Last week I finished off Simply Irresistable by Jill Shalvis. It's not my favorite of her books but it was still pretty good. Then I read Afterlife by Joey Hill.  I think I may have read one of Joey Hill's books a long time ago (wait I'll go look) I"m back. I can't find it. So this is sort of like a new author to me and I've heard so many good things about her. I really did love this book, though I started to get a little impatient with Rachel and her continued thinking she wasn't good enough and didn't deserve Jon, but loved the writing!! So now I'm reading her Board Resolution - smokin' hot!

It's actually been two weeks since I blogged about the books I've been reading. At that time I'd started Something About You by Julie James. I loved it! So of course I had to read everything she has! I've now also read Practice Makes Perfect (loved it too!) and Just The Sexiest Man Alive (another win!). I could be really picky about a couple of tiny POV problems in Just The Sexiest Man Alive but I knew she was doing it to plant a seed for somethign coming later. Loved the characters, though and great dialogue. Can't wait til her next book is out.

Currently I'm reading Simply Irresistable by Jill Shalvis. I've seen a lot of people "discovering" Jill Shalvis recently. Meanwhile I've been a big fan of hers for years. I'm so glad for her people are finding her because I love her writing!

I finished Here Comes Trouble by Donna Kauffman. I enjoyed this book although someone looking for a faster pace may not- there is a LOT of internal narration while the characters think about their past and the present and even worry a little about the future and generally get to know themselves. These characters were interesting so I didn't find it so slow going that I didn't like it, but it does slow the pace. Ms Kauffman does draw out sexual tension, too, with a LONG conversation while they decided whether to do it or not!

I'm now reading Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis. Just entering into this world made me feel all good - a sexy famous baseball player who keeps showing up with phone numbers written on him and I sexy control freak woman, lots of sexual tension and of course, though I've just started it, I sense these characters have more problems than just the one they're trying to solve together by pretending to be boyfriend/girlfriend.  The old fake relationship trope - hey! I just wrote one of those myself!

This week I read Instant Gratification by Jill Shalvis. Jill’s one of my favourite authors, but this book was one of the best I’ve read of hers in a while. I got a lump in my throat and teary-eyed reading it! The story between Emma and her father was very touching.

I also read Reason Enough by Megan Hart. It’s a Spice Brief, and I wouldn’t have read it if it wasn’t by Megan Hart, another one of my favourite authors. For me there’s not enough romance in a Spice Brief. The cool thing about this story, though, is that it’s about the same characters from Megan’s book Dirty. I do love checking in on characters after the story ends! They have a lot of hot married sex in this story. (Anyone else notice these characters also appear in Stranger?? :-) Along with another character from Dirty? I was waiting for them to all meet up in Stranger and for poop to hit the fan, but it didn’t happen.)

I started Secret Ties by Opal Carew. I don’t know why I keep reading her books. They are undeniably hot but a little too mechanical for me. But the domination and submission theme got me. We’ll see how it goes.

Also in progress: The House of Mondavi by Julia Flynn Siler.

Continuing with a few things: Greyound Summer by Nara Malone and The California Directory of Fine Wines (I'm anxious to get started on that next story, I must start writing down a few things but I'm finally making progress on my WIP)

Double Play by Jill Shalvis - I love Jill Shalvis!

Crazy Love by Tara Janzen - I love Tara Janzen! Even though I'm reading these all out of order, it's so fun to get to know a little bit about the different characters and then read their whole story. I've met Skeeter Bang in other stories, but this is hers.

Crazy Sweet by Tara Janzen - I've just started this and all I can say is Whoa! Tara's books are smokin' hot but this couple is actually into bondage! And I'm dying to know how it all turns out for Red Dog...

What am I reading this week? An e-book of course! It’s Read an E-book Week!

This week the Samhain Café is CRAZY with all kinds of things going on and lots of contests. I myself will be there Thursday at 8:00 (EST) and may have a little contest to win an e-book, as well as some excerpts; and I’m part of today’s scavenger hunt at The Samhellion - Fiction, Articles and Musings by Samhain Publishing's Leading Authors.

The e-book I’m reading: BIG Temptation by Robin Rotham. I got this book to download onto my new Sony reader for this weekend (going away for a long weekend, lots of time to read on the drive) but I have to confess I already started it! And I have to get Amber Eyes, by Maya Banks, just out yesterday.

I did read a paper book this week, too – Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis. Jill is one of my favs and this story was great. The attraction was instant, but it was believable. That’s important for me – an instant attraction that’s too over-the-top loses me. It has to build – and the sexual tension in this story built beautifully. I loved that Cam was a snowboarder – way cool! – only wish there was more actual snowboarding in the story, I love athletes in action. Both Katie and Cam are wounded and I like how they dealt with it so differently – and yet not so differently.