Reflections on Reading Romance

Review of Sheryl Nantus's Blood of the Pride

2012-02-19T14:15:00.000-05:00

Title: Blood of the Pride

Author: Sheryl Nantus

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley (and purchased – see below)

Publication Date: February 13, 2012

Rating: 4 out of 5

A few years ago I was looking for some steampunk novels for my Kindle, and Amazon recommended that I read Sheryl Nantus’s Wild Cards and Iron Horses. I liked the book so much, I went back and bought two more of her books, both in wildly different genres. Blaze of Glory features reality tv super heroes suddenly forced to step up and actually BE super heroes, and What God and Cats Know is a mystery with a feline shapeshifter PI. I loved all the books, so when I saw Blood of the Pride was available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it, thinking it was a sequel to What God and Cats Know. I realized as soon as I started reading that it’s not actually a sequel – it’s the same book published under a different title. That’s actually not a bad thing. I suspect that Ms. Nantus will get wider distribution with Carina Press, and I loved the book the first time I read it. Upon re-reading it for review, I STILL love the book.

Rebecca Desjardin is a Felis shifter kicked out of her Pride nearly 20 years earlier, because she was unable to shift. She’s living in the human world, working as a private investigator, when a severed rabbit’s paw mysteriously appears in her office, the signal that the Pride wants to meet with her. A woman was murdered, and photos of her corpse stuck in mid-shift are splashed across the pages of a tabloid. Even though Rebecca’s convinced that no one will take the photos seriously, the pride wants her to investigate the woman’s death.

Investigative reporter Brandon Hanover found copies of the photos slipped under his door and decided to publish them, even though he’s convinced they’re nothing more than the tabloid’s usual fare. But there’s no doubt that the woman in the photos was brutally murdered, so when PI Rebecca Desjardin approaches him for his help, Brandon senses that there’s more to the story. Before long he’s involved in a world of felis shifters that he never knew existed, and he’s very interested in the mysterious felis PI. But the more they learn, the more danger both Rebecca and Brandon find themselves in. Can they solve the case without exposing the felis shifters to the world?

If you’re looking for a strong romance, this is not the book for you. While the book has a romance, that’s not the principal focus. For at least the first part of the book, I found Brandon to be a bit of a nuisance, and while he eventually won me (and the heroine) over, the most important storylines of the book are the mystery surrounding the murder and Rebecca’s broken relationship with the Pride.

That said, the book drew me in from the first. Rebecca is a strong character who’s dealt with rejection from her pride while carving out a new life for herself. She’s a kickass PI, and I love that she’s the focus of the novel. Her relationship with Jess Hammersmythe, the leader of the Pride, is complex and troubled, as Jess made several troubling decisions about Rebecca in the past in order to protect the Pride. As Rebecca uncovers the truth behind the murder, she risks exposing the Pride and has to make difficult decisions about her future and how best to punish the murderer.

All of the above makes for fascinating reading. I was as invested in solving the mystery the second time I read the book as I was the first, and if you’re a fan of strong female characters and mysteries with a paranormal twist, this is a real winner. I have high hopes that one day I’ll see a sequel to this book, since the story really sticks with you.

Review of Jill Shalvis's Time Out

2012-02-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

Title: Time Out

Author: Jill Shalvis

Publisher: Harlequin Blaze

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: February 19, 2012

Rating: 4 out of 5

As I’ve mentioned before, if a book has Jill Shalvis’s name on it, it’s pretty much an auto-buy for me! Time Out is her latest category romance published by Harlequin Blaze, and it’s also a reunion romance of sorts, making this a win-win for me. Time Out is just under 200 pages, so it’s a short and sweet book that’s lots of fun.

Rainey Saunders is a community youth center coordinator in a town ravaged by wild fires. She’s scrambling to find coaches to help keep the town’s teens busy, but because so many houses were destroyed, many of the parents are struggling to make ends meet, making it difficult to scrounge up volunteers. When NHL coach and hometown boy made good Mark Diego shows up with several of his players to offer their services, it’s the perfect solution for Rainey and Mark. Two of Mark’s players got into a knock-down, drag out fight, and they’re assigned community service to help improve the league’s image, and since Mark’s brother runs the community center, it’s an easy way for Mark to spend time with his family while keeping an eye on his players.

Rainey’s had a thing for Mark for years, although she’s tried hard not to show it, since she managed to humiliate herself thoroughly when the two were teens. Assigning Mark to coach the teenage girls’s softball team seems like the perfect revenge and a great way to keep Mark busy and out of her hair. Mark has different ideas, though. He’s always been attracted to Rainey, and his summer at home seems like a great time to act on that attraction. He’s not into anything long term, though, and Rainey knows it. When the summer’s up and hockey seasons starts again, can these two find a way to be together?

What I love about Ms. Shalvis’s romances is that her characters always come across as real people. Rainey is the girl next door, and she’s a lot of fun, and, while Mark may be a superstar NHL coach, he’s still just the boy next door at heart. The sparks between the two of them are undeniable, even though both make desperate attempts to deny it. The secondary characters are hilarious, especially the two hockey players forced to perform community service in what they consider to be a Podunk town. However, it’s clear that they get as much out of their time there as the kids the players are coaching, which is nice.

My only criticism of the novel is that the ending is very, very abrupt. In fact, I kept trying to turn the page, thinking something was wrong with my Kindle, because I didn’t realize that was the end! It resolved both the romance between Rainey and Mark and a secondary plot line quickly and in a way that struck me as a bit too convenient. However, I suspect that the format and length of the category romance genre have much to do with this particular ending.

That said, this is definitely a keeper! The romance is sizzling, the characters are engaging, and the reading so easy that the pages just fly by. Time Out is a fun, quick escape that I highly recommend.

Review of Anthology Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

2012-02-17T13:53:00.001-05:00

Wow, I am so far behind on my reviews it’s not even funny! Here’s hoping that I can take some time off from doing my taxes and grading exams to write a few reviews this weekend!

Title: Kiss Me, I’m Irish

Authors: Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis, Maureen Child

Publisher: Harlequin

Format: eBook and Mass Market Paperback

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: January 31, 2012

Rating: 4 out of 5

Anything with Jill Shalvis’s name on it is going to be an auto-buy for me, so when I saw this anthology on NetGalley, naturally I requested it. I hadn’t read anything by either of the other authors, but of course I recognized their names, so I was really excited to check out this book. I’m happy to say I was not disappointed! The three novellas have been previously published separately, so if you’re a fan of these authors, check your bookshelf before purchasing the anthology. Even though these novellas were published as early as 2003, for the most part they manage to remain relevant, although there are a few parts of the Roxanne St. Claire novella that were fairly dated, even though it’s only 6 years old.

Roxanne St. Claire The Sins of His Past (originally published 2006)

This was a touching reunion romance between baseball star Seamus “Deuce” Monroe and Kendra Locke. Years before Deuce had hooked up with Kendra, his best friend’s younger sister, then never called her afterwards. Fast forward to the present, and Deuce has returned home after a car wreck and accident that’s forced the baseball team to invoke a contract clause and fire him. He’s planning on running the family-owned sports bar, Monroe’s, but when he arrives at the sports bar, Kendra has turned it into an internet café. Deuce’s father finds himself in the awkward position of having to decide if he’ll continue with the plans to turn Monroe’s into an internet café or if he should allow Deuce to turn it back into a successful sports bar. There’s also some mystery as to why Kendra, the smartest girl in high school, dropped out of Harvard.

This was a sweet romance, filled with lots of angst and difficult decisions. Unfortunately, the premise of the internet café really dates the story. With the popularity of smart phones today, the internet café and Kendra’s reasons for starting one are very dated. That said, the romance between the irresponsible Deuce and the go-getter Kendra sizzles, and you’ll root for both of them. 4 out of 5

Jill Shalvis Tangling with Ty (originally published in 2003)

I really enjoyed this story of child genius turned doctor Nicole Mann and the aloof architect Ty Patrick O’Grady. Because of Nicole’s high IQ, she graduated high school and college at obscenely early ages, making it difficult for this workaholic to relate to people. She’s currently living in an old apartment building, and the two other young women in the building have taken her under their wings. When the building’s owner hires Ty to look into fixing up the building, he and Nicole set off sparks, but the two loners struggle to find their way.

I liked the pairing of this couple, although you have to suspend disbelief a bit to accept that these two loners would actually find their way together. But my absolute favorite part of the novella is how Nicole deals with her boss, who’s trying (and failing) to sexually harass her. Really, that was the most satisfying part of the entire novella. 3.5 out 5

Maureen Child Whatever Reilly Wants (originally published in 2005)

Marine Connor Reilly is a triplet and quite the hottie! Unfortunately, he and his brothers made a bet with their older brother Liam, a priest, that they can’t remain celibate for 90 days. If they lose the bet, they have to shell out $10,000 and dress up in embarrassing costumes. One of the triplets has already bit the dust, and the novella begins just after his wedding. Mechanic Emma Jacobsen is a friend of Connor’s and is stunned when he tells her how much her friendship means to him, because he doesn’t think of her as a woman! Naturally this means war. Emma goes on the offensive, and Connor never sees it coming.

This was a cute story, and I really liked how Emma deals with the situation. She makes Connor take notice, but I love that she confronts Connor with who she really is, pointing out that he didn’t notice her as a woman until she changed. 4 out of 5

Review of Stephanie Julian's Sex, Lies, and Surveillance

2012-02-13T18:49:00.000-05:00

Title: Sex, Lies, and Surveillance
Author: Stephanie Julian
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: January 16, 2012
Rating: 3 out of 5

This is the second book of Ms. Julian’s that I’ve read, and it’s a fun, short read, full of sizzling chemistry with an intriguing premise. Unfortunately, it bogs down a little in the middle, and what promised to be an action packed romantic suspense turned out to be stronger on the romance than the suspense. That said, I like the premise of the novel, and the secondary characters are perfect for a continuation of the series.

Janey DeMarco is the youngest child of two legendary CIA agents who run a PI firm. When the DeMarco name surfaces in an NSA investigation into weapons dealers, the NSA sends an undercover agent to check out the family’s connections. Malcom “Mal” Laughlin’s partner was shot during the investigation into weapons trafficking, so he jumps at the chance to check out the DeMarcos. But he wasn’t counting on falling for Janey, and she certainly didn’t expect to find the geeky former Marine quite so hot!

What I liked most about this book was the chemistry between Mal and Janey. I love that Mal is quite the hunk and yet also comes across as a bit of a nerd. You can see Mal’s struggle with his conscience over starting a relationship with Janey since he’s undercover, but it’s also really sweet how he tries to justify what he learns with what he’s observed about Janey and her family.

Janey’s relationship with her family and Mal’s “relationship” with his deceased father are also big selling points. Janey only remains with the family firm because she’s worried about her father’s health, but her interaction with her brothers and parents make it clear that there’s little to worry about. Mal’s interior monologues with his snarky “Dad” are a hoot, since his Dad remains the voice of his conscience.

Both Janey and Mal were likeable characters, but at times I didn’t understand their motivations. Janey’s constantly concerned about her father’s health and gives his health as her reason for working in a job she confesses is not challenging her, which comes across as a bit whiny after a while, especially after all the other members of the family reassure her on numerous occasions that her father will be fine. Mal was an appealing hero (alpha AND nerdy - nice!), but for an experienced NSA agent, he sure does jump to conclusions quickly!

Unfortunately it was also really difficult to get into the plot. At several points I put the book down and then had to make myself come back to it so I could write the review. The focus of the book is much more on the romance, which has the action falling a bit flat. Very little happens in the middle of the book to advance Mal’s investigation, and the stalker subplot with the Hollywood director didn’t really add much, and I found it really annoying whenever Bennett showed up.

That said, this was a quick read, and for those of you who prefer your romantic suspense to be light on the violence, this book would definitely fit the bill. I like how Ms. Julian portrays the attraction between her heroes and heroines, so I’ll probably give the second book in the series a chance, but I’m hoping it will be a bit more action-packed.

Review of Veronica Scott's Priestess of the Nile

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Priestess of the Nile
Author: Veronica Scott
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: January 16, 2012
Rating: 3 out of 5

This is a very short novella (about 21,000 words) set in Ancient Egypt. While it’s a lovely story that I very much enjoyed, the romance fell a bit flat for me, probably because the length of the novella prohibited much character development. That said, I absolutely loved the Egyptian setting and was drawn in almost at once by the detail.

Merys is the great-granddaughter of a priestess of the Crocodile god, Sobek, and is fishing on the shore of the Nile near the god’s abandoned temple when a handsome stranger approaches. He introduces himself as Bek, but he’s actually the Crocodile god Sobek in the flesh. Sobek is fascinated by the charmingly innocent Merys, but he knows that the gods are not allowed relationships with mortal women. Despite this, he finds himself falling for the young woman and begins searching for a way for the two to be together.

There’s much to like about this novella, particularly its setting. Ms. Scott does an amazing job of immersing the reader in the culture and surroundings of Ancient Egypt without bogging you down in excessive details. The political organization of Egypt plays an important role in how the story unfolds in ways that I didn’t expect but very much enjoyed. I’m not at all conversant with Egyptian history, but the novella comes across as very well researched, and I like benefiting from that research in such a pleasant manner.

Because the novella is so short, there’s little time to develop the characters of Merys and Sobek adequately, which is why the romance suffers a bit, I think. Merys is portrayed as an innocent Cinderella type, forced to work as a servant for her evil stepmother, but we don’t learn much about her beyond that. Sobek begins as an arrogant god but soon becomes all too human in his dealings with Merys, which is forbidden for the gods of this pantheon. I feel like I would have enjoyed the romance between Sobek and Merys a bit more if we could have spent more time with the two of them together. I also would have liked to see Sobek’s personality changes develop slowly, but, again, the length of the text prohibits this.

Frankly, this was a quick read with a refreshing setting, and I would like to see more of Ms. Scott’s work because of how well she incorporated the setting and her research. I feel that this novella was very successful as a story that draws a reader in, but the romance needed a little bit more development.

Review of Kristen Callihan's Firelight

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Firelight (Darkest London #1)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Publisher: Forever

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley & Purchased

Publication Date: February 1, 2012

Rating: 4 out of 5

I saw some really great reviews of Firelight online, so when I saw it in my local Barnes & Noble this past weekend, I grabbed a copy and ran for the door, shrieking, “You hipsters will never catch me! BWAHAHAHA!!” I’m now writing this review from jail. Okay, I lied. I actually paid for the book, but my first story is much more exciting. Anyway, I got home, read the book, loved it, then 2 days later received an e-ARC for review from the publisher. Whoopsies! All that aside, this historical paranormal retelling of Beauty and the Beast is fabulous. I loved the heroine and can’t wait for the second book in the series to come out.

Miranda Ellis is a pyrotechnic who managed to destroy her father’s shipping fortune by setting fire to his warehouse when she was 10. Now that she’s all grown up, she’s forced to steal for him to make ends meet. Lord Benjamin Archer is a mysterious peer of the realm who’s never seen in public without a mask covering his face. Three years prior to the beginning of the novel, he was on his way to kill Miranda’s father for cheating when Archer interrupts two youths who’ve accosted a disguised Miranda. He intercedes on her behalf, then realizes who she is. Captivated by Miranda’s beauty, Archer gives her a gold coin, then leaves.

Three years later, Miranda’s father informs her that he’s marrying her off to the mysterious Lord Archer. Miranda doesn’t realize at first that this strange man is the same she met three years ago, but she’s drawn to him all the same. They both have secrets to hide, but when former associates of Archer’s are murdered one by one and he is implicated in their deaths, Miranda decides that she’s had enough with all the secrets. But can Lord Archer trust Miranda with his secrets without endangering her life?

There was so much to like about this novel! I love that Miranda and Archer slowly begin to trust one another and that their relationship develops gradually over the course of the book. Because Archer is hiding his appearance from Miranda throughout most of the book, the sexual tension gradually builds, and there’s only one sex scene late in the text. There’s definitely chemistry between them, and the mystery and secrets surrounding both characters makes learning the truth about them an intriguing puzzle. Miranda is a delightful heroine as well, stubborn and intelligent. Archer is also stubborn, but in his attempts to shield his wife from danger he manages to make the situation worse.

It takes a lot for plot twists to surprise me these days, but that’s exactly what happened with this book. Fairly early on there were several clues concerning the nature of Archer’s curse, and I thought I’d figured it out, only to be proved wrong later in the book. I also thought I had identified the villain quickly, but that character was soon revealed to be more on the side of good than evil.

One weakness in the book is the historical setting. The action takes place in London in 1881, but from the description of the events and people in the book, it could have occurred at almost any time in the 19^th Century. I’m not sure why this particular moment in history was chosen for the setting, and while the lack of historical detail doesn’t detract from the action, it doesn’t add anything to it either.

However, this is one of the better books I’ve read thus far in 2012. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, but in the meantime I’ll be catching up on the prequel, “Ember,” which was just released as an eSpecial.

Review of Bella Andre's Can't Help Falling in Love

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Can’t Help Falling in Love (The Sullivans #3)

Author: Bella Andre

Publisher: Self-published via Smashwords

Format: eBook

Source: Received from Author

Publication Date: December 11, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

A few weeks ago, I was on Twitter and saw Bella Andre had tweeted about her new release, Can’t Help Falling in Love, so I retweeted her comment. Ms. Andre contacted me and asked if I was interested in a copy of the book for review. I hadn’t read any of her books before, but I’m always looking for new authors, so I was pleased to accept. I’m VERY glad I did, because Can’t Help Falling in Love is a fun, sexy contemporary romance, and, despite being the third in the series about the Sullivan family, it easily stands on its own. I went out and bought the second book for my Kindle after reading this one, and I can’t wait to catch up on the series.

Gabe Sullivan is a firefighter in San Francisco and one of 8 Sullivan siblings, all of whom seem to be incredibly gifted in some way. As the novel begins, he’s fighting a fire and learns that Megan Harris and her 7 year old daughter Summer are trapped in their apartment. He heroically rushes in to save them, all three barely escaping with their lives. Megan and Summer visit Gabe in the hospital to thank him, but he’s more than a little surly towards Megan, because he had a bad relationship with a woman he rescued a few years before.

Megan’s navy pilot husband passed away 5 years ago, so she’s not interested in dating any more adrenaline junkies, and Gabe’s made it clear that he wants nothing to do with her, but Summer has different plans. The chemistry between Megan and Gabe sets off sparks, but both are leery of any kind of commitment. Summer and the Sullivan clan have their work cut out for them if they’re going to get these two together!

This is a straightforward contemporary romance and very enjoyable. Megan and Gabe have great chemistry, and it’s fun to see them fighting the inevitable. The love scenes are sizzling, but it’s not all lust, all the time, which is a relief. The two spend time together and with Summer, so you can see the relationship develop over the course of the book, which is always a selling point for me. And while I read the book and jotted down some notes for this review nearly a month ago, the protagonists and supporting characters are still fresh in my mind.

I’m not usually a fan of children as secondary characters, because they can sometimes be just a bit too twee for my taste, but Summer was an important part of the story arc. Since Megan’s a single mom, it’s only natural that her daughter would figure in any decision to start a romantic relationship. I was a little surprised at how Summer (with some adult help) managed to manipulate Megan into a ski trip where they (surprise!) ran into Gabe. Frankly, my parents would have beat the stuffing out of me if I pulled that kind of stunt, but it worked in the context of the plot.

I really enjoyed this book, and I can easily understand Ms. Andre’s success at self-publishing. The book was well edited, polished, and very professional, not to mention well-written. I will definitely be reading more of her work!

Wait, it’s 2012? When did this happen?

2012-01-31T13:19:00.000-05:00

I always wait until after the New Year to buy my calendars, because I’m super cheap and you can get them 50% off, but this year I received several calendars for Christmas, one with beagles on it and the other with photos of Gaudí architecture in Barcelona. I also have a calendar I made for my husband with photos of Her Royal Highness the Beagle on it. And yet, with all of these calendars, I still only realized today that, hey, January is ALMOST OVER! You think I’d be better able to keep track of time, since school’s been in session for several weeks already, but nooooo.

So I’ve decided that I am in desperate need of another calendar, preferably one that smacks me upside the head and screams “PAY ATTENTION!” Fortunately, one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, Susan Mallery, has shared a fun and sexy 2012 calendar widget with her fans. And really, what says “PAY ATTENTION” better than a hot cowboy on your computer every day? Here’s the link to download the widget: http://foolsgoldca.susanmallery.com/cowboycalendar.html

She’s set this up in conjunction with her absolutely adorable and heartwarming Fool’s Gold series. I’ve read all the books and love them – really, you can’t go wrong with these contemporary romances. In 2011 I included Only Mine (#4) and Only His (#6) in lists of my favorite contemporaries of the year, but all of them are great. There are more Fool’s Gold books coming out this year, starting in May, but you can read the first book in her new Blackberry Island series, Barefoot Season, in March. I’ll post a review closer to the publication date.

Review of Nadia Lee's The Last Slayer

2012-01-30T17:46:00.000-05:00

Title: The Last Slayer
Author: Nadia Lee
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: December 26, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5

Nadia Lee’s The Last Slayer is a fun novel in a new Urban Fantasy series that leans more towards the Fantasy side of UF. I had a hard time rating this book at first, because I really loved it, but I felt there were a few issues. That said, Ashera del Cid, the eponymous last slayer, is a likeable heroine with a mysterious past, and the world she inhabits will draw you in from the first page.

When the book begins, Ashera del Cid is a very homely demon hunter, killing succubi and incubi who attack humans in their dreams. Ashera was abandoned as a baby and was passed from foster home to foster home until she was rescued by Jack, her current boss and foster father. His daughter Valerie (who’s a real looker) is Ashera’s best friend, and from the beginning Ashera makes it clear that she’s the best demon hunter employed by Jack and has no regrets about not being as beautiful as Valerie.

Ashera’s life suddenly takes a turn for the worst on her birthday when she’s tricked by a succubus and “marked”, then attacked by wyrms. None of this makes sense to her, and when the dragonlord Ramiel appears and tells her that he’s sworn to protect her, she’s even more confused. Ramiel escorts Ashera to another dimension, and she has to learn to defend herself from other dragonlords while fighting a sizzling attraction to Ramiel as well.

There were so many things to love about this book. First, Ashera is a terrific new urban fantasy heroine, very kickass and extremely capable. She faces several formidable enemies, undergoes a dramatic transformation, and learns just enough about her past to drive a weaker woman nuts. Even though it’s mentioned early on in the novel that Ashera is ugly, I actually forgot until reminded later in the book, because I was so intrigued by her story.

Second, I absolutely loved the world building in The Last Slayer. It was creative and fascinating, and we learn just enough about the culture surrounding the dragons and the dragonlords that our interest is piqued without the information becoming overwhelming. My favorite has to be the little household wyrm, Toshi - very funny! I also like that we learn about this new world through Ashera’s experience. While this leaves us with a lot of questions at the end of the book, the story arc in this novel is resolved.

My main quibble is with the character of Ramiel. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is smoldering, but I was never fully convinced of Ramiel’s interest in Ashera. The two spend some time together, but there are some serious trust issues between them, mainly because Ramiel seems determined not to tell Ashera things she needs to know. Also, part of her transformation leads to Ashera’s questioning Ramiel’s interest in her, with good reason.

Overall, this was a great first book in the series! I had a hard time putting it down, and that’s always a big plus. I definitely recommend this one, especially if you’re a fan of fantasy.

Catching Up On Series

2012-01-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I’ve never been a trendsetter. In fact, I’m usually waaaay behind the curve. I’m probably the last person to get any sort of gadget, and I never, ever recognize the music my students talk about in class. So it’s no surprise that I’m behind on some really popular series. Right now I’m playing catch-up on a few, and I thought I’d share some thoughts on my current favorites, which no doubt all of you have already read. Of course, once I’m finally caught up, I suspect I’ll learn that everyone else is reading some OTHER series, and I’m way behind. C’est la vie…

Meljean Brook’s Guardians series

A few years ago I clicked on an Amazon recommendation for Meljean Brook’s Guardians series, which begins with Demon Angel. For some bizarre reason, that book wasn’t available for the Kindle at the time, so I had to start reading with the second in the series, Demon Moon. I have to be honest, the Guardians’ world is so complex that, while I enjoyed the book, I didn’t really love it. It wasn’t until I checked out Demon Night (#3) from the library that I really got hooked. I just used up the last of my Christmas Amazon gift cards to finish out the series so I can finally read ALL the books.

If you haven’t read any of this series, I highly recommend you start with Demon Marked, book 7, because the heroine has amnesia and gradually learns about the Guardians who defend our world from Demons and Nosferatu, making it easy for you to pick up the series without getting lost. Also, Demon Angel (Guardians #1), just became available for the Kindle this past week, so you can start with book 1 if you’d like, but even the author suggests that you begin with book 3 or 7 because of the complexity of the world.

J.D. Robb’s In Death series

Nora Roberts’s futuristic police procedurals featuring Lt. Eve Dallas and hottie gazillionaire Roarke are frankly addictive. Since Ms. Roberts is a lean, mean writing machine, she churns the In Death books out at an amazing pace. Thankfully for my pocketbook, you don’t have to read these books in order, and I’ve been slowing catching up on this series thanks to all the markdowns at Barnes and Noble and Paperbackswap.com. That said, I recommend starting with the first book, Naked in Death, just so you can see how Dallas and Roarke met for the first time.

Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series

This Urban Fantasy series is outstanding. Witch and Bounty Hunter Rachel Morgan and her sidekicks Vampire Ivy and Pixy Jenks are a winning team, and the world they live in is complex. You’ll absolutely want to begin the series with book one, Dead Witch Walking, and read from there, because Rachel frequently finds herself having to make quick decisions that change her life, not always for the better. But no matter her choices, her relationships with her friends are what really sell these books for me.

Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books

A friend recommended these books to me, but I never got around to reading them until I saw that the first book, One for the Money, is coming out as a movie this Friday. And since Jason O’Mara is playing Joe Morelli, one of New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s love interests, well, let’s just say I’m DEFINITELY interested in seeing how this series turns out. These books never fail to crack me UP. Stephanie is fired from her job selling lingerie and decides to take up bounty hunting in order to pay the bills. Trust me when I say that much hilarity ensues. Very funny!

So what about you? Are there any great series that everyone else seems to have read, but you’re just now catching up on?

Review of Cheryl Crane's The Bad Always Die Twice

2012-01-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

Title: The Bad Always Die Twice

Author: Cheryl Crane

Publisher: Kensington Books

Format: Hardcover and eBook

Source: Goodreads FirstReads Program

Publication Date: September 1, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads program, which was a nice surprise, because I probably wouldn't have purchased it for myself if I had seen it on the shelf in the bookstore. (Note to publisher - that cover is HORRIBLE!!) Cheryl Crane is the daughter of actress Lana Turner, and there are semi-autobiographical touches throughout the book, which add an air of verisimilitude. I believe this is Ms. Crane’s first novel, although she has published other non-fiction works in the past. While there are a few glitches that detracted from my enjoyment of the mystery, Nikki Harper was a likeable character with a strong voice, and I'll definitely be looking forward to reading the next Nikki Harper mystery.

Hollywood realtor Nikki Harper is the daughter of 50s bombshell Victoria Bordeaux and is celebrating the recent sale of the white elephant mansion of TV has been actor, Rex March. But only a few days later, Rex March’s body is discovered in the bed of Nikki’s best friend and business partner, Jessica Martin. What makes the discovery so bizarre is that Rex supposedly died 6 months earlier in a fiery plane crash. Nikki finds herself trying to clear Jessica’s name, and as the investigation progresses, we meet some of Hollywood’s quirkiest characters. But Nikki soon begins to wonder if trying to clear Jessica’s name has attracted the killer’s attention to this realtor turned P.I.

There are many things to like about this mystery. Ms. Crane's writing is smooth and easy to read, and Nikki Harper's character is very likeable and down to earth. I love the relationship she has with her 50s movie star mother, Victoria Bordeaux and all the glimpses of old Hollywood glamour. Victoria and Nikki come across as real people you would want to spend time with, and Nikki’s friends and family make up a zany but loveable supporting cast. Also, you'll really enjoy Nikki's voice, which I think promises well for Ms. Crane's future novels.

I would have rated this book a 4 if it were not for a few small complaints. The first is that Nikki's best friend, Jessica, is really obnoxious. When Jessica is accused of murdering a former client and lover, Nikki immediately steps up to investigate what's going on, but Jessica is so unlikeable that it was hard for me to understand why Nikki would be her friend, much less such a loyal friend that she's willing to snoop around to clear her friend's name.

The second complaint is that there are small hints of a romantic relationship for Nikki, but these never really materialize into anything. If the relationship is going to be important, I would like it to be a more central part of Nikki's life. If it's not, then I'm not sure the character even needs to be included, because his presence doesn't add much to the narrative arc.

All of that aside, this was a pleasant read with a well thought-out mystery. Nikki Harper was such a likeable character that I kept turning the pages, and the secondary characters that make up her support system (her mother and several friends) were delightful.

Review of Larissa Ione's Immortal Rider

2012-01-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Title: Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #2)

Author: Larissa Ione

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley & Purchased

Publication Date: November 22, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’m a big fan of Larissa Ione’s paranormal romances, both her Demonica series and her current spin-off series, Lords of Deliverance. In November I was so excited to find a copy of Immortal Rider in the stores early that I bought a copy, forgetting that I had an e-ARC on my Kindle (oops). But I made the mistake of reading a few negative reviews before I read the book, and they put me off reading the book for a while. I just finished the book the other night, and now I really regret having read those reviews, because I absolutely loved the book! Ms. Ione does a great job of incorporating her usual sense of humor and sizzling romance in this book, while this book is a shade darker in tone than her previous books (not unexpectedly, given the subject matter of the coming apocalypse). That said, the one issue that bothered the other reviewers did bother me as well, which prevents me from giving this a full 5 out of 5. Even so, this is a great addition to the series.

If you’ve never read any of the Demonica or Lords of Deliverance books, I highly suggest you not begin with Immortal Rider, because the world building is complex. It’s very well done, and each of the novels includes a glossary at the beginning or end of the book, but I’m not a fan of having to turn back and look up terms when I’m reading. That said, you CAN start the Lords of Deliverance series with the first book, Eternal Rider, since that’s the beginning of a new series and the set up is explained. I reviewed Eternal Rider last year here , and it was the first of Ms. Ione’s books I’d ever read. I was able to follow along without any difficulties, but I fear that would not be the case with Immortal Rider.

Each of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse carries a seal. If that seal is broken, the world finds itself one step closer to the Apocalypse and said Horseman transforms from kick-ass immortal into scary Apocalypse bringer. This happens to Reseph, who becomes Pestilence, in the last book of the Demonica series, setting up the action for the Lords of Deliverance. The three remaining Horsemen (Ares, Limos, and Thanatos) have managed to avoid breaking their seals thus far and are actively fighting Pestilence or searching for ways to restore their brother to his Reseph persona. Limos, who would be Famine if her seal were broken, is the only female of the group, and Immortal Rider is her book.

As the book begins, the three siblings are celebrating Ares’ marriage to Cara, when human ally Arik Wagner makes the mistake of planting a very passionate kiss on Limos. Big mistake, because Limos is Satan’s fiancée, and he is a very jealous demon. Demons appear and drag Arik to Sheoul (hell) to torture him. If he says Limos’s name just once, she’ll be whisked back to hell and forced to marry Satan, who no doubt always leaves the toilet seat up.

Limos, her brothers, and their allies search for Arik, who has stubbornly refused to say Limos’ name. Once he manages his escape from hell, Limos has to convince him that he’s no longer being tortured and find a way to prevent both her marriage to her fiancé and the breaking of her seal. All of this is complicated by Limos’s penchant for lying, Pestilence’s attempts to kill his siblings and bring about the Apocalypse, and the untimely disappearance of the Horsemen’s angelic watchers, Harvester and Reaver. Oh, and there’s also the sizzling chemistry between Limos and Arik. So there’s LOTS going on in this book.

Larissa Ione’s books always have tons of action, scorching sex scenes, and lots of humor, and Immortal Rider is no exception. Limos and Arik are perfect for each other, as both have damaged pasts and are kick ass fighters. The book is chock full of action, with the Horsemen and their allies fighting off demons and Pestilence while searching for Arik. The fast pace of the action kept me turning the pages, and the smoking hot sex scenes will have you fanning yourself. And some of the characters’ one liners will have you rolling in the aisles (“Taj Mahell” and “The Biblical Horseman’s Secret Aegis Baby” were my favorites).

My biggest problem with the book (and that of other reviewers as well) has to do with a scene between Thanatos and a human ally of the Horsemen, Regan. Regan has been sent to seduce Thanatos. Unfortunately, she deceives him into having full-on intercourse when he’d explicitly stated that he did not want to have intercourse. And let’s face it – that’s rape. A lot of other reviewers have been uncomfortable with this scene, as was I, but Ms. Ione doesn’t pull her punches. The scene and its aftermath are uncomfortable for the reader deliberately. You SHOULD be uncomfortable with the scene, and the characters reflect that.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I feel that the positive outweighs the negative with this book. I’m definitely intrigued about the third book in the series, Lethal Rider, which is coming out in May 2012, and will deal with the aftermath of Thanatos and Regan’s encounter.

Review of Zoë Archer’s Chain Reaction

2012-01-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

Title: Chain Reaction (8^th Wing #2)

Author: Zoë Archer

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: January 9, 2012

Rating: 4 out of 5

I admit it. I’m a sucker for nerdy heroes. Just look at my husband! Pretty darn nerdy! So when I saw that Zoë Archer’s latest book, Chain Reaction, featured a hero who forms part of “NerdWorks,” I knew this was going to be a winner. At approximately 43,000 words Chain Reaction is fairly short, but there is a lot to love in this book. I’ve read all of Ms. Archer’s paranormal historical novels in the Blades of the Rose series, and highly recommend them, but the 8^th Wing series is firmly in the Sci-Fi camp, a departure from her earlier books.

In Chain Reaction, Lieutenant Celene “Stainless” Jur is the 8^th Wing’s ace pilot. She flies the stealthy Black Wraith ships, and only a few months ago was captured and nearly sold when an enemy used a disrupter to immobilize her ship. The creator of the disrupter has finally been discovered, and Celene wants to be the one bringing him in.

Engineer Nils Calder is proud of his role in the 8^th Wing’s “NerdWorks” (think GeekSquad in space), and he’s managed to find a way to locate the disrupter and lead them to its creator, a disgruntled former NerdWorks engineer. But Nils has had little field experience, and Celene doesn’t want anyone getting in her way on this mission. Unfortunately, her commanding officer insists that Nils is the best man for the job.

Nils has long had a crush on the stunning pilot, and when they’re forced to work on the recovery mission together, he decides to seize his chance and woo Celene, setting off sparks. In the past Celene has felt isolated as a woman among all the other pilots. Her reputation as a pilot is such that others speak of her with awe, and men are inevitably disappointed when they discover the real woman behind the legend. Nils seems to see past that to the real Celene, but can a hotshot pilot and a NerdWorks engineer find common ground when the mission ends?

This was a fast, action-packed read filled with steamy romance. I really enjoyed reading about a beta hero who trusts in his abilities and those of his female companion rather than trying to take over the entire mission. I was surprised that Nils and Celene didn’t set off any supernovas in space, their chemistry was so sizzling. It also helps that the “nerdy” Nils has a tone,d athletic bod and plenty of self-confidence.

Celene is an appealing character as well. It’s always fun to read about competent female characters who really don’t NEED someone to hold their hands but are looking for companionship. Celene is a believable mix of strength and vulnerability, and frankly I enjoyed her kick-ass status among the other pilots. My one criticism would be the choice of her nickname, “Stainless.” That had me cringing throughout the entire book. It just struck me as very awkward.

Chain Reaction is the second book in the 8^th Wing series, and the hero and heroine from the first book, Collision Course, appear in the second book, but you can easily read Chain Reaction as a stand alone novel. That said, Collision Course is currently on sale for only $1.99 at Amazon, so catching up on the series won’t break the bank.

I do wish Chain Reaction were a bit longer, because I would have liked to see more of Nils and Celene together and learn more about their enemy, the Praxis. However, given the length, I felt the romance was well developed. I definitely recommend this one if you’re interested in space opera or sci-fi romance.

Review of Stephanie Rowe's Hold Me If You Can

2012-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Hold Me If You Can (Soulfire Series #3)

Author: Stephanie Rowe

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: January 1, 2012

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

The other day I posted on Twitter that Stephanie Rowe’s Hold Me If You Can is crazy goofy but lots of fun. That pretty much says it all! This was one hilarious paranormal romance, full of all kinds of silliness. I happen to love that sort of book, but if you’re more into gritty urban fantasy or less humorous paranormal romance, this book is not for you.

I have to admit that I haven’t read any of Ms. Rowe’s books before, and when I started reading this book, I didn’t realize that this was the third book in a series. In some series, you can dive right in at any point in the series with few problems. This is not one of those series. In fact, I was seriously annoyed and frustrated at the very beginning, because I had NO idea what was going on. References were made to certain creatures and magical terms, and I was completely lost. However, the zaniness soon drew me in, and I was able to catch up fairly easily once I’d read a little further. By the time I’d finished the book I’d definitely changed my initial opinion. For that reason, I’d recommend that you begin the series with the first book, Kiss At Your Own Risk, rather than starting with this one. If you do decide to begin with Hold Me If You Can, you might want to read a synopsis of the other two books or a review of this one to catch up on some of the terminology. I think you’ll have a more pleasant reading experience that way.

The heroine, Natalie Fleming, is a sweet. She has magical powers and her blood attracts demons called deedubs. Natalie has just finished renovating her magical sweet shop, called Scrumptious, for an inspection by the Michelin-O (for otherworld) guide. Natalie makes chocolates that can help with sensual matters (ie – chocolate goodies that have a Viagra effect), but her magic seems to be failing her and her recent escape from death at the hands of a deedub has made her infamous, making her a target.

Nigel Aquarian is a warrior and healer who spent the last 150 years being tortured by Angelica, Satan’s grandmother, in a place called the Den of Womanly Pursuits. (Prepare for the zaniness!) In the Den, Angelica and her minions used beauty implements as weapons and torture devices (curling irons and bobby pins as weapons), to change warriors like Nigel into more sensitive men. Now that Nigel and the others have escaped Angelica’s clutches, they still eat sushi pizza and engage in more “sensitive” pursuits, even while they watch sports on their large screen tvs, which frankly had me busting a gut from laughter.

Nigel is drawn to Natalie and vows to protect her from the deedubs, but he and his fellow escapees are under attack by one of Angelica’s former minions. The two would-be lovers must find a way for Natalie to get back her former mojo so she can defend herself against the deedubs, while rescuing their friends from the Den of Womanly Pursuits.

The humor in this book is a big selling point. Ms. Rowe’s use of beauty implements as weapons is hysterically funny, and the lighthearted tone of the novel makes for easy reading. Nigel and Natalie are both afraid to let go and be themselves, but in the end they learn to accept who they are, granting them even more power. All of this is accomplished with lots of bad puns, and silly, over the top villains, but that just makes the book all that more fun to read.

My biggest criticism is that it’s very difficult to immerse yourself in the world without having read any of the earlier books. There were many times in the first 25% of the novel when I found myself lost at some of the terms (smut, Magicks, Mystics, deedubs?), which was discouraging. Fortunately, I kept reading and was able to follow along fairly easy once I was into the book, but I fear many new readers will give up before that point.

Also, if you’re not into silly, comic paranormal romance, you just won’t enjoy this book. I loved it and found the craziness to be a big selling point, but I know that not all readers would agree.

Overall, this was a lot of fun to read, and I’m planning on checking out the rest of the books in the series to catch up. Any author who considers beauty tools torture devices is a-okay in my book!

Review of Juliet Dark's The Demon Lover

2012-01-14T09:00:00.004-05:00

Title: The Demon Lover (Fairwick Chronicles #1)

Author: Juliet Dark

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Format: Trade Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: December 27, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

I have to preface this review with a bit of a disclaimer: this book is NOT a romance. When I requested the book for review, it was billed as a romance, but there’s no happy ever after or even a happy with a partner for the female protagonist. That said, it is an outstanding fantasy, well written and engaging, and it kept me turning the pages. I’m very much looking forward to reading future installments of the book, and I certainly recommend it. However, I’m concerned that if you begin this book expecting it to be a romance, you will be sadly disappointed, which would be a shame, as it’s really excellent.

I requested the book, because the heroine, Dr. Cailleach (Callie) McFay is a newly minted PhD and out on the job market. For those of you in the academic world, especially professors of English or languages, this book’s release date will have dire overtones for you, as December 27^th used to be the beginning of the horror that is the annual MLA convention. For those of you lucky enough NOT to be academics, MLA is the Modern Language Association, and the annual convention is where the overwhelming majority of job interviews are held for college professors. It’s a NIGHTMARE. A NIGHTMARE, I tell you!

But I digress. I found it interesting that Callie has a long-term boyfriend, Paul, who is finishing his doctorate in economics on the West Coast, while she’s completed her degree and published her dissertation as a book on demon lovers, with great success. This has given Callie some cachet in academic circles, so when the book opens during a campus interview at Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie is pretty certain that she’s going to turn down their offer if she can wrangle a better one from SUNY, since she and Paul would have a better chance finding work for both of them in New York City. This is an all too familiar refrain for academic couples, so I was highly sympathetic to Callie’s plight.

However, Callie finds herself intrigued by a Victorian house on the edge of the woods in Fairwick. It turns out that it was the home of Dahlia LaMotte, a writer of early 20^th Century gothic bodice-rippers, and LaMotte’s papers remain in the attic. The owner of the house has access to those papers, which are never to leave the premises. Callie finds herself inexplicably drawn to the house and accepts Fairwick’s offer, a move that surprises her and her friends.

But at night, Callie begins to experience highly erotic dreams, in which she’s visited by a mysterious lover, and these dreams resemble those described in LaMotte’s papers. Add to this to the strange faculty at Fairwick (okay, cheap shot time - MOST professors at colleges are strange, but those at Fairwick push the boundary) and unusual occurrences in the neighboring woods, and Callie’s first year as an Assistant Professor starts to resemble a gothic novel.

The beginning of this novel really drew me in with its gothic overtones. Callie’s experiences as an orphan with an overbearing grandmother and the strange happenings at her house and the college evoke the gothic novels that Callie writes about in her book, novels that feature mysterious settings and repressed sexuality. However, this tone began to change about halfway through the book, and it becomes much more of a fantasy than a gothic novel.

At first the mystery in the novel centers around Callie and the sense of connection that she feels with her house in Fairwick. Her erotic dreams continue, causing her to feel unfaithful to her boyfriend Paul, even though they are only dreams. However, once Callie learns Fairwick’s secrets, the mystery becomes more troubling, as the students at the college are clearly being preyed upon.

The Demon Lover is an outstanding novel, and if you love fantasy, you will definitely enjoying reading it. Callie is an intriguing character, and you’ll be unable to put the book down as you learn more about her background, one of which not even she was aware. I think if you begin the book knowing that it’s not a romance, you won’t be disappointed at all, but if you’re looking for a new fantasy romance, this is not the book for you.

Review of Rachel Johns' One Perfect Night

2012-01-13T14:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday the 13^th, everyone! It has been a loooong week, since the semester just began, but I’m really looking forward to a great spring semester. I’ve got almost all repeat students in my classes, and they are simply delightful, so this is going to be a fun spring. Now that the craziness of writing syllabi and getting started with school is over, I’m hoping that I can crank out my reviews a little more regularly than over the holidays. Here’s hoping, right?

Title: One Perfect Night

Author: Rachel Johns

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: ebook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: December 19, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

This was a delightful short novel by an author I’d never read before. I’ve really enjoyed reading the Australian authors published by Carina Press, and Rachel Johns was no exception. In fact, I was a bit surprised that this book was published by Carina Press, rather than being published in print as a category romance by one of the Harlequin lines (Carina Press is owned by Harlequin). One Perfect Night has several of the hallmark tropes that you see in a category romance: boss-employee romance, hero devastated by wife’s death and refusing to love again, plus a traumatic event that spurs hero to realize his love for the heroine. And while the set-up and resolution of the romance in One Perfect Night sound somewhat clichéd, the unique setting and likeable characters make this a fun, light-hearted romance well worth reading.

Peppa Grant works for Lyrique Recordings, an audiobook company, and when the company’s family Christmas party is about to tank because the Santa has been delayed, Peppa steps in as the entertainer for the kids in a rented fairy costume. She’s a bit stressed, because she just sideswiped the boss’s very expensive sports car but hasn’t had time to tell him about it. Lyrique’s CEO, Cameron McCormac, is already in a bit of a foul mood, because he’s spending time around all the families at the party, forcing him to remember his frustrated plans to start a family four years ago. The widower is also dreading his family’s Christmas party after the work function, but the children’s entertainer in her short faerie skirt is exactly the distraction he needs.

When Peppa tells Cormac that she bumped his car and needs to exchange insurance information, he seizes the opportunity to have her pretend to be his date to his family’s party, not realizing that Peppa’s one of his employees. Her presence at the family party will prevent any pesky questions about his dating life and forestall any attempts to set him up with other women. Of course, Peppa’s a smashing success with his family, which creates more complications down the road, especially since Cormac’s determined to get Peppa in bed but only wants a fling. Peppa wants nothing more than to settle down and start a family. With two such disparate interests, can their affair ever turn into anything more?

The novel is only about 100 pages long, but it packs a lot into such a short book. Both the hero and the heroine have heartbreaking pasts, yet the book doesn’t get bogged down in all the angst, which is a relief. Peppa’s ex is a real stinker, yet she’s still hopeful for the future, even though she feels as though she’s been put through the ringer. She’s very likeable, and while you can see that an affair with Cormac can only lead to heartbreak in her future, you’ll be rooting for everything to work out between them.

Cormac, or “McSexy” as the women in the office call him, also has a painful past, which makes him a brooding, troubled hero – no doubt that adds to his appeal! His wife’s death 4 years ago still haunts him, but it’s a pleasure to see Peppa bringing fun back into his life. He manages to be a bit bone-headed a few times, but everything all works out for the best.

All in all, this was a fun debut novel with a lot of promise. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Johns’ books, especially since the Australian setting plays such a prominent role in the book. I’d love to see her books in print, as I think One Perfect Night would make an excellent category romance.

Review of Connie Brockway’s The Other Guy’s Bride (Braxton #2)

2012-01-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a relaxing and fun holiday break! I’m busy gearing up for the Spring Semester here, which is always way more work than you think it’s going to be. In a few weeks we’ll be celebrating my one year blogoversary, which is exciting, since I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for almost a year now. Blogging has been a fun way to meet other romance readers and authors, and I’m looking forward to 2012.

I lucked out and won Connie Brockway’s Goodreads First Reads contest for a print copy of The Other Guy’s Bride, which I read over the holidays. I really enjoyed it, and I think it’s a delightful historical romance with an exotic location. Here’s my review:

Title: The Other Guy’s Bride (Braxton #2)

Author: Connie Brockway

Publisher: Montlake Romance (Amazon)

Format: Trade Paperback & ebook

Source: Goodreads’ First Reads Program

Publication Date: November 22, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I’d never read any of Ms. Brockway’s books before I won this copy of The Other Guy’s Bride through the Goodreads First Reads program. I’m guessing that means my romance reader membership card will be revoked or at the very least suspended, because she is quite the powerhouse! So I was really excited to read this book, first, because I’d heard so many good things about Ms. Brockway’s writing, and, second, because this is the first book released by Amazon’s new romance imprint, Montlake Romance. The ebook version of this book was released on November 22, but the print version is now available through Amazon as well. I’m curious to see how well the book will sell, since the print version won’t be available in warehouse stores, and I have no idea if it’ll be on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, either. If sales are not stellar, it certainly won’t reflect the quality of the book, because The Other Guy’s Bride is an engaging romp. In fact, my only criticism of the book has more to do with decisions made by the publisher than the actual book itself.

Our heroine, Ginesse Braxton, is determined to make a name for herself among her Egyptologist relatives and is making her way to Egypt to look for the lost city of Zerzura. She assumes the identity of mild-mannered Mildred Whimpelhall, whose fiancé is stationed out in the middle of nowhere, conveniently located close to where Ginesse believes Zerzura to be located. The hero, Jim Owens, is escorting Miss Whimpelhall to her fiancé, never realizing that the fiery, accident-prone Miss Whimpelhall is in fact the infamous Ginesse Braxton. Of course, Jim Owens is not exactly the rough and tough American cowboy he’s pretending to be either. As the two make their way to “Mildred’s” fiancé and the inevitable discovery, sparks fly between them.

This is a delightful romance, and I love the Egyptian setting! Ginesse reminds me of Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody in her love of all things Egyptian and stalwart refusal to accept being treated as less than capable merely because she’s a woman. And like Amelia Peabody, Ginesse attracts all sorts of disaster, seemingly without trying. Despite her penchant for catastrophe, Ginesse never approaches Too Stupid To Live territory; all of her escapades are undertaken after careful thought. Unfortunately, something always manages to go wrong, and you will wonder how she ever made it to the ripe old age of 21, since we learn that she’s found herself in similar circumstances on a regular basis since the age of 6.

Jim Owens is also a really appealing hero, trying with no success to fight his attraction to this irrepressible heroine. His past makes for intriguing possibilities for the future of the couple, and it’s easy to see that he’s the ideal hero for Ginesse, as he manages to save her life and avoid strangling her with his bare hands.

All of this adds up to a charming romance that’s a pleasure to read. My one complaint about the text has to do with the conclusion. Ginesse is supposedly so motivated to make her mark on Egyptology that she’s willing to pose as another woman, yet at the end she seems willing, if not eager, to accept a different role. I would have liked more explanation for this seemingly abrupt change.

However, this is a minor criticism, as I very much enjoyed the book and will certainly reread it. My biggest complaints have to do with the cover art and size of the printed book, both of which are decisions made by the publisher. I’m really not enamored of the cover, to put it mildly. The colors aren’t particularly striking and the female on the cover looks a little young. I do think the image appears better in the print version than the ebook, but either way I’m not a fan of the cover. Also, the print book is about the size of a trade paperback. I really think that the mass market paperback size would have been easier for the reader to handle and perhaps easier to distribute. The print version felt a little bit too “print on demand” for my taste, leaving me to wonder how many printed copies of the book will sell.

That said, I like that the book is available in print and electronic versions. I’m certainly going to be checking out Ms. Brockway’s backlist, as this book was enchanting.

My Husband Shrank My Jeans - REALLY!

2011-12-30T14:44:00.002-05:00

Me and the DH in Dec. 2008, days before he shrank my jeans. Bad DH!!!

Two years ago my husband and I returned home to Ohio after our grueling Southeast/Midwest driving tour that is our holiday ritual. We find all the traveling we do for the holidays REALLY stressful, even though we love seeing our families. Still, going back to work after driving all over the South and Midwest is pretty exhausting, and I suspect a lot of people feel the same.

But when we got home, I was pretty miffed to discover that my favorite pair of jeans didn’t fit. In fact, I was stunned, because all my other clothes fit fine! Turns out the DH had somehow managed to shrink my jeans.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Self, Rebecca’s DH did NOT shrink those jeans – her butt got bigger!” You’d be partially right. My butt did get slightly bigger (maybe all of 2-3 lbs). HOWEVER, I got out the good old measuring tape, and sure enough, the inseam on my favorite jeans was suddenly 2 inches shorter. So I WASN’T imagining things! I’m now offering you that excuse for post-holiday snug clothes. If my DH can shrink my clothes, I’m sure yours can too! To be completely honest, it really wasn’t his fault. We learned later that my Mother-in-law was having problems with her clothes dryer, and I suspect that explains what happened to my jeans, which had to go to Goodwill.

But the shrinking jeans lead to an epiphany. I recognized that at 34 years old I probably needed to resume working out. Before I was married, I did step aerobics for a while, but it had been nearly 4 years since I’d worked out regularly. So I decided that my New Year’s Resolution that year was to work out 3 times a week. I picked several fun “dancy” workout dvds from Amazon and put my two left feet to work.

Shockingly, I’ve maintained that resolution for the last 2 years! I’m proud that I’ve made working out a habit, despite the depressing realization several months in that I was going to have to work out at least 3 times a week for the rest of my LIFE. Yup, that was a real downer. Fortunately, there was plenty of chocolate available to help in my recovery. But I have to admit, being able to squeeze my butt into skinny jeans goes a loooong way towards easing the “this is the rest of your life” concern.

Since New Year’s Resolutions aren’t that big in my family, I pretty much avoid them, and the last few years I’ve cheated a bit by saying that my resolution is to maintain my workout ethic. I also tend to avoid yearly reading challenges, because I’m going to read several hundred books by the end of the year anyway. So I’m at a loss for this year’s resolution, other than continuing to work out regularly. I want to improve my writing, but that’s more of a life-long resolution than a yearly one.

What about you? Do you have any success stories about New Year’s resolutions? How about smashing disasters? And if anyone has a fun resolution for this year, let me know!

Review of Susan Johnson's Seductive as Flame

2011-12-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

Title: Seductive as Flame

Author: Susan Johnson

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Format: Mass Market Paperback & ebook

Source: Goodreads First Reads Program

Publication Date: December 6, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

It was really difficult to rate this book. I felt that the writing was polished and professional, and the narrative flowed well. Unfortunately the underlying premise of the book made it difficult to care for either the hero or heroine, and the high level of sensuality (while very well done) and frequent sex scenes didn’t completely convince me of the romance between the protagonists. For that reason, I’m marking this book down to a 3.5, but the strength of Ms. Johnson’s writing has me interested in checking out her other books.

This historical romance begins at a hunting party in the country, where the Earl of Dalgliesh, Alec Munro, is visiting with his shrew of a wife, Violeta, and her 6 year old son, Christopher. Almost immediately upon arriving at the party, Alec is bowled over when he meets the fiery Scottish Griselda “Zelda” MacKenzie, and the two begin a torrid affair. Zelda has recently returned from a trip abroad to Brazil, and she has the reputation of being a witch, no doubt because of her innate sensuality, which certainly bewitches Alec. But the Earl of Dalgliesh has a reputation as a heartbreaker and already has a wife. Can there be a future for the two lovers?

The above paragraph is my short summary of the book, which I’m providing because the official blurb for this book is a bit misleading. It mentions that Alec is fascinated with Zelda and that she returns his regard, but no mention is made of his married state. Frankly, I’ve never enjoyed romances that have one of the partners cheating on the other, no matter how despicable the other spouse is. Zelda is just not a very appealing heroine, because she willingly enters an affair with a married man. In fact, she decides very quickly to see where the affair with Alec will take her, despite knowing that he is married and before fully realizing the extent of his wife’s duplicitous behavior. This is unfortunate, because otherwise I would have really enjoyed Zelda’s character. She’s independent, plain-speaking, and unapologetically sensual, plus a fierce rider and competitor on the hunting field. All of these characteristics make her a heroine I would normally like and root for in the course of her romance with the hero, but her decision to engage in an extramarital affair, while no doubt common enough among the aristocracy at the time, turned me off from the beginning.

Alec’s wife Violeta is also a problematic character. She’s so over the top as a villain that she’s a caricature, but this doesn’t become immediately apparent to the reader, which makes it difficult for us to sympathize with Alec. When Zelda and Alec meet and it becomes clear that they are embarking upon an affair we have almost no information about Violeta. This makes it somewhat uncomfortable for the reader, since it’s not really all that obvious why Alec’s marriage is failing at that point in the text. Clearly Violeta’s character is meant to create sympathy for Alec and make it easier for the reader to accept the growing closeness between Alec and Zelda, but Violeta is so one-dimensional as to be ridiculous.

While the level of sensuality in this novel is high, it’s tastefully done, and Zelda and Alec’s chemistry is sizzling, to say the least. Unfortunately the frequency of the sex scenes creates little opportunity for us to see Alec and Zelda together as a couple falling in love, causing the romance to fall a bit flat. Alec’s fascinated with Zelda, and nearly all his friends and servants comment on that fascination, but the two seemed to fall immediately in lust, rather than love.

After looking over everything I’ve written thus far, I realize that this review is overwhelmingly negative in tone, which I feel is a bit unfair. The writing is really stellar, and I found myself highly engaged in the book, eagerly turning pages to see how it would end. For those reasons, I’m looking forward to giving Ms. Johnson’s other books a try. But because I was uncomfortable with a heroine so obviously unconcerned with having an affair with a married man, Seductive as Flame just didn’t work for me.

Review of My New Kindle Touch

2011-12-27T17:33:00.000-05:00

Me with my 2nd Generation Kindle

Me and my new Kindle Touch

My old tried and true 2^nd Generation Kindle was getting a little wonky on me (wonky’s a technical term for the Kindle spontaneously restarting or freezing up in the middle of hot love scenes) so I asked Santa for a new Kindle Touch for Christmas, and lo, Santa’s Elf (the DH) delivered my new Kindle Touch in time for Christmas morning. Yay, DH! I thought I’d share my thoughts on my Touch, which is the 3G version without special offers.

Pros

· The screen is awesome – I love the e-ink screen, and the text is a lot crisper than my 2^nd Generation Kindle. As I get older this is MUCH appreciated, since we southern belles are vain and don’t like to wear our glasses in public. Lord help me when I have to wear glasses to apply my makeup. Of course, I might have already passed that point and everyone’s too kind to mention that my lipstick’s all over the place. You never know…

· Size – the Touch is smaller and MUCH lighter than the 2^nd Gen and even the 3^rd Gen Kindles. I have tiny hands and puny arms, so heavy lifting is not for me! I love that the Touch is barely heavier than a Mass Market Paperback and about the same as a Trade Paperback with less bulk and no messy black smudges on the fingers. This would make a great gift for an older reader with arthritis.You can see from the pictures how much smaller the Touch is than the 2nd Generation Kindle.

· Keyboard – the onscreen keyboard for the Touch is super easy to use. I like it more than the one on my HTC Inspire (that’s a smartphone for you Luddites like my Mother). I like not having the keyboard take up so much space on the Kindle, plus there’s no autocorrect, which means I don’t type “Dad’s” and discover later that it’s been switched to “fascist” without my realizing it (yes, that really happened on my phone).

Could Go Either Way

· Collections – Collections are how you organize books on your Kindle, very similar to folders for Word documents. Despite a few hiccups on Christmas Day, no doubt due to high traffic on Amazon’s webpage, my collections from my 2^nd Gen Kindle were instantly downloaded to my new Touch without any problems. Unfortunately, the collections are both a pro and a con, mainly because the concept behind collections is awkward to begin with. Moving books to various collections requires several steps and possibly scrolling through your entire library, which is time consuming if you have a large library of, say, more than 1000 books like some people I know (*cough* ME *cough*). This is not the most user-friendly way of organizing your books, and I’m surprised that Amazon hasn’t improved it. However, it’s a method of organization that I’m already familiar with, thanks to my 2^nd Generation Kindle, so that isn’t much of a problem. (I believe the Amazon Fire has a different method of organizing books, but so far that hasn’t trickled down to the e-ink readers yet.)

· Special Offers – I got the Touch without special offers, but you can go to the Manage My Kindle page and subscribe to the special offers if you like. I did just that to see how it works, and I have to say I haven’t been super impressed with the offers thus far, but I like being able to turn the offers on or off as I like. The offers are limited to the screen saver when the Kindle is in sleep mode and to a small banner at the bottom of the screen when it’s turned on. They don’t appear at all when reading. The images for the screen savers are so far tasteful and not much different from the screen savers that appear when you’re not subscribed to the special offers. I’m kind of up in the air about this, since I already get deals from Groupon and Dealfind. How many deals does one person need?

Cons

· The touch screen is a little slow in responding. Maybe it’s because I’m used to the screen on my smart phone, but it does seem a little slower. However, the pages do turn quicker without the lag that many people complained about with the older Kindles. I never really had a problem with this, but I know it did bother some readers.

· The power button is located on the bottom of the Touch. I haven’t had any problems with accidentally turning off the Touch, but I do tend to rest the Kindle on my lap, so this seems like an awkward place for the power switch.

· It doesn’t seem very intuitive. My father-in-law reads a LOT of heavy hardback books and could really benefit from a light ereader that allows him to enlarge the text. But he doesn’t use a computer, and I can only picture his confusion at using the Touch. It really isn’t all that obvious at first glance. Plus, I have several adult students in my Spanish classes, and they mentioned that they’d never purchased ANYTHING online before (the mind boggles), so I have to think they would have difficulty figuring out the Kindle’s features straight out of the box. I can’t imagine how they would navigate the Kindle store, which remains easier to use online than on the Touch.

· The Touch is not as easy to use one-handed as my 2^nd Generation Kindle was. The DH is VERY spoiled – every night he gets a back rub while I read on my Kindle, which requires one-handed reading on my part. So far this has been a bit awkward, since I have to set the Touch on my lap to do anything other than turn the page. I’ve asked for a cover for the Touch for my birthday (only 2 days away – woot!), so I’m hoping this will make it easier to use one handed. I also wonder how well the Touch would work for left-handed users, since touching the screen on the left has you going back a page, while taping anywhere else on the screen moves you forward one page.

· Having to re-download my more than 1,000 books in my Kindle library is a real pain in the butt. You can find instructions on ehow.com for transferring your books from one Kindle to another, and I highly suggest you do it that way, because re-downloading all your archived books one by one would take FOREVAH!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I love the new Kindle Touch! The lighter weight and crisper screen rock, and I like the simplicity of design. I can’t compare it to the Nook or Kobo, but I’m a big fan of e-ink readers versus tablets, and the Touch is definitely easier to read for any length of time than an iPad or Amazon Fire. Also, its smaller size is a big plus, as it’s easier to slip into your purse or a coat pocket. While I think that Amazon needs to find a way to make the Kindle more intuitive for new users, I would definitely recommend this to my reader friends, as I’ve been very pleased with both my Kindles.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

2011-12-25T14:26:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas, Y'all! I hope you're having a wonderful and relaxing time with friends and family! The photo of the Christmas tree is courtesy of my three year old niece. She's quite the talented photographer already, as you can see. ;)

Here's a photo I took of my "Beagletree" that my mother-in-law gave me a few years ago. You'll notice that despite my advanced age, I have a lot of work to do on my photography "skillz." I seem to have a talent for cutting off the tops of heads and trees. I'm guessing I'll be asking my niece to do all my photos from now on.

Top Five Contemporary Romances of 2011

2011-12-19T13:53:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the doom and gloom of Urban Fantasy and cleanse your reading palate with something a little lighter, and contemporary romances are my favorite way to do just that. Here are five that I read this year that I find myself re-reading again and again.

Kristan Higgins Until There Was You

Who doesn’t like a bad boy and a reunion romance? This list has a couple of bad boy heroes, and Liam Murphy fits the bill perfectly. He builds motorcycles, wears lots of black leather, and sometimes doesn’t shave for days, giving him a swoon-worthy scruffy look. It’s no surprise that tiny Posey Osterhagen lost her heart to him when she was a teen, and now that he’s a widower and back in town with his teenage daughter, Posey tries to steer clear of him, to no avail. Liam will steal your heart when he sends his daughter off to prom, and Posey is a funny, eccentric heroine. The John Hughes ending makes the book all the more satisfying. Read my review here.

Susan Andersen Playing Dirty (Sisterhood Diaries #3)

This was the first book I read by Susan Andersen, and it’s a winner. You can pick it up without having to have read any of the prior books in the series, but they’re lots of fun as well, so I highly recommend you check out the entire series. This book focuses on Ava Spencer, a full-figured heroine who had a humiliating experience with documentary maker Cade Gallari back in high school. He slept with the free-spirited “fat girl” to win a bet and let everyone know about it. Ava manages to get her own then and now, and watching Cade lose it over the stunning Ava is so much fun.

Susan Mallery Only Mine (Fools Gold #4)

I think it’s a safe bet that you’ll love any of Ms. Mallery’s Fool’s Gold books, but I was long awaiting the beginning of the Hendrix triplets’ trilogy, and the first book featuring Dakota Hendrix is a winner. Ever since a grad student wrote about the man shortage in Fool’s Gold for her thesis, men and the media have been descending upon the town in droves. A reality tv show (think The Bachelor) has set up in town, and Dakota’s been asked to coordinate with the show to keep the craziness to a minimum. When Alaskan pilot Finn Anderssen shows up and demands that she prevent his 21 year old twin brothers from participating in the show, Dakota has to tell him that she has little control over the producers’ choices. Ms. Mallery’s books are always winners, and the romance between Finn and Dakota is sizzling and heartwarming.

Shannon Stacey Yours to Keep (Kowalski Family #3)

This ebook release was so popular that it’s coming out in 2012 in mass market paperback, which is great for those of you without ereaders. This book had me in stitches, because the Kowalski family is not above interfering in each others’ lives. Sean Kowalski has just returned from the Army and is not sure what he wants to do with his life. Little does he know that local Emma Shaw has been telling her grandmother that he’s her fiancé. When Sean returns to town just before Emma’s grandmother comes to visit, Emma’s in a panic and begs him to pose as her fiancé, with hilarious results. You can read this book on its own without any problems, but you’ll want to check out the others in the series as well. Read my review of Yours to Keep here.

Carly Phillips Serendipity (Serendipity #1)

Carly Phillips was another new-to-me author, and I picked up Serendipity at the bookstore after seeing several reviews of the book online. I wasn’t sure how likeable the heroine would be, since she’s a former rich girl whose father bilked thousands out of their money in a ponzi scheme, but Faith Harrington is delightful. She returns to her hometown of Serendipity after her husband divorces her because of the scandal surrounding her father. You’ll really enjoy watching her find her way in a town that’s not disposed to view her favorably. When she and former bad boy (yay for bad boys!) Ethan Barron meet up again, sparks fly. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, and if you want a small sample to tide you over until that book comes out, Ms. Phillips just released a novella, Kismet, set in the same town.

Review of Sidney Ayers's Demons Like It Hot

2011-12-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

Title: Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2)

Author: Sidney Ayers

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: December 1, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This is the first book by Sidney Ayers that I’ve read, and it was really cute! It’s a contemporary paranormal romance, which made for a nice break from the historical romances I’ve been reading lately. Demons Like It Hot is the second book in the Demons Unleashed series, and I suggest that you read the first book (Demons Prefer Blondes) before the second, because I was a little lost at times. Still, the humor and romance were fun, so I’ll be reading more of this author.

Serah SanGermano is a caterer who is deeply in denial about her growing paranormal abilities. She’s always been a bit clumsy, but suddenly she’s able to sense the presence of demons, and they keep appearing and causing serious mischief in her life. In the first book of the series, she and her best friend Lucy opened a chest, unleashing demons (Oops! Note to self: don’t open mysterious chests). Because Serah’s friends are worried about her, she’s assigned a demon bodyguard, Mattias Ambrose, hottie former demon mercenary. But Serah’s plans to drum up clients for her catering business by participating in the reality show American Chef complicates Mattias’s plans to keep her safe, as does the attraction he feels for her.

I love the sense of fun that pervades this novel. Ms. Ayers clearly enjoys her characters and employs humor throughout, which makes this a delight to read. There are lots of snarky jokes, and Serah’s cat, Mr. Whiskers, is a hoot.

The interaction between all the characters is a selling point for me as well. The romance between Mattias and Serah is sizzling, but I really like the strength of Serah’s friendships, especially Lucy. At first the host of American Chef seemed a bit off to me (he was so happy all the time I wondered if he was drinking the kool aid), but his character grew on me over the course of the book. And while Mattias was clearly a loner at first, part of Serah’s appeal for him is the sense of family and belonging he gets from her and her friends.

My one big complaint about the novel is that Serah is INCREDIBLY stubborn about admitting that she does have powers, and this gets annoying fast. She acknowledges to herself that something’s going on and that she’s never had these powers before opening the chest with Lucy, but she refuses to admit it to anyone else. This just drags out for too long, even after demons appear out of nowhere and attack her (at one point blowing up chocolate fondue – good times!). Her friends keep calling her on her stubbornness, but she keeps refusing to believe, which frankly drove me batty.

A minor point that bothered me was Mr. Whiskers’s accent. He’s an imp disguised as a cat to protect Serah, and his dialogue is all written in “Scottish” brogue. I usually have no problems reading accents, but this one was a bit of a struggle, which is a shame, since Mr. Whiskers is hilarious.

This was a cute paranormal with appealing characters and lots of humor. I like that there are good and bad demons, not just evil demons fighting the angels. The secrets in Mattias’s past kept me turning the pages, leading to a somewhat predictable revelation towards the end, but the path to the resolution was so enjoyable, it’s easy to forgive.

My Top 5 Urban Fantasy Novels of 2011

2011-12-16T15:08:00.001-05:00

Well, I can’t believe it’s been almost a week and a half since my last post. Time flies when you’re having fun… or grading and doing academic writing. (sigh) Anyway, I’ve been seeing lots of fun Top 5 lists, but some of them have left off my favorites. How dare they have opinions that differ from mine, lol! Here are my Top 5 Urban Fantasies of this year, not in any order.

Diana Rowland’s My Life as a White Trash Zombie

Okay, I might have lied when I said these were in no particular order, because this is definitely my favorite book on this list and not just because of its rockin’ cover by Daniel Dos Santos. Angel Crawford finds herself working in a morgue and drinking funny tasting “smoothies” after she’s discovered on the side of the road, naked and covered in blood. To her horror, she finds the scent of braaaaiiiiiins delectable and soon discovers that she’s been made a zombie. This is a great story of a young woman who’s had very few opportunities in her life suddenly making the most of a second chance at life. I can’t wait to read the second book of the series, coming out next summer. See my review.

Jenn Bennett Kindling the Moon

This debut novel was a fun surprise, and I do mean surprise! After a lifetime of reading who knows how many novels, it was a delight to find one that managed to sneak in an ending that I wasn’t expecting. Arcadia “Cady” Bell is 25 and working at the Tambuku Tiki Lounge when she spots her on-the-run parents on the nightly news. They were accused of heinous murders when she was a teen, and the family’s been living in hiding ever since. Cady finds herself working to clear her parents with lots of help from hottie Lon Butler. Their May-December romance (he’s 42) is sizzling, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Lon’s son, Jupe, who’s a real scene-stealer.

Seanan McGuire One Salt Sea (October Daye #5)

I could have chosen either of the October Daye books published this year (the 4^th in the series is Late Eclipses) for my top 5 list because both are excellent, but One Salt Sea introduces a new part of Faerie that we haven’t seen before. This series never disappoints, and Toby finds herself working with the usual suspects to prevent a war between the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist and the Queen of Mist. While you can read this book without having read any of the prior novels in the series, I highly recommend that you start from the beginning, as you’ll appreciate the interaction between the characters more. See my review.

Nancy Holzner Bloodstone (Deadtown #3)

I started the Deadtown series earlier this year, and while I enjoyed the first book in the series, I never got around to picking up the second book. I was really impressed with Bloodstone, though, so I’ll be going back to catch up on the second book. When a virus turned thousands of humans into zombies, the magical community came out of hiding to help contain the threat, only to be forced into segregation. Shifter Vicky is a demon exterminator in this alternate version of Boston, and in the third book of the series, she finds herself fighting a serial killer, dubbed the SouthEnd Reaper by the police. Vicky’s feisty Aunt Mab plays a key role in the action, and it’s a lot of fun to see Vicky’s teenage zombie sidekick, Tina, start to mature.

Ilona Andrews Magic Slays (Kate Daniels #5)

I’d be shocked if other bloggers did NOT include this book on their top 5 lists of Urban Fantasies this year. Set in an alternate version of my hometown, Atlanta, all of the Kate Daniels books pretty much kick ass, so you’re going to get a winner whether you start the series at the beginning or pick this one up on its own. In this book we finally get to see sword-wielding Kate and her lion-shifter mate Curran in connubial bliss, which makes for some funny one-liners. When Kate’s detective agency is asked to find a missing scientist, all sorts of magical mayhem ensues. Watching the independent heroine and bossy-pants alpha hero sort out how they’ll deal with their roles in this new relationship makes the book all that more fun.

Review of Men Under the Mistletoe

2011-12-08T16:37:00.001-05:00

Title: Men Under the Mistletoe

Authors: Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon, K.A. Mitchell

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook (novellas also available for individual sale)

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: December 5, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

This is the first m/m book I’ve reviewed for the blog, and I really enjoyed the novellas. I requested the book for review because I am a huge fan of Josh Lanyon’s writing, but the other authors were all new to me. While the novellas differ in quality, Harper Fox and Josh Lanyon’s pieces were outstanding.

As with Carina Press’s other Christmas themed anthology, A Clockwork Christmas, the novellas in this m/m anthology are available for individual sale.

My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March

In 1817 London, Alexander Norton begins a hot and heavy affair with Thomas Bennett, only to be cruelly rejected by his first love. Four years later, Thomas has returned from America to reconcile with Alexander. Unfortunately, Thomas barely recognizes the bitter man Alexander’s become. Can Thomas convince Alexander of his remorse and somehow find a way for them to be together?

From the beginning of this novella I was impressed with how Ms. March conveyed that heady feeling of one’s first love. Alexander is enamored of Thomas and eager to be with him, but Thomas can’t bring himself to commit. Since the novella is set in the early nineteenth Century, it’s easy to understand Thomas’s fears. The characters are so well-written that I was disappointed there wasn’t more to the plot. Basically they separate, then have to find a way to reconcile later, but there just wasn’t much to the story. I’m afraid this novella, despite the deft treatment of the protagonists, suffers when compared to the novellas that follow. 3 out of 5

Winter Knights by Harper Fox

I’m not familiar with Ms. Fox’s work, but that will soon change. This was a masterful story that drew me in from the first. Gavin Lowden is a historian in Northumberland looking for proof that Arthur and Lancelot were lovers. He’s also hoping that his lover Piers will finally come out to his conservative religious family, allowing the two to spend some much-needed time together. But when Piers tells Gavin he can’t come out to his family and that he’s decided to resume his former engagement to a woman, Gavin’s heart-broken. He sets off for the moors but falls into a crevice. Two rescuers, Artie and Lance, pull him out and take him home with them to mend his broken heart.

This could have been an awkward story to read, because of Artie and Lance’s involvement with Gavin immediately following his fight with Piers, but Ms. Fox handles it exactly right. I love that Artie and Lance force Gavin to examine his behavior with Piers, and the Camelot and Arthur legends make for a nice touch. Great attention to detail and a riveting story made this a winner for me. 4.5 out of 5

Lone Star by Josh Lanyon

I love Josh Lanyon’s authorial voice and his taut writing, and this novella is an excellent example of his style. Mitchell Evans is a star in the world of ballet in New York City, but after catching his lover with a woman, he needs a break and heads for rural Texas for Christmas. His estranged father passed away a few months ago, and Mitch needs to settle the estate. He doesn’t count on running into his first love, Texas Ranger Web Eisley. They still set off sparks, but their lives are so different now that anything long term seems out of reach.

I was so excited to read this novella that as soon as I received the ARC, I immediately read this story, then set the anthology aside to finish later. Even weeks later Mitch and Web were clear in my mind, and I find their romance compelling. There’s always a good dose of angst in the Lanyon stories I’ve read, and this one is no exception. One of the many reasons I find his work so intriguing is that his characters remain with you because of his deft treatment of their vulnerabilities. Definitely a novella I’ll be re-reading many times. 4.5 out of 5

The Christmas Proposition by K.A. Mitchell

Ms. Mitchell’s wry sense of humor made this story for me. Set in Epiphany, Pennsylvania, Mel Halner runs his family’s Christmas tree farm. Three years ago millionaire Bryce Campion asked Mel to leave Epiphany with him, but Mel turned him down. Now Mel’s best friend Tiff is marrying Bryce’s friend Kurt, and Mel will have to face Bryce at the wedding. Bryce isn’t used to being turned down, and he’s clearly interested in resuming their relationship, but it’s not clear if for Bryce this is a short-term fling or something more.

Mel and his family were hilarious, especially when we learn that his parents named him and his siblings for the three wise men, setting up lots of Christmas jokes. Tiff, the bridezilla, is good for a few laughs at Mel’s expense as well. However, I felt that the romance between Bryce and Mel needed a little more development. Mel’s unsure about Bryce’s feelings for him, and as a reader I, too, was unsure if this was just about the smexy times, because there are a LOT of smexy times in this novella. I also found Mel’s inability to tell anyone how he really feels pretty annoying. It made for some funny inner monologue, but I wanted him to speak up for himself. When he finally does just that, I had some serious concerns that it would be too late. Regardless, this was a fun romance with an interesting premise. 4 out of 5

Review of Anthology A Clockwork Christmas

2011-12-07T14:50:00.002-05:00

Title: A Clockwork Christmas

Authors: Stacy Gail, PG Forte, Jenny Schwartz, JK Coi

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: December 5, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

I love reading steampunk novels, so when I saw this anthology of Christmas themed steampunk novellas for review on NetGalley, I couldn’t wait to read it. When I finally sat down to write this review, I learned that each novella is also available for individual sale, which is a really nice feature. Kudos to Carina Press for offering this option - I’d love to see more publishers offer stories in anthologies that way! That said, I felt that this anthology was a really solid collection, and I liked each of the novellas, which is unusual.

Stacy Gail’s Crime Wave in a Corset

The decision to place this novella first in the collection was excellent. Crime Wave in a Corset draws the reader in from the beginning, and you’ll soon find yourself rooting for the dubious heroine, Cornelia Peabody, thief. Cornelia’s fought her way from the streets and invents all sorts of clever contraptions to aid her robbing organizations such as the local university. Unfortunately, one of her more successful jobs, stealing a Fabergé egg, has come back to haunt her.

Roderick Coddington (Coddington is NOT the best last name for a hero, imo) ambushes Cornelia in her home. That Fabergé egg belonged to his beloved Beth, who died shortly after its disappearance. He attaches a deadly timepiece to Cornelia’s wrist, and if she can’t recover the egg in a week, the timepiece will kill her.

Ms. Gail did a great job of this enemies-turned-lovers novella. At first Roderick comes across as unlikeable, even though he’s not the villain , but Cornelia is a very likeable character, and you’ll enjoy watching the two fall in love. 4 out of 5

PG Forte’s This Winter Heart

Ophelia Leonides finds herself destitute after her father’s death and forced to return to the husband who abandoned her in order to support their son, Arthur. Her husband, Dario, is part of a powerful family in the Republic of New Texacali after the Civil War, and is not at all inclined to help his estranged wife. Since he believed her to be barren, he’s even less likely to accept that Arthur’s his son, but the resemblance is undeniable. Can the marriage be saved, or will Dario refuse to accept his wife for what she is – a women with a heart and feelings.

I love reunion romances, so this was a winner for me. Once Ophelia’s dark secret is revealed, it’s very easy to see why Dario would have rejected her. The only problem I had with the novella has to do with Ophelia’s secret, which is only explained in a very vague sort of way. Steampunk technology doesn’t have to be completely explained for me (in fact, I’d prefer that it not be), but I was fairly puzzled over how Ophelia’s father had pulled off what he had. 4 out of 5

Jenny Schwartz’s Wanted: One Scoundrel

This novella doesn’t feature steampunk technology as much as the others, but I found it to be a romantic read. Esme Smith is the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Australia, and she’s an ardent suffragette. Unfortunately, she’s not able to enter the men’s clubs where much of the political debate takes place, so she decides to hire a scoundrel to espouse her views where she cannot. Her uncle introduces her to American Jed Reeve, an inventor, and he’s so intrigued by the beauty that he agrees to her scheme without letting her know that she’s mistaken about his lack of funds.

Ms. Schwartz’s novella reads more like a traditional historical romance with a few steampunk elements, but it’s delightful none the less. The more Jed learns about Esme, the more he admires her intelligence and spirit, and I enjoyed the Australian setting, and Esme is a suffragette we could all root for. 4 out of 5

JK Coi’s Far from Broken

This was darkest contribution to the collection, because the steampunk elements are used to modify injured characters, almost like a member of the Borg from Star Trek. This isn’t necessarily a new element of steampunk – I love Meljean Brook’s Iron Duke series, and many of the characters in that series have prosthetics – but I found this novella to be somewhat disturbing because of the hero’s initial treatment of his wife.

Coronel Jasper Carlisle is a spy, married to prima ballerina Calliope (Callie). While he’s away from home, his wife is tortured by his enemies, and Carlisle spirits his injured wife to a military hospital, where she’s fitted with a prosthetic eye, hand, and legs. What bothered me the most about this story is that the Coronel leaves his wife alone in the hospital for the four months of her recovery, only returning later in an attempt to salvage their marriage. I liked Callie’s character, and the world building was fascinating, but I felt like Callie should have used her new iron legs to punt her husband across the room for his abandonment, and even with the romantic resolution I was a little miffed at Carlisle. 3.5 out of 5

Review of Stephanie Julian's How to Worship a Goddess

2011-12-05T18:26:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been a week since my last post! The end of the semester is one crazy whirlwind of grading and stress. Hopefully this week I can post a few more reviews, because there are lots of great books (and at least one not-so-great) that were released within the last week or so.

Title: How to Worship a Goddess (Forgotten Goddesses #2)

Author: Stephanie Julian

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: December 1, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This was a fun, sexy paranormal romance, and while it’s the second in the series, it reads as a standalone novel. I hadn’t read any of Stephanie Julian’s books before, but after checking out her webpage, I realized that this series is loosely connected to her Lucani Lovers series. You definitely don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy How to Worship a Goddess, but after finishing this book I’m looking forward to learning about some of the secondary characters’ backstory in her other series.

Lucy Aster was formerly the Etruscan Goddess of the Moon, Lusna, but as the number of her followers decreased over the years, she and the other goddesses of the Etruscan pantheon have lost much of their power. Centuries ago Lucy created the lucani, wolf shifters, and they still worship her and treat her as their mother, but she can feel her power slipping away. As a new threat to her and the other goddesses appears, it’s unclear if she retains enough power to protect herself.

Brandon Stevenson is a member of the local minor league hockey team, and he keeps noticing Lucy in the stands at all his games. He finally manages to introduce himself, and the two begin a hot and heavy affair. But Brand’s more than he appears – can a tough hockey player protect a former goddess from her enemies?

I enjoyed the mythology in this book. It was fun to see a pantheon other than the Greeks or Romans, and I like how Ms. Julian uses Brand’s introduction to Lucy and her world as a way to bring new readers up to speed on the series without a huge info dump. I think the lucani backstory adds a nice twist to the werewolf legend, and the interaction between Lucy and her various “children” is intriguing and sets up several possibilities for future books in the series.

Brand and Lucy’s sexual chemistry is off the charts, pushing this novel close to erotica, but I think it’s well done. I wish that the numerous sex scenes had been more balanced throughout the book, as many take place early in the narrative, which could put off potential readers. There is a well-developed narrative, and the characters are engaging so I suggest that you keep reading even if the sex scenes seem a bit much at first. I do like that the hero and heroine develop a strong relationship, even if it begins as a potential one-night stand.

I wish that we had more information about Brand’s background, which I can’t discuss too much without spoilers. Suffice it to say that he’s definitely more than human, and while this explains some quirks from early in the novel, I expected a bit more exposition about his new-found abilities and relationship with his parents.

Overall, this was a smoldering paranormal romance with appealing protagonists and an entertaining premise. I’m not sure how often I’ll be re-reading this one, but it was a fun ride while it lasted.

Review of Sharon Cullen's Her Dark Knight

2011-11-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! The holidays are always stressful for me, because we’re nearly to the end of the semester, which means lots-o-grading. I have several pending reviews, but I have to warn you that my posts might be a little less frequent, since final grades will be due in a few weeks, and I have to work to support my Kindle addiction.

Title: Her Dark Knight

Author: Sharon Cullen

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: November 28, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I must have been really tired when I read this book, because for some reason I kept hearing Monty Python in my head whenever I saw the title to this novel (think “kuh-ni-get” instead of knight). But despite my sophomoric humor, Her Dark Knight had a lot of promise, and I very much enjoyed the book. Unfortunately, it fell just a bit short on the romance. Even so, there are a few hints about another book set in the same world towards the end of the novel, and since I liked Her Dark Knight, I’ll probably check it out.

Madelaine (Lainie) Alexander’s boss sends her to a nightclub to get an important signature on documents from the club’s owner, Christien Chevalier, but when Lainie arrives, Christien declares the papers to be fakes and refuses to sign them. Lainie needs to keep her job so she can pay off her student loans (I feel your pain, sister!) and keep her father in an expensive nursing home, and that requires her convincing him to sign those papers. But she can’t explain why she feels so drawn to Christien or why he’s starring in her all-too-realistic nightmares.

Christien Chevalier is a Knight of the Templar and has lived hundreds of years. When a woman resembling his long-deceased love walks into his nightclub with papers sent by his enemy, he suspects a trap, but the more time he spends with Lainie, the more he believes that she’s the reincarnation of his love from the 14^th Century. However, the timing of Lainie’s appearance is suspicious since Christien’s sworn to protect a mysterious artifact, and her boss has been fighting Christien for the artifact for centuries. Is Lainie as innocent as she appears or is she on the wrong side of this fight between good and evil?

I really liked the premise of this book - that an immortal knight would be reunited with his long-lost love. There are numerous flashbacks to 1307, when Christien and Madelaine met, and I found this part of the story engrossing. At that time, Madelaine was a married countess, and Christien a mere knight, so you know that’s not going to have a happy ending. I’m not a big fan of romances with one of the protagonists married to someone else, but Ms. Cullen handles it well. Madelaine’s husband is abusive, and hers is an arranged marriage, so no problems there. The romance is developed through the flashbacks, and Madelaine’s fear is tangible, with her love for Christien providing a welcome relief to her frightened existence.

While the romance is well developed in the flashbacks, I wasn’t convinced about the present-day romance. We’re told that Christien and Madelaine spend time together, but we don’t see them develop any relationship other than a sexual one. At one point Lainie asks Christien outright if he loves her or if his feelings are for the Madelaine of the past, and he tells her that he loves the present-day Lainie, not the woman he knew in the 14^th Century. I just didn’t buy it. He had the 21^st Century Lainie investigated, but he didn’t spend much time getting to know her, so I was a bit surprised that he would say he loved her at that point in the book.

The conflict in the book centers mainly on preventing the apocalypse, and this part of the storyline is very well done. I felt that the villains were a bit over the top but believable enough, given the paranormal elements, and the pace of the action will keep you turning the pages. My biggest concern was the deux ex machina nature of the ending, which felt a little contrived. In fact, I felt the ending was too rushed, because Christien and Lainie’s HEA is implied but not described.

The novel is approximately 84,000 words, and I think that it needed to be closer to 100,000. Ms. Cullen’s writing is excellent, and the transitions between the flashbacks and present day are smoothly executed, but the present day romance and the ending need development. However, I plan on reading Ms. Cullen’s next novel, because the writing in Her Dark Knight was so strong and the premise intriguing.

Review of Jill Shalvis's Head Over Heels

2011-11-23T16:59:00.000-05:00

Title: Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor #3)

Author: Jill Shalvis

Publisher: Forever

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: November 22, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

Jill Shalvis’s contemporary romances are sweet, fun books with characters you’ll want to visit over and over again. The third book in her Lucky Harbor series, Head Over Heels, is no exception. I read the first in the series and loved it, but for some reason I didn’t read the second. I’m happy to report that I like Head Over Heels even more than I did Simply Irresistible. Despite a lack of strong conflict, this irrepressible romance was a delight, and I highly recommend it.

Chloe is the youngest of three sisters whose free-spirited mother has left them a Bed and Breakfast. Chloe was the only sister of the three raised by their mother, Phoebe, and exhibits much of her mother’s unbridled spirit and resistance to settling down. Despite her irreverent personality, Chloe has matured over the past year and she’s starting to see the attraction of remaining in Lucky Harbor and spending time with her sisters.

Straight-laced Sheriff Sawyer Thompson is the last person anyone would pair with the free-wheeling Chloe, but there’s no denying the attraction between the two. Despite numerous run-ins with Chloe and his own troubled youth, Sawyer and Chloe start an affair. But Sawyer’s involvement with a local DEA investigation and the interest in Chloe displayed by one of the men under investigation places the nascent affair under a strain. Sawyer needs to protect Chloe but wonders if he’ll be able to protect his heart at the same time.

I really enjoyed seeing how much Chloe has matured since the first book. She’s still light-hearted and carefree, but she’s less self-centered in her interactions with her sisters, Maddie and Tara. I also loved seeing how the relationship between the sisters has developed since the first book. Maddie and Tara are busy with their significant others, Jax and Ford (Sawyer’s best friends), and Chloe feels a bit left out but reacts in a mature way, which I wouldn’t have expected from her in the first book.

Chloe’s acute asthma plays a central role in the novel, particularly the romance with Sawyer, which I found really interesting. I think Ms. Shalvis handled this well, because her treatment of Chloe’s respiratory difficulties was matter-of-fact. I also thought it was clever how the asthma forced Chloe and Sawyer to be more thoughtful in their intimacy, since any physical exertion could cause a flair-up. Sawyer won major points with this reader in his sensitive treatment of Chloe’s nature and her condition.

My absolute favorite scene takes place when Chloe pushes her way into Sawyer’s house and “helps” him paint the living room. The scene is sexy and hilarious, especially when Jax and Ford discover the two the next morning, with strategically placed paint handprints. Very, very funny!

The majority of the conflict in this novel stems from Chloe and Sawyer’s diametrically opposed personalities, which made for a pleasurable, relaxed read, but there’s some tension surrounding his involvement with a DEA investigation. Unfortunately, this conflict felt a bit artificial to me, almost as though it were tacked on at the last minute, and I’m not convinced that it was entirely necessary.

I also felt that the resolution to the problems in Chloe and Sawyer’s relationship was a bit abrupt. The epilogue tied up all loose ends nicely, but I’m not sure that a Happy-Ever-After was necessary, when a Happy-For-Now would have sufficed and been more in keeping with Chloe’s character.

That said, this was a delightful read with personable characters that I highly recommend. I’ve enjoyed the few contemporary romances I’ve read by Ms. Shalvis, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more of them.

Review of Nalini Singh's Lord of the Abyss

2011-11-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

Title: Lord of the Abyss (Royal House of Shadows #4)
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Harlequin
Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: November 22, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Royal House of Shadows series has been a bit unusual for me. Normally I only read series by one author, but this fall I decided to try two series that switch authors for each book in the series, with mixed results. I reviewed the third book in the Royal House of Shadows series, Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen, and I enjoyed it, but I was really looking forward to the last book by Nalini Singh. She’s definitely written what I consider to be the strongest book of the four, but I was a little disappointed by the ending.

I actually read this series out of order, and while I normally don’t recommend that, I think you can follow the individual books in this series quite easily, because there are clear prologues that set up the action for each book. Lord of the Abyss reads quite well as a stand alone novel, although I felt it was a bit short.

Just to catch up on the premise of the series, the Blood Sorcerer has taken over the kingdom of Elden, but before he could murder the four royal children, their dying parents used the last of their magic to send the children to different realms for their protection. Lord of the Abyss is the story of the youngest of the children, Micah, who was only 5 years old at the time of the Blood Sorcerer’s attack. Now that 20 years have passed, the royal children have a deadline for all four of them to attack the Blood Sorcerer and regain control of the castle, or Elden will be lost forever.

Liliana is the Blood Sorcerer’s daughter, and the novel begins with her transporting herself into the throne room of the Lord of the Abyss, Micah. He’s responsible for transporting the souls who’ve been condemned to damnation to the Abyss. Liliana, like her father, is a blood sorcerer, but she fuels her magic with her own blood, rather than murdering the innocent as her father does. She’s come to the Abyss to convince Micah that now is the time to return to Elden, but she soon realizes that he’s suppressed his memories of his childhood.

Liliana convinces Micah to allow her to stay by offering to cook for him, and she takes advantage of the opportunity to tell him stories about his childhood so he’ll remember his past. Despite her physical ugliness and a limp, Micah is intrigued by the first woman to defy him and is drawn to her. As their time together progresses, they grown more and more attracted to one another. Liliana has to convince Micah to return to Elden, and she wonders what he’ll do once he realizes that she’s the daughter of his family’s worst enemy.

This is easily my favorite of the four books in the series. Liliana is a fascinating heroine, and despite her belief that she’s weak, she is actually a very strong woman, willing to fight for Micah and right the evil wrought by her father. Micah is a real charmer as well. He frightens everyone in the castle and the nearby village, but in his dealings with Liliana he’s tender and affectionate. I like that he has a strong sense of honor even though he’s been separated from his family for nearly 20 years, and he comes off as a bit spoiled, which made for several lighthearted moments. However, I was disappointed with the twist concerning Liliana’s character at the end, which I felt was unnecessary.

One minor criticism of the novel is that we don’t witness a reunion between the siblings. In each of the books the other siblings are mentioned, and there’s a brief reference to Micah’s brothers and sister towards the end, but we don’t see any interaction between them, which would have made this series-ending novel stronger.

However, this was a fun, short read, and (as always with Ms. Singh) I very much enjoyed her creative world building. The secondary characters were charming, and I loved the small creatures in the castle, while the monsters sent by the Blood Sorcerer were appropriately vile. This is easily my favorite of the series, and I definitely recommend it.

Early Review of Sabrina Jeffries' To Wed a Wild Lord

2011-11-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

Title: To Wed a Wild Lord (Hellions of Halstead Hall #4)

Author: Sabrina Jeffries

Publisher: Pocket Star Books

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: November 22, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favorite historical authors, and her Hellions of Halstead Hall series is a hoot! I was lucky enough to find an early copy of the fourth book in the series, To Wed a Wild Lord, at the bookstore this weekend, and I devoured it in no time flat. Even if you haven’t read any of the other books in the series, you’ll easily be able to enjoy this delightful book.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the series, Lady Hetty Plumtree has grown exasperated with her five grandchildren and has issued an ultimatum. Either they all marry within one year or she’s cutting them out of her will. Since she’s quite wealthy and the principal source of their income, her grandchildren are less than thrilled with her threats. To Wed a Wild Lord focuses on the fourth of her grandchildren, Lord Gabriel Sharpe.

Ever since Gabriel’s best friend died in a horse race against him over seven years ago, Gabriel has been known as the Angel of Death for his ability to cheat Death in daring races. But no one outside his family knows that he’s wrought with guilt over Roger Waverly’s death. After Gabriel’s most recent race, Roger’s sister Virginia challenges him to a race, which offers Gabriel the perfect opportunity to assuage his guilt while meeting his grandmother’s demands by courting her.

Virginia’s grandfather, General Isaac Waverly, has always blamed Gabriel for Roger’s death, but the more time she spends with Gabriel, the more she begins to wonder about the truth behind the race. As she develops feelings for him, Virginia decides she needs answers about that race, but will the answers threaten her newfound happiness with Gabriel?

One of the reasons I enjoyed this novel so much is that both Gabriel and Virginia are rational adults and act in reasonable ways. Yes, Virginia is spirited, but unlike many “spirited” heroines I’ve read elsewhere, she doesn’t act rashly. She challenges Gabriel to a race, but she’s an experienced handler of the reins and believes that she has a legitimate chance of winning. Gabriel is also an appealing hero, as he’s clearly an honorable man who deeply regrets foolish mistakes he made years ago. We learn that his racing is actually motivated by his interests in thoroughbred racing, which gives his character depth that wasn’t apparent in earlier novels.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters in the novel. It’s difficult to revisit couples from prior books in series without distracting the new reader from the current couple, but Ms. Jeffries manages just the right balance between time spent with Gabriel’s family and that with Virginia. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Lady Hetty and General Waverly spark a late-life romance, and the author gives us hints about Lady Celia Sharpe’s romance in the next book, which I’m certainly looking forward to reading.

My biggest concern has to do with the mystery surrounding Gabriel’s parents. This might be the one aspect of the novel that will confuse new readers, because they won’t have all the background concerning the investigation that we’ve learned in earlier books. We do learn about Gabriel’s parents' murders in the prologue, and several times throughout the novel the investigation continues. However, there doesn’t seem to be any resolution in sight, nor is the mystery as integral to the plot of this book as it was in several of the other novels in the series. I’m interested to see how this part of the overarching storyline plays out in the series finale, but it seemed almost more of a distraction in this book than in others.

That said, I highly recommend To Wed a Wild Lord. Ms. Jeffries is an artful storyteller, and the romance between Virginia and Gabriel is charming. This book, along with many of her others, will definitely be added to my keeper shelf.

Review of Nicola Cornick's Desired

2011-11-16T13:06:00.000-05:00

Title: Desired (Scandalous Women of the Ton #5)

Author: Nicola Cornick

Publisher: HQN Books

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: November 15, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

Desired is the first Nicola Cornick book I’ve read, but it will not be the last! This was a delightful historical romance that I’ll be re-reading many times, and I can’t wait to catch up on her backlist. There’s plenty of angst to go around, but it’s leavened with a good dose of humor as well, and the mature hero and heroine are a breath of fresh air. Even though Desired is the fifth book in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series, you can read it without having read any of the other books, as this book definitely stands on its own.

Tess Darent, the Dowager Marchioness of Darent, is one of the more scandalous ladies of the ton, but what few realize is that she’s an ardent philanthropist and reformer. Unfortunately, in 1816 there are vicious government crack downs on reformers, who are seen as threatening the established order (and therefore the government). Tess is a gifted artist who has been publishing political cartoons anonymously while she’s leading a reform organization, but if caught she could be imprisoned for her actions.

As the novel begins, former American privateer Owen Purchase, now Viscount Rothbury, is aiding the government in its crackdown on the reformers. When he catches Tess at a brothel, he realizes that she’s involved in the movement, but only a few days after their meeting he’s shocked when she proposes marriage as an attempt to escape prosecution. After all, a husband cannot testify about a wife’s incriminating behavior, and Tess needs a husband’s protection to safeguard her reputation. Rothbury’s intrigued by this woman hiding her true nature behind a scandalous façade, but he’ll have to work hard to convince her to make theirs a true marriage rather than the marriage of convenience she proposes.

Although it took me a couple of chapters to get into the book, once I was about 15% in I was hooked. Owen is determined to court Tess, even though she’s equally determined to keep theirs a marriage in name only, and the courtship between the two is fun, sexy, and tender. We gradually learn along with Owen that Tess’ troubled second marriage left painful scars, but it’s really admirable how Tess has found ways to cope. Owen is a bit rough because of his American upbringing, but he and Tess deal together remarkably well, probably because of their plain-speaking.

I really liked Tess’ character, because despite her obvious pain over the events in her past and society’s determination to view her as scandalous, she finds ways to live a full and meaningful life. Her past is very painful, but I liked how Ms. Cornick dealt with it. Instead of Tess allowing herself to become a victim, she takes charge of her life in the best way she can and extends her aid to others in similar situations.

Unfortunately, the last part of the book felt extremely rushed, especially after Tess and Owen’s wedding. Owen learns that Tess’ second husband sexually and verbally abused her and decides that they should delay the wedding night until Tess can be comfortable with intimacy. So far, so good, but less than a day later Tess decides she’s ready, and they consummate the marriage. It felt a bit bizarre, to be honest. I found it a bit disturbing that she was so quick to jump into bed with Owen after having such visceral reactions to being touched at all by a man only a few hours earlier.

The conclusion also was a bit of a let-down, because it occurred so quickly. The resolution to Tess and Owen’s difficulties with the government in regards to her reformer activities felt a bit too deus ex machina. This is the only time in the novel when I wondered if I would have a different reaction if I’d read the other books in the series, because it seemed to come out of the blue, and the character who intervenes seems to have changed abruptly. I did wonder if perhaps his character was explored more in depth in prior books, and that’s why the ending felt so rushed.

Despite the rushed ending, this was an absolutely charming and delightful read. I’ll definitely be adding Ms. Cornick to my list of favorite historical romance authors, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Review of Alix Rickloff's Dangerous Magic

2011-11-15T14:35:00.000-05:00

Title: Dangerous Magic

Author: Alix Rickloff

Publisher: Carina Press

Formats: Ebook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 31, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

It’s not often that I find a historical romance with a heroine not from the aristocracy, so it was a real pleasure to read Alix Rickloff’s Dangerous Magic, which features Gwenyth Killigrew, a healer with the Sight. I hadn’t read any of Ms. Rickloff’s work before, but I very much enjoyed this book. While I had a few minor complaints about Dangerous Magic, overall I felt this was a strong novel with intriguing characters.

When infamous smuggler Captain Rafe Fleming shows up injured at her doorstep, Gwenyth can’t turn him away. Her calling as a healer wouldn’t allow her to refuse him, but she’s also attracted to the injured man. She’s the last of a long line of women who have the sight, and soon she’ll need to have a daughter whom she can train in the healing arts. Gwyneth is planning on finding a father with whom she’ll conceive her child, then raise her daughter on her own as the other women in her family have done. Rafe Fleming seems like the perfect candidate to father her child.

Rafe Fleming has worked for nearly a decade as a smuggler ever since he was thrown out of the Royal Navy. Now that Rafe’s earned his fortune, he plans on returning to the family fold and finding a respectable wife. When Gwenyth proposes that he father her child, Rafe sees the perfect opportunity to use her ability with the Sight to screen potential wives. He suggests that she pose as his fiancée to aid him with his search and then return to her life on the Cornwall coast. But both their plans begin to unravel when their fake engagement throws the two together more than they’d like. When their attraction to one another becomes more than merely physical, can the two lovers from such different backgrounds find a future together?

I was pleased by this novel’s readability. I’ve seen a few other reviews that complain about the choppiness of Ms. Rickloff’s writing, but truthfully I enjoyed the book, and it drew me in really quickly. I had absolutely no expectations before reading it and made the mistake of starting it late at night, thinking I’d read a few chapters then pick it up the next day. That was a big mistake, because Gwenyth and Rafe kept me turning the pages.

I like that both characters are unusual for historical romances. Rafe’s troubled past and the lack of support from his family during a difficult time made him a sympathetic character, and I enjoyed watching the family drama unfold. But more importantly, the chemistry between Rafe and Gwenyth is palpable. At times you’ll want to smack both characters for trying to deny their attraction, but the sexual tension is smoldering.

There are two aspects of the novel that bothered me, however. The first has to do with Rafe’s family. It’s a nice surprise when most of Rafe’s family welcomes him back with open arms. But Rafe’s younger brother Derek, now a clergyman, reacts to Rafe’s return with hostility and anger that frankly I never truly understood. Derek attempts to explain his feelings by saying that Rafe could have let them know where he was (true), but I never really bought his excuse. Derek also seemed to do a complete turnaround in his feelings inexplicably in the book, suddenly supporting Rafe in his pursuit of Gwenyth. It was just too abrupt, and I felt his character never developed satisfactorily.

The second aspect of the novel that bothered me has to do with Rafe’s childhood sweetheart, Anabel. She’s portrayed as a gold digging, mercenary woman, and Rafe acknowledges that aspect of her character. He even recognizes that she’s attempting to engage his interest after rejecting him so cruelly in the past, yet he still turns to her at times in attempts to deny his attraction and feelings for Gwenyth. It really bothered me that he would have such strong feelings for the heroine and yet make out with a woman he despises.

Nevertheless, overall this was an enjoyable read with a fun twist to the historical romance genre. I like that she chose such an unusual heroine, and I’ll certainly be looking for more of Ms. Rickloff’s books in the future.

Early Review of Laura Anne Gilman's Tricks of the Trade

2011-11-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

Title: Tricks of the Trade (Paranormal Scenes Investigation #3)

Author: Laura Anne Gilman

Publisher: Luna

Format: Trade Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: November 15, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’m a huge fan of Laura Anne Gilman’s urban fantasy Retrievers series, so I was really excited when she began publishing the spin-off Paranormal Scenes Investigation series featuring Bonnie Torres. If you’re a fan of CSI-type shows and urban fantasy, I think you’ll really enjoy reading about Bonnie and the other PUPIs (Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigations – pronounced puppies) as they investigate magical crimes. While I think you can follow the third book in the series, Tricks of the Trade, without having read the first two books in the series, you’ll definitely enjoy Bonnie’s interaction with the other investigators more if you start the series from the beginning.

The Paranormal Scenes Investigation series is very similar to an episode of CSI, if CSI were paranormal. Just as the investigators on the television show work on several different cases at once, there are three concurrent storylines in Tricks of the Trade. The PUPIs have to investigate two crimes: one that forces them to deal with the NYPD when a floater is discovered in the river and the other helping the wealthy Mr. Wells recover his stolen objects. The floater turns out to be a dead fatae, a paranormal-type creature unable to use magic, while Mr. Wells is a Null, or a human being who is unable to use magic. In comparison, all the PUPIs are considered Talent: they can manipulate current, a magical cousin to electricity that allows them to investigate crimes committed with magic. Mr. Wells is convinced that a Talent has stolen his trinkets and ransacked his home, although the investigation soon proves more complicated than it initially seems. The appearance of the Roblin, a mischief imp fascinated by Bonnie and her colleagues, is the third narrative thread in the novel and provides some mild amusement for the reader, although it’s troublesome for the investigators.

While Bonnie and her colleagues investigate these crimes, she and her boss, Benjamin Venec, are fighting their attraction for one another. Their situation is more complex than a mere office romance, since their current is starting to merge, allowing them to speak to each other telepathically and sense the other’s feelings. Both Bonnie and Venec resist the Merge, because they resent what they perceive as fate intervening in their lives and forcing them to be with someone not of their choosing.

While the plot comes across here as complex, in truth the mysteries unfold in a natural manner, and the writing is engaging and easy to follow. It may take you a while to fully understand the world-building if you haven’t read the other books in the series, but truthfully you can enjoy the cases investigated by the PUPIs with ease, a big selling point for any novel.

I also like the multiple points of view in this book. Bonnie’s narration is all in the first person, but we see the other characters from the third person POV. I thought this was an interesting choice of narrative style, because you don’t usually see that combination but it was clear at all times who was speaking and we got a little insight into what the other PUPIs were thinking. I really like that we’re able to see a bit of Venec’s feelings towards Bonnie and learn more about his reaction to the Merge. I should point out that in the e-ARC I received there were no spaces to indicate changes in the POVs, so you’d be reading along and all of a sudden realize Bonnie wasn’t the one speaking any longer. However, I fully expect this to be resolved in the final edition of the novel.

I find the paranormal CSI tone of the novel to be a lot of fun, and the concurrent storylines are easy to follow while keeping the action moving. My only real criticism is that early in the book Bonnie has a vision of the future that involves a sense of impending doom and a dragon, but the situation never materializes. I’m sure this is part of an arc that will appear in future books, but it was distracting, since at first it appeared that the vision was warning about the arrival of the mischief imp, the Roblin. However, it soon became clear that the Roblin has nothing to do with Bonnie’s vision and nothing further is revealed. The vision was completely superfluous to the rest of the story, and it didn’t advance any overarching themes in the series either.

That said, this is one of my favorite urban fantasy series, because I find the idea of a paranormal crime scenes investigation unit so much fun. I highly recommend this series to any UF or CSI fans!

Review of Heather Killough-Walden’s Avenger’s Angel

2011-11-12T14:55:00.000-05:00

Title: Avenger’s Angel (The Lost Angels #1)

Author: Heather Killough-Walden

Publisher: Signet

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I’ve long been a fan of Heather Killough-Walden’s self published books. Most are priced at only $ 0.99, and she has a strong authorial voice with plots that tend to feature intriguing twists. So I was thrilled when I learned that Signet would be publishing her newest series, The Lost Angels. The first book in the series, Avenger’s Angel, just came out last week and is a paranormal romance featuring Angels, a trend that’s becoming more popular these days. While I’m disappointed that the book doesn’t add much new to the current flock of Angel-themed PNRs, overall it’s a solid first book in the series and an enjoyable read.

The premise of the book is that over 4,000 years ago four archangels were promised mates, or archesses, but when the females were sent to Earth for their protection, the archangels elected to fall to Earth to search for them. Uriel, the archangel of vengeance, is the first to find his archess in the person of Eleanore Granger, a woman hunted by a mysterious organization for her ability to heal others.

I like that this book sets up the series well while keeping our interest in the main couple. The other archangels, Gabriel, Azrael, and Michael are also searching for their archesses, though after 4,000 years they have nearly given up hope. There are a few hints that Gabriel’s archess has been discovered, setting up the next book in the series, but the archangels’ enemy, Samael, is overwhelmingly my favorite character in the novel. He’s an enigmatic villain, as he attempts to secure Eleanore’s interest and tells her half-truths in an effort to undermine Uriel. However, his friendship with Lilith and the archangels’ guardian Max’s interest in Lilith create interesting secondary stories that I’m looking forward to seeing developed in future books.

The book moves along well, but the second half definitely picks up the pace, as there’s a great deal more action taking place. True to Ms. Killough-Walden’s style in her self-published books, there are several unexpected twists that I really enjoyed. The final battle will keep you turning the pages, and I love that Eleanore is the one who saves the day, rather than the male characters. This is all the better because Eleanore really isn’t the kick-arse kind of female protagonist we’re used to seeing in PNR and UF, but she manages to surprise the males.

The romance between Uriel and Eleanore didn’t blow me away, to be honest. I’ve written elsewhere that I’m not a huge fan of the “fated mates” trope, and this series relies heavily upon that idea. At times the so-called good guys seemed more interested in trapping Eleanore into her “fated” relationship than in Uriel making a sincere effort to woo her. In fact, I felt that Samael set off more sparks with Eleanore than Uriel did (perhaps because he’s the forbidden bad boy?). So while I liked the couple together, the romance aspect of the novel felt a bit forced.

A minor complaint about the book is that it really doesn’t feel all that original. I’m not sure if that’s because there are so many angel related PNR/UF novels out at the moment or not, but despite that, the premise is strong and the characters intriguing enough to keep my interest. I’ll definitely read the next book in the series.

I was, however, very disappointed that Ms. Killough-Walden’s voice was so subdued in this novel. One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed her self-published books so much is how strong her authorial voice is. You could open any of her self-published books and know immediately that she was the author, which is a huge selling point. I’m not sure I could say the same for Avenger’s Angel.

All of my criticism of the novel can easily be resolved in future books, so I have high hopes for this series. Ms. Killough-Walden remains a favorite of mine, and I’m looking forward to seeing the other archangels find their archesses.

Review of Adrienne Giordano's Risking Trust

2011-11-09T21:35:00.000-05:00

Title: Risking Trust (Private Protectors #3)

Author: Adrienne Giordano

Publisher: Carina Press

Formats: Ebook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: November 7, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

I’ve really been enjoying Adrienne Giordano’s Private Protectors series. I’m not usually a fan of romantic suspense, but her books are a lot of fun and full-o-the-smexy! Risking Trust is the third novel published in the series, but it’s set before the first novel, Man Law. I absolutely loved the hero of Man Law (see my review), Vic Andrews, and he makes a few appearances to comedic effect in this prequel. I think Man Law remains my favorite of the three, but I love reunion romances, and Risking Trust really hits the mark.

As the novel begins, Roxann Thorgesson’s life is suddenly a lot more stressful than it was a month ago. Her father recently died of a heart attack, leaving her in charge of the family owned newspaper, and her ex-lover has just been accused of murdering his wife, Alicia. Michael Taylor and Alicia had been involved in a nasty divorce for over two years, so when she’s murdered, he’s the first suspect. When it becomes clear that the police aren’t planning on looking any further than Alicia’s soon-to-be ex-husband, Michael offers his former lover Roxann exclusive access to his story if she’ll have the newspaper investigate the murder. Roxann’s reluctant to have anything to do with Michael after he broke her heart 12 years ago, but she realizes that if they can solve the mystery, the paper will have a major scoop. Trouble is, it soon becomes clear that Alicia’s murder isn’t a random act of violence, and the more they investigate, the higher the cover-up of her death goes. Roxann knows Michael’s innocent, but can she prove his innocence before the murderer sets his sights on her?

I love that Ms. Giordano writes such strong heroines. In the prior two books, the heroines had strong personalities, and the heroes loved them because of that strength. Roxann is no exception, and as a former gold medal Olympic runner, she’s also physically fit. But Roxann is particularly vulnerable emotionally because of the recent death of her beloved father. She’s trying to deal with her grief by focusing on work, but Michael’s reappearance in her life creates more emotional distress. Fortunately he quickly proves that he’s there to support Roxann in everything, even if he’s undergoing a difficult time as well.

Michael is a sexy and appealing hero, and he too has his vulnerabilities. I like that while all three of the male leads in Ms. Giordano’s novels are alpha males working in the security business, they still appreciate the strong female protagonists, even if those heroes have their sexist moments. Michael owns his security firm, but he has a lot of respect for Roxann and her career in the newspaper industry. He definitely screwed up when he left Roxann all those years ago, and his marriage was a disaster, mainly because he was still in love with Roxann, but he works hard to redeem himself. He’s very swoon-worthy!

As for Michael’s almost ex-wife, Alicia, she’s a strong presence in the novel. I’m not particularly fond of romances featuring the horrible ex, and frankly Alicia is over the top. Her murder sets up all the action of the novel and reunites the lovers, so she’s a necessary part of the novel, but I’m not sure she had to be such a slut for the book to work. This is a personal preference, though, because I’ve grown tired of this particular trope, so keep that in mind.

My only other criticism is that towards the end it becomes easy for the reader to spot the villain, yet Roxann continually trusts this character. There are obvious reasons why she does so, but a few of her decisions border on too stupid to live, which bothered me. I suspect that the problem is more that the villain is too obvious to us, because given Roxann’s emotional state and all that’s going on with the murder investigation, it’s not hard to see why she would continue to trust that character.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the novel, and I highly recommend it. I hope that the books sell well enough as ebooks that they’ll be published in paperback in the future, as Ms. Giordano writes taut thrillers with sexy romance. I’m all in favor of strong female characters, and I’ve been pleased to find them in her novels.

Random Snark in an Attempt to Avoid Working

2011-11-05T15:11:00.000-04:00

I really should be working, because I am so overdue on updating my gradebook it’s not even funny. All my grading is done and the grades written down, but I have to enter them all into the computer, and, frankly, anything that requires me to put on my glasses (and squinting at grades and computer screens definitely counts) will not be happening today. This is why I love my Kindle. I can make the letters BIG and there’s no backlit screen, so no glasses. Win! But since the work spirit is NOT moving me today, and I’ve had several funny moments this week, I thought I’d share some completely unconnected thoughts that I hope you’ll find amusing.

Zaniness at Ladies’ Night Out

Lettie, ready for Halloween on Thursday.

I’ve posted before about how much I love our Thursday night Ladies’ Night Out, and this week we resumed after a week off for Trick-or-Treat. Now, if you’re thinking to yourself, “Self, Halloween was on Monday, not last Thursday,” you’d be right. The small town I live in has declared that Trick-or-Treat will always be the last Thursday in October from 6 to 7 p.m., no matter which day of the week is Halloween. Crazy? Yes, yes, it is, but certainly no crazier than allowing your 8 year old to strap a plastic shotgun to his back and carry around a plastic chainsaw. Yes, that was a real costume I witnessed last week. I think he was supposed to be a character from a zombie movie that I’m sure I haven’t seen, because zombie movies squick me out. (shudders in horror)

Anyhoo, this week’s LNO was a much needed reprieve from the horror that is grading online Spanish workbooks (REALLY not good for the eyes). We were all equipped with our glasses of house wine when I overheard some comments from the next table over. There were several couples, all well into their seventh decade, and they were discussing next week’s election. One of the gentlemen, apparently without any sense of irony, blurted out, "Well, it's all the OLD people! You know they want to vote Republican but vote Democrat, because they're afraid the Republicans will cut Medicare!" I find this REALLY funny considering one of the ladies at the table was wearing a lime-green track suit and had blue hair.

Of course, “old” is a matter of perception, as I learned to my chagrin earlier in the week. We’re working on the dreaded past tense in Spanish, and the students were talking to each other about how old they were in 1995. One of the better students told her classmate that in 1995 she was 18, which had me doing a double-take since I graduated high school in 1994. When I told her I was 18 in 1994, she laughed and said, “I meant 8!!! I’m not THAT old!!!” You’ll be happy to learn that student still lives. Actually, she immediately realized what she’d said, and the entire class had a good laugh. Although I was crying a little inside. Okay, not really, but you get the picture.

Lettie is the Peeing-est Dog EVAH

In case you haven’t noticed, I have a beagle named Lettie. She’s a rescue – I adopted her from the Humane Society when she was 5, and she’s a great dog. Unfortunately, Lettie’s getting older, and she’s now 13. For a 13 year old dog, she’s in great shape, but last year she had to have bladder surgery, and our carpets have never been the same since. She was finally getting better this spring/summer, only to go on a diuretic for her heart this fall.

Me in my lovely Red Parka. Sexy, sexy!!

So now we have to take her outside a LOT. And when I say a LOT, I mean 4-5 times between the hours of 6 and 10 p.m. alone. I’m really not looking forward to the months of January and February, when it’ll be 10 degrees outside, and I’ll be waddling around the snow in my huge red parka, looking like a giant potato with toothpick legs holding a small, steaming bag-o-poop in my little mittened-hand.

I should explain about the red parka. Years ago I moved from Georgia to Kentucky for graduate school, and I asked the parents for a new coat, because Kentucky is farther north, and they actually get SNOW! So my wonderful parents had me pick out a parka from the Lands’ End catalog, and my Mother (bless her heart) insisted I get a red one, because “That way if you’re caught in a blizzard the rescuers can find you!”

Not surprisingly, every Yankee to whom I’ve told this story dies laughing. This is all the more amusing when you consider that I only wore the Red Parka maybe 3 times in all the years I lived in Kentucky. Since moving to Ohio, I break out the oh-so-fashionable parka every winter. Lettie is extremely slow in her search for the perfect spot for her special rinse, so the Red Parka is a necessity. In fact, when I wear it I look a lot like Kenny from South Park. It’s the fashion kiss of death, and I have to wonder I’d be able to get up without assistance if I fell down, but staying warm trumps keeping my dignity when it’s that cold outside.

Truthfully, as I get older I find myself less worried about how fashionable my coat is and more concerned with protecting my extremities, so the Red Parka will remain a staple of my winter wardrobe. But if I start wearing a lime green track suit and sporting a blue hairstyle, I might ask the DH to smother me with my pillow. After all, one must have standards.

Review of Eileen Wilks' Death Magic

2011-11-01T23:25:00.002-04:00

Title: Death Magic (World of the Lupi #8)

Author: Eileen Wilks

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Eileen Wilks’ World of the Lupi is one of my favorite series, and I believe that it’s seriously underappreciated among fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The heroine, Lily Yu, is the only female protagonist of Asian descent that I can think of in paranormal romance (if you know of any others, I’d love to hear about it!), and she is one tough chick. I love her relationship with werewolf Rule Turner, and if you’re a fan of J.D. Robb’s In Death series and its longstanding couple Eve Dallas and Roarke, I think you will enjoy Ms. Wilks’ series as well. With the exception of Night Season (book 4), which focuses on another couple, the series is devoted to Lily and Rule.

If you are new to the series, I highly recommend that you not begin with Death Magic. While you could probably follow along easily enough, you would be missing so much of the back story that I think it worthwhile to recommend that you start with book 1, Tempting Danger. (This review will contain spoilers for earlier books in the series, so consider yourself forewarned.) Watching Rule and Lily meet and fall in love is too much fun to miss, and Tempting Danger is one that I find myself re-reading frequently. Another favorite is book 5, Mortal Sins, because we get to see Rule interact with his charming 9 year old son, Toby, but my absolute favorite in the series was Book 7 – Blood Challenge. That said, Death Magic was an outstanding addition to the series, and I highly recommend it.

Death Magic deals with the beginning of the Lupi’s war against their enemy, the female goddess referred to only as the Great Bitch, and as such the novel is darker in tone than many of the others. Rule and Lily are back in Washington D.C., because they are testifying at Senate hearings. Lily is conflicted about her job, because Ruben Brooks, her superior at the FBI, informs her that he’s heading up an extra governmental organization to fight their enemy and invites her to join. Lily’s torn, because this organization violates all her beliefs about rule of law, but Ruben’s precognition has sent him visions of an apocalyptic future if they don’t manage to stop their enemy. Lily and Rule have had previous run-ins with this enemy, since she tends to operate throuth the anti-magic group Humans First. When the Senator questioning Rule and Lily at the hearings is discovered murdered and a witness places Ruben Brooks at the scene, Lily joins the official investigation. But just as the case becomes more involved, Lily begins to experience mysterious migraines and stroke-like symptoms. Can she continue the investigation while fighting a more formidable enemy?

Ms. Wilks’ novels are always complex and feature tight writing, and Death Magic is no exception. The world building in her books blows me away, particularly this one, since we learn more about the rules governing magic. How she manages to keep track of them all, much less invent said rules, never fails to astonish me. The secondary character of Cullen Seabourne, sorcerer and lupus, serves as our main source for this information, but I like that we learn about the world gradually through give and take with Cullen and other characters so there’s never an infodump.

The pacing of the novel is also well done. We have several plotlines running simultaneously with no confusion on the reader’s part. The threat hanging over all the characters of a possible apocalypse maintains the tension throughout the novel, but the last fourth of the novel really takes off with a white-knuckled race to the finish. While I was able to identify the traitor Lily and the others were looking for fairly early, I was surprised by the plot twist concerning Ruben. I did NOT expect that at all, and kudos to Ms. Wilks for a clever resolution to that situation.

My main complaint about Death Magic has more to do with my affection for certain secondary characters in the series than any flaws in the writing, which is stellar as usual. Cullen is one of my favorite characters, but because of the darker tone of this novel, we see less of his charm than usual. Also, neither Toby nor Benedict makes an appearance, and the absence of Lily’s Grandmother is very much felt. I’m not sure that their presence is necessary to advance the story, but as a fan of the series I missed them.

Overall this is an outstanding addition to the series. I enjoyed the deepening relationship between Lily and Rule, and I thought that the anger and resentment Rule felt towards the lupi’s Lady because of Lily’s health was an interesting development in his character. If you’re a fan of werewolves in any form, I highly recommend Death Magic and the World of the Lupi.

Review of Cara Elliott's Too Wicked To Wed

2011-11-01T00:35:00.002-04:00

Title: Too Wicked to Wed (Lords of Midnight #1)

Author: Cara Elliott

Publisher: Forever

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: November 1, 2011[i]

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Ms. Elliott is an author I’ve never read before, and when I saw that Too Wicked To Wed was the first in a new series, I thought this would be the perfect time to check out her books. Although I had a few issues with some of the nicknames for the male characters (more on that later), I thought this was an engaging read with intriguing characters and steamy romance.

Lady Alexa Hendrie[ii] has always managed her father’s estate, but now that her brother Sebastian is married, she will be relinquishing that job. She therefore decides to head to London and attempts to find a husband on the marriage mart, but her years of study and work on the estate have left her outspoken and intelligent, a dangerous combination in a lady competing with simpering misses. Her impetuous ways have gotten her into trouble before, most notably when she entered the notorious gaming hell and brothel, The Wolf’s Lair, to search for her brother. The owner of the Wolf’s Lair, Connor Linsley, Earl of Killingworth, kissed her silly, and she’s never been able to forget the experience.

Connor Linsley, or the Irish Wolfhound as society likes to call him, is undergoing a run of bad luck. He’s forced to borrow money from his friend Gryffin Dwight to cover his losses at the tables. Unfortunately, during a night of heavy play at the card tables, Gryff writes an IOU on the back of the slip of paper granting him half ownership of the Wolf’s Lair. To compound his error, Gryff’s lost to none other than Lady Alexa, disguised as a Norwegian youth. Suddenly Connor Linsley and Lady Alexa find themselves co-owners of a disreputable gaming hell and the focus of a vicious attack. When the two escape to Linsley Close so Connor can recover from his wounds, they must find a way to fight their attraction to each other, for he is Too Wicked To Wed a young lady like Alexa.

I always enjoy heroines who are intelligent and outspoken, and Lady Alexa is no exception. I like that she’s well-educated in spite of society’s strictures and has experience running an estate, which comes in handy when she arrives at the nearly abandoned Linsley Close. In fact, the time that the hero and heroine spend at Linsley Close is my favorite, because we witness Alexa winning over both Connor and his people. Alexa works hard to restore the manor, and I really enjoyed both her competent manner and upbeat personality.

Connor Linsley is one of the grumpier heroes I’ve read in a while, in addition to being quite the hottie. Nothing says sexy like a bad-boy hero, and you don’t get much worse than a notorious rake who’s secretly running a brothel and a gaming hell. Of course, we learn later that he’s quite the “softie,” as he pays fair wages and protects the women who work for him, even going so far as to help them realize their dreams after they retire. But he can’t resist Alexa’s innocent passion, and frankly he doesn’t put up much of a fight.

I only have two complaints about the novel, the first of which drove me batty while reading. When I read the prologue and several later comments made by Alexa concerning her brother, I was under the impression that they were characters from another book. Sebastian is well-known to the other male characters and apparently has a history with them, since Connor references a favor Sebastian grudgingly owes him. However, when I searched Ms. Elliott’s webpage, I couldn’t find any mention of Sebastian. It’s very possible that I was looking in the wrong place, but the way the action unfolds in the prologue led me to believe that I had started reading in the middle of the series, which is not the case. In fact, Too Wicked to Wed is the beginning of a new trilogy.

My other issue with the novel has to do with the dog-related nicknames for the three male leads featured in the trilogy. Connor is the Irish Wolfhound, his friend Gryff is the Deerhound, and their mysterious friend Cameron is the Bloodhound. Frankly, all the dog references got old quickly. I was a little surprised that the trilogy is entitled Lords of Midnight, because I’m not sure how that title plays into their nicknames. It was a bit odd, and I’m not convinced that Gryff would be the Deerhound just because he runs after women. Cameron’s name, the Bloodhound, seems more appropriate, given his tendency to hunt down and acquire objects for himself and others. Still, it felt forced.

However, the romance was steamy and the heroine spirited, and I really enjoyed their time in the middle of the novel at Linsley Close the most. Since I usually get bored around the halfway point, this was a huge selling point for me. And despite the canine nicknames, the secondary characters were really interesting, and I will without a doubt check out Gryff’s book when it releases.

[i] Just FYI, the mass market paperback version of this book was available last Tuesday, but for some reason the eBook version wasn’t available until today. I’m not sure why that is, because I haven’t seen that sort of delay in releasing an ebook in nearly a year. In fact, just a few weeks ago you could purchase the ebook of Elizabeth Hoyt’s Scandalous Desires a week earlier than the paperback, which also seems odd. Anyway, as of November 1 you should be able to purchase Cara Elliot’s Too Wicked To Wed in either paper or electronic form.

[ii] In the synopsis on Amazon and Goodreads, she’s referred to as Lady Alexa Bingham, but in the ARC and other reviews have called her Alexa Hendrie.

Review of Angela Campbell's Cry Wolf

2011-10-28T22:32:00.001-04:00

Title: Cry Wolf

Author: Angela Campbell

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 31, 2011

Rating: 4 out 5

I meant to review this book yesterday, but the really long World Series game 6 got in the way. I am now EXHAUSTED after watching the game, so I hope this review is coherent. Cry Wolf is Angela Campbell’s debut novel, and it’s a cute, sweet contemporary romance with a little werewolf tossed in to mix things up. I was hoping that this was the beginning to a series, given the ending (more on that later), but after checking out her webpage, I think it’s a stand-alone novel. Either way, you’ll definitely enjoy this book out just in time for Halloween.

Andrea Lockheart is a reporter for the tabloid The Naked Truth, and her editor has sent her to investigate rumors of werewolf sightings in Woodbine, South Carolina. She certainly isn’t expecting to run into Sean Hunter, former senior editor of her university paper. He’s the Woodbine paper’s editor now, and Andrea isn’t thrilled that she has to work with him, since he said some cruel remarks to her when they parted ways in college. She’d always hoped that their next meeting would involve some sort of acknowledgement of her stellar career, rather than his discovering her hanging upside down from a makeshift “werewolf trap.”

Sean doesn’t immediately recognize Andi Lockheart from college. This new Andi is stunning and clearly not interested in his help, but he owes her an apology after being such a jerk in college. Sean’s move to Woodbine to be with his sister and her kids is a far cry from writing for the New York Times, but he’s definitely enjoying the slower pace of his new life, especially since it allows him to spend time helping Andrea with her investigation. When Andrea experiences her own werewolf sighting, she and Sean begin to take the rumors more seriously and the two find themselves spending more and more time together. Can the two find a future together searching for the truth about the local werewolf?

I really enjoyed the romance in this novel. The majority of the book focuses on the relationship between Sean and Andrea, rather than the werewolf of the title, and that’s part of its appeal. Andrea is a compelling heroine with a difficult past. She’s a very talented and hardworking writer, despite writing about celebrities for a tabloid, and her shared past with Sean is an awkward one that threatens to undermine her hard won self-confidence when the two meet again. Sean is one sexy editor, and he manages to redeem himself from his being a total jerk in college. His focus on his family and concern for Andrea demonstrate that his changes are sincere.

The werewolf aspect of the novel was interesting as well. I like that Andrea starts out doubting the veracity of the claims and gradually begins to believe in the sightings as her investigation continues. I think making the romance the central focus of the novel was particularly effective, and the werewolf mystery starts to pick up about halfway into the book, which causes the pace to pick up.

Unfortunately, the werewolf mystery wasn’t completely resolved to my satisfaction, leaving us with a bit of a cliffhanger. I liked that the romance between Andrea and Sean was tied up nicely, but I wanted more explanation about the actual werewolf. Initially I assumed that this was the first book in a series, and we would learn more in subsequent books, but as I mentioned earlier, Ms. Campbell’s webpage indicates that this is a stand-alone novel, and her next book will be in a series set in a different world. Cry Wolf is only 87,000 words long, so there’s definitely room for more background about the werewolf, and the open ending definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, however, this was a really sweet romance, and I very much enjoyed it. I liked Ms. Campbell’s insights into the world of journalism, and her experience writing in that world has translated well into fiction writing. I’ll definitely be looking for more of her work in the future!

Review of Victoria Dahl's Real Men Will

2011-10-26T18:52:00.006-04:00

Title: Real Men Will (Donovan Brothers Brewery #3)
Author: Victoria Dahl
Publisher: HQN Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: October 25, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5

Real Men Will is the third book in Victoria Dahl’s Donovan Brothers Brewery series, and while you can read it on its own, I highly recommend that you read the first two books in the series before reading this one. After reading all three, I think Bad Boys Do, the second in the series and Jaime’s story, is my favorite, but Real Men Will is by far the sexiest! (fans self) Whoa, mama! You’ll definitely want to have a glass of ice water close by while reading this one.

Eric Donovan is the oldest of the three Donovan siblings, and he’s been managing the family brewery ever since their parents died in a car crash. During a business convention, he decides to shed his staid demeanor and has a one night stand with Beth Cantrell, manager of a high end erotic boutique, The White Orchid. But because of a misunderstanding when they met, she thinks he’s his younger brother Jaime, and since Jaime has a reputation as a womanizer, Eric allows her to believe he’s Jaime.

You can imagine Beth’s shock when she goes online and realizes that Eric is NOT Jaime, and when she confronts Eric, Jaime finds out, to the detriment of the brothers’ improving relationship. But circumstances bring Beth and Eric back together, and they decide to have a no-strings fling. Eric assumes at first that their chemistry is off the charts because of Beth’s job as manager of an erotic boutique, but he soon learns that appearances can be deceiving. Can the two find a way to trust each other when they’re both hiding secrets about their pasts?

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Eric and Beth! When I first picked up the book, I read about a chapter, then put it down, because I wasn’t immediately drawn into the story, but once Beth and Eric get together, everything gets a LOT steamier! You might assume that the book is full-o-the-smexy because of Beth’s job, but the truth is that she’s a lot less experienced than you would assume. I think one of the reasons Beth is such an appealing character is because she’s willing to try new experiences with Eric, recognizing that the reason she hasn’t before is a lack of chemistry with and trust for her partners.

I actually liked Beth’s character more than Eric’s in this book. She’s really engaging and personable, and frankly her scenes at the boutique show her to be a very open and accepting person, even as she acknowledges that a lot of what they sell at her store is not for her. The traumatic event in her past is really upsetting, and it’s easy to see why she has so many trust issues. She’s an intriguing mix of vulnerability and strength, and I really like that she recognizes her weaknesses and takes charge of her sexuality with Eric in a way she hasn’t before.

The continuing family drama at the brewery could be a selling point or a problem, depending on the reader. I find it extremely believable that the three siblings would fall into patterns of behavior that prevent them from improving their communication. There’s never any doubt that they love each other, but clearly the deaths of their parents established roles for each sibling that have continued into adulthood. Jaime and Eric in particular seem to punch each other’s buttons, and while I found this believable, it also really frustrated me. I’m not sure that a reader who hadn’t read the other books in the series would have this reaction, but I thought that after Jaime’s book, his relationship with Eric would improve, which was not the case. The constant tension between the siblings, while realistic, grew distracting, and I think detracted from my enjoyment of the book overall. Seriously, at times I just wanted to scream at them, “Haven’t you people ever heard of therapy?!!?!”

In spite of a few throw-my-book-at-the-wall moments thanks to all the family drama, I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I love Ms. Dahl’s voice in this trilogy, and I can’t wait to read more of her work. Definitely a keeper!

Review of Coleen Kwan's When Harriet Came Home

2011-10-25T17:06:00.000-04:00

Title: When Harriet Came Home

Author: Coleen Kwan

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 24, 2011

Rating: 3 out of 5

One of the reasons I’m enjoying the eBooks published by Carina Press these days is that I get to read authors from other English-speaking countries. When Harriet Came Home author Coleen Kwan is from Australia, and every now and then a lovely phrase or reference will draw your attention to her small-town setting of Wilmot, Australia. It’s not that different than most small town contemporary romances I’ve read, but I like the variety. This book is short at only 50,000 words, but it’s a quick and engaging read.

Harriet Brown finds herself returning to her small town of Wilmot after a decade of self-exile when her father is injured in a car accident. Ten years ago she unwittingly caught the town’s mayor on film taking a bribe and meeting women for sordid affairs. He’s killed in a car accident shortly thereafter, and the town turns on the overweight, shy teen they consider responsible. The situation was all the more upsetting for Harriet because the teenager had a crush on the mayor’s son, Adam Blackstone. When years later she’s forced to return to Wilmot after her father’s accident, the first person she sees at the hospital is hunky carpenter Adam, and he is not pleased that she’s back in town.

But Harriet’s father wants the two to reconcile, and his accident provides the perfect excuse for his matchmaking. He was supposed to cater the town’s charity Harvest Ball that Adam’s organizing, but his injury has made that impossible, so he volunteers Harriet’s catering services. Harriet reluctantly agrees, because it’s obviously important to her father, but she’s not thrilled that she’ll have to spend more time with Adam. He’s not happy about it either, because the shy teen he remembers is now a beautiful, curvaceous woman who’s proving irresistible to the handyman. Sparks fly between the two, but will Adam’s love be enough to keep Harriet in Wilmot?

This is a cute small town romance with one sexy carpenter hero, complete with “mean girls” who never grew up after high school and a lot of nasty gossip. Ms. Kwan’s writing flows smoothly and the premise of the heroine returning home after making good in the big city is an appealing one. Plus, Adam is a really great hero material. He confesses to Harriet that he was really self-absorbed in his teens and that he enjoys working with his hands (nice!!). He’s clearly turned his life around, despite the painful events of ten years ago. And let’s face it, sexy carpenters who are good with their hands and have sexy Aussie accents are a win-win in the hero category!

So why didn’t I like it more? I actually remembered most of the details of the plot from when I read the novel well over a month ago, but I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt indifferent about it, so I re-read the book. As I said, the writing is good, and the pacing of the romance and the nature of the conflict were all good. And truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with the story; it just didn’t capture my interest.

I think part of why I feel “meh” towards this book is that Harriet is not as enjoyable a character as Adam. She begins strongly, since she’s lost weight, had eye surgery, and founded a successful catering company in Sydney in the last ten years, setting her up for a triumphant return to the town that cruelly rejected her in her teens. When Adam meets up with her again he’s surprised by how sassy she is compared to the awkward teenager he knew. But she’s not actually all that sassy. In fact, she’s a bit of a wimp and really insecure. She constantly questions herself and Adam’s motives towards her, allows her sister to use her for free babysitting services, and nearly has a breakdown during the Harvest Ball. That struck me as odd, given that she’s been catering for years and owned her own company for three. Harriet is a likeable character, but her insecurities left me wondering what Adam saw in her.

Despite the flaws, I liked Ms. Kwan’s writing, and on her website it mentions that she just sold her second novel, a steampunk romance, to Carina Press. Given the sexy hero and solid writing in When Harriet Came Home, I’m looking forward to seeing what she does with in the steampunk genre.

Early Review of Kristan Higgins' Until There Was You

2011-10-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

Title: Until There Was You

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publisher: HQN Books

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 25, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

This contemporary romance made me laugh and cry, and I absolutely loved it! I highlighted so many different sections of the book and have re-read them so often that if I were reading a physical book instead of my Kindle the pages would be falling out. Scrawny 5’2” Posey is charmer, and you’ll fall for hottie bad boy Liam. Who wouldn’t? He rides a motorcycle, wears black leather, and only shaves every few days. Reformed bad boys make for great romance heroes, and you’ll definitely swoon for this one!

Until There Was You is a reunion romance of sorts – Posey Osterhagen was madly in love with bad boy Liam Murphy when she was sixteen, but he barely noticed her. In fact, he was indirectly responsible for her disastrous prom experience, so when he moves back to Bellsford, New Hampshire, with his 15 year old daughter, Posey tries to play it cool around her former crush. Posey runs a successful architectural salvage company in town, and she tries to keep busy to avoid him, but her adopted parents’ attempts to play matchmaker with the good-looking widower and their niece Gretchen ensure that Liam and Posey are thrown together. But Liam’s not looking for romance, and some well-meaning family members seem determined to keep the two apart. Can the bad boy and the quirky runt from high school find a way to be together?

Kristan Higgins always manages to crack me up with her humor, and despite several teary moments, this book was no exception. The secondary characters will keep you rolling in the aisles, especially Posey’s adopted parents, who are large, boisterous owners of a German restaurant in town. Posey herself has a dry wit that provides some great one-liners, and Liam’s protective instincts towards his daughter Nicole make for some hilarious moments as well. When her prom date shows up and Liam threatens him, I was crying with laughter. And Ms. Higgins clearly has teenagers of her own, as Posey uses “Oh, Bieber” as an interjection, and Liam tells his daughter, “Whatevs.” Of course, in my experience, if your Mom’s using slang in a book, it’s probably not cool anymore, but it makes for a fun read.

There’s also plenty of angst to go around, as we witness several flashbacks to Posey’s disastrous prom experience and Liam reflects on his marriage with the town’s golden girl. The relationships between parents and children are a constant theme in the book, whether those children are adults or teens, and you’ll definitely find yourself tearing up at times.

The biggest problem with the book and the reason I only gave it a four when I clearly love it is the lackluster romance between Liam and Posey. It’s clear from the beginning that Posey has feelings for Liam, but Liam’s feelings for Posey are never quite as obvious. In fact, at times I felt that he spent more time thinking about his dead wife and their marriage than he did thinking about Posey. He clearly cares for her and the ending feels like a scene from a John Hughes movie (set at prom, no less!), but afterwards when I was thinking about the book, I had the distinct impression that his wife had been the love of his life and Posey was merely second best. This is a pretty serious failing in a romance novel, so I think it speaks volumes about the book that I loved it in spite of this.

If you’re looking for a fun contemporary romance with a little angst and lots of humor, I highly recommend this one. It’s definitely going on my keeper shelf, and I suspect I’ll be re-reading it for years to come.

Early Review of Sandy Williams' The Shadow Reader

2011-10-22T22:20:00.001-04:00

Title: The Shadow Reader

Author: Sandy Williams

Publisher: Ace

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Won through Goodreads FirstReads Program

Publication Date: October 25, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

This week I’ve read some really excellent books, and this debut Urban Fantasy by Sandy Williams drew me in from the beginning. The heroine is an appealing mix of strength and vulnerability, and according to Ms. Williams’ webpage there is a sequel in the works, so I’m really looking forward to reading more of this world. If you’re a fan of UF, I think you’ll really enjoy The Shadow Reader.

McKenzie Lewis is in her early twenties, but since her teens she’s been working for the king of the fae as a shadow reader. When the fae travel, or fissure, between realms, she can look into the shadows left behind and pinpoint their locations. This has been a handy trick, since fae King Atroth is currently fighting a rebellion among the fae, and McKenzie has helped him hunt down rebels. She’s also in love with Atroth’s Swordmaster, Kyol, who protects her when she’s reading the shadows. Unfortunately, the rebels have caught up with her, and she’s kidnapped by Aren, one of the rebel leaders. Instead of having her killed, he teaches her the fae language and tries to convince her that Atroth and Kyol have been lying to her for years. When the fighting ventures into the human realm, McKenzie has to make difficult decisions about which of the fae to trust.

There’s a lot to like about this book. McKenzie is an appealing heroine who has found herself cut off from human relationships because of her abilities to read the shadows. The fae don’t concern themselves with her life in the human realm, and they simply pop in and out of her life, expecting her to drop whatever she’s doing to serve the fae king. This naturally makes her seem crazy to everyone else, because they can’t see who she’s speaking to or understand why she can’t keep a steady job. But after years of believing that the fae king is protecting her, McKenzie doesn’t know what to believe when the rebels kidnap her and begin telling her their version of what’s happening. She’s also confused by her attraction to the rebel leader, Aren, because she’s very much in love with Kyol. Watching her develop into a woman who finally acts on her own behalf instead of merely following the orders of others is really rewarding. It would have been easy to portray McKenzie as a victim, but Ms. Williams makes her a complex woman who learns to trust herself after years of disappointment at the hands of others.

While the characters are appealing, the world-building is stellar, and it will completely draw you in. The conflict between the fae factions is much more than nuanced than it would initially appear. It is clear fairly early on that McKenzie’s perceptions of who is good versus who is evil have been heavily influenced in the King’s favor, but I like that we can see how he came to make certain decisions. His swordmaster Kyol is portrayed as an honorable man faced with difficult choices, and while he has served the King faithfully for years, he, too, experiences doubt about the King’s current path. But the rebels aren’t necessarily sympathetic characters either, since some want to kill McKenzie immediately, only holding off because Aren convinces them to wait and try to bring her over to their side. This complexity makes the outcome uncertain and will keep you turning the pages to see how it all works out.

I do have two criticisms of the novel, one more serious than the other. The first is that I wasn’t completely sold on the Aren-McKenzie part of the love triangle. I was never in doubt that they were attracted to one another, but I was uncertain about his feelings for her. Does he truly love her or are his actions motivated by jealousy of her relationship with Kyol? He accuses Kyol of using McKenzie, but he also needs her help as a shadow reader. I’m still not completely convinced of the depth of his feelings, and while McKenzie does decide between Aren and Kyol in the end, the resolution leaves room for the love triangle to continue in future books.

My other criticism is stylistic. Ms. Williams writes the book in the first person present tense, and frankly that is my least favorite form of narration. It's not that I prefer third person narration over the first, because a lot of Urban Fantasy novels are written in the first person, and UF is one of my favorite genres. But when everything is narrated in the present tense, it strikes me as unsophisticated. It makes it feel as though McKenzie describes everything in real time, a la Jack Bauer in 24. It’s to Ms. Williams’ credit that the world-building, plot, and characters are so engrossing that for the most part the writing takes a backseat to the action, but at times the constant use of the present tense was jarring and drew me out of the book. I really don’t want to notice the writing over the story while I’m reading the book, and this is a serious flaw. I’m hoping that this will improve in subsequent books, as The Shadow Reader was easily one of my favorite Urban Fantasy reads in a while.

Despite its flaws, The Shadow Reader is an exciting debut and an engrossing read. I’m really looking forward to reading more about these characters and this world in the future, and Ms. Williams can’t write that sequel fast enough for me. Definitely check this one out!

Review of Lia Habel's Dearly, Departed

2011-10-17T22:40:00.000-04:00

Title: Dearly, Departed

Author: Lia Habel

Publisher: Del Rey

Format: Hardcover & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lia Habel’s Dearly, Departed is the first Young Adult novel I’ve reviewed for the blog, and it is OUTSTANDING. I’m so glad I requested this book for review, because it is extremely well-written and will appeal to readers of all ages. I have to warn you that at times the zombies in this novel totally squicked me out, but HELLO, they’re ZOMBIES, so consider yourself warned. But even with the zombie gross out factor, this hardcover YA release is well worth the price, and I’m eagerly awaiting more from this author.

Set in 2195 after a new ice age has forced humans to migrate to Central and South America, the novel takes place in New Victoria. The survivors of the numerous wars and plagues decided that the Victorian Age was the golden period of humanity and have recreated that period’s class structure, dress and mores, while using technology more familiar to readers in the 21st century, such as digital cameras, an “aethernet,” cell phones, and flat screen televisions.

As the novel begins, 16 year old Nora Dearly and her best friend Pamela Roe are preparing to leave boarding school for the Christmas holidays. As Nora faces a dreary holiday placing insipid calls with her social-climbing aunt, she’s unable to shake off the sadness she feels after her father’s death a year earlier. Little does Nora realize that she’ll soon be facing down horrifying creatures intent on taking her captive.

Fortunately for Nora, 18 year old Captain Bram Griswold rescues her from the zombies, only to reveal to her that he himself is the walking undead. Bram and his company form part of a special army unit created to fight vicious zombies and prevent the spread of the Lazarus virus. Their existence depends upon her not-so-dead father’s creating a vaccine for the virus, but Dr. Dearly is missing. Bram does not plan on falling for a snooty New Victorian Neoaristocrat, but they must work together to find the missing doctor and prevent the spread of the Lazarus virus. But can there be a future for the two of them when Bram is already dead?

Dearly, Departed is narrated in the first person by several characters, although the principal narrators are Nora, Pamela, and Bram. The strength of these voices is only one of the many reasons I enjoyed this novel. First and foremost, the female characters are outstanding. Nora and Pam are constrained by society to seek husbands and thus support their families’ social ambitions, yet they prove their strength of character under extremely adverse conditions, and that strength of character is clearly evident in the narration. Each chapter clearly identifies who is speaking, but I’m not sure that’s necessary, as the characters have strong individual voices.

The zombies themselves make for charming and irrepressible secondary characters you won’t be able to forget. While their bodies won’t recover from injury and will eventually decay, they clearly retain their humanity and deserve to be treated as more than expendable weapons. Bram in particular is charming in his attempts to maintain his humanity, and you’ll easily see why Nora falls for him.

One of the reasons I find this book so refreshing is that it avoids many of the tropes we see repeatedly in Young Adult fiction. There isn’t a love triangle per se, although one of human teenage aristocrats acts as though there were. Also, the parents are not missing in action in this book. Pamela’s parents are very active in her life, even if we don’t approve of how they treat her. They attempt to constrain her actions, but when the family is threatened, they show themselves willing to listen to her. I also like how Nora’s reunion with her father is explored, since he discusses his decisions with her and is capable of admitting when he’s wrong.

I do have a few criticisms of the novel, however. My first is that I’m not really certain why Nora’s aunt appears in the book. At first she acts as Nora’s guardian, but she quickly disappears once Nora is kidnapped, and she’s only mentioned in passing once more. While her actions and relationship to Nora demonstrate what Nora can expect as a woman of her social class, it seems odd that she would play so prominent a role in the beginning, only to disappear so quickly.

My second concern is also minor. We learn through Nora that the survivors of the ice age and numerous civil wars considered the Victorian Age to be man’s Golden Age, but I had a hard time understanding why the original female survivors would allow themselves to return to a period that severely restricts their movement and limits their worth.

Despite my misgivings about the New Victorians, the world building is compelling and the writing exceptional, making this a delightful read for both the young and the not-so-young.

Early Review of Karen Hawkins' A Most Dangerous Profession

2011-10-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

Title: A Most Dangerous Profession (Hurst Amulet #3)

Author: Karen Hawkins

Publisher: Pocket Books

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

Karen Hawkins is one of my favorite historical romance authors, and I love to recommend her books, because they’re always funny and appealing. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I discovered an early copy of A Most Dangerous Profession at the Barnes & Noble this weekend. This is the third book in the Hurst Amulet series if you don’t count the prequel, Much Ado About Marriage, and even if you haven’t read any of the other novels in the series, you’ll be able to enjoy this lighthearted romance without difficulty.

Moira MacAllister has a long-standing history with Robert Hurst: she tricked him into marriage more than five years ago when he was investigating her at the behest of the Home Office. She’s joined the search for the three onyx boxes that will lead Robert’s family to the Hurst Amulet, but her interest in the boxes is fueled by desperation rather than avarice. Blackmailer George Aniston is forcing her to recover the boxes by holding captive her five year old daughter, Rowena. What Robert doesn’t realize is that Rowena is his daughter and the reason Moira tricked him into marriage all those years ago. Since Robert’s brother Michael’s safety depends on his recovering the onyx box, Robert can’t allow Moira to abscond with the relic, but he also finds it harder and harder to resist her charms. When the two decide to work together, sparks fly, giving Moira hope that the two can reunite, but as time progresses she begins to wonder if Robert will ever be able to forgive her original deception.

One of the reasons I enjoy Ms. Hawkins’ books so much is that she writes characters who aren’t aristocrats, and A Most Dangerous Profession is no exception. Her female characters are interesting and complex rather than insipid debutantes sipping tea and making social calls. Moira was born into the working class, but was raised by a gypsy, which makes it easy to understand Robert’s fascination with her. He, too, is not from the aristocracy, since he’s a son of a vicar, but he makes a living selling the artifacts that his explorer brother Michael unearths during his travels. Robert’s work as a spy also gives his character a dangerous edge, an aspect that appeals to Moira’s sense of adventure. The sexual tension between them smolders and adds some sizzle to the already fraught situation with their daughter.

While the first half of the book seemed to drag a little, the action and chemistry definitely picked up in the second half. Once they arrive at Balnagown castle to retrieve the third onyx box, Moira and Robert work together, and the book is irresistible from that point. The two work together effortlessly, and you’ll enjoy watching Robert learn to appreciate Moira’s abilities as a spy, while they grow closer together as a couple emotionally and physically.

I do have a few criticisms of the book. My first is that initially the book shares a few similarities with the second book in the series, Scandal in Scotland. Both Moira and Marcail betrayed the Hurst brothers, were quite improper, and are reunited with the brothers because of secrets in their pasts. Once I read farther into the third novel, however, the books differed enough that it didn’t bother me as much as it had at first. Another minor complaint has to do with Rowena, Moira and Robert's daughter. She barely appears in the book, which is fine, but in the epilogue she addresses her mother in a manner that seemed completely unlike a five year old, which had me checking back to see if she was actually older than I originally thought.

My most serious complaint, however, is that I want MORE!!! And I don’t mean more novels (although I definitely want more of those as well); I mean the font is so large that the book seems really, really short. I think Ms. Hawkins could have easily extended the book by including flashbacks to Moira and Robert’s time together, plus the final confrontation with George Aniston went by far too quickly, ending the book abruptly. I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that A Most Dangerous Profession is not a complete book, because it is (and it’s completely enchanting), but I’m bothered that publishers seem to be making historical romances shorter by enlarging the font while keeping the page count the same.

That said, Ms. Hawkins is always an auto-buy for me, and this is another keeper. I really enjoy the excerpts from letters and diaries at the beginning of each chapter, since they advance the overarching story of the series. If you enjoy engaging historical romances that focus on characters not from the aristocracy, I definitely recommend A Most Dangerous Profession.

Review of Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

2011-10-13T17:22:00.001-04:00

Title: Revenge of the Spellmans (Spellmans #3)

Author: Lisa Lutz

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Formats: Hardcover, Trade Paperback & Ebook

Source: Won from Goodreads’ First Reads

Publication Date: 2009

Rating: 4 out of 5

One of the reasons I enjoy Goodreads’ First Reads program is that I can enter contests to win books I normally wouldn’t pick up, thus discovering new authors in different genres. Sometimes this backfires (see my review of The Medusa Amulet), but since I spent last night laughing like a hyena and scaring the dog, I think we can safely say my plan worked out great with Lisa Lutz’s Revenge of the Spellmans. This book was so funny in places that I had to stop reading because I was tearing up from laughing so hard.

Revenge of the Spellmans is billed as a mystery, but to me the biggest mystery is how Isabel “Izzy” Spellman has managed to live 31 years without strangling someone in her family. Izzy’s family owns a PI firm in San Francisco, but as the book begins Izzy is taking a break by working as a bartender and attending court-ordered therapy sessions. When her boss at the bar asks her to look into a friend’s case as a favor, Izzy reluctantly agrees, but what at first seems to be a simple case of a husband suspecting a wife of cheating soon becomes far more elaborate.

What makes this book so unusual is that most of the book is focused on small mysteries within the family. Izzy wants to know why her perfect lawyer brother David is acting so unusual, her younger sister Rae keeps relocating Izzy’s car without permission, and her father keeps insisting on having lunch with her. This family is probably certifiably insane, and in the real world these people would drive you NUTS, but within the pages of this book the Spellmans are hilarious.

My absolute favorite scene has to be when Izzy recounts the first job interview she ever had. Even though she’d been working off the books for her parents since she was 12, her father insisted on having a job interview when Izzy turned 15. Honestly, I think I found this scene so funny, because I can TOTALLY see my Dad doing this. Unfortunately, I resemble uptight lawyer brother David more than Izzy, so I would have played along. Izzy doesn’t, and just thinking about the scene makes me snicker. She’s quite the smartass, and while at times that definitely gets in the way of her developing relationships with other people, it creates some hysterical moments within the family. When her Dad (Albert) calls her from the office and tells 15 year old Izzy to “Dress appropriately, Ms. Spellman”, Izzy dresses up in her brother’s old nerd costume and packs a lunch in his briefcase. When the interview begins, she breaks out a napkin and starts eating. Really, I was crying by this point. But my favorite lines come at the end of the interview, which I have to quote here:

ALBERT: Why should we hire you?

ISABEL: Do I need to remind you that I already work here?

ALBERT: Tell me how you can contribute to our organization.

ISABEL: Please. Just let me drink the Kool-Aid.

ALBERT: That’s it, Isabel. Get out of here!

ISABEL: It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Melman.

Ms. Lutz varies the narration in a lot of different ways, including transcripts from Izzy’s court-ordered therapy sessions, more traditionally narrated passages, appendices, case files, and flashbacks like the one I just mentioned. The back and forth between the family mysteries and the ones Izzy is hired to solve mesh perfectly, while the snarky footnotes help make this book a winner.

My only criticism is that the actual mysteries Izzy has to solve really aren’t that interesting to me. The family dynamic is what keeps you turning the pages and wanting more. I think if you know that going in, you’re really going to love this book, but if you’re looking for a gritty, hardcore mystery, this is probably not the book for you. I’m also not thrilled by the cover art, but it seems in keeping with other books in the genre, such as the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, so I’m sure that was intentional.

In the end, this was a lot of fun to read, and I’ll definitely be catching up on the series before the fifth book is released in February. If you’re the mood for a good laugh, you really can’t go wrong with Revenge of the Spellmans.

Early Review of Jessica Andersen's Lord of the Wolfyn

2011-10-11T20:50:00.001-04:00

Title: Lord of the Wolfyn (Royal House of Shadows #3)

Author: Jessica Andersen

Publisher: Harlequin Nocturne

Formats: Mass Market Paperback & Ebook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Gena Showalter and Nalini Singh are two of my favorite authors, so when Harlequin announced that they would be releasing a series of paranormal romances with the first and last books written by Showalter and Singh, I was thrilled. I was really disappointed in the first book of the series by Showalter, Lord of the Vampires, because it felt disjointed and rushed, but Lord of the Wolfyn was much better. Before reading the third installment of the series, I had never read anything by Jessica Andersen, but I’ll be looking for more of her books in the future, because this was a fun read, even if the phrase “wolfyn” had me cringing every time I read it.

If you haven’t read any of the other books in the series, you’ll be able to follow along with ease, as there’s a short prologue that sets up the back story. Also, each of the books is based on a fairy tale, with Lord of the Wolfyn based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. In all of the books, the Blood Sorcerer (whom we have yet to meet) attacks the Royal Castle of Elden, killing the king and queen. The parents manage to protect their four children by using the last of their powers to send the children to different dimensions. Prince Dayn, the second son, finds himself in the realm of the Wolfyn, shapeshifters who are hunted in his realm of vampires. (Quick side note – I cringe every time I write the word wolfyn – surely there was a better name for the werewolves?) One of Dayn’s father’s last acts was to tell his son that when the time was right, they would send a guide to lead him back to the Castle of Elden. Once the guide arrived, Dayn would have four days to return to Elden and join his siblings against the Blood Sorcerer.

We then flash forward 20 years to the present in the Human realm where we meet Alfreda (Reda) Weston, red-headed cop. Reda’s in a bit of funk, because she froze when her partner was killed and has had problems with her self-confidence ever since. When she finally is able to recover a copy of an old version of Little Red Riding Hood that her mother gave her years ago, she purchases the book, little realizing that reading it would send her into the Wolfyn realm. And luckily for her, Dayn happens to be observing the portal that day, and he immediately recognizes her as his guide. Not surprisingly, Reda is more than a little freaked out at her new surroundings. Who wouldn’t be? First you’re reading a book, then POOF! you find yourself in another realm with some hottie telling you what to do. Happens to me ALL the time. Since Dayn desperately wants to be reunited with his family, he has to find a way to convince Reda to help him and in so doing give her confidence she’s lost since her partner’s death.

My absolute favorite aspect of this novel is that it is action-packed. The four day deadline adds suspense to the drama, since you’re wondering if Dayn will be able to convince Reda to help him in time to make it home before the four days are up. Additionally, there’s the concern that when he does arrive, he’ll be the only one of his siblings to have made it. We don’t witness any family reunions in the book, but the ending implies that the others are in fact in other parts of Elden, if not there during Dayn’s battles. I like that there was a resolution to the book, even if the overarching storyline about the Blood Sorcerer won’t be resolved until Nalini Singh’s book is released next month.

I also liked how the fairy tale was tied in with the story. The connection Reda feels with her dead mother and the book of Rutakoppchen with its wood carvings nicely tie the original tale of the wolf and the hunter in with the current plot. Andersen adds a nice twist to the legend by making the wolf in the novel a werewolf (or wolfyn), and Dayn’s connection to the wolfyn realm is an interesting one, especially since he’s hunting wolfyn in the prologue before being sent to the other realm.

Unfortunately Reda is not a strong heroine. I think that we’re supposed to sympathize with her because she’s experienced so much tragedy, but her actions at the beginning of the novel make her come across as really weak. When she does become more assertive, the change is abrupt, and I found it a little disconcerting. I enjoy reading novels that show a weaker heroine finding her own strength, but Reda’s change from wimp to warrior woman occurred during her transition from one realm to the other, which left her almost unrecognizable even to the hero when they met up again.

I think the book suffers a bit from its shorter length as well, because Reda’s character issues could have been resolved if they had been spread out over more of the book. Also, there’s a period when Dayn and Reda are separated, and I would have liked to have seen Reda’s actions during that time. When the two meet up again, she’s suddenly the more confident guardswoman that you would have thought a cop would be anyway. Since this change seems to occur while she’s ‘off-screen,’ I think including that time they’re apart would have tempered some of the issues I had with her character development.

However, I very much enjoyed the book. It was a fun, quick read, and the romance between Dayn and Reda was sizzling. I’m looking forward of the conclusion to the series, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Ms. Andersen’s books.

Review of Down These Strange Streets

2011-10-09T15:07:00.001-04:00

Title: Down These Strange Streets

Editors: George R.R. Marin & Gardner Dozois

Publisher: Ace Hardcover

Formats: Hardback & Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Despite its hardcover price, this is one of the better anthologies that I’ve read and well worth the money. The stories are outstanding and varied, and there’s a clear connection between them, as described in the prologue “The Bastard Stepchild,” written by George R. R. Martin. The bastard stepchild to which he refers is Urban Fantasy, an amalgam of the horror and mystery genres, and each of the stories features a mystery and detective of some sort. The anthology includes a total of sixteen stories, plus the prologue by George R. R. Martin. Originally I had planned on only mentioned a few of my favorite stories, but the excellent writing made it difficult to limit this review to only some of the entries. Here a few comments about each of the stories.

1. “Death by Dahlia” by Charlaine Harris We first met vampire Dahlia Lynly Chivers in the story “Tacky” in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, and she’s long been a favorite of mine. In “Death by Dahlia” the vampires have a new sheriff in control of their nest and they’re celebrating his installation with a huge party. When one of the human blood donors is murdered, Dahlia steps in to investigate. I’m not a fan of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse books, but I always enjoy her Dahlia stories set in that world, and this one is no exception. It’s one of the more light-hearted offerings in the collection and is lots of fun. 3.5 out of 5

2. “The Bleeding Shadow” by Joe R. Lansdale This story has a film noir feel to it, and I loved it. The gritty private detective is asked by a hot dame to look into her brother’s disappearance when a record with some demonic sounding blues arrives at her house with frightening consequences. 3.5 out of 5

3. “Hungry Heart” by Simon R. Green Another lighthearted addition to the anthology, Green’s contribution features detective John Taylor from Green’s Nightside series. A young witch hires Taylor to recover her heart from her former mentor, but it turns out that the box holding her heart is of interest to many parties. The clever ending and Taylor’s humor throughout made this story a blast. 4 out of 5

4. “Styx and Stones” by Steven Saylor This story is part of Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series that stars Gordianus the Finder, and while it’s the first of his work I’ve read, it certainly won’t be the last. In this prequel to the series, we witness Gordianus as a teenager visiting the Seven Wonders of the World. When he and his companion Antipater arrive in Babylon, Gordianus is intrigued by the haunting of a nearby temple. While my four years of high school Latin aren’t enough to attest to the historical accuracy of the story, it’s a lot of fun and one of my favorites of the collection. 4 out of 5

5. “Pain and Suffering” by S. M. Stirling This story had a more paranormal feel to it than many of the others. Cop Eric Salvador finds his nightmares of his time in Afghanistan taking a strange turn when he and his partner investigate a bizarre arson and missing persons case. I enjoyed the story, but the ending felt abrupt and a bit open-ended, making me wonder if this is part of a series I’m not familiar with, although the short intro to the story didn’t indicate that it was. 3.5 out of 5

6. “It’s Still the Same Old Story” by Carrie Vaughn Set in the world of Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series, this story features vampire Rick, who responds to a phone call from an old friend, only to find her murdered. There isn’t much of a mystery, as Rick knows from the beginning who’s responsible for his friend’s death, but the flashbacks to when they met and how the mystery unfolds make this an enjoyable read. 3 out of 5

7. “The Lady is a Screamer” by Conn Iggulden Narrator Jack Garner is a charmer of a conman, working as a ghostbuster after years of taking advantage of grieving families by pretending to be a psychic. While he doesn’t seem all that likeable at the beginning, by the end you’ll be rooting for this ne’er do well. This was one of my favorites, no doubt because of the hero’s ability to win the reader over. 4 out of 5

8. “Hellbender” by Laurie R. King I enjoyed this entry by King that features a private detective who’s more than human. He’s approached by a woman to investigate the disappearance of her brother and seven other missing people. His digging into the mystery attracts some frightening attention, uncovering some disturbing interest into “scientific” developments. I liked how the story and truth about the hero unfolded, plus the twist about the government at the end made me laugh. 4.5 out of 5

9. “Shadow Thieves” by Glen Cook This is part of Cook’s Garret, P.I. series and almost lost me only a few pages in. Garret is approached by several different parties to recover a powerful artifact, but it’s very unclear who is trustworthy and who’s the rightful owner. The world building was intriguing, but the rough beginning and my lack of connection to the characters made this the weakest of the collection for me. I suspect that if I’d read other books in the series, however, I might feel differently. 3 out of 5

10. “No Mystery, No Miracle” by Melinda M. Snodgrass Set during the days of the Great Depression, Snodgrass plays with several mythologies and religions while creating a fascinating story. The hero, Cross, is posing as a hobo to look into some suspicious hobo markings that resemble signs from old gods. His investigation has him acting to ensure FDR’s presidential nomination in mysterious ways. This story has some of the tightest writing in the collection. 4.5 out of 5

11. “The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery” by M. L. N. Hanover Cops call in an exorcist when they discover the body of a young woman apparently sacrificed in some sort of occult ritual. The man arrested for the crime claims to be possessed by a demon, but the real mystery stems from his reaction when confronted by the exorcist. Very intriguing story and I liked the resolution that still left some mysteries unexplained. 4 out of 5

12. “The Curious Affair of the Deodand” by Lisa Tuttle Set in the nineteenth century, Miss Lane is a gentlewoman seeking employment who finds herself acting as an assistant to a young detective. A man approaches them on his fiancée’s behalf, asking that they investigate her former fiancé’s death. The story began well, and I was intrigued by the female heroine’s role as Watson, but the ending left me a bit cold. Not badly written, but a little lacking in action or suspense. 3 out of 5

13. “Lord John and the Plague of Zombies” by Diana Gabaldon I haven’t read any of Gabaldon’s books, which no doubt affected my enjoyment of this story since Lord John is a recurring character in her Outlander series and has his own series. I actually stopped reading and had to pick the story up again later, because it didn’t capture my interest. However, if you’re a fan of her series, you’ll no doubt enjoy reading about Lord John’s adventures in the West Indies, and the various creepy crawlies on the island were almost more frightening the actual zombies. 3 out of 5

14. “Beware the Snake” by John Maddox Roberts Part of the author’s SPQR series of mysteries set in Ancient Rome, this story was a hoot. Decius Caecilius is asked by Caesar to investigate a missing swamp adder, a sacred being to some powerful allies of Rome. Decius’ dry humor makes light of the mystery, but the ending is a lot of fun, even though the story went by too quickly. As with “Styx and Stones”, I can’t attest to the historical accuracy of the story, but it was so enjoyable I’ll definitely be reading more of this author. 4 out of 5

15. “In Red, with Pearls” by Patricia Briggs This story is set in the world of Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series and features werewolf Warren, who is a favorite of mine. When his lover Kyle is attacked by a zombie, Warren steps in to investigate. I loved seeing Warren and Kyle together, and this was a tightly written story that draws you in at once. While I figured out the villain fairly quickly, there were several surprises. This is another winner from Briggs and a must for Mercy Thompson fans. 4 out of 5

16. “The Adakian Eagle” by Bradley Denton The choice to end the collection with Denton’s story was a wise one, as it is outstanding. Set on the Aleutian Islands during World War II and featuring a young private and an older detective (whom you will recognize once you’re well into the story), this mystery will keep you turning the pages. The discovery of a tortured eagle on the island leads to an investigation that exposes all the pitfalls of following orders without question. I loved the setting and the gritty tone of this story. 5 out of 5

What I’ve Learned From Ladies’ Night Out

2011-10-06T22:17:00.002-04:00

This is the patented "look of death" the DH gets when I don't go out for Ladies' Night.

A few years ago, my husband got a job in the Midwest, and we moved to a new town where I knew no one. To make matters worse, I was no longer working full-time, so it was a difficult transition. Thank goodness one of the ladies in town decided that it would be a great idea to start a Ladies’ Night Out. We get together every Thursday night, have a drink, and vent about our husbands, kids, and life in general. Since the idea involves wine and no husbands or kids, it’s really popular. Let me tell you, if you don’t have a ladies’ night of your own, you need to get one pronto, because it’s a real life saver. Here are a few of the things I’ve learned from our ladies’ night.

1. I may be crazy, but I’ll be in great company at the Loony Bin.

One of the benefits of having a group of friends to vent with is that you quickly realize you’re not as nutty as you thought you were. Apparently I am not the only woman to lock herself in the bathroom and beat the stuffing out of an innocent tube of Colgate Sensitive Whitening Toothpaste in an effort to avoid beating the tar out of the DH. Sadly, I did not learn this lesson before I broke our cable remote, and now we can only change channels by holding the remote at a 57 degree angle and frantically pressing the buttons. Of course, whenever the DH reminds me of this while trying to flip channels during the playoffs, I point out that if he hadn’t done whatever the heck it was he did to tick me off, the remote would still be functioning properly. So it’s really his fault. Duh.

2. Ladies’ Night is an effective form of birth control.

I’m one of the few ladies in the group without children, and I’ve gotta tell ya, I may never have kids after hearing some of the horror stories. Kids say the darnedest things, and apparently they say them in public at the top of their lungs, while ensuring that complete strangers will assume that you’re beating the kids and call child protective services. I’ve also learned that your body will never ever be the same after childbirth, and the culprits (we’ve not decided if the husbands or the kids are most to blame) will NOT appreciate what you’ve gone through. Plus, you’ll never sleep in on a Saturday again. I’m rather fond of my sleep and (to some extent) my dignity, so clearly I should just avoid having kids, even though all the mothers in the group insist that, in the end, it was all worth it.

On the plus side, Ladies’ Night is also a great resource for women with kids, because they get to share ideas and learn about local events in addition to comparing stories about their kids. It’s a great way to vent and hear from the other women that you’re not the only one experiencing certain types of problems. On the down side some of these kids are going to grow up wondering why Miss Rebecca always snickers whenever she sees them.

3. What happens at Ladies’ Night stays at Ladies’ Night - Unless your husband does something really, really stupid.

Several of the husbands are colleagues of my husband, but even if they weren’t, there are some things you just shouldn’t share with other people. Likewise, I’m certainly not sharing with the DH some of the things we’ve discussed over our glass(es) of wine. However, if your husband does something really, really dumb, and you think the other husbands could benefit from hearing about it, you are contractually obligated by the Ladies’ Night Constitution[1] to share said incident with the other ladies.

Now, my DH gives outstanding and thoughtful gifts. You’d never catch him gifting me with a household appliance. In fact, when Her Royal Highness the beagle got bladder surgery and started peeing all over the carpet, I told the DH I wanted to buy a Hoover Steam Vac as my Valentine’s Day present. The DH immediately spotted the pitfalls and headed me off at the pass by saying, “If you need the vac, go ahead and get it! That’s not going to be a present!” (insert nervous, high-pitched laughter). His mama didn’t raise a fool, for which I am eternally grateful.

Sadly, not all husbands are quite as enlightened. Take my friend “Susan”, whose name has been changed to protect the innocent (her kids) from ridicule (we and the other husbands have already ridiculed her husband). Now, “Susan” has naturally curly hair, and around the time of her birthday she was lusting after one of those fancy-schmancy flat irons that cost a small fortune. So when her birthday came around, guess what she got from her DH? An exercise bike. Yup. Nothing says I love you like a present that screams “YOU’RE FAT!!!” What makes this worse is that she’s absolutely tiny. Yes, “Susan” is probably the tiniest of all of us and not in any need of an exercise bike. Needless to say, this story has been repeated at home several times to prevent the DH from EVER making that sort of mistake.

So Ladies’ Night is definitely a necessity, if only to educate our husbands on proper gift-giving etiquette and to avoid assault charges. You bet your booty (or, if you have kids, bum) that I’m there every week without fail. The DH enjoys it, because I always come back in a MUCH better mood (no doubt because of the wine), and for me it’s a great start to the weekend. Do any of you have ladies’ nights out with your friends? Spill the goods!

[1] The Ladies’ Night Constitution is not written down, but if it were, it would insist upon wine being served at each meeting. It’s a lot easier not to pull out your hair if you’re uncoordinated.