Wild Rose (Late Bloomers #1)

New Series!

Fall in love with The LateBloomers, a series about five 40-something women who each choose adventure, travel, and love when they reach a crossroads in life. These seasoned women are ready to take on the world, starting with Book 1: Wild Rose.

About the Book:
Rose Quinn is having a very bad summer. First her 19-year-old daughter left home to backpack across Europe instead of going to college. Then a woman she loved like a mother died of a heart attack, making her feel like an orphan all over again. And in just a few weeks her best friend will be moving to New York City. For a single mother who’s always had someone else to take care of, Rose is finally wondering how to take care of herself.

Handsome Mateo Romero is a transplanted Spaniard running a restaurant on Lake Como in Italy. A broken heart got him there, but he’s made a success of it just like he did his architecture business back in Madrid. One thing he hasn’t been successful with is love.

When Mateo hires Rose’s daughter for a summer job and gives her a free place to stay, Rose immediately suspects the worst. She won’t let her daughter make the same mistake she did at that age, so Rose flies to Italy to confront Mateo. What Rose finds instead is a secret she didn’t suspect and a challenge to everything she’s ever thought about love and the illusion of control.

Rose’s daughter doesn’t need saving, but can Rose save herself?

A few thoughts:
Its a new series for Women over 40 but really.......under 40 will enjoy it as well :)
Introducing Rose who went to Italy to chase after her daughter whom she believes is having an affair with a much older guy.  This is a refreshing story about friendships, letting go and finding love again.  Its the perfect summer read.


Introducing the Author:

Since I first learned to read, I've devoured at least one book a week (currently, about three). As curious as I am about what other people write, I'm just as curious to talk about it in real life, especially if we can do it over a great meal.

In 2010, I sold everything I owned along with my husband to take off on a trip around the world that turned into a full-time lifestyle. You'd think this adventure would have replaced some of my reading time, but if anything it fueled it.

In 2014 we bought a house in a small village in Spain, and when we're not traveling, this is where we make our home. It's a beautiful place to live and write...and read!

After coauthoring four nonfiction books with my husband, I'm now writing a romance series for wSince I first learned to read, I've devoured at least one book a week (currently, about three). As curious as I am about what other people write, I'm just as curious to talk about it in real life, especially if we can do it over a great meal.

In 2010, I sold everything I owned along with my husband to take off on a trip around the world that turned into a full-time lifestyle. You'd think this adventure would have replaced some of my reading time, but if anything it fueled it.

In 2014 we bought a house in a small village in Spain, and when we're not traveling, this is where we make our home. It's a beautiful place to live and write...and read!

After coauthoring four nonfiction books with my husband, I'm now writing a romance series for women over 40 called The Late Bloomers. Adventure, love, and self-discovery await these experienced and confident women!

Betsy!!

A Shameful Consequence by Carol Marinelli.

Back of the Book

Nico Eliades is back on the idyllic Greek island of Xanos to uncover long-buried family secrets. He can't help but notice a bride in a crumpled wedding dress sitting on the steps of his hotel.

Constantine's orchestrated marriage is over before the wedding night. A humiliated virgin bride, she longs to feel desired, and at Nico's skilled hands she experiences white-hot passion.

But their one night brings more than just shame on Constantine and her family…. Constantine has no choice but to reveal her bombshell to Nico—yet still her fingers tremble as she dials the number for Eliades Enterprises….

My Thoughts:

Wow, what can I say about Nico that will sum him up in a tidy package.....ARROGANT PIG?  Not exactly. I found him to be very cold by not acknowledging his child til the end.  That did not sit will with me. Also, I was hoping there would be more of a "showdown" between Nico and his adoptive parents but that didn't happen.  

Constantine on the other hand, started out as a beautiful creature but ended up as an overweight, single mother.  I wanted to see a bit more fire from her.  Instead of relaxing at Nico's house, I was hoping she would leave with the baby to force Nico to acknowledge the baby's existense.

Overall a good plot but I was disappointed as the final story.......it felt rushed! I'm giving this 2 stars but will read the next in the series.

I am jumping for joy!  Look what came in the mail compliments of

Kaitlyn McCrystal over at Touchstone Publicity:

New from JILL SMOLINSKI www.jillsmolinski.com, author of The Next Thing on My List, OBJECTS OF MY AFFECTION (On-sale May 1, 2012; Touchstone; 978-1-4516-6075-3; Hardcover/$24.99), is a humorous, heartfelt novel that asks the question, “What’s worth keeping?”

Lucy Bloom’s life is in disarray. Freshly dumped by her boyfriend and suddenly rootless after selling her house to send her teenage son to rehab, she is reduced to sharing a bedroom with her best friend’s pre-schooler daughter. Although Lucy has lost it all, she’s determined to start over and build a solid foundation for her son’s recovery. Armed only with her decidedly NON-bestselling book, Things Are Not People, and a possibly bogus online degree in professional organizing, she snags a high-paying job clearing clutter from the home of renowned artist turned reclusive hoarder, Marva Meier Rios.

As Lucy rolls up her sleeves to tackle the “stuff” that fills every room of Marva’s huge Chicago home, she soon learns that the real challenge may be taking on Marva herself. However, when Lucy accidentally discovers that Marva is clinging to a big secret more tenaciously than to any mere household object, the two women form an unlikely bond. Each soon learns that there are those things in life we keep and those we need to let go—though it’s not always easy to know the difference.

Early praise includes:

“Reading Jill Smolinski feels like hanging out with a charming, savvy, fun-filled new friend.”
~Claire Cook, author of Must Love Dogs

Look out for my review soon, better yet.......GO GRAB A COPY! 

Happy New Year 2012

Wishing my blogger friends a Fantastic New Year 2012

Harlequin Silhouette 2012 Reading Challenge

Its my favorite time of year when we tie up loose ends and plan for a new beginning and with that comes a new Reading Challenge.  Its the Harlequin Silhouette 2012 Reading Challenge and the very first challenge I will host.  Here's the info:

Rules:1 This Challenge is from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012.
2) All of the books must be from the Harlequin family of imprints (includes Mira books as well)
3) Read one book for each of the following requirements:

• The name of a place in the title (whether a country or small city or town)
• A weather condition in the title (snow, rain, storm etc.)
• A Title must be in the title of the book (Prince, Countess, etc)
• The author's first or last name beginning with the letter M
• A Holiday/Season in the title (Valentine, Christmas, Summer, etc)
• A color must be in the title (red, blue, green etc)

Other information:

1) Please join the challenge by signing up with Mr. Linky. The link must be the one announcing
     your participation on your blog - not just the link to your blog in general.

2) You can grab the button above and post it on your site.

3) A list ahead of time is not necessary and may be changed at any time

4) Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebook

5) Books may be used for other challenges

6) Go to eHarlequin for book information, anything you can purchase there counts for the challenge.

There will be a raffle and prize at the end of the year using the names of everyone who completed the challenge. Sign up for the challenge using the "tiny" Mr. Linky below. Your url must lead back to the post on your blog announcing your participation in the challenge.

Use the Mr. Linky box below to post the links for your completed reviews. Post them using this format: Your Name or Blog (Title of book you completed). The url should go directly to your completed review.

Mia and the Powerful Greek by Michelle Reid

About the book:
While scrubbing floors, Mia dreams of a better life. Then she discovers she's a Balfour—the illegitimate daughter of one of the world's richest dynasties! Thrust headfirst into her new family's spectacularly glamorous lifestyle, she's scared….

But then comes an opportunity to learn about high society, through the chance to work for Greek tycoon Nikos Theakis, who struggled his way up, himself, from the slums of Athens to Millionaire's Row. Nikos has got where he is by always having taken what he wanted…. Until Mia's sweetness and integrity stop him in his tracks…

My humble opinion:
Loved it. The first in a 8-book series about the Balfour Sisters.
The Hero is a brute and tries not to get involved with the Heroine but her beauty and innocence is hard to resist, especially since she is forced to work with him. This makes a great summer read....not too heavy.

Look what I just got in the mail............

Compliments of Harlequin
Smokin' Six-Shooter (Harlequin Intrigue Series)
BJ Daniels

Book Giveaway

Please visit islandgirlreads.blogspot.com and enter for a chance to win a copy of Quantum Angel Healing: Energy Therapy and Communication with Angels
by Eva-Maria Mora!!

The Harlequin/Silhouette 2011 Reading Challenge

I signed up for this challenge in 2010 but did not post the books I read so I am making a gallant effort to blog more in 2011. This is a great challenge with just 5 book that Yvonne is hosting http://harlsilreadingchal.blogspot.com/2010/11/harlequinsilhouette-2011-reading.html

Here's the info:

Rules:

1) Challenge is from Jan 1, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011.

2) All of the books must be from the Harlequin family of imprints (includes Mira books as well)

3) Read one book for each of these requirements:

1. A relationship in the title (mother, father, brother, sister, etc.)
2. A weather condition in the title (rain, snow, storm, etc.)
3. An occupation in the title (cop, nurse, doctor, etc.)
4. A book with the author's first or last name beginning with "C"
5. A name in the title (Mary, Sam, etc.)

Other information:

1) You can join the challenge by signing up with Mr. Linky at http://harlsilreadingchal.blogspot.com/2010/11/harlequinsilhouette-2011-reading.html. The link must be the one announcing your participation on your blog - not just the link to your blog in general.

2) You can grab the button above and post it on your site.

3) A list ahead of time is not necessary and may be changed at any time

4) Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebook

5) Books may be used for other challenges

6) Go to eHarlequin for book information, anything you can purchase there counts for the challenge

Its been a while

Its been a while since I reviewed but I promise, I will have some good stuff on here real soon!

2010 Harlequin/Silhouette Romance Reading Challenge

This may be my only romance reading challenge for 2010! It's being hosted by Yvonne and Gina at Harlequin/Silhouette Romance Reading Challenge.



Rules:

1) Challenge is from Jan 1 to Dec 31

2) All of the books must be from the Harlequin family of imprints

3) Read one book for each requirement


Requirements:

1) Read 1 book with a weather condition in the title (i.e. storm, rain, snow)

2) Read 1 book with a person's name in the title (i.e. Mary, John)

3) Read 1 book with a title in the title (i.e. King, Prince, Princess, Sheik)

4) Read 1 book with a color in the title (i.e. red, blue, white)

5) Read 1 book by an author whose last name begins with the letter "R"

6) Read 1 book with an element in the title (earth, water, fire, air, spirit)

Other information:
1) Please join the challenge by commenting with a link to your post (I'll start a participant blog roll)

2) A list is not necessary and may be changed at any time

3) Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebook

4) Books may be used for other challenges

5) Go to eHarlequin for book information, anything you can purchase there counts for the challenge.

Happy New Year

May the New Year bring you all the Peace and Prosperity your hearts can handle!
Evy!

The Virgin Secretary's Impossible Boss by Carole Mortimer

Linus Harrison's masculinity is a little too much for his sensible, bespectacled assistant, Andrea. He makes her heart beat like crazy! And the last thing Andi expects is to have to spend a weekend alone with her wild, irrepressible boss….

Billionaire Linus loves a challenge and relishes his chance to undo Miss Prim and Proper's buttoned-up exterior. It only takes one snowbound Scottish night to ignite the flames of the devilishly handsome businessman's desire. With sparks flying, how can Andi resist?

So here's my take on this book: It had the makings of a great read but I think there was just too much focus spent on Linus and Andi's road trip and not much else. A bit disappointing for me since I like to read office romance and would have liked to see more "variables" thrown in!

BBAW Interview Swap

For BBAW's Interview Swap, I had the pleasure of partnering with Yvette Kelly of True Crime Book Reviews. Our blogs are like night and day: I blog about romance, chick lit and some classics while Yvette is a True Crime book junkie at heart. I found her blog fascinating and mysterious. I would bet there is a review from every author who every wrote a "crime" story. Here are the questions I asked her:

When did you start blogging and how did you get into it?

I started blogging in February 2009. I order a lot of books from my local online bookstore and they contacted me about doing a blog on the books I read.They also offered to pay for an internet marketing course which I started in November 2008. I started blogging about true crime books in February.

When did you start reading books about Crime?

This passion started in 2007 after I watched a program on the Crime & Investigation network. Right after that I went online to find the book Life With Billy and I have not stopped reading true crime since then

How has the books you read, inspired you?

The funny answer would be I am now a serial killer but jokes aside,these books really motivate me to look more closely at my personal relationships and to make them better. There is such a thin line between sanity and insanity. I have also become far more appreciative of the good people in my life,and believe it or not,I firmly believe that there are more good people on this earth.

Do you read any other genre?

I love medical and psychological thrillers. I also enjoy autobiographies and biographies.

Other than reading, what do you do for fun?

I enjoy gardening,hanging out with friends but my biggest passion is white water rafting which is not really something I can indulge in often as the best rivers are far away.My best experience so far has been on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe but the scariest was on a much smaller river called the Sabie which is in South Africa.I ended up grabbing everyone's toes to try and avoid being sucked downtiver by the strong currents.

Benny & Shrimp, Katarina Mazetti

Thanks to the folks over at FSB Associates for sending me this book.



Blurb
It started in a cemetery, where they begrudgingly share a bench. "Shrimp," the childless young widow and librarian with a sharp intellect and a home so tidy tat her jam jars are in alphabetical order, meets Benny, the gentle, overworked milk farmer who fears becoming the village's Old Bachelor. Both driven by an enormous longing and loudly ticking biological clocks. they can't escape the powerful attraction between them..........

This is a quirky, down-to-earth love story between Benny and Desiree (Shrimp) with an ending that I didn't expect. Shrimp is very neat and has a plan for her life. On the other hand, Benny's life is mostly a series of reactions. He would eat if hungry, shop if supplies are low and milk the cows if they needed milking. I empathized with Benny since he worked so hard for very little while Shrimp refused to lend a hand!

I thought Katarina Mazetti's choice of writing in alternating "character" was brilliant. She did a great job of analyzing events from a man's perspective and really zeroed in on their differences. I was totally emersed in the story. This book is a must read.....the characters are interesting and story...unpredictable.

A Weaver Wedding by Allison Leigh

Blurb:

Shy and retiring Tara Browning couldn't believe it. One minute she was enjoying an outrageous, out-of-the-blue weekend of heaven with Weaver's hometown hunk, Axel Clay, and the next minute he disappeared without so much as a goodbye! Was she dreaming? The baby on the way seemed very real indeed….
Now, months later, Axel was back in town, showing up on her doorstep with a song and dance about being her bodyguard while her brother testified in a high-profile criminal trial. In such close quarters, could Tara keep her baby secret—and her hands to herself—now that this masterful man of the Double-C Ranch was back on her radar?

My thoughts:

My first Silhouette in a while and .... actually a review book for Harlequin. Set in the small town of Weaver, this story is part of a series about the men of the Double C Ranch. The writer did a good job of showing the importance of family. Tara found herself alone and pregnant but found a "home" with Axel's parents and siblings as well as their spouses. Growing up was not easy for Tara as she did not have the stability that Axel enjoyed with his family.

On the other hand, Axel's character seemed childish at times. He said he was concerned for Tara's safety as her body guard .........but as a man, his actions left much to be desired. How dare he spend several nights with her but disappears for months without so much as a phone call.

Overall, I thought the story bordered on the mysterious.....though too many characters were introduced. I thought the novel was heartwarming and definitely embraced family as a central theme but not as steamy a novel as I would prefer.

Your Local Handyman by Stephanie Williams

Blurb:
Who is going to fix who up with what?
Alexis Harrison has bought the American Dream. She purchased a huge Colonial fixer-upper in a posh neighborhood. She’s now ready to have a house warming party. All she has to do is find the right person or persons to help her do all the hard work. No problem. She has met and hooked up with the local handyman, the sexy Tony Castellano. But when her house starts falling apart at the seams, so does she. But Tony is there ready to fix things—and not just the house.
Tony Castellano, wants to be more than the local handyman to the sexy new neighbor Alexis Harrison. But he’s willing to fix her windows, her pipes and anything else that needs repair as long as he’s near her. But fate has come knocking. Now her house is a total wreak and she needs a place to stay. Now he can show her he can fix more than pipes.
Will Tony heat up more than the water or will Alexis deep freeze him?

Review:
This was simultaneous combustion from the start but neither Tony nor Alexis was willing to admit it ……….that is, until Tony got a chance to do some work at Alexis’s house while she was home. Alexis with her mocha skin and succulent lips, sets Tony’s hard, Italian body on fire.

Tony struck me as a very devoted guy who is loyal to the woman he chooses. Alexis, on the other hand seems to be very ambitious but not really the "marrying" type. I enjoyed this novella but really wished the author had more time to develop these characters so the reader could get a better understanding of what motivated both of them.

Overall, it’s a wonderful story of romance and lust. The book is highly entertaining and a very spicy read.

A Man For The Summer by Ruby Bartek

Blurb: Dentist Junior Atkinson left her tiny home town to see if she would fit in better in the big city. She definitely didn't. Now she's back, living in the house she grew up in, friendly with every citizen of the two-stoplight town. Things couldn't be more wonderful. Well, maybe if her patients paid her regularly. If there was an eligible man in a fifty-mile radius. If she hadn't just been told that a medical condition meant she had only a few more fertile months despite her tender age of twenty-eight. Junior barely has time to digest this news when she finds hunky travel book author Griff Ross in her chair with a hell of a toothache.

Review: This story is set in rural Missouri and reminds us why small towns can be so heart warming and fun to live in. Junior is a young, funky Dentist who wants to get pregnant. With the prodding of her equally fun loving Aunt, she entices Griff into her bed for a night in the hopes of making a baby. Griff, a straight-laced writer; is not too happy when he finds out he was lured into Junior’s bed under false pretences. On the flip side, he cannot rid himself of the images of their encounter. I enjoyed the story and the relationship that developed between Junior and Griff. I think the author effectively captured the differences between the two and showing how they both worked to bridge the gap caused by their equally opposite upbringing. The story is light, fun a bit spicy and a nice summer read!

Another Award, yeah!!

Heartfelt Award

This is what the award means..Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you’re relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family & friends?You know that feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea ~ or a hot toddy? That is what the Heartfelt award is all about feeling warm inside : ].I wanted to create something to express that toasty feeling.

I couldn't upload the image to portray this award (a teacup with a little mouse) but I used one of my favorite pictures of water lilies. Hope you all like it as this Award is also for visiting my blog. Yvonne at http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/ was kind enough to send it over.

You may ask what these awards mean and I would tell you for me.......just the idea that someone took time out to read my blog and enjoy it, makes me feel special.

The Literary Blogger Award

I was given this award by Yvonne at http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/. I really do feel special to get it. The Literary Blogger Award acknowledges bloggers who energize & inspire reading by going the extra mile. These amazing bloggers make reading fun & enhance the delight of reading!

I think I will pass this on to each and every blogger who blogs about their books. If you visit this site, then please accept this award!!! Read on!