The Summer Reading Book Tag

The awesome Brittany over at This is the Story of My (Reading) Life tagged me in the Summer Reading Book Tag and since we're at the height of summer here and not to the point where all the plants look exhausted from the heat today seemed like the perfect day to participate!  I'm stealing her graphics because they're awesome.

Lemonade: Pick a book that was bitter at first but got better:
Heroes are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I almost DNF'd this about 3 times during the first half but in the end I ended up enjoying it.  Still I'm a bit leery of any books involving puppets from now on.

Golden Sun: Pick a book that made you smile beyond compare
Return to Goneaway Lake by Elizabeth Enright.  It's a children's book about a family who buys an old abandoned house fully furnished and the fun the kids have exploring it.  Her previous book in the series is actually better but I love the whole premise on this one so much.  Caught Read Handed by Terrie Farley Moran which I just read (review on Wednesday) made me pretty happy too!

Tropical Flowers: A book set in a foreign country
At first I thought this one would be easy because I read so many books set in England but when I think about it I don't really consider that a foreign country even though it's across an ocean from me. So my pick is City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn takes place partly in Damascus and then involves a trek through the Middle East.

Tree Shade: A book where a mysterious or shady character was introduced
First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh is the first book in the Huxtable Quintet and the first book where we meet Constantine.  Up until the very end of the series we don't know if he's the best of heroes or the worst of villains.  Plus this is one of my favorite Balogh series (with the exception of the 2nd book which I didn't care for)

Beach Sand: A book that was grainy and the plot barely developed
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James.  I feel bad about not liking this one because I've seen it on several lists of mysteries that you must read.  But I didn't like it - at all.  The only reason I finished it was because it was P.D. James and it was really short.  But there was almost no character development and once I figured out the mystery I couldn't have cared less.

Green Grass: pick a character that is full of life, making you smile
Penelope Featherington from all of the Bridgerton books but especially Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn.  I love how funny and smart and nice she is.

Watermelon: A book with juicy characters
In terms of juicy = secrets I'm going with When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries.  Victor and Isa have some serious secrets!  Plus, I really liked this book.

Sun hat: A book that had a vast universe/setting
Hmmm... Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams?  Am I being too literal?

BBQ: A book in which the character was portrayed as a hunk
Pretty much any Lucky Harbor book by Jill Shalvis would count but my favorite guy in that world is probably Luke Hanover from It Had to Be You

I'm tagging:
Anyone who wants to do this one!  How can you pass up something that is that summery!