While some of the books I review on my site are furnished by the publishers, authors, or publicists for the purpose of review all of my reviews are truthful, honest, and my sincere opinion.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Closed: Giveaway: Wrong By David H. Freedman

Thank you to everyone that entered. There were 17 different entrants and a total of 30 entries!

Here are the three winners:
1) Meredith
2) nfmgirl
3) Laura

Emails are being sent to the winners. Thank you again for entering and congratulations to the winners. I hope you enjoy them.

All winners were chosen using Random.org

-Jennifer

Thanks to Valerie at Hachette I can giveaway 3 copies of this one.



About the book

Our investments are devastated, obesity is epidemic, test scores are in decline, blue-chip companies circle the drain, and popular medications turn out to be ineffective and even dangerous. What happened? Didn't we listen to the scientists, economists and other experts who promised us that if we followed their advice all would be well? Actually, those experts are a big reason we're in this mess. And, according to acclaimed business and science writer David H. Freedman, such expert counsel usually turns out to be wrong--often wildly so. Wrong reveals the dangerously distorted ways experts come up with their advice, and why the most heavily flawed conclusions end up getting the most attention-all the more so in the online era. But there's hope: Wrong spells out the means by which every individual and organization can do a better job of unearthing the crucial bits of right within a vast avalanche of misleading pronouncements.

For more information on this title please visit Hachette Book Group.

Giveaway info

The giveaway will end 7/14/10 at 11:59pm (EST)

Rules:
1) Only winners from the US and Canada
2) No PO boxes

To enter:
1) Leave a comment with your email address (so I can contact you if you win!)
2) Get an extra entry for following my blog (let me know if you're a new follower or have been following for a while!)
3) Get a third entry for mentioning this giveaway: On your blog, facebook, twitter... anywhere (Make sure to leave me a link or your SN so I can verify!)
4) Get an extra for referring friends who become followers of my blog. Have them mention your name in their comments. (along with all their info!!)
5) "Like" Just Jennifer Reading on Facebook.

Please RT: @JustJennReading: New Giveaway: Wrong by David H. Freedman http://tiny.cc/41ltv

!!!REMEMBER!!!! If you do not leave your e-mail in your comment you will not be entered into the giveaway!!!

The winners will be randomly drawn and notified by email.

Good Luck and thank you for reading my blog!

Closed: Giveaway: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

Thank you to everyone that entered. There were 15 different entrants and a total of 35 entries!

Here are the three winners:
1) Martha Lawson
2) Cheryl F
3) Cindy W

Emails are being sent to the winners. Thank you again for entering and congratulations to the winners. I hope you enjoy them.

All winners were chosen using Random.org

-Jennifer

Thanks to Valerie at Hachette I can giveaway 3 copies of this one.



About the book

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.

For more information on this title please visit Hachette Book Group.

Giveaway info

The giveaway will end 7/14/10 at 11:59pm (EST)

Rules:
1) Only winners from the US and Canada
2) No PO boxes

To enter:
1) Leave a comment with your email address (so I can contact you if you win!)
2) Get an extra entry for following my blog (let me know if you're a new follower or have been following for a while!)
3) Get a third entry for mentioning this giveaway: On your blog, facebook, twitter... anywhere (Make sure to leave me a link or your SN so I can verify!)
4) Get an extra for referring friends who become followers of my blog. Have them mention your name in their comments. (along with all their info!!)
5) "Like" Just Jennifer Reading on Facebook.

Please RT: @JustJennReading: New Giveaway: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand http://tiny.cc/obtoh

!!!REMEMBER!!!! If you do not leave your e-mail in your comment you will not be entered into the giveaway!!!

The winners will be randomly drawn and notified by email.

Good Luck and thank you for reading my blog!

Closed: Giveaway: The Body Shop by Paul Solotaroff

Thank you to everyone that entered. There were 11 different entrants and a total of 20 entries!

Here are the three winners:
1) Cheryl F
2) Renee G
3) Shannon

Emails are being sent to the winners. Thank you again for entering and congratulations to the winners. I hope you enjoy them.

All winners were chosen using Random.org

-Jennifer

Thanks to Anna at Hachette I can giveaway 3 copies of this one.



About the book

As a scrawny college freshman in the mid-1970s, just before Arnold Schwarzenegger became a hero to boys everywhere and Pumping Iron became a cult hit, Paul Solotaroff discovered weights and steroids. In a matter of months, he grew from a dorky beanpole into a hulking behemoth, showing off his rock hard muscles first on the streets of New York City and then alongside his colorful gym-rat friends in strip clubs and in the homes of the gotham elite. It was a swinging time, when "Would you like to dance?" turned into "Your place or mine?" and the guys with the muscles had all the ladies--until their bodies, like Solotaroff''s, completely shut down.

But this isn't the gloom-and-doom addiction one might expect--Solotaroff looks back at even his lowest points with a wicked sense of humor, and he sends up the disco era and its excess with all the kaleidoscopic detail of Boogie Nights or Saturday Night Fever.

Written with candor and sarcasm, THE BODY SHOP is a memoir with all the elements of great fiction and dazzlingly displays Paul Solotaroff's celebrated writing talent.

For more information on this title please visit Hachette Book Group.

Giveaway info

The giveaway will end 7/14/10 at 11:59pm (EST)

Rules:
1) Only winners from the US and Canada
2) No PO boxes

To enter:
1) Leave a comment with your email address (so I can contact you if you win!)
2) Get an extra entry for following my blog (let me know if you're a new follower or have been following for a while!)
3) Get a third entry for mentioning this giveaway: On your blog, facebook, twitter... anywhere (Make sure to leave me a link or your SN so I can verify!)
4) Get an extra for referring friends who become followers of my blog. Have them mention your name in their comments. (along with all their info!!)
5) "Like" Just Jennifer Reading on Facebook.

Please RT: @JustJennReading: New Giveaway: The Body Shop by Paul Solotaroff http://tiny.cc/obtoh

!!!REMEMBER!!!! If you do not leave your e-mail in your comment you will not be entered into the giveaway!!!

The winners will be randomly drawn and notified by email.

Good Luck and thank you for reading my blog!

Closed: Giveaway: To Surrender To A Rogue by Cara Elliot

Thank you to everyone that entered. There were 16 different entrants and a total of 38 entries!

Here are the five winners:
1) Shannon
2) Cheryl F
3) karenk
4) Martha Lawson
5) katsrus

Emails are being sent to the winners. Thank you again for entering and congratulations to the winners. I hope you enjoy them.

All winners were chosen using Random.org

-Jennifer

Thanks to Anna at Hachette I can giveaway 5 copies of this one.





About the book

An expert in antiquities, Lady Alessandra della Giamatti arrives in Bath to excavate newly discovered Roman ruins-only to find herself caught in a web of evil intrigue by a blackmailer threatening to expose her scandalous past. The one man who can help her is Lord James "Black Jack" Pierson, a fellow member of the expedition and a sinfully handsome rogue whose tempting presence ignites a different sort of danger.

Jack has clashed with Alessandra in the past, so when she suddenly surrenders her body he can't help being suspicious. Is she a scheming temptress? Or is she truly a lady in trouble? As desire and deceptions swirl around them, Alessandra and Jack must find a way to win each other's trust. For if they don't work together to uncover a shocking truth, their enemy-and their own simmering passions-may destroy them and everything they cherish.

For more information on this title please visit Hachette Book Group.

You can read my review here.

Giveaway info

The giveaway will end 7/14/10 at 11:59pm (EST)

Rules:
1) Only winners from the US and Canada
2) No PO boxes

To enter:
1) Leave a comment with your email address (so I can contact you if you win!)
2) Get an extra entry for following my blog (let me know if you're a new follower or have been following for a while!)
3) Get a third entry for mentioning this giveaway: On your blog, facebook, twitter... anywhere (Make sure to leave me a link or your SN so I can verify!)
4) Get an extra for referring friends who become followers of my blog. Have them mention your name in their comments. (along with all their info!!)
5) "Like" Just Jennifer Reading on Facebook

Please RT: @JustJennReading: New Giveaway: To Surrender To A Rogue by Cara Elliot: http://tiny.cc/46xhf

!!!REMEMBER!!!! If you do not leave your e-mail in your comment you will not be entered into the giveaway!!!

The winners will be randomly drawn and notified by email.

Good Luck and thank you for reading my blog!

Review: To Surrender To A Rogue by Cara Elliot

Thanks to Anna at Hachette for letting me be a part of this blog tour.



About the Book

An expert in antiquities, Lady Alessandra della Giamatti arrives in Bath to excavate newly discovered Roman ruins-only to find herself caught in a web of evil intrigue by a blackmailer threatening to expose her scandalous past. The one man who can help her is Lord James "Black Jack" Pierson, a fellow member of the expedition and a sinfully handsome rogue whose tempting presence ignites a different sort of danger.

Jack has clashed with Alessandra in the past, so when she suddenly surrenders her body he can't help being suspicious. Is she a scheming temptress? Or is she truly a lady in trouble? As desire and deceptions swirl around them, Alessandra and Jack must find a way to win each other's trust. For if they don't work together to uncover a shocking truth, their enemy-and their own simmering passions-may destroy them and everything they cherish.

For more information about To Surrender To A Rogue please visit Hachette's website.

My Review

This book had great characters, a pretty good plot, and was written well. I think I read it too fast. It only took me two days to finish it, and I think I read it too fast to really let myself connect to the story.

I did like Alessandra though. She was sharp witted, and usually had a sharp response ready to go. Even her daughter had quite the mouth on her. I also liked Black Jack and his retorts. He really seemed to keep Alessandra on her toes. Plus he made a great hero for the story. The "Circle of Sin" was also entertaining. They didn't play a huge part in the story, but they were a nice addition.

There were some intense scenes in this one. Alessandra seems to get herself into a bit of trouble by trying to hide her secret from all of England.

Like I said, despite having all the makings of a really good book I just didn't connect to it like I normally do. I'm going to have to reread this one and let myself get drawn into the story. I think I would like it even more if I had not sped through it.

To Surrender To A Rogue (Circle of Sin Trilogy)

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Review: Street Boners by Gavin McInnes

Thanks to Anna at Hachette for sending me a review copy.



About the Book

Fifteen years after founding Vice, Gavin McInnes has poured his creative juices into a new endeavor: StreetCarnage.com. Growing in size and influence at an alarming rate, the site's main feature is the new and improved version of Gavin's "DOs and DON'Ts," now tantalizingly called Street Boners.

These Boners have been polished and compounded into a book that takes the best of the site and adds hundreds more gems! With 1,312 photos, hilarious captions, and a harsh new rating system-from one to 10 kitten faces-STREET BONERS makes sure no glorious fashion statement goes unnoticed. Innocent citizens are either damned to hell or relentlessly exalted into heaven. Chloe Sevigny, Debbie Harry, Fred Armisen, and Tim & Eric also contribute their scathing wit to the book, and the end result is a New York fashion bible no bathroom should be without.

For more information about Street Boners please visit Hachette's website.

My Review

This was very entertaining. My favorite part of gossip magazines is the fashion sections where we get to see the starts hits and misses. What could be better than a whole book about fashion hits and misses? Not much in my opinion.

There were a few pictures that were just gross, but for the most part it was pretty tasteful. And if you're familiar with Vice Magazine, you're probably expecting that anyway.

There were so many pictures in here that I had to dogear to show other people because I just had to validate that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. I think some of these pictures can only be explained because the people wearing the outfits don't own mirrors... Some of them were just hilarious, like they tried really hard but just missed one very important part.

Not to say that I'm the best dressed person around (believe me I'm far from it), but if I ever decide to leave the house in some of these outfits, just lock me up.

While the outfits were entertaining enough they added comments to make it that much better. I laughed out loud quite a few times with this one. It was a perfectly executed picture book. Although some of the Do's took me a minute to figure out what they did right, as at first look they appeared to be Don'ts but once I figured out their rational behind the ratings things just started to fall into place.

Very entertaining! It was also a great one to share with others to get their reactions to some of the Don'ts. I think a fun night could be had by all just passing around this book. And if you have a friend that's a don't I think this book may help with the fashion intervention.

Street Boners: 1,764 Hipster Fashion Jokes

Review: Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives by Josie Brown

Thanks to Sarah at Simon and Schuster for letting me read this one.



About the Book

Suburbia is a jungle, filled with lots of vicious creatures.
Take the Paradise Heights Women’s League board. Lyssa Harper should have warned golden-haired DILF du jour Harry Wilder what he was getting into when she invited him to meet the mommies who run their suburban, gated community. At least he brought cupcakes. Since meeting the former Master-of-the-Universe turned stay-at-home single dad, Lyssa has been his domestic Sherpa, teaching him the ins and outs of suburban life. She just didn’t realize her friends would show up at his house unannounced with casseroles, leopard-print bikini briefs, and plans to rearrange his kitchen cabinets.

The truth is, if Harry and his wife, the neighborhood’s "perfect couple," can call it quits, what does that mean for everyone else? Lyssa’s husband, Ted, is a great father, but he pays her Pilates-pumped momtourage more attention than he does his own wife. Her friends gossip about the neighbors while ignoring their own problems: infertility, infidelity, and eating disorders.

When Harry sets boundaries with his new fan club, he is exiled from the neighborhood’s in-clique. But Lyssa refuses to snub him. What she never expects is the explosive impact her ongoing friendship with Harry will have on her close-knit pals—and on her marriage.

For more information about Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives please visit Simon and Schuster's website.

My Review

The title really holds true with this one! There were quite a few secrets that I never expected. The one at the end was a real treat :-)

The main characters in this one were pretty well written. There were a few scenes that seemed to be a bit out of character, but as the title suggests there were quite a few secrets, so maybe these were just more of them. I tend to think the best of people, and while I knew from the word go that DeeDee was trouble I never expected some of the other people to take the actions they did. I liked Lyssa, she reminded me a lot of myself in her personality. Harry was also a great character. He was so sweet, except for the scene with Ted on Thanksgiving... That was a different story!

The way this story unfolded it was impossible to tell what was really getting ready to happen. Even the end was a bit surprising to me (and I really like to try and figure out the ending). This definitely makes me think twice about my quiet little neighborhood.

This was really a page turner as I wanted to see what secret was going to be exposed next, and who it was going to implicate. Believe me there were soooo many...

Well worth the read.

Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives

Closed: Giveaway: Desire Me by Robyn DeHart

Thank you to everyone that entered. There were 12 different entrants and a total of 28 entries!

Here are the three winners:
1) meliprincess
2) cheryl F
3) breanne
4) katsrus
5) nel

Emails are being sent to the winners. Thank you again for entering and congratulations to the winners. I hope you enjoy them.

All winners were chosen using Random.org

-Jennifer

Thanks to Anna at Hachette I can giveaway 5 copies of this one.



About the book

The Legend Hunters . . .

The Men of Solomon's meet in secret, their very existence only a rumor among the best of Victorian society. They are treasure hunters, men of wealth and title, seekers of myths and legends. And no legend is as mystifying as the lost city of Atlantis . . .

DESIRE ME

Years ago, Maxwell Barrett found a map to Atlantis and dedicated his life to the search for the mystical lost continent. But when an alluring woman makes a wager for the priceless artifact, he may have discovered an even greater treasure.

A descendant of Atlantis, Sabine Tobias needs the map to decipher an ancient prophecy. What she doesn't need are the sparks flying between her and Max. He's too devilishly charming to be trusted: The fate of her people is at stake as well as her heart. Yet a ruthless killer also covets the map. Now Max and Sabine must race to decode the prophecy's riddle before this criminal fulfills his deadly mission.

For more information on this title please visit Hachette Book Group.

You can read my review here.

Giveaway info

The giveaway will end 7/7/10 at 11:59pm (EST)

Rules:
1) Only winners from the US and Canada
2) No PO boxes

To enter:
1) Leave a comment with your email address (so I can contact you if you win!)
2) Get an extra entry for following my blog (let me know if you're a new follower or have been following for a while!)
3) Get a third entry for mentioning this giveaway: On your blog, facebook, twitter... anywhere (Make sure to leave me a link or your SN so I can verify!)
4) Get an extra for referring friends who become followers of my blog. Have them mention your name in their comments. (along with all their info!!)
5) "Like" Just Jennifer Reading on Facebook

Please RT: @JustJennReading: New Giveaway: http://tiny.cc/qnf0f

!!!REMEMBER!!!! If you do not leave your e-mail in your comment you will not be entered into the giveaway!!!

The winners will be randomly drawn and notified by email.

Good Luck and thank you for reading my blog!

Review: Desire Me by Robyn DeHart

Thanks to Anna at Hachette for letting me participate in this blog tour. I apologize for the late posting... :-(





About the Book

The Legend Hunters . . .

The Men of Solomon's meet in secret, their very existence only a rumor among the best of Victorian society. They are treasure hunters, men of wealth and title, seekers of myths and legends. And no legend is as mystifying as the lost city of Atlantis . . .

DESIRE ME

Years ago, Maxwell Barrett found a map to Atlantis and dedicated his life to the search for the mystical lost continent. But when an alluring woman makes a wager for the priceless artifact, he may have discovered an even greater treasure.

A descendant of Atlantis, Sabine Tobias needs the map to decipher an ancient prophecy. What she doesn't need are the sparks flying between her and Max. He's too devilishly charming to be trusted: The fate of her people is at stake as well as her heart. Yet a ruthless killer also covets the map. Now Max and Sabine must race to decode the prophecy's riddle before this criminal fulfills his deadly mission.

To learn more about this title please visit Hachette's website.

Read Robyn DeHart's Five Fun Facts about Desire Me.

Visit Robyn DeHart on her website.

My Review

This was a great book. It had everything: suspense, romance, adventure, just to name a few.

The story was so good. I loved the search for Atlantis. It made the story so exciting. I also really liked Sabine, she was a great heroine. While I didn't really have an emotional connection to any one character they were all easy to relate to. Max was so cool and collected most of the time, I was so infuriated with him at times because of this. But I guess you can't make a life of searching for mystical artifacts if you get frazzled easily...

As we start to uncover some of the secrets of Atlantis, and the sparks between Sabine and Max start to fly, the story really starts to take off. Although the opening of the story is pretty faced paced also. Sabine's desire to keep her secret while also saving her family forces her to make some "unwise" decisions. That and it's hard to keep things from Max when he stirs her up so much.

The writing was really good. This was another one I couldn't put down. The twists and turns are so unpredictable, I was really shocked quite a few times. I was so enthralled with trying to help them solve the riddle that even though I couldn't see what they were looking at it had my brain working nonetheless.

Desire Me (The Legend Hunters)