YUKON’S BOOK CLUB ARCHIVES
Yukon (he’s in the handsome fellow in the fur coat) and I would like to welcome you to his book club. Every few weeks, this discerning Norwegian Elkhound will post a review of what he’s currently reading. After much consideration, Yukon has established a rating system that he thinks will be very helpful to his readers. Each book that he reviews will be scored with a rating of: 1 to 5 Sloppy Kisses Just between you and me, don’t expect to see anything less than a 4 or 5. Yukon is a bit of a softie, and he hates to hurt people’s feelings. But he has excellent taste, so whatever book he does recommend you’ll be sure to enjoy.
Yukon’s Archives:
Yukon has already downloaded a number of books from Carina Press, Harlequin’s new, digital-only imprint. He’s excited about the diversity of reads at Carina, with everything from fantasy romance, to historical romance and erotica. His favorite is contemporary romance, but he might be a little biased. After all, Vanessa does write contemporary romance with her husband under the pen name of VK Sykes, and he knows where his dog cookies come from. Here are the Carina books that Yukon is ready to sink his teeth into. CaddyGirls, by VK Sykes Torrey Green once had a promising golf career, but now she’s stuck caddying for butt-pinching businessmen. She doesn’t mind playing dumb while hauling clubs if it means she can get her golf career back on track, and she’s going to need an influx of cash to focus on the pro circuit. A booking from video game mogul Julian Grant could be Torrey’s cash-flow solution. In town for a business deal, Julian’s partners plan for a little action on the greens. They’re looking for some fun with their rent-a-caddy girls, and have a lot riding on who can score, on the course and off. This type of gamble isn’t Julian’s style, but he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his partners happy – even if that includes breaking a few hearts along the way. Julian soon discovers that Torrey is more than just a caddy girl and they spark an intriguing attraction – but if Torrey discovers the truth behind his idiotic wager, all bets are off… The Price of Freedom, by Jenny Schwartz As a guardian angel, Mischa must protect the one man who may be able to bring about lasting peace to the Middle East. As a djinni, Rafe must fulfill the wishes of a terrorist leader. Their duties colliding, Mischa and Rafe become foes, but the heat between them is undeniable. When the terrorist learns that a guardian angel stands between him and his greatest wish, he orders his djinni to remove her. Taking creative license, Rafe spirits her away to his private oasis, where she will be unable to protect the peacemaker. Beyond their mutual desire, they find common ground in honor and loneliness. Passion quickly grows into love. But it’s soon clear to Rafe that love cannot be bound, and Mischa must be true to her life’s purpose. Even if Rafe must sacrifice his own taste of freedom to grant hers… Song of Seduction, by Carrie Lofty Eight years ago, composer Arie De Voss claimed his late mentor's final symphony as his own and became an icon. But fame has a price: fear of discovery now poisons his attempts to compose a redemptive masterpiece. Until a new muse appears, intoxicating and inspiring him... Mathilda Heidel renounced her own musical gift to marry, seeking a quiet life to escape the shame surrounding her birth. Sudden widowhood finds her tempted by song once more. An unexpected introduction to her idol, Arie De Voss, renews Mathilda's passion for the violin--and ignites a passion for the man himself. But when lust and lies reach a crescendo, Arie will be forced to choose: love or truth? Motor City Fae, by Cindy Spencer Pape Detroit artist Meagan Kelly has had a strong sixth sense all her life, but that doesn’t mean the gorgeous stranger’s crazy story—that she’s a half-elf, half human heiress—is true. But Meagan can’t deny the evidence of her own eyes—he’s Fae. A tall, blond, handsome, pointy-eared elf—and a man she just can’t get enough of. Ric Thornhill’s assignment just got a lot more complicated. The more time he spends with Meagan, the harder it is to see her as a political tool to prevent an all-out war between humans and Fae. Now Meagan’s in a race to master her newly released powers in time to prevent the conflict, convince a jealous Queen not to strip Ric of his powers, and find out if she can build a life that straddles two worlds. Texas Tangle, by Leah Braemel Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an overdrawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued…and a little gun-shy. Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki’s life, but he’s determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki’s heart. Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness? Salome at Sunrise, by Inez Kelly It's not nice to piss-off Mother Nature. Bryton Haruk sets out on a suicide mission to stop the bloodthirsty Skullmen from terrorizing the war-weary Land of Eldwyn. Consumed by guilt over the death of his wife, Bryton seeks revenge and reunion in the afterlife with his lost love. His purpose is determined, his bravery unmatched, until the queen casts a spell to save Bryton from himself. Salome is that spell. A bird-shifter, she can harness the earth's breeze and take the form of a beautiful, innocent woman. Her challenge is to harness Bryton's pain and guide him to peace. She entrances and irritates him, tempting Bryton from his mission. Even as he gives in to the passion between them, Bryton insists on mounting a solo attack on the brigands' compound, and Salome fears her love won't be enough to save him... Sea of Suspicion, by Toni Anderson Marine biologist Susie Cooper traded her life in America for a dream job on the rugged Scottish coast. Now all she lacks is the right man to start a family with. After their first meeting, she knows sexy Detective Inspector Nick Archer isn’t what she’s looking for. He’s the type of guy whose idea of commitment is staying the whole night. Nick has returned to St. Andrews for one reason only—to fulfill his vow to find his wife’s killer. Relentless in his twelve-year quest for justice, he has no problem using Susie to get close to his primary suspect: her boss. But the passion between them smolders, and as it ignites, Nick finds himself torn between his past and his present—with Susie. When one of her boss’s students is murdered, Nick’s investigation draws Susie into a web of madness and betrayal. They will have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to catch a killer…and come out of this alive. Yukon is quite the armchair adventurer, so for his inaugural book he’s chosen to review K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain, by Ed Viesturs (with David Roberts). K2, of course, is the second highest mountain in the world, the giant of the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan. It is one of the most beautiful peaks in the world, and one of the deadliest. For decades, it has been viewed by mountaineers as the pinnacle achievement of climbing. Ed Viesturs was the first American to climb all fourteen of the world’s 8,000 meter peaks. But he’s much more than an adrenaline junkie and macho climber—he’s a very thoughtful man, and a super-talented yet careful athlete. His often harrowing account of his own ascent of K2—with another great American climber, Scott Fischer—is only one part of this book. He goes beyond his experience to recount a riveting tale of the mountain’s history, with a thoughtful exploration of the experiences, good and bad, of the men and women who sought to conquer it. In doing so, he writes something of a history of mountaineering, and also analyzes the psychology of the extraordinary people who climb the big peaks. Viesturs has written a truly insightful book on the issues that engage and vex both climbers and the armchair experts who follow the sport. It also contains some astounding pictures from his personal collection, as well as pictures and illustrations from earlier expeditions. Quoting from the book jacket, “This is the definitive account of the world’s ultimate mountain, and of the lessons that can be gleaned from struggling toward its elusive summit.” Yukon heartily agrees with that assessment, and awards K2 5 sloppy kisses. After reading it, however, he is eternally grateful that his outdoor adventures are confined to brisk walks around the neighborhood, and not struggling up the side of an 8,000 meter mountain! Swimming to Catalina by Stuart Woods Yukon admits that when it comes to Stone Barrington, he has a devil of a time giving Stuart Woods’ cop turned lawyer a suitably objective review. He thinks it must be because Stone is such a cool guy, smart and principled and irresistible to the ladies, much like Yukon himself (modesty isn’t Yukon’s strongest character trait—a certain ego runs in the breed). But for all his bold and energetic temperament, Yukon is also a sensitive fellow. So, you can imagine his distress when he opened the book to find—in the prologue, no less—that Stone is sinking to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, chained to a boat anchor. Yukon had to close the book and go mooch some dog cookies to take his mind off his distress. When he’d composed himself enough to return to the book, he was overjoyed to find Stone did indeed survive his near-impossible conundrum—a fact Yukon probably should have twigged to earlier since there are currently thirteen more Stone Barrington novels after Swimming to Catalina. Stone’s near-death experience flowed from his commitment to find Arrington Calder, his former girlfriend and now wife of heartthrob movie star Vance Calder. When Arrington is kidnapped, Vance desperately turns to Stone to save the day. As soon as Stone arrives in Hollywood, life gets crazy. He’s dragooned into a screen test, and is reluctantly cast in a movie by Calder’s studio. But after a few days of filming courtroom scenes, he’s mysteriously hustled off the set and banished from town, with Calder claiming Arrington is all right after all. But Stone knows when he’s being had, and refuses to abandon the case. He quickly finds that behind the glitz and glamor of a major Hollywood studio lies the death grip of organized crime. Booklist called this Stone Barrington novel “a highly entertaining read that’s chock-full of slam-bang action, fast cars, beautiful women, fine wine, and tart, tongue-in-cheek humor.” Yukon says amen to that assessment, and awards Swimming to Catalina 5 Sloppy Kisses. But he fervently hopes Mr. Woods will in future wait past page three to put poor Stone in mortal danger. |
