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text 2018-11-09 09:59
4/24 Tasks: 7th of November: Diwali
Anna Karenina - Larissa Volokhonsky,Richard Pevear,Leo Tolstoy
Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry
The MacKinnon's Bride (Highland Brides, # 1) - Tanya Anne Crosby
El oso de karantania - Cristina Loza
Heidi - Johanna Spyri
Anne of Avonlea - L.M. Montgomery
Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw
Reforming Lord Ragsdale - Carla Kelly
Her Sister's Baby (Harlequin Superromance No. 627) - Janice Kay Johnson

Task 1:  Share a picture of your favorite light display. ~ I might be reaching here, but no man-made display has ever captivated me as much as the night sky (though lantern festivals come close).

Task 2:  Cleaning is a big part of this holiday; choose one of your shelves, real or virtual, and tidy / organise it.  Give us the before and after photos.  OR Tidy up 5 of the books on your BookLikes shelves by adding the CORRECT cover, and/or any other missing information.

 

Well, since I can never help myself, while searching for the girl with flowers covers I ended up merging one of my books into it's proper author, and I bet I'll end up doing some more, lol.

 

As for my physical library, I plan on an overhaul around Christmas, so I'll post pictures then.

Task 3: Eating sweets is also a big part of Diwali. Either select a recipe for a traditional sweet, or make a family favorite and share a picture with us.

 

Dulce de Leche!!

 

This is not an easy one to make, actually. I think we only attempted it once, it took a looooong time, and the consistence was not that firm (plus, I think we got a bit enthusiastic with the sodium bicarbonate)


Task 4: During Diwali, people pray to the goddess Lakhshmi, who is typically depicted as a beautiful young woman holding a lotus flower. Find 5 books on your shelves (either physical or virtual) whose covers show a young woman holding a flower and share their cover images.

 

I'm among those having a lot less difficulty finding women brandishing weapons than carying flowers among my covers, but children and classic books came to my rescue. Clearly, I might want to "make love not war" more reading-wise. If only I could find more romances that treaded better the line between crazy drama and blandness.

Book: Read a book with candles on the cover or the word “candle” or “light” in the title; OR a book that is the latest in a series; OR set in India; OR any non-fiction book that is ‘illuminating’ (Diwali is Sanskrit for light/knowledge and row, line or series)

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review 2015-12-04 05:16
Cop By Her Side - Janice Kay Johnson (HS #1932 - July 2014)
Cop by Her Side - Janice Kay Johnson

Series: Mysteries of Angel Butte (Book 4)

"Does she put her trust in him...again?"

Lieutenant Jane Vahalik is "done" with Sergeant Clay Renner. He messed up their romance when he dished out too much male swagger. She gets enough of that on the job to put up with it in her personal life--regardless of how hot Clay may be.

 

Then her niece is kidnapped, and suddenly he is the only cop Jane trusts to lead the search. The rush of attraction sizzling between them surprises her. So does his determination to prove she's wrong about him. It could be just the tense situation--or it could be "Clay"--but Jane's feelings for him are growing. Maybe they deserve a second chance....

 

Good story with some fast paced action and a second chance at romance. Jane and Clay had dated briefly a few months before, until Jane overheard him discussing their relationship with "the guys" in a manner she found totally unacceptable. She had really liked him, and his chauvinistic comments hurt her and made her angry. Clay knew he had screwed up as soon as he said it, but he doesn't know how to fix it.

 

Then her sister is injured in a car accident and her niece disappears. With Lissa in a coma and unable to tell anyone what happened, Clay is in charge of the investigation. As they work together on the case, Clay looks at it as an opportunity to show Jane that he has learned from his mistakes. Jane isn't sure that she should trust him again, but she can't deny that her feelings for him are growing.

 

I liked Clay a lot. He was working from a bit of a disadvantage, as his example of how a man behaves was that of his father. He was definitely old school, the woman belongs at home raising the kids, and certainly not working in a field like law enforcement. With Jane not only being law enforcement but also higher ranked, Clay had a little trouble dealing with it all. I liked the fact that he realized right away that he was wrong, and took a good hard look at himself and his attitudes. Once he figured out where it had come from, he was determined to change. He hoped for a second chance with Jane, but wasn't very optimistic, given the way she has treated him ever since.

 

Jane has some self-esteem issues on the personal side of her life. Unlike her younger sister, Jane is shorter, curvy, and in her opinion, very ordinary looking. She hasn't had very many relationships, as most men looked at her as a friend rather than a romantic interest. Plus, as a police lieutenant, she seems to intimidate many of the men she knows. She had really liked Clay and thought that they had potential, until she heard him make those remarks. 

 

Working together on the case involving her sister and niece, Jane begins to see a different side of Clay. He admits to his mistakes, explains where they had come from, and lets her know up front that he really wants a second chance with her. He stumbles a couple times, but he is obviously trying, and that means a lot to her. Jane has her own male-related issues, thanks to her father's relationship with her and her sister, and trusting men outside of work is something that is hard for her to do. The attraction between them adds another layer to the developing relationship. I loved seeing the fight between Clay's natural protectiveness and his pride and confidence in Jane's abilities. Jane also had to learn to accept that Clay could feel both. I loved seeing how it all came together at the end, and they were able to move forward together.

 

The mystery of the missing girl went throughout the book. It was really interesting to see how methodical Clay was in his pursuit of the clues. He had a bit of an uphill battle with Jane because of his suspicions about her brother-in-law and sister. She had spent so much of her life protecting her sister that she doesn't want to think she could be wrong. I didn't much care for her brother-in-law for most of the book, but he redeemed himself in the end. It was very nerve-wracking as the search went on and Brianna was nowhere to be found. The resolution was really intense and showed both Clay and Jane's strengths.

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review 2015-03-23 02:16
To Love a Cop - Janice Kay Johnson (HS #1980 - Apr 2015)
To Love a Cop - Janice Kay Johnson

She's sworn to protect her heart

 

After what Laura Vennetti and her son have been through, she's avoided all contact with the police. Then her son brings detective Ethan Winter into their lives. Despite how appealing--and gorgeous--he is, it's safe to say Ethan "isn't" her dream man.

 

Immediately, though, Laura can see how different he is from her late husband. Ethan is thoughtful, considerate and a good influence on her son. Add in the intense attraction between her and Ethan... The temptation to give in is irresistible. To her surprise, Laura feels the wounds of the past healing, making her wonder if she could love "this" cop forever.

 

Very good book, and very emotional.  Ethan is a police detective who was attending a gun show on his day off when he spotted Jake. He noticed Jake looking at the various guns, and that he had no adult with him and it was a schoolday. After confronting Jake he drove him home and stayed to talk to Jake’s mother Laura. The initial meeting did not go well.

 

Laura is a widow and her son is eleven years old. Her husband had been a cop and part of a large Italian family. One day when Jake was five he found his father’s gun and had grabbed it to show his cousin. Because it was heavy he dropped it and when he tried to catch it he accidentally pulled the trigger and killed his five year old cousin.  The family rallied around the dead boy’s family and completely cut ties with Laura’s family. Between losing his family and the guilt over what had happened, her husband took his own life. Laura and Jake have been on their own for six years. Because of what happened, Laura has a deep loathing for guns and a distrust of those that carry them. She’s horrified to find out where Jake had been and not too happy to have Ethan in her home. She sends him away as soon as she can.

 

Ethan had known her husband as they were both on the police force. He remembered what had happened and understands Laura’s feelings. He also feels a bit guilty, because as one of Matt’s brother officers he thinks he should have stayed in touch. He’s determined to do so now, even though Laura had been less than welcoming. He was also attracted to Laura, which he found surprising considering her attitude. He is also worried about Jake, whose fascination with guns is bordering on obsession. He wants to find a way to help.

 

I loved the romance that built between Laura and Ethan. It was a slow building one, as Ethan knew that Laura had some issues with him that she had to overcome. I loved his patience with her fears, and how he worked to ease them. Ethan had been married before and his wife couldn't handle his job. It left him feeling cautious about getting emotionally involved, but with Laura he couldn't help it. I thought he was doing a really good job with it and things were going well. But he still had one event in his past that he hadn't shared with her because he was afraid of her reaction. Laura had been surprised by her attraction to Ethan also. She hadn't been interested in another man since her husband’s death. Ethan being a cop was difficult for her because of her previous experiences. As he steps in to help with her son, she gets to know him better and sees the differences between him and Matt. Her fears begin to ease and the friendship they built turns to love.

 

When a case that Ethan’s been working on goes bad, both discover that their issues are rooted deeper than they had realized. Both of them say things that really hurt the other and it doesn't look good for them to continue their relationship. My tears were flowing as it takes some very emotional soul searching by both of them to face down their own demons before they can finally be there for each other. I loved how they then faced each other with how they were feeling and why they had acted as they had. More tears as things were resolved.

 

I loved Laura’s son Jake. What he had been through was tragic and the effect it had had on his life was terrible. He is still dealing with it and his methods are worrying to both Ethan and Laura. He likes it when Ethan befriends him and enjoys doing things with him. I thought his reactions to Ethan’s rules were very realistic, as were some of the things he did. The portrayal of what he’s going through was really good, and I loved seeing him getting closer to Ethan. He went through a lot of changes during the book and seeing the process was a huge part of the emotional appeal of the book.

 

I also liked seeing the comparison of the two families involved in the story. The Vanetti family, for all its closeness, had not treated Laura and Jake well at all. I really got Laura’s bitterness, especially when the trouble started at Jake’s school. I loved the way Ethan came rushing to support her and how he helped her. I really enjoyed seeing her follow his advice. I understood her reactions to the calls she received from them, and how she ended up having to deal with those feelings. As a contrast, I loved Ethan’s mom and dad. Their love for each other just glows, and is a great example for Ethan. I loved their easy acceptance of Laura and Jake. Their reaction to what happens with Ethan shows what it should be like and gives him much to think about.

 

The case that ran throughout the book was interesting and showed the kinds of things that Ethan had to deal with. The culmination of the case and the effect it had on Ethan, Laura and Jake made it vital to the story.

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text 2015-01-29 15:19
Flooded: Floods in Romance Novels
Angel's Walk - Kathleen Creighton
Courting Miss Hattie - Pamela Morsi
All That Remains - Janice Kay Johnson
Jezebel's Blues - Ruth Wind,Barbara Samuel
Flood Zone - Dana Mentink
A Man Like Him - Rachel Brimble
Rivertime - Rae Renzi
A Bird in Hand (Bird #1) - Allison Lane
Taken by Storm - Tamara Mataya
In the Shadow of the Ark - Anne Provoost,John Nieuwenhuizen

It is often the worst of times that bind us most tightly to those we love. In these darker days, we see the essence of a person. 

 

Here are some  great love story that take place during on in the aftermath of a flood.

 

 

1. Angel's Walk by Kathleen Creighton Free! 

 

Army Corps of Engineers’ John Campbell Harris has no choice--to save Bakersfield, California, he has to raise the height of the local dam in record time. This will flood the homes and destroy the dreams of many on the river, including Susannah Day whose beloved family home, Angel’s Walk, sits on long-designated lake bottom.

Harris didn’t plan to fall in love with an old-fashioned, stubborn, woman-child and then betray her, but who does? As the El Nino soaked the ground, and the water rose towards Angel's Walk, Harris made a dangerous choice for redemption. Would it be enough?

 

2. Courting Miss Hattie by Pamela Morsi

 

The news spread like brush fire through the whole county when widower Ancil Drayton announced his intention to start courting Miss Hattie Colfax. She was certainly spirited and delightfully sweet natured, and she'd managed to run her family farm almost single-handedly. But wasn't a twenty-nine-year-old lady farmer too old to catch a husband?

An Irresistable Suitor.

All his life handsome, black-haired Reed Tyler had worked Miss Hattie's farm--and dreamed of one day settling down on his own piece of land with the pretty young woman he'd sworn to marry. Hattie was someone he could tell his hopes and troubles to--someone he looked on as a sister. So he thought, until the idea of Ancil Drayton calling on her made him seethe. Until the night a brotherly peck became a scorching kiss... and Reed knew nothing would bank the blaze--and that his best friend was the only woman he would ever love.

 

3. All That Remains by Janice Kay Johnson


Wren Fraser can think of better times to go into labor. Say, when she's not on the run, or when there's a hospital nearby. Better yet, when there's not a major flood trapping her in an abandoned house. She needs a rescue…now!


It arrives in one Alec Harper. Strong, competent and goodlooking, the detective keeps her safe and doesn't leave her side. He even takes in Wren and the baby when they have no place to go.

For a woman wanting her independence, it's shocking how quickly she settles in with Alec. The situation seems a bit too domestic. And the sizzling attraction between them is making things worse. She keeps telling herself to walk away, yet she can't. Or should that be, she doesn't want to?

 

4. Jezebel's Blues by Barbara Samuel

 

When the Jezebel River overflows her banks and tries to swallow the small town of Gideon in East Texas, Celia Moon is alone and frightened in the farmhouse she inherited from her grandmother. When a mesmerizing and troubled drifter washed up on her porch, she has no choice but to take him in. As the river rises, the pair retreat to the attic to ride out the storm—and discover a compelling attraction.

The daughter of two artists who were besotted with each other, Celia has always felt the odd woman out. She yearns to find a place she can call her own, a family of her own, a life that has some stability and meaning. Her grandmother’s farmhouse in Gideon has always represented that.

Eric fled his grim childhood in Gideon to find a life as an acclaimed blues guitarist, but that life has been taken from him, too, and he’s back in Gideon with a chip on his shoulder that hides the vast, hunger he, too, feels to find his place, his home, his life. Waiting out the storm with sunny, optimistic Celia, he wonders if maybe there’s a place in Gideon for him after all, in the arms of a woman who might know more than she thinks about acceptance.
 

 

5. Flood Zone by Dana Mentink 

 

Mia Sandoval's friend is murdered under mysterious circumstances—and the single mother is a suspect. Her only ally is a man she isn't sure she can trust. Search and rescue worker Dallas Black has a past as harrowing as Mia's own, and the police are suspicious of them both. With no choice but to work with secretive Dallas, Mia discovers he's as complicated as the murder they're forced to investigate to clear her name. Yet as a flood ravages their small Colorado town, a killer is determined that Mia, Dallas and their evidence get swept away to a watery grave.

 

6. A Man Like Him by Rachel Brimble

 

Changing her life…again.

 

After two years in hiding, Angela Taylor knows her independence is worth it. As long as she can escape her past, she has everything under control. Until a flash flood hits the park where she works, and hot Chris Forrester shows up the exact moment she needs a hero. 

 

Chris proves he can save lives—and weaken a girl's knees. But how can she make him understand that she's off-limits, that getting close to her will endanger his life? Her happiness or his safety: it shouldn't even be a choice. Because when you love someone, you protect them, no matter the cost. At least, that's what Angela keeps telling herself….

 

7. Rivertime by Rae Renzi

 

Casey Lord needs a break. Her great-on-paper boyfriend, Reed, is pressuring her to marry him—but she's not sure if he sees her merely as an asset to help his political career. A river-rafting trip in the remote wilderness provides the perfect opportunity to clear her head. Until a flash flood sweeps Casey away from her group—and straight into the arms of Jack, a mysterious man also stranded by the flooding river.

 

Jack won't tell Casey his last name, and her innocent questions about his life are met with evasive answers. Yet they have to trust each other to survive, and as the pair await rescue, their uneasy truce slowly blossoms into friendship—and love. They agree to keep secret whatever differences may separate them in the real world.

 

When rescue finally arrives, will it spell an end to their budding relationship or can they find a way to stay in RiverTime?

 

8. A Bird in Hand by Allison Lane

 

When Lord Symington tries to save a young woman from drowning he almost loses his own life, and winds up compromised—having spent the night (unconscious) with Lady Elizabeth Fosdale in a country cottage. As any honorable gentleman would, he offers her marriage, but she will have none of it. And his lordship is not quite willing to see Lady Elizabeth disappear.

 

9. Taken by Storm by Tamara Mataya

 

Leilani’s plan was simple: Return for her father’s wedding, house sit for the happy couple while they went on their honeymoon, then get the hell outta dodge. She’d thought the worst thing would be returning to the town she grew up in (and despised). She was wrong.

A flash flood hits the small town, stranding firefighter, Ryan, and a few strangers at the local bar. Worst of all, Leilani, his old high school rival – and last night’s scorching one-night-stand – is one of the people stuck in the bar. With waters rising, they need to stick together and wait for rescue.

The power grid’s knocked out, and cell phones aren’t working. When the others panic and leave, Leilani and Ryan are left alone in the dark. Fortunately, words aren’t necessary to keep the former rivals warm. But when they’re forced to leave the refuge of each other's arms, they must navigate the flood-ravaged town in order to find safe shelter.

The rising waters brought them together, but rising tempers might tear them apart.

 

10. In the Shadow of the Ark by Anne Provoost

 

When ReJana and her family reach the desert plain where the great ship is being constructed, the world has already begun to change. The waters are rising everywhere, and both people and animals are beginning to panic. This is the dramatic story of the weeks and months that follow, as the rain transforms the earth and the people come to understand the magnitude of the disaster. This is the story of one girl who stows away on the ark for love of Ham, Noah's son. This is her story of survival.

 

To vote for your favorite Romances featuring a flood, go to my Goodreads list: Flooded: Floods in Romance Novels

 

 

 

 

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text 2014-12-09 15:14
Snuggle: Snowed in Series Romance Style
One Christmas Knight (The Sisters Waskowitz, #1) - Kathleen Creighton
Mountain Midwife - Cassie Miles
A Very Special Delivery - Brenda Harlen
Snowbound - Janice Kay Johnson
Snowbound with the Soldier - Jennifer Faye
Proposal at the Lazy S Ranch - Patricia Thayer
Snowbound in the Earl's Castle - Fiona Harper
All That Love Is (Harlequin Superromance) (Everlasting Love, #14) - Ginger Chambers
Winter Kissed: A Kiss Of FrostIce Bound - Michele Hauf,Vivi Anna
Stranded with the Tycoon - Sophie Pembroke

Yesterday, we talked about Summer Christmas. Ahhh. I can feel the sand in my toes and smell that salt air. 

 

But today, lets snuggle up with Snowed in Romances. I don't know about you but it is crazy time around here and Series Romances (Loveswept, Mills and Boon, Harlequin) are the perfect bon bon size for sneak reading. Sneak reading is my sport as we near the holidays. 

 

Enjoy these couples who are snowed in! I wonder how ever will they pass the time? My lists are never in any particular order.

 

1. One Christmas Knight by Kathleen Creighton 

2. Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson

3. Snowbound with the Soldier by Jennifer Faye

4. Snowbound in the Earl's Castle by Fiona Harper

5. All That Love Is by Ginger Chambers

6. Winter Kissed by Michele Hauf

7. Stranded with the Tycoon by Sophie Pembroke

8. Proposal at the Lazy S Ranch by Patricia Thayer

9. A Very Special Delivery by Brenda Harlen

10. Mountain Midwife by Cassie Miles

 

Get the Vote Out! Goodreads List--Snuggle: Snowed in Series Romance Style

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