Friday, March 30, 2012

REVIEW: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Title: Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor #2)
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: Piatkus Books
Date Published: 2/28/12

Synopsis:Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington, with a boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a magical side - a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking glasswork she creates - and she struggles to keep it contained. But when Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none other than Lucy's own sister. Lucy's bitterness over this devastation is multiplied buy the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life. 


Meanwhile, facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on the San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy so that she can more easily move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them, Lucy must ask herself if she can easily risk her heart again. 

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life - even after are being broken - can be re-made into something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.

My Rating

My Review

I want to start out by saying Lisa Kleypas is the first Contemporary Romance Author I ever read a book by. She was also the first Historical Romance Author I read a book by. I LOVE her books. I have read so many since then and hers still always stand out to me!

This is book #2 in the Friday Harbor series.

Poor Lucy is heartbroken when she is side-blinded by her boyfriend of 2 years breaking up with her for none other than her sister. Soon she becomes just plain mad at the situation.

Enter Sam Nolan, local vineyard owner, eternal bachelor, and total hunk. He feels a pull toward Lucy but wants to make sure she understands he does NOT do long term commitments.

This is a great Romance about moving on, finding out who you really are, and for Sam being okay with finding the one person he wants to be with for the rest of his life.

I can't wait for more in this series!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

REVIEW: The WereWolf's Wife by Michele Hauf





Title: The Werewolf's Wife
Author: Michele Hauf
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: March 20, 2012
Source: Publisher




Publisher Synopsis:
The legacy he must obey…The child she must save…
The man who threatens to fulfill her every fantasy…
and break her heart.
Alpha wolf Ridge Addison left his wife in Las Vegas, vowing to put their one reckless night of passion behind him and return to his clan. Thirteen years later he needs a divorce so he can become pack leader. Yet he's never forgotten the sensuous witch whose life he saved…or the knee-buckling kisses he still craves.After they parted, Abigail tried banishing Ridge from her memory. Now her heart belongs only to her son. But when the boy is kidnapped, she knows she alone can't save him. Though Abigail's body still aches for Ridge, she's willing to give him his freedom in exchange for his help. But who will shield her heart from the only man she's ever let claim her, body and soul?





My Rating:



My Review:
While I understand a reader needs background in order to connect to the story and character, I feel that too often the beginning chapters of a book start off way to slow. This is one of those books for me. Once you get a handful of chapters in things start to move a little more, but the overall feel of this book was just off for me.


The premise behind having a new Alpha who has a wife he hasn't seen in over a decade who he either needs to make into a real wife or divorce was something new, which is hard to do in the paranormal realm these days. 


I really need to connect with the characters in a book for it to get a great rating from me. I found it very hard to completely feel what the characters were going through. By the way, I just love the Alpha's name, Ridge. 


All in all a good Paranormal Romance about werewolfs, it may have fell flat in a couple of areas, but this is a story that has some good action, suspense, and romance.



Wednesday, March 28, 2012

REVIEW: Shrouded in Darkness by H.D. Thomson



Title: Shrouded in Darkness (Book 1)
Author: H.D. Thomson
Date Published: 11/16/11
Publisher: Bella Media Management
Source: Author


Synopsis:
Jake Preston is on borrowed time. If he doesn’t stumble upon a miracle and soon, he’ll endup dead. And even if he does, he still might end up dead with a clever killer hounding his heels. He believes that the one miracle and antidote to save him is in Margot Davenport’s house, across the country and miles away from Boston. Somewhere locked in her home is the key to reversing an experiment that is killing him with each breath he takes. 


Margot doesn’t particularly care if she ends up dead. She’s lost everything she’s ever cared for. A divorce and the loss of her job as a corporate lawyer has left her with little faith in herself or in anyone else. Most importantly, she’s lost the one person on this earth she’s looked up to and cherished–her brother, Johnny. His death in a car accident has devastated her, and she can’t find the willpower to pull herself from the chasm she’s fallen into. Her only solace is at the bottom of a wineglass. Having moved back to the small town in northern Arizona where she was raised, she’s made a point of isolating herself both mentally and physically from everyone other than a few chosen friends. Little does she know that her life is going to explode into chaos


My Rating:



My Review:
Margot has had it rough in the last several years. Her marriage ends, she loses her job, and the icing on the cake, her brother dies. She turns to alcohol and lets just say this woman is a complete and total wreck of emotions. I enjoyed how H.D. Thomson portrayed her grief. Some people actually fall completely and totally apart when facing such dire circumstances and drown themselves in alcohol. And you know what, maybe she shouldn't have opened that door, but with the bad comes good.... right?

Jake swings into her life and turns it upside down. He brings with him a cloud of mystery and weird events. Margot begins to feel like a ghost, her brother?, may be with her. Is that just the alcohol or is there something really going on?

Jake is such a great alpha man who is not afraid to express his feelings and thoughts on his current situation. I love how he is with Margot.

This book is hard to classify, at times it felt paranormal and then at others it felt sci-fi.

Above all a solid mystery/thriller!

This is book 1 in a 3 book series.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Me and Mine

I thought it would be nice to share some pictures of myself and my family and give a bit of a background on Me! 

My Name is Cami Hensley and I am 26 years old - I have been Married to my husband Mark for 5 years this Saturday, March 31! 

We have 2 beautiful children. Emery - 3 1/2 and Easton 2 1/2 - 11 Months Apart in Age.

I am very lucky to be a stay at home.

I do some work from home as a Virtual Assistant, but my passion is reading and so I began this site to share my opinions with others.

Here are some of our recent family pictures:









REVIEW: Legacy of the Highlands by Harriet Schultz


Title: Legacy of the Highlands
Author: Harriet Schultz
Date Published: 11-1-11


Synopsis:

What does a vow made 700 years ago in Scotland have to do with a murder in twenty-first century Boston? When Will Cameron’s body is discovered in a Boston alley, the only clue to the thirty-four-year-old man’s murder is a pristine Scottish sgian dubh dagger left beside it. His devastated widow, Alexandra, flees Boston to find refuge in the Miami villa of Will’s best friend, Diego Navarro, who has the means, power and temperament to solve the puzzle and to avenge the senseless killing.

Diego, a handsome and wealthy Argentine, is equally determined to win the grieving widow’s heart. The growing attraction to each other becomes hard to resist as Alex and Diego follow leads that take them from Miami to Buenos Aires and Scotland, unraveling the Cameron family’s secrets and the Legacy of the Highlands.


My Rating: 



My Review:
Don't let this books title or cover fool you. This is a romantic suspense/mystery all tied into one.

There is a bit of a slow start, and a very sad start. About 1/4th of the way in it gets rolling and you are thrust into the mystery of why a man was suddenly murdered and how a 700 year vow and a father's choices led to it.

Poor, poor Alex, I will admit I was heartbroken for her. Losing her husband literally destroys her ability to function. It is such a sad thing to read about. Schultz does an amazing job of detailing her emotions.

I love that we get a taste of Will and his personality in the beginning and through flashbacks.

Diego is such a sweet male lead. He does everything in his power to comfort Alex and help her without trying to let his needs or feelings he's had for her since the beginning cloud his judgement. When their relationship does begin it really feels like a smooth transition and not something that they jumped into.

There is a bit of an abrupt ending, but overall join the ride from grief, to mystery and suspense complete with twists, and eventually love and acceptance.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Best of 2012's 1st Quarter Top 5 BLOG HOP






March 31st will conclude the 1st Quarter of the year. I would like to create a Blog Hop in which everyone posts their top 5 books read for the year so far! 

You May Begin Posting Your Faves Anytime After the 31st!
This Hop will Be April 1st - April 10th


  If you are new to the hop idea but would love to participate, just comment here or email me @ MyReadingAddiction.  I will be happy to walk you through the process or explain things in greater detail. 


Blog Hop Rules:
1.Please help me by sharing a  link to this page to help me generate interest !!  The more people we get to join, the more fun for everyone involved!! :)  Anyone can sign up. 
2. You Must Have a Badge on Your Site By April 1st, or if you sign up later than the day after you sign up.  I will be checking!!  
3. Posts must include the hop button  
and one of the following:
 Include the linky list
the links to the next three bloggers
 a link back to my site. 

I will be posting my List on April 1st!

I think that about wraps it up, please follow my blog to show your support for this hop. 
I will be doing more Hops in the future including 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Quarter Fave Lists!
Sign Up for Future Co-Host Opportunities Here: BLOG HOPS

Sign Up:


Grab the Button:

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My Reading Addiction

REVIEW: Bonded by Nicky Charles


Title: Bonded
Author: Nicky Charles
Date Published: 1/7/12


Synopsis:
Reno’s a tough Enforcer for Lycan Link who finds himself drawn to Brandi but duty rules his life. Brandi, just on the edge of starting her career as a Disaster Control officer, falls for Reno at first sight, but are they really meant to be? Is it love or lust and does it really even matter? Enforcers and DCs don't get along...unless fate forces them to. 


Bonded precedes The Mating in the Law of the Lycans timeline. 


My Rating: 4.5



My Review: 
I want to start off by saying that I am definite fan of Nicky Charles. I have enjoyed all of her Lycan tales to date.

This one for me is a little slower than the ones in the past. So much time lapses and it seems every chapter is weeks or months in the future. I understand for the purpose of the story line that's how it needed to go, but it just made it seem to drag on for some reason. This is my sole complaint though! 

Reno is one hot and tough Alpha. He has his inner demons he is battling and has a hard time coming to terms with what he feels for Brandi. He is an enforcer and borderline rogue. He should not be having thoughts of settling down and mating. 

Brandi suffers in silence for most of the book. You really feel for her, and understand her hesitance in revealing all to Reno.

Overall great love story and even some action, suspense, and mystery thrown in there. I love Nicky Charles Lycan world! 

As always, these are free on Smashwords, B&N, and Amazon! 


Sunday, March 25, 2012

REVIEW: Visions by Sara Daniell





Title: Visions (Holly Nather Trilogy #1)
Author: Sara Daniell
Date Published: 3/1/2012


Synopsis:
"Every guy I seem to date ends up resembling the reeking material that janitors and plumbers both deal with on a daily basis. You get my metaphor. In summary, it is safe to say that my dating life really, really sucks." -- Holly 


It is Holly's first year in college and the most exciting thing in her life is her classes. She doesn't have any luck with dating and doesn't have many friends. 


Her life is terribly boring until she receives a text message from a unknown person. Life as Holly knows it will forever change by responding to that one single text. She isn't too thrilled but will soon find herself falling in love with a complete stranger from another world.


My Rating:



My Review: 
Holly has no love life to speak of until she gets a random text one night asking for her to meet the person outside. Her first thought of course is "Is this guy crazy?" but as she learns more about him, she finds she can not stay away, for more reasons than just love.


I love Holly's attitude and wit. She is quite sarcastic and isn't afraid to speak her mind. My kind of girl. 


I wish the love would have been drawn out a bit more. For how much Holly tried to fight it, it really seemed she succumbed too quick. But it was a sweet romance, the kind I like. 


What a great debut by Sara Daniell.  


I'm very interested to see where this series goes. Can't wait for the next installment! 

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Stoked Saturday




Stoked Saturday
Week 3 - 10 Arcs Received

Every week I get in a number of ARC copies for Review. These are titles you may or may not be familiar with already. To mark the end of the week, every Saturday I will have a post to spotlight the book or books I am most looking forward to reading of the copies I have received that week. 



Title: Hemlock
Author: Kathleen Peacock
To Be Published:  5/8/2012
Publisher Synopsis: 
Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf. 

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control. 

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk. 

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love. 





Why I'm Stoked:  
Sometimes a cover just has a way of jumping out and grabbing your attention. I absolutely love this one. This is the kind of cover that would make me grab the book off the shelf and read the inside flap. 

This book shows great promise and where can you go wrong when it comes to werewolf's? Well, don't answer that cause some authors have gone very wrong. But I think this one looks like it will be good and its already getting steady reviews on Goodreads. Can't wait to read it. 

Be on the lookout for my review in the next week or so.

Friday, March 23, 2012

(ARC) REVIEW: Summer Days by Susan Mallery



Title: Summer Days (Fool's Gold #7)
Author: Susan Mallery
Publisher: HQN Books
Date Published: 5/29/12


Publisher Synopsis:
Locked in an unexpected land dispute, Rafe Stryker is trapped in the one place he vowed never to return to – the Castle Ranch in Fool’s Gold, California. He made millions facing ruthless adversaries in the boardroom, but nothing could’ve prepared him to go head-to-head against stubborn, beautiful Heidi Simpson. No one is more surprised than Rafe to discover that he’s finding Heidi – and life as a cowboy – much more compelling than he wants to admit. For Heidi, the Castle Ranch is the home she’s always wanted. After a life on the road, the vivacious blonde has finally put down roots. She won’t give that up without a fight, not even for a man whose late-night kisses make her yearn to be a little less…wholesome. As the two turn from passionate adversaries to passionate, period, they’ll discover that summer love can last a lifetime 


My Rating:



My Review:
Susan Mallery has done it again! She continues to keep the Fool's Gold Series fresh and exciting.


I absolutely adored Heidi. She was such a loveable character. When she was upset I just wanted to give her a hug. Rafe is such a mans man in a business suit and I thought that was such a great combination. Him showing up in his designer suit and then turning into a cowboy getting his hands dirty was perfect.


What a heartwarming story about what we do for those we love. Glen, Heidi, and May are such great people inside and out. I loved watching Rafe learn to love and let go of the past. 


I hope the rest of the Stryker family is next in the Fool's Gold series. I am definitely wanting to know what happens with Clay, Evie, and Shane! 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

(ARC) REVIEW: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter




Title: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2)
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Date to be Published: 3/27/12
Source: Publisher


Publisher Synopsis:
Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.Henry's first wife, Persephone 



My Rating:


My Review:
Goddess Interrupted is a sequel that surpasses everything Aimee Carter already accomplished in The Goddess Test.

At first it is a little bit slow due to the catch up we are playing of how Kate spent her summer.

Once this gets going, it really gets going! Non-stop drama, suspense, heartbreak, and betrayal play a hand in a successful 2nd installment in the Goddess Test Series.

Kate and Henry's relationship is a rollercoaster, and the ending has a cliffhanger that will leave you breathless.

Great read and I can not wait for the next one! 

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

REVIEW: Beauty in the Beast by Christine Danse



Title- Beauty in the Beast
Author- Christine Danse
Publisher- Carina Press
Date Published- 3/5/12


Publisher Synopsis:
Journeying by steam-powered sled to London's Frost Fair to perform, Tara and three friends are trapped in a blizzard in the woods. A gruff, handsome stranger offers them shelter-and wants one thing in return. Stories. 

The travellers are glad to oblige. Their host, Rolph, is especially captivated by Tara's story of an orphaned girl raised by the Fae in the world of the spirits. Equally intrigued by Rolph, and aware of an electric pull between them, Tara encourages him to share a story of his own. When Rolph weaves a tale of a man who is doomed by his own folly to turn into a wolf at the full moon, Tara suspects there is more than a grain of truth in his words. 

When the veil between the mortal and spiritual worlds is parted, and danger threatens, will Tara make the ultimate sacrifice to save Rolph? 


My Rating-




My Review - 
My main point about this story is that it starts off slow. Its quite slow moving in the beginning, once they get to the story telling things pick up a bit.


This story begins with 2 women and 2 men stuck in a blizzard looking for shelter. They find shelter with a gruff stranger who agrees to allow them shelter and food until the storm passes. They decide form of repayment should be sharing stories as is their occupation of storytellers and puppeteers. 


These were stories of dragons, faeries and mystical worlds. They were very detailed and enjoyable! Rolph had by far my favorite story. 


This is a sweet Beauty in the Beast type story.