift Certificate

2011-02-08T00:01:00.002-06:00

It doesn't know it yet but this is my new bookcase!

Everyone, especially us book bloggers can use some home office furniture every now and then right?! I mean what book blogger wouldn't love the chance to win a $65 CSN gift certificate so that they can buy themself a new bookcase or two?! Now here is all you have to do:

1. Fill out the form below...REQUIRED.

2. Open to US and Canada...Canadian's please be sure to check the shipping information.

3. Open from February 8 until February 13 @ 11:59 pm

Scene's from our Blizzard

2011-02-02T05:19:00.002-06:00

So I live in the Great White Midwest...More specifically...Wisconsin. Since Monday it has been pretty much snowing non-stop here with the exception of about 10 hours...But that was before the REAL blizzard showed up and raised all sorts of hell. Below are some scenes from the blizzard.

The little bit of green you can see is a flower window basket attached to the side of our deck and the post is the corner post of our deck...We have a covered deck so that my mom could have a porch swing. As you can see at about 3:15 this morning the snow was as high as our deck and it's not supposed to end until later this morning.

This is the same corner post just a different angle. The red thing is a shovel...we have to dig out a path/area for our dogs to do their business. Again it's deck high on this side too.

The snow depth according to our patio window.

February Review Link Up ~ Romance Reading Challenge

2011-02-01T00:02:00.000-06:00

This is the place to link up your February reviews for the 2011 Romance Reading Challenge. If you aren't participating in the challenge and would like to click here to go to the sign up post.

February Review Link Up ~ Romantic Suspence

2011-02-01T00:01:00.002-06:00

This is the place to link up your February reviews for the 2011 Romantic Suspence Challenge. If you aren't participating in the challenge and would like to click here to go to the sign up post.

February Review Link Up ~ Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

2011-02-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

This is the place to link up your January reviews for the 2011 Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Challenge. If you aren't participating in the challenge and would like to please click here to go to the sign up post.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Reading Challenge

2011-01-31T02:33:00.000-06:00

From the host blog:

This is a challenge to read, re-read or any Black Dagger Brotherhood you have in your TBR pile books between Feb 1st through Dec 31st, 2011. Any books read before Feb will not count.

You can pick any *old or new release it doesn't matter. But remember this is only for Black Dagger Brotherhood series. If you have any questions please email me or leave a comment, thanks.

If you are participating in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Challenge, please leave a comment, thanks!

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Fantasy Lover (contains a slight spoiler) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2011-01-31T01:49:00.001-06:00

Fantasy Lover
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Dark Hunter/Were-Hunter prequel

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

This book is part of the Dark-Hunter universe, but does not feature any Dark-Hunters, For that it's considered an introduction to the series hence the #0.

Dear Reader, Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn't. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior's day. As a love-slave, I knew everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander's sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She, alone, bothered to take me out of the bedroom and into the world. She taught me to love again. But I was not born to know love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace-the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two thousand year old curse? Julian of Macedon

Review:

I've had this book sitting around collecting dust on my book shelf for little over a year now and I recently picked it up and decided that enough was enough...time to get her read. I'm kicking myself for waiting as long as I did to read this book! What the heck was I thinking?!

Alrighty then...Our main heroine is Grace Alexander, who happens to be a sex therapist who thinks that she's heard and "seen" it all and that nothing can shock her anymore. Yet there has been MANY years since her last relationship, or I think it's safe to say relationshit. Since she was really nothing more than a game to her first love. I really liked Grace....she seemed to come off as a very genuine character with a pretty wicked sense of humor, especially when she's been partaking in "adult beverages." But it's Grace's BFF Selena who has other idea's for Grace. Selena thinks that Grace's love life is in desperate need of something other than nothing at all.

Selena gives Grace an ancient book that she claims hold the sex slave Julian of Macedon. Once Julian has been summoned he has to serve the woman who called him for 30 days. The image of the man pictured in the book looks a LOT like a Greek God....meaning wicked HOT and UBER YUMMY! Naturally Grace thinks it's nothing but a bunch of BS and in a drunken stupor jokingly calls Julian...Over course she doesn't actually expect him to show up at her house...much less NAKED!!
Julian has spent what feels like forever (literally) in the book since his last summons, which was sometime in the late 1800's, but doesn't really expect anything out of the norm to take place when he is summoned by Grace. Boy does he ever get the shock of a lifetime!
At first I thought that Julian's character was pretty stereotypical...just what you would imagine a sex slave to be. But the further I got into the story the more Julian's character developed and you learn that before the curse he actually had a life and his character becomes much deeper. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks to his time in the military...were he eventually became a General.

As time goes along it becomes harder for Grace to resist Julian. But when Ero's is summoned he explains that there is a way to break the curse. That's were Julian starts feeling really dejected.
(SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD) The only way to break the curse is for a woman of Alexander to summon Julian but they can not consummate the relationship until the very last day. This only makes Julian feel worse until Grace tells him, "Julian, my name is Grace Alexander."

I especially loved that there were a couple of fight scenes in the book. My personal favorite was the one at the end between Julian and the God who cursed him. Very interesting.

This isn't my first book in this series and so far of the few that I have read I am really enjoying them. So naturally I can hardly wait to read more. I really like how Sherrilyn writes. It's a style that I really enjoy.

Favorite Quotes:

"I don't think it's the business of my patients wether or not I'm a born-again virgin. And as for the Age of Electronics, I really don't want to get personal with something that comes with a warning label and batteries."

Bloggiesta!

2011-01-22T01:14:00.000-06:00

It's on like Donkey Kong! I'm bound and determined to get my blogs under control! I don't know how much time I'll be able to spend on it over the designated 2 remaining days but I'm going to do my best. I've had some things come up in Real Life that take precident over the blogs.

So here's a list of things that I'd like to get done here on the blog (Blue are my list for now):

Write reviews.

Write backup posts for a rainy day.

Write that great post idea from three months back.

Work on series posts.

Write guest posts.

Put out invitations for guest posts.

Conduct and edit author interviews.

Create template posts for your future reads (ie: title, images, linking, tags, etc,) so you can open up, write review and post without being bogged down with technicalities

Clean up your tags, archives, books reviewed list, etc.

Create a text file (or Google Doc) of cheat sheets (html codes, post url’s, etc)

Improve your blog template, clean up sidebars, add a favicon, install those plugins that you’ve been meaning to do.

Add or edit your about me page, review policy, disclosure policy, privacy policy, create landing pages (for example – an about me for Twitter readers page) or any other pages you might have.

Any bloggy type housekeeping that you’ve been neglecting.

Clean up and update your challenge lists. Link up your posts with hosts.

Make sure all of your social network profiles are up to date. Be consistent in those profiles with color scheme, images, etc.

Go get a gravatar.

Visit the Blogging Tips group on the Book Blogs Ning and find ways to improve your blog.

Work on any specialized projects that you may have going.

Clean out and organize your feed reader and blog subscriptions.

Create an elevator pitch.

Make business cards.

Find a blogging buddy.

Analyze and re-evaulate your blog.

Back up your blog.

Learn more about blogging, read great articles, get inspired.

Make sure you have properly copyrighted your blog and know what to do when somebody reposts your material.

Brainstorm blogging topics.

Manage your feedreader.

Help other bloggers, answer questions, share your expertise (let’s face it – this is the best part of Bloggiesta!)

The sky’s the limit!