Bookish Rants or Raves: What happened with my 2012 anticipated books?

Lists are fun. Unless they are lists of housekeeping chores, and then, well, never mind. (Move along, nothing to see here)

Book lists are fun. How many “best books of 2012” lists have you checked out? If you haven’t gotten your fill yet, Largehearted Boy is collecting every “best of 2012” book list he can get his virtual hands on. The list is positively ginormous, and guaranteed to do major damage to your wish list and/or TBR pile.

As I created my own “best of 2012” list at Reading Reality, I did a couple of other things. The natural thing is to create the accompanying list of “most anticipated books for 2013”, which yes, I also did.

Then I had this horribly guilty flash. How many of 2012’s most anticipated books did I actually read? Oops. I didn’t do very well. Actually, …

Review: The System by Heather Lin

Format Read: ebook provided by the author
Number of Pages: 177 pages
Release Date: August 11, 2012
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Capri is an alluring young prostitute with a painful past; Brody is a ruthless mercenary running with a crew of thieves who live on a spaceship called Gypsy Lass. When he enters her brothel, the attraction between them is instant, electric, and too much for him to handle. He leaves unsatisfied, never wanting to see the girl again for fear she might soften his hard heart.

But Brody’s captain has other ideas. The crew attempts to rob the brothel, and when things don’t go quite as planned, they take Capri hostage, forcing her and …

Review: A Little Bit Wicked by Robyn DeHart

Format Read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Number of Pages: 229 paged
Release Date: December 2, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: Forbidden Love #1
Genre: Historical Romance, Holiday Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Marcus Kincaid has returned to England after a ten-year absence. His older brother died during that time, making Marcus the Earl of Ashford. Not only that, his younger sister is embroiled in a potential scandal that could ruin her chance at marriage. His aunt has already called in reinforcements—The Paragon.

Vivian March is known simply as The Paragon. She moves through every circle within Society, smoothing out scandals and stopping gossip in its tracks. Everyone in London knows that if she aligns herself with you, Society will …

Review: A Galactic Holiday by Anna Hackett, Stacy Gail and Sasha Summers

Format Read:ebook provided by the authors
Number of Pages: 247 pages
Release Date: December 3, 2012
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Holiday Romance
Formats Available: ebook, audiobook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Anna Hackett’s Website | Stacy Gail’s Website | Sasha Summers’ Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Do androids dream of electric sugar plums?

A detective who refuses to modify her body teams up with her cyborg rival to track down a burglar who is putting toys into homes. A solitary ice miner finds love and friendship while stranded on the surface of Galileo. And two hardheaded negotiators put their differences aside to evade an assassin and save their planets. Enjoy these visions of Christmases yet to come with three science-fiction novellas from …

Interview with Jenna Bennett + Giveaway

TGIF Book Lovers! 🙂 We are very pleased to welcome the multi-faceted Jenna Bennett to Book Lovers Inc. today. Under the name Jennie Bentley, she writes murder mysteries about home renovation (well, everyone says houses are money pits, right?) But we’re here to talk to her Jenna Bennett persona, the one who writes the science fiction romance. Fortune’s Hero, the first book in her new series is just out, and it was an interesting mix of jailbreak, action/adventure and enemies to lovers romance, along with a bit of rebellion against the evil empire thrown in for spice. Answer Jenna’s question at the end of the post, and you could win a copy of Fortune’s Hero for your own. 

Marlene: Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Jenna: Happily! I was born in Norway and now I live in the US with a husband and two kids. I’ve …

Review: Chase Me by Tamara Hogan

Format Read: ebook provided by the publisher
Number of Pages: 352 pages
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Series: Underbelly Chronicles #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Formats Available: Mass Market paperback, ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK) | Author’s Website | Goodreads | Publisher’s Website

Book Blurb:

THE SECRETS SHE’S UNCOVERiNG WILL BE HIS TO KEEP…

Centuries ago, when their ship crashed to Earth, paranormals of all types settled secretly into our world, quietly going about their business with humans none the wiser. Self-ruling and careful to stay below the radar, all is threatened when Valkyrie archaeologist Lorin Schlessinger and her werewolf geologist partner Gabe Lupinsky inadvertently draw evil attention to Earth and its treasured natural resources.

As the threat intensifies, Lorin and Gabe …

Guest Post: An Out of this World Soundtrack + Giveaway

Music is an important part of the holidays! It’s also a very useful tool when telling stories. The right piece of music can be the perfect inspiration to make the words flow.

So here are the authors of the sci-fi romance holiday anthology, A GALACTIC HOLIDAY, talking about out-of-this-world music that helped inspire their out-of-this-world novellas.

Sasha: I admit, I didn’t listen to any traditional Christmas music while I was writing GALILEO’S HOLIDAY. I love Christmas music, don’t get me wrong. But the vibe wasn’t quite right. I do write to music, though, so I pulled a few songs that gave me the ‘feel’ I was looking for.  Two favorites are:

SAIL by Awolnation

Memorials/Rebuilding Serenity from the Serenity Soundtrack

Stacy: Since HOW THE GLITCH SAVED CHRISTMAS is in futuristic Chicago, I had the luxury of using Christmas carols in my story, though I made up Edison’s favorite, “Gimme, Santa, …

Review: Like Hearts Enchanted by Kathleen Tudor and Cecilia Tan

Format Read:ebook provided by the publisher
Number of Pages:74 pages
Release Date:May 31, 2012
Publisher:Circlet Press
Genre: Fantasy romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website

Book Blurb:

Love is a universal ideal transcending time and place and occasionally even dimensions. Anyone who has ever been in love knows that there is something magical about it, but what happens when real magic gets involved in matters of the heart? From love spells, to the ability to open the eyes and the mind, to a special little something that can make you downright irresistible, anything is possible when magic and love mingle.

Prepare to be enchanted and aroused as these five original short stories help you answer the important questions, like “What if love is right in front of you, and …

Review: Few are Chosen by Storm Grant

Format Read: ebook provided by the publisher
Number of Pages: 43 pages
Release Date: February 18, 2012
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Genre: Young Adult M/M Urban Fantasy
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website

Book Blurb:

Sparks fly between virgin teenage demon hunters when the Chosen One turns out to be the Chosen . . . Two?

Apprentice warrior Blake St. Blake is the Chosen One, raised by an ancient order to defend the world against evil. Well, maybe not the whole world, but at least his neighborhood in downtown Detroit. When a dreaded reflux demon is sighted in a local cemetery, Blake is sent off to his very first battle, armed with his sword, his super-senses, his black leather duster, and a few well-rehearsed one-liners.

But another Chosen One gets …

Dual Review: Night Thief by Lisa Kessler

Format Read: ebook provided by the publisher
Number of Pages: 109 pages
Release Date: September 28, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: Night #1.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK) | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

After the fall of the Mayan civilization, Kane, an immortal Night Walker, has taken refuge in France for over 800 years. The modern world holds little interest for him until the night he meets the Golden Thief and is robbed of much more than his pocket watch.

Marguerite Rousseau is living a double life. By day she is the assistant to an eccentric French artist, Antoine Berjon, and by night she dons elegant evening gowns to woo French dignitaries before lifting their …