Cathy Maxwell Winner

Thanks for all the comments on my review of Cathy Maxwell's His Christmas Pleasure.  I enjoyed reading about all of your favorite heroes for this year.  I discovered a few I haven't met yet!  The randomly selected winner of His Christmas Pleasure is...

Laurie G

Congratulations!  I hope you enjoy the book.  Please send your full name and mailing address to me at theromancedishATgmailDOTcom.  Don't forget to put "Cathy Maxwell Winner" in the subject line.



Stock Up Saturday Reviews

Sorry for the delay in getting today's reviews posted. I'm having internet access issues. Hope you all enjoy this month's Stock Up Saturday reviews. Gannon, thanks for introducting me to two new-to-me authors and two books I'll definitely be adding to my buy list!
~PJ

Aching For Always
By Gwyn Cready
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: September 28, 2010


Josephine “Joss” O’Malley has been running her mother’s map-making company for years, trying desperately to keep it afloat. Her fiancé, Rogan Reynolds has been a help, since his company bought out Joss’s late father’s company, but she’d rather not ask for another loan, even if Rogan will soon be her husband. One night in an alley near her office, Joss stumbles into a man who emerges out of nowhere from a shower of sparks, and her destiny takes a turn she could never have imagined.

Hugh Hawksmoor has traveled three hundred years into the future to right the wrongs that Joss’s father, Alfred Brand, caused when he traveled to the past. But even more important to Hugh is that he avenge the death of his brother who was murdered by Brand. Attraction and desire surround Hugh and Joss like mist from the sea, but that may not be enough to undo all the damage from the past. Joss has the map that Hugh has come to find, but they must journey back to the past together to make things right. Will they find love and happiness in the 18th or the 21st century?

RITA award winning author Gwyn Cready takes readers on a fast-paced time-travel adventure fraught with danger and suspense and tempered with humor and romance.

~ Gannon

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

Goddess of Legend
By P.C. Cast
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date: December 7, 2010


Isabel is a jaded photojournalist who has gone back home to Oklahoma to recharge her batteries and hopefully find inspiration again. When her car plunges off a bridge into a lake, she is on the edge of death, until she is saved by the Water Goddess. The price of her life is a favor that the goddess wants: for Isabel to travel back in time to Camelot and seduce Lancelot, taking him away from Queen Guinevere. Isabel thinks this is all too weird for words, but she agrees. After all, Lancelot is supposed to be incredibly handsome, so seducing him shouldn’t be such a hardship, right?

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the first person that Isabel meets is the tall, dark, incredibly sexy King Arthur. Mesmerized by his magnetic personality and his beautiful deep green eyes, Isabel feels like she is the one who is in danger of being seduced. Compared to Arthur, Lancelot is a mere boy, albeit an attractive one. But Isabel knows she must keep her bargain with the goddess, even as she loses her heart to a king.

This is my first P.C. Cast book, but it most definitely won’t be the last. One of Cast’s Goddess Summoning books, Goddess of Legend is charming, witty and romantic. Pick up a copy and lose yourself in the legend of Camelot….and get swept off your feet by a king.

~ Gannon


One lucky commenter will win a copy of Aching For Always by Gwyn Cready. The winner will be chosen by random.org. Good luck, everyone!

Review -- Goodnight Tweetheart

Goodnight Tweetheart
By Teresa Medeiros
Publisher: Gallery
Release Date: December 14, 2010






A few years ago, I was hesitant and a little apprehensive when one of my favorite historical authors penned a contemporary. After reading it, I learned I had no reason to have had either of those feelings. And I have since enjoyed many contemporary books by other historical authors who have followed the same path. The latest of these is Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros . . . and what a delightful story it was.

Four years ago, Abigail Donovan was on top of the world. Her debut book hit multiple best seller lists and was even picked by the queen of book clubs, Oprah Winfrey. Because of her success, Abby was able to afford living in a small but stylish apartment nestled in the heart of New York City. Now, years later, she can’t find her muse for all the tea in China. And because she can’t seem to get past the dreaded Chapter Five, Abby is left considering that perhaps she is nothing more than a one-hit wonder. She is a little reluctant when her publisher signs her up with a Twitter account in order to keep her devoted readers from forgetting about her, but decides to give it a go. When she starts, she “meets” someone named Mark Baynard, who is kind enough to show her the ropes. She learns that he teaches English lit at Ole Miss and has taken time off to travel. They flirt and message each other a few times, which becomes more often until they’re chatting on a regular basis. They begin to live vicariously through each other’s tweets and Abby eventually falls for Mark. When she finds out that he isn’t exactly who she thought he was, will his secret ruin any hope of a future together?

I loved this story! It was tender and sweet and really quite addictive. It was a quick read that I couldn’t put down. And the fact that I’m not on Twitter didn’t diminish my enjoyment one bit. I felt all the ups and downs Abby experienced both in her personal and professional life and was impressed with how much emotion was expressed in a book consisting mostly of tweets. I’m so glad I didn’t read any reviews about this book before reading it as I was thrown for a loop with the twist, right along with Abby. From the beginning, I was laughing at the quips and quick wit, but leave it to Teresa Medeiros to make me cry, too! Do yourself a favor and put this wonderful book on your Christmas list. You’ll be so glad you did!

~Andrea

Review - - His Christmas Pleasure

His Christmas Pleasure
By Cathy Maxwell
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: November 30, 2010

Maxwell sets the tone for this delightful historical romance in the first few pages with one of the most original "first meets" I've read in a while.  The daughter of a wealthy banker, Abigail Montross is attending a ball hosted by her uncle, the Duke of Banfield and hoping that Freddie, the man she has always loved will finally stand up to his family and offer for her. She steals away to the library to meet Freddie but is stunned by the sight of the baron de Vasconia standing with a gun pointed to his own head. Thinking he’s about to take his own life, Abby launches into action…quite literally.

Handsome Spaniard and charming rogue, Andres Ramigio, baron de Vasconia, has no money, a title he “borrowed” from his late father (he’s illegitimate) and is in the sights of Lady D, an increasingly obsessive married woman on the verge of creating a full-blown scandal. Attending a party at the duke’s home, Andres hopes to make the contacts he needs to land a government job but instead finds himself hiding out in the library where he notices a pistol on the desk. He has no intention of pulling the trigger but as he raises the gun to his head and stares into the mirror…

At last he understood his father.

Death would be freeing. No more struggles to reclaim a heritage Andres knew was hopelessly lost, though he feared it had never been his to begin with. No more carrying the weight of his own mistakes, his many failures. Or the pain of living without love…

Andres might have been born of the noble house of the Ramigio, but he had betrayed that royal lineage more times than he cared to remember. He was unworthy. A failure. If he had any honor at all, he’d pull this trigger, just as his father had.

In an instant, Andres goes from staring into the mirror to laid out flat on the floor, all six-feet of him, felled by a red-haired, freckle faced “force of nature” – one he’s surprised to discover he finds very attractive. Before that thought can go any further, they’re interrupted by the arrival of Freddie and Andres hides behind the desk while Abby waits for what will surely be a proposal of marriage. But she’s devastated when Freddie tells her that his family will never allow him to marry her and that he’ll be marrying Abby’s cousin, the duke’s daughter, a much more socially acceptable choice than a banker’s daughter. If that isn’t bad enough, Abby discovers on the ride home from the party with her parents that her father has tired of waiting for Abby to marry and “selected” a man for her: a middle-aged man, twice widowed, with thirteen children!

Things aren’t going so well for Andres either. He’s waylaid by Lady D’s husband who offers him a proposition and has no intention of taking “no” for an answer.  He'll hand over the deed to an estate in Northumberland if Andres will leave London and never return. It’s his dream – to own property where he can raise his beloved horses. But, to make it come true he needs money, the money a wealthy wife could provide. He proposes a marriage of convenience to Abby, one that will allow her to escape an unwanted marriage and bring him the money he needs to run his new estate. They escape London together and marry on the way to Northumberland but that’s when things get dicey. First, Abby’s father catches up to them and announces he’s placed her inheritance in a trust and she won’t see a penny until she’s been married for three years. Then they arrive at the “estate” and discover it’s not quite as advertised. But great risks often bring the best rewards and marriages of convenience sometimes evolve into the love of a lifetime. Abby and Andres are two people who are convinced they are unworthy of love but life has thrown them together for a reason. Now it’s up to them to decide if they’re courageous enough to step forward and accept the challenges that could bring them their greatest happiness.

Cathy Maxwell has once again created a wonderful story of love and romance with deep emotion, simmering sensuality, her trademark humor and two main characters that had me cheering for them throughout. I was impressed with Abby’s grit and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and Andres, especially, endeared himself to me. In spite of some unsavory things he had done in his past, he proved to have a strong core of honor and an unwavering heart. He’s one of my favorite heroes of this year.

I highly recommend His Christmas Pleasure.

~PJ

Who are your favorite romance heroes of 2010?  

I thought it would be fun to share a little Christmas pleasure so I'm giving away a copy of Cathy Maxwell's His Christmas Pleasure to one of our readers who comments on today's review.  The winner will be selected by random.org. 

Hot Dish

Wow, it is hard to believe another year is coming to close. I love looking back over the year and remembering the wonderful times I have had. And this year those times include all the *ahem* research I have done for my monthly Hot Dish blog. I hope that you will enjoy this walk down memory lane as we look at men chosen during 2010 as a Hot Dish.


Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J . . .




Mark Valley . . .




BONO . . .

Maksim Chmerkovskiy . . .

Tony Dovolani . . .

Rusty Joiner . . .

Hrithik Roshan . . .

Thomas Jane . . . .

Marcus Schenkenberg . . .

Rafael Nadal . . .

Boris Kodjoe . . .

Jed Hill . . .

Ahhhhhhhhh, wasn't that nice?

I don't know about you, but I sure think 2010 was a great year for the Hot Dish blog. And 2011 is sure to be a stellar year!!

My question for you is . . . who would you like to see featured as a Hot Dish in 2011?

~ Buffie

Review -- Wicked Wonderland

Wicked Wonderland
Anthology by LuAnn McLane, Susanna Carr and Janice Maynard
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: November 2, 2010







Two of my favorite kinds of novels to read are Christmas romances and anthologies. When you combine both of these, I feel like I’m getting a fabulous buy one get one free deal. And I love a great deal!

Wicked Wonderland is a great deal! It consists of three novellas from three outstanding authors. Each novella provides a unique spin on romance during the holiday season, complete with a hunky Santa Claus.




Hot Whisper by LuAnn McLane is the story of Claire Collins, an Atlanta high-end hair stylist, who missed her train from Whisper, Colorado, to Atlanta because she is too busy shopping in the local train station. As a blizzard takes over Whisper, Claire accepts the generosity of local craftsman Jesse Marshall. Jesse is not thrilled to be home during the holidays as it reminds him of the death of his parents. But Claire’s quirky personality brings holiday joy back into Jesse’s life. As these two hunker down for the blizzard, both find love by a Christmas tree.

Hot for the Holidays by Susanna Carr is the story of former bad girl turned good girl office worker Rachel Bartlee. During the office holiday party, Rachel’s bad girl broke free and had some fun with co-worker Justin O’Rouke. Determined not to give into her bad girl tendencies, Rachel proclaims Christmas makes her a bad girl and that she will NOT do it again -- until lust fills her eyes and she pulls Justin behind the office Christmas tree and has her way with him – right next to the elevator!! Justin slowly peels back the layers of lust and shows Rachel that Christmas is about love.

Hot Artic Nights by Janice Maynard is the story of Hallie Prentiss, the most recent person in the unemployment line, who travels to North Pole, Alaska, to run a local bed and breakfast for two weeks for the parents’ of her best friend. As Hallie walks into the Dancing Elves B&B, she spies Santa himself standing in the living room with red pants, boots, and suspenders. But instead of a round belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly, Hallie finds this Santa has rock-hard abs and muscle arms. Daniel Reynolds is the one permanent resident at the Dancing Elves B&B and when Hallie walks in on him, he is in the process of dressing as Santa for the local elementary school party. Daniel is the ultimate stand-by-you man. Through the wonders of the tiny town of North Pole and the steadfast support of Daniel, Hallie begins to see the magic of Christmas . . . and her Santa.

As the hectic schedule of the holiday season kicks into full gear, be sure to take the time and enjoy a great romance. Anthologies are a wonderful way to do this. A sweet, succulent and yet short novella is a fabulous way to end a hectic day of baking or shopping or even working. Get yourself an early present . . . pick up this book and enjoy!!! I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.


~ Buffie

It's Beginning To Taste A Lot Like Christmas

Some people say they know the Christmas season has arrived when they see colored lights, decorated trees and yard decorations. Others mark the arrival by the sounds of their favorite Christmas Carols. While I enjoy both the lights and the carols (a lot), for me, it's the tastes and aromas emanating from my kitchen that signal my favorite time of the year - the trays of warm cookies covering every available surface in the house, the happy laughter of the children who share my cookie baking traditions and the two dogs sitting in front of the oven, swishing the floor with their tails as they excitedly await the trays of their very special treat: homemade dog biscuits!

I kicked off my baking this week with two perennial favorites from my holiday repertoire: M&M Cookies and Dipped Log Cookies. My family's love of my M&M Cookies goes way back to my college days when I would make them as a special treat for my (nine year old) younger brother who then sold them at school for a quarter each. (which I discovered many years later) Apparently, they were quite popular! Back then I made them with butter and regular M&M's but nowadays I use Butter Flavor Crisco, which makes them soft and chewy, and green and red M&M's which give them a festive flair. The Dipped Log Cookies are my all-time favorites and the first to disappear at any gathering. They're similar to Mexican Wedding Cookies but with a touch of brandy in the dough. After baking, the warm cookies are rolled in powdered sugar and dipped in rich, milk chocolate. I've never met anybody who could eat just one. I know I can't!

M&M COOKIES

1 cup (1 stick) Butter Flavor Crisco
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag (12-14 ounces) M&M's

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Cream Crisco, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in M&M's.

Drop by tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes; until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED LOG COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons brandy
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans
Powdered sugar
Melted milk chocolate

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Add brandy, vanilla and salt; mix well.

Add flour, stirring until blended; stir in pecans.

Shape dough into 1 ½ x ½ inch logs. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 325°F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies should not brown.

While warm, roll cookies lightly (or dust with) powdered sugar. Place on wire racks to cool. When completely cool, dip one end in melted chocolate. Let stand on wax paper until set.

YIELD: 4 dozen



"GOOD DOG" DOG BISCUITS

2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup dry milk
1 egg
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon beef bouillon, dissolved in ½ cup hot water
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300.

Combine all ingredients and stir well.

Knead dough 2 minutes on a floured surface. Roll dough to a ¼ inch thickness.

Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (My baking assistants (a/k/a the kids) love to make these in people shapes. They say, "We eat animal crackers, the dogs should get people biscuits!")

Bake 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a rack.

YIELD: 4 dozen

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

I have favorites, like the cookies mentioned above, that I make every Christmas but I also enjoy adding a few new recipes to the mix each year so I asked my fellow Dishes; Buffie, Andrea and Gannon, to share a few of their favorite holiday treats with us.

Gannon says...

Most people wrinkle their noses when they hear the word fruitcake, and I admit I always felt that way. But these fruitcake cookies are nothing like any fruitcake you’ve ever tasted. My mom baked them every Christmas for many years, and now I (and my eldest niece, too) have continued the tradition. I could eat them for breakfast, they are so good. Enjoy!

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 – 4 oz. container candied cherries (I usually do 2 oz. of red and 2 oz. of green for the color)
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking soda
1 lb. pitted whole dates, chopped
½ cup candied pineapple, chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts


In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to creamed mixture, beating until combined. Stir in fruit and nuts. Chill batter overnight. Drop by slightly rounded tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Another recipe from Gannon is easy to make but oh-so-delicious. Gannon says these cookies can be made all year long, but she enjoys giving them away to friends and co-workers during the holidays. She always make a double batch, because her family is crazy about them!

REESE'S MINI TARTS

1 (20 oz.) roll of Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough
1 bag Reese’s mini peanut butter cups


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough evenly into 9 slices, then quarter each slice and place 1 in each greased mini muffin tin cup. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. While dough is baking, unwrap peanut butter cups. Remove cookies from even and immediately press a candy into each cookie. Leave to cool completely in the pan. Makes 3 dozen.

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

Buffie says...

While I make a variety of cookies during the holiday season, my most requested sugary item is my Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bonbons. These round little balls of sweet decadence are always the first things to go.

COOKIES AND CREAM CHEESECAKE BONBONS

24 chocolate cream-filled cookies, divided
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (1 pound) powdered sugar

Coarsely chop 12 cookies; set aside.

Place remaining 12 cookies in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form. Place crumbs on baking sheet lined with waxed paper; set aside.

Beat cream cheese, dry milk and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, at low speed until mixture is smooth. Stir in reserved chopped cookies. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

Shape rounded tablespoonfuls of cream cheese mixture into balls. Roll balls in reserved cookie crumbs. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 dozen bonbons

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

Andrea says she "loves Red Velvet anything." After reading her recipe and taking a look at the photo of the cookies she recently made I can hardly wait to make some in my kitchen! Here's the recipe for Andrea's Red Velvet Cookies.

RED VELVET COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Cookies:

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• parchment paper

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt, a dash
• 1 (1 pound) box powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, until creamy.
4. Gradually add sugar, beating well.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
6. Beat in food coloring and vanilla extract.
7. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
8. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
9. Drop by ¼ cupfuls 3 inched apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
10. Spread dough to 3-inch rounds.
11. Bake for 15 minutes, until tops are set; cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.
12. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely.
13. Crumble 1 cookie into fine crumbs to use as garnish. (optional)
14. Make frosting—beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 minute, until creamy.
15. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed 2 minutes or until smooth.
16. Spread about 2 ½ tablespoons cream cheese frosting onto each cookie; sprinkle with crumbs (optional).
17. Store cookies in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Those are some of the holiday treats we Dishes enjoy making every Christmas. How about you? What homemade treats signal the arrival of holiday festivities in your home? Do you have a favorite recipe to share? We're always looking for new ones to add to our baking fun!

~PJ

Review - - Homecoming Day

HOMECOMING DAY
By Holly Jacobs
Publisher: Harlequin SuperRomance
Release Date:  December 7, 2010








Holly Jacobs is one of my category auto-buy authors. I always enjoy her books and her characters, usually ordinary people like you and me who face life’s trials and triumphs with the love and support of their friends and family. In her new book, Homecoming Day, that network of support has been broken, leaving Seth Keller and Laura Watson feeling very much alone. They have both learned first-hand that life is fragile and, sometimes, not fair…

Less than a year ago, Laura Watson was happy, in love, about to get married and celebrating her newly discovered pregnancy with her wonderful fiancé. A few days later, her fiancé was on life support, his mother refusing to honor his wishes to die with dignity and, in her grief, ordering Laura from his hospital room and their lives. Laura’s life is in pieces, the man she loved with all her heart gone, the family she thought would be hers gone, her heart filled with anger and pain. With no family of her own, Laura is left alone to go on, to make a life for herself and the baby she carries.

Abandoned by his mother at a young age, Seth Keller was adopted into a wonderful, loving family but has never been able to erase those early feelings of abandonment, feelings that were once again brought to the surface when his parents refused to support his teenage marriage. Seth and Allie married anyway and though the odds were stacked against them they made it, finishing college and basking in their love for one another. But three years ago, tragedy struck and Seth lost his wife and the twins she carried. Filled with anger and grief, Seth has been essentially living a life of isolation since then. The gentle, giving police officer loves his large, loving family and needs their support but has never been able to bring himself to forgive his parents for opposing his marriage.

When one of Laura’s high school art students, Jillian (J.T.) Thomas is detained by the police, she calls Laura to come to the police station to be with her until her mother can be located. A rebellious teen, J.T. is neglected by her mother, failing in school and hiding a humiliating secret. The only class in which she excels is art. She’s in danger of dropping out and desperately needs someone in her corner. She finds the support she needs in Laura and Seth, the newly appointed liaison between the police department and the school system. The two meet at the police station and decide to team up to help J.T. As they work together, they build a warm and supportive friendship that very gradually begins to deepen into something more substantial, more lasting, more frightening.

As anyone who has lost their spouse to death, as I have, knows, moving on can be a terrifying experience. There are dangerous emotions to navigate - guilt, anger and fear - emotions that Jacobs captures realistically and compassionately. Seth and Laura, especially Laura, must acknowledge and conquer these emotions before they are able to begin a new chapter in their lives. But perhaps the most important emotion they have to acknowledge is forgiveness. Unless Seth can make peace with his family, Laura can make peace with her fiance’s family and they can both forgive their loved ones for dying and leaving them behind, they have no hope of moving forward together.

I’ve enjoyed all of Holly Jacobs’ books but Homecoming Day is going straight to my keeper shelf. I think it’s the best writing she’s ever done. Seth, Laura and J.T. have all found places in my heart and I have no doubt I will be revisiting them often.  I have hopes that we might see J.T. again someday when she's older.  She's a compelling character and I'd love to know how her story ends.  It was great to catch up with the entire Keller family and be present for the latest Homecoming Day as they welcomed yet another child into their lives.  I first met them in last year's Unexpected Gifts and am looking forward to seeing them again when Holly publishes Tucker's story.  For those of you who have not read Jacobs' books before, Homecoming Day is part of a series but stands well on its own.  However, if you're like me, once you meet the Kellers, you won't be able to get enough of them!

~PJ

The Teen Menu

It's December, the time of year when days are short, nights are long and cold, and the perfect time to make hot chocolate and curl up with a good book. So I feel it's my duty to share with you some good books with which you can do that curling up. :)

Last month, I had a long road trip to take, so that meant a trip to the library for a couple of audio books. I came away with two YA titles.

First up was Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, about which I'd heard a lot of praise. And let me tell you, it was worth every bit of that praise. This is a beautifully written book set in Nazi Germany just prior to and during World War II. The narrator is Death, although it's the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl who is placed in foster care by her mother, though we are never explicitly told why. But we can guess based on some hints and snippets of conversation. The story shows Liesel's relationships with her foster parents, particularly her accordion-playing Papa; the kids in the neighborhood, including her best friend, Rudy Steiner; and the cool and broken Ilsa Hermann, the mayor's wife.

Death is fascinated by Liesel each time he sees her, the three times she is at the side of someone Death has come to claim. Throughout the story, she is known as the Book Thief because she acquires books through a variety of not-paid-for means. Her first book falls out of the pocket of a gravedigger near her brother's grave site. She rescues others from Nazi book burnings. Still others she steals from Ilsa's expansive home library. The words on those pages and the thrill of stealing the books bring a brightness and excitement into Liesel's life. But she's not alone. While Germany is being bombed, Liesel reads to her family and neighbors as they hide in air raid shelters. Mixed with the normality of helping her foster mother with chores and playing soccer in the street with her friends are woven scenes of the Jew her family is hiding in their basement and the necessity of Liesel, Rudy and the rest of their friends taking part in Hitler Youth events.

The story is wonderful, but I was also struck by the beauty of Zusak's writing. Something as simple as a word choice or snippet of description gives the book a lyrical, three-dimensional quality. And as is the case with audiobooks, the narrator can make all the difference. This is definitely the case for this book. Actor Allan Corduner is fabulous as the narrator, bringing life to Death. I highly recommend this book, whether you read it or listen to the audio version.

The other book I listened to was Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. This story is set during the yellow fever epidemic that claimed 5,000 lives in Philadelphia in 1793. At the time, that was 10 percent of the city's population. The central character is a teenage girl named Mattie Cook, who lives with her mother and grandfather above their coffeehouse. When the fever starts making news, her grandfather, who fought alongside Washington, thinks people are making too much of it, that there are fevers every summer. But as the epidemic grows and Mattie's mother falls ill, Mattie and her grandfather flee the city along with thousands of other residents.

What follows is a lot of fear, a story about how the fever often brought out the worst in people. Families literally threw out their family members if they fell ill. Towns armed their outskirts to keep out travelers. Few were willing to help care for fever victims. "Doctors" were making things worse by bleeding patients and not really knowing what they were talking about. Real heroes emerged in French physicians who knew more about treating the disease and the Free African Society, whose members nursed those suffering from the disease, often at the expense of their own lives. Mattie is a witness to these aspects of the epidemic as she falls victim to the fever, recovers, returns to the city to find it a dangerous place where crime and hunger reign, and hopes that somewhere her mother is still alive.

Fever 1793 is a fairly quick read, but an interesting glimpse into a scary time in our young nation's history when Philadelphia was still the capital.

YA News

It seems I hear about more YA books being optioned for movies every week. Some of the recent ones I've stumbled across are City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Firelight by Sophie Jordan, Matched by Ally Condie. I also found a blog that tracks YA books-to-movies news. Check it out at YA Takeover.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and get lots of great books for presents. See you in January.

Make Your Reservations!

It's time again to mark your calendars and Make Your Reservations for January! Here are some of the books we're looking forward to next month. Are any of these upcoming books on your list? If so, which ones?




*******


The Lady Most Likely...
by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, & Connie Brockway

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife, so his sister hands him a list of delectable damsels and promises to invite them— and a few other gentlemen—to her country house for what is sure to be the event of the season.

Hugh will have time to woo whichever lady he most desires . . . Unless someone else snatches her first.

The invitation list includes:

~ The horse-mad but irresistibly handsome Earl of Briarly
~ The always outspoken Miss Katherine Peyton
~ The dashing war hero Captain Neill Oakes
~ The impossibly beautiful (and painfully shy) Miss Gwendolyn Passmore
~ The terribly eligible new Earl of Charters
~ The widowed Lady Georgina Sorrell (who has no plans to marry, ever)

And your hostess, Lady Carolyn Finchley, an irrepressible matchmaker who plans to find the lady most likely . . . to capture her brother’s untamed heart.

(Avon)


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Wedding of the Season
by Laura Lee Guhrke

Abandoned at the altar . . .

Lady Beatrix Danbury had always known she would marry William Mallory. She'd loved him forever and she'd never doubted he loved her, too. But when she made him choose between their life together or his lifelong dream, Will chose the latter . . . and left two weeks before their wedding.

Return of the duke . . .

Will has no illusions that Beatrix would welcome him back with open arms, but six years did not dim his love or desire for her. The only problem is, she's about to marry someone else. Someone safe and predictable . . . the complete opposite of Will. But can he stop the wedding of the season and win Beatrix back, or is it just too late?

(Avon)


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Call Me Irresistible
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Lucy Jorik is the daughter of a former president of the United States.

Meg Koranda is the offspring of legends.

One of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible—Ted Beaudine—the favorite son of Wynette, Texas. The other is not happy about it and is determined to save her friend from a mess of heartache.

But even though Meg knows that breaking up her best friend's wedding is the right thing to do, no one else seems to agree. Faster than Lucy can say "I don't," Meg becomes the most hated woman in town—a town she's stuck in with a dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom. Broke, stranded, and without her famous parents at her back, Meg is sure she can survive on her own wits. What's the worst that can happen? Lose her heart to the one and only Mr. Irresistible? Not likely. Not likely at all.

(William Morrow)


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Immortal Champion
by Lisa Hendrix

He faces a future of cold uncertainty, until her warm embrace...

Part of a Viking crew of warriors cursed by an evil sorceress, Gunnar the Red must toil through eternity as half-man, half-beast, living out his days as a great bull, while his nights are spent in human form. And though he keeps mostly to the wilds, his heart yearns for the simple comforts of man—and the chance to redeem a tragic past...

Seeking refuge from a bitter winter in the welcoming hall of Richmond Castle, Gunnar rescues two maidens when a blaze erupts—and his destiny is forever altered. For one of the young women is Lady Eleanor de Neville, who is immediately entranced by her rescuer. Her kiss of gratitude—the brief touch of her lips against his cheek—awakens a longing in her soul. And even when she is betrothed to another, Eleanor never forgets her courageous knight.

When Gunnar rides back into Eleanor’s life, she is consumed by undeniable passion. And though his body surrenders to her every touch, Gunnar’s heart remains imprisoned by the curse—and only the magic of the truest love can save him...

(Berkley)


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Promise Canyon
by Robyn Carr

After years spent on ranches around Los Angeles, Clay Tahoma is delighted to be Virgin River’s new veterinary assistant. The secluded community’s wild beauty tugs at his Navajo roots, and he’s been welcomed with open arms by everyone in town—everyone excerpt Lilly Yazhi.

Lilly has encountered her share of strong, silent, traditional men within her own aboriginal community, and she’s not interested in coming back for more. In her eyes, Clay’s earthy, sexy appeal is just an act used to charm wealthy women like his ex-wife. She can’t deny his gift for gentling horses, but she’s not about to let him control her. There’s just one small problem—she can’t control her attraction to Clay.

But in Virgin River, faith in new beginnings and the power of love has doors opening everywhere...

(MIRA)


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Chasing the Sun
by Kaki Warner

Daisy Etheridge always yearned to sing. But along the way she fell in love, had her heart broken, and bore a child to a man who loved another. Now she has a second chance to realize her dreams.

Jack Wilkins left his family's ranch three years ago with his childhood love, only to lose her. Now, he's back to try and win her one last time. Then a woman from his past appears...with a baby that has eyes like his own.

Now, Jack and Daisy must choose what they want out of their lives-and out of each other.

(Berkley)


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Whisper Falls
by Toni Blake

Tessa Sheridan came crawling back to her quaint hometown of Destiny after her big-city interior design career crumbled. Now not only must she struggle to make ends meet, but she has to contend with a biker next door and the roar of Harleys shattering the serenity of her cabin in the woods by Whisper Falls.

Worse still, her sexy, bad boy neighbor makes her feel breathless and weak—and shy, petite Tessa knows what a major mistake it would be to get involved with someone so . . . dangerous.

They say that former teen rebel Lucky Romo has a dark, secret past—that he’s trouble with a capital "T." Still, Tessa feels all tingly when she sees how well he fills out a pair of tight jeans. And when Lucky invites her into his world, she knows the intense heat sparking between them could lead her somewhere wild and wonderful . . . and, yes, dangerous!

(Avon)


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Prelude to a Scandal
by Delilah Marvelle

THE BATTLE BETWEEN LADY AND RAKE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN...

Lady Justine is willing to trade her good name, her reputation and her place in London’s gossip-hungry ton, to secure her father’s release from prison. But when the notorious Duke of Bradford counters her offer with a proposal of marriage, the stakes grow higher still. For while the smoldering lord is famous for his conquests, the man is oblivious to both her devotion and her charms. And Justine is soon afraid she has wagered all for naught...

(HQN)


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Then He Kissed Me
by Christie Ridgway

The three Baci sisters are on a mission to save the family winery by transforming it into a wedding destination. When Stevie Baci playfully names her own side business Napa Princess Limousine, she never dreams she'll be driving a real prince around Napa Valley.

Jacques Parini, aka "Jack", is looking to expand his family's wine interests. But after kissing Stevie, he finds this California girl in a black chauffeur's hat does more than drive him crazy.

(Berkley)


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A Taste of Desire
by Beverley Kendall

She Challenged His Pride

Lady Amelia Bertram may have a reputation as the most brazen beauty of the ton, but she shocks even herself when she accidently—and loudly—derides one of society’s most eligible bachelors in the middle of a crowded ballroom. The timing of her faux pas couldn’t be worse, for her father is seeking someone to take her off his hands that very night...


He Challenged Her Willpower

But when Thomas Armstrong overhears the so-called “Lady” Amelia slandering his sexual prowess in public, he cannot help but accept the dare implicit in her words. To her father’s great delight, he offers to take her to his secluded country estate—properly chaperoned, of course—to teach the girl a lesson in ladylike behavior...

(Zebra)


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A Werewolf in Manhattan
by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Emma Gavin writes bestselling novels about werewolves, but that doesn't mean she believes in them -- and she certainly doesn't think she'll meet one. But that's exactly what happens when her books catch the attention of a rich and powerful pack of Manhattan Weres, who have kept their existence hidden for centuries. Alarmed by the accuracy of her novels, they're determined to find out if a renegade is acting as her informant.

Aidan Wallace, the pack leader's son and heir, knows he's the wolf for the job, but when he gets close to Emma, they are both surprised by an attraction too strong to deny. To surrender to it, Aidan will have to risk everything--- including the security of the pack he's sworn to protect...

(Signet)