Smexy Reads: The Master by Kresley Cole

Series: The Game Maker #2
448 p.
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published; 2/17/15
Source: From publisher for review

Everyone fears the Master… 

Rich, irresistible politician/Mafiya boss Maksimilian Sevastyan prefers tall, obedient blondes to fulfill his…complicated desires. That is, until the icy Russian encounters a disobedient brunette whose exquisite little body threatens his legendary restraint. 

Except her. 

Catarina Marín was a well-off young wife until her world fell apart. Now she’s hiding out, forced to start working as an escort in Miami. Her very first client is beyond gorgeous, but when he tells her what he plans to do to her, Cat almost walks out of the door. 

If pleasure is a game, play to win. 

After their mind-blowing encounter burns out of control, the lovers crave more. If they escape the deadly threats surrounding them, can Maksim overcome his past—to offer Cat his future? Only then will she tempt him with what he really wants: her, all tied up with a bow.

My thoughts:

I have had a hard time writing this one. I have mixed feelings about it and I'm not sure how to star rate it. Hm... hopefully I'll figure that out when I write the rest of the review. :)

I had a few problems with the book and it all centers around Máxim (Maksimilian). Cat often called him pendejo (spanish if you need to look it up... lol) and I feel that the name is apt. I never warmed up to him, even in the end. Plus, he instigated a couple of scenes I really didn't like. One was when he "kidnapped" her. Even though she could have easily slipped out, I still didn't buy that a woman with her background would let him do something like that to her. The other scene is one I'm not sure how to mention. Some will see it the way I see it and not like it, and others will feel differently. I don't want to color your take on it too much but I fear I have already with what I have said. Let me just say it wasn't enough to make me stop the book.

Okay, with all that you might think I hated this book. No! My favorite character was Cat and it was she who kept me reading. When Máxim would anger me usually Cat would come around and tell him exactly what I was thinking. YES! This is exactly what I need in the other books that frustrate me in the same way. Usually the girl either sits quietly by or just ignores the behavior. UGH! I hate that. Cat doesn't and calls it like it is! She is a great character.

So, this is my problem. I still think that Máxim is a pendejo but Cat really does rule this book. It is an erotica book and in most of these books you have to overlook the ridiculous. I think I will give this book 3 1/2 stars because I got a character to root for. Those that don't enjoy BDSM, I would call it BDSM light. Not really that bad but it is very smexy.

The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki

Standalone
512 p.
Publisher: Howard Books
Published: 2/17/15
Source: Kismet Book Tours for review

The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry. 

Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg Court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead.

Thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world. 

With Pataki’s rich period detail and cast of complex, bewitching characters, The Accidental Empress offers a captivating glimpse into one of history’s most intriguing royal families, shedding new light on the glittering Hapsburg Empire and its most mesmerizing, most beloved “Fairy Queen.”

My thoughts:

While reading this book I became curious as to how close the history was to the real Empress of Austria. What I found by doing a quick search is that the book closely aligns itself to what was reported and what happened. She brings clarity to some aspects of the Empress Sisi's life with reasons that made perfect sense to me. Where some of the details just fantasy? No doubt, but yet it felt like reasonable assumptions.

While I did like Sisi I really didn't like the Emperor's mother Sophia. Ugh. I so wanted to see Sisi throw her out a turret window! I won't say why but when you read it, I have no doubt you would agree. I also didn't care for Franz, the Emperor when it came to being a husband and who still acted as a child when it came to his mother. These parts worked in the book, however, since I don't think we were supposed to praise either one highly.

I give this book 4 stars. I recommend it to those that have an interest in history. This follows her life well and gives potential insight to her behavior and the world this was set.

Bloggy Note:

Don't forget to visit the blog post by Allison Pataki describing how she researched the book! Also there is a great giveaway for $120 gift certificate to the ebook retailer of the winner's choice. Just click HERE to go to the post!

Blog Tour with Giveaway: The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki

Retracing Sisi’s Footsteps: My Research for THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS

One of the greatest joys of reading Historical Fiction is, in my opinion, learning about another time and place. If done right, a great Historical Fiction novel will transport you to a new world. You have the opportunity to see this new and vivid world along with the compelling cast of characters who inhabit it.

It follows, then, that one of the most fun parts of writing Historical Fiction is that same thing—getting so deeply into another world that it becomes real and gripping and alive. And that all begins with the research.

As this is a novel set in the Habsburg Imperial Court, the drama and action unfolded primarily in Austria and Hungary. I really couldn’t learn about Sisi and her world without seeing it through my own eyes. I felt very strongly that, in order to bring Sisi to life, both in my imagination and on paper, I needed to first immerse myself into her world. I needed to visit her palaces, soak up her setting, and walk in her footsteps. This was all an integral part of the research process, and I was thrilled that that meant I would get to do some traveling. That’s not a bad part of the job, is it?!

It was in Vienna, years ago, that I first stumbled across the image of Sisi, so that was the first place I revisited. Vienna today still feels so grand and imperial. You can still feel Sisi and Franz Joseph and the stamp of imperial majesty on almost every boulevard of their capital. Their former homes, the Schönbrunn and Hofburg Palaces, are fantastic resources in which to learn about not only Sisi, but all of the Habsburgs. There, I spent time studying every detail of Sisi’s daily life. I studied the plates off of which she ate, the clothes in which she dressed, and the furniture on which she sat. I peeked at her journal entries to see her elegant cursive handwriting. I looked out over her grounds and gardens, staring through the same windows through which she took her own views of her land and her capital city. I walked down the same cathedral aisle by which she processed, as a girl of sixteen, on her way to marry Emperor Franz Joseph. In all of those places, Sisi came to life in my mind.

Next, it was off to Sisi’s other capital, the Hungarian city of Budapest. This is a place that, to me, feels more whimsical and unruly than grand and imperial Vienna. Walking around the Castle Hill and looking out over the Danube and the Chain Bridge, I could imagine why the romantic Sisi loved it there so much. I traveled the flat plains on which she loved to take off on horseback. I sat in her imperial box in Budapest’s cathedral. I visited the nearby imperial retreat, the country home to which she fled to when the pressures of public life overwhelmed her.

All of these places were hugely important locales in Sisi’s story, so I loved visiting them to learn about Sisi and, hopefully, to be able to recreate this world through my words.

Once I’d physically retraced her footsteps, it came time to take in as much information as possible. This involved reading…lots and lots of reading. And then some note-taking, and then some more reading. The names of the biographies and books I relied on are listed in the Acknowledgments Section at the back of my novel. I read not only about the characters but also about the world they inhabited and what their daily lives might have looked and felt like. I read about what food they would have eaten, what shows they might have seen at the Opera. I read about the weather and the clothing and the architecture. I hope that, in including these rich and evocative historical details, readers of The Accidental Empress will feel like Sisi and her world come to life. That is, after all, the true magic of reading—being transported to another world. And if I’ve done my job right, readers will feel not only like they’ve been to SIsi’s world, but that she’s become a dear friend in the process.

 

New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki follows up on her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Traitor’s Wife, with the little-known and tumultuous love story of “Sisi,” the Austro-Hungarian Empress and captivating wife of Emperor Franz Joseph.
The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry. 

Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Intrigued by Sisi’s guileless charm and energetic spirit, not to mention her unrivaled beauty, Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead. 

Plucked from obscurity and thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi has no idea what struggles and dangers—and temptations—await her. Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world. 

With Pataki’s rich period detail and cast of complex, compelling characters, The Accidental Empress offers a captivating glimpse into the bedrooms and staterooms of one of history’s most intriguing royal families, shedding new light on the glittering Habsburg Empire and its most mesmerizing, most beloved “Fairy Queen.”

GoodReads

Buy: Allison's Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

About Allison Pataki:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Allison Pataki is the author of the New York Times bestselling historical novel, The Traitor's Wife. She graduated Cum Laude from Yale University with a major in English and spent several years writing for TV and online news outlets. The daughter of former New York State Governor George E. Pataki, Allison was inspired to write her second novel, The Accidental Empress, by her family’s deep roots in the former Habsburg empire of Austria-Hungary. Allison is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization, ReConnect Hungary. Allison is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and FoxNews.com, as well as a member of The Historical Novel Society. Allison lives in Chicago with her husband. To learn more and connect with Allison visit www.AllisonPataki.com or on Twitter.

Also by Allison Pataki:

Goodreads

Buy: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Giveaway!

Thanks to Allison Pataki and Simon & Schuster, one lucky winner will receive a $120 gift card to the ebook retailer of their choice (Amazon/B&N/iTunes)! Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open internationally.

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Tour Schedule:

Monday, February 9th - Reader Girls - Guest Post
Tuesday, February 10th - Sassy Book Lovers - Excerpt
Wednesday, February 11th - Fine Lines - Author Interview
Thursday, February 12th - Reading Reality - Guest Post
Friday, February 13th - Fiktshun - Author Interview

Monday, February 16th - The Maiden's Court - Guest Post
Tuesday, February 17th - Bewitched Bookworms - Author Interview
Wednesday, February 18th - Fire and Ice - Guest Post
Thursday, February 19th - Bookish - Author Interview
Friday, February 20th - Curling Up With A Good Book - Author Interview

Monday, February 23rd - Books and Things - Guest Post
Tuesday, February 24th - Books Glorious Books - Excerpt
Wednesday, February 25th - Sara In Bookland - Author Interview
Thursday, February 26th - Historical Fiction Obsession - Guest Post
Friday, February 27th - Library of a Book Witch - Author Interview

For more info about the tour visit the Tour Page

Cookbook Photography Review: In Her Kitchen by Gabriele Galimberti

Cookbook/ Photography Book
248 p.
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Published: 11/11/14
Source: Blogging for Books for review

Gabriele Galimberti's beautiful portraits of grandmothers from all over the world posing with their signature dishes remind us that sharing traditions through food is universal. 

As Gabriele Galimberti was preparing to set off on a trip around the world, his Italian grandmother was more concerned about how well he would eat than any risks or mishaps he might face on his travels. As a send-off, she prepared his favorite dish, Swiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Meat Sauce. He then promised her that he would eat good food wherever he went, and while on his trip, persuaded grandmothers in 60 countries to cook a meal for him. At each grandmother's table, he became her curious and hungry grandson, tasting her dish and capturing her pride with his camera. The resulting book's stories, recipes, and loving photographs pay homage to all grandmothers and their cooking and provides a moving, anthropological glimpse into the national palates in faraway places. From a Swedish homemaker and her homemade lox and vegetables to a Zambian villager and her Roasted Spiced Chicken, this collection inspires great appreciation for our most cherished family members.

My thoughts:

As the blurb above tells the tell, Gabriele's grandmother gave him the idea for this book. In fact, she was the first grandma in the book. I just knew I had to check this book out from the fabulous cover! Each part of the book is a grandmother as varied as grandmothers can be. There are some that are surprisingly young and others with several great grandchildren. What they all have in common is their love of family and food. Each page has a picture of the grandmother and the ingredients (like the cover). The next picture is a full page of the dish. On the next pages there is a small paragraph or two about the woman and her meal with the recipe. The book is worth just the pictures and the small stories! Even dishes I would not want to try (caterpillar) still made me feel as if I would be happy to eat them because of the pride that went into cooking the food and why they made it. Other photographs made me wish I was there while they were cooking the food for the companionship and... well... the food! Some of the dishes were mouth watering.

I give this book 5 stars. It is a wonderful book if you just want it as a coffee table book, if you want some short stories about a grandmother's favorite dish or you want unique and interesting recipes. I know this book made me think of my grandma and her dish she made every Thanksgiving. Yes, it made me quite nostalgic. I highly recommend this book.

Photography by Gabirele Galimberti (his grandma's dish)
Other sneak peaks go HERE

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #4
320 p.
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 2/3/09
Source: Library

Car mechanic and sometime shapeshifter Mercy Thompson has learned, the hard way, why her race was almost exterminated. When European vampires immigrated to North America, they found Mercy's people had a hidden talent - for vampire slaying. Unfortunately for Mercy, the queen of the local vampire seethe has discovered her true identity. She's also furious when she learns Mercy has crossed her and killed one of her vampires. Mercy may be protected from direct reprisals by the werewolf pack (and her interesting relationship with its Alpha), but that just means Marsilia will come after Mercy some other way. So Mercy had better prepare to watch her back.

My thoughts:
Briggs started this book a second after the last book left us. I am glad as I didn't quite buy the ending of Iron Kissed. To avoid spoilage I will not say what it was specifically but the problem encountered in the last book would have lasting repercussions. I'm glad that this was explored a bit more. I also could not love Adam more with how he handled Mercy.

No matter what is going on with Mercy, she always finds a way to continue on and do her best and help those that need helping. This is what I love about this character and this trait is in abundance in this story.

My only complaint might be the vampires. I say might as I don't know where this is exactly heading but I suspect we will find out more as the series progresses. Marsilia is one bad and devious vampire and a great potential big bad for Mercy and company but her deviousness and evilness just seemed to fizzle out in the end of the book. However, I have learned that it may be a ruse for more deviousness later in the series.

I give this book 4 stars. Another great addition to the series. Those that love kid characters will fall for Chad. He is one adorable and brave kid. I'd love to see more of him in the coming books. I recommend this series to those that enjoy UF.