Fabulous - Lori Foster's Reader & Author Get Together Convention

For my second year I was lucky enough to attend the Annual Reader & Author Get Together hosted by Lori Foster & Duffy Brown in Cincinnati. The best word to describe the jammed pack event was, "FABULOUS". I had such a great time. 

After a 7 hr car ride (I won't talk about the brake fluid or the allergic reaction I had that left me a cyclopes) we arrived safe & sound and eager to meet & greet. 

Look at the awesome goodie bag we were provided at the sign in. I am participating in a blog hop starting June 8th and I am going to give away the entire Reader & Author Convention welcome bag as a prize. (as well as the autographed copy of The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis that I was able to score) 

HelenKay Dimon, Me & Jill Shalvis

Why yes, I did totally act like the fan girl that I am. 

One of my favourite annual activities at the Get Together are the numerous workshops and chat opportunities. HelenKay Dimon and Jill Shalvis hosted a great group discussion about Contemporary Heroes. It was fun and interactive. I took a wee video snippet if you are curious about what the discussions were like. Included are some great thoughts that HelenKay and Jill shared about heroes in romance books. 

Some more random pictures....

Authors Renee Vincent & Margaret Ethridge (I love these two)

Me with the fabulous Vicky Dreiling

Ruth Hartman, Kim Jacobs, Patricia Marie Warren & Margaret Ethridge

Another fabulous workshop was hosted by Sue Grimshaw from Random House. She wanted to talk with readers to find out what we like and what we want to read in romance books. There was no shortage of conversation here! (I got in my 2 cents that contemporary romances don't always have to end with a marriage and a baby) 

In the video snippet, Sue talks about the fabulous Loveswept series. Awesome deals! 

The Marriott was awesome, the food was great, the basket raffles were outstanding, the volunteers rocked and everyone was just so damn nice. I loved meeting fellow book bloggers that I chit chat with on Twitter and my "to be read" reading pile just got a whole lot bigger. (good thing I scored some free books)

I am sure you are curious about the something that was not awesome. I mean cause everything was just awesome. Well, it could be that the wait for a drink from the bar took a long time but it didn't seem to hold back Madison J Edwards and I. LOL

Cheers to a FABULOUS weekend event!

When You Dare by Lori Foster

Dare and Molly's book


When You Dare 

by Lori Foster

Book Blurb:
The tougher they are, the harder they fall… 

Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure. 

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…


I had been looking forward to reading this "Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor" series since last June/11. In June I went out and bought the first three books but with such a huge TBR pile, I only just got to it now. As proof of how badly I wanted to read this series, here is me with a couple of the men. 

I think I also held back a bit because Romance Suspense isn't a favourite genre of mine. I can't handle suspense and angst. I know this fact about me so I have to be a mood to have my heart pumping and my hands all sweaty. I can only take that in doses. 

After reading When You Dare, I have to admit my true disappointment with the lack of suspense. Last night as I was reading it, I was at the half way mark of my book and I said to myself, 'when is anything going to happen!?!' When You Dare was a yawner when it came to suspense because there is none. Nada, nothing, zip. So if you are looking for a romance suspense, pass on When You Dare. 

As for the character development, it was very easy to like Dare and Molly. Dare has a killer body, rich, smart and very good at his job. Now to be clear, I'm not quite 100% what his job was. He rescues people in peril...I think. He is for hire but I am not sure what job title that would say on his business card. 

As for Molly the one thing that really struck me odd was her name. I like the name, Molly well enough but it just didn't suit this character. Nothing against the Molly's of the world but the name just needed to have a stronger representation of the protagonist. The character, Molly was such a tower of strength and bravery that her character's name just conflicted with the personality. Molly would have been better suited as a Dana, Anne, Jean or Lisa. 

Out the gate When You Dare was powerful. The book  starts just at the conclusion of a daring rescue (you do not read about the rescue itself) where young women were kidnapped for sex slavery. You read about the abhorrent conditions the women were kept in and a shiver goes up your spine. Dare is the sole man that goes into a Tijuana lair, kills the bad guys and single handily rescues about eight women. His best friend's sister was the reason he took on the mission and he saves Molly as she was one of the chained up females. I felt the save was a bit of a reach and not realistic. I understand it is fiction but it was hard to even imagine that one man could have done all of the rescue alone plus then set the women free.

What I found frustrating over and over again was the lame reasoning for not bringing the police or FBI in on the case. I would have thought Molly and the other women would want to protect any more females from suffering the brutal kidnapping and have the slavery ring shut down. 

As Molly and Dare get to know and trust each other, the reader is then treated to chapters and chapters of Molly wanting Dare to sleep with her and Dare (being the gentleman that he is) holding off on his sexual urges because he wants Molly to heal from her cuts and bruises. Literally chapters. Molly wants to feel again, Molly wants to move on, Molly wants her hair to look nice so that maybe Dare will want her, Molly wishes she had her makeup and clothes so she will be desirable for Dare...oh boy enough already. 

I would have made When You Dare a one star except that I will admit that the actual writing was good. It was just the story line and plot holes that I serious problems with. I could list all my dissensions but it would be full of spoilers and it would just turn into a rant. Even though I have the next two books sitting on my shelf, I am not sure if I'll bother reading them. 

Teasers: great hair untangling scene, awesome doggie personalities, dysfunctional family, clean freak

Bad Boys of Summer by Lori Foster, Amy Garvey and Erin McCarthy

Bad Boys of Summer
By Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy and Amy Garvey

I picked up Bad Boys of Summer at a used book store because I wanted to read something by Lori Foster before going to her Reader’s & Writer’s Convention in June. Also it's starting to get warm out so I wanted to read a hot summer book. Great find Bad Boys of Summer was. A nice quick read with some great little stories. 

Book Blurb 1 - Luscious by Lori Foster
Bethany Churchill just quit her lousy job, dumped her lousy boyfriend and moved into a new apartment. She s not looking for love, but her hot new landlord is determined to change her mind. SWAT officer Lucius Ryder -- known to the women in the building as "Luscious," much to his chagrin -- is one sexy lawman, and before long Bethany is tempted to find out if he's really as delicious as his nickname...

I loved the banter between Bethany and Lucius. It made for perfect chemistry. I was smiling throughout the chapters. Here is an example:
“Aren’t SWAT guys supposed to be astute about people?”
“Yeah but being around you dicks up my instincts.”
This back and forth flirting totally made Luscious for me. I liked everything about Lucius. He was totally confident, flirtatious, caring and direct. I love reading about a direct man who says it like it is. Bethany was a great female character with spunk and attitude and as a result a perfect match for Lucius.

I’m not usually a fan of anthologies because the stories happen too fast for me. I loved the ending but in all honesty, it was a bit too quick. A marriage proposal in an anthology kind of ruins it for me. It’s just too fast.
I had to smile because my husband’s grandfather’s name was Lucius and I giggle wondering if he ever had the same pet name. 


Book Blurb 2 - It s About Time by Erin McCarthy
County prosecutor Trish Jones has had it with smooth-talking, under-performing suits. And though she’s never had a thing for big, brawny guys, one look at Caleb Vancouver’s bulges makes her think she might have been missing out. One Harley ride later they’re back at her place, and she realizes that she has been missing out . . . on quite a lot . . .

I totally loved It’s About Time. I am going to search out to what else Erin McCarthy has written. The pace and storyline that the author selected to write about for the size of an anthology was perfect. I loved the entire bar scene and the pair getting to know each other.  Trish was a hoot and "adopts" across Caleb at a perfect time. I felt the major chemistry and really wanted them to hit it off.
When Caleb came back to Trish’s house after the bar, the entire set up of Caleb lying on her couch resembling a footlong hotdog captured short bun cracked me up. I pictured it perfectly.
Of course Caleb makes it Trish’s bed eventually and major hotness ensues. I really enjoyed It’s About Time.


Book Blurb 3 - Wish You Were Here by Amy Garvey
Photographer Mackenzie Pruitt knows exactly what she wants her future to look like, and this summer that means renovating a dilapidated shed into a studio. But when hunky carpenter Leo Dawson shows up, she’d much rather have his capable hands on her than on a hammer. He’s not the kind of guy she always thought she’d fall for, but when he touches her, she can’t imagine wanting anyone else . . .
Wish You Were Here wasn’t as upbeat and happy as the first two stories and it seemed to be an anthology book dying to be a real novel. It seemed at lot longer than it was and I really got into the characters Mackenzie and Leo.

Leo was a bit of a mystery for most of the book and Mackenzie was an easily likeable character. A great sexual chemistry match between the pair but I wasn’t really feeling a personality match. No doubt opposites attract and that is definitely the basis for these two.
I do believe the Leo was a changed man from his early years and I would have loved to read more about them. An anthology was just too short to give this pair a great story.
I did love the ending though!