Guess What October Is?! Swoon Fest!!

What is Swoon Fest you may ask?! Well you see I belong to this awesome book club on Goodreads called Happily Ever After Book Club. Each month we pick a book that we read and discuss. For the month of October we decided that instead of reading just one book that we would dedicate the month to one author and read as many of their books as we can. We all took a vote and the name Swoon Fest was born! :)

My amazing friend Kathy will be hosting this event on her blog, Bookworm Nation. This year the author that we are honoring is Marcia Lynn McClure. And let me tell you I am super excited! There will be a few giveaways, character castings, trivias, quotes and some really yummy recipes! Anyone who is interested is more than welcome to join us! 

I have made my list of books I want to read again. No clue if I'll be able to read them all but I am definitely going to try! Here are the ones I have chosen: 

A Better Reason To Fall In Love

A Crimson Frost

Sweet Cherry Ray

The Heavenly Surrender

Daydreams

Divine Deception

The Time Of Aspen Falls

Sudden Storms

The Rogue Knight

The Pirate Ruse

The Chimney Sweep Charm

One Classic Latin Lover, Please
Tide of the Mermaid Tears

Kissing Cousins

*UPDATE* I realized there was no way I was going to read all the books on my original list so it has been shortened. Crossing my fingers I'll be able to get through the rest of these! But again... not sure if that's going to happen!! Haha.

Can't wait for tomorrow when our First Annual Swoon Fest will begin!! Hope to see some of you there!!

I Belong With You by Shannon Guymon

Synopsis:

Kit Kendall moved to Fircrest with her sisters, Layla and Jane in the hopes of starting over. Baking bread instead of painting is quite the transition but she's never been happier in her life. Too bad life has a habit of throwing her curve balls and Rob Downing, the owner of the Iron Skillet might just be too much to handle. She's not sure whether or not she should catch him or throw in her mitt. Especially when Hunter shows up and decides she's the woman for him. As Kit tries to figure out what her heart has been telling her all along, the bakery comes under attack from a saboteur intent on ruining Belinda's Bakery. With Layla and Michael's wedding only weeks away, they're determined to find the culprit because no one's getting in the way of this happy ending.

My Review: 5 Stars

I love I Belong With You! It is definitely one of my favorites!

Kit has not had the best luck when it comes to men. She has dated guys who are shallow and only see her as eye candy and a trophy. She has never given her heart away to anyone and has definitely never been in love. She holds back and it all seems to stem from her dead beat father.

When Kit first moves to Fircrest she meets Rob. There is instant chemistry and she thinks that it could lead somewhere. But Rob has been burned by beautiful women in the past and pretty much ignores Kit. He thinks that all beautiful women are bad and not good for relationships.

Kit is about to throw in the towel and just give up on men when Michael sets her up on a blind date. When she first meets Hunter she is furious with Michael. Hunter is late, acts cocky, constantly talks about himself and doesn't even attempt to get to know her. But while on their date she gets a glimpse of his insecurities and realizes that who Hunter is on the outside does NOT match who he truly is on the inside. And she decides that it's time to take a chance on love.

Enter back in Rob. Holy cow! What in the world happened to him from the first book till now?! He is just crazy! He doesn't know how to take no for an answer and has to get mommy involved to help him with Kit. Really?! *sigh* The man seriously needed a Gibbs slap and really needed to be put in his place! The man has A LOT of growing up to do before he can enter into any kind of relationship!

And I just have to say that I absolutely LOVED Hunter! He was AMAZING! Talk about a real man! He understands Kit, he gets her, he sees her, he wants to protect her and make her happy. He treats her exactly how she should be treated... like a queen. While the odds are against them, they just fit and are perfect for each other! I love them! :)

On top of having to deal with an amazing man and a jerk, Kit is attacked and ends up in the hospital with a concussion. And someone is still out to sabotage the bakery. Are the bad reviews and the attack on Kit done by the same person or are we dealing with 2 separate attacks?

While all this is going on you get to see Michael and Layla's continued relationship and prepare for their wedding. You also get to see a little more of Jane and what she's going through. Everything is being set up for book 3. Can't wait to read Jane's story! :)

And my casting choices...

You Belong With Me by Shannon Guymon

Synopsis:

Layla Kendall is the oldest of three sisters. She's a burned out social worker one step away from a major depression and she needs a fresh start. When she and her sisters Kit and Jane inherit their grandmother's bakery, she doesn't know if she can trust her good fortune or not. Life has taught her that happiness is just an illusion. But the chance to be with her sisters and get away from the heart ache and pain she's faced day in and day out is a chance she's going to take. The fact that they don't know anything about running a bakery won't stop them. With Layla's new life, come new connections and friendships including Michael Bender, a single dad and someone who wouldn't mind getting to know Layla better. She doesn't trust men and she doesn't want to change her mind but Michael's little girl Stella grabs her by the heart and won't let go. When Layla and her sisters realize that there are people who want to see them fail, it will take a lot of heart and courage to keep going. Layla will have to let go of the past in order to grab onto the future if she'll ever find the love she needs.

My Review: 5 Stars

You Belong With Me was the very first Shannon Guymon book I ever read and I absolutely LOVED it!!

The Love and Dessert Trilogy is about 3 sister who have inherited their grandmother's bakery. They were all living in different places but all needed a fresh start in life. They had their doubts at first but being together and doing something new that they loved brought them even closer than they were before.

Here we have Layla's story. Layla is the oldest and has seen her share of tragedy being a Social Worker. She has lost all faith in men and does not trust any of them. She has had a particularly hard year and was in desperate need of this change.

The first week in Fircrest she meets Michael, a single dad who works in real estate. When she first lays eyes on him she looked right through him as if he wasn't even there! Enter in Stella, Michael's cute little angel daughter, and Layla is seriously a goner! Of course she tries to fight it and when she finally comes to accept that she's falling for Michael, be becomes a bonehead! Stella's mother comes back into the picture trying to win Michael back and the idiot decides to give it another try even though she DESERTED him and his daughter years ago and he was already in love with Layla. But thankfully Michael came to his senses and realized that the person he belongs with is Layla. The hard part?! Trying to win her back after he broke her heart! And boy did she make him work for it! Hehe. I loved it!!

So yes... everything ends up working out for them but that doesn't mean that everything is all hearts and rainbows for the sisters! Enter in the sleezeball Alex Foster and the sister's dead beat dad, Landon Kendell, and you have all kinds of drama happen! Alex wants to buy the bakery and tear it down to build a strip mall (he also has his eye on poor Jane!), the girls refuse to sell, dead beat dad says it should be his and that they owe him, add in a little sabotage and oy vey! Talk about a headache for those poor girls!! What ends up happening?! You're just going to have to read it and find out!! ;)

We also get to meet other characters in the series like Tate (love him) and Rob (possible love interest?!). And the best part?! You get to hear about all the yummy desserts that the sisters make in the bakery!! I would LOVE to have some of those recipes!! They sound AMAZING!! The Love and Dessert Trilogy not only hooked me on Shannon's books but they hooked me on food fiction as well!! Love me some romance with a little.. okay... a lot of sweets!! Mmmm mmmm!!

You Belong With Me is a fun read that I absolutely LOVE and will definitely be read over and over again!! :)

And I made a little change to my casting... had to add Stella into the mix!! ;) 

Steal His Heart by Diane Darcy

Synopsis:

What if keeping your job depended on keeping a secret?

Daisy Manning has been testing security by shoplifting in Worthingtons Department store for five months. Not once in that entire time has she been caught by security personnel. Until today.

Kent Whitaker is disgusted by the beautiful thief he’s caught red-handed, and even more disgusted by his attraction to her. While he won’t allow himself to become romantically involved with a thief, he can certainly help out a friend by curing his daughter of bad habits.

They both fight their growing attraction, Kent because dishonesty is the one trait he cannot tolerate, and Daisy because Kent is directly interfering with her long-range career goals.

But when an unskilled matchmaker tries his hand at getting them together, the unexpected happens to them both as Kent gets distracted and Daisy steals his heart!


My Review: 5 Stars

My second time reading Steal His Heart and it's still a 5 star read for me! I absolutely loved Daisy and Kent! They were hilarious!

Daisy is working as a shoplifter and Kent is working security in the same department store. They met for the first time when Kent caught her shoplifting. They were both instantly attracted to each other but neither one wanted to admit it. When Kent found out that Daisy was the daughter of his mentor he tells himself that he needs to "help" her overcome the shoplifting habit for her father's sake. He was a stubborn man who refused to admit his feelings about Daisy. Daisy really had a hard time lying to Kent. She wanted to tell him what she was really doing but in order to do her job she could not tell him. She had to let him think the worst of her just until she finished the job and then she hoped he would be able to understand why she had to lie in the first place.

Of course there are little ups and downs before they get their HEA. And let me tell you.. some of those ups and downs will have you giggling or just straight laughing out loud! I loved the ending of this book. It was perfect!

I couldn't help but notice this time around that this book is set up to be a possible series. I wonder if Daisy's sisters will eventually get their own books?! Crossing my fingers that they will! I'm thinking that Sam and Lily's story would be a fun read as well! ;)

Steal His Heart was one of the first books I read by Diane Darcy and she instantly became a favorite of mine! I would recommend her books to everyone! Can't wait to read even more by her!

Let's Cast That Book!

Or books in this case! One of my favorite authors, Shannon Guymon, loves to play "Cast That Movie!" with her books and I have become a little obsessed with it! So much so that I have even started a board on Pinterest for them! Granted the only ones that are on there so far are hers but still! It's a start, right?! ;o)

So... I am getting ready to reread her Love & Dessert, Love & Trust and Love & Flowers Trilogies again (yes... I said again!) and thought I would do a special post on my blog sharing my casting choices for her books. Some of these I searched long and hard for, a couple I took from Shannon herself (Layla Kendell, Kam Matafeo), and some I just knew right away would fit with these amazing characters!

Without further adieu... here are my casting choices...

In the Love and Dessert Trilogy:

In the Love and Trust Trilogy:

In the Love and Flowers Trilogy:

And as of right now the 3rd book in this series is not yet published so I'm not sure who are dear Cleo is going to end up with, Tai or Asher. Against my better judgement, I did one for both. And just so everyone knows... I'm Team Tai!! ;o) Hehe. 

I will update this post when we have a cover for Cleo's book... I can't wait! 

And to all of you who have NOT read these series by Shannon Guymon... What are you waiting for?! Go grab 'em and start reading!! They are AMAZING! I promise!! :o)

Review-Mania! List

Update: This little list may take a little longer than expected since this girl finally got a J-O-B!! YAY!! Love it but it REALLY cuts into my reading time!! ;) Hehe. So stay tuned for these reviews... they will be coming... I promise!! :)

After going through my list and getting a feel for my mood I have come up with 13 books. Ambitious? A little. But this girl loves to read! And I think it's a pretty good goal for the next month and a half. ;o)

So... without further adieu here is my list!

Soul of Flame by Rebecca Ethington
You Belong With Me by Shannon Guymon
I Belong With You by Shannon Guymon
My Sweetheart by Shannon Guymon
Come To Me by Shannon Guymon
Bound By Blood by Tracey Jane Jackson
Bound By Fire by Tracey Jane Jackson
Bound by Secrets by Tracey Jane Jackson
Bound by Song by Tracey Jane Jackson
Bound by Dreams by Tracey Jane Jackson
Beauty and the Beast by Jenni James
The Frog Prince by Jenni James
Steal His Heart by Diane Darcy

Now to get to reading... wish me luck! :o)

It's Review-Mania Time!

While browsing on Goodreads tonight, I noticed that there are several of my all time favorite books that do NOT have reviews from me! Sadly, and I'm rather embarrassed to admit this but, I have read some of them SEVERAL times! Ummm... why in the world have I not reviewed them yet?! I'm thinking it is WAY past time to get these reviews posted! So, for the month of August (and possibly part of September), I am going to reread these books and give them the amazing reviews that they deserve! I am calling it Review-Mania! And please... no making fun of the lame name... it is almost 2:00am and my creative juices just aren't flowing! Lol. This title is subject to change if I come up with something amazing! ;o) I will go through my books tomorrow... errr... ummm... I mean later today... to make a list and post what I will be reading. I would do it now but sadly I can't stop yawning and it's taking a lot more time and concentration than I thought it would just to type this post! Lol. So... until tomorrow my fellow book lovers... sweet dreams and happy reading! :o)

Family Matters by Heather Tullis

Synopsis:

Rosemary Keogh considers herself pretty adaptable—she dealt with her father’s death-bed edict that she move across the country to work at his latest hotel with five half-sisters, (most of whom she hadn’t known existed) hadn’t she? She settled into the routine, even grew to like most of them, but when tragedy leaves her birth daughter parentless—and she is named as the guardian—her world spins again.

Trying to raise a nine-year-old who shares her spunk and determination isn’t always an easy thing. When Rosemary starts having mysterious ‘accidents,’ though, her worries shift from being a bad mother to leaving her daughter an orphan yet again.

Adding to the confusion, Harrison Forest, head of the resort’s human resources department, decides it’s time to shift their relationship from semi-adversarial to something a whole lot more interesting. Can they get past the roadblocks she’s been throwing in their way to make things work? More importantly, will she survive that long?


My Review: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed Family Matters. It was a cute read and I finally got Rosemary's story! :)

So what's her story?! Rosemary had a daughter that she gave up for adoption. Rosemary was extremely close with the adoptive parents and was able to still be in Cleo's life but more as a family friend. She was shocked to find out that she was named as Cleo's legal guardian if anything were to happen to the adoptive parents. Sadly, something DID happen to them and watching Cleo go through everything that she did broke my heart! I felt so bad for that little girl! :(

I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't as much friction between Harrison and Rosemary before Cleo came into the picture. They were constantly at each other's throats in the other 3 books that I was expecting a little of that to carry over into this one so that you could really see why they were the way they were. You get little glimpses here and there but really it's them realizing what the root of the problem is and working on fixing it.

Rosemary has never, ever been told I love you from what I gathered. To her she is a meal ticket for her mother and a dirty secret to her father. She really, really needed love and that's where Cleo's adoptive parents came into the picture. They were really the only constant that she had in her life. She could never go do anything with her father because if anyone found out it would be a major scandal. I think Harrison was the first person to ever tell her I love you and actually mean it! Big kudos for Harrison! He is amazing! He knew really early on that Rosemary was the one for him and had to be extremely careful to not freak her out about it. He moved slow so that she could get used to the idea and actually BELIEVE that someone wants her in their life. So far I think Rosemary is the most screwed up in the entire bunch.

The bad guy in this story REALLY ticked me off!! I had a real problem with them going after an 9 year old girl!! Ugh!! Everyone thought that they were after Rosemary but really it was Cleo. That poor little girl really was put through the ringer in this book. Thank goodness for Harrison!! He was amazing with her!! I really loved him!!

All in all I liked Rosemary's story. Sage's is still my favorite but Rosemary's is my 2nd favorite!

Can't wait to carry on with this series. Delphi's story is next. I think I know her secret and it's definitely going to be hard for the hero to break through her tough shell. We shall see... ;)