An Improper Proposal by Heather Boyd
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Iris Hedley had lost everything! Her father was in debtors prison and now she was living off the charity of one of her friends! No one knew where her dad was they were keeping it a secret so maybe she would still have a chance at marriage! But to keep her dad safe she is being blackmailed into helping a criminal rob the rich people . Feeling hopeless she decides to become a courtesan! So she can support herself she asks Lord Louth to teach her what she needs to know to be a mistress! He didn't think she was serious! But then he was afraid she would ask someone else so he agrees! This book has humor and lots of romance I loved it !! Not your typical debutante!!
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Boyd Jefferson met Dixie Bell the model, on a photo shoot. Both were gorgeous models and attracted to each other. But Dixie also known as Kailee Belton was already married and had a very jealous husband who never approved of her modelling stint. Boyd witnessed their fight and to appease her, he kissed her and soon, one thing led to another.

Fast forward to another year, Kailee and Boyd met again. Kailee, already divorced from her first husband, revealed that she had a child with Boyd, much to his delight. Boyd then demanded they be married or else, Kailee won't get full custody of their child.

What happened next involved a lot of fighting, cursing, cheating, making up and sex, sex, sex. You guess how it all ends.

I don't know how to express my thoughts with this book. Well, I enjoyed reading it, but I was kind of irked with the cheating issues. Call me old-school or conservative, but topics about cheating married couples really pisses me off. I don't know, I just don't feel good about it. And married Kailee actually cheated not once but twice. And then theres Boyd. He was okay, he really loved Kailee, so much that he acted like an @ssh0le all the time. I couldn't stand them both, but I liked how their story went. I liked how they could get cheesy and called each other Buttercup and Damn Yankee. after their trysts. So far, it was good.
4449829
The Cupcake Queen is a wonderful book. I loved it and the characters. When I bought this book, I didn't realize it was a Heather Hepler book. I've become used to seeing her name beside Brad Barkley's. When I picked up the book at the bookstore it was because of my intended reason for going to the store. I had three goals I wanted to accomplish there.

First, I wanted to buy the first book in James Patterson's Maximum Ride series. I did that. Second, I wanted to get a book I hadn't heard of by a author I only kinda sorta knew. So I got The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard. And third, I wanted a contemporary romance that seemed sweet to give me a break from all of the paranormal I'd been reading. The Cupcake Queen was just the sweet book I needed as I promptly read the book in less than 8 hours, guesstimating. Then, I wanted to read another of her books, so I opened up Jars of Glass by Heather and Brad Barkley (which has been sitting on my bookshelf forever and I am reading that now. But The Cupcake Queen has replaced Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, and I am sure Jars of Glass won't surpass it as my favorite Heather Hepler book, though so far it is very good. What I really want now is to devour another Heather Helper book that she wrote by herself. In her duos with Brad Barkley, while the story is very engaging, it's hard to distinguish which author wrote which character. I think I have a better sense of that now that I've read Hepler's The Cupcake Queen. I would be estatic for another book of this caliber to be published by her. The Cupcake Queen, is a sweet, light and smile inducing treat, much like the cupcakes Penny makes.
It's safe to say that I am excitedly awaiting my chance to read Heather's newest novel, Love? Maybe. which came out just days ago on January 5th.

I think it's also safe to say I look forward to reading any further books she may publish. Hepler has made a fan of me.
2913367
Another Thunder Point novel, this time Ginger Dysart, who works at Grace's flower shop, is finally coming out of her grief following her baby's death from SIDS. She's set aside her disgust that her musician husband couldn't be bothered to be there for her. If only he'd leave her alone; after all, they've been divorced for two years. Then, at a wedding where she's helping out, drunk Matt Lacoumette comes on to her and gropes her. In her effort to get away from him, he ends up knocked out on the floor, creating a scene that is both embarrassing for Ginger and disgusting for the bride and groom.

Matt's still hurting from his ex-wife's behavior, not fully explained until late in the story, which gives him an excuse for living up to the Mad Matt nickname his sister has given him, but still... Groping a wedding guest is a bit much.

Matt is mortified at his behavior--after he realizes what he did--and insists on coming to the flower shop to apologize to Ginger. She doesn't need an apology, but can't help herself and decides to satisfy her curiosity about him. What accepting his apology leads to is not something either she or Matt would have predicted, but each deserves a happily-ever-after and the author delivers nicely. Not a surprise, but nicely.
3668020
This novel had a very unique premise.  A beautiful Scottish woman transforms magically into a wildcat.  She is unable to control these urges and believes she can never marry.  This woman, Catherine, is in London with her father when she meets Nicholas, duke of Efington.  She is intrigued by him but rebuffs his advances.

Nicholas is also intrigued and follows her home.  Catherine's father, the Laird is the only one who knows about Catherine's curse.  When he discovers that the duke is actually the illegitimate child of his sworn enemy and the one to possibly break the curse, he sets a blackmailing plan of marriage in motion.

Nicholas finds himself blackmailed into marriage by the Laird.  After the marriage ceremony he sends his wife back to Scotland without him.  She is relieved as she wants no part of marriage.  Later, he goes to Scotland and there tries to begin a relationship with his wife.  Nicholas is patient and endearing.

Catherine on the other hand is a real shrew.  It was very hard to like her.  I don't mind a little animosity between characters but this went on way too long.  Catherine was determined to send her husband on his way even though she knows the curse says they must fall in love (she is stubborn as the day is long).  Her husband discovers her secret and still does not leave her.  Is that enough to convince Catherine to be kind and trusting?  No, she allows misunderstandings and her own fears to constantly drive a wedge in their relationship.  At times she treats her husband cruelly.

In spite of Catherine, I am giving this book 3 stars.  The plot is good and so is the dialogue.  I only wish Catherine could have been kinder.
59200
This book was a nice read.  However, I did not know this was part of a series until reading the reviews.  The second book, The Proposal, is due out March 15, 2013.  Here is what I recommend...wait to read The Proposition until close to the next book in the series comes out.  The reason is that the ending of The Proposition will leave you hanging and frustrated.  It ends badly.  Like me, you will have to wait months before you get some resolution and hopefully some satisfaction.  There should have been something in the description of this book that stated it was part of a series.
4316540
This was a fantastic story the description does not do the mystery and intrigue of the book justice. Just when you think you may have figured things out a new piece of the puzzle is revealed and the whole idea in your mind has to be reworked. I love books like this.  The romance side of it was spicy and funny and so childhood friends but not friends it was perfect. I wish Scott and Lisa were a series. I want Nola another person of the group to find love during a case of some type and they all come together again!  I think Karen could go places with rhis group. I also think Joel should be a corupt business man and be busted by Lisa and Scott. I kept h o pi g his dad was involved in the drama.
4275991
This is a story about three women who supposedly have perfect marriages. To the outsiders, they seem happy. However, things are not as they seem. Heather is the main character, and she is definitely interesting. She is fun, witty, and loves her children. Heather will do whatever it takes to keep her daughters happy. However, stuck in a miserable marriage, she can't help but think of the choices she has made in the past. Eventually, the three women are thrown into situations where they have to make some tough decisions.

The characters are well developed, and it's  a story that makes you think. I questioned the choices that Heather was making at times, along with her two friends. But I suppose if you're stuck in a desperate situation, you end up doing desperate things. The ending was so great that I read the second book right afterwards.
1469207
Title: To Capture Her Heart.

Author: Rebecca DeMarino.

Genre: Romance, Christian, Historical Fiction, Sequel, Drama.

Plot: On the day of her wedding to her childhood sweetheart, native princess Heather Flower is captured by a rival tribe and forced to watch as her new husband is killed. Then she is whisked away by her captors who demand a high ransom for her, only to leave her behind to die when they receive the payment. However, her story doesn't end there. Heather Flower is rescued by the dashing Dutch Lieutenant Dirk Van Buren and taken to the home of her childhood friends, the Horton family where she stays with an aunt.

Recovering from her loss takes time and the quiet support of those around her. But heal she must, for two men are patiently waiting for their chance to try for her affections and she must chose one sooner or later.

Likes/Dislikes: To be perfectly honest, I haven't finished this book yet. The tour dates snuck up on me and I wanted to get this review posted. But there's also a strong chance that I probably won't finish this book for a long time because, right from page two, it's very unrealistic. She has two guys practically falling instantly in love with her, even though she was just happily married to her sweetheart who died. If I were her, I would never marry another man for years after something so tragic happened. I don't know if Heather Flower waits for years to make her choice, but I doubt the guys will wait that long. Also, I have this sinking suspicion that she'll marry the childhood friend instead of the exciting handsome Dutch dude, even though he has a little bit of a creepy side to his character. If and when I do finish the book, I will update this review. Oh and one more thing; I didn't realize this was a sequel. I'm all for sequels, but only after I've read the first book. This one is so obviously a sequel, full of references and characters interacting with each other that bogs down the story of Heather Flower for me.

Rating: Unavailable.

Date Review Written: July 18th, 2015.

I received a free copy of this book via Revel Publishing House in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.
485788
Title: Reforming the Rake
Author: Sarah Elliot
Genre: Historical (Regency) Romance
Year: 2005
Rating: 2.5
Summery: Beatrice Sinclair is determined that this, her forth season, will be her last.
Charles Summerson, Marquis of Pelham, wants Beatrice from the moment he sees her, but not as his wife as he refuses to ever wed.

I wanted to like it but I just cant. There are too many mistakes. I remember being really surprised when Charles was thinking Beatrice couldn't still be innocent because this was, after all, her forth season! What? And him planning to seduce her and even his best friend making a comment about seducing her, like it was nothing. Shes a viscounts daughter and either her father or brother would have called him out! None of that made any sense. I could maybe understand that if she had no male relations but even still.
Another thing that was wrong with this period piece was the titles. Charles Summerson, Marquis of Pelham should have been referred to as Lord Pelham not Summerson. There was lots of this throughout the book.
The writing itself was okay but I think this author might want to research the time period more or try contemporary romance instead.

I found Charles to be very annoying after a while with all his childish behavior and then he just suddenly changes. I didn't feel that sudden change made much sense, shouldnt he have figured that out already? Not a keeper, this book is going bye-bye. And although there are stories for Beatrices brother and sister, I won't be looking into them.

Series
1) Reforming the Rake
2) The Rakes Proposal ~ Benjamin Sinclair (Beatrices brother) and Katherine Sutcliff
3) The Wayward Debutante ~ Eleanor Sinclair (Beatrices sister) and James Bentley
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* I received an ARC of this book for free. *

I loved Knox because he is sweet and funny.  Ivy, not so much.  She is way too cautious for me.  Due to her research, Ivy let her imagination go wild and she became overly sensitive to the possibility of Knox getting hurt.  This put a real damper on the relationship.  She eventually came to her senses and a happily ever after ensues.  Overall, this is a good read.
3513792
I thoroughly enjoy my opportunity as a Booksneeze blogger and pick book that have topics for which I am greatly interested.  Well, Shannon Ethridge's The Fantasy Fallacy: Exposing Deeper Meaning Behind Sexual Thoughts is not one of those books.  There is a line at the top of the front cover that caught my eye - "A Response to the Fifty Shades of Grey Phenomenon."  I have not read the book due to the racy content; but I noticed , on a recent business trip, that the 8 women sitting around me were reading it.  With a quick Google search revealing quite a bit of fuss, I decided that the Christian response would be an interested read.

The Fantasy Fallacy hits upon some topics that many in the Puritanical Christian world would never expect to see published by a major company.  Honestly, this book, at times, is hard to read because it does delve into some dark issues that this counselor has faced during her career.  Yet, these topics are discussed in an open and forthright manner that point each individual to God as the source of all comfort and grace.

There were several strong components of this book:  (1) a clear argument that any sexual sins are not to be blamed upon God or the devil - we are the ones to blame; (2) we all struggle in this battle for our mind and if we try to deny it is just another lie; (3) God, as the Almighty Sovereign of the Universe, has sufficient grace to heal any problems that we may have; (4) intimacy should be interpreted in this way - "in to me see" - meaning that we all seek it whether we acknowledge it or not; and (5) that intimacy is rooted in seeking a spiritual intimacy with God.  We set the bar too low and try to fill that void with just about everything except the One and Only All-Satisfying piece - our Creator, Redeemer, and Friend.

The next to last chapter, "Putting Fantasy in its Place," was a strong way to end this sometimes complex and psychological/counseling work.  Ethridge summarized her work concisely through a personal example of her own and showcased just what a real loving marriage means (and, conversely, how the world's offering is so cheap).  The thoughts contained therein are a challenge to any person that encounters small circumstances that may be innocent but could lead to a very troubling end.

While the book does deal with some uncomfortable topics, my greatest discomfort is in the opening and conclusion of Ehtridge's manuscript.  In those areas, she describes a dream and offers her interpretation of it.  She concludes the work with this statement on page 200:  "God doesn't just speak to use through sermons or scriptures.... He often speaks to us through dreams while we are asleep....The main question is, are we listening?"  While I believe I may know the author's intent, I am not so certain because of the implication - there is extra-Biblical guidance that God gives to certain and/or all believers.  That line of argument could lead to two problematic issues:  (1) since dreams are personal, we offer their interpretation and remove God from the equation and (2) since the Bible is not our only source of truth, the defense of Scripture can then be pushed aside for more relevant experience.  In our hyper-relativisitic world, undercutting the authority of Scripture can be dangerous.

Due to the concerns noted above, and the lack of another book upon which to compare, I ranked this book as a 3 - solidly in the middle.  This area is not my expertise and I do not know or understand other Christian scholarship upon it.  Absent that knowledge, I cannot give it an outstanding high mark or an astoundingly low one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
2532009
The Proposal by Lily Zante is a fast-paced, sweet romance that is the perfect beach or weekend read. Best of all, while there are some hot makeout sessions, there's nothing R-rated. It's just a sweet romance that you can read and relax with.
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This book was well written and you fall in love with the characters.  I can't wait for "The Proposal" to be published.
2345703
so so so good! I loved this story. It's hot and wrong and yet so right!!! that i would think twice about it. Yes it's really messed up and I want to feel bad about it but i can't bring myself to. read it now!
1776675
This ideal is very intriguing and I loved the new species the author has created. I read PNR for the amount of imagination that the authors put into their creations. I was pleased with the completely unique Bracadytes and their home Aukrabah .I am very interested in reading more of this series.
4522077
The Doctor's Christmas Proposal is a fantastic book by Eve Gaddy.  Ms Gaddy has delivered a well-written book and filled it with amazing characters.  Wyatt and Mia's story is loaded with drama, humor and spice.  I enjoyed reading The Doctor's Christmas Proposal and look forward to reading more from Eve Gaddy in the future.  The Doctor's Christmas Proposal is book 3 of The Gallaghers Of Montana Series but can be read as a standalone.  This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.