Book Review : Guarding a Notorious Lady

It's time for my new meme... 

Smutty Saturdays!

 Book Smut Level is: MEDIUM ;)

By: Olivia Parker

Publisher: Avon Books
Date Released: May 31, 2011
Pages: 384
Source: Netgalley

Exquisite trouble . . .
A woman of pristine breeding, Lady Rosalind Devine is also an unrepentant meddler and snoop— which is why her brother refuses to leave her to her own devices while on his wedding trip. But Rosalind will not make things easy for any unseen, unwanted “nursemaid”—and vows to use her considerable wiles to expose her mystery guardian.
Nicholas Kincaid, the Marquess of Winterbourne, agreed to secretly guard his friend’s spoiled, stubborn sister, though her infuriating penchant for mischief is causing him to question his decision. Though bound by the rules of society—and friendship— Rosalind’s spirit and sensuality have sparked a fierce desire in Nicholas to play a very different role in her life, one that entails passion, ecstasy . . . and unavoidable scandal.

Summary Taken from Goodreads

Yani's Review:

I have to say I really really liked the first book in this series, it was kind of like the Bachelor meets historical romance. I enjoyed this book as well, but was expecting so much more from it, because of how much I liked Rosalind as a secondary character. She was still an awesome character no doubt, actually Olivia's characters are all some of my favorites, but I felt like the plot didn't have as much romance as I wanted. I wasn't really buying it.

And the ending felt a little rushed. I was like okay this happens and obviously is meant to keep them apart a little longer, till feelings are sorted, but then all of a sudden, everyone understand each other, they are in love and we are done!

Overall though, it was an awesome journey, and like Olivia's other work (which I HIGHLY recommend but have not reviewed), it was witty, sexy, and just plain delightful.

Ratings:

Plot: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Characters: 3/5


Similar Titles:

Buy the book here!

TGIF 7/22/11

TGIF is a feature over GReads to re-cap the week's posts  & to propose a question for all the followers.

 

Bookshelf Tour: Where do you keep your books at home? Are they organized?

Ok so I tried to do a vlog for TGIF and this is what happens when you combine a crazy dog and a flashlight...

So instead I will provide pictures. I have two bookcases.

First Bookcase
This bookcase is books I have read and its jam packed with books in the back and another row in the front and books stacked on books. Also, if you notice some of the books have number labels, this was young Yani's idea to try to create a library in her room with her own "Yani decimal system" that involved no decimals. I completely ruined my books, but what can you do.

The first shelf is school book/literary favorites. Also, since I don't have that many it houses my romance collection (goes well together doesn't it). I have it organized by size, I eventually want to organize my books by authors, but the size difference bother me, so I have yet to find a way to do this. Also, as you can see on the top of the bookcase I have my HP collection (wand, chocolate frog, and every flavor jelly bean) plus my Gator stuff.

Second shelf are my smaller fun, cute, reads. So all my Simon Romantic Comedies books, plus my Rachel Hawthornes, Cat Clarks, and other cutesey books. These are semi-organize by author, not so much in order, but they all of an authors work is together. Same for the third shelf, which is the bigger books, but here you can find all my Simon Elkeles, Sarah Dessens, and Elizabeth Scotts!

Second Bookcase

This is my TBR bookcase! Yes, I know a whole bookcase!! Plus all the e-books I have so imagine...

First shelf is books I want to get to soon, I keep re-arranging these by order I want to read next, but that changes often. Right now its books I bought on the right, ARCs on the left. In front is my collection of shot glasses from college and a cork from the first bottle I popped at the end of tax season (a tradition for us accounting nerds).

Second shelf is other books I want to read, but aren't as urgent or important. Sometimes, I will read a review and move a book from here to the top, but for the most part I feel I won't get to these for a while. And there is no organization whatsoever. Also, here is some items that have mean a lot to me, gifts from important people, shells collected from awesome vacations, flashlight from when I didn't have a lamp on my bedside table.

Third shelf is signed books and favorite series. HP, Twilight, Vampire Academey, all these are found in the back of this section and the front is signed books and recent favorites, easily accessible to lend to friends. And on the left there is my box of swag.

This concludes my bookshelf tour, I hope you have enjoyed it and please stop by and leave a link to your! PS: I also have two boxes of middle grade and younger teen books in our storage!

I tried to do a video for this, but you couldn't see the titles in the back of the shelves so I took my flashlight and tried to illuminate, my dog Molly thought we were playing a game and this is what happened ...

Giveaway: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

DARK PARTIES

BOOK RELEASE + GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Big Honocho Media and Little Brown Books... Two winners will receive a copy of Dark Parties!!

About the book:

In a world shrouded in fear and lies, how can you shed light on the truth?

Sixteen-year-old Neva lives in Homeland, an isolated country separated from the rest of the world by the Protectosphere.  The government insists there’s nothing beyond its borders, but as Homeland’s resources dwindle, people, girls mainly, have started to go missing.  If there’s no way out of the Protectosphere, where are they going? Suspecting the government is lying about everything, Neva and her friends stage a Dark Party in the hope of uncovering the truth and finding the freedom they dream about.

About the author:

Sara Grant is an American living in the UK. Born and raised in Washington, Indiana, Sara graduated from Indiana University with degrees in journalism and psychology. She now works as a freelance writer and editor for Working Partners, a London-based company creating series fiction for children. She lives in London with her husband. This is her first novel.

More Links:

-Website
-Twitter
-Facebook
-GoodReads

-Dark Parties Excerpt

My Dark Parties Review - COMING SOON

The resistance has staged its first Dark Party. Listen in now and share with it your friends. Join the resistance! 

Contest ends August 4! See general rules in policies section!

Waiting on Wednesday #19 {Stay With Me}

WOW is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine.

From Goodreads:
An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world

Why Yani is Waiting on It: I am not sure what about this book struck me. I don't really appreciate the cover, other the than the doggy (hello cutie!), but this book seems like one of the REAL contemporary works. Not fluffy or cute, just REAL... can't wait to see if anyone gets an advance copy for review!

Can't wait for this book coming out: September 8, 2011

Add to Goodreads

Monday's Bite! Ch. 11-15 Answers and Ch. 16-20 Questions

My Twilight Discussion Answers for Chs. 11-15 and the Questions for next week's Chs. 16-20

Link up your answers below!!

If you still haven't signed up, 

or just want more info: HERE!

1. Do you think the name "Twilight" for this book is fitting with the story? Do you think a better name could have been chosen? What about the series and the names as a whole?

I like Twilight because I feel like it’s a good expression for the end of something yet the beginning of something else. Like Bella’s life after meeting Edward, her existence (and his for that matter) will never be the same. Same with the other titles. Again, when I first got into Twilight and would read Steph Meyer’s blog, she wrote an FAQ on all the books and in them she describes her reasons for the titles. I have the links here:

Twilight FAQ

New Moon FAQ

Eclipse FAQ

Breaking Dawn FAQ

2. On this re-read, what’s your favorite part of the book? Is it the vampires, setting, plot, characters, Edward, or something else?

It’s Edward, totally Edward! Well and I guess it also feels like coming home. It reminds me of the younger me, reading this and falling in love with her first fictional character. It reminds me of the hope this book gave me that this love has to be based on something real, even if the story isn’t.

3. Edward shows his stalkerish/controlling tendencies during these chapters for the first time (at least Bella is aware), did this bother you the first time you read Twilight? Does it bother you now that you’re re-reading it? Should Bella be more worried about it?

No, it didn’t bother me at all! I can say I was a little like “that’s not a normal reaction” whenever Bella was so blasé about it, but I am also re-reading Midnight Sun now, which goes up until the day he begins questioning her, and I can see his motives and therefore I know he does it out of love.

4. Do you find yourself, during or after reading another paranormal/supernatural book, comparing it to Twilight? If you do, why do you think that is? Is it because it’s popular or because it’s just a book that makes an impact?

Unfortunately I do! Not every book, but I do compare characters that are similar… like I felt Vincent from Die for Me was Edward's long lost brother.

I don’t think I do it because Twilight is popular, I do it because the characters feel real to me, and just like when in real life you meet someone and think they remind you of someone you already know, same thing happens with books.

5. Bella is introduced to the Cullen Family in chapter 15, who is your favorite Cullen and why?

I love Alice! I just love her bubbliness and her quick responses. I really could see her being my best friend. For that reason too I really like Emmett as well, he’s like the laid back big brother I always wanted!

SIDE NOTE: If you read the Twilight and Breaking Dawn FAQ you will know about Forever Dawn… (the original sequel that was too HOT to be a young adult book) wouldn’t that be exciting to read??
 

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Discussion Questions for Chapter 16-20!

 I didn't make this one, but isn't it cute!?

1. {SERIOUS question} If you where in Carlisle position, do you think you would have been able to fight off your vampiric urges? Would you ever bring someone into that life, as he did with Edward and Esme?
   
   
2. {FUN question} We are introduced to Edward's playful side in these chapters, before he gets all manic about the new vampires, I think we have a better picture of who he is. If you had to describe him in 5 words, what would they be? Good and Bad qualities, whatever you like!
   
   
3. {LONG question} While re-reading I have been taking notes: observations that I have come across re-reading and comparisons to the movie. One of my notes deals with page 383, in which Edward screams at Alice there is no other option. The first time around I didn't get that he meant the future that Alice saw for Bella as a vampire (because we obviously hadn't gotten to that part), but now that I know the whole story I see that is what he meant... Has this happened to you? Do you have any examples of things that are clearer now or things that you have realized while re-reading?
   
   
4. {PERSONAL question} We haven't talked about this yet, but I think the idea of your human gifts amplifying in your vampire life is interesting (Jasper's control of emotions, Edward's mind reading), what do you think your gifts would be?
   
   
5. {SURVEY question} We are coming to the end of the book, what has been your opinion on this re-read? First, when was the last time you read it? Second, do you feel you like it more, the same, or less this time around?