Week in Review 12/16/12

What went on in my life:
We were in our local parade last Sunday (it's our friend's daughter's truck not ours), then it was pretty much a normal week. I had flare-up issues again so it was a good reading week. I made progress on gift-buying for the boys who have been next-to-impossible to buy for this year. I have a little more buying to do, but I am mostly done. Now all that is left is to finish cleaning the house in preparation for Christmas celebration of my husband's family at our house on Christmas morning.  But first I hope the repairman can fix our oven before then so I can make the super-easy overnight french toast I always make.  So please send good vibes for the repairman tomorrow.  I thought that free Jenn Air stove was a blessing last year, but now I'm not thinking it is so much ;)

How was your week?

What I read (links take you to my reviews or to Goodreads page):
Heaven's Fury by Stephen Frey (library) -I haven't read Stephen Frey in awhile and decided to pick this one up. It was pretty good. Hope to review it in the next week or so.
A Million Suns by Beth Revis, Across the Universe #2 (library) -Oh my gosh, this was so great and I was so relieved to see the third book comes out next month. I don't think I could have waited much longer.  Review to come, but there was no second book lag in this one!
Baby It's Cold Outside by Heidi Rice, Amy Andrews, Kate Hardy and Aimee Carson (review) - what a great Christmas/New Year's romance anthology. I loved this, check out my review and giveaway.
All-Together Dead by Charlaine Harris, Sookie Stackhouse #7 (audiobook) - Pretty good, I love the audios of these and all entertain, not one of the best, but a so-so Sookie book is still a worthwhile read!
Political Suicide by Michael Palmer (review) - I received this for review and have read Michael Palmer in the past, and let me tell you this did not disappoint.  I loved this book. Good characters and great plot twists. Review on Monday or Tuesday.

What I received (links take you to Goodreads page):
S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. Marie Adeline - through Edelweiss from Broadway (a division of Random House), publishes February 5, 2013, review 2/5/13.
The Impossibility of Tomorrow by Avery Williams - through Edelweiss from Simon and Schuster  Books for Young Readers, on sale 6/4/13, review 6/4/13
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy - through Edelweiss from Knopf, this is an author I have been meaning to read for a long time so I am excited to get this for review, on sale 2/12/13, review 2/8/13
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay - through Edelweiss from Atria Books, I read a review of this one and it sounds really good, on sale 6/4/13, my review 5/31/13.
A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash - ARC from William Morrow , on sale 1/22/13, review 1/18/13
Reckless by S.C. Stephens - SQUEEE!!! - ARC from Gallery Books (Simon and Schuster) and I was so excited to get this one, now I can read Effortless!  Releases 3/5/13, review 3/1/13

Vicious Circle, Hallowed Circle, Fatal Circle, Arcane Circle, and Wicked Circle by Linda Robertson - from Pocket Books. I'm very excited to receive the whole series in preparation for release of the sixth book, Shattered Circle (which I should receive soon) on 1/29/13.  Look for my reviews of each of these books between now and the end of January.

What I'm Reading Now:
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson (library)- I love Alex Cross and continue to read the books every year.
All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen (review) - This one is from Entangled Teen and I'm excited to read it, my review will be coming this week.
Imitation in Death by J.D. Robb (audiobook) - I realized I haven't read one of her books in awhile and it was time to read one.  I love these on audio.



What are you reading?

Author Interview, Book Review and Giveaway: Baby It's Cold Outside Anthology by Aimee Carson, Amy Andrews, Heidi Rice and Kate Hardy

Baby It's Cold Outside

Authors: Kate Hardy, Heidi Rice, Amy Andrews, Aimee Carson

Genre: Category – Contemporary Romance

Length: 260 pages

ISBN:  978-1-62266-810-6

Release Date: November 2012

Imprint: Indulgence

Interview with Author Aimee Carson
What three things do you need in order to write?
Coffee, my laptop  computer, and more coffee.

What's your favorite season? 
Winter!! I live in the beautiful Black Hills and prefer a walk in the snowy woods over a hot, sandy beach. I  grew up in Florida and my family fears I might have been switched at birth . . .

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Australia.
Preferably via some sort of transporter device that beams me there directly, thus avoiding the 36 hours of travel.

What your favorite treat at Christmas? 
Pumpkin Pie.

What's the first sentence of ‘Tis the Season to be Tempted?

 The urgent ping of the call button broke through the first class cabin
 as the airline passengers prepared for takeoff, some bringing their
 ongoing New Year’s Eve revelry attitudes on board, others clearly
 nursing hangovers from the night before.

Tell us what is ‘Tis the Season to be Tempted about.
After the worst year ever, Evie Burling rings in the New Year alone,  swearing off men forever. But things get complicated when her  brother's best friend, the perfect man with the perfect body, tempts  her to break her vow—if only for one hot night!

I adored writing these two because Evie is such a free spirit. And Wes  was trying so hard to do what he considered to be the right thing—that is, keep his hands to himself!

Dish, who’s your favorite character? 
Well, if we’re talking about books than I would have to go with Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and
Prejudice.

Did you enjoy writing in the novella format, did it present any challenges?
I loved the challenge of writing short, having to choose  every word very carefully and trying to say more with less. It was a very rewarding experience.

What can we expect next from you? 
Next up I have FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING, which comes out this March in the new KISS line from Harlequin.

Thanks Aimee!

My Review:
If you want a book to put you in the mood, I mean holiday spirit, then this is just the anthology for you (wink, wink).

Baby It's Cold Outside is made up of four stories by four authors that center around a freak storm that sets in on the East Coast from Christmas to New Year's.  That's the connecting factor and the snowed in theme makes things very interesting for these four couples and sets the stage well to make these stories work in a short amount of time.  I not only loved the snowed in theme, I also loved the holiday theme using Christmas and New Year's for the stories, not just one of the holidays.  It made the stories really fun to read.  So overall I loved the book, I found the overall theme worked well and the authors stories worked well together in the book.  Now onto the individual stories.

'Tis the Season to Kiss Santa by Kate Hardy:  Ahhh a somewhat tortured hero with a bad past, a girl from England all alone for the holidays, both thrown together to do a good deed that makes your heart melt (and theirs too) and then the snow storm hits and things heat up.  What a story.  I'm never sure if these thrown together stories can work, but Ms. Hardy and the other authors in this anthology made these stories work. The stories may be short, but you can feel the romance come about in 'Tis the Season to Kiss Santa.  And hey she had me at the beginning with the main character named Mitch which is hubby's name.  Loved this story, loved the romance and the love scenes could definitely melt frosting and snow.  Great story and great intro to the book.


'Tis the Season to Love Shopping by Heidi Rice: This could be my favorite. A down on her luck hard-working girl goes to work on Christmas and runs into the playboy son of the store owner and then miscommunication ensues while the blizzard rages outside.  Then playtime and fun begins and not only do inhibitions fall but hearts begin to as well.  I love this. Loved the characters, Ryder was amazing and not what I expected at all and Kate was too. I loved how they were together, how things played out and how things turned out. Amazing story that gives hope and love to the holiday season.

'Tis the Sesaon to be Kissed by Amy Andrews: Now this may have been one of the hottest, tied with the last story.  Tamara has had a rough year and she's just looking to settle down that's why she escapes to her friend's family cabin to avoid making a mistake on New Year's Eve and all is fine until drop-dead sexy Luke shows up.  Luke has just returned from Afghanistan and while he's younger than Tamara he's seen more than he should and maybe he's not just looking for a fling anymore either.  Wow, strip scrabble, dirty talk, drunk on eggnog at 9am, this one is hysterical and hot all in one.  I love it and love the slightly younger man angle as well.  Great read wish I had more of these two, but it works out quite well the way it is told.  Another great addition to this anthology.

Tis the Season to be Tempted by Aimee Carter: I love old crush stories especially when it's ones where the guy feels like he can't touch the friend's younger sister.  This one is hot and involves kitchen utensils used in fun ways.  Wes and Evie just work together. Wes is a great protector of Evie but it's time for him to loosen up and Evie is just the way for him to do it so when they are stuck in a hotel room together (with those kitchen utensils) lets just say things heat up in a major way.  But can they work out how they feel?  You'll just have to read it and see.  This one has the most angst packed in it's short format and I loved it.  Great story, great characters and the heat will have you wishing for a blizzard yourself.  'Tis the Season to Be Tempted is a great way to finish off this anthology.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:

When a freak blizzard hits America’s Eastern seaboard, four pairs of strangers spend a hot night together one cold Christmas season!

‘Tis the Season to Kiss Santa by Kate Hardy

With the help of a sprig of mistletoe and some snow angels, a recently single pastry chef teaches a highly successful and sexy Scrooge the true meaning of the holidays on a snowy Christmas Eve that quickly heats up.

‘Tis the Season to Love Shopping by Heidi Rice

When a Christmas Day blizzard strands an up-and-coming marketing manager and her boss’s very off-limits, very hot playboy son in his department store, the two toe the line between naughty and nice as they unwrap their holiday presents—and each other!

‘Tis the Season to be Kissed by Amy Andrews

A down-on-her-romantic-luck kindergarten teacher plans to drown her New Year’s Eve sorrows in a gallon of spiked eggnog, but the arrival of her best friend’s sexy brother threatens to melt the snow piling up outside the tiny Vermont cabin.

‘Tis the Season to be Tempted by Aimee Carson

After the worst year ever, a jilted music manager rings in the New Year alone, swearing off men forever. But things get complicated when her brother’s best friend, the perfect man with the perfect body, tempts her to break her vow—if only for one hot night!

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 

Aimee Carson:

Website: http://aimeecarson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aimeecarsonmb

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aimeecarsonmb

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4905490.Aimee_Carson

Amy Andrews:

Website: http://www.amyandrews.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Andrews/382936461720040?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyAndrewsbooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1128457.Amy_Andrews

Heidi Rice:

Website: http://heidi-rice.com/

Blog: http://heidi-rice.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidi.rice.524

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiRomRice

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/786456.Heidi_Rice

Kate Hardy:

Website: http://www.katehardy.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkatehardy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katehardyauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/181377.Kate_Hardy

Tour Giveaway:
Amy Andrews is also offering a $10 Amazon gift card to one reader from all blog stops 12/9-12/14. Make sure and enter today!


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My Blog Giveaway:
I have one ebook copy of Baby It's Cold Outside to giveaway courtesy of the publisher. Fill out the Rafflecopter below, ends 12/21. Open international.

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FTC Information: I received this book from Entangled Publishing for an honest review.