My Bookish Wants & Gots (27)

My Bookish Wants & Gots is a monthly feature that will post on the first Saturday of the month. I list the books I want - which can be old, new, or upcoming releases - and the books I recently got. My Bookish Wants & Gots was inspired by Book Chick City’s On My Wishlist and the Mailbox Monday meme.

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together – how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can’t possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local rodeo, a Wake Forest College senior’s life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death – loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he’s keeping doesn’t destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

 

I’m a big time Nicholas Sparks fan. He writes it, I buy it. I don’t even have to read the blurb. The only sad thing is that The Longest Ride doesn’t come out until September 17, 2013 so it’ll be a while before I get to read this one.

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His Risk to Take (Line of Duty #2) by Tessa Bailey

The greater the risk, the hotter the reward…

Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation on the Chicago PD for being fearless and in control—until the night his daredevil partner is killed during a raid. From that moment on, he swears he’ll never again be responsible for the loss of a loved one. To escape his demons, Troy transfers to the NYPD, bringing him up close and personal with Ruby Elliott, a beautiful, street-savvy pool hustler.

Reckless and stubbornly independent, Ruby embodies everything Troy’s avoiding, but when she walks into O’Hanlon’s Pub and blows his carefully laid plans to hell, Troy knows he has to have her—risks be damned. But there’s a connection between Ruby’s shadowed past and a case Troy’s working involving a notorious Brooklyn felon, throwing her safety into jeopardy. Confronted with his biggest fear, will Troy push Ruby away to keep her safe or fight to keep her in his arms where she belongs?

 

Quite of few lucky readers who read His Risk to Take early have been raving about this one. The blurb had me at “pool hustler”. And it’s only 99¢ to pre-order!

WANT =====> GOT!

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Wrong Bed, Right Guy (Come Undone #1) by Katee Robert

Seducing Mr. Wrong has never felt so right...

Prim and proper art gallery coordinator Elle Walser is no good at seducing men. Heck, she’s been throwing hints at her boss for months, but he’s completely clueless. Desperate to escape her mother’s matchmaking efforts, she comes up with a plan—buy some lingerie and climb into her boss’s bed. The plan goes brilliantly…until she accidentally seduces a sexy stranger instead.

Bad boy nightclub mogul Gabe Schultz just had the best almost-sex of his life. Too bad the smoking hot blonde thought he was his brother and bolted before he could finish what they started. Though her holier-than-thou attitude puts a serious damper on his mood, Gabe’s never been one to give up on something he wants. And he wants Elle. But does a man who lives on the dark side really have a chance with a proper lady?

 

I was browsing around my local book store last weekend and this book cover jumped right out at me. The title had me intrigued. And when I posted a picture of the book cover online, people were very vocal about this book in the most positive way. 

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Operation: Endurance (When the Mission Ends #3) by Christi Snow

They had a single night of passion before he deployed on a risky mission.

18 hours on a mission gone very wrong was all it took to shatter all their hopes and dreams.

The hero:
He survived 6 months of captivity and torture, kept alive by dreams of her.

The heroine:
She thought he was dead and moved on only to have her world fall apart once again.

Two people who have been hurt more than any two people should ever have to suffer. Can they find redemption and healing with each other or will another threat shatter what’s left of them?

A tortured hero.

A grieving heroine.

A serial rapist who won’t give up.

Warning: This book features graphic sexual violence which some readers could find disturbing.

 

For review. I can’t wait to read the final installment in this series.

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Trouble in the Making by Lissa Matthews

Johnny Trouble. He’s a commanding presence in leather and tattoos, both on stage and off. He’s had more than his fair share of groupies and lovers, but it’s time for a change. He reconnects with the woman whose memory has driven him crazy since high school. Liz.

She’s a quiet, shy romance author who likes her comfort zones. But when Johnny comes back into her life, Liz’s lust-filled private fantasies shift into overdrive and she nervously asks him to fulfill them.

Just one weekend is all she proposes, but the sparks flying between them aren’t temporary. She’s the particular brand of trouble he wants in his bed, bent over or crawling all over him. Forever.

 

For review. A celebrity/commoner trope! And the heroine is an author.

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Rocky Mountain Rebel (Six Pack Ranch #5) by Vivian Arend

The best type of growing up involves getting down and dirty

Vicki Hansol made different choices than her less-than-reputable mom and sister, yet her fiery temper has left her branded with the same town-bad-girl label. When she desperately needs a change of scenery, her get-out-of-town-free ticket arrives—and requires she face down one of her deepest fears.

Easygoing Joel Coleman has nothing to complain about, but he’s never really done anything to brag about either. The youngest member of the Six Pack Ranch is looking to make some changes in his life that include stepping out from under his twin brother’s shadow.

So when the bold beauty with the smart mouth approaches him with a proposition, Joel is intrigued. Her request for him to teach her to ride soon takes on a whole new meaning. All that passion in his arms, his bed, in the barn…hell, anywhere he can get it? Bring it on.

But tangling the sheets leads to unanticipated complications, and by the time the dust settles, everything family means is going to be challenged.

Caution: Saddle up for some youthful vigor applied with great enthusiasm. Ropes, rails and raunchy sex—there’s more places to get dirty around the ranch than first meets the eye.

 

For review. I’ve only read one book by Vivian Arend and I’m overdue for another. I’m jumping in the middle of this series but hopefully I won’t be too lost.

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Nature's Bounty by J. Rose Allister

When Nature Antillean, aka Nate the Crate, poses as a male stripper to arrest a sexy-as-hell fugitive, he has no intention of taking his disguise all the way—until he meets her. Lydia Franklin is more than eager to take her gorgeous strip-o-gram for a wild ride, considering how desperately life on the run sucks. The resulting encounter is explosive, but ends with Lydia handcuffed and Nate honor-bound to take her to jail. The fireworks aren’t over yet, however, for Nate discovers he’s now a victim of the same setup that got Lydia accused of a crime she didn’t commit.

With both of them declared fugitives, Nate must work with the woman he swore to bring to justice in order to defeat the plot and reclaim their lives. His hot body and stellar moves give Lydia plenty of motivation for teaming up in more ways than one, but she knows that the criminal he hopes to protect her from is one she must face—alone.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave.

 

For review. Hero poses as a male stripper to make an arrest? Count me in!

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Just One Kiss (Fool's Gold #11) by Susan Mallery

He won't hesitate to put his life on the line...but will he ever risk his heart?

Falling for Justice Garrett was a high point in Patience McGraw's otherwise awkward adolescence. Even after he disappeared, Patience never forgot the boy who captured her heart. Now, he's back in Fool's Gold, California, and her passion for him is as strong as ever. But how can she trust that he won't abandon her again-and her daughter, too?

When bodyguard Justice Garrett was a young man, witness protection brought him to this idyllic town and he never forgot its warmth, or the sweet beauty of his childhood friend. He's returned to open a defense academy, and the Patience he once knew is all grown up. He can't resist her smile, or her curves. But Justice's past doesn't make him husband, or father, material.

Patience and Justice think they'll succumb to just one kiss... Then one more... Okay, just one night together. But they might learn that falling in love is beyond anyone's control.

 

For review. I just love the Fool’s Gold series. I anxiously await each new release and can’t get enough of this small town romance.

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Bending Over Backwards by Samantha Hunter

“They both lost everything, and then they found each other.”

Jasmine Stanford has to be the most stressed-out yoga instructor on Cape Cod. Years after a childhood trauma left her penniless, homeless and parentless, working hard to maintain her hard-won success and security is all she knows.

Controlling her carefully rebuilt life is Jasmine's first priority, and there's no room or time in it for sexy former stockbroker Leo Fischer. But the more Leo comes around, the more Jasmine feels her resolve crumbling.

Leo is-or was-a hotshot investment banker until a workplace tragedy wiped out his memory and his career. On Cape Cod to recover, he's at loose ends, his future uncertain...until Jasmine becomes his north star. But their relationship is only physical, and Jasmine keeps her distance, even when she's as close to him as any woman can be.

Jasmine is anything but indifferent to the desire exploding between them. A summer fling was fine when she thought Leo would return to New York. But she's falling hard-and the last thing she wants to catch her is the past...

Warning: This book contains a wounded hero hotter than a summer sun and sex in very flexible positions.

 

For review. This one sounds like a fun, sexy read.

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What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat.

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.

When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.

 

Readers have been raving about this book so when I saw that it was a free Kindle book, I had to grab it.

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What are some of your recent bookish wants and gots?

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