In My Mailbox (106)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and is a way for everyone to show their new books for the week, including those bought, swapped, won, or received for review.

for review:

"Farm Fresh Southern Cooking" by Tammy Algood

What did you receive in your mailbox this week???

Free Ebooks for Kindle! March 30

Hi everyone! 

"Overprotected" was available for free for Kindle a while back, but I know a lot of you didn't grab it in time, so here's another chance! It may only be free for the day, so double check before you click buy!

Also, another of Jennifer Laurens' books is available for free today as well!

"Overprotected" by Jennifer Laurens

Kindle

"A Season of Eden" by Jennifer Laurens

 

Kindle

"Wicked as They Come" Review

"Wicked as They Come"
by Delilah S. Dawson
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: March 27, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Have you ever heard of a Bludman? They’re rather like you and me—only more fabulous, immortal, and mostly indestructible. (They’re also very good kissers.)

Delilah S. Dawson’s darkly tempting debut drops her unsuspecting heroine into a strange faraway land for a romantic adventure that’s part paranormal, part steampunk . . . and completely irresistible.

When Tish Everett forces open the ruby locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world, where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical traveling circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy’s electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also foresees her ultimate doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fate with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a treacherous race to recover the necklace from the evil Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she’s coming to love?

My Review:

I'm not a true fan of the adult paranormal romance genre, but I wanted to read this one because it looked so different from the norm. The circus aspect, combined with a steampunk vibe had me intrigued. I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this one, and it didn't have any of the aspects that I dislike about the adult paranormal genre-it wasn't over the top violent (the heroine wasn't shooting everyone in sight), there weren't multiple curse words on each page (in fact, I'm pretty sure there was none), and the steamy scenes weren't creepy and weird. Overall, I'd say this was more of a fantasy book than a run of the mill action packed vampire book.

The only part of the book that I didn't really like was the time travel (or parallel universe travel). This theme almost never works for me, so I'm not really surprised. The present day worries really took me out of the spectacular fantasy world that was built. I have enough cell phones and alarm clocks buzzing at me in my real life, I'd much rather read about magical 'Bludmen' and a steampunk circus. I suppose time travel works for some because it injects some familiarity into a completely unfamiliar setting, but I'd rather be totally immersed in the fictional world.

The characters were great, Tish/Leticia wasn't too stereotypical. She was a bit down and out due to her ex, but she wasn't completely free of self esteem like some stereotypical heroines are. I'm not sure that Criminy was my type, but he was sweet for the most part. Maybe he had a little too much alpha male traits for me personally. The Casper storyline was pretty entertaining to me, so I'm glad to see the next book in the series focuses on him as the main character. I'm also glad that the series will be about different couples, instead of every book being about Criminy and Leticia.



Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5 (the parallel universe, not the present day)
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: Overall, a new and different type of paranormal romance that breaks the stereotypes. I'd recommend this to fans of the genre as well as those who want to read a little something different for a change.
 

"Skin Rules" Review

"Skin Rules:Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist"
by Debra Jaliman, M.D.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Source: sent by publicist

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Skin Rules is a concise and practical instruction manual from a renowned Fifth Avenue dermatologist on how to attain beautiful skin, a taut and sculpted body, and a much younger appearance. Actors, models, and newscasters go to Dr. Jaliman for her cutting-edge technology and the latest in skin care, as well as for her reputation for being the “last stop” doctor, the one who fixes what others can’t. Skin Rules has something for everyone, no matter where they live or how much money they have to spend. This small, invaluable guide supplies the same advice Dr. Jaliman gives to her celebrity patients, from lasers to remove sun damage and turn back the clock to suggestions for simple products and  habits anyone can adopt for a small outlay of time and money.  In Skin Rules readers will learn:
• about the one ingredient that should NEVER be in
sunscreens, but often is
• how to use inexpensive Aquaphor to heal wounds and
prevent scarring
• which drugstore products really work for acne and wrinkles

My Review:

This book is one of the most 'to-the-point' skin care books I have read. There is nothing complicated, wordy, or confusing about Jaliman's "Skin Rules." She gets to the point, gives her suggestions, then moves on to the next topic. This makes the book a quick and easy read.

As for the info, I did learn a few things that I had never heard before about skin care. You'll have to read the book to learn her secrets, but I think a few will stick with me. I also read a lot of tips and tricks that I had already read in magazines or in internet articles. But I suppose that is to be expected with any book of this type.

I was most interested in the products that she recommends, as well as the how-to regimens. But there was also a lot of information about procedures that happen in the dermatologist's office. At least these were non-surgical procedures, but still not really what I was looking forward to reading about. I was looking more for suggestions of things that we can do at home to look our best instead of medical procedures. Reading about these procedures did however help me understand how Hollywood's elite look the way they do at any age.



Bottom Line: I was able to take away some new tips that I hadn't heard before, all in a short, easy to read and understand guide.

In My Mailbox (105)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and is a way for everyone to show their new books for the week, including those bought, swapped, won, or received for review.

for review:

"The Immortal Rules" by Julie Kagawa

 Wow, a new series by this great author! Can't wait to read it!

"War Horse: The Making of the Motion Picture" by Steven Spielberg

A beautiful book about the making of the movie War Horse.

"How to Ravish a Rake" by Vicky Dreiling

I have been needing to read a great historical romance, and this is one by one of my favorite authors! 

"Sixty Acres and a Bride" by Regina Jennings

I've seen some rave reviews of this one already!

"The Secret Me Book" by Rachel Kempster and Meg Leder

This one is a journal, should be fun!

What did you receive in your mailbox this week???

Free Ebook for Kindle and Nook! March 24

Hi everyone! 

I first heard about this YA romance anthology from Heather at Buried in Books, and now it's free for Kindle and Nook! There should be lots of new YA authors to find here! Enjoy!

"In His Eyes" Anthology

Kindle
Nook

"The Three Colonels" Review

"The Three Colonels"
by Jack Caldwell

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: March 1, 2012

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Love reigns supreme for our three brave colonels at the start of this epic tale. Colonels Buford, Fitzwilliam, and Brandon are enjoying their courtships and their early married lives with three beloved Jane Austen heroines. The couples lead tranquil lives- until Napoleon escapes from exile. While the military men set out to meet their destiny on the fields of Waterloo, Anne, Carolina, and Marriane defend their hearts against the fear of losing their loved ones.

My Review:

I try to limit the Jane Austen variations that I read because there are so many and some of them seem to be very repetitive. However, Jack Caldwell's books are on my must-read list. This book along with "Pemberley Ranch" have both been respectful to Jane Austen's vision while being completely new and different at the same time. Not an easy task!

While "Pemberley Ranch" was a completely different setting, "The Three Colonels" takes the original setting and time period of Austen's books, but still adds something new and different. The characters from different books interact, and we get to take a closer look at some of the secondary characters and what their life is like after the original books ended. The book focuses on three romances, all very different, and at different stages of love.

I was really caught up in all of the romances in the book, and very excited to see where their love would lead. I was less interested in the war aspects of the book, but it was all combined very well.

The stories intertwined very naturally, and it was nice to see the very different ways that all of the characters, and the three couples dealt with their issues.

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: Another truly refreshing Jane Austen variation from Jack Caldwell.