Book Review: Chasin' Eight by Lorelei James

Author: Lorelei James

Series: Rough Riders #11

Blurb: (from Goodreads)

She wants it…he’s got it…and the chase is on…

Bull rider Chase McKay has finally landed in a pile too big to charm his way out of. Caught with his pants down, he finds himself bucked right off the PBR tour until he can get his act together.

Hollywood actress Ava Cooper became the tabloids’ favorite target when her longtime boyfriend was outed as gay. She needs a place to lay low and a chance to prove to herself that she can satisfy a red-blooded man between the sheets. The sexy, rugged cowboy she finds holed up in her Wyoming hideaway seems like the answer to her every fantasy.

But Chase has sworn off women. Forever. Or at least a month. Whichever comes first.

When they take to the road to get Chase more hands-on bull riding experience, they have every intention of keeping their hands off each other. But the two headstrong stars quickly end up riding a hot and heady rodeo circuit all their own—until the press gets wind of their affair. When the dust clears and the lights of the paparazzi fade, are they ready to give up chasing the dream for a chance of finding forever?

About a year ago I was chatting on Shelfari about sexy books and one of the girls mentioned Lorelei James and her cowboys. The only other book of Ms. James that I read before that was Running With the Devil and I remember I enjoyed that book a lot, so I thought it would be a good idea to try her other works too. Her cowboys are the sexiest I've ever read so far. Chase McKay isn't any different than all the other cowboys from the McKay family.

The reason I loved Chase was because he was different than the other McKay cowboys. He's not impossibly tall, he's just 5'10, and it's obvious that at times it bothers him a little. Also I felt that the person he was at the ending of the book was much more mature than the one he was at the beginning of the book. So, unlike some of the McKays, he grew up in this book. Don't get me wrong, all the McKays grew up and matured just fine, but most of them matured over the course of a few books.

After one too many wild nights and mistakes, Chase McKay faces a dilemma: grow up and save his career as a professional bull rider, or continue partying and lose everything he's worked for over the years. So he decides to go home, see if he can get his head straight and give celibacy a try. All would be well, if his new roommate, Ava Cooper, wouldn't be so attractive.

Ava Cooper is a Hollywood actress who's had a bad luck with men. When her most recent boyfriend is outed as gay, paparazzi start stalking her. She, too, decides it's time for some hiding and rediscovering, so she goes to Wyoming, where supposedly no one knows her and no one will bother her. Also she sets a challenge for herself: see if she can satisfy a red-blooded man and the first man she sets eyes on is Chase McKay.

What I loved about this book was how the relationship between Ava and Chase developed. Because of his month of celibacy, Chase wanted to try and become friends with Ava, and I think they did it very well. The attraction between them is huge and it sometimes make me want to be able to shake both of them up a little bit, so they would do something about their attraction. Yet, at the same time, I was afraid that once they jumped in bed, the friendship would disappear. Luckily, it didn't happen that way. The dialogue also was very funny.

The details about bull riding were very interesting too. I actually loved them, because they helped set the background for Chase a lot better. They helped me understand part of why Chase was so determined to succeed and to be the best at bull riding.

This is one of the series that don't disappoint, the series where each book is better than the previous one and no matter which book you read first, it will get you hooked on the series and it will make you want to read it all over and over again. Another thing I love about it is the little tidbits about the characters who already have their story told. You always get to see them again and that's wonderful in my opinion. Now, I am impatiently waiting for the next story in this fun, sexy series, Cowboy Casanova, due December 2011.

My Rating:

Fall Into Reading

Fall Into Reading is a fun, no-pressure challenge hosted by Callapidder Days. Here are the guidelines:

Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this fall. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like.

Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post using the Mr. Linky below.

Get reading! The challenge goes from today, September 23rd, through December 21st.

Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile, if you wish!

Write a post about your challenge experience in December, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how Fall Into Reading went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this fall (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

I haven't decided on all the books I want to read this fall, but here's the list so far:

1. The Shakespeare Secret - Jennifer Lee Carrell : a re-read, but I loved this book so much, I can't help myself!
2. Dead In the Family - Charlaine Harris : I've postponed reading this book for far too long. Maybe it's not as good as the earlier Sookie Stackhouse books, but I'll try it again...
3. Heat Wave - Richard Castle : I really love the TV show and this book has been sitting on my shelf for a few months now. I'm ready to see if the books are anything like the show.
4. Slave to Sensation - Nalini Singh : I've heard a lot of good stuff about these books, so my curiosity is finally getting the better of me. Again.
5. Tall, Dark & Dead - Tate Hallaway : What can I say, I love the cover.
6. Sorcery and the Single Girl - Mindy Klasky : I read the first book in the series about four years before and I loved it. I can't say I remember much, just that I laughed a lot while reading it. I'll read the entire series this autumn.

This is my list for now. If I manage to read more, I'll list them as I finish them.

Book Review : The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

Author: Jaci Burton
Series: Play by Play #1
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The last thing event planner Tara Lincoln needs is the jet-set lifestyle of a football pro like Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand proved that Mick is an all-star-both on the field and in the bedroom.
Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a certified heartbreaker. But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind to catch this sultry vixen.

I can't talk about the book without first expressing my love for the cover. There are very few covers out there that do the book justice and this is one of them. It's very hard to find that perfect cover, you know? And it's sexy. I can't imagine a better cover for this book. And all the covers for this series are amazingly beautiful and sexy.

Now that I've covered that up, I can return to the book in question. When it comes to sexy books, Jaci Burton is one of the first authors that pops into my head. Not only are her stories sexy, they're funny and full of good characters. And her books aren't filled with unnecessary sex scenes, when you feel it's more sex than action. Knowing that, I was a little afraid to pick this book up. Why? Because of the sport part. I know nothing about sports. Not one little detail. So I putt it off for a few weeks, mainly to gather my courage and try to look past the sports details. I'm glad I finally managed to do so, because I liked this book a lot.

I loved the characters. Tara is such a strong woman. She's not one of those women that swoon at the sight of a famous guy and she doesn't seem to care about his pockets more than him. She's also a devoted mother. She's willing to sacrifice her happiness for that of her son and I think that says a lot about her. I totally understood her reasons for being weary of having a relationship with Mick. He's a famous guy and a relationship with him could have a bad influence on her teenage son.

Mick is one of those guys that don't change much once they become famous. He has managed to get away from trouble and I think that makes him a very strong guy. He's also sexy, or so he is in my head. He helps Tara's son when he makes a bad decision, knowing that by doing it he could be risking his career. I think this is what made me see him as a really nice guy and the perfect partner for Tara and the perfect father for her son. Maybe it's not much, but to willingly hand over a secret that could ruin his career forever to a 13 year old  means that he really wants to be a part of their lives.

I honestly can't say a thing I didn't like in this book. Well, there's actually one little thing that made me want to smack Mick, but I can't talk about it here, without going further into the second book in the series, Changing the Game.

I am waiting impatiently for the third installment, Taking a Shot, due March, 2012. Until then, I have all the time in the world to reread the first two books.

My Rating:

Follow Friday (3)

Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around and follow me!

This week’s question is:



What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?


There are many books that I'd like to see turned into a movie. I think the one that comes into mind right now is Interred with Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell. It's the story of a Shakespeare scholar trying to find one of Shakespeare's lost plays, while trying to escape a vicious killer. The story is more than just compelling, it's wonderful. And it's one of the few books written in 1st person that I actually enjoyed and didn't feel the need to connect fully with other characters or to try to get inside their minds. And on top of that, it's about Shakespeare. I can't decide who I'd like to play Kate Stanley, the heroine, nor Ben, her protector. I'm afraid I'm not that good at pointing out actors and actresses. I do know I would like Ben to have a British accent. So maybe I'd go with Matthew Goode.

What book do you hope to be turned into a movie?

Book Review: The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortals After Dark
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Nikolai Wroth, once a ruthless human warlord in the 1700s and now a general in the rebel vampire army, needs to find his Bride, the one woman who can render him truly alive. As a turned human, he doesn’t enjoy a heartbeat or breaths and is consequently weaker than fully blooded vampires. He wants his Bride for the power she will bring him and can hardly believe it when his heart beats for Myst the Coveted, a mad, fey, mythological creature.
Myst is known throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, part chillingly fierce warrior, part beguiling seductress who can “make you want her even as she’s killing you.” She has devoted her life to protecting an ancient, powerful jewel and to fighting the vampires, and she now sees a way to torment one—for with Wroth’s heartbeat comes consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her.
She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience first hand the agonizing, unending lust she’d purposely subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come back to him?

A few months ago a friend of mine managed to convince me to try this series. I've heard a lot about these books before, but I wasn't very convinced to read it. Not because the subject didn't appeal to me, but because it was another series. Since most of the books I've read this year are part of a series I was seriously trying to stay away. As you can imagine, the curiosity won and here I am, hooked on another very good series.

The Warlord Wants Forever is a novella that was first published in the Playing Easy to Get anthology and is the first story in the Immortals After Dark series. It tells the story of Nikolai Wroth, the eldest of the Wroth brothers, and Myst the Coveted, a Valkyrie. Now, while the vampire hero was enough to finally convince me to read the book, it was the valkyrie that made me curious. I've never read another book with that particular creature, so I was very intrigued.

Nikolai Wroth is such a powerful character and I don't say that because he's a vampire. First of all, his name, Nikolai, is one of my favorite names for some reason. I don't think I've ever met a hero named Nikolai that I didn't like. He's also very devoted to his brothers and sisters and he loved them so much, that he preferred facing their hatred and their wrath than letting them die, when he had the power to save them.  That might sound selfish to some, but not to me. He's also very devoted to the cause he's fighting for. He swore he would never drink blood from another human being and he didn't. On top of that, he's such an honest guy. I mean, he had the power to make Myst do whatever he wanted her to do, and yet he never used that power to hurt her. For a guy that has been left without his mate for five years, I think that says a lot about his character.

Myst is the most beautiful Valkyrie. She's also the seductress, the one who distracts the enemy, while her sisters attack and destroy him. I think it was a surprise for her the fact that she liked Nikolai enough to spare his life. And I also think a small part of her wanted him to find her, to capture her. The fact that he manages to take hold of the jewel commanding her makes her realize they are destined to be together. 

I do believe this novella is a good start for the series. And the fact that the series is full of new creatures is so refreshing. Or at least they're new to me. This novella also introduces some of the major characters in this series. It also leaves some subplots unsolved, like what happened to Nikolai's brothers and where are they.

The next installment in this series, Lothaire, is due January 2012. It's so far away, but I know it will be worth it.

My Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine

My WoW this week is Taking a Shot by Jaci Burton.

Blurb (from Goodreads):

If you want to score, you have to get in the game…
The last thing Jenna Riley needs is more sports in her life. While her brothers are off being athletic superstars, she’s stuck running the family’s sports bar, whether she likes it or not. Then in walks pro hockey stud Tyler Anderson. As much as Jenna would like to go to the boards with him, she’s vowed to never fall for a jock—even one as hot as Ty.
Ty, intrigued by the beautiful bar owner, becomes a regular. He senses that Jenna wants to do something more with her life. And as he gains her trust, the passion between them grows, as does Ty’s insistence that Jenna should start living for herself. With his encouragement, Jenna starts to believe it, too...
But first, Jenna has to figure out what she wants, what she needs, who she loves, and if she has the passion and pride to take a shot at having it all—including Ty…

I finally found some time to read the first two books in the series and I totally loved them. I am very anxious to read the next installment in this series.

What are you waiting impatiently for?