If the Duke demands - Anna Harrington

Out today!

 If the Duke demands by Anna Harrington

Blurb: 

A LESSON IN SEDUCTION . . .

Miranda Hodgkins has only ever wanted one thing: to marry Robert Carlisle. And she simply can't wait a moment longer. During the Carlisle family masquerade ball, Miranda boldly sneaks into his bedchamber with seduction on her mind. Soon she's swept into rock-hard arms for the most breathtaking kiss of her life. But when the masks come off, she's horrified to find herself face-to-face with Sebastian, the Duke of Trent-Robert's formidable older brother.

Shocked to find Miranda in his bed, Sebastian quickly offers her a deal to avoid scandal: He'll help her win his brother's heart if she'll find him the perfect wife. But what begins as a simple negotiation soon spirals out of control. For the longer this reformed rake tries to make a match for Miranda, the more he wants to keep her all to himself.


I should be used to (historical romance) heroes being careless and somewhat a*holish, right? I've read so many historical romances and still some things make me furious. Soooo.....even though I really liked this book and I absolutely loved Miranda Rose and I even liked Sebastian (sometimes), I could have kicked and yelled at our beloved hero - a lot. After having dried my tears, of course.

Actually, I guess it is not terribly bad that I reacted that way as it shows that the book didn't leave me unmoved. Quite the opposite, truth be told.
The story itself was sweet, in some parts a bit far-fetched but it was the same for How I married a Marquess, the first book by Anna Harrington that I've read. I fell in love with the Carlisles and Anna Harrington's books there and If the Duke demands confirms this feeling. I really love those wonderful, well developed, warm characters, their enthusiasm and their love for life and those around them.
I also loved the story with its twists and turns - and I'll never be able to read Hamlet again without missing those pirates. You know - every good story needs at least some scene with pirates in it, doesn't it?

A nice and fun read, with some tears and some ranting to boot , I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to other stories about the Carlisles and their world.

★★★★

Camp 21: Grenzenlos gefangen - Rainer Wekwerth

Neulich landete doch was in meinem Briefkasten, erinnert Ihr Euch?

Nach Blink of Time und den Labyrinth-Büchern, hat Rainer Wekwerth mit 

 

Camp 21: Grenzenlos gefangen

ein weiteres geniales Jugendbuch veröffentlicht!

Inhalt:

Mike und Kayla sind in Camp 21 gelandet. Sie kennen sich kaum
und mögen sich noch weniger. Durch elektronische Armbänder aneinander
gefesselt, ist es ihnen unmöglich, sich aus dem Weg zu gehen.
Entfernen sie sich zu weit voneinander, empfangen sie über die
Fessel quälende Schmerzimpulse. Während Kayla versucht mit der
Situation zurechtzukommen, ahnt Mike, dass im Camp etwas nicht
stimmt. Nach einem tödlichen Vorfall gelingt den beiden die Flucht.
Doch dies ist erst der Anfang einer atemberaubenden Jagd, denn die
Fesseln, die geheimen Experimente und die Liebe zueinander bilden
für Mike und Kayla ein gefährliches Netz, aus dem es kein Entkommen
zu geben scheint.

Grenzenlos....

...wow. Das war das Erste, was mir nach dem Zuklappen des Buches einfiel. Vorher kam ich nicht wirklich zum Denken (okay, ich gebe zu, ein "Wow" besticht jetzt auch nicht unbedingt durch geistige Originalität, das Denken war da noch etwas eingeschränkt), sondern musste unbedingt das Buch weiter lesen.

Spannungsgeladen, fesselnd und temporeich, zieht das Buch den Leser von der ersten Seite an in seinen Bann. Immer mehr wird deutlich, dass sich hinter Camp 21 noch viel mehr verbirgt, als dem -eh schon leicht mitgenommenen- Leser, der um Mike und Kayla, die beiden jugendlichen Protagonisten fürchtet, auf den ersten Blick klar wird. Auch das Schicksal von Steve und Mikes Bruder Ricky, beschäftigt den Leser.

Sehr bald nach ihrer Ankunft im Camp 21, wird Kayla und Mike klar, dass in diesem so genannten Erziehungslager so einiges nicht stimmt. Zwar gibt es scheinbar schlimmere und härtere Lager als dieses Camp, aber was genau hat es mit den Handfesseln auf sich, die unsere beiden Protagonisten aneinander ketten? Und warum wirkt der betreuende Arzt immer unruhiger? Und nicht zuletzt - können die beiden irgendjemandem in diesem Camp vertrauen? 

Sehr schön finde ich, wie die langsam erwachenden Gefühle der beiden Jugendlichen (nicht zu viel für die männlichen Leser und genug für die weiblichen Leser, denke ich) die doch ziemlich harten Erfahrungen und Erlebnisse geschickt ausbalancieren. Außerdem finde ich es sehr gut, wie hier auch mit der brutalen Realität des Lageralltags umgegangen wird. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Jugendbüchern, die mir in letzter Zeit untergekommen sind, erfährt und erlebt man als Leser zwar, dass einige heftige Dinge passieren, aber es ist nie so, dass sich das Geschehen sozusagen in der Brutalität suhlt. Man weiß was passiert, man schluckt, aber es stößt nicht ab oder wird endlos ausgebreitet. 

Spannend und zeitgemäß, toll geschrieben und einfach nur rundum gut! Ein wirklich geniales Buch, das auch lesemuffelige Jugendliche begeistern wird!

Oh,  und merke bitte  - unterschätze nie Macht des Internets, selbst wenn ein Blog nur ganz klein ist, der millionste Klick ist nicht weit!

★★★★★

 

 

BLOG TOUR "A Lady's Code of Misconduct" by Meredith Duran

I don't know if you remember Sweetest Regret by Meredith Duran?

Her latest book will be out tomorrow!

A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL...
Trapped in the countryside, facing an unwanted marriage and the theft of her fortune, Jane Mason is done behaving nicely. To win her freedom, she’ll strike a deal with the most dangerous man she knows—a rising star in politics, whose dark good looks mask an even darker heart.

...NEVER GOES TO PLAN.
The bitter past has taught Crispin Burke to trust no one. He’ll gladly help a lovely young heiress, provided she pays a price. Yet when a single mistake shatters his life, it is Jane who holds the key to his salvation. And in a world that no longer makes sense, Crispin slowly realizes that she may be the only thing worth fighting for...

Interested?

 You'll find my review here on March 3rd but you might want to check out the other posts as well!

Blog Tour:

Bookaholics Romance Book Club INTERVIEW WITH MEREDITH DURAN

Sunday, February 26^th

Nikbooklovers Blog

Monday, February 27^th

Books for Her

Tuesday, February 28^th

*The Romance Dish

*Canadian Book Addict

*Just Another New Blog

*Top 10 Romance Books

*Unabridged Chick

Buried Under Romance

Dear Author

Toot’s Book Reviews – Feature

Il Profumo delle Pergamene

Marvelous Things

My Book Addiction and More

Wednesday, March 1^st

*Book Nerd

*Reviews by Crystal

*All About Romance

*Booktalk with Eileen

*We So Nerdy

Roses Are Blue

In the Hammock

Feeding My Addiction Book Reviews – Spotlight

Romance Book Reviews for You

Thursday, March 2^nd

*I am, Indeed

*A Midlife Wife

*Literary Gossip

*Undeniably Book Nerdy

*Dew On The Kudzu

Books and Beauty Are My Bag

Ebook Obsessed

Abigail Books Addiction

Dirty Girl Romance - Spotlight

Bookhounds – Q&A

Authors on the Air Global Radio Network – An Interview with The Librarian, 9:00 pm ET

Authors on the Air Global Radio Network – Facebook Event

Friday, March 3^rd

*Black ‘N Gold Girl’s Book Spot

*JoJo the Bookaholic

*Sportochick’s Musings

*The Reading Wench

*Got Fiction Book Blog

Cup of Tea and Book

The Reading Addict

Nicely Phrased

Ladeetda Reads

Silvatrend8553 Book Blog

Night Owl Reviews – Author Guest Post

Bookbitch

Saturday, March 4^th

Passionate Encounters

Sunday, March 5^th

My Little Book Corner

Monday, March 6^th

Reading Frenzy – Spotlight

Bookish - Giveaway

Foreign Circus Library

Poof Books

Tuesday, March 7^th

I Love Romance

Bookworm2bookworm – Spotlight, Excerpt, and Review

Dirty and Thirty

Wild Wordy Women

Polished Bookworm

Sammi's Bookish Reality

Passionate Reads

Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh my!

Everyday Gyaan

Celtic Lady’s Reviews – Spotlight

Wednesday, March 8^th

Moonlight Rendezvous

One More Chapter

All Things Bookaholic

Fresh Fiction - Spotlight

Thursday, March 9^th

Happy Ever After Romance Book Reviews

The Book Junkie Reads

Three Boys and an Old Lady blog

Friday, March 10^th

Smitten by Books

Celtic Guardian

Reader Girls

Jathan & Heather

 See you on the 3rd!

Die Mississippi-Bande: Wie wir mit drei Dollar reich wurden - Davide Morsinotto

Inhalt:

Alles begann mit dem Mord an Mr. Darsley. Oder vielleicht auch nicht. Wenn ich es mir recht überlege, begann es eigentlich ein paar Wochen zuvor. An dem Nachmittag, als wir durch die Sümpfe des Bayou paddelten, um ein paar Fische zu fangen. Was wir stattdessen fingen, war eine verbeulte Blechdose, in der drei Dollar lagen. Drei Dollar! Dafür würden wir uns etwas im Katalog bestellen. Noch ahnten wir nicht, dass wir mit dieser Bestellung das größte Abenteuer unseres Lebens auslösen würden ...


Wow, mir hat es sehr viel Spaß gebracht, die Mississippi-Bande bei hren Abenteuern zu begleiten!
Allein die wunderschöne Aufmachung des Buches mit den vielen tollen Illustrationen und das schöne Cover machen es rein optisch schon zu einem echten Genuss, aber auch die Geschichte selbst hat mir sehr gut gefallen.

Sehr temporeich und spannungsgeladen erzählen die vier Protagonisten Te Trois, Eddie, Julie und Tit von ihren Abenteuern. Eine eigentlich harmlose, okay, so harmlos wie das Bestellen eines echten Revolvers für Kinder sein kann, Bestellung beim großen Versandhaus Walker & Dawn führt zu einer wilden und gefährlichen Odyssee, die ihr ganzes Leben für immer verändern wird. Wer konnte aber auch ahnen, dass statt des ersehnten Revolvers ein Eisenbahn-Chronometer ankommen würde, der auch noch ausgerechnet eine Rolle in einem Mordfall spielt?
Te trois, einer, genauer, wie sein Name schon sagt, der Dritte von vier Söhnen, dessen Mutter mit Müh und Not ihre Familie versorgen kann, Eddie, die Grille, dessen Vater Arzt ist und der als einziger im ganzen Bayou eine Brille besitzt und Julie, Jolie Julie, die schöne Julie, deren Bruder wegen seiner geringen Größe nur (Pe)Tit genannt wird und deren Mutter vielfach wechselnde und eher unschöne Beziehungen zu Männern hat, die das Leben der beiden Kinder überschatten - das sind unsere Protagonisten.
Einerseits war das Leben dieser Kinder recht frei und für Kinder unserer Zeit schon allein ein Abenteuer für sich, aber im Zuge der Geschichte erkennt man auch immer wieder, wie schwierig ihr Leben ist und wie hart. Viele dieser Sachen sind ein guter Anstoß, um über die Gesellschaft und das Leben damals (und heute) nachzudenken und zu diskutieren, aber auch ohne diese Diskussion ist das Buch es auf jeden Fall wert gelesen zu werden.

Ein wenig an Mark Twain angelehnt, ist dieses Buch eine Abenteuergeschichte, die Mädchen und Jungen gleichermaßen ansprechen dürfte und die durch einen tollen Schreibstil, gut ausgearbeitete Charaktere und viel Spannung überzeugt.
Ich muss zugeben, dass ich mich schon am Monitor in das Cover verliebt hatte, aber als ich das Buch dann in Händen hielt - wow. Dass der Inhalt dann auch noch hielt, was ich mir davon versprach, rundete das Ganze dann ab.

Da mir der Autor bisher noch nichts sagte, ging ich ein wenig auf die Suche und wurde fündig. Ich bin gespannt, ob von den über dreißig Büchern, die der aus Norditalien stammende Davide Morosinotto, seines Zeichens Autor, Übersetzer und Journalist, bisher geschrieben hat und für die er auch diverse Auszeichnungen bekommen hat, noch weitere ins Deutsche übersetzt werden. Lesen würde ich sie auf jeden Fall gerne, da auch die Mississippi-Bande eigentlich schon viel zu kurz war und ich sehr gerne noch mehr von den vier Freunden gehört hätte!

"Die Mississippi-Bande: Wie wir mir drei Dollar reich wurden" von Davide Morosinotto, ist ein wunderschönes, abwechslungsreich erzähltes Buch, das ein buntes Bild der Vereinigten Staaten der zwanziger Jahres des vorigen Jahrhunderts zeichnet und den Lesen schnell in seinen Bann zieht.

★★★★★

Wer ein wenig im Buch stöbern möchte: 

*Klick*

My Highlander Husband by Nancy Pennick

  My Highlander Husband by Nancy Pennick

Blurb:


Volatile times engulfed 1715 Scotland. Threats of a Jacobite uprising hung in the air. Lady Juliet Kingston traveled to Glenhaven with her entourage to meet and marry Laird MacLaren’s son with the hopes their union might help calm the rumblings of war—an Englishwoman weds a Scottish Highlander. Juliet longs for home and the man she left behind, until she meets Ross MacLaren. Both are stubborn and strong, but find love. Now a threat comes from a different front, one Juliet cannot fight. She gives up her husband and home to protect those she has come to love and returns to England with John, her former beau. Will she ever find her way back?


I really enjoyed reading this book. Especially the main characters were very likeable but also the minor characters were well developed and interesting. Okay, I can't say that I like John or Ross' father Donnach as they are simply not likeable but Glynis, Eva and all the others are wonderful. Oh, but don't ask me about Juliet's parents, they are just...well...I won't start because I won't be able to stop ranting...


With the book set at the time of the Jacobite rising of 1715 our hero and our heroine are caught in the middle of the fight between the Scots and the English. Juliet is the English bride of a Highlander at a time where the Highlands felt the repercussions of having lost the fight at the Battle of Preston and the Battle of Sherrifmuir. Compared to the repercussions of Culloden later on, it was still a rather gentle approach but people had to flee the country nontheless.
With John, her former suitor, not willing to give up on her, Juliet becomes part of the powerplay between the English and the Scots. Will Ross be able to win her back?

I really loved that Ross and Juliet don't hold back. They are open to the possibility of love and acknowledge it when it comes their way despite the rather unfortunate circumstances of their marriage. Even when things get complicated they care for each other and fight for what they want - or to protect those they love.
All in all I can definitely recommend this book, I really enjoyed it and will look for other books by Nancy Pennick.

★★★★

A Shilling for a Wife by Emma Hornby

 A Shilling for a Wife by Emma Hornby  

Blurb:

Sally Swann thought life couldn't get much worse. Then a single coin changed hands.

A dismal cottage in the heart of Bolton, Lancashire, has been Sally’s prison since Joseph Goden 'bought' her from the workhouse as his wife. A drunkard and bully, Joseph rules her with a rod of iron, using fists and threats to keep her in check.

When Sally gives birth, however, she knows she must do anything to save her child from her husband's clutches. She manages to escape, and taking her baby, flees for the belching chimneys of Manchester, in search of her only relative.

But with the threat of discovery by Joseph, who will stop at nothing to find her, Sally must fight with every ounce of strength she has to protect herself and her son, and finally be with the man who truly loves her. For a fresh start does not come without a price . . .

A SHILLING FOR A WIFE is powerful, absorbing storytelling that is perfect for fans of saga by Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Maggie Hope.


This book is one of those books that makes you realise how much we take for granted nowadays. The idea that someone can just buy somebody from a workhouse and treat her like Joseph treats Sally - unbelievable! Unbelievable for us but for many women in those times harsh reality. Not all men were brutes like Joseph, true, but the lack of rights, the helplessness in case of such an event were always there. Life wasn't easy when you didn't have much and for those who had nothing, life was a nightmare. Especially women and children had almost no chance for a better life once they were down on their luck.

Having read about her worst times with Joseph, I really loved to see how Sally spread her wings and how her life got better with the help of her friends and neighbors when she finally left him. I feared with her and I hoped with her, I was shocked when I learned more about the workhouse - and I must admit that for a while I was really really upset with the author because, well, because. But all is well that ends well and in the end things got much better and Sally and all those others who had suffered at last had a chance to be happy.

The book was well written and the characters well developed, it wasn't always easy to read what happened to Sally and all the others but the story itself and the way it is told kept me reading no matter what happened. As it deals with abuse and violence and their consequences, the book may not be the best choice for people with similar experiences (as we all know that bad things still happen) or who are very sensitive in general but apart from that I can recommend it.

★★★★

Und noch ein frisch erschienenes Buch....

Stellt Euch mal vor, ...

da wäre vor lauter "krank sein nach dem Prüfungsstress" doch fast untergangen, dass eine 

meiner Lieblingsautorinnen ihr neues Buch herausgebracht hat:

 

 LOVE ON PAPER 

von 

Katrin Bongard

 Maya arbeitet als Volontärin in einem Verlag und träumt von einer literarischen Entdeckung. Doch ihre tägliche Arbeit ist alles andere als aufregend. Bis ihre Leidenschaft durch ein ungewöhnliches Manuskript über eine große Liebe wieder erwacht. Als man das Buch im Verlag nicht herausbringen will, gibt sie nicht auf und will unbedingt herauszufinden, wer diesen Text geschrieben hat. Sie ahnt nicht, dass alles was sie gelesen hat, wahr ist und sie schon bald ein Teil der Liebesgeschichte sein wird.

*Leseprobe gefällig?*

Goddess (Runes #7) by Ednah Walters

“Is that your way of telling the entire hall we are together?”“Eating lunch together does that. Kissing you does that. Carrying you is my way of keeping you close to my heart.”

Sigh, I just love this book! 

~*~

Finally, finally Goddess is here!

Blurb: 

The conclusion of an epic love story between an extraordinary girl and a soul reaper.

Cora Jemison has come a long way from her stint in a psych ward and her fear of the dead. A confident Medium, she allows souls to possess her to help them find closure. When she decides to tell her parents the truth, that she still sees the dead and that her fiancé is a soul reaper, the Jemisons reveal secrets of their own.

Her world starts to crumble, the ripple effect threatening to destroy the one thing she can always count on. Her relationship with Echo. Cora must sort through the lies to learn the truth about who and what she is. Only then can she embrace her destiny and claim her soul mate, Echo.

Did I mention that I love this book? I do, seriously! Apart from the fact, that  I've followed Cora, Echo and their friends for a long time now and just love to see them find their way as a couple and for Cora to find her place in their world, I was once again amazed because those books just seem to get better and better!

Ever since the first book in this series, Runes, I felt that the stories became even more complex and even more intense. I thought that Gods was simply amazing and  Goddess once again is at least as wonderful, complex and intense as Gods, maybe even a teeny tiny bit more and I just love it. 

Alright, I must admit that I'm definitely a bit biased because - it's Echo, right? You just have to love Echo! Or you might hate him, right. That's also a possibility because, let's face it - he is not an easy guy to love.  On the other hand, well, he might just be irresistible! 

And Cora? Cora is also an amazing character who tries to find her way in a world where everything she thought was true, turns out to be a lie. Add her being a medium for souls who seek closure and, well, I guess that it's not hard to imagine why she might be a bit ...upset. Mildly speaking. 

I love how all those stories in the Runes-Series are linked with each other and I love to see those wonderful characters grow and develop, it is really amazing to see how much more complex they become, making them even more special and more alive.

When you love a series and care for those characters, (I know that they are fictional but a true book lover never is disturbed by such minor facts, we can love them nontheless! Right?), there is always this little bit of fear that the next book in the series might not live up to your dreams of it. There is no danger of that here - Gooddess is simply amazing and Ednah Walters has outdone herself once again! 

I'm looking forward once again to her next books and I'm pretty sure that I'll love each and every one of those was well!

★★★★★

Heute fand ich in meinem Briefkasten....

...eine wunderbare Überraschung!

Das "Neue" von Rainer Wekwerth , dessen Buch 

Blink of Time und natürlich auch seine Labyrinth-Trilogie 

mir ausgesprochen gut gefallen haben. Umso mehr habe ich mich gefreut, als ich 

Camp 21 aufschlug und entdeckte, dass es sogar signiert ist!

Ich freue mich auf jeden Fall schon sehr aufs Lesen und werde meine Eindrücke dann selbstverständlich hier wieder mit Euch teilen! 

Spannend klingt es ja auf jeden Fall schon einmal:

Mike und Kayla sind in Camp 21 gelandet. Sie kennen sich kaum und mögen sich noch weniger. Durch elektronische Armbänder aneinander gefesselt, ist es ihnen unmöglich, sich aus dem Weg zu gehen. Entfernen sie sich zu weit voneinander, empfangen sie über die Fessel quälende Schmerzimpulse. Während Kayla versucht mit der Situation zurechtzukommen, ahnt Mike, dass im Camp etwas nicht stimmt. Nach einem tödlichen Vorfall gelingt den beiden die Flucht. Doch dies ist erst der Anfang einer atemberaubenden Jagd, denn die Fesseln, die geheimen Experimente und die Liebe zueinander bilden für Mike und Kayla ein gefährliches Netz, aus dem es kein Entkommen zu geben scheint.

Na, neugierig geworden?

Finally! She is here.....

 

 

 

 ********

“Party pooper,” I grumbled.

“Bloodthirsty bitch.”

“Goddess to you,” I corrected her.

“Still a bitch, Goddess.”

*************

 

WHO is here?

 

 

Hold My Breath by Ginger Scott

  Hold My Breath by Ginger Scott

Blurb: 

They say the average person can hold their breath under water for two full minutes when pushed to the extremes. Will Hollister has been holding his for years. The oldest of two elite swimming brothers, Will was always a dominant force in the water. But in life, he preferred to let his younger brother Evan be the one to shine.

Evan got the girl, and Will…he got to bury all of the secrets. A brother’s burden, the weight of it all nearly left him to drown.

The daughter of two Olympians, my path was set the day my fingertips first touched water. My future was as crystal clear as the lane I dominated in the pool—swim hard, win big, love a Hollister.

My life with Evan burned bright. He gave me arms to come home to, and a smile that fooled the world into believing everything was perfect. But it was Will who pushed me. Will…who really knew me.

And when all of the pieces fell, it was Will who started to pick them up.

In the end, the only thing that matters are those few precious seconds—and what we decide to do while we still have them in our grasp.


The characters in the books by Ginger Scott very often have to deal deal with disabilities, illness or traumatic experiences. Maddy and Will in "Hold your breath" are no exception as they both still struggle with the loss of Will's brother Evan, Maddy's boyfriend, and Evan's and Will's parents four years ago. Up to that moment their families were tight and Evan, Will and Maddy were all training hard with Maddy's father, a former Olypian swimmer and had been training (and growing up together) for some years.

When Maddy and Will start to swim together again, it is more than just swimming that this is about, it is also about living. And about facing what happened - even more important, when some things turn up that can't be ignored and that will not just change their perception of the past but also their future, forever.

I like Ginger Scott's intense writing that lets the reader feel and fear with the characters without ever turning sappy or overly dramatic. The reader faces the facts as much as the characters have to face them, just plain hard facts, no drama to blow it up or something like that, just the facts and the people who have to deal with them. You can feel them grow into their roles, into their fate and you respect and love them for it.

A beautiful story, well written with wonderful, strong characters - I really enjoyed reading this book!

★★★★

Under Her Skin (Blank Canvas, #1) by Adriana Anders

  Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders

Blurb:
 
Her Body is His Canvas
A darkly possessive relationship has left Uma alone and on the run. Beneath her drab clothing, she hides a terrible secret-proof of her abuse, tattooed onto her skin in a lurid reminder of everything she's survived.
Caught between a brutal past and an uncertain future, Uma's reluctant to bare herself to anyone...much less a rough ex-con whose rage drives him in ways she will never understand. But beneath his frightening exterior, Ivan is gentle. Warm. Compassionate. And just as determined to heal Uma's broken heart as he is to destroy the monster who left his mark scrawled across the delicate tapestry of her skin.


This book is really intense. It wasn't easy to read as Uma's former relationship really was a nightmare but I loved to see how she started to heal, how she got stronger and fought to get her life back.

Ivan and Uma are both very complex and very interesting characters who make me want to know what happened to them and what makes them tick.
Ivan`? Well, that's the rather rough and frightening looking guy living next door, an ex-con actually, who gets her and her fear and who helps her to get back on her feet and to feel good again.

"Feel good again"? Feeling good isn't easy when your *** of an ex left you with more than a simple broken relationship as a reminder of the time with him and to show what he is capable of. He got under her skin alright, literally. So it's not just a question of brushing him off but also of getting rid of every single reminder he left on her, of getting rid of her fear and also of getting her self-confidence back.
A long way to go but with someone like Ivan at her side, there might be a good chance for her to get there....

Sometimes I felt really sick when I read what had happened and there were times when I was a bit worried how things might turn out and...well, I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know Uma, Ivan and all the other people around them.

★★★★

Waiting For an Earl Like You (Masters of Seduction #3) by Alexandra Hawkins

  Waiting For an Earl Like You by Alexandra Hawkins

Blurb: 

LOVE ISN’T ALWAYS WHAT IT SEEMS.
Justin Reeve Netherwood, Earl of Kempthorn—a.k.a. Thorn—has never cared much for his neighbor’s daughter. But his twin brother, Gideon, befriended the wild, reckless, and wholly inappropriate Miss Olivia Lydall in youth, and two have been close ever since. So when Olivia finds herself in a state of romantic conflict and seeks out Gideon for advice, he’s only too pleased to oblige. Only problem: The man Olivia is speaking to is Thorn. And now it’s too late for him to tell Olivia the truth…

Thorn always believed that Olivia was too smitten with Gideon for her own good. So what’s the harm in steering her away from him? But Thorn’s charade turns out to be anything but harmless once he begins to see Olivia for who she really is: A woman full of spirit and passion…and someone he can’t live without. But how can Thorn claim Olivia’s heart when their deepening connection—and burning desire—is built on lies and deceit?


I enjoyed reading this book even though Thorn, our hero and his attidude turned out to be indeed a (teeny tiny) thorn in my side. In the end, when I got the much-anticipated and much-needed HEA, I forgave him a lot but seriously, you can't always forgive everything just because people are in love and tend to do stupid things to get what they want, can you?
But let's get back to the beginning, when Thorn finds his (identical) twin Gideon and their neighbour Olivia out on the water in a boat together. Again. The two of them always shared a special bond that left him at the outside. Of course he doesn't need them because, well, he is the heir and he is important and...you get it, right?
Somehow it matters, despite all his attemps to convince himself of the opposite.
A kind of tug o' war starts with Thorn on the one side and Gideon on the other, when they all go to London for the Season where Olivia is supposed to find a husband - as soon as possible, acccording to her father and his almost betrothed who want to have the house to themselves when they marry.

Thorn does everything to seduce Olivia and I must admit that I was really upset because I hate when the hero thinks that it is alright to risk their beloved's ruin in order to get what they want. Soon they find themselves betrothed, albeit temporarily according to Olivia's father but Thorn is very willing to turn it into a more permanent option. Gideon wants to protect Olivia, even if he has to protect her from his own brother, Thorn wants to protect her from some other rather unsavory people and while all this protecting goes around, well, things get really tight and dangerous.

Sometimes I felt like everything was a bit too complicated, too many people were involved and things were a bit too obscure but on the whole I liked the book and would read it again.

★★★

"101 Things A Translator Needs To Know"

Talking about translation...

I really love this book:

 101 Things A Translator Needs To Know

Blurb:

This is a book for beginners.
It’s also a book for seasoned professionals, students and teachers. For freelancers and staff translators. For amateurs and experts, generalists and super-specialists — be they certified and sworn, recognised, authorised... or simply tantalised by translation’s potential for a varied and enriching career.
The authors are all successful translation professionals in fields ranging from highly technical to literary. Here they share insights and tips about what translation involves and how a professional translator needs to think, work and act when dealing with clients and colleagues.

I got this book for christmas because my translation teacher recommended it. It really is a book that is interesting for every translator, a hopeful future one like me or a rather experienced one. Every other page carries a simple but nevertheless very important statement, underlined by some explanations and a drawing on the other page. Those statements deal with transalation itself and what it means to translate a text and with the interaction between client and translator and the way you as a transaltor represent yourself. Short, simple statements, easy to grasp but with a lot of impact. 

The book was written by a number of experienced translators who share their wisdom and help you see the simple but very important things that make a difference no matter if you're dealing with a text or a client. I love the way those statements are presented because it reminds me a bit of a comic or one of those books that you place in the bathroom where people can browse and amuse themselves, you know? 

Much content but without being stuffy or too much like a manual or whatever. Just a very useful and well done book that you can enjoy in tiny bits and bites or read as a whole.

I can definitely recommend this amazing and helpful book!

 ★★★★★

Exams and other translation stuff...

Remember that exam I had two weeks ago?

That was the exam for the Diploma in Translation (and I have no idea if I passed or if I'm among those 60% who have to resit the exam and - even worse- I won't know till mid-may) and we weren't allowed to use the internet for our translations but we were allowed every book or piece of paper we thought useful. What do you think how many books we brought and how big our bags were?

??? ??? ??? ??? ???

 Any idea?

That's what my little carry-on looked like! 

*****

***

*

 

From London with Love: Rebellious Brides (Rebellious Brides #3) by Diana Quincy

  From London with Love by Diana Quincy

Blurb:

Emilia St. George is moments away from marrying the admired grandson of a duke when the man who once jilted her decides to kidnap her at the altar. It’s the second time in five years Hamilton Sparrow has ruined her wedding day, and Emilia isn’t about to forgive him. The mere sight of her ex-fiancé revives painful memories—and, most regrettably, aching desires that refuse to be ignored.

Scanning the guests at Emilia’s wedding, Sparrow spots a familiar face: an assassin he recognizes from his days as a spy in France. Whisking Emilia away, he’s pleasantly surprised by her newly formed curves. Could this be the same flame-haired slip of a girl once promised to Sparrow? And does the fop she still insists on marrying realize what a prize she is? True, Sparrow left Emilia at the altar. But he’s afraid that the only way to right that particular wrong is to risk the one thing he’s always guarded: his heart.


I really, really, really love this series. Starting with Spy Fall, every one of those books kept me glued to my reader and I didn't put it away till the last page was read.

When Sparrow kidnaps Emilia right from the altar where she was just about to get married to a duke's son, he doesn't do that, contrary to what Emilia might think, because he has a habit of breaking up weddings for sport.
Of course, Emilia might be a bit a bit touchy there as he was the last one who left her standing at the altar but facts count, don't they? And he couldn't have let her marry somebody when her life seems to be in danger, right? So...no matter how good his intentions were, right now it leaves him with a very unhappy Emilia and also (too) much time for some realizations of his own.
Needless to say, this series being as amazing as it is, nothing is as simple as it might look and very quickly it's not just their lives at risk but also their hearts.

I love those amazing, complex characters and the well written, gripping story - a wonderful book, that I can definitely recommend!

★★★★★