Penelope's Most Romantic Hero Quiz

Welcome to Penelope's First Annual Most Romantic Hero Quiz (which is seriously skewed towards Penelope's favorite heroes....and I'm not apologizing!). This is a low-stress matching quiz, people! Just leave a comment with your answers. For example, 1-A, 2-B, etc. If you only know a couple of answers, that's fine--you're still entered in the contest. I give lots of extra credit for just showing up!

One winner will be chosen randomly from all who enter/leave comments. The prize will be a print book (or e-book if you prefer) of one of the novels mentioned in this quiz. Good luck to everyone!

You can add your own quiz questions in the comments section, too. Bring it on!

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1) He's good with a knife, has a wicked bad Cockney accent, and falls for a literary country mouse. When this rough and tumble hero sprinkles rose petals on the heroine during their first love-making scene, I swooned with romantic happiness!

2)This one-eyed character is a recluse who refuses to leave his castle, since his disfigurement during the war. But when the heroine's children are kidnapped, he rushes to London and outwits the evil villain. (And proposes to the heroine with a sweet bunch of wilted wildflowers!)

3)What's more hot and sexy than a romantic werewolf? This hero makes his plus-size heroine feel like the most beautiful and desirable woman on earth. The opening scene of this book, when he seduces her in a dressing room and buys her a lovely necklace, is really, really romantic.

4) When this historical romance hero (who worships the heroine from afar) finds out her favorite flower is bleeding heart, he goes door to door asking her neighbors if he can dig up this perennial from their gardens. He then plants a lovely little bleeding heart garden for the heroine as a surprise. She cries with happiness. (Me, too).

5) This hot Cynster falls in love with a 29 year old woman who missed her own come-out season so that she could save her family from financial ruin. He sends her a gorgeous orchid posy and a declaration of his love before the big ball. Sigh.

6) Most unlikely romantic hero...a big, scary, scarred vampire with anger issues. Most touching, sweet scene ev-ah: the tortured hero finally learns to read and write, and scribbles "I love you" for the heroine. Oh. My. God. Get out the hankies!

7) What if a hot hunky Scottish warrior travelled through time to save your father's life, prevent your mother from getting terminally ill, and seduced the holy hell out of you? You'd be stoked, baby! This hero is luscious.

8) Most heart-breaking couple (raped, unwed mother and war-tortured and disfigured artist) turn into the most romantic happy ending of all time. Hero surprises his new wife by visiting her estranged family and helping to heal her battered heart. This dude is the man.

9) Legendary Carpathian who is a master vampire-hunter, turned into doting mate and father. When he unselfishly adopts a horribly abused girl into his family with complete devotion, loyalty and love, he won my heart forever.

10) This powerful Scottish warrior proves his love for the heroine by showing up at her uncle's house (where she has fled her evil brother) with his entire army in tow. When she peeks out the door, all of the soldiers raise their swords in loyalty to her, and the hero tells her "I've come for you, Madelyne." So. Freaking. Great!

A) Zsadist from JR Ward's Lover Awakened

B) Gabriel Cynster from Stephanie Lauren's A Secret Love

C) Derek Craven from Lisa Kleypas' Dreaming of You

D) Gabriel from Christine Feehan's Dark Legend

E) Sydnam Butler from Mary Balogh's Simply Love

F) Sir Alistair Munroe from Elizabeth Hoyt's To Beguile A Beast

G) Duncan from Julie Garwood's Honor's Splendour

H) Circenn Brodie from Karen Marie Moning's The Highlander's Touch

I) Vane Kattalakis from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Night Play

J) Andrew Stanton from Jacquie D'Alessandro's Love and The Single Heiress

So, how'd you do? Did I stump you? I hope some of these awesome guys are your favorite, most romantic heroes, too.

Penelope

Pressing Question of the Day: Who Has The Most Romantic Beard (MRB)?

Okay, it's time for the poll you have all been waiting for with baited breath...(drum roll, please): the Most Romantic Beard Contest! Woo hoo!

Penelope has assembled a nice assortment of scruffy guys for my (oops! I mean your) viewing pleasure. Take your time and carefully peruse the following photos, then let me know who is your favorite bearded valentine. I know, I know....it's hard to choose just one. I will announce the results of the poll and pick one random winner from the comments today. Prize is an Amazon gift card.

Enjoy!

George Clooney: Salt-n-peppa happiness with just a hint of naughty.

Brad Pitt: Pre-Jeremiah monstrosity, this beard is nicely groomed and looks oh, so soft! Weee!

Hugh Jackman: Perfect combination....wild, wet water and Hugh's masculine scruff.

Eric Bana: Yowzah! Sooooo cute!

Matthew McConaughey: Dude, that is one southern-fried sexy bit of business.

Ralph Fiennes: So serious and scruffilicious!

Those are some fine specimens of harry manliness! Please leave a comment with your #1 choice!

Penelope

Mini Review of The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens

The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens

After the disastrous final installment of The Bastion Club series (Mastered by Love), I was reluctant to dive into the new Laurens' series, The Black Cobra Quartet. I bought this book at the grocery store on a whim and figured....What the heck, I'll give Stephanie another chance!

Well, lo and behold, Stephanie Laurens got her mojo back! The suspense part of this book is absolutely riveting. I adored the prelude to this book, which takes place in India, 1822. It made me remember one of the reasons I used to love SL so much....she is truly a gifted writer. The beginning of this book, which is purely setting the stage for the suspense portion of the story and has nothing to do with the romance, is superb.

Laurens does not disappoint with the romance part of this book either. There is a terrific chemistry between the hero (Del) and heroine (Deliah) right from their initial meeting. (I can't believe SL's editor let her get away with those names! Are you kidding me?). Deliah is SL's best type of heroine...feisty, determined, strong-willed and sexy. Their first love scene is great--a scorcher! In fact, I found all of the love scenes to be sexy and emotionally fulfilling, something that had been lacking lately in her novels.

Other strong points of this novel: including old favorite characters (the Cynsters, the Bastion Club guys, their wives), lots of action-packed scenes with swords, pistols, assassins and thugs, and incredibly emotionally satisfying love scenes at the end (especially when Del professes his love for her and proposes....sigh! so romantic!!!). My only complaint was that the book seemed a little short, and the climatic scene at the end when Larkin is confronted in the church was sort of a let-down. But who really cares? Stephanie got her mojo back, and I for one am a happy, happy camper. Grade: B+

Penelope

Valentine Celebration Has Commenced!

Happy Valentine's Week! I love Valentine's Day because it basically covers all of my favorite things....love and romance, chocolates, flowers, and going out to a chichi restaurant for a gourmet meal. It's my perfect holiday. After 20 years of marriage, my husband knows the way to my heart...yellow roses, chocolate truffles, a dinner out to my favorite Cambodian restaurant, and a romance novel (or 2)!!!

To start off this week with a bang, Penelope is giving away some beautiful, heart-shaped chocolate truffles from Old Naples Chocolate and am Amazon gift card. (There will be two winners chosen today). Here's how to enter the contest....

1) Go to Penny Watson's author website and sign up for the newsletter...just fill out this form on the contact page.

Don't worry...you will not be inundated with spam. I'll be sending out a newsletter probably about 4x/year, and sending announcements for new releases and contests.

2) Sign up to follow Penelope's Romance Reviews. (see follower list on the right hand side bar of this page).

3) If you are already on my follower list and newsletter list, just send me a message on the contact page letting me know! You'll be entered into the contest.

4) For an extra entry into the contest, you can....(choose one)

--friend me on Facebook

--friend me on Goodreads

--follow The Quirky Ladies blog

--follow me on Twitter

Just let me know in your message on the contact form. I'll add in another entry for you!

That's it! The contest will be open until Sat Feb 13. Winners will be announced on Sunday Feb 14.

Tomorrow I'll be posting my review of The Untamed Bride, Wednesday is the Most Romantic Beard contest (with another giftcard give-away), Thursday is the Most Romantic Hero Quiz (with book give-away), and Friday is another review. All winners will be announced on Sunday.

I would love to hear how all of you are celebrating VD this week (hee hee...I used to work in a flower shop, and my boss would get so pissed off when we wrote VD on the order slips instead of Valentine's Day...seriously, who has time for that??). Let me know!

Love, kisses and cupid's arrows,

Penelope

Beard of the Day

Rwoarrrrrr! Penelope presents...a true classic. Sean Connery's beard. Nicely groomed. Perfect amount of sexy salt-n-peppa. Just imagine him talking with his butterscotchy delicious accent and your Friday is filled with hairy happiness. (And I love that quirking eyebrow thing he's got going on, too!).

Reading updates: Finished The Rose of Shanhasson by Joely Sue Burkhart. There were some great things about this story--lush imagery of the fantasy world, two incredibly sexy heroes, and the author did an amazing job building the sexual tension between the heroine and a secondary hero, Gregar. In fact, she did too good a job, because I was peeved at the end that she just left us hanging with no sexual resolution for Gregar and Shannari. I feel cheated! Wah! I guess I have to buy the next book if I want any satisfaction, which is evidently part of Burkhart's diabolical plan.

I also just finished Stephanie Laurens' The Untamed Bride. After my enormous disappointment with Mastered by Love, I am thrilled to announce...Stephanie Laurens got her mojo back, baby! Yep, this book is a return to the old Stephanie I know and love--emotionally satisfying love scenes, excellent suspense, beautifully written, and....romantic. I'll be posting a review next week.

Happy, happy weekend to all,

Penelope

Get Ready for Penelope's Valentine Week Celebration!

Here's the schedule for next week's Valentine Celebration!

Monday, Feb 8: Contest begins. Prizes include gourmet chocolates and Amazon giftcards.

Tuesday, Feb 9: Mini Book Review.

Wednesday, Feb 10: Vote for the MRB (Most Romantic Beard). Giftcard giveaway.

Thursday, Feb 11: Penelope's Most Romantic Hero Quiz. Book giveaway.

Friday, Feb 12: Mini Book Review.

Sunday, Feb 14: Post Simply Love review (again...hee hee!)--Most romantic book ev-ah! And announce contest winners!

Hope you'll join me next week for the extra special love.

Penelope

Dark and Stormy Romantic Suspense

Lydia Storm, author of Moonlight on Diamonds (which has the most gorgeous cover I have ever seen--I like gems!) has a new blog, Dark and Stormy Romantic Suspense. She's kicking it off with a Valentine's contest, and giving away a signed copy of her novel. My most recent favorite romantic suspense was Jayne Ann Krentz's Fired Up, which also has a paranormal angle going on. I loved it. All you have to do to enter Lydia's contest is leave a comment with your favorite romantic suspense novel or author. Good luck!

Penelope

Excerpt from Sweet Magik

I finally made it to the 15,000-word mark for my new Work-In-Progress, Sweet Magik! Woo hoo! This is the second of the Klaus Brother's Series. Here is a blurb for the story (just in case you're already thinking ahead to next Christmas....hee hee!), and an excerpt for your reading pleasure. I'm already thinking ahead to a vacation in a tropical location, but since that doesn't appear to be happening any time soon, I guess I'll make due with a roaring fire and a hot toddy until spring shows up. That damned groundhog better not see his shadow tomorrow!!!!

Sweet Magik...

Free-wheeling Oskar Klaus loves snowboarding and no-strings attachments. Or does he? A mind blowing kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve leaves O breathless for uptight librarian Kiana Grant. Little does he know, a mischievous elf in Glasdorf has cast a magik spell on him that will change his destiny forever....

Excerpt.....

Ingo pawed through a stack of old books in the library. He hadn't bothered to turn on a lamp. Thin shards of moonlight filtered through the dusty windows and cast an unearthly glow around the room.

"Where the hell did I put it? It's got to be here somewhere." Finally his eyes spied a teetering pile by the desk, and the thick tome at the bottom looked familiar.

"Ah, got it!" Ingo pushed the tower, scattering manuscripts all over the floor. He knelt down and lifted the gold-edged book, brushing cobwebs off the leather bindings. It had been scores of years since he had the occasion to look at this volume. Even after all of this time, bits of light buzzed off the ragged edges of the spine, reminding him how powerful the Zauberwort Buch really was.

He held the ancient tome in a shaft of light, illuminating the faded pages. What are you gonna do, Ingo Hertz? Verboten. Verboten. The magik of our ancestors is a sacred responsibility. Not to be used in an inappropriate manner. Not to be used for personal gain, vengeance, or evil intent. The voice of Master Eugen echoed in his head. His callused fingers hesitated briefly over the book. Then the image of Lys struggling to free herself from Per's grip popped into his mind. He flipped open the tome and a long sigh was released into the air. Swirls of dust laced with magik funneled upward from the yellowed-pages and disappeared into the darkness.

The Zauberwort Buch jumped from his hands and started to hop across the floor. Ingo could tell the magik was warming up, getting ready for mischief. Eugen taught all of the elves of Glasdorf that the magik must be reigned in; its natural course was to "run toward trouble." He would shout "Dicke Luft!" (trouble's brewing) as streams of unrestrained magik swirled throughout the classroom, teasing the students, attempting to incite them.

Ingo distinguished himself from any early age as a Magik Bändiger, or magik tamer. Only certain elves were capable of this feat. It required the ability to trick the magik, which was extremely difficult. Magik was crafty and cunning and had a mind of its own. Tricking it at its own game entailed complex strategies depending on the energy involved. Ingo always enjoyed devising traps for the runaway magik, and then sitting back to watch the inevitable downfall.

Master Eugen had been disappointed that he had not apprenticed as a Bändiger, but the Hertz family had a long and distinguished history as woodworkers, and Ingo's talent with the wood rivaled his talent with the magik. Ingo felt the familiar thrill of power course through him as he dove for the book, grappling with it as it snapped at his fingers.

"Halt!" he barked at the irksome Buch. Too bad these spells don't work on elves, or I'd give Per a night he would never forget. The elfin magik worked on the human population, but not on other elves. It was a built-in protection for their well-being.

Fumbling in the darkness, he found a candle on his desk and lit it. He carefully pulled apart the dusty pages of the book until he found a section entitled Herz Magik, Heart Magik. He nodded as he perused the ancient spells, searching for one he remembered from long ago. Once he located the enchantment, he knocked about his house collecting various items...scraps of paper, more candles, a photograph, a button, and finally a page ripped from his new calendar in the kitchen.

Ingo placed the Zauberwort Buch in the center of his desk. He opened the book to a spell called Zottig Herz (Ragged Heart). First he scribbled his name and Oskar's onto a piece of paper and placed it on the tome. Then, he took the calendar insert and held it over the flickering flame of the candle, scorching the date January first, just above the image of a crescent moon. He searched the calendar for the full moon. January eleventh. Eleven days of misery. He singed the square marked eleven, blackening the plump full moon.

Ingo rubbed the mother-of-pearl button in his callused fingers and reverently placed it atop the book. Then the photograph, torn from a Klaus Enterprise newsletter. Every spare candle in his home was scattered on the tabletop, looking like a collection of ominous stalagmites. He took a deep breath and swallowed the last of the liquor from his flask. The empty container fell to the ground, clattering on the floor.

Ingo began to recite the words, dictated centuries ago. For one brief moment, his voice wavered as he thought of Lys and her sweet smiling face. She was all goodness and light, and he knew would not approve of this act of vengeance. But then the images of Wiebe's laughing face and Per tugging at Lys' waist swirled inside his brain and his voice gained momentum as the ancient words rolled off his tongue. Again and again he uttered the spell, until he collapsed in a drunken stupor on the floor. As he fell into a foggy slumber, Ingo could hear the Zauberwort Buch rattling on the table, clearly unhappy with his choices.

Happy Reading,

Penelope

Quickie Sunday Updates

Cool movie alert! Last night my family watched Earth (2007), a Disney Nature documentary, narrated by James Earl Jones. This is a gorgeous film with some incredible footage of animal migrations, including polar bears, elephants in south Africa, humpback whales, and stunning views of the tropical rain forests. The shots of the Aurora Australis light show are so amazing, I couldn't believe it was real. This is a great film for the whole family (my kids were spellbound) or for adults. I always find these nature shows help to put everything else in our lives into perspective, reminding us of our place within the universe. I highly recommend this lovely film. Grade: A

I just finished reading Firefae, a very short erotic story written by Deborah Panger, and published by The Wild Rose Press. It's a super fun, hot and lusty quickie. Gunner, a hunkalicious fireman, is abducted to fairy world by Sera, a fiery little humdinger of a fairy. In a few short pages, Panger introduces two cute characters, creates a sweet paranormal setting (I especially liked the garnet-studded cave, reflecting Sera's fiery nature...excellent!), gives us just a touch of their personalities, and a whole lot of lusty loving. And, I had to look up a word in the dictionary (I just love it when I learn new vocabulary words when I read). The word: incalescent, which means increasing in heat or ardor. Well, all right! Grade: A-

Happy Sunday,

Penelope

Beard of the Day and Why I Hate Reading Challenges

First, beard of the day.....Liev Schreiber. In addition to this nice scruff, he has gorgeous eyes, and a ton of sex appeal. Every time I see him act, I am mesmerized by this guy. Lucky Naomi!

Second, what's up with all of these reading challenges? I swore after completing the oral exams for my graduate program (and writing that damned thesis), that I would never take a class again! As God is my witness, I have stuck faithfully to this decision. Life is hard. Reading romance novels is fun. Why take something fun and turn it into an academic endeavor? This is why I very rarely accept ARCs to read....I don't want a freakin' assignment, I just want to read whatever I want, whenever I want. I know, I sound selfish. But the truth is, reading romantic fiction is one of the true joys of my life, and I don't want anything messing it up. My have-to-do list is long and laborious every day. The best part of that list is....#57) sneak into the bathroom and read a fun romance novel! Viva romance!

Penelope

Review of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by L.R. Hieber

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

I love reading the unexpected. I love reading something that is beautifully written. And, I love funky paranormal business. This book, which is beautifully, beautifully written, totally unlike anything else I have ever read, and chock full of great paranormal scenes, is a unique addition to the world of "historical paranormal gothic romance"? Not exactly sure how to categorize this baby, especially since I think the romance in this book is probably the weakest part.

Let's start with the good stuff. Leanna Renee Hieber (tres romantic name, n'est-ce pas?) can write with the big boys. Her voice is lovely, her prose is excellent. I don't remember the last time I read something so well written. Bravo, Ms. Hieber! She does a remarkably good job building the suspense in this book, as well as weaving the paranormal aspect into the story line. Percy Parker, an albino cast-off from a convent, is a one-of-a-kind heroine, truly unique. But it felt as if she spent most of the book in a muddle, confused about who she is, what she is supposed to do, what her visions really mean, etc. etc. Right up to the last page she is still confused. Professor Alexi Rychman is the ultimate gothic hero, complete with sweeping black cape. Hieber's imagery describing her hero is excellent! Dark, brooding, intense. Awesome! His band of cohorts has a nice chemistry, and they are definitely intriguing.

Unfortunately, Percy and Alexi's relationship creeped me out a little bit. She is only 18/19 years old, and his student. Their "love" felt more like a teenage infatuation on her part, and a strange, unexpected fascination on his part. The few times they kiss (and when Alexi is struggling with a physical attraction to her) were the only times in the book I felt the narrative became strained and awkward. Their "love" worked better on a metaphysical level.

My biggest concern with the book was the "black" moment of Percy and Alexi's relationship, and its resolution. Alexi is horribly cruel to Percy, and she is devastated beyond belief. After all this intense melodrama and the subsequent over-the-top paranormal climax, Percy regains consciousness and forgives him so easily, it's fairly ridiculous. A few lines of dialogue and they are professing their love for each other. Oh well!

I wanted to post a snippet from one of my favorite scenes, when Percy is dancing in Alexi's office to Mozart's Requiem, with the ghosts surrounding her...

"Like a butterfly shedding its chrysalis, Percy tossed her shawl, glasses and gloves upon the desk and abandoned herself, as the spirits did, to the music, sharing a bond with them that went beyond colouration. Her skirts spun out around her." Love that simile!!!!

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is strange, and beautiful, and a breath of fresh air in the romance industry. I am looking forward to reading more of Leanna Hieber's work. Grade: B+

Penelope

2 Weeks Until Penelope's Valentine Celebration!

Starting on Monday, Feb. 8, Penelope is hosting a week-long celebration for the most holy of all romance holidays....St. Valentine's Day! I will be giving away Amazon gift cards, gourmet chocolates, doing mini reviews of my favorite romantic stories, and posting a quiz on romance heroes. Oh yeah, I'll also be discussing a rather serious topic...the MRB (Most Romantic Beard). Hope you'll join me.

Wondering if my hubby is going to splurge on a kick-ass floral arrangement,

Penelope

Beard of the Day

Today I'm chatting with Mandi at Smexy Books about hunky, hairy guys in romance. Stop by and say hello! Mandi loves cowboys, so I decided to post this scruff-diddly-icious photo of Tim Daly from The Outsider. Nice. I'll bet his mustache twitches just fine.

Happy Hairy Friday To All,

Penelope

Quickie Kindle Reviews: Forbidden Thunder, Seducing Simon and Not Just Make Believe

Here are three mini-reviews of e-books I've read on my kindle recently.

Forbidden Thunder by Kathleen Lash

This is the most bizarre combination of topics in a romance novel I have read in my life. An in-depth look at the trucking and towing industry with romance. Hee hee....sounds crazy? Well, for some bizarre and unknown reason I was really digging it! I think I could start my own trucking company right now after all of the stuff I learned reading this book. There is WAY too much detail about the trucking business in this story, including financial stuff, running a company, etc. But I was strangely fascinated about the whole thing. Maybe I'm a bigger nerd than I thought. Good things about this book...characters were awesome, sex was hot, story about Caila's family is heart-breaking and very, very emotional. John Thunder is a great hero. The love and camaraderie within the McKenna family is fabulous. Bad things: too many kidnappings...it got ludicrous by the end. But I still really enjoyed this book anyway! Grade: B

Seducing Simon by Maya Banks

This is the first book I have read by this author. She is an excellent storyteller...right from the start I was engrossed by the premise for this book and tore through it to find out what would happen. I also think she did a fantastic job describing the emotional POV of the heroine. But the way things played out at the end of this book killed it for me. First of all, there were too many typos (confident and confidant...how about using spell check???), the ending was horribly abrupt and unsatisfying, the big black moment was awful...the hero comes off looking like a gigantic ass, it pissed me off that no one seem concerned that the heroine's loss of virginity came after a night of drunken (him), unprotected sex with the hero. Her best friends and even her brother are mad at her!!!! instead of questioning what Simon has done? Are you kidding me? And finally, having a group of firefighters is just screaming out for some yummy, sexy brotherhood-style camaraderie (one of my favorite things!) and Banks didn't tap into this at all. Big disappointment. This book sort of has me scratching my head. Up until the end it was heading for an A or B rating, but the end was a killer for me. Grade: C+

Not Just Make Believe by Sandra Sookoo

This is a short, "sweet" (as in, no sex!) story told in the first person by a super sarcastic, incredibly clumsy, but kind-hearted heroine. There is a lot of physical comedy in this story, and Sandra Sookoo has a wicked funny sense of humor. In fact, I laughed out loud repeatedly reading this cute story. The beginning was my favorite part...great pacing, hilarious one-liners, and I found the POV enjoyable, and not irritating as I often do with sarcastic first person heroines. This new author has two biggies going for her....1) the woman can write, and 2) her voice is great...I loved it! The end of the story turned into more of a chick lit deal, with a lot of emotional journey stuff, conflict and decisions about the Jekyll and Hyde hero. My super shallowness would have much preferred a hot sex scene and to skip all of that! I'm keeping my eye on this new author...there is nothing I love better than a big heaping dose of humor with my romance! And Sandra Sookoo's sense of humor is right up my alley. (Oh yeah....one more thing....the cover of this book is absolutely adorable!) Grade: B+

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day to Everyone,

Penelope

Quickie Reviews: Skin Game by Ava Gray

Skin Game by Ava Gray

Have you ever eaten something spicy that started out with just a hint of heat and you're thinking...Well, that's not too bad....and then the spice starts to really kick in, and after a couple of minutes you're sweating and guzzling a gallon of milk? Well, that's my best analogy for Ava Gray's Skin Game. Slow burn, finished strong. And I do mean strong. Holy Hell, this woman can write. Wasn't sure I loved it when it started out. The characters seemed interesting, but it's hard to identify with a cold-blooded killer and a chameleon-like con woman. She seemed sort of slutty, and he scared the crap out of me. And I'm thinking...this is the hero and heroine of this book? Really? Well, Jiminy H. Cricket, Gray's approach to characterization is freakin' brilliant. By the end of the book, you are literally dying for an HEA, praying that the vulnerable/sassy/sexy/sneaky/blood-thirsty con woman and the hit man from heaven and hell get together. Gray makes you cheer for this unlikely pair, wondering how the heck is she going to pull it off. This book is seriously the perfect package...fascinating characters, excellent pacing and story line, tons of nail-biting suspense (break out the prilosec, baby!), and off the charts hot sexual encounters. Be forewarned, this is not your granny's romance novel. It's gory and violent in parts, although if I can take it (you know I'm a wuss) then anybody can. My favorite authors make the characters come alive. And Gray has accomplished this in a truly unique and unexpected fashion. Grade: A

Peeved I have to wait until June 1 for the next book in the series...(long suffering sigh),

Penelope

Review of Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz

Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz

Wow! JAK has fired off another awesome Arcane Novel! Fired Up is an incredibly well-paced, fascinating paranormal romantic suspense. Even though the romance is the least well-developed part of this book, and the characters are not fleshed out as well as I usually like, I was completely, happily absorbed by this story. JAK is fabulous at weaving together separate story lines and building the tension. I love how she is jumping around in history, and connecting the stories of her historical paranormal romances and now the modern descendants of these characters. Her paranormal descriptions are among the best you will find anywhere in romance...she really knows how to paint an eerie, powerful and mysterious paranormal setting. Fired Up is very well-written, has excellent dialogue, masterful description of setting, and a fast-paced romance (which I personally like, although some people might be irritated with this). After reading several books recently that really struggled with the pacing, this book was a breath of fresh air. The pacing was perfection. The hero and heroine were interesting characters, but Fallon Jones is the one I am "jonesing" for...sorry, couldn't help myself. I cannot wait for his book, and JAK did a fantastic job setting up the next story. I am a sucker for a mathematical genius. There's something really hot about a pumped-up....brain. For any JAK fans, this story is a must-read. Grade: A

Penelope

P.S. I read this on my kindle, and it was soooooo great. And the addiction continues....

Review of Street Game by Christine Feehan

Street Game by Christine Feehan

First let me say that this book broke me out of my recent reading funk. Although it was uneven in certain spots, overall this was a very enjoyable book. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, I became so absorbed in this story, that I forgot I was reading. It was only when my family started harassing me for dinner (for the love of God, couldn't they go to McDonald's or something??), that I was popped back into reality.

Street Game is the latest installment of Feehan's Ghostwalker Series, which I have really been enjoying. Here's my take on this series and Street Game....

1) Feehan is a master of paranormal. The characters' abilities are incredibly cool....invisibility, reading people's locations/emotions from their energy patterns, telepathic brain surgery...and the list goes on. How's this for romantic? Everyone has an energy pattern that displays certain textures and colors, but the hero and heroines' pattern, according to one of the Ghostwalkers, is woven together. Sigh.

2) The male bonding/camaraderie scenes with the Ghostwalkers are superb! Superb! Trash talking, super loyal, sometimes aggressive...yummy alpha male testosterone-jacked stuff! Seriously, JR Ward's got nothing on Christine. Maybe Christine will dye her hair blond, start wearing all black, and sport some stylin' black sunglasses. Hee hee. :)

3) There is a great build up of suspense and anticipation during their missions, in particular when they have to grab Sergeant Major Griffen--I literally could not put the book down. The final mission of the book is also excellent, and exhilarating to finally see Jaimie using and enjoying her powers.

4) The first scene where Jaimie and Mack make love is this really cool fusion of psychic paranormal powers and the physical response between them. I loved it.

5) Now onto the "uneven" parts....I am getting sort of tired of the whole Whitney thing. I realize this is the over-riding story arc that is supposed to tie all of the books together, but I'm sick of Whitney, and I just wish someone would blow him up or something.

6) Feehan loves deep POV. The heroine spends pages thinking about how she lost herself with Mack, how much she loves him, how scared she is of his possession....and the hero is thinking about how he can't live without her, she is the light of his life, she destroyed him when she left...etc etc. It's just too repetitive. Enough already. We got it the first time. Stick with the action!

7) I was not feeling the emotional connection between the hero and heroine as much as past Ghostwalker couples for one simple reason. Their relationship was in the past. Feehan forgot the golden rule...show, don't tell. We need to feel their connection now, not hear about the past ad nauseam. Even the sex scenes were not as hot or intense as others in the series.

8) I was totally irritated with the scene where Mack is "interrogating" Jaimie while she is diligently working at the computer, and he is forcing her to take her clothes off. This was just plain ridiculous. Oy!

My overall take on this book...it was uneven, but still a great read for Feehan fans. Fabulous at spots, slow and repetitive in others. Feehan did an awesome job getting us primed for the other Ghostwalker stories. I personally can't wait for Kane's book, and I really liked Javier, too.

Grade: B

Penelope

Beard of the Day

I personally think Viggo Mortensen is one of the hottest actors around. Just look at that scruff. He is an alpha male all the way. Yay for alphas!

I have read quite a few books on my new kindle. However, I don't feel like writing any reviews since they were okay, not stellar. I am having a problem with the "light" BDSM erotica stories. My feeling is that most of the authors jumping into this genre are using the BDSM as a titillation device, without really understanding the lifestyle and emotional and physical ramifications of what that means. I need to read a few historicals to "cleanse my palate"-- hee hee. :)

I just downloaded Christine Feehan's newest Ghostwalker book, Street Game. I'm hoping it will bust me out of my funk. In the meantime, I am finally back to work on Sweet Magik, the second of the Klaus Brothers Series. It's great to be working on a new book. Sweet Inspiration continues to climb the charts of the e-bookstores. It is currently #2 at eBookwise and Readerwise, and #3 at Fictionwise and eReader (on the romance bestseller lists). Huge thanks to everyone who has supported me and this debut novel!

Stay warm,

Penelope

I'm Hangin' With Steve...You Know, Stephen King.

Updates from the Peanut Gallery....

1) I got a kindle for Christmas. Hee hee hee heeeeeee..... I am in love. I will never buy a print book again. My husband gets big-time brownie points for the next decade.

2) Corollary to number 1: Gotta work on my kindle addiction. Sigh.

3) Much to my surprise, my debut novel Sweet Inspiration is cropping up on some bestseller lists. Seriously, seeing my half-naked Santa book cover next to Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is pretty hilarious. And totally cool. And completely unexpected. Here is the latest bestseller list from Fictionwise....

Top eBooks, Fictionwise, Sat Jan. 2

1.	Blame It On The Mistletoe by Lily Graison [ROM]
2.	Divine Misdemeanors [Meredith Gentry Series #8] by Laurell K. Hamilton [DARKFANT]
3.	Shades of Midnight [Midnight Breed Series Book 7] by Lara Adrian [ROM]
4.	Under the Dome: A Novel by Stephen King [SF]
5.	Altar of Eden by James Rollins [SUSP/THRILL]
6.	Night Watch [Tall, Dark, and Dangerous Series Book 11] by Suzanne Brockmann [ROM]
7.	Witch and Wizard by James Patterson [SUSP/THRILL]
8.	Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson [ROM]
9.	Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas [ROM]
10.	Street Game (Game/Ghostwalker) by Christine Feehan [FIC]

I am on a top 10 list with Stephen King. Un-freakin-believable. Sweet Inspiration is also rated #2 on the romance bestseller list for Readerwise.com. I am amazed and humbled and completely appreciative of all the folks who took a chance on this book. And totally pumped and inspired to work on my WIP....which leads us to....

4) Goals for 2010: Finish/publish Sweet Magik, #2 of the Klaus Brothers Series. Finish Diabolical, my botanical mystery/romance. Travel to a new, exciting place with my family (already have the reservations for Jackson Hole, Wyoming...Yellowstone and Grand Tetons! Yay!). Work on my fitness before August so I can hike the Tetons without requiring oxygen.

5) One more update...I emailed Christine Feehan to ask her when she was writing Skyler and Dimitri's story, and she said...."I don't know"--- Criminy!!!!!!! She is killing me.

6) New books coming up for 2010....Julie Garwood's Sizzle, Christine Feehan's Street Game, A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh, and Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz. I can't wait to read these on my new kindle! Weeeee!

I hope everyone had a festive holiday season, and that 2010 will bring you exciting and wonderful adventures!

Penelope