Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Jan 50 Book challenge

January 2011

Anthology -- Silhouette Christmas Stories 1989 by Marilyn Pappano, Lass Small, Bay Matthews, Brittany Young

#1 1/01/11 The Greatest Gift by Marilyn Pappano CR B

Happiness was a long time coming for Neil Sullivan and Elizabeth, the woman he'd once promised to love forever. It took the miracle of a second chance and the magic of the holiday season for them to see the truth: their love could defeat any obstacle and make the future an eternal gift.

#2 1/01/11 The Voice Of The Turtles by Lass Small CR B

Jethro Hanna was content being single, before nurse Megan Bailey came to town. Matchmakers deemed them the perfect couple, and for once, Jethro agreed. But Megan's loving attention was reserved solely for her patients, until the wonder of Christmas and Jethro's ardent passion won her guarded heart.

#3 1/02/11 A Christmas For Carole by Bay Matthews CR B

Chilled by the barrenness of Christmases past, Carole Chapman was astounded to discover a fellow orphan, an abandoned baby, in a holiday creche. When she placed the infant in foster father Chris Nicholas' chaotic, children-filled household, Carole herself was engulfed in warmth enough to wrap Christmas future in a loving glow.

#4 1/03/11 Silent Night by Brittany Young CR B

It was during Christmas that architect Marisa Alexander had been widowed, and the holiday season always brought back painful memories but this year, when a Christmas Eve blizzard trapped Marisa with client Dane Konrad in his Austrian mountain retreat, the distant echo of "Silent Night" had Marisa rediscovering the spirit of Christmas, and the greatest gift of all: love.

#5 1/04/11 Homecoming Day by Holly Jacobs CR A-

Laura Watson thinks she'll never get over the pain of losing the man she loved. But when her son is born, Lieutenant Seth Keller is right there with her. The widowed Erie cop has his own reasons to grieve, but he's made up his mind to move on with his life.
Seth can accept being friends. Bonded-by-baby, on-the-verge-of-something-more friends. For now. And when the time comes, he wants to be the one Laura turns to. Can depend on. Maybe even love.
But sooner or later, Laura has to decide. The past or the future? Because life has given them a second chance at love. Possibly a love that can heal them both…a love that feels like coming home.

The TBR Challenge for January is to read a book with a house on the cover.
Let us know what you read, how you liked it, and how long it had been in your TBR pile.

Went on the hunt for the challenge book as I retired last night shuffling through boxes and bags only to find one book that 'sorta' fits the bill. I wanted to stick within the current TBR pile and not delve into the mess I'm generously calling my library/guest room. I came up with Sandra Hill's newest Viking novel: The Viking Takes A Knight where in the background, clouded in blue and gray tones is the sight of his keep, a castle, his home, a house. Is this too far fetched? I hope not as it's all I've found. Using it. LOL
Can you see it? Below the name Hill on the right center?
Its classic Hill, funny and loaded with humorous old Norse type words and light enough to not make me shudder at the thought that I'm reading a historical book. No its nothing like the Regencies I do not like but a setting of part of my heritage. I'm 1/8 each of Norwegian and Swedish and English where this all takes place. Angry, forceful hero and not-going-to-take-any-crap heroine, as most of Sandra's lead characters are-enjoyable. I suppose its been on the TBR pile since it came out, after August, 31, 2010?

#6 1/06/11 The Viking Takes A Knight by Sandra Hill HR B

The Viking Is a Princess . . .
All Ingrith wants is refuge for herself and a group of orphans from a vicious Saxon commander who would harm the children and destroy her honor. At her age, she no longer expects to find a husband, or even a lover, especially not the arrogant Lord of the Bees!
John of Hawk's Lair longs for peace and quiet, not a nagging wife and noisy children. As a knight in the king's service, he spends his cherished time at home working on his beekeeping experiments. So when an irksome Viking princess comes barging into his castle with a horde of orphans, he does everything he can to get rid of her. But then a sexual attraction sparks between them, despite their differences, one that soon has them making honey, rather than war . . .

#7 1/09/11 The Icing on the Cake by Alison Kent CR B+
The new True Vows series of “reality-based romances” depicts the courtships of actual couples.
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match . . . dot com! An online dating service is not Michelle Snow's idea of how to find love, but when the Big 3-0 hits, Michelle decides she has nothing to lose since she hasn't brought a date home in ten years, she's professionally burned out, and her climb up the corporate ladder has come at the expense of abandoning her sweet dream: to own a boutique cupcakery. Todd Bracken, early thirties and a successful technology consultant, isn't exactly a player after being off the market for ten years, and pours himself into his dual passions of martial arts and home-sweet-home renovations. Only there's no one to come home to so he decides to give Match.com a try. Todd isn't so sure the Internet dating scene is his thing—until a message pops up in the wee hours on a weekend night: 'I like your smile.' Todd likes—a lot—the whole package that glides into a French bistro in Washington, D.C. It's serious mojo-at-first-sight but there's a glitch: Todd and Michelle live in different cities. Will love find its way in the digital age with a 'You've Got Mail' courtship when video cam kisses just aren't enough? And when Todd challenges Michelle to not only go for her dream but let him share it, will they be able to make it happen together despite obstacles more plentiful than a shower of rainbow sprinkles?

#8 1/13/11 Lady of the Island by Jennifer Greene REREAD - CR A

The last thing Jarl Hendricks ever expected was to find himself face to face with a woman aiming a shotgun at his head! But behind Sara Chapman's bravado, Jarl sensed a very real fear. What or whom was she afraid of? He had to find out why this blue eyed beauty was hiding. Sara knew getting involved with a stranger was dangerous. But instead of asking questions, Jarl slowly won her trust, and instead of rushing her, he carefully enveloped her in his sure embrace. Still, the safety of Sara's young son was at stake. Could she trust Jarl with the truth at the risk of losing his love?

#9 1/00/11
#10 1/00/11
#11 1/00/11
#12 1/00/11