Friday, August 1, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - August 2, 2014



Stacking the Shelves is an awesome meme hosted by Tynga's Review.

Bloggers share the books they've received, bought, borrowed - and I collect more and more books for my 'must acquire' list.

This week I'm focusing on books that I've received for review over the last two weeks:



The Wager by Lily Maxton

London, 1818
 Anne Middleton never plays by the rules. She is willful when she should be obedient and unabashed when she should be decorous. Worse still, she can never resist a good wager... or a very naughty book. And Confessions of a Courtesan is about as sensational and risque as a book can be. Michael Grey - Earl of Thornhill - had once courted Anne's sweet and modest sister. But whilst Anne is certainly no lady of decorum, her bold impulsiveness slips through his armor, and propriety is forgotten. Now he too is immersed in the book of forbidden delights, where each page is an invitation to sin and a guide to pleasures unknown... Roused by heady desire, Michael tempts Anne in a way she cannot resist - a wager. Thus begins a game of chance, where coins have been replaced by a currency that is far more illicit. And the stakes of seduction are dangerous indeed... A Scandalous Novella



Chelsea's Thoughts: I like Entangled, who published this one, and any story that involves a book deserves at least first (and probably second) look.



Exchange of Fire by P. A. DePaul

 Faking her death was easy, living with her past is harder, but nothing is more dangerous than falling in love… 

Sandra Walsh was a deadly sniper for the Sweet Briar Group, a covert agency with assassins for hire, until her last mission went horribly wrong, accidentally killing an innocent girl. Knowing she’s a danger to her team, Sandra goes off the grid, becoming a Shade—an agent declared dead but secretly hiding among the living. She intends to honor her vow never to pull another trigger or have contact with the spy world again. Until she meets Casper Grady…

Grady is a former Marine with a troubled past and a debt to pay. His life mission has gone from protecting the nation to helping local children and their families. The moment he meets Sandra, he knows there’s more to her than meets the eye, but he can’t help but be drawn to the mysterious femme fatale. And when Sandra’s past suddenly catches up to her, Grady is determined to protect her at all costs, no matter how dark and dangerous her secrets are.

As the danger increases, so does their intense attraction. But when they’re forced to choose between each other and the people they’ve sworn to protect, their growing love might not be enough to keep them together—or alive…



Chelsea's Thoughts: A 'Shade' who meets and falls for a guy named Casper? Come on! I have to check it out. Plus there's something about the cover that really calls to me - maybe it's the fading on the colours, or just that sweaty/shiny chest....


I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga 


 What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

Chelsea's Thoughts: You might have read that description and wondered, Gee, that doesn't sound like To Each Our Own Reviews' normal fare - and you would be right! I picked this one up on a complete whim, and I've already read it (review on August 5th!). Spoiler alert: I *LOVE* this book. 



The Irresistible Miss Peppiwell by Stacy Reid

With a longing for adventure, the last thing Phillipa Pippiwell wants is to marry. After a painful betrayal by a man she trusted, she is wary when she unwittingly catches the attention of roguishly handsome - and sinfully tempting - Lord Anthony Thornton. Forbidden desires she secretly yearns for threaten to crumble her icy facade and reveal a past scandal best kept buried.

Dissatisfied with his empty life, Lord Anthony seeks a deep and lasting connection... and finds himself intrigued by the Ice Maiden of the haute monde. Undaunted by Phillipa's aloof nature and her distaste for the idea of matrimony, he sets out to thaw the bewitching beauty by enticing her with adventures of the most sensual type. But he, too, hides a scandalous secret... and if it's discovered it could rip them apart.


Chelsea's Thoughts: A woman with a reputation she's cultivated but probably doesn't deserve intrigues me. As long as Miss Peppiwell turns out to be a strong character and the determined Lord Anthony isn't a jerk, I could really enjoy this one. Plus, again, Entangled. I've had good luck with this publisher...



Love Bites by Ophelia London

Falling in love is like swimming with sharks…

Sharona Blaire is only in Australia for a business audit, but she’s determined to make the most of her one free night. So when she spills her drink on a handsome stranger and they end up flirting, she does something completely out of character—she kisses him. But the prospect of taking it further totally freaks her out…almost as much as discovering the next morning that the man she’s auditing is the sexy, tanned stranger she left with zero explanation. 

An audit during his crew’s most important expedition yet is a complication marine biologist Jeff Cruz doesn't need—especially when the auditor is the gorgeous, fascinating woman from the night before. Out at sea with nowhere to run, he’s forced to admit Sharona draws him in like a shark to blood. But Jeff's one passion is his job, and nothing—not even love—will get its hooks in him...


Chelsea's Thoughts: I read and reviewed Ophelia London's delightful Pride and Prejudice adaptation Definitely, Maybe In Love last November and loved it. I'm always intrigued by the question of what happens when you have to face your one-night stand - whom you still lust for! - in a more normal setting.





Summer at Castle Stone by Lynn Marie Hulsman

This summer, lose your heart in Ireland…

Shayla Sheridan’s a New York native born into big city luxury, but she’s never really fitted in with the “it” crowd. Desperate to make it as a writer and to finally step out from her famous father’s shadow, Shayla decides to take on a tricky assignment across the pond…

Swapping skyscrapers and heels for wellies and the heart of the Irish countryside, Shayla must go about ghost-writing a book of recipes by the notoriously reclusive and attractive head chef of Castle Stone, Tom O’Grady.

The only problem? He has no idea that she’s writing it.


Chelsea's Thoughts: This one looked like some fun chick lit fare. I'm reading it at the time of writing this post and it's mostly living up to that charge (as contemporary romance, it's very, very slow, so chick lit seems the better genre fit).  I'm a huge fan of Ireland conceptually, and while the implication of deception in the blurb makes me a bit nervous, a ghost writer combined with a sexy chef sounds pretty darn good to me.

I'll be back next week with books I've picked up this past week and next (hint: mostly Amazon freebies!). 

What have you picked up in the last week? Link me your STS post and share your most treasured addition in the comments!

25 comments:

  1. I've seen I Hunt Killers around a few blogs now and I'm really intrigued. I hope you enjoy it and the rest of your books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for dropping by - I *loved* I Hunt Killers, and will definitely be getting my hands on more of the series!

      Delete
  2. I haven't heard of any of these except I Hunt Killers, but I've been seeing it in so many different stores, it's like it's calling out to me to buy it or something! Happy reading!

    Here's my Stacking the Shelves

    Amber @ My Bookshelf Is Hungry

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for dropping by - pick I Hunt Killers up! I wish I'd known how good it was when the opportunity to get the rest of the series was available on Netgalley! :)

      Delete
  3. I've heard a lot of good things about I Hunt Killers, reminds me a little of Dexter. Summer at Castle Stone sounds like a really cute read! Happy reading :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've only seen season two of Dexter (strange, right?), but it definitely had a similar vibe for me. I Hunt Killers felt more in touch with the main character's struggle to be 'normal' while leveraging the lessons of his dad to solve a murder. Very creepy, and I loved it! Thanks for dropping by!

      Delete
  4. I heard great things about a few and the others are new to me. I hope you'll like them all. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I both love and hate the STS posts for that reason - they weaken my resolve towards books I want to get but have been holding off on (look at how many other people have it! I should get it too!), and they make me want other books I knew nothing about! (so shiny!) Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  5. I want to read I Hunt Killers, heard so much about it. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for dropping by, I Hunt Killers does seem to be a standout this week!

      Delete
  6. I have I Hunt Killers as well :) Can't wait to read it

    Check out my STS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll watch your blog for your review! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. I see great reads, especially Exchange of Fire by P. A. DePaul...not it has nothing to do with the cover...

    My new pretties :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely nothing, right? ;) Someone I twitter-follow was talking about being on a Harlequin cover shoot the other day, and I couldn't help but think about some of my TBR books and which ones I would have loved to be on set for....

      Delete
  8. I read I Hunt Killers quite awhile back, it was a pretty good book. I hope you enjoy everything you got this week.

    Here is my StS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I hope you enjoy your haul as well!

      Delete
  9. These look amazing, great haul! Hope you enjoy them all and happy reading :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I need to pick up I Hunt Killers, definitely my type of read. :) Happy reading!

    Here's mine

    Kirsty @ StudioReads

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really wasn't my normal read, but I really enjoyed it, and now I'm looking for other books that might have a similar feel to them. Funny how it only takes one good book to reel you (ok, me at least) in to a whole niche of books.

      Delete
  11. Awesome haul this week! I really need to check out some of these titles.

    Come check out my haul! And maybe hit the follow button? It would be greatly appreciated. http://bundles-of-books.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love seeing all the new ebooks 'displayed' in these posts - unlike with physical books, sometimes it's hard to get a real sense of them all until they're splayed out in a list :) Thanks for dropping by!

      Delete
  12. The books you picked look amazing!! Especially Love Bites.
    Thanks for sharing these :)

    Lipstick and Mocha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read Love Bites yet, but I'm looking forward to it. It looks like a fun read :) Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  13. I've enjoyed the ones that I've read so far - finger crossed for the rest of them. Thank you for dropping by!

    ReplyDelete