hectic day

spent day doing training....at my age....can u believe it......at the Fordsburg Jimmy's Killer Fish & Chips...hectic....chosen my 10 for my store.....really excited ....a new adventure in my life....talk about a change.....

The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva

I have read all Gabriel Allon's books and have enjoyed them...but The Rembrandt Affair I struggled to finish it. 
Slow, very little dialogue. 
I think that the writer has become bored with this character. 
I missed the sparkle in the previous books

Penmarric by Susan Howatch

I love family sagas and Susan Howatch has written some amazing books about feuding families, intrigue, greed and complicated love and I discovered her writing when I first read this book years ago. 
An enthralling story that spans 3 generations of the Casttallack and how their obsession with owning Penmarric, a mansion situated in the stark and beautiful area of Cornwall, causes the family to be divided for ever. 
The characters are great and liked the way the story is told through the different members of the family. 
I have read this book a few times and when I read it again I enjoyed it just as much. 
I will probably read it again someday. It’s that kind of book 

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

This is one of my favorite Daphne du Maurier's books.....pirates, secret affairs, meetings at night, smugglers told against the background of Cornwall. 
I have read this book a few times and still I am captivated by the story of a love that cannot be, the two main characters who embark on an incredible adventure. 
Wildly romantic and unforgettable.

Forbidden or For Bedding by Julia James

Julia James is one of Mills & Boon authors I enjoy and have read a few of her books. 
I first read this book last year and I couldn't decide if I like it or not. Last night I decided to read it again. 
The story of an artist who has an affair with a billionaire who go through an emotional ride before realizing that they love each other. 
Their story is quite intense and I could believe that the head of a dynastic family would be pressured to marry someone of their sort. So many marriages between two wealthy families to hold and increase their wealth. 
I liked the heroine...at first I thought she was cold and reserved but we discover that this is just a mask...she feels deeply, shows strength and determination. Guy is an interesting character - strong but vulnerable, deep sense of responsibility to his family, trying to understand his feelings for the heroine. 
I would have like to have seen them together more often...more emotion, more dialogue, more action. A bit too much inner conflict. 
I did like the way his mother got them to finally get together and live happily ever after.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

   

I read some reviews about this book and decided to buy it after reading the synopsis.

I read the book in one night….I couldn’t put it down!!!  

What makes THE HUNGER GAMES such an amazing and inspiring book????

The first volume of THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy is set in a post apocalyptic future and shows the cruelty of humans, the struggle for survival and how circumstances can turn anyone into a monster.

This is the story of Katniss Everdeen, a fiercely loyal, caring teenager, lives in a cruel ,harsh  coal mining place called District 12 and after her father’s death struggles to keep her mother and sister alive by hunting and gathering food outside the district’s boundary.. The new world is divided into 12 districts under the control of the Capitol, which is the seat of power and oppression and is out of bounds to everyone from the districts except for The Hunger Game contestants.

The Capitol has hosted the annual, televised event that is mandatory viewing by all the districts, since District 13 was destroyed during a national rebellion, as a show of who is in control and to discourage another revolt.

Each district has to send a boy and a girl known as tributes, who will fight in the arena, where the 24 contestants fight each other to death until only one winner is left.

When Katniss’s sister, Prim is selected she volunteers to take her place with the other tribute, Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son who has a secret crush on her.

The lead-up to the Games you are introduced to the Capitol’s decadent society and meet really interesting characters.

By the time the games began, I was enthralled with Katniss, Peeta, Cinna, Portia, Rue, Effie, and Haymitch.  They were my friends and shared their feelings.

I understood Katnis’s vulnerability, doubts, and her integrity.  How could she win against the other competitors who were stronger and better-trained than her?  She promised Prim that she would come and who would look after her and their mother if she does not win the game?

It’s like watching a futuristic version of a reality show like Survivor, as the 24 contestants, inside the arena struggle to survive the terrible obstacles designed by the Gamemakers, hunting and killing each other, forming friendships and finding love and not knowing who you can trust.

This book is breathtaking, dark, inspiring, filled with incredible characters and emotion.

I didn’t want the book to end. I wanted to know what happens to Katniss and Peeta. Would they get together?

I couldn’t wait to buy the next two books….which I did and kept awake for the next 2 days reading them non-stop. Unstoppable.

Review: Rough, Raw and Ready by Lorelei James

This is the 5^th book in the Rough Riders Series and it’s Chassie, Trevor & Edgard’s story.

We first meet Trevor & Edgard, who were roping partners and secret lovers  in the 1^st book  Long Hard Ride but were driven apart when Edgard returned to Brazil because Trevor was not prepared to make a commitment. I wondered what happened to them and if they would have their own story.

Rough, Raw and Ready is my favourite book so far in the series. It’s a wild, emotional and erotic read filled with lots of hot, hot, hot and steamy sex between the three.

Chassie West Glanzer has been married to sexy cowboy, Trevor Glanzer, who has given up his rodeo life to run the farm that was left to her after her father and brother’s death with her.

They have a good relationship but when Trevor’s old roping partner and past secret lover, her world is turned upside down. She senses that there is something more than friendship between them and when she catches them kissing she realizes the truth, that they were once lovers.  

Trevor is in love with his wife and though he has buried the feelings he had for Edgard years ago, he has always felt that something was missing in his life. Edgard has returned from Brazil hoping to sort out their tangled past.

After some soul searching, Chassie realizes it would not be fair for her to deny something that Trevor needs but at the same time she does not want to lose him.

So they decide on a ménage relationship and as they spend time together, in and out of bed, discover that they can be happy with each other.

I am not really turned on by m/m sex but after a while it became more than just sex between two men and a woman….it’s about taking risks and finding you can love more than just one person….THIS IS A GREAT LOVE STORY. And it’s one of the HOTTEST book I have (I have read it twice so far!!!!!)

I hope I get to meet the three again in the series.

Book Blurb:  

Torn between the love he has-and the love he's always wanted. A Rough Riders book. Chassie West Glanzer hasn't been a stranger to drama and tragedy. A year of wedded bliss to sexy-as-sin cowboy Trevor Glanzer has brought her the happiness and contentment she never thought she'd find, and mellowed Trevor's rodeo wanderlust. Then Trevors old roping partner ambles up the driveway and Chassie's life changes drastically. Trevor never expected to see Edgard Mancuso again, after it became clear he couldn't be the man Edgard needed. Now Edgard is back from Brazil to sort out their tangled past, and Trevor is plagued with feelings he thought he'd buried over three years ago. Although Trevor is hat-over-bootheels in love with his sweet, feisty wife, the sense his life is missing a piece has always gnawed at him. Chassie's shock that Edgard and Trevor were once lovers turns to fear of losing her husband. Or worse, fear that Trevor will stay with her only out of a sense of duty. Yet as the three of them spend time together, the sins of the past blur and fade, leaving raw emotion and unbridled passion. Passion that could heal-or cause irreparable damage to their future. Warning: this book contains unbelievably explicit sex, including multiple cowboy/cowgirl/cowboy menage scenes, juicy, hot, male on male action, a bucketful of politically incorrect situations and true Western ideology

I am quite new to the erotica/ménage romance genre and ordered the first 5 books of Rough Riders by Lorelei James as Amazon recommended the series.

I started reading Long Hard Ride and somehow couldn’t get into it. After a few months I tried again….wow was I hooked after turning the last page….I couldn’t wait to read the next book…and the next…in fact I read all 5 books in 4 days. .couldn’t put them down…..I fell in love with cowboys!!!

The series follows the McKay/West families and each book can be read as stand-alones but to get to know the family history I recommend that they be read in order.

Reading Order:

1. Long Hard Ride – Colby and Channing
2. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet – Gemma and Cash, Carter and Macie
3. Cowgirl Up and Ride – Cord and AJ – This is my favorite thus far!
4. Tied Up, Tied Down – Kade and Skylar
5. Rough, Raw, and Ready – Chassie, Trevor, and Edgard
6. Branded as Trouble – Colt and India
7. Shoulda Been a Cowboy – Cam and Domini
8. All Jacked Up – Keely and Jack
9. Raising Kane – Kane and Ginger
10. Cowgirls Don’t Cry – Brandt and Jessie
11. Chasin’ Eight – Chase and Ava
12. Cowboy Casanova – To Be Released Dec 2011

My son Zak did his first long solo navigational flight yesterday from Grand Central Airport to Warmbaths and back....3 hrs flying on his own....my husband Costa and I were biting our nails for a...just a bit....during those hours...but he did very well...one of the Flying School's instructor told us that Zak is their top student...naturally...I KNEW THAT!!!! One more solo and 2 test flights and he will have his PPL....Can't wait....he is really excited....Well done Zak...we are so proud of you and happy that you are following your dream....to have your own office in the sky.....the foto on the left was taken by Zak during his flight.

Zak, doing some plane spotting at the airport.....














Today spent some time at Jimmy's Fish & Chips training store.....learning all the ins and outs of running my new venture.....from an office in the sky to this...well, i have decided to choose another road on my life's journey.....i read this somewhere...can't remember where but it's how i see life for me...."On the road to life there are many paths... some twist, some turn, some dip, some curve. As long as you keep your focus, your destination is obtainable."
Now back to books...I have been struggling a bit to finish the latest Mills & Boon I bought....but finally got to the last page.
See my review about "Girl in the Bedouin Tent" by Annie West next

THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER by KATE WALKER

This is the fourth and final book in a miniseries called The Powerful and the Pure based on Wuthering Heights (one of my most loved books!!) was the one of I enjoyed the most. I read the other 3 – Mr Mischief by Kate Hewitt based on Emma, In Want of a Wife by Cathy Williams based on Pride and Prejudiced and The Forbidden Innocent based on Jane Eyre which I liked but the story of Heath & Kat really got me hooked.

This is an intense story about revenge, secrets, jealousies and betrayal.

Heath Montana, was found on a cold and rainy night after being abandoned by his mother by Kat’s father who decided to bring him to High Farm. Heath & Kat became friends but not Joe her brother, who, on the death of their father, banned Heath from the house and he had to live in a shed.  

Heath realizes that he loves Kat but one night changed everything.  Kat became mesmerized by the wealth of their neighbor, Arthur Charlton, when she had been taken to the manor after being bitten by a dog. Heath overhears them talking about him, calling him “gypsy boy”, making fun of him. In the end, Kat tells Heath that she does not feel anything for him.

Ten years later, after building his own empire, Heath returns to the place he once called home seeking revenge.  He has never forgotten the way he was treated and has not forgiven them for the cruelty he endured at High Farm. He knows that Kat’s brother is an alcoholic, living at the now rundown High Farm alone with his small son. Kat is now a widow after the death of her sick and perverted husband

Kat is pleased to see Heath again but shocked by the changes in him.  Dark, brooding wearing an emerald stud in one ear is a stranger to her. She discovers she is drawn to Heath despite having changed since she last saw Heath. Dealing with the debts her husband left her with as well as the problems with her brother and his farm has changed her from the carefree girl she once was.

What she doesn’t realize is that Heath is now the owner of the Manor and High Farm and he intends to throw them all out just like they did to him those years ago.

Despite her betrayal, all it takes is one look at her for Heath to realize that he still wants her and that he can get her to come to him.

But will he be able to walk away from her again?

Can Kat love the brooding stranger he has turned into?

An amazing and powerful love story filled with intense emotions, a wonderful plot and the passion between Heath & Kat is hot and sizzling.

This is a definite "must" read book 

a new direction in life

 Okay, it's not about books...but want to talk about some new changes in my life....from travel to food..... within the next 3 weeks my husband and I will have our franchise store in Melrose...next week I will be learning how to cut and fry chips and all those other things that go with it. And of course it will be 7 days a week.....oh how I miss those days of flying .....dinner in paris, lunch in lisbon, shopping in new york.....none of that now.....just chips, fish, more chips......
So if you feel like tasting really fab crispy fish and chips come visit me from the 10th Nov at Melrose Crossing  Mall in Corlett Drive, Illovo.......and catch up with latest news and gossip too of course!!!!!
This is going to be one of the last free weekends so I am just hanging out.....i am so excited about my blog....that i can't get away from it.......
will keep you posted with news of my new adventure

Review: The Secret Princess by Jessica Hart

The Secret Princess is the second book I have read by Jessica Hart. After reading   Ordinary Girl in a Tiara, I couldn’t wait to read the follow up story. I was not disappointed. I loved this book. Up-lifting, tender and feel-good are just some of the words I describe her writing. I will definitely be reading more of her books.

Charlotte has led a charmed and privileged life as the princess of Montluce. She has followed protocol and been the good girl and has always done what her grandmother Blanche asked her to do. But she wants to discover the normal world where she can be herself. With the help of her cousin, Prince Phillipe and her best friend Caro, she temporarily escapes from the palace.

 Arriving in a small village, she hears about a job at Loch Mhorajgh House. Heads out to the isolated estate but when she meets the grumpy, sexy owner, Corran McKenna, is told that she is not suitable for the work and is sent packing.

But Lotty does not give up . Through her persistence she manages to secure the job of cleaning and painting the cottages and works really hard to prove herself, while hiding her true identity. 

Corran inherited the estate which is in disrepair and since resigning from the military has been working on getting the estate to its former glory.  

She’s a distraction he doesn’t need. He needs someone that is suited to his life of isolation and practicality.  She can’t even make a cup of tea and spends days trying to make scones that are never edible. He knows nothing about Lotty’s background and knows she is not going to stay for long but she slowly creeps into his thoughts and gradually he can’t imagine life without her.

Lotty is attracted to Corran, who is the first man to treat her like a woman and decides that she wants to lose her virginity to him before she goes back home.

Would Corran want her as his wife when he discovers who she really is? And what happens when he finds out from the gossip tabloids that Princess Charlotte, back home in her palace, may be pregnant with his baby?

The Secret Princess is a well-written story with engaging characters with great dialogue. Corran might appear domineering and uncompromising but inside he is intensely emotional and tender. Hearing him talking to Pookie, his mother’s dog that he is looking after is absolutely hilarious. Lotty trying to learn how to cook and bake those scones day after day was funny and tender.

I loved the way that Lotty didn’t suddenly become a farmer’s wife but rather changed Corran’s life. She has discovered the woman she has always wanted to be...courageous and determined.

The Secret Princess is part of The Princess Swap series. This story is connected to Ordinary Girl in a Tiara (Harlequin Romance, June 2011), also by Jessica Hart. While there is some mention about the other story, you don't need to read both or read them in order to enjoy The Secret Princess.

Welcome to My Blog

I finally did it!!!! Joined the world of blogging......after spending days and nights trying to figure out all the ins and outs of creating a blog. Of course all I heard from friends and the web was...SO EASY!!! Right. Not to me it wasn't....but i persevered and hopefully all those hours spent changing,choosing,deleting,editing and other things helped getting this together.
Anyway, enough of that.
Why my own blog? Well, it's certainly cheaper than a visit to the psychologist. You pay a stranger to tell you that you know the answers to problems in life, pay them and after 45min you leave thinking......Why do I have to pay someone to listen to my stories when I can do it for free......so I began asking myself....what do I like doing????
I like, no love to talk, to read and to write. So why not share that with my friends.
And that's exactly what I am going to do......Sharing ideas, thoughts, feelings about life, books, romance, love,travel and anything else that we want to talk about.
If you have time and interested in reading some of the reviews I will be doing shortly, I will be really grateful for your comments and any suggestions you have