ARC Review: Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

I won't lie. I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary romance. In fact, I stay away from them completely. With this book I just felt like I should give it a chance. I am a big fan of Victoria Dahl's historical romances and I have read them all. In fact I devour them. Now I've known for awhile that she also writes contemporaries, but since I don't read that genre I've never paid them the least bit of attention. Then I started following Victoria on Twitter and she cracks me up. Sometimes her posts have me in tears from laughing so hard because they are just so funny. Another thing, everyone is always telling me how great her contemporaries are. So when I was on NetGalley browsing and came across her ARC for Good Girls Don't, I figured, "Hey, why not?" I am so glad that I decided to give this book a chance.

Good Girls Don't is unlike any contemporary romance that I've ever read before. It's story is realistic and believable, has a cast of great characters, and there are no endearments like "Baby" and "Honey" inside. I found myself continuously turning the page wanting to know what was going to happen and then becoming sad when I finished the book. I just didn't want it to end. I felt a bond with this story and it's cast of characters. I can't wait to pick up not only the next in this series but all of the contemporaries by Victoria Dahl that I so foolishly passed up before.

**This was an ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

ARC Review: Notorious by Nicola Cornick

This was the first book that I've read from this author and it definitely won't be my last. This book was just so good. I admit that when I found out that this book was a second chance at love story I was beyond giddy, those just happen to be my favorite. I believe that Nicola did it justice. I didn't want to put the book down. I was so engrossed with what was happening in the story.

I loved Susanna and Devlin together. They were just so feisty with each other. I really got a sense of them both having strong feelings for one another mixed with a lot of anger and pain.

Nine years ago Devlin and Susanna ran off and eloped together. After spending one blissful night together, Susanna got cold feet and left Devlin with the promise that she would be filing for an annulment. Devlin, feeling angry and betrayed leaves on his commission with the Navy without looking back.

Susanna's life has been nothing but hardships since she made the decision to leave Devlin. A decision that she instantly regretted. To make ends meet, she is somewhat of a reverse match maker. Parents who don't want their children marrying beneath them or to someone who is not right for them hire Susanna to seduce their offspirng. It is while Susanna is on a new commission that she encounters Devlin for the first time since she left him.

When Devlin sees Susanna again he is angry, both at her and himself for having all of these feelings rush back at once. He doesn't trust Susanna and knows she is up to something. He is also deeply hurt by her abandoning him after they were wed.

With Susanna, your heart just breaks to see everything she has been through over the last nine years. She deeply regrets leaving Devlin after their wedding and everything that has happened as a result of her leaving.

While reading this book, I got an immediate sense of longing from both Devlin and Susanna. They both were so hurt from the past and they are still trying to come to terms with everything that has happened. You can see that they both still share a mutual passion for one another even though they are constantly bickering. The banter between these two was great. You could really see the sparks between them. I very much enjoyed reading this book and watching these two finally find their way back towards one another. I was rooting for them from the beginning and I loved how things worked out.

**This was an ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

Authors After Dark

So in four days the BF and I are getting in a car and making the 16 hour drive to Philadelphia for the Authors After Dark conference. I can't even begin to tell you how very excited I am. I started the weekend off a little on the down side since a bunch of my Twitter pals were off to RomCon in Denver. But now that I see how much fun they are having it has just gotten me that much more excited for AAD. AAD will be the first conference that I've ever been to and I'm a little nervous to finally meet some of the people that I've been talking to online for a year now. I know that I'm going to have a ball, I just need to open up and not be so reserved with everyone.

Another thing I'm looking forward to is all the goodies and swag we are going to get. I hear the amount they give out to the attendees is insane. So yay! Who doesn't love free swag? I'm hoping to get a lot so I can give some out here on the blog.

Well I hope the City of Brotherly Love is ready for us all because AAD is going to be a blast. I hope if any of you guys are going you let me know so we can meet up.

Review: Romancing Lady Cecily by Ashley March

 Lady Cecily is waging an inner battle with her emotions. To choose the man she loves or honor her father's wishes and marry a man she's never met. Cecily has developed such strong feelings for Baron Sedgwick but feels as if he doesn't feel the same and that it's all a game of seduction to him.

From the first time Baron Sedgwick caught a glimpse of Lady Cecily he has done everything he could to make her desire him. His feelings for her go beyond just lust but he can't let her see that he loves her. He knows she would never be the man that her father would choose for her so he does everything in his power to make that happen.

This was such a great short story. Normally I try to stay away from short stories because they always seem to be missing something. Everything is just thrown together so quickly that the story just falls a bit flat for me. I never get a real sense of the characters. Not at all the case with this story. Everything came together so well and the pacing of the story just worked. I won't lie, I do wish there was more but only because I enjoyed it so much and I wanted to spend more time with the characters.

Follow Friday #5

Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop put together by two hosts: Parajunkee and Alison Can Read as a way to help bloggers become aware of other blogs and bloggers. It's a great way to make new blogger friends.

Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

The book that influenced my life the most was The Thrill Club by R.L. Stine. This was the first paranormal book that I ever read and it just opened my eyes to another world that at the time was so new to me. After I read this book I would devour any paranormal book that I could get my hands on. Now 17 years later I am still loving this genre and I have R.L. Stine's The Thrill Club to thank for it.

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read } and any one else you want to follow on the list.
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers- Hands & Home & www.memyshelfandi.com
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing on Parajunkee's blog.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers.

Thanks for stopping by. =)