#RollBackWeek

I am incredibly excited about the upcoming #RollBackWeek that is being spearheaded by Under the Covers.  I am one of those eternal optimists that believes I'll have all the time in the world to read.  So I keep buying and hoping and yeah, my towering TBR has become this:

Thanks to several new friends from the Old School Romance Book Club -yeah, I'm looking at you, Lady A!- instead of working on making this pile smaller, it has grown to epic proportions.  

The lovely ladies at Under the Covers are obviously suffering from the same dilemma and decided to take one week of each month and dedicate it to whittling away at the stack.  No re-reads, which means I will have to do my The Magic of You post ahead of time, and no books published within the last two months.  

Since I am off for the entire week of Thanksgiving, I decided that I am going to shoot for a total of 9 books - 6 historical fiction and 3 young adult.

For my historical fiction fix, I am going to (finally) complete Alexandra Hawkins's Lords of Vice series. I mean really, just look at these covers:

I bought my first of these at a thrift store and discovered it was book 7 before I started reading it.  I searched for the others, read book 1 All Night With a Rogue, then promptly got distracted by something else.  So, starting on November 24th, Till Dawn With the Devil will be on my currently reading list, to be followed by the others.

As for my YA reads, I can't wait to finally complete the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. I read The Lost Hero and Son of Neptune, but I am so impatient between books that I decided to wait until the final one was out.  But I now own all of them, including a couple of British versions and I am looking forward to completing this series as well.

The Malory I Love Best!!!

Description via Goodreads.com:

Scottish heiress Roslynn Chadwick needs the safety of marriage to protect her from an unscrupulous cousin and from the army of fortune-hunting scoundrels who covet her wealth and beauty. And Anthony Malory is everything she has been warned against.

A ruthless, irresistibly handsome English rogue, Malory's sensual blue eyes speak of limitless pleasures. How she wishes she dare to love such a man... to believe the whispered murmurings of his passionate promise... and to follow the enchanting dream...

As I have mentioned before, I am a teacher. It is generally frowned upon to say out loud that we have a favorite student, but luckily there is no such decree when it comes to naming a favorite book in a series. Even after reading and re-reading the series often over the years, Tender Rebel remains the one I love over all the others.

I think that I always preferred Tony because while he was known to be a charmer and rake, he really was quite multi-faceted. For someone who might come across as frivolous, he could be ruthless and protective, especially for those he cares for. The fact that he was willing to jeopardize his relationship with Roslynn in order to help his best friend find his own HEA spoke volumes as to the hidden depths of Tony.  

And Roslynn- wow, there were times that she really annoyed me.  This perfect man wants to marry and protect you? And you keep jumping to conclusions without giving the man a chance to explain himself? And then, when you realize how silly and wrong you are, you don't apologize?  What an idiot!!And then, as I got older and was better at being introspective, I realized- damn, she's as stubborn as I am. No wonder! 

Fave quotes from Love Only Once

I've been going back through Love Only Once, looking for quotes that I like. The problem, and I can see this for ALL the novels in this series, is that these characters are among the most witty and sarcastic that Johanna Lindsey has created and pretty much everything that comes out of their mouths is quotable.

***Potential spoilers***

The mistress comes to a realization as old as time:
Selena gasped, truly surprised.  He was not foxed, and he was not being blasé. The infuriating man really had no idea what she was talking about.

Proving that yes, he is a man, Nicholas immediately jumps to a far fetched conclusion:
"Both? Tony and James Malory?" He was utterly stunned. "Good God, you don't mean your James Malory's mistress too!"

Tony's hypocrisy when it comes to family rears its head:
"Now that you mention it...oh, Tony, I really wouldn't mind having him for a husband, really I wouldn't.  And he reminds me of you."
"He is too much like me, which is exactly why he's not the one for you!"

Regina surprises the Countess with the news that she is to be a grandmother:
"Considering your son's reputation, no one will be surprised that Nicholas could not be held off for the four long months of our engagement."
"Well, I never!"
"Haven't you?"

Regina has some not-so-welcome information for James:
Reggie moved closer to Conrad, took a long breath, and then said hesitantly, "Uncle James, your men didn't make a mistake."
"They --"
"-- didn't make a mistake," she finished.  "I am Nicholas' wife."


These are just a few of the quotes that stand out for me.  How about any of you? Any favorites that I missed?

As my TBR pile just keeps growing and growing...

One author that has become an auto buy has just revealed the cover for her next release. Sadly, we have to wait until August....



The next must read by Karen Hawkins!!!

Well hello, there, Nicholas Eden!!

Description found on Goodreads.com: 

The exquisite niece of Lord Edward and Lady Charlotte Malory, Regina Ashton is outraged over her abduction by the arrogant, devilishly handsome Nicholas Eden—and is determined to make the rogue pay . . . with his heart.

A golden-haired seducer, Nicholas has been hardened by a painful secret in his past. And now that he has besmirched Reggie's good name, the hot-tempered lady has vowed to wed him. Her fiery beauty stirs Nicholas as no woman ever has—and the rake arouses Reggie's passion to an unendurable level. Such uncontrolled desires can lead only to dangerous misunderstandings . . . and, perhaps, to a love that can live only once in a lifetime.

Okay, I'll say it: While I can appreciate the desire to update covers for reprints and a new audience, there is just something about the older covers that draws my attention.  I'm not saying that they are always better, but maybe having those covers is why I've never been embarrassed about what I was reading.  If I wanted to read, I was going to read, and public opinion be damned.  I know that now people feel more comfortable because they are using e-readers or covers aren't quite as suggestive, but again - it never really bothered me.

As I mentioned, I had actually read the 3rd book in the Malory series first. While I was a little clueless when it came to the hows, whys, wherefores of Nick's relationship with Reggie's uncles, it wasn't too confusing. But  I immediately started looking for the first two books so I could read more about those Malorys. 

I kind of fell behind with this series - thanks to FB and Goodreads, I have been discovering a variety of authors and my TBR list/ pile has grown to epic proportions. But I thoroughly plan to reacquaint myself with all of the Malorys before I read the new ones.

Oh, Regina and Nicholas- where to begin?  I remember thinking that I would have loved to have Reggie's (or is that Regan's) problem - too many men to choose from.  And, given how old I was when I read these, I suppose I should be forgiven for not understanding Nick's reticence towards marriage. But for all the misunderstandings, craziness (pirates, kidnappings), and familial interference, this story was just sweet enough to give this then-teenager all the sigh-worthy moments that she wanted in a romance.  While this was not my favorite of the Malory stories, it certainly was a fitting start to a fun and wonderful series.

Johanna Lindsey's Malory-Andersons Read-A-Long!!

When I was in middle school, I helped my mom babysit during the summer. My weekly wages would then immediately travel to the local flea market, where I would hunt for romance novels, especially those by Johanna Lindsey. Fast forward- now I'm teaching middle school and still, a large amount of my pay goes to books. Sigh...the more things change...

The point to this bit of nostalgia? I am fortunate enough to belong to a FB group for readers of old school romance novels. Author Sarah MacLean created the group, and while there is a monthly read that members discuss, we are always sharing fave reads, asking for help identifying lost ones, and recommending new(ish) authors and titles. One member posted pics of her fabulous collection (thanks, Shirley!) and I couldn't help recalling the first Malory novel I read. It was Gentle Rogue and I fell in love with Tony Malory...then I discovered it was book 3! There was nothing I could do but hunt down Love Only Once and, of course, Tony's story, Tender Rebel. Remembering the family's interaction, the emotions, the humor, and yes, the craziness, made me want to re-read these old favorites. Starting November 1 with Love Only Once, I'm reacquainting myself with one of my favorite families. Anyone care to join me?

Nov 1 - 7        Love Only Once

Nov 8 - 14      Tender Rebel

Nov 15 - 21    Gentle Rogue

Nov 22 - 28    The Magic of You
Dec 1- 7          Say You Love Me
Dec 8 -14        The Present

I think that for the next couple of books, maybe 10 days  each? With holidays upon us and maybe new books, a little extra time may not be a bad idea!

Dec 15- 24        A Loving Scoundrel
Dec 25- Jan 3  Captive of My Desires
Jan 4-  10         No Choice But Seduction
Jan 11 - 17        That Perfect Someone
Jan 18 - 24         Stormy Persuasion

Keep in mind that this isn't a class or a grade. The main reason I put any type of calendar is for my own accountability and to also help those who are reading these for the first time to avoid any spoilers.

I also have a FB page, where I may post random questions or comments.  Feel free to 'like' my page and post! I always love to see pics of potential casts, read fave quotes, or just see how everyone is feeling about certain storylines and characters!

Dirty Reads Done Dirt Cheap on Facebook

Reaper's MC series by Joanna Wylde: READ THIS NOW!!

Okay, first of all, I read mainly historical romance or paranormal.  I still can't pinpoint why I got the first book in this series, Reaper's Property, unless it was one of few times FB gets it right when they make recommendations.  But let me say that I am very happy with that bit of randomness, because these books are UH-MAZ-ING!!

These novels are very gritty, dark and violent. Again, not my usual cup, but once I got beyond those differences, it came down to what all romance comes down to- family, loyalty, camaraderie and finding your HEA. It may not be anyone else's idea of an HEA, but the Reapers series just emphasizes the ideas that not everyone wants the same thing and part of  life is finding those who share your  ideals.

I absolutely love these stories and can't wait to see what comes next. Ms. Johanna Wylde: THANK YOU!!!