Non-fiction Review: Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

Homer's Odyssey

by Gwen Cooper

Delacorte Press (Random House)

ISBN: 9780385343855

Release Date: August 25, 2009

from the publisher's site:

Once in nine lives,something extraordinary happens...

The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen’s veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten who’d been abandoned. It was love at first sight.

Everyone warned that Homer would always be an “underachiever,” never as playful or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quickly grew into a three-pound dynamo, a tiny daredevil with a giant heart who eagerly made friends with every human who crossed his path. Homer scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease and leapt five feet into the air to catch flies in mid-buzz. He survived being trapped alone for days after 9/11 in an apartment near the World Trade Center, and even saved Gwen’s life when he chased off an intruder who broke into their home in the middle of the night.

But it was Homer’s unswerving loyalty, his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes.

Homer’s Odyssey is the once-in-a-lifetime story of an extraordinary cat and his human companion. It celebrates the refusal to accept limits—on love, ability, or hope against overwhelming odds. By turns jubilant and moving, it’s a memoir for anybody who’s ever fallen completely and helplessly in love with a pet.

my thoughts:

From the time I saw Gwen's blog post about Homer scaring the late-night intruder away, I knew I had to read this book. When I saw a promotional copy in my manager's office at work I begged him for it. I love cats, and having one myself, have a personal fondness for black cats. Homer's story is simply amazing, I laughed, cried, and told everyone I came into contact with about this wonderful little cat.

It seems there wasn't a single person who met Homer and left unaffected in some way. Homer finds joy in everything and that draws people to him. If only we could all be so happy with what we have. Homer is an example to us all.

Reserve your copy today, if you like animals or even just enjoy heart-warming stories then you need to read Homer's Odyssey.

Romance Review: Lord of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle

the info:

The Lord of Pleasure

by Delilah Marvelle

Zebra (Kensington)

ISBN: 9781420104493

http://www.delilahmarvelle.com/

Release Date: August 4, 2009

from the publisher's site:

Desperate Times. . .

It's been months since Lady Charlotte Chartwell's philandering husband met his untimely end at the hands of an angry mistress. But as miserable as he made Charlotte in life, his death proves to be an even harsher blow. For not a farthing of his fortune or estate have passed on to her, and as a ruined widow, she is destitute, penniless, and utterly without hope.

Lead To Desperate Pleasures…

Then, as Charlotte is considering the worst, a man steps into her carriage. His intentions are quite indecent at first, but the more he learns about her, the more an unfamiliar—and undesirable—emotion creeps over him. Could it be compassion? Never! For this is Alexander Baxendale, third Earl of Hawksford. He is known throughout the ton as the Lord of Pleasure, dedicated to passion, ruthless in his pursuit of sensual gratification. Yet never in all his exploits has he met a woman who could intrigue him as Charlotte does. Can this mysterious beauty make him hang up his title and see to her pleasure alone?

my thoughts:

As usual I loved this one. After all, I wouldn't bother telling you about it if I didn't love it now would I? This is the companion book to Mistress of Pleasure and I do say companion because what I love about these books is that they overlap each other. Lord of Pleasure doesn't follow like a standard sequel, it actually starts prior to the events in Mistress of Pleasure and ends prior to the end of that book as well. I would definitely say it could be read as a stand alone, but highly recommend reading both books because you see the same events from different perspectives when you read both.

I loved reading about Charlotte and Alexander and of course all of Alexander's many sisters. Delilah Marvelle is definitely one of my new favorite historical authors. I can't wait to see if she writes more companion books in this series. I'd love to see what happens with the other men, espeically Alexander's best friend, Lord Caldwell.

Go out and pick up your copy of Lord of Pleasure today, and if you can find it, grab a copy of Mistress of Pleasure as well. You may need to search used bookstores to find a copy of that one, however.

Romance Review: A Duke to Die For by Amelia Grey

I just finished reading this one for the book club I host at work. Totally loved it.

Here's the info:

Title: A Duke to Die For

by Amelia Grey

Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 9781402217678

http://www.ameliagrey.com/

from the publisher's site:

What is a roguish young nobleman supposed to do with a shockingly lovely young ward? The Duke of Blakewell believes he'd better marry her off as soon as possible, before he gives in to temptation himself...

But Henrietta doesn't want a husband— she wants her independence...

Sure that she carries a curse that killed her previous guardians, Henrietta just wants the duke to sign over her inheritance before something terrible befalls him...
In a moment of passion, they become scandalously entangled, and suddenly the duke must take Henrietta's curse seriously, and she must take drastic measures to save the one man she could love...

my thoughts:

This book is great. Henrietta is a wonderful, caring woman. And Lucien, the Duke of Blakewell is just the kind of hero you love to read about. The tension between the two could be felt from the first scene. You knew right away that they wanted to be together but believed they shouldn't be. It was wonderful watching them come together and realize how they felt about each other. The secondary characters like Race, Morgan, and Gibby were so much fun and I can't wait to read Race's and Morgan's stories. Be sure to watch for A Marquis to Marry and An Earl to Enchant, coming up in the Rogue's Dynasty series.

Intro

As though the blogoshpere or myself really needs another blog, but here it is, I've created one anyway. :)

For those of you who don't know me, I run a Young Adult blog called Want My YA. You can find that one by going here: http://www.wantmyya.blogspot.com

I will be using this blog to discuss everything else I read. It will probably wind up being a lot of Romance, but I'm not limiting myself to any one genre. I may even cover some non-fiction as well. The only thing you won't see covered here is YA because I already have a blog dedicated solely to that genre.

I also want to note that for now I will not be accepting any review requests for this blog because I already have so many I need to cover for Want My YA. Not to mention the 7+ bookshelves of unread books in my bedroom. I want to be able to review what I want when I want without worrying that I'm letting someone down by not posting fast enough.

I will try to post as often as possible but I can be a space case so don't surprised if I forget to post sometimes.

Questions or comments? email me at bookmaedin at yahoo dot com

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll keep checking back.