Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge Finished.

Pass The Parcel Team Challenge hosted by Romance Readers Reading Challenges on Goodreads.

Pass The Parcel - Team Challenge

Start date - 7 February
Sign up - now through to 25 January 9pm US EST
Teams assigned by 26 January

THEMES
These themes must be apparent in the title, the precis or must be shelved by a GR member using words that imply eligibility.

1. Royalty - in name or fact
2. Character from the corporate world (business man or woman; small business counts)
3. Set on a ranch/cattle property
4. Friends to lovers
5. Enemies to lovers
6. Book starting with the letter 'G'
7. Book set in the UK or Ireland
8. Book cover predominantly black (at least 50%)
9. Book has a theme of hurt/comfort/grieving
10. Read the first book of a new (to you) series.
11. Historical setting (in any period more than 50 years ago)
12. Main character is a musician
13. Book with less than 200 ratings (per GR)
14. Book on your TBR shelf for more than 12 months. If you don't have a book that old on your TBR, select a book from one of the mods TBR shelves (older than 12 months).
15. A book with children in the plot-line
16. Book with a tattoo on the cover
17. Main character wears a uniform
18. Book published for the first time in the last 6 months.
19. Book with at least 450 pages per GR
20. Book from the RRRC's shapeshifter shelf. This cannot come from any other location. 

I wasn't overly fond of all the themes chosen but I did manage to cover all 9 and complete the challenge though my team didn't win.

Week 1: 7. Book set in the UK or Ireland: The Highlander's Hope by Cali MacKay
Week 2: 2. Character from the corporate world: What Stays in Vegas by Beth Labonte
Week 3:  15. A book with children in the plot-line: Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer
Week 4:  17. Main character wears a uniform: Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt
Week 5:  5. Enemies to lovers: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Week 6:  13. Book with less than 200 ratings (per GR): An Unlikely Match by Barbara Dunlop
Week 7: 11. Historical setting (in any period more than 50 years ago): The Inconvenient Duchess by Christine Merrill
Week 8: 18. Book published for the first time in the last 6 months: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
Week 9: Book from the RRRC's shapeshifter shelf. This cannot come from any other location: Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.
And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything. From goodreads.

I have to admit I really like the books by Ilona Andrews. It is the first in a new series about an innkeeper for paranormal and alien species. It is a brilliant idea and especially the close link between the inn and the innkeeper. I am looking forward to read more about Dina. And of course see how her relationships with Sean, the werewolf and Arland, the vampire pan out.  There is also quite a bit of humour which I like.
This book was written as short episodes on the authors website before being published. They are doing the same with the second book in the series but I don't have the patience to read it bit by bit, I will rather wait and read the whole novel when it is published.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (235 pages)
2014 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Shifter Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (I)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - April Showers (Dina)
Paranormal Addicts & Newbies - Paranormal Creatures Seasonal Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Build a House
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (A-impala)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from her new boyfriend. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.
Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.
Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s ex is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart. From Goodreads.



It was good to be back with Mercy and the werewolves. Christy, Adam's ex-wife is back and a huge problem for Mercy as she is good at manipulating people. They also have to fight an unknown supernatural and Mercy's "dad" turns up which always makes things more complicated. This is book 8 in the series and I hope Patricia Briggs will keep going.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (published 2014)
Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014 (published 2014)
Shifter Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (#8)
Sequel Spring Reading Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - April Showers (Adam)
Paranormal Addicts & Newbies - Paranormal Creatures Seasonal Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (P-impala)
CCC-Read your age (2014)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge (Washington)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

The Inconvenient Duchess by Christine Merrill

Dear Cici and Father,
I have come to Devon and married a duke. And I'm more tired and hungry than I have ever been in my life. Please let me come home.
Compromised and wedded on the same day, Lady Miranda was fast finding married life not to her taste. A decaying manor and a secretive husband were hardly the stuff of girlish dreams. Yet every time she looked at dark, brooding Marcus Radwell, Duke of Haughleigh, she felt inexplicably compelled—and determined—to make their marriage real! From Goodreads.

I liked the protagonist Miranda who was a lady but had never been able to live as one because of her father. Also the Duke is very likeable despite his temper and harsh reactions to the events. A good historical romance with a happy ending.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (292 pages)
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 21th of January 2014)
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (I)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (I-impala)
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly

An Unlikely Match by Barbara Dunlop

Morgan Holbrook has a PhD in jet propulsion, a plum research position at CalTech and a sexy, new neighbor who is way out of his league. He’s got all the confidence in the world where it comes to applied physics, but he’s never been the guy who gets the girl.
Cheerleader Amelia Camden has sworn off boyfriends, focusing instead on her budding acting career. But when her nerdy, next door neighbor passes up his high school reunion, party enthusiast Amelia is determined to change his mind.
Wanting his former classmates to appreciate Morgan the way she does, as a brilliant, compassionate, engaging man, she goads him into a haircut, a great suit and a pair of contact lenses. Morgan plays along with the sexy Amelia. Who wouldn’t? But when her flattery turns to flirtation, he knows it’s all part of the act. From Goodreads.




This was sweet. A group of oldies playing matchmakers between their grandchildren, nieces and nephews. The couple Morgan and Amelia are very different but an okay couple. The ones I really like are the scheming oldies. A fun read.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (164 pages)
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.co.uk 15th of March 2014)
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Connie's bookshelf- she is a horse)
Crazy Challenge Connection - Dr. Seuss 
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (U-muskox)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge (California)
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.
When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned. From Goodreads.

Lily a Mermaid has come to live on land with her human aunt. When she first arrives the next door neighbor Quince is okay but then he starts behaving obnoxiously and over the next 3 years she comes to hate him. Lily is infatuated with a boy she has hardly anything to do with. It was very predictable, Quince of course behaves like he does because he loves her. There were too many sea puns in the book. Though it was a cute easy read I am not sure I am going to read the next in the series.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (bought 28th of July 2013)
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (L-dragonfly)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Book Buffs’ Battleship

Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt

Rhea Griggs has had a hard life. Growing up with an abusive father who's now in jail, her older brother, Randy, was a source of strength, along with his best friend Chad, who Rhea has been in love with since childhood. When her brother and Chad go off in the Navy, eventually becoming SEALs, Rhea thinks she'll never be with Chad. What she doesn't know is that Chad has loved her for just as long, keeping his feelings at bay out of respect and fear of his best friend.
When heartbreak strikes Rhea, Chad knows he has to let her know how he feels or lose her forever to a no good redneck. Can two weeks be enough time to bring their hearts together as they should be? Can Rhea handle what comes with loving a SEAL? From Goodreads.

Unfortunately another just okay romance. Rhea and Chad have loved each other since they were children just never told each other as such. It is rather predictable, of course they get around to saying it. Then there is the "bad guy", Rhea's on-off one night stand who suddenly, but not very convincingly, wants her. It's emotional and is also a lot about loss.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Women Challenge
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (T)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Amy's bookshelf - she is a dog)
Crazy Challenge Connection - Dr. Seuss
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (T-coyote)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2
Dansk Readathon March 2014

Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer

Abby, 13, is looking forward to watching the moon turn purple, unaware that bacteria from a passing comet will soon kill off older teens and adults. She must help her brother and baby sister survive in this new world, but all the while she has a ticking time bomb inside of her--adolescence. From Goodreads.

Another free book that was way better than expected. The scary part of this book is the description of how they survive. The group the book follows on Castine Island is a good group. Most of the group want to work together to help each other, but that is not the case on the mainland where it is survival of the fittest or in other words the worst. 

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (188 pages)
Meet the Protagonist Reading Challenge 2014 (lives by a body of water)
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (dystopian)
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (less than 200 pages)
Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (bought 10th of September 2013)
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
CCC Winter Seasonal Spell Challenge 2013-2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (S-jellyfish)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge (Maine)
Crazy Challenge Connection Scrabble, anyone?
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2

What Stays in Vegas by Beth Labonte

Bored administrative assistant, Tessa Golden, is trapped in a life of lousy weather, irritating bosses, and mind-numbing secretarial work. Her dreams of being an artist have rapidly deteriorated into building things out of paperclips while on hold with tech support. To make matters even worse, the love of her life has gone off and married another woman.
So when Tessa is suddenly transferred to the Las Vegas branch of her company - playing wingwoman to her freshly divorced boss, juggling a client from hell, and catching the eye of one very eligible coworker - will her life finally be shaken up enough to straighten itself out? From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this more than expected and there were quite a few funny elements in it. Her best friend and love of her life, that she can't have as he is married, seems nice but turns out to be a jerk. Of course the story is predictable but that is okay.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (194 pages)
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (chick lit)
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
2014 Women Challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (L)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (W-hawk)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge

The Highlander's Hope by Cali MacKay

When Dr. Catriona Ross discovers clues to a long lost highland treasure, her only hope of finding the jewels is to obtain the help of Scotland's most eligible bachelor and playboy, Iain MacCraigh.
Iain can't believe his luck when he finds out the jewels are hidden away somewhere on his land-- and it doesn't hurt that the historian looking for them has curves to go with her smarts. With his brother betting the family fortune, this is the life line he desperately needs.​
The odds are against them, and with word getting out about the jewels, they're not the only ones on the hunt. Time's running out, but can they learn to trust each other, or will they lose the jewels and true love in the process? From Goodreads.







This was an okay romance with suspense. It is a quick and easy read. As I have lived in the Highlands I like most things Scottish. I liked the side character Angus and as the next book is about him and it was extremely cheap I have actually already bought it.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Read Scotland 2014
2014 Quick fix Challenge  (200 pages)
2014 Women Challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (C)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (C-gecko)

Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge

Pass The Parcel Team Challenge hosted by Romance Readers Reading Challenges on Goodreads.

Pass The Parcel - Team Challenge

Start date - 7 February
Sign up - now through to 25 January 9pm US EST
Teams assigned by 26 January

This challenge is to encourage members to meet new friends and find new books.

Unleash your inner child and join us for Pass the Parcel.

For those of you who didn't play this growing up, a 'parcel' is passed from one person to another. ...When setting this game up, a prize (or 'gift') is wrapped in a large number of layers of wrapping paper. Smaller prizes may be placed between some or all other layers of wrapping.

During the game, music is played as the parcel is passed around. Whoever is holding the parcel when the music stops removes one layer of wrapping and claims any prize found under that layer. The music is then restarted and the game continues until every layer is removed and the main prize claimed.

Well here is the RRRC version of the game with a few more options and rules than we may remember from our childhood ;)

PLEASE READ EVERY LINE OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS

For this challenge we will have groups of 4 players. The group will nominate a team captain who will track the completion of books for the group and ensure compliance to the rules. Groups will be allocated out before the reading starts. This will be done randomly by me :)

Members signing up need to be prepared to read roughly one book each week.

Each week a theme will be randomly selected from the list posted in msg 2. This theme will be posted in the Discussion/Q&A thread between 6pm and 9pm US EST each Friday.

Each member in the group has the following options:

1. Read a book that matches the theme (the parcel)
OR
2. Select a book from the 'READ' list of a team-mate that they read in the last 6 months AND that the team-mate rated at least 4 stars. (This essentially passing on a recommendation ;)
OR
3. 'Pass' on reading a book that week.

BUT each team member can only select #3 once each 4 weeks. AND each team may only have ONE person 'passing' for the round each week. It is up to the team as to how they manage a 'pass'.

This challenge will run for 9 weeks. The winning team is the one that completes the challenge first; they win bragging rights :) No-one can use the 'pass' option in the last week of the challenge.

Rules:
* Each team member MUST post into their team thread each week or risk being removed from the challenge. It isn't fair on your team-mates if you are not committed to participant each week.
* '4 weeks' will be counted in blocks of four, with a new count starting in week 5.
* No-one can use the 'pass' option in the last week of the challenge.
* To qualify for a theme, the book's eligibility must be apparent in the title or precis, or must appear on another GR member's shelves appropriately and transparently entitled. The source of the eligibility must be specified at the time of the book selection.
* You can change your nominated book at any time.
* Books must be at least 100 pages in length.
* You must quote the page numbers for your selected book each week. Please quote the goodreads page numbers (any edition of the book is fine).

Important: If a team member falls behind by more than 2 books then they will be removed from the challenge. The team who loses that member will continue with the lower number of team-mates. This rule is to ensure that ALL participants are committed to their team and the challenge. 
THEMES
These themes must be apparent in the title, the precis or must be shelved by a GR member using words that imply eligibility.

1. Royalty - in name or fact
2. Character from the corporate world (business man or woman; small business counts)
3. Set on a ranch/cattle property
4. Friends to lovers
5. Enemies to lovers
6. Book starting with the letter 'G'
7. Book set in the UK or Ireland
8. Book cover predominantly black (at least 50%)
9. Book has a theme of hurt/comfort/grieving
10. Read the first book of a new (to you) series.
11. Historical setting (in any period more than 50 years ago)
12. Main character is a musician
13. Book with less than 200 ratings (per GR)
14. Book on your TBR shelf for more than 12 months. If you don't have a book that old on your TBR, select a book from one of the mods TBR shelves (older than 12 months).
15. A book with children in the plot-line
16. Book with a tattoo on the cover
17. Main character wears a uniform
18. Book published for the first time in the last 6 months.
19. Book with at least 450 pages per GR
20. Book from the RRRC's shapeshifter shelf. This cannot come from any other location.

I am going to take part in this team challenge and my goal will be to read a book for the challenge all 9 weeks.

Week 1: 7. Book set in the UK or Ireland: The Highlander's Hope by Cali MacKay
Week 2: 2. Character from the corporate world: What Stays in Vegas by Beth Labonte
Week 3:  15. A book with children in the plot-line: Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer
Week 4:  17. Main character wears a uniform: Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt
Week 5:  5. Enemies to lovers: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Week 6:  13. Book with less than 200 ratings (per GR): An Unlikely Match by Barbara Dunlop
Week 7: 11. Historical setting (in any period more than 50 years ago): The Inconvenient Duchess by Christine Merrill
Week 8: 18. Book published for the first time in the last 6 months: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
Week 9: Book from the RRRC's shapeshifter shelf. This cannot come from any other location: Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews