~WHAT I LOVED THIS WEEK~

What I loved this week...

• Well I loved the Vancouver Canucks this week especially after their nail-biting hometown win over Boston in game 5. Afterwards 100,000 Canucks fans took to the streets of downtown Vancouver to celebrate, the city has gone crazy. What a great game. Way to go Lou!

• I kinda loved the MTV movie awards otherwise known as the Twilight awards. I didn't love the host though, he was NOT funny although I did enjoy the opening Hangover takeoff skit. Anyways Rob was in a good mood (possibly drunk)  kissing Taylor Lautner and cracking jokes and then of course we got the much awaited Breaking Dawn Trailer.

....and not so much

• Games 3 &4 of the Stanley Cup playoffs were PAINFUL to watch as a Canucks fan. However I kinda gained a new appreciation for Boston goalie Tim Thomas. He does everything but stand on his head in goal and you gotta love a goalie that fights. Awesome! Now I just hope he sucks for the next 2 games.



~Last Movie I Watched- Black Swan~

Um WOW!
So that's why Natalie Portman won the Oscar. She's absolutely incredible.

 Pretty great movie too, a little artsy for my taste but intense, scary in parts and I love it when a movie ends and you have to work things out in your mind, figure it all out and other people have a completely different view about what was going on. You know, you have to think. Anyways NP totally deserved the Oscar for this. Neat little cameo from Lost Girls Kenzie too.
4.5 Stars

Somebody get those girls a sandwich or...

They might eat each other :)

Official IMDB Synopsis:
Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her. Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures

~REVIEW of Lora Leigh's WILD CARD~

Wild Card (Elite Ops, #1)

Opening Line: "Nathan Malone stood in the clinical white office he had been brought to"

This one is a keeper. One of those books that you can't stop reading and then find yourself sad as you approach the end because you don't want it to be over. WILD CARD is a beautiful romance with scorching hot love scenes, plenty of action and a sexy alpha male hero that literally jumps off the pages at you. Bound in leather chaps and just daring you to get on the back of his Harley. What an escape, I loved it.

Navy Seal Nathan Malone was happily married to his young wife Sabella. His last mission was supposed to be simple, infiltrate a Columbian drug cartel and rescue three young girls. But things went disastrously wrong and Nathan finds himself at the hands of Diego Fuentes the evil crime lord. He is held captive for 3 years, pumped full of experimental drugs, tortured and beaten beyond recognition. When he's finally rescued there isn't much left of the man he used to be. Scared inside and out, Nathan now feels that he's too damaged and violent to ever return to his wife and joins a team of covert ops. After several reconstructive surgeries Nathan Malone becomes Noah Blake aka "Wildcard." The man his wife loved is now gone forever.

Several years later a new mission (ironically enough) takes Noah back to his hometown and puts him undercover as a mechanic in Sabella's garage. He'd assumed that after 6 years his wife would have moved on with her life but she hasn't ever let Nathan go. After learning of Nathan's death Sabella didn't leave the house for 3 years, barely functioning, she dreams of him. There's is a love that will last forever, she tells herself. Only after almost losing their home and business does she manage to pull herself together enough to rejoin the world. Sabella initially has no idea that the sexy new Harley riding mechanic is her dead husband but something draws her to him and awakens feelings she had thought long buried. Nathan is stunned that Sabella isn't the agreeable little wallflower that he remembers as his wife anymore. Where did this tough, no nonsense woman come from?

This establishes the characters into their plotlines and that's when the story really gets going. The sex scenes are amazingly hot but they are also filled with such tenderness and longing that you will simply sigh. Lora Leigh pushes the boundaries further each time Noah and Bella are together and just when you think they couldn't possibly do anything else sexually, that it's just going to be another sex scene, she manages to make it different and even more exciting. The running internal dialogue is also well done here and heartbreaking as Noah struggles with the ghost of the man he used to be and Sabella tries to not let on that she knows who he really is. The endings full of suspense and I wasn't certain until the last few pages if our couple would truly get their HEA or if our testosterone filled hero would leave again.

For an erotic Romance this is a very involved story and surprisingly long at 415 pages. Lora Leigh however had me enamoured from beginning to end and I feel that this is some of her best work. The unconditional love between the main characters was beautifully written, the story interesting and suspenseful. My only complaint would be the sloppy mistakes overlooked by her editor.

This is a story that I won't soon forget. Highly recommended.

-It's now been a few days since I finished reading Wildcard and an interesting thing has happened. I can no longer remember the sex scenes but I still find myself thinking about the love story.
Go Siorai, Forever my soul.

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's LOVER ENSHRINED~

~Phury's love story gets lost in the shuffle~

Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #6)


Opening Line: "The Wizard had returned."

In Book 6 of Ward’s awesome Black Dagger Brotherhood series we finally get Phury’s story… sort of. Unfortunately for him (and us) with this instalment Ward switches from the romance genre to urban fantasy and consequently Phury’s love story gets lost in the shuffle. Sure he still gets the girl in the Chosen Cormina and we still get a few awww moments but Phury’s terribly overshadowed by sub-plots and many, many alternate POV’s, never truly getting his chance to shine.

LOVER ENSHRINED see’s everyone from previous books returning and theres a lot of growth involved within the story as a whole. As usual Ward has several distinct plotlines running simultaneously and a host of secondary characters who continue to develop and grow. John Mathew, Blay, Quinn and Lash all take on huge roles here, evolving into very interesting main characters who captured and held my interest, often stealing the spotlight. Wrath as our foul mouthed King is wonderful and Zsadist will make your heart break all over again as he deals with his twin’s struggles and Bella’s dicey pregnancy. Vishous and Butch are barely mentioned and I found myself missing their banter. Xhex gets some major character development as does Rehvenge who has been set up brilliantly for LOVER AVENGED.

There are also some fantastic action scenes and those Lessers are back with a new leader who’s nastier than ever. Ward builds the suspense throughout here, introducing new characters and making me cry as old ones finally return. And even though this is a departure from the rest of her series there’s still plenty to love and fans won’t be disappointed, much. Its obvious Ward’s heading in a new direction I just hope she doesn’t stray too far.

Phury's character has always been a tragedy, continually sacrificing himself for the good of others. He's given up hundreds of years (and a leg) to save his twin Zsadist, remained celibate for centuries (although that's just changed) and most recently gave up his independence and future when he stepped in for V and became Primale of the Chosen. You could say he has a hero complex. He's also been pathetically in love with his twin's wife for at least 3 books now. This little predicament has filled him with such guilt and self disgust that the wizard and his red smoke have now taken up permanent residence.

This book is a tough journey for Phury as he succumbs to addiction and faces the consequences. It was heartbreaking watching him destroy himself and his Brothers having no choice but to let him hit bottom and ultimately let him go. There are some great scenes here with an exasperated King and a disgusted Zsadist. We also get many interactions from the other side with Cormina, the Chosen and the Scribe Virgin as Phury struggles to fulfill the role of Primale. Through it all Phury still manages to have perfect, flowing, multi-coloured hair, how does he do it? Cheers

~REVIEW of Jessica Bird's A MAN IN A MILLION~

A Man In A Million (The Moorehouse Legacy, #4)

Opening Line "Spike Moriarty raced down Park Avenue, legs pumping, arms swinging, black leather jacket flapping behind him in the night air."

This was my very first Silhouette Romance but because I'm such a huge fan of JR Ward and the Black Dagger Brotherhood I wanted to give her alter ego Jessica Bird a try. This is a good story and I loved the two main characters. Madeline is well written as a strong, take-charge kind of woman and Spike is just lovely as her troubled, tattooed love interest. I did find certain similarities between Spike and/or Zsadist/Phury and that definitely wasn't a bad thing.

A MAN IN A MILLION is relatively predictable, following the standard romance recipe. Spike and Madeline meet at a party each is attracted to the other but misread their intentions as Mad has trust issues and Spike had a troubled past he thinks would scare her away. A mutual friend sets the two up, sending Spike along as back up while Madeline confronts her brother Richard regarding her trust fund. The two manage to fall in love over the next few days at the family mansion before several misunderstandings tear them apart.

Whether writing as JR Ward or Jessica Bird the writing here is top notch. I really enjoyed the fact that Madeline was an Olympic athlete and Spike was a tattooed, Harley riding French chef. These were different character traits then I'd read before and made for an interesting story. The conflict between Mad and her brother was also well done as was the eventual forgiving found with her sister Amelia. The secondary characters are also well developed and the banter between Spike and his friend Sean is as I'd previously enjoyed between the `Brotherhood'. At times I did find myself irritated by the several misunderstandings our duo had to endure before they found their HEA but all in all this was still a worthwhile read.

If you like tattooed, Harley riding romantic leads with troubled pasts and strong females then this is a book that you will enjoy.

Here's the correct reading order for the series (The Moorehouse Legacy)
1-Beauty And The Black Sheep
2-His comfort and Joy
3-From The First
4-A Man In A Million

(The O'Banyon Brothers)Bird/Ward has never completed series
1-The Billionaire Next Door

~REVIEW of Jo Davis' LINE OF FIRE~

 

Line of Fire (Firefighters of Station Five, #4)

stars

Opening Line: “Go wide! Go wide! Come on Skyler pass the ball!”

Line Of Fire is book #4 in in the romantic, suspenseful and sexy firefighters of station five series. This time through we get apparent Brad Pitt lookalike Tommy Skylar’s story. At 23 he’s the youngest member of ‘A’ shift, a former star quarterback, Tommy had dreams of going to the NFL until the death of his brother in Iraq changed everything. Striving to make his parents proud Tommy joined the Fire Dept but still isn’t sure it’s where he wants to be.

So far I’ve really enjoyed this series, I mean how could you not? With hard bodied firemen heroes, smoking hot love scenes, and exciting action-suspense storylines it’s always a great ride. Part of the fun in reading these books is also the anticipation of how many trips to the hospital our heroes will have to endure before they get the bad guy and win the girl. Jo Davis just loves to beat up her men and it’s become a bit of a game for me counting the injuries. I also like how all the books are connected with updates from past characters and continuing story arcs. Here we get to catch up with 6-Pack, Zach, Julian and their Captain Sean’s ongoing struggle with the bottle.

 ER nurse Shea Ford has been trying to avoid Tommy’s irresistible charm and ongoing advances. She thinks that he’s way too young for the strong feelings he brings out in her and that she’d be much safer dating Prescott, a boring city planner. After Tommy lands in her ER (the 1st time) Shea finally concedes to a date and the two fall for each other pretty quickly after that.

Of course while all the romance is taking place we also have an arsonist on the loose and while I didn’t find his POV particularly interesting, his bad guy antics do enable Sean to finally hit bottom and land Tommy in the hospital again, this time with surprisingly devastating injuries. Ironically I had just been saying to myself; Davis is taking it easy on her hero when whammy a burning building collapses on him, changing his future forever.

All in all a pretty good read although I have to admit it’s my least favourite from the series. I had a tough time feeling the connection between Tommy and Shea or believing that he was ready for a HEA at 23 especially when he read like such a mama’s boy. And then there was the gratuitous anal sex scene at Tommy’s parents house which I suppose was meant to show the depth of their love (?) in a Lora Leigh sort of way however I found it unnecessary and weird especially considering Shea‘s dark secret. A lot of times this just felt like Davis was going through the motions with stilted, fluffy dialogue and an almost repetitive story line. Still I can’t wait to read Sean’s conclusion to this series next in RIDE THE FIRE.

~REVIEW of Suzanne Brockmann's PRINCE JOE~

Prince Joe (Tall, Dark & Dangerous #1)

Opening line: "All of the major network news cameras were rolling as Tedric Cortere, crown prince of Ustanzia, entered the airport."

Prince Joe is the 1st from Brockmann’s 11 book Tall Dark and Dangerous series, its Troubleshooters ‘light’ and except for a couple of issues its very, very good. And damn but that Brockman can write a delicious hero because Prince Joe, well I fell a little (lot) in love with him. This SEAL was just arrogant, combat hardened and rough enough around the edges to catch my interest and then wrecked me when I realized he was a nice guy too (some might say even a prince) He’s sensitive, has insecurities and is even able to shed a tear. Of course he‘s also a pilot, diver, munitions expert, explosives guru, sharpshooter, mechanic, team leader, able to speak 8 languages and looks damn fine in (and out) of his dress whites *sigh* Now just where can I find a guy like that?

I didn’t really know what to expect going into this series, I’d heard good things but because it was written in 96 I thought it might be kind of dated (it isn’t) I’m also not one for the category romances but I found myself swept away here by the touching, suspenseful and often humorous story. I also appreciated Brockmann using proper military lingo, explaining it as we went along so that I felt a real connection to the characters.

of course our couple fall in love within days of meeting and through some great dialogue Brockman somehow had me believing it too. The love scenes are ‘soft’ yet also very satisfying and accept for the standard miscommunication/break-up towards the end I almost forgot I was reading category romance. There’s also a ton of exciting action and suspense with an ending that is just brilliant. Leaving me excited to continue on with the rest of these tall, dark and dangerous boys from SEAL team ten’s alpha squad.

As much as I enjoyed this I should also mention that I had a couple of issues. For some weird reason Brockman likes to invent countries (Why does she do this?) here I had to train myself so that every time I read her fake country of Ustanzia it became Estonia in my mind just so that I didn’t go nuts trying to imagine a country and people that don’t exist. Her characters also don’t swear, which is fine except that Joe substitutes “Jesus, Mary and Joseph” and always says it twice within the same page or paragraph which just seemed weird.

We meet Joe Catalanotto on leave, he’s relaxed, miles from anywhere and enjoying a days fishing with members of his team. All that changes in an instant as a chopper approaches their boat, drops a ladder and a voice announces to the Lieutenant “that his shore leave is over” Within 24hours Joe finds himself in Washington DC surrounded by dignitaries, military brass and one beautiful red headed media consultant.

Following an assassination attempt on the crown Prince of Ustanzia (Estonia) Veronica St John has just been given the seemingly impossible task of turning this rugged and stubborn New Jersey accented sailor into a Prince for the remainder of his US tour. Now while Joe may be the prince’s doppelganger it’s still going to be up to ‘Ronnie’ to teach him royal protocol, correct accent, background and the unique mannerisms needed to pull this off. (Think Miss Congeniality)

The attraction between our couple is immediate however Joe frustrates Veronica because he doesn’t seem to be taking the ‘job’ seriously. As the two grow closer Veronica begins to see that Joe is much more than he appears, willing to take a bullet for a man he not only doesn’t know but doesn’t like. Before long the “L” word is floating around with Joe feeling that he wouldn’t be good enough for her because of his blue collar background while Veronica tries not to fall in love with a man who will be away from home risking his life on a daily basis and enjoying it. Of course then theres also the small issue of the terrorists and the bulls eye on Joes chest.

~WHAT I LOVED THIS WEEK~

-Or a pessimist tries to be positive

Playoffs Hockey-

Hockey fever takes over Vancouver; business's closing early, street parties, the entire city smiling and dressed in blue and green. Approx seventy thousand people descend on downtown Vanc Saturday night to watch the game on big screens and celebrate 2 home wins over Boston. Very reminiscent of the Olympics.

                              

• In other local (Hockey) news; Bono gets picked up hitchhicking in West Vancouver by Gilbert Brule of the Edmonton Oilers. This story is so random and awesome. You can bet everyone is stopping for hitchhickers now, never know who you'll find.

....and not so much

• The death of Bowen Island's Wolf Dog. A very sad story for everyone concerned ...especially the wolf. Wild animals (and hybrids) do not make good pets people.

For more info on "wolf dog"

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110526/bc_bowen_wolf_110526/20110526?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

~REVIEW of Jay Kopelman's FROM BAGHDAD WITH LOVE~

Opening line:"I don't remember exactly when I got to the house that served as our command post in the northwest sector of Fallujah, and I don't remember exactly how I got there."

This was a surprisingly great read that held me captivated from beginning to end and I have been recommending it like crazy to all my friends.FROM BAGHDAD WITH LOVE tells the heartwarming and somewhat heartbreaking story of a starving abandoned puppy named Lava and the hardened marine who along with wartime journalists, Iraqi citizens and many, many others saved him from certain death on the bombed out streets of Iraq and eventually got him onto US soil.

Well written and containing 8 pages of photographs there is no secret to Lava's outcome but this is still an utterly fascinating story. Lava is initially discovered by the Third Marines unit known as The Lava Dogs when they storm an abandoned house in Fallujah Iraq and almost shoot him. Then not knowing what to do with the 5 week old puppy and forbidden by military law to keep pets the marines begin feeding and caring for the dog as they set up a command center in the abandoned house. Lava's presence allows the soldiers a pass from reality, a small piece of sweetness and normalcy in their daily hell and something else to think about other than getting killed. Has anybody fed the dog today? There are some touching scenes as we witness these big tough military men falling apart, talking in baby talk and playing with the puppy as he pees on their boots and destroys their belongings and they think he's cute.

Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman is eventually adopted by Lava who chooses his boots to sleep in. Subsequently several scenes play out like a movie as Lava is hidden and moved between red and green military zones and finally crated as they attempt to drive him across the Jordanian border. The last few chapters are really exciting, and even though you know the outcome you will find yourself wondering, how exactly are they going to pull this off?

I learned a surprising amount about the war in Iraq reading this book and really got a feel for what the soldiers go through on a daily basis living in a war zone. Just how hard it must be to maintain your sanity amidst all the chaos and death. The ending is just WOW and had me close to tears, as it's Lava who ultimately saves one marine from the emotional ravages of war. This is a book that I can highly recommend, especially if you're a dog lover in addition you'll get to learn a little something about a war that most of us barely notice anymore when the images and numbers flash past on our TV screens.

Here's a great video where Jay talks about finding Lava

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLIzyAM5qrQ

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's LOVER UNBOUND~

 ~AWESOME, WITH AN UNCONVENTIONAL ENDING~

-Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #5)
 

Opening Line: "I am so not feeling all this cowhide"

 

Book 5 in JR Wards sexy Black Dagger Brotherhood series is all about Vishous and "Doc" Jane. It's another great addition and I really enjoyed witnessing V let his guard down and fall in love. I found him to be surprisingly considerate and gentle especially for someone who's into sadomasochism. His falling for Jane is believable and makes sense as she's his intellectual equal and he respects her for it. She's also one of the few (human or Vampire) able to put Vishous in his place. Their story is erotic, suspenseful and ultimately heartbreaking, with revelations and surprises galore. I would suggest however that newbie's read this series in order, to get the full affect and intricate back story.

LOVER UNBOUND sees everyone from previous books returning and there's a lot of growth involved within the story as a whole. As usual JR has several distinct plotlines running simultaneously and a host of secondary returning characters who continue to grow and evolve.

As we begin Vishous is having dirty thoughts about his roommate. Even though he's disgusted with himself he can't seem to stop wanting what he can't have, and watching Butch all lovey-dovey with his wife Marissa is driving him crazy. Good thing he has his S &M outfitted Penthouse and a list of females eager to be bound and dominated. Its while at his `love nest' that the Scribe Virgin makes an appearance blowing his mind with some life changing news and demanding that V become `Primale' (basically he must marry a harem of chosen females and propagate the declining vampire race) Not really V's cup of tea but that's the least of his problems as that very night sees him getting shot in the chest and taken to a human hospital where he's operated on by trauma surgeon Jane Whitcomb. Jane is a no nonsense woman; strong, brilliant and forthright she's also head of the department and has an interest in genetics, so when Jane see's V's unusual heart and characteristic Vampire traits she's more than intrigued.

Interestingly all the brothers `feel' V's injury and know instinctively that something is wrong. When they eventually find him the boys have to extract V from the hospital and cover up any evidence that he was ever there. This is a great scene as Phury, Rhage and Butch short out video monitors and alarms, fitz computer files and `scrub' nurses minds. To make things even more complicated V insists on kidnapping Jane so she can continue to care for him back at the mansion.

And... back at the mansion; Wrath is livid that Jane has been brought into the Brotherhood's world. Only allowing her to stay until V has recovered then she must be `scrubbed' and released. Butch is sick from inhaling Lessers and after Jane witness's a healing session she assumes V and Butch are a couple. This doesn't bode well for V who keeps thinking "mine" whenever he looks at her. Luckily he's able to perform certain acts in her dreams (nice.) Bella is having some complications with the pregnancy which in turn is making Zsadist a little crazy. John Mathew, Blay, Quinn and Lash continue their training and wait for `the change.' We are introduced to Cormina and JR gives us a fascinating look into the Scribe Virgins world. The Lessers remain relatively quiet throughout our story until towards the end and then, wow! We also get flashbacks of Vishous in his father's war camp and discover why he got his tattoos. V's darker sexual tendencies are also explored and in a very touching scene he and Butch talk about their feelings for each other.

Phury again plays a major role as we are set up brilliantly for the next book (LOVER ENSHRINED) He's having some major issues with anger management and feelings towards his twin's wife which is causing him to overindulge in `red smoke'. Ultimately Phury sacrifices again for the good of others.

This great book was a re-read for me and as you can tell a lot happens. Unfortunately I still had a hard time with the ending, it just doesn't sit right even knowing the outcome. All I will say is that its an untraditional HEA and you'd better have some Kleenex handy. The closing chapters do however contain one of my favourite scenes from the entire series and once you've read the hot chocolate scene you`ll know what I mean...Sigh

Highly recommended for fans of the sexy yet troubled Black Dagger Brotherhood.

~Last movie I watched- OLD SCHOOL~

Well as everyone knows this is freaking hilarious. How I missed seeing it until now though is beyond me. Now I 'get' what my brother is doing when he says "earmuffs" to his 2 year old son.  So many classic moments here. Well Ferrell actually made me cry I was laughing so hard.