Swamped

I'm a terrible, terrible person - and I didn't even attempt NaNoWriMo this year. The truth is, third year law is hell on earth and although I love it, I barely have time to do all the other extra-curriculars I'm involved in, let alone read books and write reviews. So, my apologies that there's been no new material on RMMR in the last three weeks.

I do have a review or few in the pipeline - it's just getting the chance to sit down and finish writing them and get them up to scratch. Unfortunately, my multiple to-do-lists only get longer no matter how many items I can tick off. This has been a fairly mild week in terms of crazy-ness (relatively speaking) and though I'm only going to get busier before the week is out, I hope to (fingers crossed!) have a review up soon. No promises, though.

And for the fun of it, here are some epic things from Buzzfeed that made me laugh this week:

- Tesco Mobile twitter conversation that escalates exponentially: http://www.buzzfeed.com/scottybryan/this-is-the-best-twitter-conversation-you-will?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=buzzfeed

- Student live tweets break up #roofbreakup #teamrachel!: https://www.hellou.com/blog/2013/11/student-witnesses-a-break-up-and-live-tweets-what-he-hears-hilarious-0

- And just the cute of this cat and his human sister: http://www.buzzfeed.com/meganm15/toco-the-cat-and-his-human-sister-are-the-most-adorable-trou?sub=2752443_1974263

Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann

Hot Pursuit (2009) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: mild
Source: library 
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

What promised to be a small, easy job teaching New York’s new Assemblywoman Maria Bonavita some personal safety tips and installing security systems into her office and apartment, was blown out of the window when body parts started turning up. Good job Alyssa Locke and her husband, Sam Starrett of Troubleshooters Inc are on the job – oh, and their 10-month-old baby, Ashton, too.

Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas

Worth Any Price (2003) (Piatkus)
Lisa Kleypas
Grade: A
Genre: historical romance
Sex scenes: your fingers will be burning as you turn the pages!
Source: own 
Bow Street Runners: (1) Someone to Watch Over Me, (2) Lady Sophia's Lover

Bow Street Runner Nick Gentry is a rarer breed than the reformed rake: he’s a reformed criminal. Several years ago, he was London’s criminal mastermind, catching and bringing the country’s most wanted to justice faster than the famous Bow Street Runners; now he’s one of them. Forced by circumstances to turn his back on his people and become part of the system, Nick has quickly made a name for himself in being able to solve the most precarious of problems. His latest case goes by the name of Miss Charlotte Howard.

Pretty books and other bookish news ...

No review today, because I am completely swamped. Third year law is hell on Earth, but I'm loving every long night spent glued to my desk, lecturers who speak at triple-speed and page-long reading lists for two-hour seminars; the things I do for my degree.

Instead, I thought I would share with you all my newest literary purchase, amongst other things. I was browsing in Waterstones at the beginning of this week, not with anything particular in mind, but knowing that I wanted to buy something special for myself. I spotted this on the shelf and after a brief internal debate, I couldn't help myself.

This is the new September 2013 hardback edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, illustrated by the very talented Jemima Catlin. This is my first copy of The Hobbit and unlikely to be my last; the lady in Waterstones confessed to owning about five copies, yet still being tempted by this one too! I can certainly see why. Despite first publication almost eighty years ago, The Hobbit is a timeless classic and new editions are only getting more beautiful. I've already got my eye on the Deluxe Hardback editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings!

I saw sample copies of the cover whilst I was interning at HarperCollins, but there weren't any interiors in the office that I could take a peek at. I'm glad that now that I've seen them, it's in my own copy; the illustrations are breathtaking. All illustrations are full-colour and there's at least one per double-spread; some pages have two. In addition, there's a dozen full-page illustrations, including the great dragon Smaug amongst his treasure.

Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas

Lady Sophia's Lover (2002) (Piatkus)
Lisa Kleypas
Grade: A-
Genre: historical romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: own 
Bow Street Runners: (1) Someone to Watch Over Me, (2) Lady Sophia's Lover

Sophia Sydney will get her revenge on Sir Ross Cannon. Orphaned at a young age with no money or estate left when their father, the Viscount died, Sophia and her brother John were left to fend for themselves. Sophia eventually landed herself a respectable job as housekeeper for a distant cousin, but John ran off the rails and ended up being sent off on a prison hulk ship, dying of cholera and buried in a mass grave. The man who sent him to his unjust fate? Sir Ross Cannon, Chief Magistrate of the Bow Street Runners, paragon and monk of Bow Street.

Public Secrets by Nora Roberts

Public Secrets (1990) (Bantam USA)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A
Genre: romantic suspense
Sex scenes: mild
Source: own

At three years old, Emma met her father for the first time from her favourite hiding place under the kitchen sink, and fell in love. Taken away from the mother that didn’t love her, to live with her father, Brian McAvoy and his wife, Bev, Emma finally has the chance to flourish. Her father is lead-singer of Devastation, soon to become one of the biggest bands of all time, and quickly, his bandmates Johnno, Stevie and P.M. become her family too. When her father and Bev give her a baby brother, four-year-old Emma’s life is complete.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

200th post! RMMR seems to be hitting a lot of milestones lately - let's hope it continues!

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) (Modern Library Inc)
Baroness Orczy
Grade: A+
Genre: adventure / romance
Source: own
Sir Percy Blakeney: (1) The Scarlet Pimpernel

The year is 1792 and across the Channel in France, the French aristocracy are fast losing their heads in the name of ‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.’ To their rescue is The Scarlet Pimpernel, a dashing English gentleman (so it is said) and his band of equally dashing men, who are saving aristocrats left, right and centre and getting them safe passage to England with the most ingenious of disguises and ruses.

The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

The Defiant Hero (2001) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B++
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: hot
Source: library 
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero,
(3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

John Nilsson and Meg Moore first met in the warzone of Kazbekistan: John was undercover at the US Embassy, and Meg worked there as a translator. The attraction was smoking between them, but Meg was older and married with a young daughter. Several years later and though they’ve lost contact, when Meg holds the Kazbekistani Ambassador at gunpoint, John is the one she calls for.

Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann

Out of Control (2002) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: short of hot
Source: library
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

Ken ‘Wildcard’ Karmody might be Navy SEAL Team Sixteen’s new Petty Officer and resident computer geek, but there’s a reason his nickname is ‘Wildcard’. He’s a quick thinker, adaptable and resourceful, but also prone to think outside the box, hence the unpredictability of his wildcard status. He might be brilliant, but that’s not always an advantage – especially when his big mouth gets the better of his brain.

How I Live Now - The Film

With the Brighton Shakedown Festival still pounding on outside my windows, and tons of environmental law reading to do on my desk, finding out about the How I Live Now film was the second best thing of my day (losing out narrowly to watching the latest episode of Scandal).

According to Shelfari, I last read How I Live Now in 2007, with my first reading several years prior. I love this book. Testament to this is the fact that I actually remember most of the salient points about the plot, which I normally don't with the majority of books I read. Basically, fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from America to live with the aunt and four cousins that she's never met (one cousin is cut from the film). Her aunt goes away on business shortly after Daisy arrives, and it's the beginning of a summer that she'll never forget, that changes her life irrevocably forever. Alongside falling in love, World War Three breaks out and despite being tucked away in the English countryside, Daisy and her cousins aren't immune from harm. Unfortunately, I don't remember how the book ends, but now I'm itching to get my hands on a copy and find out all over again.

This is a beautiful book. Strange, yes, it's got that in bucketloads, but beautiful all the same. Now, nine years after it was first published, the film is being released. I'm curious about how they tackled the film. From the trailer, it looks like that for the most part, it's a fairly accurate adaptation; one thing I don't remember is Daisy being so tomboy-ish. That said, for practical reasons (i.e. not having more hours in the day, and already being behind on work despite only having had one week back at uni) I'm highly unlikely to actually see it in the cinema, for which I'm really sad about. Let me know if you've seen it, and what you think!

Image courtesy of Fantastic Fiction.

Timeless by Gail Carriger

Timeless (2012) (Orbit)
Gail Carriger
Grade: A+
Genre: steampunk / historical
Sex scenes: very mild
Source: own 
Parasol Protectorate: (1) Soulless, (2) Changeless, (3) Blameless, (4) Heartless, (5) Timeless

Alexia Tarrabotti Maccon and her husband, Conall Maccon, have gotten used to their new home in Lord Akeldama’s third closet. A household of vampires and werewolves living next door to each other might theoretically be a recipe for disaster, but Akeldama’s drones (wannabe vampires in waiting) have acclimated well and serve their resident pack without complaint.

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Lord of Darkness (2013) (Piatkus)

Elizabeth Hoyt

Grade: A

Genre: historical romance

Sex scenes: HOT

Source: library 

Maiden Lane: (1) Wicked Intentions, (2) Notorious Pleasures, (3) Scandalous Desires, (4) Thief of Shadows 

Godric St. John was blissfully married to the love of his life, Clara, for one short year before she contracted a fatal illness. He was forced to watch helplessly as she disintegrated a slow death before his eyes. His life lost all meaning and he became the Ghost of St. Giles, protecting the vulnerable people of London at the risk of his own life.

Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann

This is a special one, because it's my 100th book review! Whoop! As luck would have it, Gone Too Far has been one of my favourite/most anticipated books, which makes this review doubly-special. Hope you enjoy reading it!

Gone Too Far (2003) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: A
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: hot
Source: library 
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far ... (15) Hot Pursuit

Lieutenant Roger ‘Sam’ Starrett is a Navy SEAL in the elite Team Sixteen, and is very good at his job. But, while his career is soaring, his personal life sucks. He’s taken leave to visit his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Mary Lou to see why she still hasn’t signed the divorce papers, only to find her dead on her kitchen floor. His two-year-old daughter Haley is nowhere to be found.

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

Crystal Cove (2013) (Piatkus)
Lisa Kleypas
Grade: B
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: library 
Friday Harbour: (1) Christmas Eve at Friday Harbour, (2) Rainshadow Road, (3) Dream Lake

Justine Hoffmann runs a little B&B with her best friend, Zoe, in Friday Harbour. Artist’s Point is doing well and Justine is content with her life – with one exception: she’s yet to find love. When she finds out that someone cast a spell on her at birth, preventing her from meeting her soul mate, she’s determined to change her fate with the help of her Grimoire. Justine is a natural born witch – she may have decided against joining her mother’s coven and practising her magic regularly, but she’s determined to work with what she’s got so that she can find true happiness.

The Guild by Felicia Day and Jim Rugg

The Guild (2010) (Dark Horse)
Felicia Day and Jim Rugg
Grade: A-
Genre: graphic novel
Source: library

Cyd Sherman is a violinist in an orchestra (she sits right at the back) with a boyfriend in a band who spends more time trying to make his band ‘unique’ than with her. As if her life wasn’t depressing enough, her gay father has guilt-tripped her into therapy and her therapist thinks that she’s anti-social. The day that she buys her first computer game changes her life irreparably.

Online, Cyd is a whole different person – literally. Under the name of Codex, Cyd can battle dragons, rescue princesses and win gold to buy herself a snazzy new outfit or weapons. With her new friends, Zaboo, Vork, Bladezz, Clara and Tink, they form a Guild called the Knights of Good. As Priestess, Codex can do anything and before long, she becomes immersed in this fantasy world.

Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann

Over the Edge (2001) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B+
Genre: romantic suspense / adventure
Sex scenes: hot
Source: own
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

As Senior Chief of the SEAL Team Sixteen Troubleshooters Squad, Stan Wolchonok is used to solving everyone’s problems. This time, however, he’s faced with a bit of a problem of his own. Lieutenant Teri Howe is finding herself the unwelcome recipient of a fellow officer’s sexual advances, and she’s powerless to do anything about it. This should be easy enough for Stan to handle and deal with, but he finds himself uncomfortably attracted to Teri himself.

Just One Night Part One: The Stranger by Kyra Davis

Just One Night Part One: The Stranger (2013) (Pocket Star)
Kyra Davis
Grade: C
Genre: contemporary romance / erotica
Sex scenes: not quite hot
Source: NetGalley
Just One Night: (1) The Stranger

Everything about Kasie Fitzgerald’s life is sensible and boring. She’s been in her adult relationship with Dave for six years. She works in PR for a blue-chip firm, while Dave is a tax attorney. Kasie has achieved everything she has wanted, and everything her family wants for her, but she’s got the nagging feeling that it’s not enough.

You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

You Had Me at Hello (2012) (Avon)
Mhairi McFarlane
Grade: A
Genre: chick lit
Sex scenes: kisses
Source: library

Rachel Woodford and Ben Morgan. Met (whilst sober) during Fresher’s Week and inseparable for the next three years of their English course at Manchester University. Rachel is already in a relationship with Rhys, a guy from home, otherwise she would totally act on these feelings she’s got harbouring for her best friend. Ben, on the other hand, is carefree and single, with a new girlfriend every few months, cruising the relationship lane as is expected of university undergraduates. Yet, despite being thick as thieves for three years, the night after their graduation ball, all contact is severed completely.

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkein

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (1937) (Collins Modern Classics)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Grade: A+
Genre: high fantasy
Source: own

Bilbo Baggins is your ordinary Hobbit from the Shire: he enjoys his food, his comfortable lifestyle in his own hobbit-hole, and the prospect of a leisurely life to the end of his days. Bilbo is descended from the respected Bagginses and the slightly less-respected Tooks – the latter of whom have a great sense of adventure ingrained into them. At fifty years of age, Bilbo has never felt the urge to go off and have jolly adventures of his own – until now.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star (2011) (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Maureen Johnson
Grade: A
Genre: YA
Source: own
Shades of London: (1) The Name of the Star, (2) The Madness Underneath

Aurora 'Rory' Devereux is an American in England and about to start school during the worst time to be in London. Someone is committing Jack the Ripper-style murders, replicating the scenes almost down to the name of the victim. Wexford is bang in the middle of the crime scenes, and Ripper tours are passing by the gates every day, with everyone on the edge waiting for the next date of when the second murder took place.

CHANCE TO WIN: Through the Looking Glass by Gena Showalter

Isn't the cover beautiful?

I waxed lyrical in my review of Gena Showalter's Alice in Zombieland and how much I couldn't wait for book two in the series, Through the Looking Glass. It's due out in September, and you have the chance to win a signed ARC from the author herself here! This is my entry and good luck if you're entering too!

The Secret by Julie Garwood

The Secret (1992) (Simon and Schuster)
Julie Garwood
Grade: A-
Genre: medieval romance
Sex scenes: mild
Source: eBay
Highlands' Lairds: (1) The Secret, (2) Ransom

Judith and Frances Catherine became best friends before they even knew they were natural enemies. The English and Scots don’t mix, but four-year-old girls aren’t ones to understand such feuds and by that point, their friendship is too firm to break. Judith lives in England: six months with her wonderful aunt and uncle near the Scottish border, and the other six months with her unloving mother and drunk uncle Tekel. Her time with Aunt Millicent and Uncle Herbert is the time of year she gets to see Frances Catherine, and the happiest time of her life.

About a Girl by Lindsey Kelk

About a Girl (2013) (Harper)
Lindsey Kelk
Grade: A
Genre: chicklit
Sex scenes: kisses
Source: own
About a Girl: (1) About a Girl, (2) What a Girl Wants

Tess Brookes needs a new Life Plan. All her life, she’s been the good girl with a City job, constantly working overtime to get that promotion she deserves. When she’s fired out of the blue, no one’s more shocked.

After a week moping about her flat, receiving rejection after rejection, she answers a phonecall meant for her flatmate-from-hell, Vanessa. It’s Vanessa’s agent, Veronica, who has a photoshoot lined up for her in Hawaii. In the first moment of spontaneity her whole life, Tess accepts and finds herself in Paradise, pretending to be the world class bitch, Vanessa.

Angel & Faith Volume 3: Family Reunion by Christos Gage

Angel & Faith Volume 3: Family Reunion (2013) (Diamond Book Distributors)
Christos Gage (script), Rebekah Isaacs (art)
Grade: B+
Genre: graphic novel / Angel & Faith / vampire
Source: NetGalley / own
Angel & Faith: (1) Live Through This, (2) Daddy Issues, (3) Family Reunion 

Willow is in town and pledges to help Angel with his mission to bring Giles back to life – if he’ll help her with hers. After Buffy destroyed the Seed, thereby eliminating all magic from the world, Willow has been desolate. Magic was her life and now she’s on a mission to get it back. It’s crazy and dangerous, but Willow has to do it – for the good of the world.

The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz

I received The Prince for review on the basis that I didn’t reveal any spoilers; there wasn’t any such condition on receipt of The Mistress, but I’ve decided to keep my summary and review spoiler-free anyway, just because I enjoy being cryptic. Plus, you need to buy this and read the series for yourself.

The Mistress (2013) (Harlequin MIRA)
Tiffany Reisz
Grade: A+
Genre: erotica and so much more
Sex scenes: will blow your mind
Source: NetGalley
The Original Sinners (The Red Years): (prequel) Seven Day Loan (1) The Siren, (2) The Angel, (3) The Prince, (4) The Mistress

This was the perfect answer to end the mindfuck of all mindfucks.

The Siren saw Nora Sutherlin use her Siren’s call to bewitch her uptight English editor as he hones her book to perfection while estranged from his wife, Grace. In The Angel, Griffin, one of Nora’s many lovers and a Dominant of the New York Underground finds true love in Michael, a damaged teenage submissive, who becomes the Angel that saves him. In The Prince, Nora and Wesley escape to Wesley’s home in Kentucky where Wesley is the Prince of his world, richer than beyond even Kingsley’s dreams. And as they have their fun, Søren and Kingsley are on the trail of an enemy who knows too many of their secrets, that if exposed, could destroy them all …

The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James

The Duke is Mine (2011) (Piatkus)
Eloisa James
Grade: A
Genre: historical romance / fairytale re-telling
Sex scenes: mild
Source: library 
Happily Ever After: (1) A Kiss at Midnight, (2) When Beauty Tamed the Beast, (3) The Duke is Mine, (4) The Ugly Duchess

Miss Olivia Mayfield Lytton was betrothed to Rupert, the Marquess of Montsurrey and future Duke of Canterwick before she was born. Their respective fathers made a pact at university that the Duke’s eldest son would marry Lytton’s eldest daughter and as a result, twins Olivia and Georgiana have been duchified all their life. The Lyttons don’t seem to understand that there aren’t that many spare Dukes hanging around, yet both daughters are trained equally for the task, with The Mirror of Compliments: A Complete Academy for the Attaining unto the Art of Being a Lady as their bible.

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland (2012) (MIRA Ink)
Gena Showalter
Grade: A
Genre: young adult / paranormal
Sex scenes: kisses
Source: own
White Rabbit Chronicles: (1) Alice in Zombieland

Alice Bell has been brought up to be scared of the monsters. She has always thought that her father should be certified insane, what with his incessant drinking, irrational fear of things only he can see, and absolute rule that no one leaves the house after dark – but it turns out Alice was very, very wrong. It’s Alice’s birthday and after much fast-talking, pleading and guilt-tripping, she has managed to persuade her parents to leave the house for her younger sister Emma’s evening recital. Ordinarily, they would have never ventured out of the house, and while it was a brilliant performance on Emma’s part, the aftermath wasn’t nearly as pleasant.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

The Eyre Affair (2001) (Hodder and Stoughton)
Jasper Fforde
Grade: A
Genre: the rag-bag of genres as described below
Source: own, World Book Night edition
Thursday Next: (1) The Eyre Affair, (2) Lost in a Good Book, (3) The Well of Lost Plots

The year is 1985, the Crimean War is still waging on, dodos are in fashion, the public have a fascination with all things literary, and characters from Great English works of literary fiction are in great peril …

Thursday Next is a Crimean War veteran and a member of Special Ops 27: Literary Detectives. Her speciality is Shakespeare and her idea of an exciting day at work would be apprehending a group of literary fraudsters. When a first-edition of Martin Chuzzlewit goes missing, Thursday is put on the case as she designed the security designed to protect the work in the first place. She’s on the trail of Acheron, her former English lecturer at Swindon and a man whose name her superiors don’t dare to even utter. It is said that he knows whenever his name is said, and that no bullet can stop him …

Night Shield by Nora Roberts

Night Shield (2000) (Silhouette Books)
Nora Roberts
Grade: B+
Genre: romantic suspense
Sex scenes: mild
Source: own
Night Tales: (1) Night Shift, (2) Night Shadow, (3) Nightshade, (4) Night Smoke, (5) Night Shield

The last book of the Night Tales series brings us in a full circle, telling the story of Detective Allison Fletcher, daughter of Captain Boyd Fletcher, hero of the first book of the series. She’s proved herself capable and worthy of her rank, but this is her first proper case and so there’s pressure to shine. Six burglaries over eight weeks has seen $800,000 of easily liquidated possessions stolen, all yet to be recovered. The only link between all the victims is that they were out at a club the night of the burglary – and 5/6 were at Blackhawk’s, Jonah Blackhawk’s newest club.

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite (2013) (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Kiera Cass
Grade: B-
Genre: YA dystopian
Source: NetGalley / own
The Selection: (1) The Selection, (2) The Elite 

In a future where WWIV rocked the world and the new country of Illéa lives under a brutal and unfair caste system, life is changing rapidly for 17-year-old America Singer. She was one of thirty-five girls picked for The Selection, an outdated process that was originally aimed at bringing the country together and garnering public support for the monarchy. Thirty-five girls have been whittled down to six, and America, a Five and the lowest caste left in the competition, has got all to play for …

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

When Beauty Tamed the Beast (2011)
Eloisa James
Grade: A-
Genre: historical romance / fairytale-retelling
Sex scenes: a notch hotter than mild
Source: library
Happily Ever After: (1) A Kiss at Midnight, (2) When Beauty Tamed the Beast, (3) The Duke is Mine, (4) The Ugly Duchess

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is A Beauty. She takes after her mother (not a good thing) and has the whole Ton at her heels. This has attracted the attention of Prince Augustus and after spotted kissing at a ball, the Ton put this together with her naturally overly-large bosom, and the fact that her dress was particularly voluminous, as if she had something to hide, coming to the scandalous conclusion that she’s pregnant. Her own father doesn’t believe her and overnight, Linnet is no longer the Ton’s pinnacle of innocence.

10,000!

10,000 pageviews! And only a very small fraction are mine, I promise!

Thanks to all who have been reading, whether you've follwed the blog from the start and read every post, or you stumbled across it accidentally last week - it means a lot to me.

Lots more reviews to come (I have to work through the 'Recently read' column on the right-hand-side!) and I'm trying to be more orderly about posts and upload them Mondays and Thursdays. Keep a look-out and happy reading!

The Mistress Files by Tiffany Reisz

The Mistress Files (2013) (short story collection)
Tiffany Reisz
Grade: A
Genre: erotica / short stories
Sex scenes: for such short little things, each story will blow your mind
Source: own

New York’s top Dominatrix, Nora Sutherlin has seen it all. From foot fetishists to masochists, clients who have cross-dressing fantasies to those who get off on being leashed like an animal, she’ll do it all – for a price. Her boss, Kingsley Edge and King of the Underground has tasked her with writing a book of her experiences in order to teach his other Dominants. The Mistress Files shares with us tales of five of her clients: from the Acting Actress to the Broken-Hearted Bartender, this is a collection that you won’t forget …

Making it Last by Ruthie Knox

Making it Last (2013) (novella)
Ruthie Knox
Grade: A-
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: NetGalley
Camelot series: (1) How to Misbehave, (2) Along Came Trouble, (3) Flirting with Disaster, (4) Making it Last

Amber Mazzara has been married for ten years, loves her three kids to pieces, but has had enough. After ten years of constantly having to look after at least one child, all her boys are now in school, leaving her bereft as she waits at home for them to finish school; her husband Tony is forced to travel to where the work is as the housing market has yet to pick up, and Amber feels like she’s losing herself.

Key of Valour by Nora Roberts

Key of Valour (2003)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A-
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: mild
Source: library
The Key Trilogy: (1) Key of Light, (2) Key of Knowledge

Zoe McCourt must find the third and final key to unlock the souls of the Daughters of Glass. The souls of three sisters, Venora, Niniane and Kyna were trapped by the sorcerer, Kane, thousands of years ago, and every generation since, the three chosen women have failed – until now. Malory and Dana have succeeded with their keys – further than any other before. With her clue in hand, and the help of her friends, Zoe must use her courage to find the answer …

Submit to Desire by Tiffany Reisz

Submit to Desire (2012) (novella)
Tiffany Reisz
Grade: A
Genre: erotica
Sex scenes: scorching
Source: own, eBook only

Charlotte Brand first catches the eye of Kingsley Edge, King of the New York Underground, when she’s breathing fire and very, very drunk. The next thing she knows, Kingsley is taking her home after she passed out and presents Charlie with a lucrative business opportunity. Kingsley has a client who is looking for a female who will submit to his absolute sexual dominance. Charlie’s experience only extends to vanilla, but she’s inexplicably aroused by the prospect of having someone else make all the decisions and agrees to spend a month with King, in ‘training’.

Charlie would never have dreamed that she would become one of Kingsley Edge’s harem, nor that she would enjoy it so much. This rich client of Kingsley’s has a predilection for acting out rape fantasies, and Charlie might be scared every time, but isn’t so repelled that she needs to use her safeword. As King extends her sexual repertoire far beyond her vanilla roots, Charlie finds herself submitting to these desires that he awakens within her, and treasuring her time with him that is slowly drawing to an end …

Saving Grace by Julie Garwood

Saving Grace (1993)
Julie Garwood
Grade: A-
Genre: medieval romance
Sex scenes: sweet
Source: own

Married as a child and widowed not long after, Lady Joanna never wanted to marry again. Her husband was a brute of a man, prone to beat and rape her as he liked, channelling his frustration at her barrenness using his fists. He changed the staff every month, so that she would never have the chance to get close to anybody, and her confessor, Bishop Hallwick preached that God viewed women as lower in standing than oxen. Raulf was a favourite of King John, and thus privy to all sorts of damning information – one piece of which Joanna happened to overhear, and could get her killed.

Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox

Flirting with Disaster (2013)
Ruthie Knox
Grade: A-
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: NetGalley
Camelot series: (1) How to Misbehave, (2) Along Came Trouble, (3) Flirting with Disaster, (4) Making it Last

Katie Clark is recently divorced and finally making something of herself in her hometown of Camelot, Ohio. Married straight out of school, she followed her husband, Levi, as he pursued his dream in Alaska. They couldn’t afford two sets of tuition fees, and so Katie gallantly agreed to work while Levi took classes, waiting her turn. Then, several years went by as Levi started his business and Katie pitched in, and school became a distant dream. When Levi then ran off with all their money, Katie had no choice but to return home, telling no one of what had happened to her.

Icons by Margaret Stohl

Icons (2013)
Margaret Stohl
Grade: B+
Genre: YA / dystopian
Source: NetGalley
Icons: (1) Icons

Nothing was the same after The Day. The Day when the Lords came, causing 13 Icons to fall from the sky, generating a powerful electromagnetic field that halted all electrical activity within a certain radius. The Day when 13 of the world's biggest cities became silent, dependent only upon the electricity generated by the Icons that the Lords permitted them to use. The Day that 1 billion lives came to an end.

Doloria Maria de la Cruz is an Icon Child, marked out as different by the tiny grey dot on her wrist, just “one small circle the color of the sea in the rain … [her] destiny.” Her parents and brothers died on The Day when she was just a baby, and she and her best friend Ro have been brought up together by Padre in the Grasslands, areas outside the cities, untouched by the power of the Icons and the control of the Lords and the Embassies. On the day of her seventeenth birthday, everything changes.

Etiquette for the End of the World by Jeanne Martinet

Etiquette for the End of the World (2012)
Jeanne Martinet
Grade: A
Genre: funny / contemporary / chick lit
Sex scenes: mild
Source: NetGalley

Tess Eliot is 39-years old and has just lost her column in a respected newspaper. Apparently, her recent Tess Knows Best article, with the line “The best way to a man’s heart is through his rib cage, preferably with a hack saw” went too far. Unemployed, with her agent no longer sending out her book proposal for Tess Eliot’s Quick Fixes for Life, Love, and Your Mother-in-Law, Tess is desperate for work.

She stumbles across the World Organisation for Omniscient Solstice Harbingers who are offering an inordinate sum for someone to write an etiquette guide in preparation for the end of the world. A visit to the offices of WOOSH reveals that they really do believe that the world will end on December 21 2012, as the Ancient Mayans had predicted, and they really are serious about paying Tess that much money for effectively a how-to guide. She may think they all need their heads checked out, but these are dire circumstances.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 3: Guarded by Joss Whedon / Andrew Chambliss / Georges Jeanty etc

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 9 Volume 3: Guarded (2013) (Dark Horse)

Andrew Chambliss (script), Jane Espenson (script), Drew Z. Greenberg (script), Georges Jeanty (art), Joss Whedon (creator) etc

Grade: C+

Genre: Buffy / graphic novel

Source: NetGalley
Buffy Season 9: (1) Freefall, (2) On Your Own, (3) Guarded 

The destruction of the Seed destroyed all magic. Suddenly, hundreds of Slayers were left defunct as the world no longer needed their help. To add insult to injury, vampires are now everyone’s best friend, largely thanks to Harmony’s glamorous reality television show. As might be expected, slayers are finding it difficult to adapt to this new life, and none more so than Buffy, the woman responsible.

Kennedy and her team have taken their shared plight and found an innovative solution. She’s found a way for Slayers to continue to serve and protect: as private bodyguards. For those that can afford it, they’ve got themselves the ultimate protection – and paying through their nose for the privilege. Buffy’s first charge is a high-profile tech entrepreneur, who is hiding from an enemy that Buffy is all too familiar with …

Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Along Came Trouble (2013)
Ruthie Knox
Grade: A-
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: NetGalley
Camelot: (1) How to Misbehave, (2) Along Came Trouble, (3) Flirting with Disaster, (4) Making it Last

Ellen Callahan might love her brother to pieces, but the reporters camped out on her driveway and sneaking up to her house from the back woods, are too much to bear for the entertainment-lawyer sister of a world-famous pop star. She has a young son to think of and doesn’t care for the fact that the reporters are making her their subject, second-best for when they can’t get shots of Carly, Ellen’s neighbour. At 7 months pregnant and the recent ex-girlfriend of Jamie Callahan, Carly is hot news, especially since Jamie’s not the father. Jamie might be powerless while he’s in LA, but he’s bringing in reinforcements.

Like This, For Ever by Sharon Bolton

I read and started this review at the end of March, straight after I read If Snow Hadn't Fallen. Yes, it's taken me this long to finish it - whoops. Here you go. Beware of hyperbole.

Like This, For Ever (2013) (Lost in the U.S.) (Bantam Press)
S. J. Bolton
Grade: A
Genre: gothic thriller horror
Sex scenes: n/a, but seriously the most frustrating sexual tension I've ever read
Source: NetGalley
Lacey Flint series: (1) Now You See Me, (1.5) If Snow Hadn't Fallen, (2) Dead Scared, (3) Like This, For Ever

S. J. Bolton scares the living shit out of me.

And yes, that’s exaggerating just a little, but it’s 3:24am, I’ve been reading for something like 5 hours, couldn’t wait to start reviewing and considering how much of my EU essay I’ve neglected, I’m in the exaggerating mood.

In just eight weeks, five young boys between 10 and 11 years old have gone missing around London, and the killer is picking up the pace. The victims are disappearing faster and bodies are turning up quicker; the latest discovery of the bodies of twin brothers Jason and Joshua is just one more reason for parents across the capital to give their sons curfews. It won’t be long before the Met starts getting the blame.

Bring on Summer!

The weather has been perfect this last week, my exams are finished and I'm FREE!

Today has been a productive day. My alarm was set for 6.15 because I was still a little paranoid from the night before that my brain was scarily taking on sieve-like characteristics. I had breakfast while spending a couple of hours of cramming and I was as ready as I would ever be. Law students aren't particularly known for their love of Equity & Trusts, especially since it's not law when compared to everything else we learn, but boy was that a nice exam.

Added to that I had a productive meeting, have organised my whole year's worth of notes within an inch of their lives, ticked three huge items off my to-do list that have been waiting to be done for weeks, and am almost done sending my final round of applications for summer internships.

Reviews are next on the list. I'm still feeling super-productive and motivated and so I might as well jump-in and get them done while I can. BRACE YOURSELVES.

#weallwin

Exam Hiatus

I'm prone to putting Enactus ahead of my degree, and any committed Enactus student across the world will be sympathetic and admit to doing the same. Why do I do it? Because as much as I love my degree, it doesn't give me anywhere near the same satisfaction I get from doing Enactus. I might only run our commercial project and thus have only an indirect impact on the lives of our beneficiaries, but to me, it doesn't make a difference.

As competition season is making its way across the globe, I'm nothing short of relieved that the UK held its Nationals first, so that I can actually focus on my exams. As much as I lived and breathed the competitions during the three months of preparations and couldn't imagine going back to real work, exam season is upon us and there's no denying it. In two weeks time, I will have sat my first exam with three more to go. I'm normally pretty calm when it comes to exams, essays etc and so it's when I start to get worried that I should be REALLY worried - I'm worried.

Basically, this is a long-winded way of saying: don't expect any new reviews or blog posts etc before 6 June. As much as I need to catch up with my backlog, second year actually counts and I want at least one first amongst my four modules!

Good luck revising to anyone else who has exams!

World Book Night GIVEAWAY!

That's right: I'm giving away one of my copies of The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde that I'm receiving for World Book Night, just because I love y'all so much. See my previous blog post explaining about WBN 2013 here.

About the Book:
Set in 1985, the Crimean War hasn't ended, Wales is a Republic, people can timetravel and everyone has a fascination with literature. Thursday Next is a Special Operative in literary detection and is on the trail of a person who is kidnapping characters from great fictional works. This case could make or break her career ... 

To Enter:
1. Subscribe to my blog by entering your email address into the 'Follow by email' box on the right hand side of the page
2. Then, Leave a comment: if you could be a Giver for WBN 2013, which of the twenty titles would you like to give away?

And that's it!

Terms and Conditions
I am not being compensated for this giveaway.
1. Residents of the UK & N. Ireland only! Sorry, I'm only on a student budget!
2. Entries in before 23:59 on Tuesday 23 April 2013
3. Entrants must be 18 or over
4. Winner shall be announced Wednesday 24 April 2013 and I shall endeavour to have the book out ASAP

What are you reading this weekend?

The Prince by Tiffany Reisz

The Prince (2012)
Tiffany Reisz
Grade: A
Genre: erotica
Sex scenes: This is Tiffany Reisz - nuff said
Source: NetGalley 
The Original Sinners (The Red Years): (prequel) Seven Day Loan (1) The Siren, (2) The Angel, (3) The Prince, (4) The Mistress

If you’re familiar with my blog, then you’re aware of how difficult I find it to write reviews with as few spoilers as possible. When I was given The Prince on the condition that my review was free of spoilers, I found myself faced with a Herculean task. Don’t get me wrong, it makes perfect sense: The Prince is book three of Ms Reisz’s Original Sinners series and any review has to appeal to readers who have already started the series as well as those who are new to it. Considering that The Original Sinners is the quite possibly the most explosive and twist-heavy series that I’ve ever read, I think all reviewers who conform to the brief should be getting a medal or something. Or, even better, a signed ARC of The Mistress – we deserve it.

Back to the story. It’s the day that we never dreamed of happening: Nora has left Søren. For Wesley.

If Snow Hadn't Fallen by S. J. Bolton

There are a dozen other books I should be reviewing before I do this one, but I can't help myself.

If Snow Hadn't Fallen (2013) (short story) (book 1.5 in the Lacey Flint series)
S. J. Bolton
Grade: A
Genre: gothic thriller horror
Source: own, eBook 
Lacey Flint series: (1) Now You See Me; (2) Dead Scared

Ever wonder what Lacey got up to between the closing of Now You See Me and the opening of Dead Scared? Now is your chance to find out …

It’s like trouble follows DC Lacey Flint’s heel like a loyal Labrador. Off-duty and on her way home, there’s a call for assistance on her radio, just a stone’s throw away from her flat. Instinct and duty prompt her to answer it, but it’s not the teenage scuffle or canoodling couple that she expected to break up and hurry along. Five masked persons surround a burning pyre in the centre of the park. A burning pyre of human flesh that’s still alive. Lacey’s appearance sends the perpetrators running, but with such extensive burns, there’s little she can do to prevent death.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 2: On Your Own by Joss Whedon / Andrew Chambliss / Georges Jeanty etc

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 2: On Your Own 
(On Your Own Parts 1 & 2, Apart (Of Me) Parts 1, 2 & 3) (2012) (Dark Horse)

Andrew Chambliss (script), Scott Allie (script), Georges Jeanty (pencils), Cliff Richards (pencils), Karl Story (inks), Andy Owens (inks), Dexter Vines (inks), Jo Chen (cover art), Joss Whedon (creator) etc
Grade: B
Genre: Buffy / graphic novel
Source: NetGalley / own
Buffy Season 9: (1) Freefall, (2) On Your Own, (3) Guarded

So, do I reveal the spoiler or not? My initial reaction was ‘yes, of course,’ but that’s my gut reaction to everything: just blurt out whatever’s running through my head. Reviews can get across the message of a book without any spoiler-ing at all, and since that was my frame of mind when I started typing this review, that’s what I’m going with – just to make y’all buy and read the book for yourself. I mean sure, you can probably find the spoiler with the help of our good friend Google without much effort, but I’m just going to be mean and refuse to state it. This is quite possibly my most deliberate spoiler-free review ever.

So at the end of Buffy Season 9 Volume One, Buffy had something of a problem on her hands. It wasn’t something she had ever had a problem with before, or even something she had ever considered. The life of a Slayer is usually too unnaturally short for this to ever become a non-issue, let alone an issue, and so Buffy is completely lost for what to do. Willow is still pissed at her for the whole destroying-magic thing and Dawn is happily settled into life with Xander, and so she turns to her go-to guy when things start getting tough: Spike.

Snow Day!

I'm quite fond of snow, really. I guess that's in part a result of being a Christmas-time baby, but also just because it's always so pretty and lovely when fresh and untouched. I have this really strange compulsion to just watch the snow fall and standing on the landing in our house last night while the skies were still letting the snow fall in truckloads, there was just something really ethereal and calming about watching nature have its way and wreaking havoc, with us humans powerless to stop it. I ended up having to walk the last 2 miles or so last night having just missed my connecting bus, and while walking with the blizzarding snow pelting down on my face was rather grim, I was at the same time a little in awe at how quiet and peaceful the roads were and how snow seems to be the one thing that grinds everything in this country to a halt.

Angel & Faith Volume 2: Daddy Issues by Christos Gage

Angel & Faith Volume 2: Daddy Issues (2012)

Christos Gage (script), Rebekah Isaacs (art), Dan Jackson (colours), Chris Samnee (art, Women of a Certain Age), Jordie Bellaire (colours, Women of a Certain Age), Steve Morris (cover) etc

Grade: B+

Genre: graphic novel

Source: NetGalley
Angel & Faith: (1) Live Through This

It’s been too long since I’ve read anything and since I had just finished my review of Buffy: Freefall but couldn’t manage to find my copy of Buffy: On Your Own from wherever it decided to hide itself on my laptop, I decided on the next best thing: Angel & Faith. One issue, I promised myself. Yeah, right. I finished the whole arc, went to bed at three in the morning and felt like crap when I woke up. But it was worth it and I’m going to tell you why.

Something is making its way across London, making people crazy and lash out at the people around them with devastating consequences. In the course of his bring-Giles-back-to-life mission, Angel has been poring over the Watcher’s journals and thinks he knows who the culprit is. The Lorophage demon feeds on the trauma of others to the point of death, but there have been rare reported cases of the Lorophage being interrupted in its feeding process, with the victim merely becoming insane – Giles was one such victim. There must be something controlling the Lorophage in order for it to be leaving this many victims alive, and whatever it is, it must be pretty damn powerful …

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 1: Freefall by Joss Whedon / Andrew Chambliss / Georges Jeanty etc

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 1: Freefall (2012) (Dark Horse)
Joss Whedon (script), Andrew Chambliss (script), Georges Jeanty (art), Karl Moline (art), Jo Chen (cover)
Grade: B-/C+
Genre: graphic novel
Source: own
Buffy Season 9: (1) Freefall, (2) On Your Own, (3) Guarded

I have to admit to being a little dubious about Season 9 what with the way that Season 8 ended. It’s rather a pain to write this review without having already reviewed any of Season 8, but that’s life. I have exposed myself rather stupidly to some accidental spoilers for Season 9 and I’ve hated myself for it. Besides this, I’m not entirely sure what direction Joss is taking Buffy this season and in my attempts to protect my heart from further break, I’m a little reluctant to actually even venture to start Season 9. But, I saw Volume 2 on NetGalley and had to have it; but before that, I needed to read Volume 1 first. So here I am.

Season 8 ended with Buffy destroying the Seed: the core of all magic. I’m still a little hazy about it all works, but basically magic has been eradicated from the world and it’s all Buffy’s fault. I’m unclear as to why Willow can no longer do magic yet Buffy still has her Chosen One powers, but Willow explained it like this:

“All the Slayers, the vampires, even the demons with magical mojo. You all got to keep your power because it was inside of you. But everyone else got cut off from what made them tick. For me, it was magic.”

Happy (Belated) Anniversary!!!

I first set up RMMR on 4 February 2012, and I completely forgot my one year anniversary! That won't be happening again, let me tell you!

I started RMMR purely as a book-review blog and from there, it's really just taken whichever direction I've felt like. There's been a mix of recipes, television-show reviews by episode, TED talks, rants as well as the odd book review when I feel like it. I started RMMR because I want to work in publishing and I thought that a book review blog would help to add something more to my repertoire. Instead, this blog has really taken a life of its own and it has taken me by surprise more than anyone else. All I can say is: let it continue!

Some stats for y'all, just because I'm really addicted to them and so you should be too:

Banana bread (and some more Coffee and Walnut Loaf)

I've been horribly absent for ages now and the truth is that I just don't have the time to blog, so things have been put on hold for a while. I'll try and get my half-finished reviews done, but no promises.

Sorry for the crappy photos - per usual

A few weekends ago, I made another Coffee and Walnut Loaf because it's so awesome and I had a go at this one for banana bread at the same time, courtesy of Recipe Rifle. Esther Walker has about four different recipes for banana bread on her website, and so feel free to try whichever tickles your fancy. This one looked the easiest and had fewest ingredients.

I scaled all the ingredients down and used about three-quarters because my tin is a funny size and I was scared that it wouldn't all fit in. Definitely the right choice, but I should probably used more banana.

Anyway, this is fabulous and ridiculously quick. Partly because I measured out all the ingredients while I was waiting for my coffee-and-walnut-loaf-butter to warm up, but whatever. The mashing up of the bananas isn't the most glamorous of jobs but it's so worth it once this is done baking because it smells awesome - and tastes even better.

As it says on step two, don't get freaked out when the mixture gets sublimely dry. I still added about a teaspoon's worth more of milk, but don't bother. It all turns out A-okay so just keep going. I didn't bother with the chocolate or walnuts, but will definitely give it a try next time. It did turn out a little burnt in some places, but in my opinion, that just adds to the authenticity. If you have baking paper, then use that instead of greasing your tin: less messy and makes getting your cake out of the tin a dream!