June 2015 Book of the Month & Giveaway
July 17, 2015 11:44 AM Posted by juliannadouglas
Once again, five-star reads eluded me in May, so I'm skipping ahead to my June reading. My favorite book I read that month is a historical romance set in the Georgian era. It's the eighth and latest book in Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series. Our heroine, Phoebe, has been there almost since the beginning of the series, when she was just a teenager whose eyesight was failing. Now she's a grown woman and fully blind but struggling to maintain her independence while dealing with an older brother who wants to wrap her in cotton wool. The only way he'll let her out of the house is with a bodyguard escorting her everywhere. Phoebe initially resents the man's intrusion but the more time she spends in his company, the more she becomes accustomed to having him in her life and can scarely imagine him not being a part of it. Her bodyguard and hero is James Trevellion, the former Dragoon captain, who has also been a part of the series for quite some time. He's loved Phoebe from afar almost since he started working for her brother, but thinking himself too old for her and too far beneath her in social station, he keeps his feelings to himself. When multiple kidnapping attempts are made against Phoebe, it becomes quite clear that someone is out to do her harm. James will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, which means taking her far away to someplace where the ne'er-do-wells would never think to look for her, his old family home in Cornwall. On their long journey there, they pretend to be husband and wife, placing them in very close quarters and making it impossible for James to ignore his love for Phoebe any longer.
Categories: Book of the Month
Tags: Elizabeth Hoyt
April 2015 Book of the Month & Giveaway
May 20, 2015 04:16 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
I had no five-star reads in March, so I'm fast-forwarding to my April Book of the Month. My favorite book from April's reading is a beautifully written and emotionally engaging historical romance. The hero, Matthew (Apparently I have a thing for heroes with this name, since my February Book of the Month featured one too.:-)), is a brilliant artist and heir to a dukedom that he cares little about. Instead, he lives the life of a rakehell, taking his pleasures wherever and whenever he chooses. With only one person whom he counts as a true friend, Matthew generally lives the life of a loner and trusts no one, least of all women. He's a deeply tortured soul, whose past abuse has poorly colored his perceptions of sex, and therefore women mean little to him except as an outlet for his lust. Even then, he can usually only stomach it when he's drunk. That all changes the night he's beaten senseless and taken to a hospital where he meets Jane. Jane is a kind and caring nurse, and to Matthew, who has been temporarily blinded, her voice sounds like that of an angel. He is shocked to feel a desire to lose himself in her tender touch.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Charlotte Featherstone
February 2015 Book of the Month & Giveaway
April 2, 2015 03:26 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
My favorite 5-star read for February was a classic, epic romance that was first published in the early 1990's. It's the story of two star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the tracks. Matt has worked hard in the steel mills and as a mechanic for every penny he's earned to help take care of his family and get an education that will take him away from his impoverished life. Meredith is the daughter of a department store CEO who was born into wealth and privilege. The two meet by chance at a country club and share an unforgettable night of passion that leads to a pregnancy. He's more than willing to step up to the plate, but they only have one week to get to know one another before he must fulfill a contract to work in the Venezuelan oil fields for the next several years. Once separated, these two young lovers are unknowingly manipulated by her controlling father, until they both grow to hate one another and believe the other has sought a divorce. Eleven long years later, Matt has finally realized his life's ambition and earned his fortune. He's a powerful businessman who is every bit as wealthy as Meredith but finds himself restless with life. Meredith has worked hard to earn her degree in business and make her way up through the ranks of her father's store in hopes that he will appoint her as his successor. Now running in the same circles, the two finally meet up again. The attraction between them still burns hot, but can either of them ever forgive the other for their perceived betrayal?
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Judith McNaught
January 2015 Book of the Month & Giveaway
February 25, 2015 06:53 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
My only 5-star read in January was the final installment of an extremely popular middle grade/young adult fantasy series that is beloved worldwide for it's relatable characters and magical storylines. Yes, I'm talking about the Harry Potter series, and in this volume, Harry finally meets his destiny. Everything he has learned about and prepared for throughout his years at Hogwarts comes into play as he goes on a dangerous, eventful, and oftentimes frustrating search for the Horcruxes and a way to destroy them. Harry also learns the meaning of true friendship, bravery, and loyalty as all his friends and loved ones band together to help him fight the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Many of them don't make it through this book alive, making for a real tear-jerker of a story, but what is achieved in the end prevented them from dying in vain. This book was everything I'd hoped for and more, and I could hardly wait to get back to it when I had to put it down. It was an emotionally powerful ending to an amazing series, and Harry Potter is truly one of the greatest literary heroes to ever grace the pages of a novel. That's why I'm naming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows my January Book of the Month. If you enjoy YA fantasy and haven't read this wonderful book yet, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Or if your copy has become dog-eared from all the repeat readings and you'd like a new copy for your keeper shelf, check out my contest below to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling
November 2014 Book of the Month & Giveaway
January 22, 2015 10:02 AM Posted by juliannadouglas
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season filled with fun and laughter. The holidays are always an insanely busy time for me, so some things inevitably end up on the back burner. That being the case, I've fallen way behind on doing my Book of the Month feature, so now I'm playing catch-up.
My favorite 5-star read in November was a sweetly emotional historical romance from a beloved author who's been around for a very long time. It's a story of two people who meet in the middle of a nasty snowstorm when his carriage accidentally causes hers to skid off the road into a snowbank. At first, their personalities clash, but spending so much time alone together makes them see the good in each other and realize just how attractive the other one is. They share an unforgettable night of passion and then go their separate ways, but neither can quite forget the other. When fate conspires to bring them back together over and over again, our intrepid hero begins to persistently press his suit, while our reluctant heroine keeps her distance, thinking there can never be a future between them because of questionable things in her past.
Categories: Book of the Month
Tags: Mary Balogh
October 2014 Book of the Month & Giveaway
November 17, 2014 12:29 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
I only want to pass along recommendations and do giveaways for the very best of the best from my reading, so I only plan to name books to which I personally gave five stars as Book of the Month. Since I had no five star reads in September, I didn't do a giveaway for that month. Now I'm back from my little hiatus to name a new Book of the Month for October.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
August 2014 Book of the Month & Giveaway
September 26, 2014 06:52 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
From my August reading, I've chosen to highlight a historical romance that embodies a fairy tale quality. It's loaded with angst, drama, conflict, high seas adventure, and exotic locales. It's also a moving tale of redemption, enemies turned to lovers, and the power of love to overcome the pain of the past. Oftentimes an author's early work shows their greenness as a writer, but IMHO, this best-selling romance novelist exhibited her impressive talent right from the start. This book was her debut novel, and what a great beginning it was. It's the story of a lost prince turned pirate, finally returning to his island homeland to take up the throne that is his birthright. But the path to that victory is a rocky one laden with potential pitfalls and heartache. He is a deeply tortured soul, but luckily for him, a woman who adored him when he was nothing more than a legend in her mind stands by his side, against all odds, offering the support, encouragement, and love he needs to accomplish his goal. Their love story is an epic and emotional journey filled with adventure, danger, and passion, and it was an absolute joy to read. That's why I'm naming Gaelen Foley's The Pirate Prince as my August Book of the Month. If you're a romance lover and haven't read this book yet, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Gaelen Foley
July 2014 Book of the Month & Giveaway
September 1, 2014 06:00 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
It's time for my second Book of the Month pick. In case you missed the first one, I'll reiterate just a bit what I'm doing. In honor of my lifetime love of reading and to give credit to my fellow authors who in my estimation are very talented at their craft, each month I'll be choosing the best book I read the previous month and highlighting it with a feature, a review, and a giveaway. I'm still a little behind on getting my reviews posted, so this is my pick for the month of July.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Mari Carr
June 2014 Book of the Month & Giveaway
August 11, 2014 04:14 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
Before becoming a writer, I was a reader. Even though I'm very busy with writing now, I still carve out time for reading every day. I've been an avid reader for most of my life, which is probably why I started my own book review site six years ago. When I find a wonderful book that I enjoy, I just love to spread the word about it. I'm always eager to promote my fellow authors who, in my estimation, are doing an excellent job. That's why I've decided to start my own little version of the Book of the Month club here on my blog. Each month, I'm going to choose the best book I read during the previous month, highlight it with a review, and give away a copy to one lucky reader. I've fallen a bit behind on writing, editing, and posting my reviews over the past couple of months, so the first entry in my Book of the Month club is from my June reading and therefore a bit tardy. In future, I hope to stay a little more up to date on this column, but my June pick was simply so awesome, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pass along the recommendation.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Debra Anastasia, Poughkeepsie
