June's Best of the Bookshelf

It's my turn to host best of the bookshelf! (Which is why it's a week late... oops.) This is where we share what we're reading and ask you to do the same. It's summer, the perfect time to relax on the beach or inside with the A/C cranked up and read a good book. We've had a streak of 90+ degrees around here since the end of May, so I'm definitely opting for indoors with the A/C.

Here's what the Playfriends are reading this month!

Smarty Pants
This month, I'm reading both for business and for pleasure. To help with my revisions, I'm reading Lynn Raye Harris' June book Behind the Palace Walls. Lynn helped with my alpha hero breakthrough a while back, so I knew her latest book would be just the thing I needed. It's the perfect read to help me research crafting not only delicious alpha heroes, but on how to drive the emotional stakes high, for which Lynn is known. This story seriously delivers on both with hot and dangerous Russian prince Alexei Voronov, corporate espionage and a secret baby.

Problem Child
I’m reading Rhonda Nelson’s Real Men Wear Plaid. Rhonda’s books are always fabulous, and this is one is no different, but it’s extra special because I was there when she was “researching” this book. It’s fun to see how she worked in the places we went and the things we did, and it brought back great memories of great times. Sadly, though, we didn’t meet any real-life MacKinnons on our travels. But y’all know I have a thing for Scots and men in kilts, so this book pushed all the right buttons for me! (Real Men Wear Plaid is actually three novellas in one book, so you get three times the Hot Highland Honeys!)

Instigator
I’m reading Ally Carter’s latest in her Heist Society series Uncommon Criminals. The series is about a teenage girl who just happens to be an excellent thief from a long line of thieves. In the first book Kat is pulled back into the life she tried to leave behind. In this second installment she finds herself with a legendary reputation and a request to return a priceless jewel to its rightful owners. If you haven’t picked up Ally Carter’s books I highly suggest you run to the nearest bookstore! Between her Gallagher Girls series about teenage spies and the Heist Society of thieves, she has unique characters and compelling plot lines that always keep my turning the page.

Angel
I love the Lauren Dane contemporary romantic suspenses that I’ve read, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this series previously released by Samhain. Somehow I mistakenly downloaded Book 2 instead of Book 1, but this one was so good, I can’t wait to go back and read the first. This book centers around Shane and Cassie. Shane is the town sheriff and Cassie is on the run from her extremely violent ex-husband with a new identity and everything on the line. Shane knows she has something to hide, and her skittishness gives him a hint as to what it is. Slowly gaining her trust, he attempts to tame the fiery female, but she’s learned her lesson about take-charge men. Their relationship becomes a series of compromises until Cassie’s life is once again in danger. They learn to work together to conquer not only the man stalking her, but the fear her past has given her.

Playground Monitor
PM is reading something different this month – ONCE A SPY by Keith Thomson (who happens to be the father of one of her granddaughter’s schoolmates).

Charlie Clark is a gambling addict whose father has Alzheimer’s. Charlie always thought Dad was an appliance salesman, but Dad was really a deep cover CIA operative. Now someone is shooting at Charlie and his father, Drummond. But Drummond has no idea what secrets his brain holds anymore. And when he hints at having millions of dollars stashed away, Charlie becomes just a little more interested in taking care of his father because it may be the answer to his loan shark problem.

What are you reading? We're always looking for a new author or series to pick up, so share any good finds!

SP