Dickens Inn : The Best of Times (Anita Stansfield)

“I want to be with you, but I have to make sure I’m in a position to give you what you deserve, and I’m not sure I’m the man to do that.” Chas put a hand over her mouth to hold back her emotion, glad that he couldn’t see the tears rolling down her face. . . . “I need time Chas, because if I’m going to commit my life to you, I don’t want it to ever go bad. I would rather have you love me in memory than come to hate me because I couldn’t give you what you deserve.”
A sprawling Montana setting; a charming bed-and-breakfast inn brimming with Dickensian decor; a beautiful and deeply spiritual innkeeper with secret sorrows from her past; a “Granny” who is as delightful as she is wise; and a handsome guest whose lifestyle and past are both troubled and troubling—these are the elements of a captivating novel of romance and intrigue.
With characters that are vital and vulnerable, and a plot that is wholly unpredictable, this story is a journey of choices and amazing opportunities.
Once again, Anita Stansfield proves her versatility as a storyteller extraordinaire in this novel that is an ingenious blend of romance, mystery, and Dickensian charm. The Best of Times will prove to be a favorite in the best Stansfield tradition.

This is the 1st Volume in the Dickens Inn Series. The beginning of this book was a cute Christmas Love Story. The last part of the book was an emotional roller coaster. I think this is a beginning of another great family story.

Saving Madeline (Rachel Ann Nunes)

As a public defender, Caitlin McLoughlin dreams of someday locking the bad guys in prison instead of defending them. But prosecuting jobs are scarce, and Caitlin’s future seems bleak. When her current client is about to walk away from a brutal crime, she risks her career to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else. Yet what if her choice means sacrificing her career and the means care for her mentally disabled sister? Then Caitlin meets Parker Hathaway, charged with kidnapping four-year-old Madeline. Just another criminal, another job, Caitlin thinks. But Parker tells a far different story. Can Caitlin believe him, as her heart urges? Is she willing to put everything on the line to defend her client—a man who claims to be protecting the child he loves? Or is her trust better placed in the handsome deputy district attorney with his undefeated record in court? Caitlin’s pursuit of the truth swiftly thrusts her into a maze of unanswered questions and unexpected heartache.Meanwhile, time is running out for Madeline. If Caitlin doesn't find the proof she is looking for soon, there may not be a future for any of them.

Heroes At Risk (Moira J. Moore)

Now that Shield Lee Mallorough and her incredibly handsome Source, Shintaro Karish, have done their fair share of grunt work in the Southern Islands, they have returned to the city of High Scape to resume their duties as a Pair. But upon their arrival, they discover that the city once besieged by immense disaster seems to have calmed down. Instead, the townspeople are obsessed with ritualistic magic -- one that anyone can study and learn.

Lee most certainly doesn't believe in magic -- or at least not this kind. But she can't deny that tomb robbing for ashes to use in spells is rather disturbing, especially when even the living are being murdered for their remains. Lee fears that Taro is in grave danger, for who could be thought to work better as a charm than her handsome and talented Source?

This was a good addition to this series. I was a little frustrated by Lee's unwillingness to accept the obvious in a certain situation. It also left quite a few loose ends and ended in a bit of a cliff hanger. Looking forward to the next book.

The Dead Girls' Dance (Rachel Caine)

Claire Danvers has her share of challenges -- like living among creatures of the night. On the upside, she has a great roommate (who tends to disappear at sunup) and a new boyfriend. Now a fraternity is throwing its annual Dead Girls' Dance and -- surprise! --Claire and her equally outcast friend have been invited. When they find out why, all hell breaks loose, because this time both the living and the dead are ready to tear up the night.

A little better than the first.

Glass Houses (Rachel Caine)

Morganville is a small college town in the heart of Texas that has its share of quirky characters -- and some evil ones too. When student Claire Danvers moves off campus into one of Morganville's oldest houses, she finds that her roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

If I had to give this one a rating between 1 & 10, I would say about a 6 or 7. It's good enough that you want to keep reading and find out what happens but it definitely has the simplicity of a young adult book.

Dead Until Dark (Charlaine Harris)

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome--and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life....

But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of --big surprise-- murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next....

It took me a bit to truely get involved in this story. I guess I had to get used to the way this author writes...not bad but a little different. I did enjoy this story and look forward to reading the rest of the Southern Vampire Series.

Kiss Of Midnight (Lara Adrian)

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell's deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night -- or this man-- is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed -- a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless breathren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind -- and the unwitting humans existing alongside them -- from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed's formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all ...

This story wasnt bad. Sometimes the sex stuff got in the way of a good story but if you can see past that then you'll enjoy this one.