Midnight Rising (Lara Adrian)

For journalist Dylan Alexander, it began with the discovery of a hidden tomb, thrusting her into the center of a gathering storm of violence and secrets. But nothing is as dangerous as the scarred, lethally seductive man who rises from the shadows to draw her into his world of dark desire and endless night.
Fueled by pain and rage over a shattering betrayal, the warrior Rio has pledged his life to the war against the Rogues. He will let nothing stand in his way—least of all a mortal woman with the power to expose the entire vampire race. For an ancient evil has been awakened, and a stunning darkness is on the rise. Suddenly Dylan is powerless to resist Rio’s touch, even as she uncovers a shocking link to her own past. And now she must choose: Leave Rio’s midnight realm, or risk it all for the man who has shown her true passion and the infinite pleasures of the heart. . . .
This is the 4th book in the Midnight Breed series. I wanted to read this one because I wanted to hear how Rio recovers from the betrayal of his breedmate.
This book wasnt a bad read. Would have been better without the in detail love scenes.

Ranger's Apprentice Series (John Flanagan)

Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins Of Gorlan

Meet fifteen year old Will, a foundling who is convinced that his father died a mighty warrior in battle. As choosing day commences, when young men and women become forever bound to a vocation, he hopes against hope to honor his father's legacy and be selected for Battleschool training. Instead, he is inducted into the ranks of the mysterious Ranger Corps. At first a reluctant recruit, Will gradually becomes drawn to the skills and secret ways of the Rangers.

The Burning Bridge

For years, the kingdom of Araluen has prospered, with the evil Morgarath safely behind impassable mountains. But while the people of Araluen have felt secure, Morgarath has not been idle. On a special mission for the Rangers, Will and his friend Horace, an apprentice warrior, travel to a neighboring country of Celtica and discover an unsettling truth. Villages, mines and border posts are deserted. The Celts have disappeared. Will senses the hand of Morgarath behind the sinister mystery. Before long, they discover the king's army is in danger of being destroyed in a treacherous ambush. Only Will, Horace, and a mysterious girl named Evanlyn, stand between them.

The Icebound Land

Kidnapped and taken to a frozen land after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue his young apprentice, and he will do anything to keep his promise— even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged again and again by freelance knights—but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon his skills begin to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around. But as Horace earns his reputation, Will and Evanlyn struggle for survival as slaves.

The Battle For Skania

Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, Will and Evanlyn's plans to return to Araluen are spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweed's toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, until Halt and Horace make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when Halt makes a horrifying discovery: Skandia's borders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. If two kingdoms are to be saved, an unlikely union must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all?

The Sorcerer Of The North

Several years have passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, first met, and Will is finally a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy—boring, even—until Lord Syron, master of a castle far in the north, is struck down by a mysterious illness. Joined by his friend Alyss, Will is suddenly thrown headfirst into an extraordinary adventure, investigating fears of sorcery and trying to determine who is loyal to Lord Syron. As Will battles growing hysteria, traitors, and most of all, time, Alyss is taken hostage, and Will is forced to make a desperate choice between his mission and his friend.

The Siege Of Macindaw

After years as a Ranger's apprentice, Will is now the protector of his first fief. Not long into his service, everything that can go wrong does: Keren, a renegade knight, has taken over Castle Macindaw, a strategic gateway to the North—poisoning the royal family in the process—and is holding Will's friend Alyss captive. The situation grows direr when Will uncovers Keren's secret alliance with the Scotti, who have plans to plunder Araluen. Time is of the essence, and Will must recruit a motley crew to rescue Alyss and reclaim Castle Macindaw—before the Scotti can make it their own.

This is a great Youth series. I have enjoyed it. I have only read up to 6 so far. To my knowledge there is a 7th out now and the 8th is soon to be released.

A good addition to you library.

Kiss Of Crimson -and- Midnight Awakening (Lara Adrian)

Kiss of Crimson
He comes to her more dead than alive, a towering black-clad stranger riddled with bullets and rapidly losing blood. As she struggles to save him, veterinarian Tess Culver is unaware that the man calling himself Dante is no man at all, but one of the Breed, vampire warriors engaged in a desperate battle. In a single erotically charged moment Tess is plunged into his world -- a shifting, shadowed place where bands of Rogue vampires stalk the night, cutting a swath of terror.
Haunted by visions of a dark future, Dante lives and fights like there is no tomorrow. Tess is a complication he does not need -- but now, with his brethren under attack, he must shield Tess from a growing threat that includes Dante himself. For with one reckless, irresistible kiss, she has become an inextricable part of his underworld realm...and his touch awakens her to hidden gifts, desires, and hungers she never knew she possessed. Bonded by blood, Dante and Tess must work together to thwart deadly enemies, even as they dsicover a passion that transcends the boundaries of life itself....

Midnight Awakening
With a dagger in her hand and vengeance on her mind, Darkhaven beauty Elise Chase prowls Boston's streets in search of retribution against the Rogue vampires who took from her everything she cherished. Using an extraordinary psychic gift, she tracks her prey, well aware that the power she possesses is destroying her. She must learn to harness this gift, and for that she can turn to only one man -- the deadliest of the Breed warriors, Tegan.
No stranger to loss, Tegan knows Elise's pain. He knows fury, but when he slays his enemies it is with ice in his veins. He is perfect in his self-control, until Elise seeks his aid in her personal war. An unholy alliance is forged -- a bond that will link them by blood and vow -- and plunge them into a tempest of danger, desire, and the darkest passions of the heart....

I dont know if I just wasnt in the mood for these books or what but I was having a hard time getting involved in them. Looking back at the stories they were good but like I said...they didnt pull me in.

Brighter Than The Sun (Julia Quinn)

When the Earl of Billington dropped out of a tree and landed at Ellie's feet, neither suspected that such an inauspicious meeting would lead to marriage. But Charles must find a bride before his thirtieth birthday or he'll lose his fortune. And Ellie needs a husband or her father's odious fiancee will choose one for her. And so they agree to wed, even though their match appears to have been made somewhere hotter than heaven...

Ellie never dreamed she'd marry a stranger, especially one with such a devastating combination of rakish charm and debonair wit. She tries to keep him at arm's length, at least until she discovers the an beneath the handsome surface. But Charles can be quite persuasive--even tender-- when he puts his mind to it, and Ellie finds herself slipping under his seductive spell. And as one kiss leads to another, this unlikely pair discovers that their marriage is not so inconvenient after all...and just might lead to love.

This one was okay. The one highlight in this book was that Ellie wasnt afraid to say what was on her mind and it usually lead to some funny moments.

Some steamy scenes.

MacGowan's Ghost (Cindy Miles)

Gabe MacGowan—a sexy, brooding, guilt-ridden widower and father to mischievous seven-yearold Jake—is the proprietor of Odin's Thumb Inn and Pub in a misty Scottish seaside village. He decides to sell the inn and move, not only to give his son a more stable environment, but to escape the ghosts who haunt him—in particular his dead wife.Gabe hires Allie Morgan, an easy-going and fun-loving American, to oust the spirits who are chasing away potential buyers. Odin's Thumb is bustling with frightened tourists, quirky residents of the village, and dodgy yet lovable apparitions—including the ghost of a sea captain who fancies Allie. Allie knows she can help Gabe chase away his own ghosts, but can she help him rediscover life—and love?

I was pleasantly surprised with this story. It had a good flow. All but the last chapter was clean.

I will be looking into more stories by this author.

Brianna, My Brother, and the Blog

“The thing I dread the most is the weekends,” Brianna said. “Each of my roommates is seeing someone, so they’ll all go on dates, and I’ll be left all alone in the apartment with only my 8 x 10 of Robbie. Actually, it’s his high school graduation picture. I keep getting older but he stays the same.”
She paused as though she wasn’t sure she should say what she was thinking. “You want to know something weird? Last week I realized I was starting to think of him as my nephew.”
That seemed like an odd thing to say, but it also made me very happy. “If you get lonely on the weekends, give me a call. I’ll never be doing anything.”
She hesitated and then asked, “Are you serious?”
“Totally.”
Brianna needs a friend, someone to keep her from being lonely while she’s waiting for her missionary, Robbie, to come home. And who better for the job than Robbie’s brother, Austin? He can keep the other men at bay while giving Brianna guy-type help, like hauling her harp around on weekends to play at wedding receptions.
Austin needs a friend, too. And Brianna is the perfect choice since there's no romantic involvement — of course not, how could there be, she's waiting for his brother, after all. As a friendship develops between Austin and Brianna, Austin is free to learn what it means to be “true and faithful friends” with a girl. He begins posting his findings in blog entries that quickly gather a following of interested readers. But what will happen to his friendship with Brianna when she finds out who the real author of the blog is? Because the truth is, Austin isn't looking for just a friend anymore, but something more. Will he have the courage to tell Brianna the truth — before Robbie comes home?

Not my favorite. It is a short teenage story. I probably wouldn't read it again.

Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)

This is my favorite of all Jane Austen's novels.

It's all about the life of the Bennet family which has five single young ladies in it. Their life is thrown up-side-down when a wealthy bachelor moves into the neighborhood and brings his friend along for a visit.

I love this story. I read it yearly. Some may have problems getting engrossed in the story because the old-world writing but once you get past that you're completely drawn into the character's lives. I especially love the witty dialogue that Elizabeth seems to always be surrounded by.