I Only Have Eyes For You by Bella Andre

Title:         I Only Have Eyes For You: The Sullivan Series Publisher:     Oak Press, LLC Pub Date:     April 10, 2012 ISBN:         9781938127175 Author:     Bella Andre Sophie Sullivan, a librarian in San Francisco, was five years old when she fell head over heels in love with Jake McCann. Twenty years later, she’s convinced the notorious bad boy still sees her as the “nice” Sullivan twin. That is, when he bothers to look at her at all. But when they both get caught up in the magic of the first Sullivan wedding, she knows it’s long past time to do whatever it takes to make him see her for who she truly is...the woman who will love him forever. Jake has always been a magnet for women, especially since his Irish pubs made him extremely wealthy. But the only woman he really wants is the one he can never have. Not only is Sophie his best friend’s off-limits younger sister...he can’t risk letting her get close enough to discover his deeply hidden secret. Only, when Sophie appears on his doorstep as Jake’s every fantasy come to life—smart, beautiful, and shockingly sexy—he doesn’t have a prayer of taking his eyes, or his hands, off her. And he can’t stop craving more of her sweet smiles and sinful kisses. Because even though Jake knows loving Sophie isn’t the right thing to do...how can he possibly resist? About the author: Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publisher's Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever, many of her 20+ titles have charted on Top 20 bestseller lists, including THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans #1), FROM THIS MOMENT ON (The Sullivans #2), CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (The Sullivans #3), GAME FOR LOVE (Bad Boys of Football #3), CANDY STORE and LOVE ME. Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine Red Hot Reads twice and have been translated into German, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Ukrainian. NEVER TOO HOT won the Award of Excellence in 2011. The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured on NPR, Forbes.com and in The Wall Street Journal.

Although this is my very first book on The Sullivans series, I have no issue catching up with the characters and the story. To me, Jake is a very likeable character. He's independent, strong, responsible and know how to take good care of people. However he's not a person who is good at expressing himself, and probably partially due to ego too, he could not and also did not know how to tell Sophie about his problem. I enjoy reading how he tried to win over Sophie's heart within 7 days. And despite Sophie had been falling hard for Jake, I like the way she handled the whole thing with Jake. I like the Sullivan family too. They are caring, understanding and sweet! 

The story is light-hearted and warm. I enjoy reading it very much. I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.


Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Booby Trap by Anne Browning Walker

Title:         The Booby Trap Publisher:  Pixel Entertainment Imprint:     PRByTheBook Pub Date:  September 01, 2012 ISBN:        9781938511011 Author:     Anne Browning Walker Welcome to The Booby Trap, a seedy bar where waitresses' skirts are high, necklines are low and customers show up for the eye candy. When brainy, beautiful, Harvard Ph.D. candidate Bambi Benson wants to study the women of the the Booby Trap for her dissertation, she goes undercover and joins them.  All is going well for Bambi until handsome local celebrity Trip Whitley enters the scene. Hoping to shock his high-society family by dating a bimbo, Trip offers to pay Bambi to pretend to be his girlfriend.  She accepts his offer and bides her time, waiting for the right moment to reveal her true identity and teach Trip not to judge based on appearances. After a series of dates carefully orchestrated for their publicity value, Bambi's trap is set.  But there's one problem: the predator might have fallen in love with her prey.

I found this book actually is quite interesting. It may not attract my attention too much at the beginning of the story. However as I read on, I found it hard to put down the book. Due to her job in the bar, Trip has made some assumptions on Bambi. He thought since it is just for show, he did not actually make much an effort trying to know more about Bambi. Bambi was not too happy on Trip having some low judgement on her, and determined to teach him a lesson. In my opinion, isn't that Bambi also made some assumptions on Trip based on his handsomely face and background too? Anyway, I'm glad that after each date, they managed to learn more about each other. Bambi was a very smart woman and Trip did not stand a chance at all. It's hard for me to imagine how they can become a couple. However as the story unfold, I enjoy reading how their relationship slowly evolved. I like Trip's honesty. The whole story seems very real. I especially like the ending.

The whole story is easy to read. And the pace is good. A refreshing read from a debut writer. I enjoy reading this book very much. And looking forward for more books from the writer. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Valley of Fire by Janelle Taylor

Title:         Valley of Fire SubTitle:   Classic contemporary romance from bestselling author Publisher:  Bell Bridge Books Pub Date:  May 01, 2012 ISBN:        9781611941302 Author:     Janelle Taylor Her world is built on Happily Ever Afters. His world is built on a cynical distrust of fairytale romance. Will he prove that she’s just another huckster selling fake dreams? Wealthy businessman Steven Winngate thinks bestselling novelist Kathleen “Brandy” Alexander is researching him for a book. When he finds her in the desert outside Las Vegas, lost and sick from the heat, he wonders if she’s pretending to be a stranded hiker—conning him just to score an introduction. But Brandy is the real deal—honest, innocent and very distraught by her sudden dependence on the handsome blue-eyed stranger who rescued her. He says his name is Lance Reynolds, but that rings false. Soon she and “Lance” are circling each other amidst the glitter of Vegas, trying to break down the wall of mystery between them. Passionate, intense, romantic and intriguing—this hot battle of the sexes will burn both sides. About the author:  Janelle Taylor has written more than fifty novels, with nine New York Times bestsellers and sales in the millions. Bell Bridge Books is proud to publish her novel, VALLEY OF FIRE, for the first time in ebook. Visit her at www.janelletaylor.com.

This is an easy read. The book was originally published in 1992, now is being released as an ebook. The story is quite simple. Brandy was being saved by Steven. They both were attracted to each other. Due to fate they kept on bump into each other at different occasions. However due to misunderstandings, Steven did not trust Brandy completely, and yet he could not just let go Brandy. At times, I feel Steven is a little too hard to Brandy. And yet he could not help himself wanted to get near her. I think if not because of this, he won't be able to get to know Brandy for real. And they may just miss each other.

I enjoy this book very much and I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.


Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Almost a Scandal by Elizabeth Essex

 

Title:         Almost a Scandal SubTitle:     The Reckless Brides Publisher:     St. Martin's Press Imprint:     St. Martin's Paperbacks Pub Date:     July 31, 2012 ISBN:         9781250003799 Author:     Essex, Elizabeth Bold, brazen, and beautiful, the Reckless Brides refuse to play by society’s rules of courtship. But—come hell or high water—they always get their man… For generations, the Kents have served proudly with the British Royal Navy. So when her younger brother refuses to report for duty, Sally Kent slips into a uniform and takes his place—at least until he comes to his senses. Boldly climbing aboard the Audacious, Sally is as able-bodied as any sailor there. But one man is making her feel tantalizingly aware of the full-bodied woman beneath her navy blues… Dedicated to his ship, sworn to his duty—and distractingly gorgeous—Lieutenant David Colyear sees through Sally’s charade, and he’s furious. But he must admit she’s the best midshipman on board—and a woman who tempts him like no other. With his own secrets to hide and his career at stake, Col agrees to keep her on. But can the passion they hide survive the perils of a battle at sea? Soon, their love and devotion will be put to the test…

This is like the western version of Mulan. The story is a little predicted, but nonetheless Elizabeth Essex's writing has captured my attention from page one up to the last page. Sally is bold, intelligent and strong. Being a girl, she's definitely not in any disadvantage situation as compared to other midshipmen. In fact, she's much better than others. I admire her refused-to-give-up spirit and dare to speak up when seeing things not right. Even her own feelings towards Colyear, she did not try to hide it when the opportunities arrived. She grabbed it without any regret, despite their future was unknown. She's amazing, really amazing. As for Colyear, I feel that he's a little overshadowed by Sally. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Colyear is not great. Just the story is more focus on Sally. I think besides her family, only Colyear knows how to handle Sally, whether as his subordinate or as his partner. It's interesting to read how Sally keep on challenging Colyear instead of accepting the order without any question.

The author sets a very good pace on Sally's life at the sea. The author also has her own way on describing the different scenes in the story, be it the chores at the ship, being bullied, or even when facing with the enermies. I enjoy reading this book very much. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.



Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

 

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead. Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding. It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plains--except Katniss. The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.

This is the 3rd and last book of The Hunger Games series. This is my very first YA series on Dystopian. And honestly, the whole series makes me think a lot.

After the cliffhanger ending of Catching Fire, Mockingjay picked up from there. The whole story is depressing. It makes me wonder, what Katniss has done to make her deserve such torture, to go through all these? In Mockingjay, not only things out of her control, it was out of Peeta's control as well. I feel sad knowing what Peeta had to go through. I feel even sad knowing there's nothing that Katniss could do to improve Peeta's situation. To me, it's a war that should not involve Katniss and the rest. Unfortunately, some of her actions in the Hunger Games indirectly making herself get involved with no option to say no.

The more I read Mockingjay, the more I feel the world has become so cruel. Towards the end when I read about what happened to Katniss's sister Primrose, my first thought is - if this is what will happen to Prim at the end, then it's become worthless for Katniss to sacrifice herself volunteered for the Hunger Games replacing Primrose at the first place. Anyway, the ending is not that bad after all. Other than the story is depressing, the writing style is good. The emotional roller coaster that Katniss had gone through are so vivid and helpless. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.