Love at First Flight - Marie Force

Title: Love at First Flight
Author: Marie Force
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2009
Pages: 383
Genre: Romance

I had the immense pleasure of being asked to review another book written by Marie Force. I absolutely loved her first book Line of Scrimmage, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on her next book.

After reading this book, I have to say that Marie Force has written another hit - at least with this reader. The first pages grab your attention, and the book holds it until the very end. I was ready for the emotional impact from the book (because of her unique writing style), but I wasn't prepared for the suspense and intrigue that encompassed the story. Marie Force certainly knows how to pull on your emotions when penning the romantic aspects of her stories, but I was equally impressed with her ability to draw out the suspense. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next - both with the decisions they each had to make and with the intrigue behind the high profile trial that was going on throughout the book.

To recap the story a bit...Michael and Juliana meet at the airport heading in the same direction to meet their significant others. Michael is an attorney who is meeting his fiance for the weekend, and Juliana is a beautician who is meeting her boyfriend of ten years. They discover that they are on the same return flight and agree to meet and discuss how their weekends went. Needless to say, both were disastrous, with each of them breaking it off with their intendeds. This starts the relationship between Juliana and Michael. Get ready for a roller coaster ride through laughter, tears, nail-biting scenes, and life-altering decisions. Michael is the prosecuting attorney in a high profile case which leads to his life being in danger. Juliana, being connected with Michael, is not safe either. What will happen to their love? Will they get through the trial alive; what will happen in the end - together or back to their old lives?

While some creative license was taken with the legal aspects surrounding witness protection, it did not in anyway detract from the story. I look at it this way - fiction is just that - fiction. I loved how strong both Michael and Juliana were. There wasn't that airhead quality in Juliana - she kept her head on straight, made wise decisions, and didn't take chances concerning her safety during the trial. Michael was everything you could want in a hero - strength, intelligence, protective, and he loved with his whole heart. He was there for Juliana - even in the darkest of hours, and his love never wavered. Ahhhh to be loved like that!!

What else can I say - I loved this book. It is definitely on my keeper shelf. And a HUGE "Thank You" goes out to Danielle from Sourcebooks for giving me the opportunity to read this book and review it. And to you, Marie Force, what a talented author you are - your characters are captivating and come to life through your writing - they jump out of the pages and into the reader's heart. The plot is well-developed, flows smoothly, and engages the reader from beginning to end. Emotions are strong and written with such clarity that you feel them inside as if they were your own. Congratulations on your new release - and here's to many many more!!



Rating: 5/5
Pages: 383
Completed: 6/9/09

Love at First Flight - Marie Force

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/love-at-first-flight-marie-force.html

Wallpaper Fun

Kristie J over at Ramblings on Romance decided that she was curious about what others have as their desktop wallpaper. Here is her post on it. So, I want to join in on the fun and show what is on my desktop.



I downloaded this wallpaper from the Members Section of Christine Feehan's website and I absolutely love it - hunky man, Carpathian Mountains - I don't know if you can see it very well, but there is a small cabin in the trees on the left side of the wallpaper - my ideal spot to be.

Go to Kristie J's post and see what others have as their wallpaper and join in the fun!!

Wallpaper Fun

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/wallpaper-fun.html

A Hunger Like No Other - Kresley Cole

Title: A Hunger Like No Other
Author: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: 2006
Pages: 384
Genre: Paranormal Romance (Vampire, Werewolf, Valkyrie)
Series: Immortals After Dark - Book #1

This was an entertaining read with a lot of sexual tension, witty characters, and an exciting culmination with the heroine saving the day. One of the things that I had trouble with were the amount of characters in the book. I kept having to go back and figure out who was who. I finally wrote them all down, their relationships to each other, and their background in order to keep them straight in my mind. "The Book of Lore" was placed in the back of the book, and I didn't realize it was there until the end. It explained the different cultures, and I think it would have been more helpful if I had read it first.

The hero of the story is Lachlain, a Lykae who had been trapped and tortured by Vampires for over a century. He escapes only after he catches the scent of his mate who is above ground and getting farther away. Lachlain is totally an alpha male, but he has a hard time controlling his rage in regards to his torture.

Emma is half Vampire, half Valkyrie, and in danger. Being kidnapped by her enemy, a Lykae, and told that she was his mate wasn't what she had in mind when she visited Paris. Lachlain and Emma have a tumultuous relationship, and the sexual tension between the two escalate throughout the book. Will they both get over their hatred of the race that they each represent in order to reach their destiny? Will the Lykae clan embrace a Vampire as their queen? What of the evil that they discover who is chasing Emma? Who will prevail - who will fall?

I didn't really like Emma at the beginning of the book - I felt she was rather wimpy and kind of blah. However, through dealing with Lachlain, finding her inner strength, and learning to stand up to her family - she grew on me and I liked her in the end. Lachlain was my favorite. I love a tortured hero, and he was a great one. After discovering that Emma was half Vampire, his rage could have taken over and killed her. But, he discovered that she wasn't like the others and treasured her for who she was - not what she was. All in all, a good read.



Rating: 3.5/5
Pages: 384
Completed: 6/17/09

A Hunger Like No Other - Kresley Cole

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/hunger-like-no-other-kresley-cole.html

One More Award...

I just posted about the rewards I have received recently, and I accidentally left one out (sorry Jacqueline). There have been so many gracious book bloggers that have encouraged me to keep blogging by giving me awards. So without further ado....


I received the Let's Be Friends award from Jacqueline at Undercover Book Lover. "These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers."

Well, I have one problem with this award - I can't find just eight bloggers I want to give it to - LOL. I would really love to bestow this award on all my followers - you mean the world to me, and I hope that we can become friends through reading and commenting on each other's blogs.

Please, take a moment to accept this award...and check out Jacqueline's Blog - it is dedicated to all things paranormal and fantasy. She also has another blog called The Eclectic Book Hoarder - dedicated to books for the modern woman!!! (I'm a follower).

One More Award...

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/one-more-award.html

AWARDS!!!

I received so many beautiful awards from a couple of bloggers that I just wanted to shout out a heartfelt THANK YOU!!!

I used my new blogging skills and put them all in a slideshow on my sidebar. But I did want to recognize the bloggers individually:

Desert Rose from Desert Rose Booklogue bestowed the Literary Blogger Award, and Your Blog is Enchanted Award. I encourage everyone to go visit her blog - it is a fun place to hang out!!!

Cecile at All I Want and More bestowed a few Awards to my blog - check it out here. You really need to visit her blog - she has hunky men, contest alerts, featured books, and fantastic book reviews.

Thanks ladies from the bottom of my heart!!!

AWARDS!!!

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/awards.html

While My Sister Sleeps - Barbara Delinsky

Title: While My Sister Sleeps
Author: Barbara Delinsky
Publisher: Doubleday
Published: 2009
Pages: 319
Genre: Women's Fiction

This is a poignant, gripping story about family dynamics, secrets, and the emotional decisions behind life support and organ donation. Barbara Delinsky does not disappoint with this beautifully written book. The blurb on the cover of the book says that she "brings us a masterful family portrait, with thought-provoking ideas about the nature of life itself, how emotions affect the decisions we make, and how letting go can be the hardest thing to do and the greatest expression of love all at the same time."

Molly has always lived in the the shadow of her sister, Robin, who is a world-class runner. "Her feelings have run the gamut from love to resentment and back." But when Robin suffers a massive heart attack, it's up to Molly to make the tough decisions. Her parents are crushed by the devastating circumstances, and her brother retreats into himself - a process that is destroying his own family. Molly makes discoveries that could tear her family apart - or bring them closer than they ever have been before.

Watching this family fall apart, grow, and change, we gradually come to know their secret fears, hopes, and regrets. I loved all the characters in this book, especially Molly. She has an inner strength that you don't see until tragedy strikes the family. She feels she is less of a person because of her sister's fame, but in the end, she is the commanding force that holds the family together. I had a love/hate relationship with the mother. However, she does redeem herself in the end. The father reminded me of my own - quiet, in the background, but always there to support.

It has been awhile since a book has moved me to tears, but this one sure did. You think you know your family, but this story made me realize that all may not be what it seems. Molly discovers things that destroy "her most cherished beliefs about the sister she thought she knew." Do we ever really know what goes on inside a person? Whether it be family or friends. This was a powerful, thought-provoking story.



Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 319
Completed: 6/12/09

While My Sister Sleeps - Barbara Delinsky

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/while-my-sister-sleeps-barbara-delinsky.html

Sanctuary - Nora Roberts

Title: Sanctuary
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Putnam
Published: 1997
Pages: 438
Genre: Romance/Suspense

I wish I could have given this book a higher rating - I do love Nora Roberts - but there were a couple of things that bothered me in this particular story.

Sanctuary is about three siblings - Jo Ellen, Brian, and Lexy. Each has their own story, but I consider Jo Ellen the main character of the book. She is a professional photographer who has a breakdown at the beginning of the book after receiving a picture of her mother that depicts the woman as dead. She goes home to Sanctuary Inn and tries to pick up the pieces of her life again. However, all is not well at home. After the disappearance of her mother 20 years earlier, each of the siblings and the father have grown up with issues regarding relationships, expressing love, and connecting as a family.

Nathan Delaney, an architect, arrives on the island with ghosts and demons of his own. Pursuing Jo Ellen is out of the question, she will never forgive him for the secrets he carries. However, their relationship blossoms, and Nathan knows time is running out. His presence on the island has lured a killer into their midst.

The suspense in this story was intense - not knowing who is sending Jo Ellen pictures of her mother, disappearing women on the island, trying to figure who the killer is, and waiting to see if all the siblings' relationships will work out. Jo Ellen was a strong heroine - pulling herself back together after a breakdown and dealing with her dysfunctional character. I really liked the secondary character Giff who was the island handyman in love with Lexy. He didn't get caught up in Lexy's drama and knew how to get what he wanted.

Now on to why I rated this a 2.75 instead of a 3 - I didn't like the graphic rape scenes. I know - I'm probably a bit squeamish when it comes to stuff like that - but I just thought it was too descriptive. It is the first time I have run across something like that in a Nora Roberts book, and I was a bit unprepared.

However, besides these two scenes - I thought it was a well-written book with lots of intrigue and and steamy romance mixed together.



Rating: 2.75/5
Pages: 438
Completed: 6/8/09

Sanctuary - Nora Roberts

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/sanctuary-nora-roberts.html

Mailbox Monday - June 8

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. This is hosted each week by The Printed Page.

This week I received a few books from Danielle at Sourcebooks for review.

1). Lucky in Love by Carolyn Brown (ARC) (blurb copied from her website)

Beau hasn't got a lick of sense when it comes to women. Everything hunky rancher "Lucky" Beau Luckadeau touches turns to gold—except relationships. He's gone and lost track of the woman of his dreams, and now he's got himself tied up with a gold-digging schoolteacher even meaner than his big old Black Angus bull... Milli can mend a fence, pull a calf, or shoot the eyeballs out of a rattlesnake at a hundred yards. When spitfire Milli Torres shows up to help out at the Lazy Z ranch, she's horrified to find that her nearest neighbor is Beau Luckadeau—the very man she'd hoped never to lay eyes on again... Now Beau's about to make the biggest mistake of his whole life, and there's not a single blessed thing Milli can do about it. And if Beau ever figures out what really happened on that steamy Louisiana night when they first met, there'll be the devil to pay. (Sep 09 Release)

2). To Tempt the Wolf by Terry Spear (ARC)

His love has the power to transform... or destroy...

Book 3 (Sep 09 Release)

3). Healing Luke by Beth Cornelison (ARC) (blurb copied from her website)

Ladies' man Luke Morgan has the world at his feet until a freak explosion leaves him burned and bitter. Luke's family offers gutsy occupational therapist Abby Stanford a job facilitating Luke's physical therapy, but Luke wants no part of his family's schemes or Abby's help. When sparks fly between Luke and Abby, Luke must face his deepest fears in order to claim the woman who brought his family together and taught him the real meaning of love. (Sep 09 Release)

Not too many this week - but I am looking forward to reading these are reviewing them.

Mailbox Monday - June 8

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/mailbox-monday-june-8.html