January 2010

I read a total of 79 books in 2009. For a study in the books I read in numbers, genres and favorites, visit my main blog at

http://theromanticlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-reading-stats-favorite-reads-of-2009.html.

I'm going to try to read 100 books in 2010. I don't know if that's a realistic goal for me, but I'm going to try!

1. Wild Heart by Lori Brighton.

Historical romance with subtle vein of supernatural to it along the lines of the heroine Ella Fitch, having the ability to "communicate" with animals by picking up on their emotions and soothing them with her mind. The characterizations are loosely based on the tale of Tarzan in that the male protagonist, Leo Roberts survived a deadly attack on a camp in the jungles of India when he was a child accompanying his parents on their exploration. Leo is now next in line to be Lord of this grandfather's estate and Ella Fitch is hired as Loe's governess in order to educate him in the manners and habits of a cultured member of society. Well, it turns out that Leo's not the only one with a mysterious past. Both Leo and Ella must fight for their lives as they figure out what's going on with various attacks on them and as they do so, they learn about love and trust like neither have ever known.

2. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl.

Oh so good. Dark and mysterious but also very sweet, romantic teen love. May intriguing, well fleshed-out characters whom I can't wait to hear about in a future book. Which I'm pretty sure is going to happen. I highly recommend this YA read.

3. Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts.

The Bride Quartet, Book 2

I'm loving this series based on four childhood girlfriends who have their own wedding service business.... watching each woman fall in love and find their happily ever after. Great girly friendship stuff and sweet, realistic romance. This story was great... I loved Emma and Jack together and loved seeing them find the happily ever after that they both deserved. Although.... there was something that Emma's friends did to interfere between Emma and Jack that I disapproved of and it disappointed me in a big way. BUT I don't blame Emma and Jack for that. LOL. Although... Jack shouldn't have listened to them. Hmpf.

4. Stolen Seduction by Elisabeth Naughton

The Stolen Trilogy, book 3

The third and final story in the romantic suspense trilogy by this debut author. This story is Shane Maxwell and Hailey Roarke's story. An unlikely couple when you think of how they know each other, but not at all an unlikely pairing. Shane is the twin brother of Lisa Maxwell who was the lead in Stolen Fury, the first book of the series, so he's been a secondary character in the first two books already. Hailey is the ex-wife of Rafe Grant, the male lead of Stolen Fury and Lisa Maxwell's new husband! So basically, Lisa's twin brother hooks up with her husband's ex-wife. Sounds crazy... but it works and is a perfect pairing.

Both Shane and Hailey have a lot of personal issues to deal with. Shane's issues come from his career as a Chicago Police Detective and choices and mistakes he's made there that haunt him. Hailey's issues come primarily from her extremely dysfunctional family and while she has done well to keep her head above water, the secrets and betrayals in her family run deep enough to cause her some serious problems. Their strength, determination, and will do to the right thing keep them going and keep them together solving the mystery of who is trying to set Hailey up for the murder of her cousin. The crime gets more complicated as the story goes on, as does the relationship between Shane and Hailey. Their road to a happily ever after is a bumpy one, but the ending is so worth it. Very sweet, hopeful and true to their characters. Stolen Seduction is a great ending to this exciting, danger filled suspense.

5. Ceremony In Death by J.D. Robb

In Death series, book 5

Lt. Eve Dallas investigates the murder of one of NYPD's own and a string of murders follow, with two eccentric and extreme religious factions under suspicion--the Satanists and the Wiccans.