Penelope's 2014 Top 20 List

It's that time again! Time for Penelope's TOP 20 LIST! 

Get ready for hipster cats, psychotic mermaids, 

chocolate-y goodness, caveman heroes, 

and much much more...

1. Best Debut Collection of Short Stories...RIVER TALK by CB Anderson

This is a wonderful collection of short stories. Anderson's writing voice is at times sparse, lyrical, jarring. I adored the bittersweet snippets of life in Maine. Highly recommend this one!

2. Most Blood-Thirsty Mermaid Who Scared The Living Bejimminies Out of Me...Nomia in WAKING THE MERROW by Heather Rigney

WAKING THE MERROW also wins my favorite debut novel for 2014! This book totally rocked my boat. It's a cross-genre, horrifying twist on the mermaid legend that hops back and forth between current times and colonial times in coastal Rhode Island. Scary as hell, great writing, lots of humor, and the promise of more excellent things to come in this series. A HUGE winner!

3. Second-Most Embarrassing Reading Addiction for the Year (Includes Billionaires, Secret Babies, and Wide-Eyed Innocent Heroines)...HARLEQUIN PRESENTS

Thanks to Lexxi Callahan, I may have developed an unhealthy addiction to HP books. I think I read about 200 of them? I'm not counting, because A.) I'm in denial, and B.) I don't want to think about how much money I spent on secret babies this year. Anyway, it's almost impossible for me to pick just one favorite, but I think I've read THE BILLIONAIRE'S PREGNANT MISTRESS by Lucy Monroe about two dozen times. AND IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER! *whimper*

HELP ME! I CAN'T STOP READING THESE!

4. Most Adorable Tea Time: BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY...Pinkies Up!

I took my daughter to the afternoon tea at the Boston Public Library, and it was delightful! We had cucumber sandwiches, Mutan White tea with lemon-vanilla and pink rosebuds, and delicious little sweet treats. If anyone is searching for a highly civilized activity in Boston, I highly recommend this ritual.

PINKIES UP!

5. New Favorite Series Filled With Lusty Love and Chocolate-y Goodness...LAURA FLORAND's The Chocolate Series

I have a weakness for foodie books and for authors who make the setting jump off the page. Florand does both with exquisite care. You can practically taste the cinnamon-dusted chocolate as her luscious heroes pull them off the parchment paper. And forget about getting that ticket to Paris. Just read one of her books, and you will be happily transported to the most romantic city on earth--immersed in the sights, the scents, the charm. These books were created for true romance-lovers. Just lovely!

6. New Favorite Cocktail That Packs A Punch...THE MOSCOW MULE

What do you get when you combine icy cold vodka, ginger beer, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and mint in a copper mug? NIRVANA, BABY!

7. Favorite Historical Romance...THE PIRATE'S SECRET BABY by Darlene Marshall

Marshall has the perfect balance for me...lusty romance, humor, flawless writing, colorful characters. I always love her stories. And you can't beat the title--score another point for secret babies!

 

8. Best Quirky Hipster Romance...GEEK WITH THE CAT TATTOO by Theresa Weir

Oh boy, did I love this book. A smart-ass cat with a POV, a beautifully-written story with music and humor and amazingly romantic moments. I am a HUGE fan of Theresa Weir. I adore authors who take risks and write outside-of-the-box...and then hit a gigantic home run. And this book hit it out of the park for me. Swoony.

9. Favorite Newly Discovered Horror Movie With A Twist...THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

This film came out in 2012, but I didn't watch it until this year. Holy canastas! This was brilliant. A fabulous play on horror victim vs. viewer, mixing up the cliches and expected characters with humor and great cinematography. LOVED!

10. Favorite New Hollywood Cutie Pie...CHRIS PRATT

Coz this...

 

And this...

And this...

Case closed.

Thunk.

11. Favorite Pilgrimage of the Year/Most Inspirational Author Talk EVER!...LOUISE PENNY

My pal Bobbi Ruggiero and I were lucky enough to hear Louise Penny speak in Norwich, Vermont this past summer. Not only is she an incredibly talented author, she is also gracious, lovely, professional, kind, and thoughtful. I bow down to her greatness. And also give her T-shirts! Hee hee!

12. Favorite New-To-Me Author Writing Irish Small Town Romance...ZARA KEANE

I got a big kick out of LOVE AND SHENANIGANS, an adorable, quirky, funny and romantic story set in a small Irish town. Bravo, Zara Keane!

13. Stupendous New Super Hero Series...VIXEN by Julia Barrett

Totally unexpected mix of crazy-good writing, twists on the super hero concept, and even a spot of romance. I'm eating these up like sour cream-and-onion potato chips. I NEED MORE!

14. Most Embarrassing Neanderthal Hero Addiction I Just Can't Quit...LYNDA CHANCE

There are alpha male heroes...and then there are Lynda Chance alpha male heroes. Basically, a Lynda Chance alpha male hero makes a regular old alpha male hero look like a politically correct hipster who knits and has pet kittens. Lynda Chance alpha male heroes are cavemen who are crude, rude, sexy as all hell, and jacked on testosterone like a lab rat. This is without a doubt my #1 MOST EMBARRASSING ROMANCE ADDICTION for 2014. If I had to pick one favorite it would be SEDUCED BY THE AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE. The characters are a bit older, which I always like. And the hero is...I can't even...OUT OF CONTROL!

15. Favorite Beard of the Year...TOM MISON

Colonial America never looked so good. 

16. Best Furry Urban Legend...YETI

Is he cute and cuddly? Does he like to decapitate people? Depending on whether you adhere to the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" version or Syfy "Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon" version, you'll either get a super snuggly dude or a furry killer. Take your pick.

 

Yeti, Girls Gone Wild version

17. Favorite Inspirational Story...THE UNEXPECTED BRIDE by Lena Goldfinch

I don't read a lot of Christian inspirational stories, but this one was lovely. It included several of my favorite topics--mail-order brides and loggers! Goldfinch has a really gorgeous writing style and it was a perfect fit for this adorable book.

18. Most Ridiculous Over-Hyped Concept I Already Discussed Two Years Ago, People!...LUMBERSEXUAL

I think there have been about 4,972 articles about "lumbersexuals" in the last couple of months. My blog post from two years ago...WEENIES IN A PLAID SHIRT

Hipster + Plaid Shirt + Skinny Jeans = NOT A LUMBERJACK! I know for a FACT this guy can't use an axe to save his life.

Just say no to hipster lumberjacks!

19. #1 Most Embarrassing Book I Read This Year...CABIN BOUND SUBMISSION: BRED BY THE LUMBERJACK

In my defense...never mind. I have no defense. I spent $2.99 on this book and the tenses were skipping from present to past from sentence to sentence. And the lumberjack's name was Paul. And...*Penny hangs head in shame*

 I can't post the real cover. It's too embarrassing. Sigh.

20. Favorite Book Read in 2014...THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion

This book was actually published in 2013. I have a weakness for super smarty pants-characters, especially those who are awkward and totally lacking in social skills. Don Tillman fits the bill. He is a professor searching for a wife, in the most systematic, rational, reasonable way possible. But as we all know, love rarely follows our well-planned efforts. This book was a breath of fresh air--quirky, funny, adorable, sweet...and of course, romantic. I always embrace books willing to take a chance on a different kind of hero. This was fantastic.

Best of all, the sequel--THE ROSIE EFFECT--will be released soon. Yippppeeeeeee!

I hope you enjoyed the 2014 list. What was your favorite book this year?

Penny

Quickies R Us

I've been doing a lot of re-reads lately. So, I decided to whip up some quickie reviews. Get ready for one-sentence reviews.

Ready, set, go!


Dark Melody by Christine Feehan: A sensitive, beta-ish Carpathian vampire (I know, I know...weird, huh?) falls in love with a pregnant musical psychic with a heart condition, and then they get chased by bad guys, and then he turns her into a blood-sucking lifemate, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

(I never said they weren't going to be run-on sentences).

Dark Legend by Christine Feehan: A totally hot and masterful Carpathian vampire claims his mate, who happens to be a bad-ass doctor, and then they adopt an abused young woman, and then they get chased by bad guys and some vamps, and then they have steamy hot sex underground, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Dark Guardian by Christine Feehan: A tiny human cop who is being stalked by a deranged psycho killer falls in love with a Carpathian vampire, and then they get chased by bad guys, and some bad vampires, and finally the psycho killer, and then Lucian turns Jax into a blood-sucking lifemate, and then they kill all the bad guys, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Ready by Lucy Monroe: A sexy ex-ranger develops a "sexual obsession" (aka, falls madly in love but he's too stupid to realize it until the bitter end of the book) with a writer who has a stalker, and then they get chased by a bad guy, and then they catch the bad guy, and then he knocks her up and they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Willing by Lucy Monroe: A super-intense Native American ex-ranger develops a "sexual obsession" (you know, that whole falling-madly-in-love-but-he-is-totally-clueless-until-the-end-of-the-book-thing) for the daughter of his business partner, and then some bad guys try to blow everyone up, and then the good guys find the bad guys, and there's a totally hot losing-her-virginity-scene (swoony!) and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

And Able by Lucy Monroe: An ex-ranger with a southern accent gets a "sexual obsession" (blah blah blah...you know the scoop) for a computer geeky gal with crazy curly red hair, and then some bad guys try to kill her, and then Claire and Brett fly a kite, and then they get the bad guy, and then he knocks her up and they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens (part of the Penelope Project!): An independent virgin heroine with glasses (named Penelope) decides to investigate the disappearance of some young boys, and enlists the aid of Barnaby Adair, and finally figures out that sex might be fun, and so she has a naughty love affair while uncovering a thievery ring, and then they get chased by bad guys, and then they catch the bad guys, and then Penelope and Barnaby dance a waltz at their wedding and live happily ever after. Grade: A

Hoping to find a blood-sucking lifemate with a sexual obsession and a happily ever after,
Penelope

Werewolves On My Mind (And Some Other Stuff, Too)

Thanks to a recommendation at the Amazon Romance Message Boards (aka Wackadoodle Central), I bought and read this book last night. I have read some contemporaries by Lucy Monroe I really enjoyed, but never any paranormal books by her. Well, Moon Craving is the second in this werewolf series, and I lubbed this baby!

What's better than sexy werewolves?

How about sexy werewolves who also happen to be Scottish lairds-alpha-hotties with that wicked buttery accent, tattoos, stubbly beards, muscles on their muscles, and a possessive streak? Okay, that would be it!

I loved everything about this book--especially the deaf heroine who seems weak but has an iron will and intense loyalty, the werewolf laird determined not to repeat the mistakes of his ancestors, and all the cool secondary characters. This book is a serious winner!

Grade: A ....All.....The.....Way!


Other deep thoughts....

•  The continuing battle of authors vs. reviewers has me considering closing down my twitter account and doing my own "black-out." I have never seen so much negativity flying around. Angry authors, insulted reviewers and readers. This new and continuing trend doesn't appear to be going away. So maybe I'll go away. It's bumming me out.

•  I am re-animating the zombie corpse of my diet (how do you like that image? hee hee). After losing 45 pounds very quickly, I re-gained some of the weight back and now I need to get back on the train. It's all about "mindful" eating vs. "mindless" eating. Mindful eating is very difficult when you are cooking for a family of four....kids eating junk food, hubby eating white rice, snacks around the house. I have to be super-vigilant about not eating anything that is a no-no. A bite of a cookie here, a bite of a left-over waffle there....and pretty soon I've gained 10 pounds. I've gone back to my super-strict diet I was using right after my heart attack, and it's working. I'm losing weight again. 50 pounds down or bust!

Well, that's it for Tuesday. Hope everyone has a great day!
Penny

A Blast from the Past: Review of Ready, Willing, And Able by Lucy Monroe

Ready, Willing, and And Able by Lucy Monroe (2005-2006)

Of all the romance sub-genres, contemporary is not my favorite.  I usually need a little something extra to float my boat...something like a Regency setting, blood-sucking vampires, or macho time-traveling Scottish warriors.  But every once in awhile I read a contemporary that I love, and this trilogy by Lucy Monroe (with very witty titles, Ready, Willing, And Able-cute!!!) is great. The books focus on a trio of ex-Ranger friends. I really enjoyed the well paced suspense in all three stories, which include dealing with threatening stalkers, mysterious explosions, and ex-assassins.  But the best part of this series is the heroes...yummy! They are total alpha-male ex-military types all the way. Monroe really knows how to spin a steamy love affair.  My only complaint is that the guys take a little long to figure out their "sexual possessiveness" is really love. But hey, gotta get that conflict in there somehow, right? I also like that the heroines are not your typical romance gals...one is a computer geek, one is a military-trained tomboy, and the last one is a writer-divorcee.  My favorite of the books is Willing, about a Native American hero coming to terms with his abusive father.  He falls in love with the tomboy, and her loss-of-virginity scene is incredibly touching and romantic. Anyhoo, if you're looking for a fun stack of books to tackle on the beach, I would recommend tossing this trio into your suitcase.  Sipping a strawberry daiquiri under a beach umbrella and reading this sexy trilogy will make it a super vacation.  (Can you tell I'm dreaming about Spring Break?) Grade: A

Totally trilogy-tempted, Penelope