Sun God Seeks... Surrogate? by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

The Basics:
Sun God Seeks... Surrogate? by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Forever
Book Three in the Accidentally Yours series
Romance
Published February 25, 2014 (?)
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

This book sounded fun - the idea of a god being manipulated by his sister into, essentially, falling in love, and having to rethink his views on a few things sounded... fun?

Her Best Laid Plans by Eva Devon

The Basics:
Her Best Laid Plans by Eva Devon
HarperImpulse
Romance
Published Feb 27, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

The tag line is cute, and I may have a thing for making plans, lists, setting up organizers and then... well... losing track of them.

Thrown for a Curve by Sugar Jamison

The Basics:
Thrown for a Curve by Sugar Jamison
St Martin's Press
Book Two in the Perfect Fit series
Romance
Published Feb 25, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I've had mixed results with these 'big girl' romances but I'm determined to find one that I love.

In the Works (Edition Three)

In the Works is a bi-weekly feature of To Each Their Own Reviews.

This week's In the Works focuses on the second half of Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor.

So in the first half, I fell in love with Karou. Did the second half live up to my expectations?

(Don't follow the break if you don't want to read about the second half of the book, this is a spoiler-ific post!)

Stately Pleasures by Lucy Felthouse

The Basics:
Stately Pleasures by Lucy Felthouse
XCite Books
Erotica
Published December 9, 2013
Source: Direct from author in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I wondered how the premise would work, and curiosity gets me every time.

Stacking the Shelves - Feb 22, 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.

Once Upon A Masquerade by Tamara Hughes

The Basics:
Once Upon A Masquerade by Tamara Hughes
Entangled: Scandalous
Romance
Published February 10, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I love the cover, and I love the Cinderella story concept. 

Every Part of You: Tempts Me by Megan Hart

The Basics:
Every Part of You: Tempts Me by Megan Hart
St Martin's Press
Part 1 (of 5) of Every Part of You
Erotica
Published February 4, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

The blurb got to me. I also liked the cover - the colouring and the angle.

Top Ten Tuesday - Feb 18, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme from The Broke and the Bookish in which they post a book-related top ten every - you guessed it! - Tuesday.

This week the theme is Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Blogger/Reader.

A Million Guilty Pleasures by C. L. Parker

The Basics:
A Million Guilty Pleasures by C. L. Parker
Bantam
Second in the Million Dollar Duet
Erotica
Published February 11, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I was curious about the emotional aftermath suggested in the book blurb and how it would play out in erotic terms.

Sunday Update (2)

Every other Sunday I'll be posting a general news post. These might preview things I'm planning for the two weeks following (such as a new feature - On My Mind), they might reflect on books I'm looking forward to, or that I've recently heard of and want to discuss.  

I'm hooking into: 

This is a meme hosted by the Caffeinated Book Reviewer wherein everyone gets to share their news for the week. It's a great opportunity to see what's happening out there in the blogosphere, so go check out some other Sunday Posters!

Today's post is going to have a few sections:

1. Update on Wicked Valentine's Read-a-thon

2. Sales!

3. Currently...

4. Follow the Blog!

The Shadow Princess by Mary Hart Perry

The Basics:
The Shadow Princess by Mary Hart Perry
Diversion Books
Third in a series of books about Queen Victoria's Daughters
Historical Romance, Mystery
Published February 9, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I love historical romance, I love the Victorian period. I've read quite a bit about Jack the Ripper.

Shredded by Tracy Wolff

The Basics:
Shredded by Tracy Wolff
Flirt (Random House)
Book One in the Extreme Risk series
Romance, New Adult
Published on Feb 4, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I loved the tattoos on the cover, and the idea of a love story with a snowboarder at the heart.

On My Mind (2)

On My Mind is a new feature here at To Each Their Own Reviews. Every other Thursday, I'm blogging my opinion about something book-related.

This Week: New Adult books.

In the last few months I've really embraced the New Adult genre.

With the focus on young twenty-somethings, these books tend to emphasize identity formation, romance, the start of new careers or completion of post-secondary education and all the hope and optimism that comes with this phase of life - or all the pain when something goes horribly wrong at the start of a character's journey into adulthood.

Now we're beyond first loves and the tentative reaching out to romantic partners; now we're developing lasting bonds. There's more emotional baggage to navigate, some lessons have already been learned and habits formed in terms of how people relate and react to potential lovers. 

What I'd like to read now is a new adult book with a heroine trying to figure out who she is, dealing with a love interest and also coping with some kind of paranormal component or a fantasy quest or interactions with aliens or something from another genre.

Give me one of these urban fantasy private investigators right at the start of their careers - or an epic fantasy  witch who has just left her parents' home or graduated from the wizarding school, just trying to establish herself on her own. 

I'm sure this stuff is already out there - and realistically, a lot of genre fiction has characters in this age group already. I just want a little more emphasis on some of the themes I've come to know and love from New Adult - and perhaps a little more snark.

The Tyrant's Daughter by J. C. Carleson

The Basics:
The Tyrant's Daughter by J. C. Carleson
Alfred A. Knopf BFYR (Random House Children)
YA
Published February 11, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

Gorgeous, gorgeous cover. Great title. Very intriguing

Such Sweet Sorrow by Jenny Trout

The Basics:
Such Sweet Sorrow by Jenny Trout
Entangled: Teen
YA
Published Feb 4, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

The cover has this amazing Gothic feel, and I loved the idea of Romeo fighting for Juliet even beyond death.

In the Works (Edition Two)

In the Works is one of the new features I'm posting on a bi-weekly basis.

This week's In the Works focuses on the first half of Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (up to the end of Chapter 29). 

My intention was to jot down notes for a reading log as I read through the book, to capture my immediate responses, thoughts, suspicions and so on. Well, that didn't quite work out as intended....

Screen by Michele Renae & A Sale!

The book that I'm reviewing today is Screen by Michele Renae, the second book in the erotic trilogy, Paris Secrets. I had the pleasure of reviewing the first book, Window, in October - it was one of the first books I reviewed for this blog, and I rated it at 4.5/5 stars. 

I am very happy to report that Window is on a 99 cent sale from February 14 through 17. I think that it's a fantastic erotic novel featuring something that's refreshingly different from the alpha male-BDSM scene that's so popular right now. Check it out on Amazon.com this weekend and grab yourself a copy - it's really a steal at 99 cents.

On to my review of Book Two!

The Basics:
Screen by Michele Renae
Swell Cat Press
Book Two in the Paris Secrets series
Erotica
Published Feb 7, 2014
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review
Amazon.ca 

Why I picked up this book:

I loved the first book in the series, Window, and had to know what happened next!

The Initiation of Ms. Holly by K D Grace

The Basics:
The Initiation of Ms. Holly by K D Grace
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Erotica
Published Feb 4, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Stacking the Shelves - Feb 8, 2014 Edition

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.

Wicked Valentine's Read-a-Thon - Feb 7-17, 2014

I am getting in on this Read-a-Thon because I'm staying ahead of my self-imposed blog review schedule by the quick of my pinkie's fingernail.

My goal is to read ten books in the next ten days, or, 2500 pages. Realistically, some of the books on my plate are quite long, and I have to balance work and being a mom and keeping the house relatively clean. I've got two freebies as I have eight scheduled for review - so perhaps I'll get myself farther ahead in my blogging schedule. OR maybe I'll read some off my TBR pile for the 2014 TBR challenge in which I'm participating!

I've already finished a book - The Initiation of Ms Holly by K D Grace (review will be available on Monday) which was exactly 250 pages.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else reads!

Night's Promise by Amanda Ashley

The Basics:
Night's Promise by Amanda Ashley
Zebra
Book Six of Children of the Night
Paranormal Romance
Published February 4, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

Honestly, I recognized the author's name, and combined with the cover image, thought she was one of those collection of authors who write really good historical romances. At some point, the fact this was a paranormal romance did register, but since I'm a fan of those too, I figured this would be a great fit.

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert

The Basics:
Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
AuthorBuzz
Thriller
Published Jan 31, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca 

Why I picked up this book:

I love the image of the woman with the symbol on her eye on the cover. But not so much the crow. I liked the linking of telepathic abilities with technology in the blurb.

Wrecked by Priscilla West

The Basics:
Wrecked by Priscilla West
Blackbird Publishing
Book 1 in the Arrowhart College series
New Adult, Romance
Published December 16, 2013
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca

Why I picked up this book:

I liked the idea of a broken girl coming together with a broken guy (and an MMA fighter - one of my guilty pleasures) to find love and wholeness.

Top Ten Tuesday - Feb. 4, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme from The Broke and the Bookish in which they post a book-related top ten every - you guessed it! - Tuesday.

This week the theme is Top Ten Books That Make You Cry. This one was problematic for me.

Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

The Basics:
Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck
Zondervan
Book Two in the Royal Wedding Series
Romance, Christian
Published February 4, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca

Why I picked up this book:

First, the gorgeous cover. I love the title of the book and associated information in the crest. The barefoot woman running, I assume by the way she's holding her dress up, across a perfect lawn. The dress itself, and the tiara... perfection!

Plus small town girl finds out she's a princess, *and* the guy who informs her and needs to convince her to help out the country is the potential love interest? Excellent!

Charlotte: Prowling for Enchantment by Mima

The Basics:
Charlotte: Prowling for Enchantment by Mima
Pocket Star
Book Two in the Dare to Decide series
Erotica
Published on Jan 6, 2014
Source: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

An erotic choose-your-own-adventure? Colour me intrigued.

Sunday Update (1)

Every other Sunday I'll be posting a general news post. These might preview things I'm planning for the two weeks following (such as a new feature - On My Mind), they might reflect on books I'm looking forward to, or that I've recently heard of and want to discuss.  

I'm hooking into: 

This is a meme hosted by the Caffeinated Book Reviewer wherein everyone gets to share their news for the week. It's a great opportunity to see what's happening out there in the blogosphere, so go check out some other Sunday Posters!

Today's post is going to have a few sections:

1. Some news about the Morganville web series

2. Site stats from the month of January

3. A quick rundown of my current posting schedule, for the curious.

4. An update on my progress for the two year-long challenges that I've joined.