High Summer Read-a-Thon July 21-27 Finished

High Summer Read-a-Thon hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict.

This was a different Read-a-thon for me. The first three days were spent travelling from Canada to Denmark after an absolutely brilliant canoe trip on the Yukon River.
After this I was more tired than I thought and it didn't help that our check-in baggage, which we could see had stayed behind in Heathrow when we flew to Hamburg, was delivered at 4 am Saturday morning.

I still reached my goal of 4 books, admittedly not very long books and easy reads, but still 4 books + 1 chapter of a fifth.

Thank you Michelle for continuing to host these lovely challenges.

List of books:

1. A Croft in the Hills by Katharine Stewart 
2. Neanderthal Seeks Human: A Smart Romance by Penny Reid
3. Reckless Nights in Rome by C.C. MacKenzie
4. One Sweet Summer by Cali MacKay
5. Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter 

One Sweet Summer by Cali MacKay

Riley Carter’s never found anyone who could live up to her first love, Thorsen Black. So imagine her surprise when, twelve years later, he shows up at the unique and quirky inn she manages on Mermaid Isle, off the coast of Maine. The sweet, gangly teen has matured into a sexy and handsome man, leaving her heart desperate to pick up where they left off.
It’s impossible for her to ignore the way her body instantly reacts to his touch and he's just the distraction she needs when she finds out the owners of the Siren Song Inn are selling it to Holt Enterprises. Holt only has eyes on the bottom line and Riley knows they’ll strip the inn of everything that makes it special, ruining not only the Siren, but devastating the island economy.
While fighting to save her beloved inn, Riley falls in love with Thorsen all over again. But when she’s faced with the real reason Thorsen’s on the island and his unbearable betrayal, will she be able to save the inn and her chance at true happiness? From Goodreads.

I have read Cali MacKay's Highland Heart series and this new series is kind of a continuation of that as Thorsen was part of that last book.
This was okay, still predictable but with a bit of suspense.
I liked her Highland Heart series slightly more than this first book in the Mermaid Isle Romance series.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (O-leopard)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Nothing but Reading Challenges Wheel-A-Thon
High Summer Read-a-Thon 2014

Reckless Nights in Rome by C.C. MacKenzie

Though the name of her celebration and wedding cake business is up in lights, Bronte Ludlow doesn't care for the trappings of success. All that matters to her is her company, her independence and her heritage,The Dower House. Home to her ancestors since the seventeenth century, no way will she part with it to ‘a man with too much money and no soul’.
Nico Ferranti’s only passions are money and power... He's a man who stopped believing in romance long ago and Bronte's a romantic, yet the attraction sparking between them like fireworks over the Piazza del Popolo stuns Nico.
When Bronte's brother is badly hurt in a car accident in Rome, Nico whisks Bronte to the Eternal City. He wants her and he wants The Dower House and Nico Ferranti always gets what he wants.
But Bronte’s heart has already been broken by one ruthless charmer and although tempted she isn’t about to give up either her heart or her home to the charismatic Italian without a fight! From Goodreads.

This was an okay romance. Nico has been trying to buy Bronte's home and now they finally meet. They both have secrets and she also have an awful ex-fiancée wanting revenge. It of course all ends happily and I might read more books from C.C. MacKenzie.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (L-polarbear)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Nothing but Reading Challenges Wheel-A-Thon
High Summer Read-a-Thon 2014

High Summer Read-a-Thon July 21-27 - Update

High Summer Read-a-Thon hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict.

The start of this read-a-thon coincided with me travelling home from my holiday.

Monday: Started A Croft in the Hills by Katharine Stewart.
I had hoped to read on the plane travelling from Dawson City to Whitehorse but but unfortunately I got hit by airsickness the minute we took off.

Tuesday: Finished A Croft in the Hills by Katharine Stewart . Started Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid.
Started from Whitehorse via Vancouver to Hamburg.

Wednesday: Finished Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid. Meant to sleep a bit on the plane from Vancouver to Hamburg but didn't succeed, instead finished the book. Got home late evening.

Thursday: I haven't read anything today as I have been working on adding some of the books I have read in my holiday to my blog.

Friday: Still sorting all the books I have read on my blog but I have read a short easy romance. Reckless Nights in Rome by C.C. MacKenzie

Saturday: Went to bed at 2am last night and then got woken up at 4.10am by some people who were bringing my lost luggage. Unfortunately I couldn't sleep after this, so I have been tired all day. Still managed to read One Sweet Summer by Cali MacKay. Another short and easy to read romance.

Sunday: Started Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter  but only got around to reading one chapter.

List of books read:

1. A Croft in the Hills by Katharine Stewart
2. Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
3. Reckless Nights in Rome by C.C. MacKenzie 
4. One Sweet Summer by Cali MacKay 
5. Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter 

Neanderthal Seeks Human: A Smart Romance by Penny Reid

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.
After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse. From Goodreads.

This was quite a funny read. Janie is a cute, very smart but weird girl. I enjoyed it and found the TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information) funny. I like Janie and also Quinn and the girls from the knitting club. I might read the next books in the series to see how they get their happy endings.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Sub-Genre Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (N-raven)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Nothing but Reading Challenges Wheel-A-Thon
High Summer Read-a-Thon 2014

A Croft in the Hills by Katharine Stewart

A real classic among Highland books, A Croft in the Hills captures, in simple, moving descriptions, what it was really like trying to make a living out of a hill croft fifty years ago. A couple and their young daughter, fresh from city life, immerse themselves in the practicalities of looking after sheep, cattle and hens, mending fences, baking bread and surviving the worst that Scottish winters can throw at them. From Goodreads.

I have been looking at this book for a while. This book was quite interesting as I have visited a few crofts in Scotland over the years, mostly uninhabited. This book takes place in the 1950's and shows that even that many years ago it was very difficult to live of a small plot of land. I am full of admiration for the hard work they had to put into it. Katharine Stewart has written more books from the Inverness and Highland area and I might try to get hold of them.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Read Scotland 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Nothing but Reading Challenges Wheel-A-Thon
High Summer Read-a-Thon 2014

High Summer Read-a-Thon July 21-27 - Goals

High Summer Read-a-Thon Magician Michelle @ The True Book Addict.

It is nearly time to start and for once I am actually close to the same timezone as Michelle. As I am travelling the first two days of this read-a-thon and then might be jetlagged I will set my goal to 4 books. I am not sure which books I will read but as usual I have a list of books that I might or might not read.

1. The Magician by Michael Scott
2. Reckless by Cornelia Funke
3. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
4. Dracula by Bram Stoker
5. Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid 
6. Mother Nature's Man by Mary Jo Burke 

High Summer Read-a-Thon July 21-27 Sign Up

High Summer Read-a-Thon hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict.

Michelle has announced the dates for the challenge and I hope to take part. I might be a day or two late but I will be there.