Ravenswood's Lady by Amanda Scott

As daughter to the Duke of Malmsbury, Cicely knew her duty. She had to obey her father's command to wed the only man who could assure the family's future position and prosperity. Unfortunately, that man was the Viscount Ravenwood. Ravenwood was no stranger to Cicely. She knew him all too well as the arrogant, conceited, totally infuriating male who had been her natural enemy since their childhood days.

So, though Cicely stiffened her upper lip and agreed to give Ravenwood her hand, she secretly made the most dangerous vow that the bride of this elegant, iron-willed lord could make: no matter what seductive wiles Ravenwood might employ, he would never conquer her heart... 

Cicely is a twit and Gilbert isn't any better. Talk to each other for goodness sakes and grow up!

Otherwise a pleasant, light read.
 

The Offer by Catherine Coulter

Sabrina Eversleigh runs away from home after her new brother-in-law attempts to rape her. She would surely have died in a blizzard if Phillip Mercerault had not rescued her. He nurses her back to health only to find that he is not a hero. Instead, he's a gentleman who has compromised a lady. Now there's only one thing left for him to do - marry her.

But Sabrina turns him down, leaving him completely baffled. However, things don't turn out quite the way Sabrina planned, and it is she, then, who must propose, sweetening the pot with a big dowry and an offer of freedom for Phillip. But what's a husband to do when he knows his bride is afraid of men? And more important, what is the bride to do when she follows her husband to his mistress' lodgings and discovers him on the point of indulging?

Phillip and Sabrina have a long way to go before they can sit amicably at the same table together. 

 Stupid man (he REALLY thought spending his wedding night with his mistress rather than his bride was a good idea!), immature girl, all works out in the end. Nice light read that din't take any brain-power. Just what I needed. 

Otherworld Nights by Kelley Armstrong

 The short stories range from adventures whilst on honeymoon for favourite characters in the Otherworld series to the background of what happens when a young demon comes into his power. 

My favourites were Hidden and Vanishing Act. The others were not as good.

Flashback by Michael Palmer

Toby is eight years old. He had a routine operation. It was fine. Now he's gone home to terror. Months have passed. But Toby still bursts into tortured screams. Because something is very wrong. Toby can remember evey moment of the operation. All the trauma. All the pain. He relives evrey horrifying detail of surgery while he's awake. Now someone must expose the unspeakable truth about this hospital. Or else an innocent child will die. And he won't be the last. The next victim is being wheeled into surgery right now.

Medical thriller with some plot twists and a satisfying ending. OK, not great.

My Hundred Lovers by Susan Johnson

A woman, on the eve of her fiftieth birthday, reflects on one hundred moments from a lifetime's sensual adventures. After the love, hatred and despair are done with, the great and trivial acts of her bodily life reveal an imperfect, yet whole self. By turns humorous, sharp, haunting and wise, this is an original and exhilarating novel from one of Australia's premier writers.

This was an unconventional creative form of memoir written by Susan Johnson. The 100 loves each take up a brief chapter and are sensually described.
The loves include people (lovers, parents, grand-parents) , objects (her favourite house, a bridge in Paris) and moments (mud squishing between in her toes, lying on her back in the grass looking up through the branches of a tree covered in blossom) written in an original , easily read way.

It was very well done, very well written, very evocative.

Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok

Kimberly and her mother find themselves in New York looking for a better future than the life they'd known in Hong Kong. They are, unfortunately, at the mercy of Kimberly's aunt and uncle as they are quite indebted to them for arranging green cards and for taking care of medical bills for Kimberly's mom (who has had TB) as well as paying for their accommodations to New York.

When the story starts Kimberly is a middle school age girl who speaks and reads some English but not enough to create any real level of understanding of her surroundings. Her mother speaks almost no English. They've just arrived and their mother's sister (herself with a story that I won't spoil) has arranged an apartment and a job. The apartment is a heat-less, roach and rodent infested slum tenancy, and the job working at a sweatshop making pennies for long hours. The Chinese culture is front and center here and it is interesting to understand why Kimberly and her mom would agree to these conditions. 

 A moving, inspiring, captivating story. 

Maybe This time by Jennifer Crusie

Andromeda (Andie) Miller decides that she needs to make a clear break from her past - from her ex-husband North Archer that is - so that she can move forward in her new relationship. She intends to just tell him to stop sending her alimony (and give him 10 years worth of uncashed checks) and be done with him. Instead, she finds herself agreeing to help him with his 2 wards - 2 children of his cousin who are only living with a housekeeper in a very Gothic house. The other nannies have quit and North is hoping that Andie will get things straightened out so that he can get the kids moved away from that house.

Modern gothic with ghosts, murders, a creepy housekeeper, quirky characters and romance. 

Lone Wolf by Jodi Piccoult

Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.

With her father's chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father's organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

A bit too much about wolves eating habits and it didn't grab me emotionally as most of her books do.

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

 It is the story of Jess, a single parent, who is struggling hard to make both ends meet. She has two children - her daughter Tanzie, who is just eight, and her stepson, Nicky, who is a teen. They are amazing kids but with their own imperfections.

When Tanzie is offered the opportunity to gain a scholarship to the school of her dreams, Jess works hard to seize the chance. But in the process she fumbles leading to slip-ups and what follows is a rollicking disaster of imposing magnitudes - ensuing in a journey of a lifetime and the opportunity to change all their lives. Will Jess take control of the situation or will she let it slip by?

One Plus One is also the story of Ed whose life is falling apart at its seams. When a chance encounter brought them together, he is well aware that Jess and her two kids are the last things he needs. But he is drawn into their world, plunging his own into a deeper abyss. Yet, he is determined to help them out.

A beautifully written, touching story. 

Connections by Sheila O'Flanagan

 A collection of short stories all set at the same time in a Caribbean Resort. The different stories are title after the room numbers of the people staying there.

There's Tara, who's arrived with the man she wants to marry only to find that a rejected lover is planning to get in the way; Grainne, who's been sent with her husband by their children to celebrate their anniversary, and who thinks the time has come to move on. Rudy's on an idyllic break with his young son which is set for an unexpected ending.

I finished it because I was at work and didn't have anything else to read.

Chasing The Valley: Borderlands by Sky Melki-Wegner

In this world is the country of Taladia which is ruled over by a really nasty king who is set on conquering all the surrounding lands so he can make even more people miserable. Danika and her friends have escaped death and destruction and are heading for Magnetic Valley, an almost mythical land where everything is beautiful and peaceful. They have survived getting out of the city, now they have to survive the borderlands. They are being hunted by the king's special troop of hunters who have everything to gain by capturing the group; on top of this little set back of being hunted there are smugglers with ulterior motives and a huge army between the group and their destination.

In Taladia everyone has a magical ability, when they reach their late teens their ability becomes known and a little tattoo appears on the back of their neck that reveals the ability. Danika is just learning hers - it is night. She can create an illusion spell to hide herself and the others, and she can melt into darkness and get through solid things. Others in her group can control animals, start fires and become one with birds.

A wonderful blend of adventure, science fiction and magic.  It didn't matter that I didn't read the first in the series, you can pick up the background throughout the story. I'd like to find out what happens next.  

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton

Grace Covy is an ordinary 39 year old mother of two children. Grace has a loving relationship with her husband and is devoted to her children. She has a part-time job, however, does not feel she has been as successful in her career, as she might have wished. In a split second, Grace's world changes dramatically, while visiting during sports day at her children's private school. Jenny, her beautiful 17 year old daughter, is the on-site nurse for the day, and is inside the school when the catastrophic fire starts. Without a moments hesitation, Grace runs into the building to save her daughter.

Both mother and daughter sustain life-threatening injuries and are in a coma in the hospital. Similar to the movie "Ghost" and the book "The Lovely Bones" mother/daughter come to realize, they can leave their bodies and move freely around and talk, but only with each other. No, they are not dead, perhaps relegated to that place in-between life and death where one awaits their fate. During this out of body experience, Grace learns that the school fire was not an accident, but an act of arson. Grace also learns that Jenny may still be in danger.
 

Good book. Great idea.  I think I've just recently read too many sad books where main characters die .

Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs

 A collection of all-new and previously published short stories featuring Mercy Thompson and the characters she calls friends… 

There was only one story I had read before, all the rest were new to me.

My favourites were Gray and Alpha and Omega, though there were none that I din't enjoy or skim over. 

Souvenir by Therese Fowler

What if the only person who could help was the one whose heart you'd broken?

A captivating and heartrending novel of lost love, family secrets and betrayal from a major new talent.

'Memories are like spinning blades; dangerous at close range.'

Meg Powell and Carson McKay were soulmates. Until Meg inexplicably walked away and straight into the arms of another man.

While Meg set about building a career and a family – and trying her best to forget Carson – he poured his soul into the music that was to make him an international superstar.

Now, twenty years later, Meg is forced to confront the past and hidden truths in the pages of her late mother's diaries – little knowing that her teenaged daughter Savannah is playing with fire, creating a secret life on the internet that sucks her into a dangerous world.

Then Carson arrives back in town – just as Meg finds out startling news which will change her life for ever.

I was ready to give up on this book after the first couple of chapters.  I didn't, but only because I was at work with nothing else to read.  I am so glad I kept reading.  It turned into an excellent read, with wonderful characters and an intriguing storyline.  Very sad towards the end, but well finished on a note of hope.  Loved it!