Jen in Bookland

A Kiss for Midwinter (The Brothers Sinister) Synopsis: Miss Lydia Charingford is always cheerful, and never more so than at Christmas time. But no matter how hard she smiles, she can't forget the youthful mistake that could have ruined her reputation. Even though the worst of her indiscretion was kept secret, one other person knows the truth of those dark days: the sarcastic Doctor Jonas Grantham. She wants nothing to do with him...or the butterflies that take flight in her stomach every time he looks her way. Jonas Grantham has a secret, too: He's been in love with Lydia for more than a year. This winter, he's determined to conquer her dislike and win her for his own. It all starts with a wager and a kiss... A Kiss for Midwinter is a novella (38,000 words) in the Brothers Sinister series. It follows The Duchess War. Each book stands on its own, but those who prefer to read in order might want to read that book first. Review: A Kiss for Midwinter

The Heiress Effect (The Brothers Sinister Book 2) Synopsis: Miss Jane Fairfield can’t do anything right. When she’s in company, she always says the wrong thing—and rather too much of it. No matter how costly they are, her gowns fall on the unfortunate side of fashion. Even her immense dowry can’t save her from being an object of derision. And that’s precisely what she wants. She’ll do anything, even risk humiliation, if it means she can stay unmarried and keep her sister safe. Mr. Oliver Marshall has to do everything right. He’s the bastard son of a duke, raised in humble circumstances—and he intends to give voice and power to the common people. If he makes one false step, he’ll never get the chance to accomplish anything. He doesn’t need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn’t need to fall in love with her. But there’s something about the lovely, courageous Jane that he can’t resist…even though it could mean the ruin of them both. Review: M

  Available now on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: Grayson Ford and Emma Kinglsey--close since they were kids, opposites in every way. He's the stuff high school crushes are made of, Mister Popular, and captain of every team. She's artsy, cute, and not in his league, though fully aware of Summerland's "I Dream of Dating Grayson Ford" support group. I can't say no. The girl's had my heart since before I knew it went missing. He hides a life of hell. His father hates him, his mother's gone. Emma is his only savior, yet she doesn't know her power over him. She's the only girl he wants, the only one he could ever tell--though he won't. I'm stronger, bigger, more of a man than he'll ever be, but because I ruined his life, I've taken his crap, his attacks, the vulgar nature of his existence. Until she discovers Gray's embarrassment, his humiliation. Emma fights for him

The Martian: A Novel Synopsis: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there. It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourceful

Imperfectly Perfect (A Series of Imperfections Book 1) Synopsis: Emma, Tyler and Shane have been best friends since they were kids. Along with their college addition, Rob, the four friends have an exciting life in NYC. In fact, Emma Sloan appears to have it all. Despite being happy with her current situation, a big family announcement leaves Emma questioning whether she is truly content with her life. With her thirtieth birthday fast approaching she vows to find her 'perfect' man any way she can. But Emma will soon discover that the path of true love never runs smoothly and that sometimes, instead of chasing love, you have to wait for love to find you... Review: Imperfectly Perfect was an alright read. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. I did really like the ending and how this was not the normal romance in a lot of ways. I like that Emma did not have the "normal" happily ever after in a lot of way, but it works for her. Emm

The Duchess War (The Brothers Sinister Book 1) Synopsis: Sometimes love is an accident. This time, it’s a strategy. Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly--so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don't get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention. But that is precisely what she gets. Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he's up to, he realizes there is more to than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he's determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match... Review: The Duchess War was so much fun to read! It is a great old timey romance with

Playing for Love (Summer Beach Vets 1) Synopsis: escape Down Under...and find love in Summer Beach, where cold noses touch warm hearts  Sara needs to escape—and an idyllic seaside town on the other side of the world seems like the perfect place. She’d always wanted to visit Australia, but the first thing she meets on the gorgeous, white sand beach is not a kangaroo but a wounded, lost Beagle! Veterinarian, Dr Craig Murray, can’t get the beautiful, curvy American out of his mind. They might come from different cultures—and even speak different “English” sometimes—but he knows they could have a future together. Can he convince Sara that this is more than just a vacation fling? Then Sara discovers that Craig isn’t quite what he seems and the past that she was running away from comes back to haunt her. Now she needs to decide if she can risk it all again for another chance at love… Review: Playing for Love is just a super simple, cheesy romance. A good light su

The Girl Most Likely Synopsis: No one wants to take a risk on The Girl Most Likely To Have Fun...except the one person in the world she'd rather not ask. Katie Buick dreams of opening her own niche restaurant, but finding a financial backer for a reformed party girl is proving impossible. Until she makes a final desperate plea to Ric Emerson, former geek and high school friend turned successful businessman. Too bad they haven't spoken since she humiliated him before their prom. The last thing she expects is for him to say yes, or for him to have made such a complete transformation from old friend to heartthrob. But she learned the hard way that nothing good comes from mixing business with pleasure. Ric knows Katie's idea is brilliant, and with his business acumen and her work ethic, they're sure to be a success. Building the business brings Ric and Katie closer together. Chemistry still simmers between them, blurring the lines between personal and professional

The Law of Moses Synopsis: If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare. Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start. It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Book 1) Synopsis: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs. A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography. Review: I first read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children back when it first came out. I remembered enjoying it, but didn't remember the storyline at all. When it was chosen for my one book club book for this mont

Beautiful Innocence (Southern Comfort Book 2) Synopsis: Life hasn’t always been easy for nineteen-year old Ava Berry, but her and her mom have always gotten through things together. When her mom suddenly disappears, Ava knows she’s in trouble. Her mom would never leave her alone with the likes of her vile boyfriend and his evil son. Ava sees her one chance to break away and she makes a run for the one home she always desired, but never had. Josh Woods, a twenty-eight year old self-proclaimed bachelor has no desire to settle down—ever. While working at Wood Securities, his brother’s private investigation firm, many files have landed on his desk. Nothing prepares him for the pair of blue eyes attached to his latest case and the sheer power they have to be his game changer. Will Josh be able to keep Ava safe from her past or will the threat destroy his chance at happiness with the one girl who managed to open up his heart? Review: Beautiful Innocence is a really swee

Chasing Rhodes (Rock Falls Series Book 1) Synopsis: ***Can be read as a standalone or as part of the Rock Falls series Hannah Rhodes has just gotten out of a long term relationship, and she isn't looking for a new man in her life. But after a night out with the girls and one too many tequila shots, her plans to stay man free are blown all to hell. She finds herself in bed with the smoldering stranger from a party six months back and immediately knows she's in trouble, big trouble. And the last thing Hannah needs is more trouble. Her last relationship took her out like an emotional freight train, and she’s trying to piece back the stability her life once had. Greyson Holt’s biggest fear in life is to end up like his father, like the man who left him as a child, and broke his mother’s heart. He vowed to never be responsible for that kind of carnage. Men could be cruel and that kind of brutality was in his blood. He never allows himself to get too close to any

Can't Buy Me Love (Right Side of Wrong Book 1) Synopsis: A grifter looking to make good... Kat Harris is good at three things: lying, running, and listening to her con artist parents. All three collided when she fell for a man that was supposed to be a mark, forcing the Harris family to flee Sulla Valley forever. Five years later, her dad’s in jail and she’s back in search of a fresh start—and a new opportunity to rekindle an old romance. Problem is, the only family she has left isn’t so keen on going legit, and a criminal past like hers isn’t that easy to outrun. A billionaire tempted to break bad... Adam has no time for any woman with dollar signs in her eyes—especially since the girl he’d fallen for turned out to be a gold-digging hustler. So when she walks back into his life, he’s prepared to kick her right back to the curb her felonious family came from. If only he could forget how good they were together. Sometimes, two wrongs make a delicious right.

Synopsis: I lived in paradise, and I loved Spencer Pierce. At fourteen, my life was perfect. The beach was my playground, and the boy who stole my heart lived just around the corner. But perfect never lasts. In one horrifying moment, I lost it all. My family was destroyed, and the boy I believed in turned his back on me. Paradise became a nightmare. That was five years ago. Everything changed when we moved from our home by the sea. I’ve changed, and I don’t like who I’ve become. I miss the smiling, carefree beach girl who disappeared that terrible night. I want to find her again. I want to face the people we ran from so long ago. Most of all, I have to face Spencer. So I can prove that when he broke my heart, he didn’t break me. But when I see him again, Spencer Pierce is no longer the boy from my memories. He’s now a man who could devastate me if I let him. He watches me when he thinks I’m not looking. There’s regret written on his face when he’s near. Each time I s

Falling Away: The Fall Away Series Synopsis: Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid. K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away.... K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door. Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As the bond between them grows, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his s

Rival: A Fall Away Novel Synopsis: Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war… She’s back. For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night. I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game… I’m back. Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me. But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me…. Review: Rival was an interesting read. I really enjoy Penelope Douglas' work, and this was no exception. Going into it I wasn't sure how much I would like it as it seemed like it would be very similar to the Bully story, the whole I hate you but I lo

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: [ob-li-gey-shuh n] An obligation is a course of action that someone is required to take, whether legal or moral.   At six years old, Myla was sent to a family her father and mother had chosen for her when they knew their time on earth was almost up. What they were unaware of was what they thought would be her safe haven would become her living hell.  Kai has been watching Myla from afar since he took over the family business from his father and inherited the responsibility of keeping her safe. When word gets back to Kai that Myla is not only in danger, but that his assets are being compromised, he immediately jumps into action and does the only thing that can be done at the time by marrying her.  Neither Myla nor Kai would have thought that something that started off as a farce would become the most important thing either of them could've ever done. Review: