The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley~~DIK Reading Challenge

 The year is 1881. Meet the Mackenzie family--rich, powerful, dangerous, eccentric. A lady couldn't be seen with them without ruin. Rumors surround them--of tragic violence, of their mistresses, of their dark appetites, of scandals that set England and Scotland abuzz.

The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.

Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.

And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.

My Thoughts:
As much I as I wanted to read The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, I put it off for reasons unknown. I think maybe because there was so much hype about this book and I read so many great and promising reviews I was scared to read it. Fearing that I would be disappointed in reading my first Jennifer Ashley book, because I was expecting so much out of it.

Ms. Ashley did a wonderful job portraying Ian's idiosyncrasies  associated with the not yet known diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome. Ian was considered the Mad Mackenzie, having spent his part of his childhood suffering the various tortures called medical science in an insane asylum. His older brother Hart wasted no time in getting him released immediately after their father's death. As an adult Ian is unable to make eye contact, is easily distracted, and has an amazing mind that remembers every detail of everything he reads, sees or hears.

Beth is a widow from the work house who was fortunate enough to land herself a position a Lady's companion to the dear old Mrs. Barrington, who upon her death leaves everything to Beth. Her first encounter with Ian leaves her breathless and questioning her own sanity along with his. Circumstances see Beth leaving for Paris and having Ian chase her there.

Beth lands herself smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery that is swirling around the Mackenzie brothers. Not only is Ian bound and determined to keep Beth safe and separate from the ordeal, he wants Beth for himself always. Beth having already turned down one proposal from Ian , he is need of a way to convince her to stay with him.

I fell in love with Ian and all of his little craziness. His protective nature and the inability to share feelings or understand emotions, his love of porcelain bowls,  everything about him. Beth was perfect for him in all ways. Neither of them fit into the box that Society has for all of the upperclass, but they fit together perfectly.

Ms. Ashley certainly didn't disappoint, and all of the rave reviews I read were completely true. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is certainly a 5 star read!

Raunchy Romance and Steamy Covers?!?!?---got a clue?

I am kind of wishing that I did my blog hopping yesterday. I didn't and now I am a day late in reading the latest criticism to the Romance genre and the avid fans. Thanks to Heather posting "What A Load Of Crock" yesterday, I was able to not only read the current criticism but also some of the responses that have been directed to the author of this ridiculous so called review.  The Berkley Beacon decided that they were going to Judge a raunchy book by its steamy cover.

I have to say that I definitely agree with Heather... what a load of crock!!! Did this person read the novels or did she/he do just what the title of the article say... judge the book by its cover and subsequent blurb? This drivel definitely doesn't deserve the attention that it's getting. To say that she/he has riled the fans of romance is an understatement. Nora fans every where are going to want to scratch this one's eyes out!! All of the commenters to the article have definitely done a superb job in letting the author of the article know just how far she/he has over stepped in stereotyping all of us who read these books.

I am not a single woman with a house full of cats. I am happily married, a stay at home mom with two kids, two dogs and yes I do own a cat. My cat would take offense to being a called a cat...she is more dog than my Westie. OK I know that Lancelot is not going to appreciate that comment, but hey what can you say...
I read romance because I enjoy it, just like I enjoy sitting down and watching an excellent movie. However I have found that I enjoy the book much more than I enjoy the movie.

OK lets get back to the title of this article for a moment...Judging these books by their steamy covers The Beacon reviews raunchy romance novels from Danielle Steel to Etherington's NASCAR sagas

The books chosen for this article are:
Full Throttle by Wendy Etherington 
Her Colorado Man by Cheryl St. John
Irish Thoroughbred by Nora Roberts
Toxic Bachelors by Danielle Steele

Is it just me or is there nothing racy or steamy about these covers. They are surprisingly mild, and IMHO kind of boring!! Nora Roberts book is the only one that is showing being published before 2000, being published in 1981.

I am not going to break down this article piece by piece. Let it be known that it is blatantly obvious that this columnist didn't do her homework/research. She must have been in a hurry to meet a deadline with nothing better to write about. While romance books are not every ones cup of tea they do appeal to a very large group of people that come from all walks of life and are very diverse in professionalism and education. To insult these readers and the authors who write these books shows us just how ignorant and self absorbed, not to mention small minded, that this person really is.

And by the way I have never bought a book from the grocery store!!! My books come from book stores, Wal Mart (because there is not a bookstore in my town), and Amazon!

My Newest Endeavor!

I have been pretty absent from my blog of late. I have checked in and done some blog hopping over the last few weeks, commenting occasionally. Now not only am I letting my blog fall to the wayside I am not reading. It really is aggravating!! I want to read. I have two books started, not to mention the task that I have set for myself of reading the Bible. Now my husband and I have started taking the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class through our church, this comes with more reading. I don't feel like I have to read, although I know I am suppose to read his book along with the class assignments...can't I leave that to my husband? I mean I just don't feel like reading anything.

And on top of the "required" reading I am suppose to help with the budget. Yeah Right! I haven't paid a bill in over eight years. Ron handles it all. He is a little bit of a control freak when it comes to that, and I just kind of let him have his way. Less headaches for me, right. It was really very hard for me to relinquish that control. I mean I had been working since I was 13 (in the family pizza place) and had complete control over my money. Yes I made some huge errors in judgment, not once but twice, when it came to allowing the person I was in a relationship have access to my credit card and bank account. I learned my lesson well the second time around. So letting my husband take over all of the bills was hard. I still have issues with it. I just dealt with it a little differently... I don't have anything in my name. I refuse to have anything in my name... I don't want that worry. Granted yes I know I am married and his debt is my debt, but it was just a little easier for me to say put the car in your name or no I don't want that credit card in both of our names. I do have a credit card in my name, but we never use it. OK never is too strong of a word. I use it occasionally and he makes sure that it is paid off when the bill comes in. Let me get back on track---BUDGET---Now in this class Dave Ramsey says that opposites attract and that means there is most likely a Nerd and a Free Spirit in the marriage... I immediately said my husband is the Nerd!! He is the one that likes the spread sheets, budgets, everything has its place and should be in that place. I am more of the free spirit. I am not organized at all! Nothing has a place...well except things like toilet paper and trashbags---you know what I mean the toilet paper goes on the holder and there should be a trash bag in every trash can!

The Nerd is suppose to make the budget and the free spirit is just suppose to show up to the budget meeting and make one change. My husband and I were discussing this this morning. He told me he doesn't think he can let me make one change. He can't relinquish that control. However for the Financial Peace to work we both have to be involved in the decision making of where we put the money and what name each dollar gets. I am a very easy going person, and would rather not fiddle with all of the hard work that it takes to make and maintain the budget, so I told him fine... give me an allotment of money each month that I can do with what I please, no questions asked and no bitching later. Of course he jumped at the opportunity.

But as I sit here this morning going over the conversation and the last two classes... I am thinking "You know, I am a Nerd!" I may not be into Excel spread sheets, graphs, and charts the way my husband is. But I don't spend willy nilly either. I only buy what I know is needed for the house and the kids. The only exception to this is my book habit. Which I really don't spend much on. Right now I think I am down to buying two books a month. Yes I get more than that a month, but I am trying to get all of this under control. With over 200 books to read I don't need to spend the money to buy new books. I only buy the ones that I have had on radar for over a month. If they slip from the radar then they don't get bought.

So in an attempt to take a more active role in our financial state I am going to make myself sit down and read a book on Money! I am going to go to the website and I am going to print out the budget forms. And I am going to take all of this very seriously. Which means I might actually have an argument with my husband over money in the coming months. I might actually go out and get a job waiting tables. Why waiting table and not something else, well because it is an easy job with flexible hours and its quick money!! Plus I love the interaction with all the different people. I have always enjoyed working in the restaurant. I am thinking this came from working in the family Pizza place for so many years, I mean when I had Michaela I took her to work with me in her car carrier and set her on the shelf behind the register...She was on display not hidden somewhere dark. lol As she got older she would tag along behind me either in the kitchen or in the dining room. --OK rambling again-- But most importantly I want to blog about my adventure into my finances, the ups and downs of it, the aggravation of spread sheets, the creating of a weekly menu so I know exactly what to buy at the grocery store and what we will be eating that week, etc.

I am hoping that with this Financial Peace class and the two book challenges I am indulging in will give me the gumption to come back and blog on a regular basis again!

I Need Help!!

I am trying to choose which picture to use for the ROR Spring Challenge. I like both, but I am a little partial to one . I don't know how to do a poll so would you just comment and tell me whether you like the fountain or the tree more. Thanks, I really appreciate the help!!

All Night With A Rogue by Alexandra Hawkins

IT BEGAN AS A FAVOR

Seduce Lady Juliana Ivers and then cast her aside: Those are his sister’s instructions. Alexius Braverton, Marquess of Sinclair--known as Sin to the ton--is happy enough to oblige, especially when he catches a glimpse of his target. Juliana is completely unlike the empty-headed chits who barely hold his attention for a week. A true gentleman would leave her to find a worthy suitor. But then, a Lord of Vice would never claim to be a gentleman.

WOULD IT END IN FOREVER?

Juliana is expected to marry well to improve her family’s finances, even if she secretly longs to make a living through her musical compositions. A dalliance can only complicate matters, though not even practical Juliana can help succumbing to the aptly named Sin. But one unforgettable night will draw her into a scandalous affair and a seduction begun as sport will soon become deliciously, dangerously real.



My Thoughts:

First let me start with saying that this cover is totally Awesome! I am loving all the red and the sensually posed couple.

The lovely Juliana finds herself in quite the predicament after she flees her dinner escort's unwanted advances. Stuck in a tree she has no choice but to bite her tongue when Sin and his lady of the moment wander into her view for their lovers' tryst. Sin comes to Lady Juliana's rescue and becomes completely enchanted with her. Leaving him standing in the back gardens without giving her name, he has vowed that he will find his lybbestre again and make her his...for the moment.

Sin's sister, Duchess Belinda, has taken a dislike to Juliana. She feels that Juliana has effectively taken Lord Kyd's affections, the one man that she is in love with, and she wants revenge. The spiteful Belinda has asked her notorious brother, in a Cruel Intentions (you know the movie I am talking about) sort of way, to not only seduce Juliana but to publicly dispose of their relationship and in turn effectively ruining Juliana and any chance of her making a good match. Not that Juliana has any intentions of following through with her mother's desires to marry... she has her own agenda which definitely contributed to the bulls-eye that has landed on her back.

All Night With A Rogue has a plot that is full of twists and turns creating a story that will hold your attention and keep you turning the pages. My only concern with this book was that the author, in my opinion, did not dedicate enough time (pages) to the love affair between Sin and Juliana. Their is definitely plenty to keep the story's flow moving, but I would have loved to see a little more between the couple. How  Ms. Hawkins would be able to accomplish it without having to take away from the side plots is beyond me... I certainly would not want to lose any of them. Juliana's mother was something to behold, I wanted to reach in and wring her neck quite a few times... I mean what was she thinking! I thoroughly enjoyed the tangled web that was weaved in All Night With A Rogue, and I look forward to reading more from the Lord of Vice series.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Thought I would share a few laughs...

My husband has been sending me emails left and right today... well he sends so many that I don't normally read them all completely through, but today's batch have me busting my gut! Hope you guys enjoy some of my husbands sense of humor!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love Dress

A woman stopped by, unannounced, at her son's house.
She knocked on the door then immediately walked in. She was
shocked to see her daughter-in-law lying on the couch,
totally naked. Soft music was playing, and the aroma of
perfume filled the room.

"What are you doing?!" she asked.

"I'm waiting for Mike to come home from
work," the daughter-in-law answered.

"But you're naked!" the mother-in-law
exclaimed.

"This is my love dress," the daughter-in-law
explained.

"Love dress? But you're naked!"

"Mike loves me and wants me to wear this dress,"
she explained. "It excites him to no end. Every time he
sees me in this dress, he instantly becomes romantic and
ravages me for hours on end. He can't get enough of
me"

The mother-in-law left. When she got
home, she undressed, showered, put on her best perfume,
dimmed the lights, put on a romantic CD, and laid on the
couch, waiting for her husband to arrive. Finally, her
husband came home.

He walked in and saw her laying there so provocatively.
"What are you doing?" he asked.

"This is my love dress," she whispered
sensually.

"Needs ironing," he said. "What's for
dinner?

He never heard the gunshot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Candy with Little Holes

 

The children began to identify the flavors by their color:

Red.......................Cherry
Yellow...................Lemon
Green...................Lime
Orange ................Orange

Finally the teacher gave them all HONEY lifesavers. None
of the children could identify the taste.

The teacher said, 'I will give you all a clue. It's what your
mother may sometime call  your father.'

One little girl looked up in horror, spit her lifesaver out and
yelled, 'Oh my God! They're ass-holes!

The teacher had to leave the room!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SLOW DAY IN TEXAS

    It's a slow day in a little East Texas town. The sun is beating down, and the streets are deserted.  Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.....
 
    On this particular day a rich tourist from back east is driving through town. He stops at the motel and lays a $100 bill on the desk saying he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick  one to spend the night.
 
      As soon as the man walks upstairs, the owner grabs the
bill and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
 
      The butcher takes the $100 and runs down the street to
retire his debt to the pig farmer.
 
       The pig farmer takes the $100 and heads off to pay his
bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.

       The guy at the Farmer's Co-op takes the $100 and runs to
pay his debt to the local prostitute, who has also been facing
hard times and  has had to offer her "services" on credit.

        The hooker rushes to the hotel and pays off her room
bill with the hotel owner.
           
       The hotel proprietor then places the $100 back on the
counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything.
 
      At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, picks
up the $100 bill, states that the rooms are not satisfactory,
pockets the money, and leaves town.
 
       No one produced anything. No one earned anything.
 
However, the whole town is now out of debt and now looks to the future with a lot more optimism.
 
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States Government

is conducting business today. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are in trouble...

The population of this country is 300 million.

160 million are retired.



That leaves 140 million to do the work.




There are 85 million in school.





Which leaves 55 million to do the work.




Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal government..




Leaving 20 million to do the work.





2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied with killing Osama
Bin-Laden.



Which leaves 17.2 million to do the work.




Take from that total the 15.8 million people who work for state and city
Governments. And that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.





At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals.



Leaving 1,212,000 to do the work.



Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons.




That leaves just two people to do the work.



You and me.



And there you are,



Sitting on your butt,



At your computer.

Nice.

Real nice.

Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath

Book 2 in the Scoundrels of St. James Series

January 2009 - 978-0-06-135564-6

Once a pickpocket and thief, Jack Dodger is now the wealthy owner of one of London's most exclusive gentlemen's clubs.

But after one of his patrons bequeaths him his London residence, Jack finds himself dealing with the man's lovely widow.

When Olivia, Duchess of Lovingdon, is forced to share her beloved home with the notorious--and deliciously wicked--Jack Dodger, she quickly discovers that between the devil and desire, the only choice is surrender.

My Thoughts: I admit I chose this book for its cover and title. I don't think I even read the blurb that went along with it until I had my heart set on buying this particular book. I had never read Lorraine Heath, so why not give another author a shot at staying on my radar. Little did I know that it was the second book in Ms. Heath's Scoundrels of St. James series. You can read this one by itself, it is written to where you won't be in the dark by missing the first book. However you know, well anyone that reads romance on a regular basis will know, that there has to be another story before Jack's and that there most likely will be more to follow.

The blurb definitely describes Jack to a "T", he is deliciously wicked. He was a bastard child running the streets of London until one fateful day when he was notified that he had acquired an anonymous benefactor. The money he received from his benefactor aided him in building one of the most popular gaming hells in London and earning him quite a reputation among the elite. Ladies are whispering their tales of him over tea, while the men are paying enormous prices for him to keep their secrets in his club.

Jack has been summoned to a not so familiar Lord's residence for the reading of the will, his first encounter with the Duchess, Olivia. Sparks fly and wills collide after the reading is complete. Not only has Olivia lost her home to Jack, but she just may lose any say in the raising of her only child. Olivia is the epitome of everything that is proper, following the rules of society to a T. She is finding it rather difficult to share her home, well not her home, with the devil himself.

I enjoyed watching Jack and Olivia battle each other at every turn, watching them fall in love, despite what society deemed proper. Between the Devil and Desire was a fun, fascinating read that kept me enthralled to the very end. Jack has some scars that he hides and makes it difficult for him to care for anything other than his next coin, and watching these scars come forward was heart wrenching. I had only one small problem with the book, but thankfully the author did not go into great detail, and it did not take away from the 5 star rating that I have given to this book. I loved it!

The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter~~DIK Reading Challenge

Publisher: HQN Books (May 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0373772467

His powers — Inhuman
His passion — Beyond immortal . . .

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member — a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction — and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

My Thoughts:

I have heard a lot of wonderful things about this series, however after reading The Darkest Fire I was not entirely sure that I would even get through this book. I am definitely going to say that my first thoughts were completely wrong. I was gripped and pulled into The Darkest Night almost instantaneously. I can only say that my hesitation and concerns were brought on because of how much I don't like reading short stories/anthologies. To me they just don't give enough of the author's talent for writing and things often progress too quickly between the hero and heroine for my liking. I guess I have to be a big fan of the author's previous works to really enjoy an anthology.

Maddox is one of several Warriors that have been cursed by the Gods for their actions and the part they played in opening Pandora's box releasing some of the most vile and evil demons to grace the planet. The Gods made warrior and demon one. Well I guess not necessarily one, as they are constantly at odds with each other, battling for dominance. Maddox received the most viscous of demons, Violence.

Ashlyn has been blessed, or cursed, with the ability to hear voices/conversation from the past. Anywhere she goes she hears the voices and has no idea how to control this ability. It is slowly driving her mad. As a child her parents, who are at there wits end, turn her over to the Institute. Ashlyn grows up basically as a lab rat with very little human emotion shared. She is desperate to find some way of controlling the voices.

In Budapest she hears of Angels on the mountain and in her desperation defies her boss to beg them for help. On the mountain she is put in Maddox's path. There is an instant connection between them and despite Maddox's warnings Ashlyn refuses to leave, following him instead.

The warriors are hunted by none other than the Hunters. They have in the past used Bait to lure the warriors out and distract them long enough for an attack and hopefully the desired results of killing the warriors. None of the Warriors in the castle trust Ashlyn, she has to be Bait. But for some unexplainable reason Maddox cannot except that she is Bait and looses himself to his demon anytime one of the Warriors verbally attacks her.

I enjoyed the start of LOTU. I was reminded of Rhage in BDB. Both of these men are cursed with an inner demon. The stories are completely different but they have the same outcome, the demon is calmed by a woman. I look forward to reading more LOTU. The Darkest Night did engage me through most of the book, there were some points where it seemed to slow down to a point where I was doing more skimming than reading. My laundry and house definitely suffered while I read this book though.

Rating:4.5 stars

The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

He is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. She is the goddess of oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords — and discover a passion unlike any other….








My Thoughts:

The Darkest Fire is the prelude to the Lords of the Underworld series. That being said, if you don't read e-books or you are like me and don't like anthologies, you won't miss out on anything by not reading this story.

Geyron traded his soul to the devil to save his wife's life, now he the task of guarding the gates to Hell have been bestowed on him. He is transformed into a hideous beast that with one swipe of his claw can poison any foe.

Kadence is the Goddess of Oppression. The Gods have demanded that she be the keeper of the wall to Hell. For years she walks the wall delicately touching and restoring it, making sure that none of Lucifer's demons are allowed to escape.

When the wall shows sign of tumbling Geyron and Kadence must work together to fix the wall and round up the demons who seek to destroy the wall.

I gave this story a 3 star rating. I am sure it has to do with my bias against anthologies and short stories, but the story progressed much too quickly for my taste. I guess, however that 200 years (I think) of being in each others presence without any communication or physical contact could attribute the desire and attraction that the hero and heroine felt for each other. All in all it is a decent story that sets up the series wonderfully.

Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell

He pledged his honor to keep her safe...

Returning home to Cornwall after unspeakable tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick comes upon a defiant beauty in danger, and vows to protect her whatever the cost. He's dismayed to discover that she's none other than Lady Charis Weston, England's wealthiest heiress-and that the only way to save her from the violent stepbrothers determined to steal her fortune is to wed her himself! Now Gideon must hide the dark secrets of his life from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.

She promised to show him how to love - and desire - again...

Charis has heard all about Gideon, the dangerously handsome hero with the mysterious past. She's grateful for his help, but utterly unwilling to endure a marriage of convenience-especially to a man whose touch leaves her breathless. Desperate to drive him mad with passion, she would do anything to make Gideon lose control-and fall captive to irresistible, undeniable sin.

My Thoughts:

Captive of Sin is only the second book that I have read by this author, but Anna Campbell did it again! She has completely Wowed me! Her characters are strong and resilient. The story line is thick with passion, love, and deceit.

Feeling as if he will never be a part of society again, Gideon is tormented by his demons. He has accepted that he will never lead a normal life, everything that is taken for granted by others will be denied him. He is touted a Hero, and he despises it. He does not think of himself as a hero and does not accept gratitude willingly. He just wants to get home and get started with some semblance of life when he comes across Charis.

Charis has an inner strength that has kept her alive thus far. She reluctantly accepts Gideon's help to escape Winchester and her deplorable step brothers. She feeds him several falsehoods only to have everything backfire in her face. Now Gideon and Charis are faced with a marriage of convenience.

Captive of Sins was captivating, heart wrenching, and all together an Awesome book! I am looking forward to grabbing more by Ms. Campbell!

Rating: 5 stars