OMG! I was editing my 2007 Book List when I realized that it’s a new year already! So here I am again with my 2008 list, which I know will be hugely populated by romance novels by year’s end. XD

001. Honey Moon (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) | Jan 04, 2008 | B
002. Welcome to Temptation (Jennifer Crusie) | Jan 08, 2008 | B+
003. Shadow Music (Julie Garwood) | Jan 13, 2008 | A-
004. The Smoke Thief (Shana Abe) | Jan 19, 2008 | B+
005. This Rake of Mine (Elizabeth Boyle) | Jan 25, 2008 | B
006. After the Abduction (Sabrina Jeffries) | Jan 31, 2008 | B+
007. Her Secret Fantasy (Gaelen Foley) | Feb 23, 2008 | B
008. Flirting with Danger (Suzanne Enoch) | Mar 28, 2008 | A+ | re-read
009. Don’t Look Down (Suzanne Enoch) | Apr 05, 2008 | A- | re-read
010. Billionaires Prefer Blondes (Suzanne Enoch) | Apr 10, 2008 | A- | re-read
011. Twice the Temptation (Suzanne Enoch) | Apr 26, 2008 | B+ | re-read
012. Touch of Minx (Suzanne Enoch) | May 01, 2008 | A- | re-read
013. Dream Chaser (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | May 07, 2008 | A-
014. A Dangerous Lord (Sabrina Jeffries) | May 18, 2008 | B
015. Lover Enshrined (J.R. Ward) | Jun 02, 2008 | B+
016. Her Every Pleasure (Gaelen Foley) | Jun 19, 2008 | B
017. The Pirate Lord (Sabrina Jeffries) | Jun 29, 2008 | B+
018. The Warrior (Nicole Jordan) | Jul 09, 2008 | B+
019. To Bed A Beauty (Nicole Jordan) | Jul 25, 2008 | B
020. After the Kiss (Suzanne Enoch) | Jul 29, 2008 | B+
021. Breaking Dawn (Stephenie Meyer) | Aug 06, 2008 | B
022. Glory in Death (J.D. Robb) | Aug 11, 2008 | A-
023. Immortal in Death (J.D. Robb) | Aug 17, 2008 | B+
024. Acheron (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Aug 27, 2008 | A
025. Before the Scandal (Suzanne Enoch) | Sep 05, 2008 | B
026. Desire (Nicole Jordan) | Sep 13, 2008 | B+
027. The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Julia Quinn) | Sep 26, 2008 | B-
028. A Great and Terrible Beauty (Libba Bray) | Oct 06, 2008 | B+
029. Rapture in Death (J.D. Robb) | Oct 07, 2008 | A-
030. Ceremony in Death (J.D. Robb) | Oct 09, 2008 | B
031. Vengeance in Death (J.D. Robb) | Oct 12, 2008 | A-
032. Holiday in Death (J.D. Robb) | Oct 15, 2008 | B+
033. Midnight in Death (J.D. Robb) | Oct 17, 2008 | B+
034. Conspiracy in Death (J.D. Robb) | Oct 26, 2008 | B
035. Fantasy Lover (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Oct 31, 2008 | B+ | re-read
036. Night Pleasures (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Nov 16, 2008 | B+ | re-read

Natural Born Charmer (A-/B+)
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This is one of the books that I was looking forward to this 2007. Been pestering FullyBooked Promenade for my reserved copy since its schedule of release was last February. My pestering finally paid of and I got my copy two weeks ago.

Ever since I’ve read about Dean Robillard in Match Me If You Can, I totally fell in love with him. He’s too adorable and charming for his own good. And that explains my anticipation of this book.

The book started out fun. Seeing the heroine in a beaver mascot walking down the road and how she wrestles with her tail gave me the giggles. Dean and Blue’s travel to the farm was pretty hilarious sometimes too. Once they reached the farm though, I sorta lost interest with the heroine since there were other characters introduced who I found more interesting, ie. Riley, April and Jack. I liked them better than Blue… though not as much as I like Dean. But then that’s maybe because I’m biased with him. XD She picked up again about three-fourths into the book when she and Nita got together. Their banterings were fun. But all in all, Blue didn’t do it for me. There’s something about her that I’m looking for to be able to keep up with my love for Dean.

As a book, though this is a classic SEP book, light, romantic and fluffy, it didn’t lived up to how much I like her other books in the Chicago Stars series, more specifically Match Me If You Can, since that’s where we first meet Dean. MMIYC made me cry, particulary in that cliff scene. The setting, the dialogue and the over-all atmosphere at that one set the mood for it to be one of the most romantic scenes I’ve ever read. That’s what I was looking for in NBC. It wasn’t there. At the end of NBC, I felt that everything was just rushed. I didn’t see the supposedly love that Dean has for Blue since it built up too fast. Or how they proved to each other their love for one another for that matter. It was like Bam Kablam, they’re married. That’s the main reason why I’m giving it an A-/B+. Or maybe because I was expecting too much more, it being a Dean story, that I’ve really raised up my hopes.

Compared to the other SEP books I’ve read last year (since it was only last year that I discovered her), this is lower. Her average grading in my book is A/A-. Anyway, grading’s still pretty high just because even after finishing the book, I still am totally liking Dean and his charm. Still, I’ll pretty much keep this in my bookcase since I would really like to reread it and see if I will like Blue better the second time around. And just to visit Dean and his farm. Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean. It’s all about Dean… XD Can you tell, I really like Dean?

So happy new year! A belated greeting, sorry. Been caught up with a lot of personal stuff. But now that’s over, and since my 2006 book list is officially over, I’m starting my 2007 book list! ^^;

I’m thinking of opening a book journal. Maybe a subsection of this site. I dunno. I really want to expound more on why I gave these books such and such grade. Let’s see what I come up with.

001. Seize The Night (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Jan 03, 2007 | B+
002. Eragon (Christopher Paolini) | Jan 14, 2007 | A-
003. Dark Side of the Moon (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Jan 22, 2007 | B+
004. Every Breath You Take (Judith McNaught) | Feb 13, 2007 | B+ | Paperback Ed.
005. Billionaire Prefer Blondes (Suzanne Enoch) | Feb 17, 2007 | A-
006. Dragonswan (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Feb 19, 2007 | B
007. The Dream-Hunter (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Feb 26, 2007 | B+
008. True Confessions (Rachel Gibson) | Mar 05, 2007 | B/B+
009. I’m In No Mood For Love (Rachel Gibson) | Mar 12, 2007 | B
010. Dark Secret (Christine Feehan) | Mar 19, 2007 | B
011. Natural Born Charmer (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) | Mar 24, 2007 | A-
012. Dark Prince (Christine Feehan) | Mar 31, 2007 | B
013. Her Only Desire (Gaelen Foley) | Apr 07, 2007 | B+
014. A Pirate Of Her Own (Kinley MacGregor) | Apr 12, 2007 | B+
015. Return of the Warrior (Kinley MacGregor) | Apr 16, 2007 | B+
016. Lover Revealed (J.R. Ward) | Apr 25, 2007 | B+
017. Winter Born (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Apr 27, 2007 | B+
018. Prince of Dreams (Lisa Kleypas) | May 01, 2007 | B
019. Sword of Darkness (Kinley MacGregor) | May 05, 2007 | B+
020. It Had To Be You (Susan Elizabeth Phillips | May 11, 2007 | A | Reread
021. Heaven, Texas (Susan Elizabeth Phillips | May 17, 2007 | A | Reread
022. Nobody’s Baby But Mine (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) | May 22, 2007 | B+ | Reread
023. Dream A Little Dream (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) | Jun 08, 2007 | B+ | Reread
024. It Must Be Love (Rachel Gibson) | Jun 12, 2007 | B
025. Sins of a Duke (Suzanne Enoch) | Jun 17, 2007 | B+
026. Bet Me (Jennifer Crusie) | Jun 21, 2007 | B+
027. Knight of Darkness (Kinley MacGregor) | Jun 24, 2007 | B+
028. Naked In Death (J.D. Robb) | Jun 30, 2007 | B+
029. A Hard Day’s Night Searcher | Jun 30, 2007 | B
030. Faking It (Jennifer Crusie) | Jul 06, 2007 | B
031. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Jul 23, 2007 | A-
032. Dark Magic (Christine Feehan) | Aug 13, 2007 | B
033. The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever (Julia Quinn) | Aug 20, 2007 | B+
034. Devil May Cry (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Aug 27, 2007 | A-
035. Meet Me At Midnight (Suzanne Enoch) | Sep 08, 2007 | B+
036. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer) | Sep 22, 2007 | A-
037. Twice the Temptation (Suzanne Enoch) | Sep 26, 2007 | A
038. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer) | Oct 02, 2007 | A
039. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer) | Oct 10, 2007 | A-
040. Touch of Minx (Suzanne Enoch) | Oct 20, 2007 | A
041. Lover Unbound (J.R. Ward) | Oct 27, 2007 | B
042. Mine Till Midnight (Lisa Kleypas) | Nov 11, 2007 | B
043. Upon a Midnight Clear (Sherrilyn Kenyon) | Nov 14, 2007 | B
044. Golden Compass (Philip Pullman) | Dec 06, 2007 | B
045. Taming Rafe (Suzanne Enoch) Dec 15, 2007 | B
046. Fancy Pants (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) | Dec 25, 2007 | A