Book Review-Dancing At Midnight

Dancing At Midnight
Splendid (2)
Julia Quinn
Avon
Paperback
375 Pages
Published Dec 1995
Regency Romance
ISBN: 978-0-380-78075-4

Synopsis 

Defying the Rules

Lady Arabella Blydon can sense the secrets smoldering behind the dark, penetrating gaze of Lord John Blackwood. Still she desires his handsome, mysterious stranger who stirs her passions like no other mann -- even as he warns her to stay away.

War scarred Lord John's body and soul. But this brazen, intoxicating, infuriating bluestocking poses an even greater threat: she is forcing him to care again. For Belle is a woman of bold, independent spirit, equally unconcerned about society's petty restrictions and love's hidden perils. And the beautiful, determined schemer will not rest until she returns joy and light to the damaged lord's life...and wins a place in his shuttered heart forever.

 MY REVIEW
Summary:
Lady Arabella is independent and has had to turn down several marriage offers because its obvious that it isn't her they want but her fortune, so she decides to take a break and stay with her cousin and her husband in the country. While reading, Lord John finds her and through some witty and entertaining interaction they begin to fall for each other....however John is a wounded war hero and has some ghosts in his past and is unwilling to put Arabella at risk...even if that means giving her up and the love he has for her. Arabella is determined not to lose the one man she has come to love, one who respects and loves her for who she is and not what she is....but will she be able to show this tormented man how to learn to love and more than that learn to let go and live life once more?


The Hero (John Blackwood)
John, has recently returned from the war, and having received a title and earned enough to purchase a small estate, has decided to reside in the countryside....especially with a wounded leg that will never heal fully. John has a tortured past...one that haunts every living moment and the moment Arabella enters his life he refuses to put her in arms way....but it soon becomes apparent that his feelings for her go deep...enough so that he knows he could never truly give her up...even if they have to fight the demons of his past together.


The Heroine (Arabella Blydon)
Arabella has always wanted to find true love and has never managed to find it....and even though she is a bluestocking she knows that could never expect anything less than a love match. When she finds herself finding a intense love for a wounded man she knows that she will have to fight to win his heart and prove to him that their love will be enough.


My Thoughts
Dancing At Midnight is the second in the Splendid series....and the first time I have read this book...even though I could have sworn I had read every one of Julia Quinn's books already. I have no idea how I missed this one before now...but I am just so glad that I found this treasure. One of my favorite things that I loved about this one....is that the hero was a complicated characters....and that he wasn't this just about perfect man...that he had flaws and demons and Arabella was such a sweet character...you couldn't help but like her...she had such charming qualities about her. Even though there was a dark side to this book it also was filled with laughter and a sense of carefreeness (is that even a word? if not I just created a new one) that just endeared me from the first page to the very last and now I am thinking I need to read the rest of the series again. Dancing at Midnight was a true romantic romp....and I had such a fun time reading this one!!! Definitely a keeper!


My Grade On This Book 
4.5 Blossoms


Other Books In The Series
Splendid
Minx
Where's My Hero 

Book Blogger Hop (51)

So come and join in on the fun and the hopping. Make new friends and discover new blogs!!! LETS DO THE HOP!!!! Come and check it out at Crazy For Books


Question Of The Week
Whats the ONE genre you wish you could get into, but just can't?
I would have to say non fiction....I have the hardest time with reading non fiction and it can take me weeks to get one book in the genre read....and anything really that doesn't have romance in it....for any fiction books in order for me to get into it...it has to have some level of romance (crazy I know!!!)

 

Its Monday! What Are You Reading (21)

This is a great weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. We simply post what we finished reading over the the last week, what we plan on reading this week, etc .

Books I Plan For This Week

Library Loot (21)

Eva with A Striped Armchair, and Marge with The Adventures of a Intrepid Reader, which you should check out both of them, they are great!!! This meme is created to encourage bloggers to share books that they get from the Library, and since I am a avid lover of Libraries this is going to be one meme I am going to love doing every week. And I got quite a lot of books since there was so many of them I wanted to read!! So here they are......

I know its been a while...but things have been crazy with work and family stuff....but hopefully I can start reading more!!! HOOYAH!!!! 

In My Mailbox (6)

Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I'll post what books I've received either by mailbox/library/store

Teaser Tuesday (44)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme that I have just discovered, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others! Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like.

"How do I know you're really a starship captain--that you're hiring me to fly, and not"--Tee blushed furiously --"for sex?" She waved her gun at him, and he resisted the potent urge to cover his privates. Never in his life had he seen anything like this pistol-toting pixie, her chin jutting out, her eyes accusing him of unspeakable perversions.
"Now that you bring it up, how do I know you're really a pilot? For all I know, you're just another good for nothing drifter, lying your way aboard my ship for the chance at a hot meal and a clean bunk. We have no choice but to trust each other. So," he prompted " What will it be?" 
She stowed her pistol "It appears I will trust you, Earth-dweller" 
"Good. And just so there's no misunderstanding about my personal life" he caught her by the arm, bringing his mouth close to one perfectly formed little ear--"when I want sex, I don't have to buy it,"

Book Blogger Hop (50)

So come and join in on the fun and the hopping. Make new friends and discover new blogs!!! LETS DO THE HOP!!!! Come and check it out at Crazy For Books

 Question Of The Week
What keeps you read at the first few pages of a book, and what makes you stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?

Well most of the books I usually read, I have been able to get into the story so I usually don't have a problem with this one, but there are occasions when it does happen....I have a rule to read the first 30 pages of a book...if I am bored I will then put it away...I figure if I am not into a book by then, then there isnt much of a point in keep reading a book I am not enjoying! The thing that really keeps me reading though, is if its witty or engaging.....

Book Review-When Harry Met Molly

When Harry Met Molly
Impossible Bachelors (1)
Kieran Kramer
St. Martins
Paperback
Published Nov 2010
411 Pages
Regency Romance
ISBN: 978-0-312-61164-4

Synopsis 

HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A PLAYER.
Dashing Lord Harry Traemore is perfectly content to live out his days in the pursuit of pleasure. But when he’s named by the Prince Regent as one of society’s “Impossible Bachelors,” Harry is drafted into a ribald romantic wager. The rules of engagement are scandalously simple: The bachelor whose mistress wins the title of “Most Delectable Companion” gets to remain unmarried. Harry is utterly unconcerned about his status…until his latest lightskirt abandons him.

WHO WILL WIN THIS GAME OF LOVE?
Enter Lady Molly Fairbanks. Harry’s childhood friend -- actually, “foe” is more like it -- is the most unlikely companion of all. She’s attractive but hot-headed, and in no mood for games. Besides, what could the self-indulgent Harry possibly know about what makes a woman delectable? It’s time for Molly to teach him a lesson once and for all…but will it lead to “happily ever after?”

MY REVIEW
Summary:
Lord Harry is enjoying his contented life of pleasure and not having the pressure of getting married and living up to the obligation of family. When Harry is named by "Prinny" as one of society's Impossible Bachelors,  he is then drawn into a wager, forced by the Prince Regent himself, to have the most Delectable Companion, and whoever wins the title gets to remain unmarried. Lady Molly, planned on going to Gretna Green to get married, because she has no other alternative other than be a spinster, but then at the Inn on their way to Scotland...he abandons her with Harry's (childhood foe) mistress. Harry then convinces her since they were both abandoned, that she become his fake mistress and if they win then he will aid her in finding a husband in London. But what begins as a silly wager turned into a love affair that may lead to a happily ever after for the both of them....

The Hero (Harry Traemore)
Harry, even though he is saved from being forced to marry as he isn't the oldest of the family, has always felt not loved or appreciated by his father, but his relationship with his brother makes up for some of it. Harry has no wish for matrimony, having seen it turn into something that will just make you miserable in the end. But then when Harry becomes desperate, and convinces Molly into this scheme of his, he never thought that it would be one of the most adventurous and surprising periods of his life to that point...and that she will be the one to break the ice around his heart.

The Heroine (Molly Fairbanks)
Molly, is determined to free herself of her current life by eloping with Cedric, even if he is a bore, atleast she wont remain a spinster.  Her father wasn't around much and sent her to a school which she abhorred more than anything, and Molly craves freedom and a chance at love.  Then she is abandoned and has not much choice to accept Harry's proposition, but never knew that this road she has taken would lead her to true love....

My Thoughts 
When Harry Met Molly is the first in this series by Kieran Kramer. This is the first that I have read from this author, and I just love discovering new authors. I did acquire this book at the library, and I am so glad that I did. At first it was a little challenging to get into the book, but once I had read a few chapters I was totally enthralled by the story, that I had a hard time pulling away. There was such a fun and carefree feeling to this book. The characters were delightful, sparring and playful but from the very beginning you can tell there is a connection between them. Overall a Delicious and adorable delight!!!! 

My Favorite Quote 
Molly could hardly breathe when Harry put his lips on hers. He pressed her back against the door to her bedchamber, sliding his hands up the door to pin her between his arms. It was a delicious trap she had no desire to escape.

My Grade On This Book 
4 Blossoms

Other Books In the Series 
Dukes To The Left Of Me, Princes To The Right
Cloudy With A Chance Of Marriage
If You Give A Girl A Viscount 

Lusting For Covers (34)

Lusting for Covers is a meme found on TBQ so come and join in on this fun meme!!!
 

1- Take the graphic (left) to use on your post. Remember to give credit to the original host (TBQ).

2- Choose your own book cover that you've fallen in "lust" with in the past week. It can be new, old, a reprint, or even a book that is not yet out-- it's all up to you! If you find a cover that catches your eye, then showcase it on your blog, and let others see the pretty covers out there.

3- Copy the direct link to your own L4C post into the comment section on my post (when in doubt, use this link and then scroll down to find the post), and allow others to come and see what you picked! (OPTIONAL):

4- Besides posting the picture of the book cover you chose, it's nice to provide the book summary, title, author, or a website link for the book. It's not required, but it can help you readers' to add more books to

their own list! A brief "Why I choose this cover" is also appreciated, but not required

Headstrong Casey Straton inherited her mother's beautiful eyes and her father's stubborn temperament. So when she is denied the responsibility of running her grandfather's ranchdespite her unladylike prowess at roping, riding and shootingthe high-spirited hellion storms away from her Texas home, determined to prove she can do much more than "woman's work."

Successful businessman Damian Rutledge III cameWest for vengeance. But though he possesses a powerful physiqueand unwavering courage, the handsome Eastern "dude" wouldhave surely been lost in the wild west without the timely interventionof a half-pint bounty hunter called "Ed." There is more tothis fearless gunslinger than first meets the eye, however. And whenDamian discovers his rescuer is, in fact, a stunningly sensuousyoung lady named "Casey' in disguise, he realizes dial there aregoing to be very serious complications on the rocky trailthat is leading them both toward a dangerous, irrepressible love.

Book Review-Pleasuring The Prince

Pleasuring The Prince
Kasanov (4)
Patricia Grasso
Zebra Historical
April 2006
Paperback
326 Pages
Historical Romance
ISBN: 0-8217-7711-4

Synopsis 

Fancy Flambeau is the darling of the London stage, and captures the eye of every gentleman charmed by her beauty. Fancy, however, refuses to be any man's mistress, though Prince Stepan Kazanov relishes the opportunity to change her mind and show her the delights of sensual pleasure. Tempting as his whispered promises may be, Fancy vows to avoid the heartbreaking fate that befell her mother when she gave her love to a selfish aristocrat.

But Stepan's games of seduction take a serious turn when terror sweeps through London. A killer dubbed the Rose Petal Murderer is preying upon pretty young women. Desperate to keep Fancy safe, Stepan abducts her from the city, and soon the heat of anger and long-denied passion melt into ecstasy. Yet the bliss they find in each other's arms may not be enough to make Fancy forget the past--or protect them both from the dangers that come from denying a love that is meant to be...

Summary:
Fancy, is a star on the London stage, but unlike her mother she is unwilling to fall for a aristocrat, who will desert her like her father did to her mother. So when Prince Stephan starts to display interest in her, she endeavors to resist his charm and the promise of pure bliss in his eyes, but the moment she taste his kiss she knows that all is lost and that she could very easily fall in love with Stephan. However when there is a killer after women of the stage, a man the police have been unable to catch, Fancy knows that she is going to have to have her wits about her to protect everyone that she loves from danger and the terror that is sweeping throughout the streets of London....

The Hero (Stephan Kazanov)
Stephan, is drawn to Fancy an beautiful woman filled with innocence and a sweetness he just aches to taste...but knows that it can mean trouble for him. Stephan from the moment he sees Fancy, knows that he must do everything he can to protect and keep Fancy as his....and show her the intimate pleasures that he can show her, and prove to her that his committment to her is for forever...

The Heroine (Fancy Flambeau)
Fancy, has always felt responsible for her sisters, and have protected them and looked out for them, and knows that she may never find love or marriage in her life. Fancy wants to never become her mother, for her mother sacrificed everything for a chance at love and in the end she got burned....Fancy have felt rejected and unwanted by her father, would never risk that for herself or her future children...no matter how handsome Prince Stephan may be, Fancy is firm in her desire to resist him...at all costs

My Thoughts 
Pleasuring The Prince is the fourth in the Kasanov Series by Patricia Grasso. As I was browsing the library shelves I cam across this book, and the cover is what drew me (of course, I can't resist such a cover) and when I read the blurb I just knew I had to try this book out and see if I had just found a new author to love or to never read from again...and I definitely found a author whose writing I enjoyed reading.  Even though there was definitely a major focus on the relationship between Stephen and Fancy...there was also a suspenseful note to it as well....that especially toward the end of the story I was on the edge of my seat until the very end.....although I did enjoy this read very much there were a couple of things that left me disappointed but overall a enjoyable read...

My Grade On This Book 
3.5 Blossoms


Other Books In The Series 
To Charm A Prince
To Love A Princess
Seducing A Prince
Tempting The Prince
Enticing The Prince
Marrying The Marquis

Library Loot (20)

Eva with A Striped Armchair, and Marge with The Adventures of a Intrepid Reader, which you should check out both of them, they are great!!! This meme is created to encourage bloggers to share books that they get from the Library, and since I am a avid lover of Libraries this is going to be one meme I am going to love doing every week. And I got quite a lot of books since there was so many of them I wanted to read!! So here they are......

Book Blogger Hop (49)

So come and join in on the fun and the hopping. Make new friends and discover new blogs!!! LETS DO THE HOP!!!! Come and check it out at Crazy For Books

 Question Of The Week
How many books are in your TBR pile???

Well,I wouldn't know the accurate count, but at least over a hundred books...there are so many books out there and very little time.....and my pile is always piling up every week 

 

Book Review-The Star Princess

The Star Princess
Star (4)
Susan Grant
Love Spell
371 Pages
Paperback
Published Aug 2003
Sci Fi/Futuristic Romance
ISBN: 0505525410

Synopsis 
A WILDER BLUE YONDER

Ilana Hamilton isn't an adventurer like her pilot mother or a diplomat like her do-right brother; she's a brash, fun-loving filmmaker who'd rather work behind the camera than be a "Star Princess" in front of it. Heiress or not, she's a perfectly normal, single woman ... until Prince Che Vedla crashes into her life.

With six months to choose a bride, the sexy royal wants to sow his wild oats. Ilana can't blame him--but fall for the guy herself? Not a chance! Hotshot pilot or no, Che is too stuffy, too arrogant, and too old-fashioned. But when he sweeps her off her feet Ilana sees stars, and the higher he takes her the more she loves to fly. Only her heart asks where she will land.

Summary:
Illana, is known as the 'Star Princess' a title she abhors. Still living on Earth, her mother still happily married to King Romlijan, and her brother engaged, doesn't know where her life is headed, but she knows it can never be the kind of life her family has picked out. Illana wishes for a life of normality. But when Prince Che Valda comes spiraling into her life, even if its for a distraction and to sow wild oats...Illana is determined not to fall for his charms. Che Valda must marry a bride, whom he has no idea of her identity, but comes to Earth for distractions until then, and the perfect canidate is Illana who memerizes him to the point where he wishes he could forget duty and obligation for once in his life and choose a life with a woman that he aches to keep forever...


The Hero (Che Vedla)
Prince Che, after losing his betrothed to another man, he knows what is expected of him and that he will need to marry soon. However he decides to take a trip to Earth, before he has to settle down...a means of sowing his oats. When he arrives he meets Illana, whom is far different from the women he usually has dealings with.. she is strong willed, opinionated, no respect for anything royal and has no desire to be royal, just live a normal life....Che intends on keeping her no matter what.....

The Heroine (Illana Hamilton)
After her mother married the King Romlijan...her life was forever changed, and even though her brother has fully embraced their ways...Ilana hasn't, because she wants a normal life. One without putting on airs or the publicity and having no privacy...and she hates flying and dreads having to fly on a ship to see her brother get married. When Prince Che comes to her home, she starts to realize that not all things royal are bad....and that he may just be one that will hold the key to her heart.


My Thoughts 
The Star Princess is the fourth in the Star Series. I have just fallen in love with this author and this series that I have been able to read so far...and at this point one of my favorite sci fi/futuristic romantic series. I definitely loved the story and plot line.....two people who are as different as night and day but are more than perfect for each other. I loved how Susan Grant blended it perfectly the romance, with a bit of mystery and danger and to top it off with passion...just made for a tremendously entertaining read...one that I would never regret. There was a satisfaction upon finishing the story...yet wishing it was longer. Definitely a keeper here!!!


My Grade On The Book 
4 Blossoms

Other Books In The Series
The Star Queen (Anthology-The Only One)
The Star King
The Star Prince

Book Review-The Star King

The Star King
Star (2)
Susan Grant
Love Spell
Paperback
Published Dec 2000
329 Pages
Futuristic/Sci Fiction Romance
ISBN: 0-505-52413-9

Synopsis 
Careening out of control in her fighter jet is only the start of the wildest ride of Jasmine's life; spinning wildly in an airplane is nothing like the loss of equilibrium she feels when she lands. There, in a half-dream, Jas sees a man more powerfully compelling than any she's ever encountered. Though his words are foreign, his touch is familiar, baffling her mind even as he touches her soul. But who is he? Is he, too, a downed pilot? Is that why he lies in the desert sand beneath a starry Arabian sky?

The answers burn in his mysterious golden eyes, in his thoughts that become hers as he holds out his hand and requests her aid. This man has crossed many miles to find her, to offer her a heaven that she might otherwise never know, and love is only one of the many gifts of ... The Star King

  
MY REVIEW
Summary:
Jasmine, on her fighter jet, crashes down and then she sees a man..a stranger one who is compelling and becomes forever in her memory. Since then, Jas has never been satisfied with her relationships, for she is always looking back to him whose memory has been burned in her mind forever. Rom, once a heir of the B'kah, is looking for adventure and the one woman who has haunted him day and night. Now he is planning on finding her, even if its in a remote system and in the 'frontier' no less.  Jasmine, aches for this stranger who haunts her and calls out to her, so when she see's that he is on TV, she knows she must find him, never realizing that finding him would change her life forever and that he would awaken a love so powerful that she would stand by his side for all time...


The Hero (Romlijhlan B'kah)
Rom, even though he is royalty, and heir to the throne of B'kah, no longer feels like he is part of the family, because of his beliefs to destroy a man that has the power to deceive everyone all the while he murders innocents. Rom, now has made a life for himself, but knows in his heart he must find the one woman whom haunts him...but never expected to find her even though he has been searching for her...and now with Jasmine at his side, will fight for everything that he believes in...


The Heroine (Jasmine Boswell)
Jasmine, although she has two grown children, is divorced and unable to trust in any man and able to make any relationship work. Even though in her dreams she sees him and hears him call out to her, she doesn't know if he is a figmant of her imagination or real....but when she sees him she knows she would do everything in her power to reach him...Jasmine knows that he is her destiny and can offer her more love and passion that she could have imagined.


My Thoughts 
The Star King is the second book in the Star Series by Susan Grant. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I am falling more and more for the futuristic/sci fi romance. I haven't read many of them...but I have found quite a few treasures and The Star King is one of them. I just loved everything about this book... I loved the idea that Jasmine is older than most lead heroines are in romances....there was also a freshness about this story and there was the exciting and ever on the role kind of plot, that had be engaged throughout the story. The characters were so likeable, and there was such a sizzling heat to the side of the story....that had me on fire till the very end!!!! A Winner!!!

My Favorite Quote 
He needed her with a desperation  born of his precarious position at the edge of death, wanted to make love to her while he possessed the strength and passion of life. Her pleasure would be his salvation.  


My Grade On This Book 
4.5 Blossoms


Other Books In The Series 
 The Only One
The Star Prince
The Star Princess

Library Loot (19)

Eva with A Striped Armchair, and Marge with The Adventures of a Intrepid Reader, which you should check out both of them, they are great!!! This meme is created to encourage bloggers to share books that they get from the Library, and since I am a avid lover of Libraries this is going to be one meme I am going to love doing every week. And I got quite a lot of books since there was so many of them I wanted to read!! So here they are......