Beth Ciotta.. the Next Robyn Carr

I'm sorry, Ms Carr, you know I love and adore you. But I think Beth Ciotta is an awesome new voice in the contemporary series romance. Her Sugar Creek series. I prefer to call the the Cupcake ladies, are soooo coool!

A Fool for Love by Beth Ciotta
Description from Amazon.com:

SHE’S CRAVING A SWEET NEW LIFE…

Call her a fool, but chef-in-training Chloe Madison wants to have her cake and eat it too. So when her boyfriend dumps her for some French tart, she decides to start over from scratch—with a new life and job in Sugar Creek, Vermont. What could be sweeter than cooking for an eccentric lady who’s crazy for desserts? What could be more tempting than joining a club called the Cupcake Lovers? Just one thing: local business-hunk Devlin Monroe…

AND HE’S THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE

Although he’s  the grandson of Chloe’s fun-loving boss, Devlin Monroe is all work and no play. Micro-managing the family business, he doesn’t have time to indulge in life’s  sweetest pleasures—until he meets Chloe. How can he resist such a vibrant, beautiful woman who brings so much passion to the table? But when old grudges and secrets threaten to destroy the Cupcake Lovers, Devlin must decide if his feelings for Chloe are a recipe for disaster—or a sinfully delicious ever-after…

So, after a horrendous breakup with her live in boyfriend, Chloe's friend Monica talks her into coming to Sugar Creek to interview to be a live in companion of sorts for Daisy Monroe.. old, crotchety, hilarious.. she reminded me of Grandma Mazur from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series!  Dev, the handsome rich grandson is opposed to the idea, but Chloe and Daisy hit it off very quickly.

Chloe is supposed to keep an eye on Daisy, who seems to be very forgetful lately, and also is becoming extremely adventurous. Chloe is supposed to talk Daisy out of seeking out her thrills, but instead ends up getting talked into doing them (tubing down the river in their underwear... there's also an arrest involved in another thrill seeking adventure!)

The cupcake ladies are awesome. The women of Sugar Creek have a club that bakes cupcakes, which they send overseas to soldiers and also sell to donate to charities.  The club started in the 1940's when the original founders were all women with brothers, husbands, etc in World War II.  The town continued the tradition. It's so cool! And you are going to want to strangle the club president, Tasha Burke. She makes a good villian. 

My only issue is it seems Chloe and Dev fall in love in about 2 days, which isn't very realistic.. Contemporary romance to me is supposed to be somewhat realistic. But, oh well, this book was amazing!! I loved and am currently halfway through book two, "The Trouble With Love" and I am anxiously awaiting book 3 out this fall!

Chronicles of Nick: Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Description from Amazon.com :

The heat is on, and a new threat to humanity has risen . . .

Nick has his driver's license and he's not afraid to use it. But turning sixteen isn't what he thought it would be. While other boys his age are worried about prom dates and applying for college, Nick is neck deep in enemies out to stop him from living another day. No longer sure if he can trust anyone, his only ally seems to be the one person he's been told will ultimately kill him. 

But life spent serving the undead is anything except ordinary. And those out to get him have summoned an ancient force so powerful even the gods fear it. As Nick learns to command and control the elements, the one he must master in order to combat his latest foe is the one most likely to destroy him. As the old proverb goes, fire knows nothing of mercy, and if Nick is to survive this latest round, he will have to sacrifice a part of himself. However, the best sacrifice is seldom the sanest move. Sometimes it's the one that leaves your enemies confused.

And sometimes, you have to trust your enemy to save your friends. But what do you do when that enemy is you?

I know that this is a series and usually there is this huge plot going on, but normally each book has some sort of subplot that is resolved at the end. Not in this book.  The story was fine, it kept me going and I didn't want to put the book down. I don't feel like we learned anything new that keeps the series going.

However, the end.. What the heck?!

That's all I will say because I don't like spoilers.

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Description from Amazon.com:

For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home…

A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of—but never arrested for—the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife.

He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents—including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries—one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have been a little disappointed lately in Roberts' romantic suspense novels. The Search was awesome, Chasing Fire was not. I figured out who the bad guy was halfway through and skipped to the end.   Whiskey Beach, however, I really did like! Looking forward to the new series she is starting later this year (I adore her series!)