june and july booklist

really busy months so haven't had the chance to read as much books as i can:

june
26. deirdre martin - icebreaker
Sinead O'Brien is a top female litigator in New York City and a workaholic. Adam Perry's hard-hitting style is legendary among hockey players and fans, and Blades management hopes he'll inspire the team to win the Stanley Cup. But although a recent hit was legal according to the rules of the game, an ambitious district attorney has charged him with assault. And while the league is officially supporting Adam, behind the scenes it's another matter. 4 stars


27. robin kaye - breakfast in bed
Rich Ronaldi is almost the complete package-smart, sexy, great job-but when his girlfriend dumps him, Rich swears he'll learn to cook and clean just to win her back…

Rich is the only guy Becca Larsen's ever met who hasn't tried to change her. She's glad to help him master the domestic arts, but she'll be damned if he'll start cooking in another woman's kitchen-or bedroom… 4 stars

28. anne humphrey - rhymes with cupid
Goodman's Gifts & Stationery Store

February 14
Cashier: Elyse

3 boxes of heart-shaped chocolate . . . $12.00 Chocolate is the only good thing about this nauseating holiday.

4 containers of candy hearts . . . $5.00 Ever since my ex cheated on me, I've sworn off love. Too bad my new neighbor Patrick didn't get the memo.

1 Valentine's Day card . . . $4.50 I'm not interested. Although, he is pretty cute. And sweet. And funny.

1 singing Cupid doll (promotional item) . . . $0.00 Stupid Cupid! Point your arrows at someone else. . . .Subtotal . . . $21.50

It's going to be a complicated Valentine's Day.

4 stars

29. kate angell - strike zone
When the captain of the Richmond Rogues starts dating his former runaway bride, he knows this time their relationship will be a home run. 4 1/2 stars 

30. aimee ferris - will work for prom dress
Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date? 
But the prom costs money and that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.
He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch).  But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.
This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster. 4 stars.

31. kate brian - sweet 16
Teagan Phillips's sweet sixteen is the event of the season. No one at Rosewood Prep throws a bash as extravagant, exclusive, or over-the-top expensive as Teagan. No one is as obnoxious, either. On the big night she falls stilettos-over-tiara into the country club wine cellar and blacks out. When she comes to, there is a strange woman standing at the foot of the stairs.

No, Teagan, this mystery woman is not one of "the help." She is here to take you on a ride, to bring you back through time and show you some very unpretty realities. And if you're lucky, she just might put the sweet back in sixteen.... 4 1/2 stars

july

32. christie ridgway - crush on you

The Baci sisters are on a mission to save the winery that's been in their family for generations-by transforming it into the perfect wedding destination. If only Alessandra Baci-affectionately known as the "Nun of Napa"-didn't need the help of tempting neighbor and business rival Penn Bennett.

33. wendelin van draanen - flipped
Juli Baker devoutly believes in three things: the sanctity of trees (especially her beloved sycamore), the wholesomeness of the eggs she collects from her backyard flock of chickens, and that someday she will kiss Bryce Loski. Ever since she saw Bryce's baby blues back in second grade, Juli has been smitten. Unfortunately, Bryce has never felt the same. Frankly, he thinks Juli Baker is a little weird--after all, what kind of freak raises chickens and sits in trees for fun? Then, in eighth grade, everything changes. Bryce begins to see that Juli's unusual interests and pride in her family are, well, kind of cool. And Juli starts to think that maybe Bryce's brilliant blue eyes are as empty as the rest of Bryce seems to be. After all, what kind of jerk doesn't care about other people's feelings about chickens and trees? 4 stars


34. heather hepler - cupcake queen
When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny's life isn't what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn't talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there's Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog's Hollow - like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life's unexpected turns. 4 1/2 stars


35. jessica bird - an irresistible bachelor
For struggling art conservationist Callie Burke, the chance to restore a world-famous painting is the opportunity of a lifetime—one that no one in her right mind would turn down. Call her crazy, but Callie has serious reservations about working with the painting’s owner. Warm and sexy, Jack Walker makes no attempt to hide the strong attraction he feels for Callie—even as she tries to keep their relationship professional. Now, cocooned in his studio in Boston, she will either have to learn to ignore the man and concentrate on the masterpiece, or give in to the kind of passion that can never be captured on canvas.
Jack Walker is a practical man who runs his life, his empire, and his fortune effortlessly. Yet from the moment he met Callie Burke, he wanted her with all the intensity of a first crush. As he gets to know her, the desire blossoms into something more—and Jack finds that for the first time in his life he is leading with his heart instead of his head. . . . 4 1/2 stars

36. tina ferrarro - top ten uses for an unworn prom dress
Sophomore year, Nicolette Antonovich was dumped two days before prom by the hottest guy at school. As a result, she became the proud owner of one unworn, perfectly magical pink vintage dress. But Nic is determined to put that night behind her for good. She's a junior now— older, wiser, and completely overwhelmed by a new set of problems: (1) The bank's ready to foreclose on her childhood home. (2) Her father's too busy with his "replacement" daughter to care. (3) Her best friend's brother is an eternal thorn in her side. (4) Her best friend isn't exactly the rose attached to that thorn. (5) Rumors are flying around school that could get her kicked off the volleyball team, which would (6) ruin all chances of a college scholarship. (7) She still likes the boy who dumped her in the first place. (8) And what in the world do you do with an unworn prom dress, anyway? Strangely, it's getting to the bottom of this last dilemma that just might hold the answer to all Nic's problems. 4 1/2 stars