J.R. Ward – The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13)

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BDB at its best! It’s time to broaden your horizons in this book – vampires are not the only sexy as sin paranormal characters.  Hello shadows! Trez and iAm have their day and they are just as uber masculine as their pale brothers.  The dark duo show how far they will go to show their love and devotion.  Even though Trez is terrified of heights, he takes his queen to the highest restaurant so she can enjoy the view and to an amusement park to ride a roller coaster over and over again.  Equally as powerful, is the love between the two brothers and the extent that they will go to ensure the other’s happiness.  Do not fret, the muscle-bound fighting giants all make their appearances, too.  Once again, the BDB shows their strength not just with their fists but with their support for those within their family.  J.R. Ward is certainly well known for her creative names.  In The Shadows, I love her complimentary use of the terms queen and wife.  It was very fitting for the balance between Trez and iAm.  Finally, the female characters claim more power for themselves.  Not that the females were weak in earlier novels (certainly not Xhex) but there is a distinguishable shift.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to J.R. Ward!

Check out this related post for more Black Dagger Brotherhood

 Black Dagger Brotherhood – Beautiful Book Boyfriend Board

Pinterest Book Boyfriend Boards

Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (gluten free)

Healthy Banana Muffins

Who doesn’t want a little dessert without the guilt?  Yes, it tastes good, too.  I promise.  I was joking on someone else’s blog the other day about healthy cake.  Really, cake doesn’t need to be healthy, it just needs to taste spectacular.  But if you prefer to start you day with something a bit healthier, this is a great choice.  The main ingredient is almond flour, which is high in protein and gluten free.  The second ingredient is oats, which is also gluten free and is healthier than white flour.  And, NO SUGAR.  It is sweetened with 3 ripe bananas and 2 TBLS of honey.  A few dark chocolate chips is also a perk.  Some say, a little dark chocolate each day is healthy.  All in all, it is a no guilt, no gluten, very good muffin.

Recipe at

Banana Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins:

http://fitandhealthywithdebbie.blogspot.com/2012/09/banana-oatmeal-dark-chocolate-chip.html#.VSQiH7qeluF

See Related Posts:

Banana Crumb Muffins

Nutella Banana Bread

Blueberry Cheesecake

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Blueberry Cheesecake, the antioxidants make it healthy, yes?  This is an incredibly light cheesecake.  It bakes perfectly ever time.  I’ve never had a problem with the top cracking.  If you never had blueberry cheesecake, you’re missing out.  I like this a lot more than strawberry or raspberry cheesecake.  The only problem with this recipe is that it is baked in a 9×13 pan and I don’t like serving it directly out of the pan.  I usually pre-cut the pieces and either display them on a large tray or set each individual piece in a aluminum foil muffin paper.  Any way you cut it, it is delicious.

Book Boyfriend Boards 4/02/2015

Pinterest Book Boyfriend Boards

Great romance authors make the reader fall in love with the characters. The descriptions of their build, the way in which they speak, and their prowess in bed electrify the characters and make them hot and desirable.  Enjoy these pinterest boards that celebrate some of the most titillating characters and combine both provocative images and amazing quotes.

Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/mamawnurse/black-dagger-brotherhood/

Rough Riders by Lorelei James

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/twopervs_inapod/rough-riders-by-lorelei-james/

Chaos Novels by Kristen Ashley

13_pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/holyhotness/chaos-series-by-kristen-ashley/

Wicked Lovers Novels by Shayla Black

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/vibrantbride/shayla-black-wicked-lovers-series/

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/catarinafsilva2/fifty-shades-of-grey/

All the men of the Sea Breeze Series by Abbi Glines 

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/billanddallas/sea-breeze-series-by-abbi-glines/

Kellan Kyle in Thoughtless Series by S.C. Stephens

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/wallinmt/thoughtless-kellen-kyle/

Drew Evans in Tangled Series by Emma Chase

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/mariskabell/emma-chase-%7E-tangledtwistedtied/

Remy by Katy Evans

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lilyslibrary/real-mine-remy-by-katie-evans/

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/beckybookworm/travis-mad-dog-maddox-3/

Nutella Brownies (gluten free)

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Easiest recipe ever – only 2 ingredients (4 eggs and 1 cup of Nutella, plus powdered sugar for garnish).

I used the recipe at www.highheelsandgrills.com.

However, I found the last step in the directions to be comical.  It says “Can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week.”  First of all, these hardly lasted one hour in my house.  Second, any dessert recipe that says how to store it for a week I find puzzling.  If it is a good recipe, why would it hang around that long?  And if it isn’t any good and might last that long, perhaps it isn’t worth making.  If you decide to make these, ignore the last step and enjoy the brownies!

 

Colleen Hoover – Losing Hope (Hopeless Book 2)

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Is is possible to enjoy a book that leaves you crying?  Despite waking up with swollen eyes because I stayed up late finishing this book and cried for a good time after, I did like the book.  I admit it, sometimes I do like a good cry.  I chalk it up to being female.  Don’t get me wrong, this a true romance book and it promises a happily ever after.  Since this book is a retelling of the story from Hopeless, except told from Holder’s point of view, the main story line was not a surprise.  Actually, it was knowing that I was guaranteed a happily ever after was what got me through this story.

I loved how the surprising twists were revealed in Hopeless, but the drama in Losing Hope was sensational.  It was painful and heartbreaking.  It was excruciatingly delightful.  Isn’t that what you want from a book?  Colleen Hoover does a tremendous job of explicitly making the reader feel Dean Holder’s pain, concern, frustration, and uncertainty.  I felt like I was transported into the tornado of Dean’s emotional drama.

If you revel getting lost in a romantic book, I think you will enjoy this book, too.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Colleen Hoover!

Jessie Evans – Melt With Me (Fire and Icing Book 1)

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I love a book about reconnecting with young love.  Just because two people fall in love during their teenage years doesn’t necessarily mean that it wasn’t true, real, and valuable.  Sometimes it takes time and life experiences to realize how important that first love was.  And hey, a little extra sexual experience can’t hurt – its a great way to hone one’s skills. The length of the book is short but it is not short on character depth.  I felt like I really understood the facets of the characters and their struggles.  Jake is a hot firefighter that doesn’t want to risk his heart again, even for someone that consumed his head for over a decade.  Naomi must fight to get Jake to open himself up to her again.  She struggles with his initial rejection, which is a lot to handle after having to deal with the loss of her premie daughter.  I plan on reading the other books in the series.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Jessie Evans!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls

Looking for a semi-healthy snack/cookie where no baking is involved?  Peanut Butter and Oatmeal make a great combination.  I’ve been combining these two ingredients for years.  I started by melting 1/3 c honey and 1/2 c peanut butter in a sauce pan on the stove.  I removed from the heat and immediately added, 1 c oatmeal, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 c coconut flakes.  I waited 12 minutes for mixture to cool and added 1/2 c chocolate chips.  I used a cookie scoop to divide the batter into cookie-sized portions and placed the scoops in a covered container in the freezer for 30 minutes.  I removed  the container from the freezer and rolled the scoops into balls and placed the balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy!

The recipe is easily adaptable to ingredients that you have on hand.  Chopped nuts or raisins would make great additions, too.

Lorelei James – Cowboy Casanova: Rough Riders, Book 12

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This series drives me insane.  Each new book I read, I say it is my new favorite.  Those McKay men are hot, determined, wicked, fun, and loving all at the same time.  The female characters are all strong and independent.

You know they always say it’s the quiet ones.  Well, Bennet McKay may be the quiet one in his family, but he isn’t anything but dominant in the bedroom.  He’s a cowboy with talented roping skills and knows how to yield a whip for more things than just herding cattle.  What makes him great is ultimately his ability to compromise.  Being a good Dom requires prioritizing the needs of the sub.

Ainsley is smart, successful banker.  She holds a powerful position at the bank.  Learning the power of being a sub allows her to finally find happiness in a relationship.

Bennet and Ainsley’s playtime at a club blooms into an affair outside of the club scene.  BDSM is not just about playing out scenes but has place in everyday relationships as well.  Just like any marriage between adults, this can take on many variations.

I appreciated the character, Dalton, who is young and falsely misinterprets the entire BDSM scene.  His moment of enlightenment was a wonderful way of explaining the intimacy involved in a BDSM bond.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Lorelei James!

See other posts about the Rough Riders Series:

Lorelei James – All Jacked Up

Lorelei James – Branded as Trouble

Lorelei James – Cowgirls Don’t Cry

Lorelei James – Raising Kane

Lorelei James – Tied Up, Tied Down

 

Book Boyfriend Boards 3/26/2015

Pinterest Book Boyfriend Boards

Great romance authors make the reader fall in love with the characters. The descriptions of their build, the way in which they speak, and their prowess in bed electrify the characters and make them hot and desirable.  Enjoy these pinterest boards that celebrate some of the most titillating characters and combine both provocative images and amazing quotes.

Rough Riders by Lorelei James

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/twopervs_inapod/rough-riders-by-lorelei-james/

Chaos Novels by Kristen Ashley

13_pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/holyhotness/chaos-series-by-kristen-ashley/

Wicked Lovers Novels by Shayla Black

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/vibrantbride/shayla-black-wicked-lovers-series/

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/catarinafsilva2/fifty-shades-of-grey/

All the men of the Sea Breeze Series by Abbi Glines 

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/billanddallas/sea-breeze-series-by-abbi-glines/

Kellan Kyle in Thoughtless Series by S.C. Stephens

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/wallinmt/thoughtless-kellen-kyle/

Drew Evans in Tangled Series by Emma Chase

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/mariskabell/emma-chase-%7E-tangledtwistedtied/

Remy by Katy Evans

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lilyslibrary/real-mine-remy-by-katie-evans/

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/beckybookworm/travis-mad-dog-maddox-3/