March 2011 TBR list

As this is Oscar night, here's my list of TBR reads for March. Whatever books I don't get to will be placed on next year's list, just like for January and February. As you'll see, I'll be doing lots of paranormal romance and some urban fantasy books, which is highlighted in italics.

The Tale of Oat Cake Crag by Susan Wittig Albert
A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander
Night Keepers by Jessica Andersen
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow by Cynthia Baxter
Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown
Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
The Night I Got Lucky by Laura Caldwell
A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell
Blood Junction by Caroline Carver
Indigo Slam by Robert Crais
Crescent Dawn by Clive Cussler
Tombs of Endearment by Casey Daniels
Murder by the Book by Evelyn David
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
Ashes to Ashes by Tami Hoag
Steeling Shadows by Kay Hooper
Chosen to Die by Lisa Jackson
Hangman by Faye Kellerman
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
The Phony Marine by Jim Lehrer
The Devil Who Tamed Her by Johanna Lindsey
Next to Die by Marliss Melton
The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer
A Search of Eden by Linda Nichols
A Heartbeat Away by Michael Palmer
Dark of Day by Barbara Parker
Double Cross, The Postcard Killers by James Patterson
Southtown by Rick Riordan
Bungaloo Two by Danielle Steele
Anathem by Neal Stephenson

Chasing the Night

If you love great thrillers, you'll love the next installment of the Eve Duncan series. When Catherine Ling approaches Eve Duncan to help her find her son, she got more than she bargained for. She doesn't know, if he's dead or alive, since he was abducted from her at age two, and it's nine years later. When Catherine encourages Eve, she helps her with the age progression of what he looks like now at age eleven, even if nine years have been lost. When his abductor Rakovac calls her from Russia, taunting her with his buried body, it prompts her to find him in Russia, as Eve tags along. From there, it's a race against time, as their enemies plant surprises up against them, including terrorist attacks, when they fight them to the finish for a bittersweet ending. What a great series. With this novel's cliffhanger, check out the Eve/Quinn/Bonnie trilogy this year. Those books will be on my TBR list for next year.

Kiss of Midnight

If you dark, deadly and dangerous heros, you'll love this paranormal romance from Lara Adrian. Gabrielle Maxwell is a photographer, who gets mixed up in a war between vampire wars. When she witnesses a murder, she becomes a victim, when Lucan Thorpe arrives at the scenes, who invaded her wildest dreams and protects her from the Rogues. Lately, they began to understand one another, as the war brews outside, and one of her friends becomes one of them. She understands who she is, a Breedmate, who's meant for Lucan, when they don't realize it. When things gets heated, she becomes a target, as he vows to protect her. A delightful paranormal romance.

Parallel Attraction

If you love paranormal romance that's out of this world, this is the one for you. Kelsey Wells met Jared Bennett, when they were teenagers in Wyoming. She was human, and he was an alien from a planet, who needs to mate and have a heir. He's also king. When he disappears, their memory was erased. Years later, they meet each other, recovering the love they had, and an attraction that forced them to be together. But there's others who wants them to be apart, and enemies who wished them destroyed. When they defeated the odds, they became one and share an endless love. What a beautiful story.

Jingle Bell Bark

If you love Christmas cozies, you'll enjoy the 11th book in the Melanie Travis series, Jingle Bell Bark. Right before Christmas, Melanie is getting ready for the holidays with her son Davey, and planning her wedding with Sam. Meanwhile, when Henry Pruitt, her son's bus driver, doesn't show up for work the next day, it's up to Melanie and her Aunt Peg to find out what happened to him. While dealing with his daughters and two dogs, Melanie learns more about Henry's life. And as she digs deeper, someone ends up getting hurt or killed, before it's too late. An enjoyable read.

Dark Fever

Urban fantasy is one of the newest genres I'm getting hooked into, followed by paranormal romance. This is the most talked about series in 2010-2011. in Dark Fever, book #1, MacKayla "Mac" Lane is sent to Ireland, when she learns of her sister's death, and looking for her killer. What she got was more than she bargained for: when she runs into Jericho Barrons, she learns who or what she is, when she runs into the Fae world. From there, she learns more about her sister's death and more of her upbringing with hidden secrets, sex-to-death godly looking Fae, and the most barbaric monsters. She's in the battle for her life, including for world, when she's after the book that started it all, a fight for life. An excellent series.

My Scandalous Bride

If you love historical romance and anthologies, this is the one for you. In these four stories, there's a couple coming together, an obstacle between them, and a scandal, one way or another, with a happy ending. In The Lady and the Tiger by Christina Dodd, Laura Haver avenge her brother's dead, and pretends to be Keefe Leighton's bride. In Melting Ice by Stephanie Laurie, Dyan will do anything to make Fiona Winston-Ryder melt and burn, a woman who wanted to be his bride in the past, and even now. In Wedding Knight by Celeste Bradley, Kitty "Katrina" Trapp poses as her twin sister, Bitty, on her wedding night, and falls in love with Knight, when the switch is revealed. And in The Proposition by Leslie LaFoy, Rennick St. James has three days to seduce Julia Hamilton, a widow with two grown children, to be his, before her wedding day. This is good for a quick read and to introduce you to Christina Dodd, Stephanie Laurens, Celeste Bradley, and Leslie LaFoy's work. I'll be reading Dodd, Bradley and LaFoy in the near future.

Don't Blink

If you love quick fast-paced mysteries, you'll enjoy this one from James Patterson. Nick Daniels is a reporter for a magazine, when he's a witness to a murder taking place, and getting it all caught up in tape. From that moment on, he's in danger, when things go awry. As he starts unraveling the truth, between Dwayne Robinson's missing interviews to a mob hint, things get heated up, when people wind up dead. And before you know, dirty politics played a hand into it, when it involves his family, and his life is on the line. What a thrill ride!

Austenland

Jane Hayes always imagined to find a Mr. Darcy in real life, when she had fast relationships in the past. When her great aunt dead and left her a trip to Pembroke Park, England in her will for Jane, she went to Austenland. That's where she spent the past three weeks, living how Jane Austen's characters did, when she was in her own love triangle, between Martin, a gardener, and Mr. Nobley, who she falls in love with. In the end, she couldn't pretend how the others lived back then, and became herself. A light and fluffy romance for those who love Jane Austen.

To The Brink

To the Brink is the third book in the Bodyguard series, this red hot romantic suspense takes us to the jungles of the Philippines and back to the USA. Darcy Prescott works at the Vice Consul for South America, when she calls her ex-husband Ethan for help, as she encountered trouble. It's up to Ethan to rescue her with his team, as Darcy fights for survival by terrorists, and befriends another hostage, Amy. When she waits for Ethan's rescue, she remembers when she met and married Ethan, and what went wrong--so did Ethan. After they're rescued, it's up to them to find out what's going on, when they can't stop loving each other, remembering the hurt in the past, as they get back together to work things out, when their lives are in the line. What a rush!

Just Desserts

Judith McConigle owns a BRB, which has very old history, when the Brodie family comes over, due to their home being fumigated. When she accepts, it changed everything for Judith and her cousin Renie. When Wanda, the fortune teller comes to visit them with a fortune, things go bad to worse, when she dies. And now everyone is a suspect, when Judith's ex-boyfriend, Joe Flynn, comes on the scene, and brings back memories for Judith, a widow with a son of their past. It's up to Judith and Renie to figure out who's the killer in the middle of the snow storm, before they end up the same way Wanda did. A delightful mystery.

Hunger

Hunger is about Lisa Lewis, who's an anorexic teen, who denies her eating disorder. She's chosen to be Famine, one of the Horsemen for Death, who learns about her gift, and her advisory. While she understands her gift, she fights with her family and friends, and becomes sicker and sicker. It isn't until later, when she fights her own battle, and wants to live, when she doesn't want to be Famine anymore. Hunger has humor for this urban fantasy, and teaches us about eating disorders.

See No Evil

Two years ago, I read the first book in the No Evil Trilogy. In the second book, get prepared to be chilled in this romantic suspense. Julia Chandler's niece is accused of murder. She needs Connor Kincaid, to help find out who framed Emily, while they had a past--she ruined his career, five years ago. They find out what's really going behind this murder and more, past and present, when they link the connection of Wishlist, an egroup for anger management, and their fantasies come alive. The closer they get to the truth, they fall in love and become more in danger. In the end, they hold on and fight for life and justice. I'll be finishing the trilogy this fall with Fear No Evil.

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE

If you love hot romantic suspense, you'll enjoy this one by Judith McNaught. Mitchell Wyatt finds out the scandal behind his rich family and his upbringing, when the police are questioning him after his half-brother's disappearance, after he welcomes him into the family and apologies. He's introduced to the world of high politics. Kate Donovan is in St. Maarten, mourning the loss of her father, when she meets Wyatt and feels an attraction to him. Instantly, they're pulled together and make love, during three days of magic, as the investigation continues. Kate forgets about her boyfriend in Chicago, as she finds out all about him, and probes on the past, swapping family secrets. When Kate finds out he lied to her, they go their separate ways. Things gets complicated, when she becomes pregnant with his child, when they meet once again at a party; two years later, they meet again, when her son's kidnapped and they forgive each other with a happy ending. Beautifully written.

Coming Back

After Locked-in, Coming Back is the follow up to the Sharon McCone series, months later. When Sharon checks on one of her friends from rehab, she realizes that Piper's not who she is, and then later disappears. It's up to Sharon and McCone Investigations to find out what happened to her, and to find out her past, when it leads to Adah's abduction and placing her colleagues in trouble, and a strain on her marriage with Hy. When they discover about the coverup, it's up to cover all the bases, and find out what they really want. Lots of drama in this non-stop action-packed mystery.
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Get the Exclusive

If you love a good mystery with a hint of humor, you'll enjoy Exclusive, the second book in the Godmothers series. In this one, Teresa Amelia Loudonberry believes her house in haunted by ghosts, and tells her friends, Ida, Sophie and Mavis. A bit skeptic, they did a seance and saw two spirits. Meanwhile, Ida's involved with her therapist in a heated romance, when he's up to no good with a scam, and Abby's job is on the line, when she promised a scoop, which fell through, and have romance issues with her stepbrother Chris. With a hint of paranormal, some good laughs, these senior citizens know how to have fun, and tell a good story.