Jan 2012 Booklist

starting the year right by reading a couple of books!

1 abbi glines the vincent boys

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from. 

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

4 stars - liked how the author was able to tackle the story with all characters being hurt but not bitter and learning to forgive and move on. I guess that shows true friendship and love.

2 until there was you kristan higgins 

Posey Osterhagen can't complain. She owns a successful architectural salvaging company, she's surrounded by her lovable, if off-center, family and she has a boyfriend—sort of. Still, something's missing. Something tall, brooding and criminally good-looking…something like Liam Murphy.

When Posey was sixteen, the bad boy of Bellsford, New Hampshire, broke her heart. But now he's back, sending Posey's traitorous schoolgirl heart into overdrive once again. She should be giving him a wide berth, but it seems fate has other ideas….

4 stars - I love all of her books and first time the book showed both characters pov. At first i couldnt understand why posey liked liam so much. Liam basically ignored her. But i liked how he came back they met again and this time liam was able to see her as a woman. I think posey was cute with her huge crush and im glad she became mature abt it and it turned to real love. I didnt like though that posey was a bit of a doormat. And i hate gretchen. I love nicole. Liams overprotectiveness was a lil bit off but at least he learned to mellow down in the end.

3 days of gold jude deveraux

Angus McTern is respected by the men of his clan and adored by the women. He takes his duties as laird seriously and has everything he wants in life—until Edilean Talbot shows up. Breathtakingly beautiful and born of privilege, Edilean needs Angus’s help to reclaim the gold she inherited from her father. The treasure is bound for America, but when Angus tries to seize it, he’s accused of kidnapping and theft and has to escape with Edilean to the new country. There they discover almost insurmountable obstacles, and a love as wild and free as the land itself.

3.5 stars - it has been a long time since ive last read a historical romance or something from jude deveraux. I like setting, from scotland traveling to america. I like angus but i dont like the girl that much. For the most part of the story she was just what angus said, she is useless.. she is not smart, she doesnt have any talent. All she has is incredible beauty and lots of gold. The story dwelled on their time spent in the ship together which was fine because we get to see their feelings develop but i didnt like her pettiness. When they landed in america the story dwelled on her with harriet and tabitha.. dont know where the story was leading and it dragged a bit. I fast forwarded my reading until she finally realized what she wanted to do --which is to start a business employing women. I admire her for doing this esp when at the start she didnt like these women. However pages later we find out that the farm manager was tabitha and harriet managed the finances.. so what exactly does she do? And after years of living in america she still doesnt seem to have any purpose or direction in life. Moving on to angus story --i dont know why he suddenly joined the army (until it was explained in one sentence later that he needed to get land). But i feel like it was there so that he can meet up with his clanmates again. The ending tied everything up nicely with james finally dying and everyone is coupled up.

4 education of hailey kendrick by eileen cook

Hailey Kendrick has always done exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the right boy, gets good grades, and follows the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them. In the process, she loses everything--her best friend, her boyfriend, her popularity, her reputation. But some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost...or are they?
4.5 stars - i love books that show the coming of age of a person, because the person gets to discover one's self and thus becoming mature. At first i thought this was going to be a typical falling for your boyfriend's best friend story so i was glad that it wasnt. It's not just hailey who grew up, but also tristan, joel n kelsie. you can really prove that your friendship is true when even after fighting and problems you still stand by each other. While i like drew i thought their relationship was too rushed. He started out as an older more worldly guy then when he kissed her she slapped him. but then when the climax came she finally realized she liked him too. All through out the story hailey didnt seem to think of drew that way except for very few instances when she thought of him as hot. I also like how they tackled the issue between hailey and her dad though i wish that the dad apologized to her instead of resolving it quickly.