Day / July 4, 2011

by mvbookreviewer

Pick of the Month & Giveaway!

Being blessed with the ability to read and enjoy books is one of the many things that I am thankful for in life. Though I may never say it enough, I always appreciate the hard work that authors put forth to deliver us with books that give us the most beautiful and luscious stories of love without which the world of romanceaholics like mine would be incomplete.

To show my appreciation to all those authors who light up my world by creating those stories that make my day, I have decided to host a pick of the month event on my blog which would be held each month starting from this point forward. The pick of the month post will also on most occasions be included with a chance for visitors like yourself to participate in a giveaway, most probably of my pick of the month.

Since this is the start of an event that has been a long time coming, I aim to kick start the Pick of the Month post with a bang and this month’s post will include my favorite reads for each of the months from January till June of this year. And the good news – I’ll be giving away 6 books in this months post and you can pick which one you would like from all the 6 books in my favorites list for the year up till now.

So without further ado, I move onto the list of my favorite books from January till June for the year 2011.

January

singmyname.JPGSing My Name by Ellen O’Connell is an American-Western historical romance that just about took my breath away. I fell in love with Matt Slade hook, line and sinker and made my entrance into 2011 by kick-starting my reading fest with this great read. Kudos to Ellen O’Connell who continues to amaze me with her evocative storytelling that never fails to please the senses. And here’s to many more of such fabulous reads from her in the future!

February

sweetassin.JPGSweet as Sin by Inez Kelley is my pick of the month for February. And what an amazing find this turned out to be as Inez Kelley pulls no punches with the story and the depth of emotion that she delivers right along with enough sensuality to make your hormones and other  vital organs sit up and take notice. John Murphy is one hero that anyone who loves romance should read about because he invokes all the right sort of emotions from the reader making this one of the best contemporary romances I have read to date! Please let there be more from where this came from!!

March

Alotlikelove.JPGWith Jed Hill’s chiseled jaw gracing the cover, A Lot Like Love by Julie James lived up to and surpassed all my high expectations when it comes to Ms. James. Nick McCall’s smoldering sensuality, the lively banter between Jordan and Nick together with the scorching hot romance and a healthy dose of a creepy villain to liven things up, Julie James lit up my world with the most beautiful of colors as I tumbled head over heels in love with this delectable read! Here’s to an author who continues to grow with each novel that she publishes and a prayer that Spring 2012 gets here as soon as possible.

April

begformercy.JPGReceiving an ARC of Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden was the best thing to happen to me during the month of April. Intense with a capital “I”, Beg for Mercy is a novel that delivers on all counts where romantic suspense is concerned. I couldn’t get enough of Cole Williams and his smoldering sensuality which bursts forth upon his total loss of control where Megan is concerned. Fast paced, Beg for Mercy is a romantic suspense that is not to be missed, the sequel to this one I am stalking even as I write this.

May

Yourstokeep.JPGWith so many great books to line my e-book shelves during the month of May, Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey still managed to worm its way to the top of my favorite reads of the month. My first taste of Shannon Stacey certainly proved to be addictive as I practically inhaled the 3rd book in the Kowalski Family series, because yes it was that good! Sean and Emma’s chemistry is combustive, their passion the heartwarming and toe-tingling kind and the love and romance just enough to make you sigh and moon in all the right places. A contemporary romance not to be missed is what this delectable edition is  & if you want a taste of what I am talking about you can always enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of this one.

June

provokeme_msr.jpgProvoke Me by Cari Quinn wins hands down any contests between my June reads as she once again dazzled me with the unique blend of romance, witty banter and passion of the knock-your-socks-off and then some variety as I gobbled up this goody in one sitting while reeling from one of those 24-hour bugs that plagued me that day. Spencer continues to stalk me and my dreams even long afterwards, provoking me to do a re-read of this very tasty plus sized novel that any fan of contemporary erotic romance should not miss! Spencer darling, you can rock my world any time and I would welcome you with open arms and then some – if you know what I mean! LOL! Kudos to Ms. Quinn for rocking my world in more ways than one with Provoke Me and I can’t wait to see what she does with the rest of the interesting characters in her Unveiled series!

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

For a chance to enter and win a copy of any of the 6 books included in my pick of the month list (please note that all of them would be e-books), you need to do the following and leave a comment with this post signalling which book you would like and why. Please leave your e-mail address so that I would be able to contact you at the end of the giveaway if you win a copy of the book of your choice!
  1. Leaving a comment behind stating why you would love to win a copy of that particular book gives you a single entry.
  2. If you share this post on Facebook or Twitter, you gain 5 more entries for each. Please state in your comment if you have done so.
Go on and spread the word because I give you my word that each of the books included in my list are to die-for!
Giveaway will end on the 6th of July 2011. I will be announcing the winners hopefully sometime on the 7th! Good luck and don’t forget to leave a comment behind!
by mvbookreviewer

Review: Dangerous Kisses by Trish Milburn

Format: E-bookdangerouskisses
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Jake Radley
Heroine: Sydney Blackburn
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 7, 2011
Started On: July 2, 2011
Finished On: July 2, 2011

I am someone who wants to give in to a good crying jag when I pick up books that do not live up to my expectations. This one stirred my interest and of course along with it my ‘high’ expectations upon seeing the rave 5-star reviews for the book on Amazon. Needing a good romantic suspense with enough scorching passion to light up my world, I trusted the reviews and believed that Dangerous Kisses would deliver a smashing read and sadly I found this to be just an average read, most of the story which I skimmed through to reach the end.

32 year old Sydney Blackburn is the police beat reporter for The Nashville Courier and someone who takes her job of keeping the public informed very seriously. When a girl is found murdered in her town, all her reporter senses go on red-alert knowing that the police would always withhold vital facts that could save someone from stumbling onto a killer’s path.

Jake Radley is the officer in charge of the investigation of the murder of Maggie Field, a murder which brings home the fact that Nashville has a serial killer amongst its midst. Jake is a man who has been burnt badly by a reporter early on on in his career with her ambition to get ahead no matter the consequences. Needless to say, Jake has a deep rooted mistrust for reporters which rears its ugly head when the beautiful reporter from The Nashville Courier is relentless in her efforts to get the details of the investigation from him.

All that Sydney knows is that although Jake’s mere presence makes her feel breathless with longings better left unvoiced, Jake has no such problems when he goes out of his way to be his utmost rudest with her. But when the killer’s unwanted attention focuses on Sydney, Jake pulls out all the stops in his quest to keep her safe from harms way, the result of the ‘forced’ proximity building up a layer of intimacy between the two which makes both Jake and Sydney give into their desire of one another. However, Jake is a man who believes that he is better off alone and goes out of his way to drive home the fact until it might be all too late to let the woman he loves know that he is a man who is ready for the ultimate commitment.

For me, Dangerous Kisses didn’t make that much of an exceptional impression. Yes there was a hot hero and there was a gutsy heroine who didn’t back down but I just didn’t feel that sizzle between the two and didn’t find myself captivated by the chemistry between them. The killer though creepy made for an okay villian and even though he managed to surprise me when his identity was revealed, yet again I wasn’t wowed with the thriller aspect of the novel as well. It just pains me to write reviews such as this one when I am someone who reads for enjoyment, the sizzle and the adventure which provides me with my escape from reality. Though this one didn’t live up to the mark for me, it just might be what the doctor ordered for you.

Recommended for fans of Trish Milburn.

Now I am seriously in need of a story that would deliver me from the funk I find myself in at the moment. Sigh!!!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

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