There’s more to life than playing make believe.

Sandra Moyer has a good reason to distrust actors. She was once married to one who left her and her child. However, she’s desperate for publicity to help her struggling preschool. Hollywood playboy Ben Capshaw’s request to access her classes to prepare for a role is an offer she can’t refuse.

Sandra second guesses herself on that decision until she sees Ben in action with the children. Her apprehension turns to wonder, and then to feelings she’d thought were closed off forever. Yet how can she trust that what she’s seeing is real?

As a boy, Ben learned that acting was the answer to everything. The role he’s up for now will enhance his career and, he’s sure, secure his happiness. But spending time with Sandra and her daughter stirs up emotions that—for once—aren’t pretend.

Ben’s ready for a lifetime role as husband and father—if he can convince Sandra not to typecast him.

I’m totally surrounded by some truly talented ladies. I’m sure you remember me calling Bettie crack. Well…Jennifer’s The Role of a Lifetime is not. But then it’s to be expected. She write sweet romance.

Her book reminded me of homemade chicken noodle soup in winter, the kind that leaves you feeling warm, fuzzy and contented. It’s wholesome and smooth and has two lovely leads who are very real. Sandra is no super-duper assassin, but she’s a real woman dealing with very real problems of raising a child on her own, dealing with money problems, trying to be independent (financially or otherwise) and keeping her family together. Yes, she makes mistakes — but then who doesn’t? — and she has flaws, but that makes her HEA that much more poignant. Furthermore Ben’s transformation from a player to someone capable of showing real emotions felt totally believable, and you can’t help but root for those two people to be together.

So if you’re looking for a fast-paced romance with likable characters that leave you feeling happy and satisfied, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Jennifer’s The Role of a Lifetime.

P.S. Jennifer didn’t pay me to write this. Nor did she give me a free copy to pimp. But for those of you who are wondering, she is my crit partner (no, I’ve never critted this for her) and I think she’s a very lovely and talented writer.

In chronological order (* new to me authors || † reread || ◊ did not finish):

1. The Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner
2. Melting the Icy Tycoon by Jan Colley
3. Dead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow
4. Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh
5. Executive Seduction by Kristi Gold*
6. Demon Angel by Meljean Brook*
7. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin*
8. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
9. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
10. The Rest Falls Away: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason*
11. Death Masks by Jim Butcher
12. Doppelganger by Marie Brennan*
13. The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) by Jack M. Bickham
14. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming*
15. Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop*
16. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer*
17. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
18. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
19. Lover Revealed: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward
20. Warlord by Elizabeth Vaughan
21. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs*
22. The Millionaire’s Seductive Revenge by Maxine Sullivan*
23. Bound by Marriage by Nalini Singh
24. Whiskey Sour by J. A. Konrath*
25. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult*
26. Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts
27. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
28. Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey*
29. The Halo Effect by M. J. Rose*◊
30. Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
31. Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey
32. Gone by Lisa Gardner
33. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan*
34. Quantum Success: The Astounding Science of Wealth and Happiness by Sandra Ann Taylor*
35. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur*
36. Black Widow Bride by Tessa Radley*
37. Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn*
38. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris*
39. Stray by Rachel Vincent*
40. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
41. American Gods by Neil Gaiman*◊
42. Under the Millionaire’s Influence by Catherine Mann*
43. The Billionaire’s Bidding by Barbara Dunlop*
44. The Smoke Thief by Shana Abé*
45. Doublespeak by William Lutz*
46. Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank*◊
47. Eragon by Christopher Paolini*
48. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
49. Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh
50. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
51. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini*
52. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud*
53. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared M. Diamond*
54. The Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud
55. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki*
56. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt*
57. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
58. I’m Watching You by Karen Rose*
59. Ptolemy’s Gate by Jonathan Stroud
60. The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman*
61. Create a Culture Clinic by Holly Lisle*
62. Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
63. Lover Unbound: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward
64. Moongazer by Marianne Mancusi*
65. Driven by Eve Kenin*
66. Wired by Liz Maverick*◊
67. The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson*◊
68. Create a Character Clinic by Holly Lisle
69. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak*
70. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay*
71. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde*
72. Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins*
73. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield†

The best new-to-me author: Jeff Lindsay and Jasper Fford

The most “fun” series: Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files

The most haunting book: The Book Thief

The funniest book: Doublespeak

There were just too many books for me to do real justice, but here are the top thirteen books I read this year (not in any particular order):

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
2. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
3. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
4. Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey
5. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
6. The Smoke Thief by Shana Abé
7. Doublespeak by William Lutz
8. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
9. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
10. The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
11. Create a Culture Clinic by Holly Lisle
12. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
13. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

The full list of books I read is going up on December 31.

In no particular order:

1. Kushiel by Jacqueline Carey
2. The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward
3. Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
4. War-trilogy by Elizabeth Vaughan
5. Changeling/Psy by Nalini Singh
6. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
7. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
8. In Conquest Born duology by C. S. Friedman
9. Temeraire by Naomi Novik
10. 007 by Ian Fleming
11. Elvis Cole by Robert Crais
12. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
13. Jack Daniels by J. A. Konrath

Thursday Thirteen Participants:[blenza_autolink tt]

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