Maria's Blog

devil_wears_plaidI found myself with a weekend of no engagements, no ‘have to attend’ gatherings or commitments. A free weekend. Quite a commodity in my life. So I did what any normal woman would do finding herself sans commitments, I planned every waking moment and by Friday night it was all mapped out. I would start with an oil treatment to tame the split ends dancing around my face, a simple, yet elegant, do it yourself mani/pedi, and an oatmeal facial scrub to wash away the grime accumulated during this beastly hot NYC summer. But blast it all if Teresa Medeiros didn’t come waltzing into my life with nary a care and her latest release under her arm. Well, Teresa didn’t literally walk into my home, but her book sure did,…

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shadow bound

I found a ‘must read’ in debut novelist Erin Kellison’s latest release “Shadow Bound”.  This book has been categorized as an urban fantasy/paranormal romance.  Personally I don’t think it can be categorized.  The plot and the writing are fresh and captivating, making this a book to put at the top of your list this summer.  See my review at the Barnes & Noble, Heart to Heart blog.

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Red_DemonI’ve been trying to come up with clever ways to explain why I like reading Deidre Knight’s books. Instead of clever I’ve decided to go with straight forward; I read her books because I like her writing. READ MORE

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kiss_me_foreverWhat makes a good romance?  For each of us it’s different – but for me it’s the characters. I enjoy stories where the characters are three dimensional and practically leap off the page.

I recently read Rosemary Laurey’s Kiss Me Forever and was swept away by the characters she created.  I was also delighted to have found this ‘new-to-me author’.  You can read my full review at Barnes and Noble Heart to Heart Blog.

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Married by Morning (Hathaway Series) by Lisa Kleypas Download CoverIt’s hard to define exactly what makes a great couple but one thing I do know is that in order to be a great couple the two fictional characters have to grab hold of both our emotions as well as our intellect. When they grab hold of our intellect, whether it’s through humor or drama they inevitably find a way to carve a place in our memories for a long time.

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open_countryThere’s a new voice in western romance and it’s music to my ears.  Kaki Warner is the author of the Blood Rose Trilogy.

Pieces of Sky, the first in the series was released last year.  Open Country, the second in the series was released this week.  I loved both books and I’m talking about them over at the Heart to Heart blog at Barnes and Noble.

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