Renee's Book Addiction

Sugar Daddy (Travis family series, bo0k 1) by Lisa Kleypas

This was one of those books that brought me back to reading contemporaries. I hadn’t really wanted to pick it up, based soley on the title. However, after falling in love with Kleypas’ historicals, I had to give this one a try.

Boy was I glad I did! This was one of the best books I read last year. I was completely sucked in to Liberty’s story of her adolescence and young adulthood, growing up poor, in a rural Texas town. Her childhood romance with Hardy is so poignant, and her positive attitude amid hardship make her one of my all time favorite heroines.

If I were to recommend 1 contemporary romance, this would be the one, hands down.

Read more about Sugar Daddy in my posts: Best Reads of 2008 (part 1-The Romance edition) and October 2008 Best Reads.

• Lisa Kleypas’ site
• Excerpt on author’s site. (Scroll down linked page.)

Blue-Eyed Devil (Travis family series, book 2) by Lisa Kleypas

Of course, after loving Sugar Daddy so much, I had to get my hands on this one! And, I loved it almost as much as Sugar Daddy (which will always be first with me!)

In a lot of ways, B-ED is a deeper, more serious novel, dealing with domestic violence. Haven is such a survivor, and boy does this book really tug at the heart strings. I loved seeing how her family really pulled together to support her, and the hero in this one was so well written!

I actually listened to both these books in audio format, BTW, and I thought they were both excellent.

• Lisa Kleypas’ site.
• Excerpt on author’s site. (Scroll down linked page.)

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Just thinking about this book makes me smile.

NBC gives a whole new meaning to “meet cute” when football player Dean Robillard picks up sharp-tounged Blue Bailey, when she is stranded on the side of a rural road wearing a beaver costume.

I love Blue’s prickliness, and how she doesn’t let Dean charm the pants off of her. While SEP’s dialogue is snappy and there are lots of laugh out loud moments, NBC does have plenty of substance to sink my teeth into.

I LOVE the SEP audiobook productions, and the late Anna Fields captures Blue beautifully.

Read more about Natural Born Charmer in my posts: Just finished reading . . . and Current Reads.

• Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ site.
• Excerpt on author’s site. (Scroll down linked page.)
• “Browse Inside” Natural Born Charmer.

Flat-Out Sexy (Fast Track series, book 1) by Erin McCarthy

This was the second book that really made me take another harder look at contemps. I’d been hearing great things about it, but didn’t have too many expectations. However, it was such a satisfying, thoroughly enjoyable book!

I loved stock car racer Elec’s intense, single-minded pursuit of the slightly older Tamara, who is raising her 2 kids alone after losing her race car driver husband in a crash during a race.

Their chemistry together just burns up the pages. The conflicts they are dealing with — Tamara’s issues with being older than Elec, and not wanting to get involved with another driver, are pretty straight forward. In the end, though, it’s just such a well done book, that it was a natural for my Top 5.

Read more about Flat-Out Sexy in my post: November’s (2008) Best Reads.

• Erin McCarthy’s site.
• Excerpt on author’s site. (Scroll down linked page.)

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

This is another book that had me laughing out loud while I was reading. Chastity, like Sugar Daddy‘s Liberty, is one of those heroines I’d want to be friends with. She’s down to earth, a little klutzy, and has a little bit of growing up to do.

I found myself rooting for her as she negotiates her way through disastrous dates, parental squabbles, and overbearing older brothers.

The book isn’t flawless, but I was more than willing to overlook that since it was just so much damn fun to read.

• Kristan Higgins’ site.
• Excerpt on author’s site.