Showing posts with label Simon and Schuster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simon and Schuster. Show all posts

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Review: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory


Read an excerpt
Genre:   Historical Fiction
Release Date:  November 2004
Series:  The Tudor Court Novels, Book #2
Publisher: Touchstone/ Simon and Schuster
Pages:  672
Source:  Purchased
Rating:  Four Flowers Of Love

Book Blurb
Mary Boleyn catches the eye of Henry VIII when she comes to court as a girl of fourteen. Dazzled by the golden prince, Mary’s joy is cut short when she discovers that she is a pawn in the dynastic plots of her family. When the capricious king’s interest wanes, Mary is ordered to pass on her knowledge of how to please him to her friend and rival: her sister Anne.

Anne soon becomes irresistible to Henry and Mary can do nothing but watch her sister’s rise. Anne stops at nothing to achieve her own ambition. From now on, Mary will be no more than the other Boleyn girl.

But beyond the court is a man who dares to challenge the power of her family to offer Mary a life of freedom and passion. If only she has the courage to break away – before the Boleyn enemies turn on the Boleyn girl.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Review: Fever by Lauren Destefano

Read an excerpt
Genre:   Young Adult, Dystopia
Release Date:  February 2012
Series:  The Chemical Garden Trilogy, Book #2
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Author Website:  http://laurendestefano.com/
Pages:  352
Source:  Purchased
Rating:  Three Flowers Of Love

Book Blurb
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they’re still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they left behind. Determined to get to Manhattan and to find Rhine’s twin brother Rowan, the two press forward, amidst threats of being captured again . . . or worse.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Review: The Lost Years By Mary Higgins Clark

Genre:   Mystery Suspense
Release Date:  April 2012
Series:  None
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages:  304
Source:  Purchased
Rating:  Three Flowers Of Love

Book Blurb
Dr. Jonathan Lyons, a seventy-year-old biblical scholar, believes he has found the rarest of parchments—a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ. Stolen from the Vatican library in the fifteenth century, it was assumed to be lost forever.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Book Spotlight: April Romance Releases From Simon And Schuster



Hush
Cherry Adair
On sale: 4/26/11

New York Times bestselling author Cherry Adair introduces an edgy, sexy new suspense series with this exhilarating international tale of hide and seek.
A reckless adventure in a deadly paradise.

Thrill seekers Zakary and Gideon Stark travel the globe in search of extreme adventure, but a trip to Venezuela to jump off the world's highest falls catapults them into a perilous game of life or death—where they don't know the rules.

A one-night stand that will change his life forever.
Kidnapped with a woman Zak knows nothing about, the brothers are held prisoner deep in the jungle. A risky, deathdefying escape separates them and nearly claims Zak's life . . . until his recovery reveals a baffling new sixth sense.

An unexpected diversion with lethal consequences.
Now, to find his missing brother, Zak and the mysterious Acadia Gray will have to out-smart, out-gun, and out-maneuver not just the brutal kidnappers but also a new player who joins the adrenaline game: a ruthless opponent who wants the Stark brothers dead—at any cost.

To know more about Cherry Adair and your favorite romance authors check out



Read an excerpt

That Perfect Someone
Johanna Lindsey
On Sale: 4/19/11

Returning to the "wickedly witty, lusciously sensual" (Booklist) world of her beloved Malory family, #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey sweeps readers away on a seductive adventure in which a detested marriage contract turns childhood enemies into passionate lovers.

Nine years ago, Richard Allen fled England and his controlling father. Determined to live his own life, he took to the sea and settled in the Caribbean, joining a band of treasure-hunting pirates and adopting the persona of a carefree, seductive Frenchman named Jean Paul to guard the secrets of his past. When he slips back into England to carry out an urgent task, Richard becomes infatuated with a married woman, Georgina Malory. But his reckless attempt to woo Georgina at a masked ball turns out to be the worst mistake of his life because it brings him face to face with another beautiful woman.

Thrilled that her solicitors have finally come up with a way to free her from her betrothal contract to the Earl of Manford's son who abandoned her years ago, heiress Julia Miller is ready for the marriage mart and hopes to find that perfect someone at her friend Georgina's ball. Charmed by a masked Frenchman who gives her her first kiss, she can't help but pursue this mysterious man—until she makes a shocking discovery. Now, to avoid falling into a ruthless nobleman's trap, Julia must enter a risky, intimate charade with a man she never believed she could love.

"There's no better way to spend your time than with the Malorys—it's like sailing off to heaven," raves Romantic Times. With a little help from the lucky-in-love Malory family, will Richard and Julia discover in each other that perfect someone?

To know more about Johanna Lindsey and your favorite romance authors check out

 Defiant
Kris Kennedy
4/26/11

A rogue knight and an enchanting renegade join forces to right old wrongs in award-winning author Kris Kennedy's sizzling new medieval romance.

A warrior with questionable intentions . . .
Jamie Lost is the king's most renowned commander, a fearless lieutenant ordered to kidnap an exiled priest before rebel forces close in. The mission is simple—until he meets a mysterious thief who will steal his quarry and then his heart.

A lady of remarkable courage . . .
Beautiful Eva is also seeking Father Peter, but she intends to protect him from a secret that could cost him his life. She senses that she, too, should fear Jamie—not just for his wickedly sharp sword and dangerously muscular body, but for the powerful longing he ignites within her.

A secret that could overthrow the king.
When a band of mercenaries abducts the priest, Jamie and Eva must form a volatile alliance. As civil war unfolds around them, they embark on an epic journey that betrays the truth about their hidden identities, their unexpected loyalties, and the simmering attraction that could seal their fates forever.

To know more about Kris Kennedy and your favorite romance authors check out



Read an excerpt

Bound by Darkness
Alexis Morgan
On sale: 04/26/11
Caught between two worlds, a powerful warrior must choose between impossible destinies when he meets a woman whose love will either make or break him. . . .
 
As the daughter of a Regent, Sasha has long known about the secret underworld of the Paladins and their work protecting her kind from the dark forces on the other side of the energy barrier. So when she is sent on her first solo investigation, on the path to becoming the first female Regent, she is determined to get the Seattle Paladins in line. Offering sanctuary to their Kalith enemies is simply unacceptable! But when she meets Larem, she is inexorably drawn to a dark and valiant warrior who is not at all what he appears to be. As the power struggle between Regents and Paladins rages on, someone starts making attacks on her life. Sasha must choose between loyalty to her own kind and the warrior she loves . . . with the very fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

To know more about Alexis Morgan and your favorite romance authors check out http://pocketafterdark.com/

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Winners: An Affair Without End and The Art of Seducing A Naked Werewolf

Revised 3/28/11
I had to draw another name for The Art Of Seducing A Naked Werewolf because Mariee just informed me that she won the same copy on another blog, so the new winner is...

Lisa Richards  





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Thanks to all that visited the blog and entered the giveaway.  Also, special thanx to Renee @ Simon and Schuster for providing this new releases for giveaway.  And the winners are...

Erin Berry and Lisa M

Mariee and Isabel/Quimbayai

Congrats on your wins, ladies.  Please email me at thedivasbookcase@gmail.com by Wednesday, March 30 to claim your prize.  

Once I receive your email, I will forward your mailing addresses so you can get your new reads.  If I don't hear from you by then, another winner will be selected.

Other giveaways on the blog

To learn more about these authors and other new releases, visit simonandschuster.com.  

Also check out your favorite romance authors at pocketafterdark.com where you can read selected books for free and get sneak peaks of new and upcoming books.  

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Book Spotlight and Giveaway: Highlander's Curse by Melissa Mayhue


 Highlander’s Curse
By Melissa Mayhue
Coming March 29, 2011

When COLIN MACALISTER is cursed by the Faerie Queen and ends up in the bed of a twenty-first-century woman—who also happens to be the most beautiful creature he's ever laid eyes on—he's torn between anger and lust. Colin is determined to see Scotland free of English control and must return to the fourteenth century, yet he cannot forget the woman who haunts his dreams and stirs him with scorching desire.

ABIGAIL PORTER can't believe her luck. After making a wish to find her soul mate, she wakes up to find a gorgeous man in her bed! Can he really be a medieval Highlander summoned by her Faerie Magic, however? It seems crazy, but when Abby discovers someone wants to enslave her because of her Faerie heritage, she agrees to flee with Colin to 1306 Scotland to avoid capture. Thwarting danger at every turn, Abby and Colin surrender to an irresistible passion. But is the magic of true love powerful enough to save them?

For more about Melissa, visit simonandschuster.com


For more of your favorite romance authors visit pocketafterdark.com

Thanks to Simon and Schuster, two followers of the blog can win this new release.  Giveaway will end on April 1st and is only open to US residents.  No P. O. Boxes please.    Winner will be randomly chosen, emailed, and will have 72 hours to contact me before another winner will be chosen.  To enter simply
  1. Be a follower of this blog through Goggle Friend Connect
  2. Make a comment to this post
  3. Fill out the ENTRY FORM
**Entries that do not follow the three entry rules will be deleted from my spreadsheet!!**


Good luck!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Book Spotlight and Giveaway: The Bum Magnet by K.L. Brady


The Bum Magnet
By K.L. Brady
Coming March 29, 2011

Successful real-estate agent Charisse Tyson is nearing 40, and after 2 decades of tumultuous, up-and-down relationships with cheating men, she’s ready to overhaul her life and make some lasting changes.  Charisse swears off dating and sex until she gets her life in order—but unfortunately, stunningly sexy, charming Dwayne, a client of Charisse's comes along, and she immediately jumps in bed with him.  Thinking about the potential for this new relationship, Charisse reads her journals and contemplates the failed relationships of her past:  Lamar, who had his own “African tribe” of 8 kids by different mothers, Sean, who was married with a kid, Marcus, who kissed another woman in Charisse’s own car, and Jason, the man 10 years her junior who was shipped to Iraq and had an affair with his (female) C.O.

Just looking at her past mistakes isn’t enough to set her on the right path.  Charisse has to let go of a terrible incident from her youth in order to trust men and trust herself.  When Dwayne starts acting funny, and a mysterious FBI agent named Kevin starts turning up everywhere Charisse goes, she realizes she’s in for another disaster.  After revealing the dark secret of her rape to her family, she’s able to move on when it turns out that Dwayne is a con artist, has a wife AND a fiancĂ©e besides Charisse, and ends up in jail for 20 years.  Knowing what she knows now, she’s in for a new relationship without all the drama and hurt of the past.

For more about K. L. visit simonandschuster.com


For more of your favorite romance authors visit pocketafterdark.com

Thanks to Simon and Schuster, I have two copies of this new release for giveaway.  Giveaway will end on March 28 March 30 and is only open to US residents.  No P. O. Boxes.  Winner will be randomly chosen and emailed.  Winner will have 72 hours to contact me before another winner will be chosen.  To enter simply
  • Be a follower of this blog through Goggle Friend Connect
  • Make a comment to this post
  • Fill out the entry form


Good luck!

Other contests going on on the blog



Friday, March 11, 2011

ARC Review: Wither by Lauren Destefano

Series:  Chemical Garden Triology, Book #1

Genre:   YA, Dystopia

Release Date:  March 22, 2011

Publisher:  Simon Schuster


Format I Read:  ARC paperback

Pages:  368

Source:  Publisher

Reading ChallengeDebut Author Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt
Book Blurb
By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. 

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Awesomeness:
Linden looks so piteous and apologetic, standing there.  His three wives are huddled together on the bare mattress, one of them dying; when we’re together, we form an alliance he can’t touch.  He’s scared to even try.

My Thoughts
I have heard so much about dystopian novels and to be honest, I still don’t really know what the heck they are.  But if this book represents the genre, I am now a fan and can’t wait to read more.

In a word, Wither was awesome.  It didn’t have a lot of action and adventure, but plenty of drama.  The story unfolded slowly but held my attention until the very end. I loved the artwork for the cover and I thought the designs on the intro pages were really neat.  The characters are unforgettable and the story was unique.

Rhine, the main character, was a great heroine.  At a young age she found a way to deal with life without drawing too much attention to herself, but constantly plotted and planned to gain her freedom back.

At times, the story had me shaking my head in disbelief, other times it brought tears to my eyes as I sympathized with the sister wives.  The girls went through so much to please their “husband” and to try to find what little happiness they could as their lives slowly wasted away. Through it all, Rhine kept the sisterhood tight and proved to be a very good friend.

Linden, the “husband” was also a good character.  He was very misguided and didn’t know what was actually going on in his house.  I felt sorry for him because all he wanted was a real family.  If he and Rhine had met under different circumstances, I think they would have made a cute couple, but I was secretly rooting for Gabriel.

Overall, I loved this tragic love story and can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Rating
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Four flowers of love.  I really liked it and would recommend reading it.

Other Reviews Of This Book: