80's Sitcoms and Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks

I love Fridays, don't you?

It dates back to ABC programming with Full House and Family Matters, but even though those shows are sadly playing on Nick at Night, making me feel extremely old, I still get excited when I hear TGIF.

The beginning of a new weekend, potential date night with the hubs, and a chance to dish about my Guilty Pleasures with you here. Today's Guilty Pleasure is a book that I loved, inhaled, and want to read again. Maya Banks is one of my favorite adult authors, but I honestly didn't know if anything she wrote could compare or compete with her Sweet series. I was wrong. I'm so glad I found this gem and can't wait to go back and play catch up with the rest. So hang with me, see why Ashley made it onto my all time favorite heroines list, and then leave me a comment telling me what YOU are reading this weekend.....Or your favorite 80's sitcom theme song (Whatever happened to predictability? The milk man, the paper boy, evening TV). Your choice :)

TEMPTED BY HER INNOCENT KISS (Pregnancy & Passion #3)

Maya Banks, Harlequin, March 1st, 2012

No Man’s Bargaining Chip

Devon Carter was her first; now newly wed Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy’s business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her.

But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holdsbarred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanor of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes...especially now that she’s pregnant?

I absolutely LOVE this book. It is a quick read, easy completed in one sitting, but still packs a powerful punch. Banks lead me on an emotional journey, making me laugh out loud and grin at many of Ashley’s adorable quirks (her flightiness reminded me a lot of myself, ha!), swoon over Devon’s smooth lines and even smoother moves, and completely tear up and sniffle at the roller coaster to self-acceptance Ashley embarks on. By the end, after all the ups and downs, and twists and turns, Ashley emerges as one of my all-time favorite heroines.

Ashley is affectionate. She is boisterous, enthusiastic, transparent, and wears her heart on her sleeve. She genuinely cares for others and never tries to be anything she isn’t….until she believes it’s the only way to make her husband, the man she thought loved her as much as she loved him, truly fall for her. Devon is a shrewd businessman, full of ambition and drive. He is in this relationship not because he followed his heart so much as his bottom line. But what makes Maya Banks so wonderful is that even with a set up like this, where the reader goes in knowing he won’t be completely honest, you still end up caring about him. He may not have initially appreciated all the wonderful things about Ashley that we as the readers do, but he is kind to her, he does care for her, he does try to protect her. He is gentle and passionate and hurting in his own way. I love that no one in this story is one hundred percent right or wrong, good or bad—just like real life. Devon and Ashley both make mistakes, and they both go through a tremendous amount of growth.

TEMPTED BY HER INNOCENT KISS begins right in the middle of the action, completely sucking you in. I never once felt lost or confused, but eager to discover all I could about the characters, their shared history, and where I thought they should go in the future…not that my opinion would’ve changed squat. Luckily, where they end up is everything I could’ve asked for and more.

Devon and Ashley’s story is book 3 in this series, and I am excited to now go back and catch up. I recommend TEMPTED BY HER INNOCENT KISS for all fans of romance, for readers who enjoy fresh and authentic characters coming into their own skin, and for anyone looking for some steamy scenes between the sheets. Then join me in checking out book one, ENTICED BY HIS FORGOTTEN LOVER, book two, WANTED BY HER LOST LOVE, and book four, UNDONE BY HER TENDER TOUCH coming May 1^st, featuring two of my favorite characters from this novel.

Maya Banks’s Sweet series will always hold a special place in my heart and on my Kindle, but I may’ve just found a new series of hers to be my favorite.

What is YOUR Friday read? OR, Tell me your favorite 80's sitcom theme song, and I dare you to leave me some lyrics while you're at it :)

Spotlight Review: The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

I know this is not a YA book, which is what I normally review and discuss here. But I just got done reading this book, and simply had to share.

Yes, the majority of my shelves are filled with young adult books, but I love reading all kinds of books. YA contemporary romance, YA paranormal romance, Adult contemporary romance, YA and Adult historical romance, Adult steamy romance . . . I bet you can see a theme, huh? :-)

I guess it's then fitting that I choose to share this review on what would normally be Guilty Pleasures Friday. Often I feel as though I should be sticking to just reading YA books, as that is the genre I'm currently writing in, and I absolutely adore it--but I can't help sneaking a few "different" books into the mix. So today, on this day of food hangovers, when many are off braving the crazy crowds at Black Friday sales, I share my review of one of these yummy adult reads . . . The Love Goddess' Cooking School!

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads blurb:

Camilla's Cucinotta: Italian Cooking Classes. Fresh take-home pastas & sauces daily.  Benvenuti! (Welcome!)

Holly Maguire's grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine--a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages.

Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can't make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that's why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla's Cucinotta, she's determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother's legacy.

But Holly's four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla's chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter's heart. Juliet, Holly's childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can't find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla's essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed--and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

Oh how I adored this story. Holly is a wonderful protagonist, endearing and so heartbreakingly relatable. It opens with her getting her heartbroken, immediately pulling you into her life and causing the reader to pull for her to find her true love . . . even if he does happen to be one of the few people on earth to like to eat lamb's intenstines. (eek!)

Seriously, the characters were rich and varied, filling me up completely. It fits that I read this during the Thanksgiving holidays, not only because it centers around food and cooking, but because of the intense relationships created and nurtured throughout the novel. Mia, the almost twelve-year-old apprentice, was a doll. She had me laughing so many times. Not only at how perceptive and witty she is, but by making me remember exactly what it was like to be that age! Holly's relationship with her grandmother, that we mostly get to experience through journal entries scattered in the chapters, was so sweet. I would have LOVED to be Camilla's granddaughter. Learning how to make all those delicious recipes alone would be worth it! (Side note: do not read this book when hungry. Just a friendly warning)

The subplots with the rest of the students in Holly's cooking class were fun, and completely rounded out this story. And best of all was Holly's relationship with Liam (which isn't a spoiler really since it's right there in the blurb). He was a hottie. And his own relationship with his daughter Mia just made him all the hotter. Their relationship was told perfectly--and realistically. This was not a love at first sight, walk into the sunset immediately relationship. It had some definite ups and downs, which only made Holly grow stronger as a woman.

The ending is tied up in a beautiful bow, leaving me with a warm fuzzy all over. And the intense desire to create an Italian feast, being sure to add my own truth statements, wishes, and memories. Definitely recommend this one!

View all my reviews

Guilty Pleasures: Reality Pressure Cookers

Ever since The Real World New York (the first season) appeared on the scene, reality television has been a guilty pleasure of mine. At different stages of my life I've been addicted to Big Brother, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor and Bachelorette (okay, I'm still addicted to this one lol), My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance, and Temptation Island, just to name a few. Unfortunately, it appeared that the more cat fights that could've resulted, and the more drama that was present, made it that much more of a draw.

For the most part I've kinda gotten out of that stage--okay, okay, except for The Bachelor/Bachelorette, but as one of my good friends says, 'Mama needs her cotton candy'--BUT there is one form of reality television that has addicted my entire family: Food Network.

Now I'm not really talking about the individual shows that teach you how to cook a meal in thirty minutes or how to make a great bite or whatever. I'm talking the high drama, ticking time clock, crazy-surprise-ingredient basket type shows. Stuff like The Next Iron Chef Super Chefs, Chopped, Restaurant Impossible, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Worse Cooks in America. How can you not be addicted to a show that makes a chef create an amazing entree in thirty minutes out of candy bars, sardines, Brussels sprouts, and quail eggs? Okay, I think I made up that particular basket, but you get the point. And watching polished, famous chefs duke it out on national television and break a sweat? Nice!

And occasionally, I even learn a thing or two.

So there you go, my family's guilty pleasure. Watching people cook crazy food in a crazy amount of time, while we probably pig out on junk food.

Q4U: Do YOU watch Food Network? What is your favorite show? And if not, what is your guilty pleasure this week?

Guilty Pleasures Friday: Hart of Dixie

During a time when I've been sorely disappointed by almost all of the season premieres of my favorite shows, I have found one shiny, spanking new show to be obsessively happy over. HART OF DIXIE. When I first saw Rachel Bilson--aka Summer from the OC--on the commercial, I said, "Self, yes, this does look like a rip off of Doc Hollywood, and I'm sure you'll be mortified over the fake Southern accents and the way they will surely make us look like complete and utter hicks, but you have to check it out."

And I'm ever so glad I did.

Seriously, I just adore this show. Rachel is relatable as ever as Dr. Zoe Hart, complete with her signature wit and spunky personality. And the hotties are definitely present and accounted for. At first, I was one hundred percent Team George and eagerly devising ways for Zoe to steal him away from witch-tastic Lemon, but I confess that my heart is fickle.

Wade Kinsella (played by Wilson Bethel) is hot with a capital H, and I love how the writers completely pulled the rug out from under me. In the first few episodes, he came across as a total loser/player that just took away valuable screen time from Zoe and George. But ever so slowly and naturally--a rarity these days--they've been building his character, giving him a heart, a softer side that seems to truly care about Zoe. The chemistry and sexual tension between these two is off the charts, and while I'd love for them to just hook up already, I'm happy that the writers are taking their time with their relationship.

As for conflict, this show has it in spades. Okay, yes, the plot format seems to be slightly predictable right now with Zoe learning about another aspect of Southern culture and finding a way to screw everything up in each episode while also showing a glimpse of what a good doctor she truly is, but in the midst of all that we get to see cat fights a plenty with Lemon, and endless snide remarks being slung by her daddy, Dr. Breeland, who also happens to be Zoe's reluctant business partner.

If you're like me and frustratingly annoyed with all the shows not living up to last year's hype, and you haven't checked out HART OF DIXIE yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. Every episode has me smiling, laughing, and sighing over some sexy/swoony comment. It leaves me eagerly looking forward to next week, and hoping that the writers will find yet another excuse for a shirtless Wade scene. . . hey, I'm a girl.

(To see what I mean, you MUST watch this video!!!)

Now, don't say I don't leave you starting your weekend with a smile :-)

Q4U: What shows are you loving this year?

Guilty Pleasures: Secrets and Wine

I thought I would start doing something fun on Fridays. Let the world get a glimpse into my private life. Scary thought, isn't it?

We all have Guilty Pleasures. Things that make you blush or bite your lip to admit to others. Vices or indulgences that are pure fun, or we use as a treat when we've had an especially bad--or maybe especially awesome--day. The sky's the limit when it comes to what kind of things can be classified in this category . . . which makes it an excellent regular blog topic, don't ya think? Yeah, me too.

So for the inaugural Guilty Pleasures post, I thought I'd go all out and do a two-fer. Because why not.

I adore The Secret Life of the American Teenager. And this truly fits into the bite your lip and turn all red faced category, at least when it comes to admitting it in front of my husband. I swear, every stinking time he walks past the room while I'm watching this show, the characters are talking about sex. And, okay, yes, they talk about it a lot, but there is other stuff going on. Whole plot lines and character arcs, and emotions explored . . . and and yeah, it's my cotton candy. But I love it.

Seriously, though, I was a huge fan of Seventh Heaven growing up and I love seeing several of my favorite actors from that show walk the halls on this one. And while not all the acting is that great, they definitely do have some talent--um, hello, Molly Ringwald is the mom? Who wouldn't want to watch just for that? And I'm not afraid to admit I was a blubbering mess at least twice this season already. (also, fun tidbit, the main girl Amy, Shailene Woodley, played Felicity in the American Girl movie).

There are a few shows that I watch on the CW that I'm sure I'll mention on here eventually, but really, Secret Life is probably my most favorite guilty pleasure, and one that I never miss. AND I'm super psyched because I'll be able to catch all the episodes I missed the first season when they start coming on every day later this month! Woop!

Hey, think of it as research . . . if you write young adult books like me. If not, um, well, think of it as a guilty pleasure :-)

My second guilty pleasure is red wine. Now the old Harris household is getting healthier, eating better and being more active lately, so I've cut the white wine that I liked to indulge in at times. But I've often heard red wine can be healthy . . . . in moderation, so it is a new occasional indulgence.

Of course, we limit it to a glass or two on the weekends, but we've also added a fun challenge to it. We never have a glass from the same bottle twice in a row.

One of the things my husband and I enjoy doing is learning about wine. On cruises, we are the couple that go to the wine tasting classes. We've toured a few wineries--my favorite is the Biltmore in North Carolina--and even have a few books to learn about wine and food pairings.

But since I'm also a little picky--hey, I just know what I like--right now we are sticking close to Pinot Noirs. And the first one we got for our new experiment is one I picked out. I got a 2010 bottle from the Cavit Collection from CVS. Yep, good old CVS. My husband goes to hoity toity places like the liquor store where he can talk with educated people about the stuff. Not me, I just go to the corner convenience store. Because it's convenient. But I did look at several bottles before picking this one out. The main things that grabbed me about this one is that it is imported from Italy--a country that I'm obsessed with--and it had a really pretty scenic picture of Tuscany on the label. Very important things to consider when buying I say.

Now for the important stuff for those who care. This wine is great with grilled meats, salmon, chicken and risotto. It has a stronger fruit scent (the label claims of berry and black cherry) and it's also quite tasty. Definitely recommend a nice glass of this and a warm bubble bath after a particularly eventual week with the kids.

Q4U: What are your guilty pleasures this week?