Yay... it is Happy Abs Day again and I love to drool over a great pic of the opposite sex, but it is my turn again to do this post and it is getting harder and harder to come up with ideas for Happy Abs Day. Today's inspiration for this post came from these bookcovers....

Twelve Wicked Nights by

Nadia Aidan

Standalone

Genre: Erotic Romance

Releasedate: 2 November 2010
Publisher: NAL Trade

ISBN-10: 0451231317

ISBN-13: 978-0451231314

Website: Nadia Aidan

Blurb:

This season, the only gift attorney Isabella Andreu wants to unwrap is Navy SEAL Justin Rourke. And boy, is she about to get her wish.

 Twelve Wicked Nights begins when a blizzard traps Isabella in the home of her sexy childhood friend…and a steamy game of strip Scrabble lays bare some long-suppressed desires. Justin, it seems, has talents beyond killing. Hot, sensual talents. But when a phone call lets them know that they only have 12 days before his next mission, things get even more interesting. Determined to make the most of their time together, they draw up a list of fantasies so naughty, it pushes all their buttons and leads to something wholly unexpected….

When Harry Met Molly by
Kieran Kramer
Impossible Bachelors Series
Book 1 of 4

Genre: Historical Romance

Releasedate: 2 November 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

ISBN-10: 0312611641
ISBN-13: 978-0312611644

Website: Kieran Kramer

Blurb:

He’s always been a player.
Dashing Lord Harry Traemore is perfectly content to live out his days in the pursuit of pleasure. But when he’s named by the Prince Regent as one of society’s “Impossible Bachelors,” Harry is drafted into a ribald romantic wager. The rules of engagement are scandalously simple: The bachelor whose mistress wins the title of “Most Delectable Companion” gets to remain unmarried. Harry is utterly unconcerned about his status…until his latest lightskirt abandons him.

Who will win this game of love?
Lady Molly Fairbanks. Harry’s childhood friend—actually, “foe” is more like it—is the most unlikely companion of all. She’s attractive but hot-headed, and in no mood for games. Besides, what could the self-indulgent Harry possibly know about what makes a woman delectable? It’s time for Molly to teach him a lesson once and for all…but will it lead to “happily ever after?”

The Pursuit of Pleasure by
Elizabeth Essex

Genre: Historical Romance

Releasedate: 30 November 2010
Publisher: Kensington Publishing

ISBN-13: 9780758251541
ISBN: 0758251548

Blurb:

“I do say I’ll never marry, but I have always wanted to be a widow.”

Marriage is Lizzie’s only hope of escaping her overbearing father. The problem is, it would only place her under the thumb of another man. Widowhood—or a marriage without the man—would be ideal.

When Naval Captain James Marlowe overhears Lizzie’s declaration, he pounces, offering to wed her before he sets sail for an uncertain future. For Lizzie, it’s the perfect solution, but as Elizabeth Essex’s The Pursuit of Pleasure unfolds, their marriage of convenience soon proves more complicated than she imagined. There’s more to Marlowe’s offer than meets the eye. And the intense desires he awakens in her notwithstanding, can she truly trust the man she married?

Prince Charming Doesn't Live Here by
Christine Warren
Book 10
Novels of the Others Series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Releasedate: 2 November 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

ISBN-10: 0312947941
ISBN-13: 978-0312947941

Website: Christine Warren
 
Blurb:

Danice Carter wakes up naked and confused. She can't figure out how she got into bed with a man she's never met, because there is no way she would forget meeting McIntyre Callahan. The man is everything she's ever fantasized about, a mind-bendingly mouth-watering hunk...who is just as puzzled about what's going on as she is.

When they discover the explanation involves a fugitive from Faerie, some very tricky magic, and a theoretical hotel room, things start to get a little weird. Good thing the attraction between Danice and Mac makes all the sense in the world.

Paperback: 187 pages

Stand-alone (it is the second story in the book)

Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Mills & Boons

ISBN: 978 0 263 88834 8

Release date: October 2010

Main characters : Wyatt Black & Elli Marchuk

Paperback copy received for review

Purchase at: The Book Depository Store

Summary:

The cowboy…

After a hard day’s ranching, Wyatt Black wants to kick back with a cold beer. But when he steps onto his porch he has unexpected company – his tiny abandoned baby niece!

His doorstep baby…

Against her better judgment, his neighbour Elli Marchuk agrees to help Wyatt for a few days.

And the girl next door!

Elli soon falls in love with baby Darcy, but it’s her grouchy, gorgeous protector who’s got her head over heels….

My review:

Wyatt Black has no clue what to do when he finds his baby niece Darcy abandoned on his porch. He is a rancher and knows nothing about babies. Fortunately his neighbor Elli Marchuk is willing to help him with baby Darcy till he has figured out what is going on here. Wyatt and Elli fall in love with baby Darcy and she is their number one priority till Darcy’s mum returns. They feel attracted to one another but both carry a lot of emotional luggage and this stands between them.

To be honest, I had low expectations when I started this story. Why? Because it is only 187 pages long or perhaps better said short. Me and short stories are usually not a good combination, I almost always miss a certain depth in the characters or plotline and it usually feels rushed. But Donna Alward pleasantly surprised me with Proud Rancher, Precious Bundle. It is a beautiful, even-paced, emotional and solid read about two people who try to heal themselves and leave their past behind.

The story works for me because it is not rushed. The whole story takes place in approximately 2 – 3 weeks; it is even-paced and only deals with the relationship of Wyatt and Elli. So no complex plotlines or lots of characters, just a classic love story between two people. Because the storyline is pretty straightforward the strength of this story lies in the character development of Elli and Wyatt. Both are strong, likeable and totally caught in the maelstrom of emotions that baby Darcy brings along.

Wyatt is a rancher, handsome, strong, and a bit blunt sometimes but also gentle, caring and responsible. He had a lousy childhood; his father drank and beat him and he took care of his mom instead of the other way around. To compensate his father’s absence and lack of responsibility he always felt the need to fix things or people and still does. He tries very hard not to be like his father, but his parents’ marriage has scarred him. Having Darcy in the house makes him realize he is nothing like his father and that he is worthy of a family.

Elli is a strong and caring woman who lost her baby; on top of that she has lost her job and got divorced. Now she tries to pick up the pieces of her life and tries to figure out what to do with it. The last thing she needs is to fall head over heels again for a rancher and take care of a baby. But taking care of Darcy is forcing her to face her grief and start living again instead of hiding from the world. And while spending time with Darcy and Wyatt she discovers what she really wants out of a relationship.

I was really rooting for Elli and Wyatt, I so wanted them to be happy and have their HEA. Thanks to Darcy they both had to scrutinize their lives, they helped each other to fathom things about themselves so that they can move on with their life. At the end of the story both have a better understanding of themselves, making them well-rounded characters. Elli and Wyatt’s conversations are vivid and some were very recognizable, making the story only more real. Do not expect steamy love scenes, there aren’t any and I did not miss them. This story does not need it for it is packed with real-life emotions.

With this story I now have Donna Alward on my radar. Proud Rancher, Precious Bundle is a powerful, emotional and classic love story. It kept me captive and rooting for Elli and Wyatt to the last page. It is feel-good romance at its best and I loved it!




 
 

I am the only one of the ROOB gals who watches True Blood, at first I watched the show out of curiosity, one look at silent, brooding, mysterious Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and I was hooked, duhhh no Bill fan here, Eric the Viking vampire has me glued to my flat screen every Monday night 8:30 pm.


So for the first two seasons of True Blood Eric had my full attention but I already heard through the grapevine (Twitter friends) that he has some stiff competition in season 3 from shapeshifter Alcide (Joe Manganiello). But as always here in The Netherlands we are behind and season 3 only started two weeks ago, so I really did not get the excitement about Joe. Then in episode 2 of season 3 shapeshifter Alcide saunters up to Sookie’s porch… Well hello Joe!! So nice to finally meet you and yes you have my full attention now, woohooo can I have a larger flat screen??? Look at those abs, sheer perfection!

So here some pics of Joe to kick off the weekend!

October 14…. A day for most which will go by with no real meaning other than being a regular day in the year but for us at Realms it holds a bit more than that. Why? I hear you ask…. I’ll tell. Once my sister had an idea, her and me with a passion for reading books had of course our chats and fun discussing the books, but as my sister got into the book-anatics-thing on the internet an idea came to fruition, why not start a website with forum, discussing the one thing we love most. She discussed it with me and had one problem, she was not really into the technical side of making a website, tadada it was like the universe combined our ‘powers’ as I was a bit home in website-building, at that point I had worked on the administration of a web-design company for two years doing odd bits and pieces on websites and getting to know the technical inns and outs. Of course we both got excited and henceforth Realms On Our Bookshelves came to be a daily term in our phone-conversations. Through this we came to know many great people of whom Marissa and Pearl became dear friends of us.  

Early this year, the totality of building the website we had going grew a bit over our head. Our lives changed and as so many great authors got to our attention the website building was no longer a one girl job. The internet-community changed as well, instead of website/forum, blogging became the HOT thing and after discussing this over with Marissa and Pearl (whom beside our friends were steadfast reviewers of ROOB) we decided to change format and make it the four-ROOB-girl thing we have going today.

Throughout the past four years of knowing each other on the digi-world and outside that in real life we came to know us four as:

Leontine is wickedly fun, loyal, a bit of a scatterbrain and somewhat of a drama queen
Marissa, caring, chaotic, historical lover of the first order, smart but with her bridget jones moments (which is hilarious for us) and we came to know her as a musical encyclopedia
Natascha tends to be a bit of a wallflower, tell-it-like-it-is attitude but with a very big heart, creative, funny and has a passion for writing
Pearl is a busy-bee, talkative: always open for a chat about everything, sweet and caring

To add some spice to the post here are some great anecdotes from our time together:

Leontine – Staphorst meets the ROOB posse
Marissa- Triple A’s sexy alpha male to the rescue

Is it four years already?? Time flies when you have fun…

Ok today we talk about some of the funny things that happened to the ROOB gals over the years, there are really too many Bridget Jones moments to pen them all down here. We all know each other through the Internet, but I can remember the very first time I met Leontine in the flesh. I was picking her up for a bookfair in Rotterdam, she opened her door and the very first thing she said to me was: “Hi, you look so different than I thought you would.” “Well hello to you too Leontine!” After that we chatted about everything and nothing like we have known each other for years and that has never changed. The whole Staphorst affair and the word “sophistication” still make me smile when I think back of the memorable coffee-stop we made in that little town, but I picked another story to tell. So here it goes and you are forewarned, I am not a good storyteller.


What else to say, except that I hope that ROOB will be around for many more years and that I cherish my friendship (on the Internet and IRL) with Leontine, Pearl & Natascha. #raising my glass# To many more laughs, book & girl talk and embarrassing moments! Love you gals!

XOXO
Marissa

Once upon a time we: Pearl, Marissa and I were going to Natascha for an overall meeting and to celebrate her 30th birthday. Because Natascha lives about a 3 hour drive away from the rest Marissa was all over the music selection for the road trip. Truly, she has an inner DJ for information about songs, bands and trivia information about them. She was in to the songs that were so wrong they actually sounded right, some of her playlist:


Right Said Fred – I’m too sexy
Boney M – Rivers of Babylon
Matthias Reim – Verdamt ich lieb dich
Marianne Rosenberg – Ich bin wie Du
Opus – Life is Life
Roberto Jacketti & the scooters – I save the day
Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers – Islands in the stream
Sabrina – Boys, boys, boys

As much was from the 70’s and 80’s the nostalgia was coursing through our veins, the clothes, teen-age years, the make-up, nothing was left unspoken as three very, but then really very “off key” voices were singing along. Or I could say, two voices were singing along and I was mumbling and extremely happy when I could sing along with the chorus of each song….my mind actually went blank with a few songs *eek*.

The car was eating away the miles and the music was jamming and it was halfway that we decided to take a break and go for coffee. Now what I’m about to tell next is told with all due respect for each and every religion! In the Netherlands we have our Sin Cities, really….love ‘em, hate ‘em, but you can’t go around them. To balance it we have a few villages in our country that have their own way of exercising their believes and are very…very…truly very strict in upholding the rules as stated within those beliefs. It is in such a town called “Staphorst” that we stopped for coffee, at first we didn’t even realize it but then we thought Staphorst bells started to go off big time. Full of giggles we entered an establishment where we were confronted with a crowd of grandpa’s and grandma’s. We sat down at a table and ordered our food and drinks. Up to then everything was under control and we were showing our best behavior! But this came crashing down so fast as we started to talk about books and books and…well erotic romance. I should’ve taken an example to Marissa and Pearl and censure my language but what can I say, I was excited, the passion for the topic evident in my voice and I had a few things to say. I think I can safely say that the three of us won’t be visiting that town any day soon because the people lunching and drinking their coffee definitely gave me the evil eye a few times while Marissa said: Sophistication Leo, where’s the sophistication??” Uhm, well... probably lost it along the way I guess LOL. If it got lost along the way then it evaporated as we got to the topic of anal behavior…this is in the context of compulsory behavior! That we all have got that one straight *wink* Pearl has got this about reading orders, she has to read books in order of release date and it doesn’t matter whether it is part of a series, trilogies or novels. Now I have got this myself and probably Marissa and Natascha, and a whole lot of readers with us about series. Reading the series and trilogies in chronically correct order so you can experience the full impact of the overall story. Pearl just takes it a step further and it is a unique quirk to her nature *we still love you Pearl!*. From this we got to Lora Leigh and her Breed series….do I need to say more. Breeds, Staphorst, and three women who just discovered these awesome erotica novels. Add my attitude to the mix and as I’ve said, Staphorst was more than relieved to see me go LOL

Of course we arrived at Ashleagh’s house full of smiles and giggles and had a blast!

After four years of sharing the love with each other for books and sharing an incredible friendship I can’t believe how much we changed since our tentative first steps in reading English books. Our yellow road brought us to Blogger, Twitter, Goodreads and Facebook. ROOB the website changed along with it. It allowed us to read and review fantastic authors but most of all those get-together’s as friends will be cherished the most. I toast to Natascha, Marissa and Pearl; girls, may we have many more anecdotes to tell once we reach our senior citizen years and our friendship still goes strong. To all those who we’ve come to know online, we love to share the passion for the romance genre and you’ve all made it a blast! Thank you!!!

Of course we had many more moments together but let’s not bring out the most spicy details just yet… But do not be too disappointed… we have a great contest for you in store:


Giveaway: To share in our love for the romance we would like to give one commenter a choice in book up to € 6.50 (six and a half euro's) and to where Book Depository Store ships! Winner will be announced on October 18th.

Enjoy our anniversary week ;-) We have Lora Leigh with a one on one interview with Leontine and Donna Grant over who gives her 411 on her MacLeod highlanders & still ongoing giveaways!

Warm wishes and happy readings,

Leontine, Marissa, Natascha & (from the sick-bay) Pearl

These books caught my eye and are now on my wishlist.

Torment by Lauren Kate
Fallen Series Part 2

Release date: 28 September 2010
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Delecorte Books

Website: Lauren Kate

Blurb:

Hell on earth.

That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous.

What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

Hurt Me So Good by Joely Sue Burkhart
The Connaghers Part 2

Release date: 5 October 2010
Genre: contemporary erotic romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishers

Website: Joely Sue Burkhart

Blurb

One sub to please the Master…in any way he wishes.

Victor Connagher is no stranger to the Dallas BDSM scene. As CEO of a risqué cable channel that caters to adventurous adults, he ensures the lifestyle is portrayed in a positive light. He even supports a local bondage club. Yet behind the cool, confident mask, Victor lives in fear.

Once, and only once, he lost control of his inner Dom—and it cost him his fiancée. Now, no one knows how hard he works to keep his darker appetite for pain buried. No matter how much his saucy, confident associate producer makes his fingers itch to once again take up his riding crop.

Shiloh Holmes is a sub, but she’s no doormat. She’s always suspected Victor has the skills to feed her insatiable need for pain, and now she’s found the perfect way to crack his formidable control. Develop a new reality show, America’s Next Top sub…and dare him to compete.

Week after week, as Shiloh fearlessly challenges the real Victor to come out of hiding, he realizes his past mistake was only a blow to his pride. If he loses Shiloh, he could lose his heart.

Warning: Explicit sex, BDSM, reality television, a very reluctant Dom, an audacious sub willing to do anything to win for him, and one very wicked riding crop.

No Place To Run by Maya Banks
The Kelly Series Part 2

Release date: 7 december 2010
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Website: Maya Banks

Blurb

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super elite, top secret, family-run business.

Qualifications: High intelligence, rock hard body, military background.

Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the US government can’t…

Sam Kelly was her first love.

The last person Sam Kelly expected to pull wounded from the lake was Sophie Lundgren. Once they shared a brief, intense affair while Sam was undercover and then she vanished. She's spent the last months on the run, knowing that any mistake would cost her life and that of her unborn child—Sam's child. Now she's resurfaced with a warning for Sam: this time, he's the one in danger.

Now he's her last chance.

Sam has too many questions to let her slip away again—like why she disappeared in the first place. This time he vows not to be seduced. But one look in her eyes, and the passion burns again, and Sam knows he’ll do anything to keep her and his child safe. However, Sophie’s dark past is more dangerous than he imagines, and the only way for either to survive it is to outrun it.

Haunting Desire by Erin Quinn

Release date: 5 April 2011
Genre: paranormal romance
Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Website: Erin Quinn

Blurb

A woman lost in a nightmare

Shealy O’Leary knows nothing of the ancient Book of Fennore. Nor of the Druid, the dark entity who controls—and is controlled by—the Book. But when she and her father are drawn into the past—and into the cursed no-man’s land called Fennore—she learns that the Druid is all too real. And unless Shealy bends to his will, her father will surely die...

A man desperate to regain his honor

After failing both his land and people, the fierce warrior Tiarnan was damned by the Druid to spend eternity in the black heart of Fennore. His only hope comes in the shape of a beautiful, frightened woman from the future. For she possesses a gift she is unaware of. A gift that the Druid covets—and a temptation that Tiarnan may not be able to resist.

A desire that drives their destiny

Alone in this primitive, terrifying world, Shealy must do what is right while fighting her desires for the formidable warrior who might be her greatest defender . . . or her worst enemy. Her only hope to save herself and her father will be to trust in her own heart and the sacred power she has yet to unleash . .

These books are on my wishlist and will be devoured the minute they land on my doormat....

After reading Ares's story in Assassin's Honor, I cannot wait to continue with this fabulous new series and read what's in store for Lysander...

Monica Burns - Assassin's Heart
The Order of the Sicari series part 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release: September 2010

Website author

Summary:

The truth of the soul.

Lysander Condellaire never understood why he had telepathic and telekinetic powers until the night his Praetorian father tortured him and left him for dead. Now, the half-angelic, half-demonic face he sees in the mirror is a reminder of the monster he must keep hidden or face expulsion from the order of assassins know as the Sicari. But his dreams of Ancient Rome hint at a destiny he finds hard to accept, especially when it involves the woman he loves, but can never have.

The consequences of desire.

A gifted healer in the Order, Phaedra DeLuca witnessed her mother’s murder when she was just a little girl. The haunting memory makes her loathe everything Praetorian. When she travels to Rome in search of an ancient artifact, she must work alongside a man who once cruelly rejected her love and healing touch. But her dreams of Ancient Rome tell of an irreversible and possibly dangerous future. For the distant past and present are about to collide--with the one man she is destined to love.

Catherine Coulter - The Valcourt Heiress
Part 7 in the Song/Medieval Series
Genre: Historical Romance

Release: 5 October 2010

Website author

Summary:

Twenty-four year old Lord Garron of Kersey is on his way home to succeed his late brother, Arthur, as the Earl of Wareham. But on arrival, Garron discovers his home, Wareham Castle, has been nearly destroyed by The Black Demon and his band of bad bad soldiers looking for Arthur's cache of silver coins which remain hidden. The handful of servants who've survived includes a young girl named Merry, supposedly the castle priest's bastard, who is as clever and enterprising as Garron.

Garron is told this Balc Demon destroyed Wareham because no one would tell him where Arthur had hidden stolen silver coins. Equally puzzling is the too-smart bastard Merry -- as well bred, literate and brave as any man he's ever known. Indeed, she galvanizes his people to action before he can even ask her assistance. She's a natural leader and a skilled healer, but Merry has secrest of her own...secrets that could endanger Garron and his peopl. He knows she's hiding something, knows she could bring more bad things down on his head, but he likes her and her fast mind and her ready wit. But can he survive the truth?

After Jack, Deke and Luc the wait is now for wicked lover Hunter...

Shayla Black - Surrender to Me
Wicked Lovers Series Part 4
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Release: March 2011

Website author

Summary:

A secret fantasy.

Hunter had everything until a bullet iced his career as a Navy SEAL. Restless and uncertain about his future, he accepts an intriguing proposition: share an acquaintance’s girlfriend and fulfill her fantasy of a ménage. It should have been just a night of sexual adventure between three consenting adults. But Kata is like no other girl Hunter has ever met. By turns audacious and sexy, then vulnerable and aloof, she’s a heartbreaker he’s determined to master. But he needs more than one night. And he wants to do it alone.

An uncontrollable obsession.

Kata never expected to leave her comfortable relationship and explore something so dangerously forbidden with a stranger. Hard as she tries to resist, the guilty pleasure overwhelms her, and she surrenders herself, inch by inch, to the hardcore man who wants her for himself. Consumed by blazing desire, they’re soon threatened by the shadows of the past. And now to keep Kata safe, Hunter makes her a bold proposition of his own. Saying yes will destroy her heart. But saying no could cost Kata her life.

Jill Shalvis' feel good stories always cheer me up and make me laugh out loud...

Jill Shalvis -Simply Irresistible
Book 1 in the Lucky Harbor Series
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release: 26 September 2010

Website author

Summary:

Maddie Moore’s whole life needs a makeover.

In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother–a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.

Starting over won’t be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career–if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.

The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes–and mouth–are making it hard for her to remember that she’s sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie’s struggles to overcome the past, though she’s about to discover that there’s no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

Hi Everyone!

It is another Happy Abs Day at the ROOB blog, and today our happy abs are all wrapped up in kilts! Kilts come in many different styles these days, there is one for every occasion...

So let the fashion kilt parade begin...

Traditional blue or casual red... yet yummy! Leather kilt for a sexy evening... It works for Chris Capaldi imo... Eccentric or jeans... Gerard Butler is dressed to kilt... Naughty, mini or thong kilt... Outdoors, romantic kilt... Trendy or lowrider kilt...  So the cross hatch pattern does not dominate the kilt anymore... The kilt has found its way into the 21th century! Happy kilted Abs Day!