Jen in Bookland

Odd Thomas: An Odd Thomas Novel Synopsis: "The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different. A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and w

Entice (Eagle Elite) Synopsis: Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandonato family. Now that he's been given a second chance to right a wrong, he refuses to let his own selfishness stand in the way. The only problem? He's not fully in possession of his heart, so when Mil De Lange — the girl who's innocence he stole and heir to the worst of the worst mafia families in the US — asks him for a favor… he says yes, not realizing that one yes has the power to destroy them all.  Mil's been in love with Chase Winter as long as she can remember, but as the years went by, love turned into hate, and now that he's agreed to help her, she's wondering if she made a fatal error. Because Chase isn't a teenager anymore. He's a hot-blooded male, bent on owning every part of her, body and soul, and he's willing to kill anyone in his path who dares stand in the way. 

Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold) Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery welcomes readers back to Fool's Gold, where a one-time fling could become the real thing... Felicia Swift never dreamed she'd hear a deep, sexy voice from her past in tiny Fool's Gold, California. The last time Gideon Boylan whispered in her ear was half a world away...on the morning after the hottest night of her life. Her freaky smarts have limited her close friendships, and romance, but she came to Fool's Gold looking for ordinary. Gorgeous, brooding Gideon is anything but that.  Black Ops taught Gideon that love could be deadly. Now he pretends to fit in while keeping everyone at arm's length. Felicia wants more than he can give-a home, family, love-but she has a lot to learn about men...and Gideon needs to be the man to teach her.  As these two misfits discover that passion isn't the only thing they have in common, they just might figure out that t

Three Little Words (Fool's Gold) Synopsis: Can first love turn into the real deal in a sizzling new Fool's Gold story from New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery? Isabel Carlisle thinks she's cursed in the romance department. Her teenage crush, Ford Hendrix, ignored all her letters. Her husband left her for another...man. So Isabel has come home to dust off her passion for fashion and run the family bridal shop until her parents are ready to sell it. Then she'll pursue her real dreams. At least, that's the plan, until sexy, charming Ford returns and leaves her feeling fourteen all over again....  Seeing Isabel all grown up hits bodyguard trainer Ford like a sucker punch. Back when heartbreak made him join the military, her sweet letters kept him sane. Now he can't take his eyes—or his lips—off her. The man who gave up on love has a reason to stay in Fool's Gold forever—if three little words can convince Isabel to do the same.... Revi

Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery Synopsis: Though a small town at heart, Lawrenceton, Georgia, has its dark side-and crime buffs. One of whom is librarian Aurora "Roe" Teagarden, a member of the Real Murders Club, which meets once a month to analyze famous cases. It's a harmless pastime -- until the night she finds a member killed in a manner that eerily resembles the crime the club was about to discuss. And as other brutal "copycat" killings follow, Roe will have to uncover the person behind the terrifying game, one that casts all the members of Real Murders, herself included, as prime suspects -- or potential victims. Review: Real Murders was a really boring read. I kept putting it down, reading something else, then trying to finish it again. All of the characters were so one dimensional and just....there was something off about Aurora but I can't figure out what exactly it was. She was so strange, but I don't know why. There was

Freefall: Custom Culture #1 Synopsis: After leaving high school, with a hard won diploma and the title of most likely to break hearts, Alexander “Nix” Pierce has left his wild, out of control years mostly behind him. A small inheritance from his grandfather has given him the funds to open up his tattoo shop, Freefall, and he has started to pull his life together. Aside from trying to keep his best friend, Dray, from killing himself in the fight ring, and his slight obsession with a pin-up model he’s never met, Nix’s life is going smoothly . . . until Scotlyn James, the object of his obsession, walks into his shop.  Ever since a tragic accident killed her family and left her alone in the world, Scotlyn James hasn’t spoken one word. Up until now she didn’t care that she had no way of talking to people. Her awful aunt would never have listened, and Lincoln Hammond the arrogant, selfish man who pulled her from the streets of Los Angeles wouldn’t hear her words if she could sp

The Chance: Book 4 of Thunder Point series Synopsis: With its breathtaking vistas and down-to-earth people, Thunder Point is the perfect place for FBI agent Laine Carrington to recuperate from a gunshot wound and contemplate her future. The locals embraced Laine as one of their own after she risked her life to save a young girl from a dangerous cult. Knowing her wounds go beyond the physical, Laine hopes she'll fit in for a while and find her true self in a town that feels safe. She may even learn to open her heart to others, something an undercover agent has little time to indulge.  Eric Gentry is also new to Thunder Point. Although he's a man with a dark past, he's determined to put down roots and get to know the daughter he only recently discovered. When Laine and Eric meet, their attraction is obvious to everyone. But while the law enforcement agent and the reformed criminal want to make things work, their differences may run too deep…unless they take a cha

It Happened One Wedding Synopsis: SHE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO SAY “I DO” After a humiliating end to her engagement, investment banker Sidney Sinclair is done with commitment-phobic men. But when her sister winds up engaged after a whirlwind courtship, Sidney is thrown into close contact with exactly the kind of sexy playboy she wants to avoid—the gorgeous best man. She’s stuck with him, for better or worse, until her sister walks down the aisle, but that doesn’t mean she has to give in to his smooth advances, no matter how tempting they are… BUT HE MAKES IT HARD TO SAY “I DON’T” Special agent Vaughn Roberts always gets his man on the job and his woman in bed. So Sidney’s refusal to fall for his charms only makes him more determined to win over the cool and confident redhead. Only what starts out as a battle of wills ends up as a serious play for her heart. Because the one woman who refuses to be caught may be the only one Vaughn can’t live without… Review: It Happ

A Lot Like Love (FBI/U.S. Attorney) Synopsis: The FBI wants her cooperation.  As the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of the city’s top wine store, Jordan Rhodes is invited to the most exclusive parties in Chicago. But there’s only one party the FBI wants to crash: the charity fund-raiser of a famous restaurateur, who also happens to launder money for the mob. In exchange for her brother’s release from prison, Jordan is going to be there—with a date supplied by the Bureau.  Agent McCall just wants her.  As the top undercover agent in Chicago, Nick McCall has one rule: never get personal. This “date” with Jordan Rhodes is merely an assignment—one they’re both determined to pull off even if they can’t be together for five minutes before the sarcasm and sparks begin to fly. But when Nick’s investigation is compromised, he and Jordan have no choice but to pretend they’re a couple, and what starts out as a simple assignment begins to feel a lot like something mor

Love Irresistibly (FBI/U.S. Attorney) Synopsis: HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS…  A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.  AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time fr

About That Night (FBI/U.S. Attorney) Synopsis:  Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up, she never expected to see him again. Nine years later, the beautiful assistant U.S. attorney finds herself face to face with Kyle in a courtroom-and still wildly attracted to him. Just released from prison, Kyle isn't thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case. But he may find gorgeous Rylann Pierce is the one lawyer he can't refuse. Review: About That Night was another great read from Julie James. I know I am not reading these books in order, but oh well. This one is all about Kyle and Rylann and man was it good.  Kyle and Rylann had met nine years ago at a bar. Nothing really happens, but they are  both drawn to each other. He ends up walking her home and is supposed to come back and go on a real date....only he never shows

Something About You (FBI/U.S. Attorney) Synopsis: Fate has thrown two sworn enemies... Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends with a death. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and for nearly ruining his career. Into each other's arms... Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it's no joke; the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension. Review: I kept hearing ab

The Long Way Home Synopsis: How lucky can one girl get?  Just ask Jacqueline Croix.  She has it all. The right fiancé, money, looks, and connections.  But everything comes at a cost.  Sometimes that cost is looking the other way when the imperfections of your world start to show themselves.  When something happens that she just can't look away from, she ends up drunk in a Chanel dress at a pity party on the beach in SC. There on the beach, she finally sees the cost of having everything is too high.  Luckily, Jacqueline has one thing most girls like her do not, somewhere to run when she leaves it all behind.  That somewhere happens to be to the open arms of the New York Rangers' right wing, Mike France.  He has always been there through thick and thin, waiting for his chance to make her his.  But how do you go from being best friends to lovers, when you know all the dirty details? Review: *Note I really did not like this book and this might rant

My Sweet Valentine (Pride Series Romance Novels (Volume 7)) Synopsis: Sara Lander was back in town. She had big plans for her inheritance along with her freshly printed business degree and years of experience in some of Seattle’s finest bakeries, she has a rich idea for Pride. Sara's Nook is going to be the next biggest thing to hit town. All she needs now is to steer clear of the hunky ex-Navy SEAL who is hell bent on taking all her focus away from starting her own business. Allen Masters has been living in Pride for several years. Setting up a new branch of the Coastguard and training all the new recruits took years of skill and all his patience. But when he sees the black-haired beauty, who had come back into town, he realized she was the one he'd been searching for. Taking one taste of her sweets, he knew he'd be in for a sinful time, but losing his focus while flying into the eye of a storm was the last thing he could afford. Review: When I saw My S

Legal Briefs (Lawyers in Love) Synopsis: Once upon a time, childhood enemies grew up and fell in love ...  Smart and sassy lawyer, Lily Adler, has been waging an epic battle with handsome and cocky Assistant District Attorney, Adam Roth since "the glitter incident" in preschool when they were four. Their friends' marriage, a mysterious neighbor, a federal trial, and some bossy big sisters guarantee they'll be spending plenty of time together. When they try to play nicely, will they discover that their reaction to each other is even more volatile? Can they manage to date without anyone sustaining injury? Can they avoid the mobsters trying to kill them without killing each other first? Find out in Legal Briefs. Review: After reading the second book in this series and being disappointed I didn't have high expectations for Legal Briefs . The only reason I went on to read it was because I remembered liking the first book so much, and I was hoping th

The Edge of Never Synopsis: Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish. Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever? Review: The Edge of Never is a book I have had on my to read list for a while. I finally got

Forever Too Far: A Rosemary Beach Novel (The Rosemary Beach Series) Synopsis: When you find your reason for living, hold onto it. Never let it go. Even if it means burning other bridges along the way. Things haven’t been easy for Blaire and Rush. The couple has been tested by the revelation of shocking family secrets and a surprising event that forced them to come to terms with their future. Yet there has never been any doubt: their love knows no limits, and they’ll do whatever it takes to stay together. Now they’re ready to settle down in Rosemary Beach and build a family. For Blaire, it’s a fantasy come true. But while Rush has promised Blaire forever, his loyalty to his spoiled and manipulative sister, Nan, strains their would-be happiness. Rush is ready to be a family man, but which family will he ultimately choose? Review: Man I remembered not liking Forever Too Far as much as the other Rush/Blaire books, but I didn't remember disliking Rush at any poin