Gift of Fire, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Reading a mystery is always good for cleansing the palate and getting it ready for more romance reading. I started Gift of Fire, by Jayne Ann Krentz earlier today. I read its prequel last week and loved it, so I decided to reread this one.

Amazon.com description:

"When her lean, sexy lover, Jonas Quarrel, leaves her to run her gourmet restaurant and travels to a Pacific Northwest island to search for missing Renaissance jewels, Verity Ames follows him, hoping to snare a husband."

From what I remember from the first time I read this, the above description is way off base. She doesn't follow him to the island, they go together. In fact, she manipulates him into accepting a job doing the authentification of a Renaissance villa transplanted to the island. And Verity's not on a husband-hunting mission, she's scared that Jonas may be getting bored with her and wants to leave, so she wants to be certain about his feelings. And if I remember correctly, Jonas is not at all certain about her feelings, so they do a lot of tip-toeing around each other. I remember it as a very satisfying read, so I'm very much looking forward to revisiting it.

Posted later...

Gift of Fire was exactly what I was looking for, a very satisfying read. This is my definition of a comfort read, and my grade is A-.

It takes a special talent to finish the first book with enough closure, yet still have enough relationship issues to solve in the sequel. Here we see Verity and Jonas comfortable enough with each other to do some exploring, which was lots of fun, but still not trusting their relationship as much as they should. This was one of the rare books in which the heroine's pregnancy is not just "icing on the cake" or a means to get the guy to marry her, but functions as a means to explore more aspects of their relationship.

I found the whole Italian villa thing fascinating, with just the right amount of suspense involved, which for me implies no big final confrontation with the villain. In this case there was a confrontation, but it was basically with a vision, and someone who had the same talent as Jonas himself. The only problem I had with this one was that there were too many "villains" involved. Three characters out of six (excluding H/h) had taken part in one of the violent incidents which had happened, which is too much.

Well, I'm done with The Silent Bride and it was an interesting book, which I don't regret reading. I'll grade it a B-, however since I had enough problems with it that I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.

There were some elements here which were original compared to what I usually read. The main one was that it seemed to be more aware of the rest of the world than most American fiction. True, at times I found the portrayal of the minorities here a bit offensive, but at least it was an element of the book. Why offensive? Most of these characters were portrayed as racist, for instance. If some of the words that came out of April's mother's mouth had been said by a WASP character, that character would have been a bigoted pig. Skinny Dragon Mother (I loved that nickname!), however, was portrayed as an irritating but loving mother. Also, April and Mike were unnecessarily callous towards Louis' boys, which I didn't like. Oh, and Ubu's story read exactly like a story I read in Newsweek about the child soldiers of Sierra Leone.

April was an interesting character, but I didn't like her much, since I couldn't really respect her for the way she allowed herself to be bullied by her mother. Maybe this is racist on my part, but I couldn't understand how she worked, so I found myself not liking her.

Another thing that bothered me was her mother (it must be pretty obvious by now that I just detested everything about her except April's nickname for her). I've read a few books in a row featuring moms who want their children to get married and give them children. I hate that plot device. Absolutely detest it. Senior characters just lose all other personality traits and become only grandchild - demanding machines.Oh, and the voices of the characters didn't really ring true to me (Mike sometimes sounded like an old lady, for instance).

The mystery part was ok. It had a fascinating setup, but the resolution was extremely unsatisfying. The author never spells out the murderer's motives (only superficially), and never explains how he chose his victims or how he did everything.

The Silent Bride, by Leslie Glass

After this last book, I felt like reading some non-romance, so I started The Silent Bride, the 7th in Leslie Glass's April Woo series. It's not what I usually read, but there was an intriguing review in AAR. So far, it looks ok.

Blurb

"Meet Leslie Glass, author of a best-selling series of psychological suspense novels featuring NYPD Detective Sergeant April Woo, the first female Asian American law enforcement officer in American crime fiction; Lieutenant Mike Sanchez, her Mexican American boyfriend; and Dr. Jason Frank, prominent New York psychoanalyst.

In Glass' best-selling series, Detective Sergeant April Woo has been patrolling New York City's gritty streets for nearly a decade. In the June 2002 paperback original novel, The Silent Bride, the 7th in the series, we find mystery fiction's most intriguing cop entangled in another heart-stopping case.

In The Silent Bride, a new threat descends upon the City. At large is a savage psychopath who has murdered a young bride as she marched down the aisle. As panic spreads like wildfire, Woo and Sanchez are brought in on the case as part of the Homicide Task Force. The detectives must dig deep into the complicated wedding industry, wading through danger and deception, to uncover the truth before this elusive and brutal killer can strike again.

Over the course of the series, devoted fans have followed Woo's struggles as she's investigated high pressure, high profile cases while trying to manage her tumultuous personal life. At home, traditional Chinese parents object to both her job and her love for Mexican American Lieutenant Mike Sanchez. At work, police department bosses often doubt her abilities and seek to torpedo her career. While on the streets, there are killers, kidnappers, and abusers lurking in the shadows, poised to lash out if Woo can't get to them first.

Step into Leslie Glass' frighteningly vivid, hauntingly real vision of New York City's sordid underbelly and fall in love with the remarkably strong yet undeniably human April Woo."

Posted later...

Well, I'm done with The Silent Bride and it was an interesting book, which I don't regret reading. I'll grade it a B-, however since I had enough problems with it that I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.

There were some elements here which were original compared to what I usually read. The main one was that it seemed to be more aware of the rest of the world than most American fiction. True, at times I found the portrayal of the minorities here a bit offensive, but at least it was an element of the book. Why offensive? Most of these characters were portrayed as racist, for instance. If some of the words that came out of April's mother's mouth had been said by a WASP character, that character would have been a bigoted pig. Skinny Dragon Mother (I loved that nickname!), however, was portrayed as an irritating but loving mother. Also, April and Mike were unnecessarily callous towards Louis' boys, which I didn't like. Oh, and Ubu's story read exactly like a story I read in Newsweek about the child soldiers of Sierra Leone.

April was an interesting character, but I didn't like her much, since I couldn't really respect her for the way she allowed herself to be bullied by her mother. Maybe this is racist on my part, but I couldn't understand how she worked, so I found myself not liking her.

Another thing that bothered me was her mother (it must be pretty obvious by now that I just detested everything about her except April's nickname for her). I've read a few books in a row featuring moms who want their children to get married and give them children. I hate that plot device. Absolutely detest it. Senior characters just lose all other personality traits and become only grandchild - demanding machines.Oh, and the voices of the characters didn't really ring true to me (Mike sometimes sounded like an old lady, for instance).

The mystery part was ok. It had a fascinating setup, but the resolution was extremely unsatisfying. The author never spells out the murderer's motives (only superficially), and never explains how he chose his victims or how he did everything.

In His Wildest Dreams, by Debbi Rawlins

I've read a lot today. I finished one book and am already 40 pages into another one (more on that one in my next post. The one I've already finished is In His Wildest Dreams, by Debbi Rawlins, a Blaze

Blurb:

"Nick Ryder isn't happy about anyone analyzing his dreams, even if it's only as a favor to his sister's friend Emma. But after getting an eyeful of Emma au naturel, his dreams become more like an X-rated movie — with Emma in the starring role! Which would be fine — if Emma didn't expect him to share every little detail with her....

With her graduate degree in jeopardy, Emma Snow knows she should be grateful to Nick for volunteering at the last minute. But when the playboy's provocative dreams start to become her fantasies, she has a hard time separating work from play. Somehow she has to get Nick to take her study seriously. And it would be a lot easier if Emma wasn't so tempted to make all of Nick's erotic dreams come true...."

It wasn't at all good, a C-. The main reason I didn't care for it was because no way these two people were in love with each other at the end of the book. They barely knew each other! Emma was ok, a bit too much of a stereotypical Harlequin heroine, but ok. Nick was charming, and a very refreshing character: a guy who didn't see working a 9-to-5 job as a virtuous thing, who had made lots of money and was enjoying it (while also doing some volunteer work, of course! ;-D) before even turning 30. But this good character wasn't enough to save this book.

There were too many other things which bothered me:

• Matchmaking, desperate-for-the-H/h-to-have-kids mama and sister. Irritating!
• The supposedly smoking hot fantasies Nick told Emma were completely un-erotic for me. Maybe it's just me but the scenario of a guy having sex with several women at the same time does absolutely nothing for me.
• NO love scenes (in a Blaze!). I suppose they must have thought the fantasies made up for it, but since I didn't like the fantasies...
• Her discovering the magazine while he left her alone for 5 minutes in the garage before she'd go in to make love was a terribly improbable plot device.
• When Nick started telling her fake dreams, it showed a terrible disregard for her work. I realize he was called on it, but it was an out-of-character thing for him to do. At the very least, he should have realized the consequences this could have on her research.

Anyway, this one goes to my trade list.

I loved Stealing Heaven, it was an A- for me, and reminded me of why I love Hunter's books. With this one, she goes back to the level of her first.

The characters were the best part of the book: extremely well drawn and the most interesting I've seen in a long time. I loved that Marcus was able to accept that a woman has as much right to behave honorably as any man, and doesn't get angry that Nesta doesn't give up her mission for him. And Nesta was incredible. She was very, very intelligent and very brave; an experienced woman who doesn't make any apologies for what she is (and the way Marcus accepts that, and loves her no matter what really happened... sigh... beautiful!). I really felt for her, torn between the two sides and wanting not to betray either of them.Their love scenes during their truces are very touching. Mind you, I wouldn't have done what they did. I probably would have taken the way out which is mentioned in passing at one point and ran away with Marcus to live a different life apart from all those intrigues. However, I respect the fact that they took a different way and were ready to sacrifice their lives for their honour, all the while trying to figure out how to have both.

My problems were 2. First, I had a sour taste in my mouth in the end, seeing King Edward getting away with rape. It was perfectly realistic, but it made me angry. I hated that Marcus risked his life for a piece of shit like this. Second, just as in The Protector (if I remember correctly. I read this ages ago), the man beats the woman here (not beats her up, I mean wins over her). Yes, in this case it was better for both that he did, because if she had been able to realize all he plans it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for them to be together, but still... I would like to read one romance where the woman outwits the man, manages to do what she was planning to do all along, and it turns out to be the best for both.

Stealing Heaven, by Madeline Hunter

I haven't had time to post lately, but I've started reading the latest Madeline Hunter book: Stealing Heaven. It comes highly recommended, and while the last one I read (The Protector) was just ok, I simply adored her first 3 (By Arrangement, By Possession and By Design). I still have Lord of A Thousand Nights in my TBR pile.

Book description:

They are adversaries, and the fate of a nation rests in their hands. They are lovers, who escape to the stars with their passion. In a world of rebellion and intrigue, their love divides their hearts and their loyalties. Except for those brief truces, when they steal a taste of heaven while in each other's arms.

Marcus of Angelsmore was not at all happy about being betrothed by the king to a woman he'd never laid eyes on. So when the brooding English knight accidently comes across her in a moonlit garden, he was both surprised -and delighted. Intelligent, charming, and beautiful, she was the most captivating woman he'd ever met. But the magic of that enchanted moment is soon shattered by cold reality: Nesta is not the woman he is to marry, but her sister.

Of all the women Marcus might desire, none could be more dangerous than the wild and tantalizing Welsh witch with secret ties to both rebellion and king. For Nesta no one could jeopardize her plans more than a man who would know secrets of both her heart...and her body. Yet the course of their lives -and the destinies of their two nations- will be forever altered as they defy everything to surrender to the most daring seduction of all...

Posted later...I loved Stealing Heaven, it was an A- for me, and reminded me of why I love Hunter's books. With this one, she goes back to the level of her first.

The characters were the best part of the book: extremely well drawn and the most interesting I've seen in a long time. I loved that Marcus was able to accept that a woman has as much right to behave honorably as any man, and doesn't get angry that Nesta doesn't give up her mission for him. And Nesta was incredible. She was very, very intelligent and very brave; an experienced woman who doesn't make any apologies for what she is (and the way Marcus accepts that, and loves her no matter what really happened... sigh... beautiful!). I really felt for her, torn between the two sides and wanting not to betray either of them.Their love scenes during their truces are very touching. Mind you, I wouldn't have done what they did. I probably would have taken the way out which is mentioned in passing at one point and ran away with Marcus to live a different life apart from all those intrigues. However, I respect the fact that they took a different way and were ready to sacrifice their lives for their honour, all the while trying to figure out how to have both.

My problems were 2. First, I had a sour taste in my mouth in the end, seeing King Edward getting away with rape. It was perfectly realistic, but it made me angry. I hated that Marcus risked his life for a piece of shit like this. Second, just as in The Protector (if I remember correctly. I read this ages ago), the man beats the woman here (not beats her up, I mean wins over her). Yes, in this case it was better for both that he did, because if she had been able to realize all he plans it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for them to be together, but still... I would like to read one romance where the woman outwits the man, manages to do what she was planning to do all along, and it turns out to be the best for both.

Finished Lawman's Redemption and it was good, a B.

Actually, in the beginning, I thought it was going to be too tawdry and dark for me, but I finally liked it. I warmed up to Brady, who I hadn't liked at first, though I kept picturing him without a moustache. And Hallie was nice, though a little too doormat-ish and willing to do too many favours for a man with whom she had basically no relationship yet.

The suspense angle was total crap though. It made absolutely no sense that they didn't realize those goons were obviously looking for something of Lexy's (they tossed Brady's house, duh!), and tried to find out what it was that was so important to them. Luckily, the suspense didn't overwhelm the love story, which was nice.

One final thing that bothered me was the extreme evil of the bad guys. Sandra, for instance, was almost cartoonish in her evilness, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Oh, and I'm totally pissed at the marketing imbecile who wrote the blurb to this. WTF are you doing, mentioning his "daughter"'s kidnapping when said kidnapping occurs on page 210 of a 250 page book? Idiot!

Lawman's Redemption, by Marilyn Pappano

I'm starting a book by Marilyn Pappano, now: Lawman's Redemption.

Book description:

"Canyon County Undersherrif Brady Marshall hadn't planned on fatherhood, but when fourteen-year-old Les came to town claiming to be his daugher, his plans changed. Alone and in danger, Les needed help and -more important- a family. And Brady needed his old flame Hallie Madison to make that happen... "

Posted later...

Finished Lawman's Redemption and it was good, a B.

Actually, in the beginning, I thought it was going to be too tawdry and dark for me, but I finally liked it. I warmed up to Brady, who I hadn't liked at first, though I kept picturing him without a moustache. And Hallie was nice, though a little too doormat-ish and willing to do too many favours for a man with whom she had basically no relationship yet.

The suspense angle was total crap though. It made absolutely no sense that they didn't realize those goons were obviously looking for something of Lexy's (they tossed Brady's house, duh!), and tried to find out what it was that was so important to them. Luckily, the suspense didn't overwhelm the love story, which was nice.

One final thing that bothered me was the extreme evil of the bad guys. Sandra, for instance, was almost cartoonish in her evilness, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Oh, and I'm totally pissed at the marketing imbecile who wrote the blurb to this. WTF are you doing, mentioning his "daughter"'s kidnapping when said kidnapping occurs on page 210 of a 250 page book? Idiot!

Ok, I finished For All Eternity and I'm conflicted. Rationally, I had too many problems with the book to be able to say I liked it, but I still enjoyed it very, very much. In a sense, my gut is saying "A" but my head is saying "C". A "B" seems like a good compromise.

Cullman is good at changing characters during the book. Here, Sophia was really hateful at the beginning, a shallow, selfish bitch, but she was greatly improved and almost unrecognizable by the end of the book. But here comes one of my problems: this process would have been much more believable if it had taken more than the single month it took. Another advantage of that would have been that by then Sophie would have been older than the 17 she is here (ick, by the way). Maybe I'm just wanting the author to write the book I would have written, but an interval of, say, a year, between the time Sophie leaves London and the time Nicholas finds here at her parents' house would have helped the whole plot make much more sense. As it was, I felt Nicholas forgave her much too easily and unrealistically. Ok, he saw by her actions that she wasn't quite as shallow as he'd thought, but to fall in love with her because of it? Please!

In spite of all this, it was a very sweet love story, and I adored Nicholas. He was one of those honorable, almost boring heroes that I love. The story was also quite funny at times (the 3 prospective brides for Nicholas were priceless, especially the one with the "angling aroma"!), and I devoured it in mere hours. I seem to find Cullman's style very easy to read, because I did exactly the same with her last.

For All Eternity, by Heather Cullman

My next read is Heather Cullman's For All Eternity. I loved the sequel, which I read first. It dealt with the villain in this one.

Blurb:

"When a beautiful, spoiled heiress' life is turned upside-down, she flees London seeking help from her great-great uncle. When she learns he will not return to his estate for a month, she has no choice but to take a job as a maid in a country manor. Little does she know the manor is owned by the parents of the man whom she refused to marry months before. When he unexpectedly shows up, he recognizes her and gives her an ultimatum--keep working, or he will reveal her secret which could land her in jail! But the longer she stays, the harder it is to deny another secret...her growing love for the handsome nobleman."

Posted later...

Ok, I finished For All Eternity and I'm conflicted. Rationally, I had too many problems with the book to be able to say I liked it, but I still enjoyed it very, very much. In a sense, my gut is saying "A" but my head is saying "C". A B seems like a good compromise.

Cullman is good at changing characters during the book. Here, Sophia was really hateful at the beginning, a shallow, selfish bitch, but she was greatly improved and almost unrecognizable by the end of the book. But here comes one of my problems: this process would have been much more believable if it had taken more than the single month it took. Another advantage of that would have been that by then Sophie would have been older than the 17 she is here (ick, by the way). Maybe I'm just wanting the author to write the book I would have written, but an interval of, say, a year, between the time Sophie leaves London and the time Nicholas finds here at her parents' house would have helped the whole plot make much more sense. As it was, I felt Nicholas forgave her much too easily and unrealistically. Ok, he saw by her actions that she wasn't quite as shallow as he'd thought, but to fall in love with her because of it? Please!

In spite of all this, it was a very sweet love story, and I adored Nicholas. He was one of those honorable, almost boring heroes that I love. The story was also quite funny at times (the 3 prospective brides for Nicholas were priceless, especially the one with the "angling aroma"!), and I devoured it in mere hours. I seem to find Cullman's style very easy to read, because I did exactly the same with her last.

Gift of Gold is vintage Krentz. An A- This is what is missing in the books she's published ever since 1996, this high level of emotion in the characters. The characters in post- 1996 books are almost cold, whereas she had accustomed me to characters who deeply need and want each other. They (like Jonas here) need each other to literally hang on to their sanity and live a normal life.

Obviously, I loved Verity and Jonas. I'm sure I'll be revisiting them in Gift of Fire very, very soon. Their relationship was lovely (except for the ass-spanking scene!), with all the raw emotion I've mentioned.

The suspense subplot, with the psychometry element was excellent. This is how a paranormal element should be handled. It was always there, taking the forefront at appropriate times, and leaving the centre stage (but staying there) for the characters and the rest of the plot when necessary. Very often, authors (I'm thinking of Josie Litton's Viking trilogy, for instance) will set the stage for a very interesting paranormal element and then completely forget it when the suspense plot starts to get interesting.

Also, Krentz does the "theme" thing very well in her books, using something (the Italian Renaissance, in this case) in analogies and descriptions throughout the whole book. It works for her, but I can just imagine the weird images someone who's not such a good writer would come up with.

I felt really sorry for Caitlin, but the way she was ready to use Jonas and Verity put her beyond the pale, IMO. I wouldn't have forgiven her.

Earlier today, I tried to pinpoint when Jayne Ann Krentz jumped the shark for me (there was a column in AAR over a year ago which dealt with the concept as applied to romance novels).

As it happens, it turns out I find she jumped it in the same year, 1996, for both her Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick novels.

For JAK, it was after Absolutely, Positively, the last one by her that I've loved (not that I haven't enjoyed others after it; I have, but they lost the magic her earlier work had):

Twist of Fate (1986)

Sweet Starfire (1986)

Crystal Flame (1986)

A Coral Kiss (1987)

Midnight Jewels (1987)

Gift of Gold (1988)

Gift of Fire (1989)

Golden Chance (1990)

Silver Linings (1991)

Sweet Fortune (1991)

Perfect Partners (1992)

Family Man (1992)

Wildest Hearts (1993)

Hidden Talents (1993)

Grand Passion (1994)

Trust Me (1995)

Connecting Rooms (novella 1995)

Absolutely, Positively (1996)



Here was the jump, IMO



Deep Waters (1997)

Sharp Edges (1998)

Flash (1998)

Eye of the Beholder (1999)

Soft Focus (2000)

Eclipse Bay (2000)

Lost & Found (2001)

Dawn in Eclipse Bay (2001)

Smoke In Mirrors (2002)

Summer in Eclipse Bay (2002)



In her Amanda Quick, books, the jump came after Mischief:



Seduction (1990)

Surrender (1990)

Scandal (1991)

Rendezvous (1991)

Ravished (1992)

Reckless (1992)

Deception (1993)

Desire (1993)

Dangerous (1993)

Mistress (1994)

Mystique (1995)

Mischief (1996)



JUMP



Affair (1997)

With This Ring (1998)

I Thee Wed (1999)

Wicked Widow (2000)

Slightly Shady (2001)

Don't Look Back (2002)

Gift of Gold, by Jayne Ann Krentz

A little earlier today I started an older book by Jayne Ann Krentz, one of my favourite authors. It's Gift of Gold, a book published in 1988.

Short summary:

"Restaurant owner Verity Ames tries to resist the tempting advances of her charming new employee, Jonas Quarrel, but when his past catches up with him, only Verity's kisses can save him."

I'd already read the sequel years ago, Gift of Fire, and I'd loved it.

Posted later...

Gift of Gold is vintage Krentz. An A- This is what is missing in the books she's published ever since 1996, this high level of emotion in the characters. The characters in post- 1996 books are almost cold, whereas she had accustomed me to characters who deeply need and want each other. They (like Jonas here) need each other to literally hang on to their sanity and live a normal life.

Obviously, I loved Verity and Jonas. I'm sure I'll be revisiting them in Gift of Fire very, very soon. Their relationship was lovely (except for the ass-spanking scene!), with all the raw emotion I've mentioned.

The suspense subplot, with the psychometry element was excellent. This is how a paranormal element should be handled. It was always there, taking the forefront at appropriate times, and leaving the centre stage (but staying there) for the characters and the rest of the plot when necessary. Very often, authors (I'm thinking of Josie Litton's Viking trilogy, for instance) will set the stage for a very interesting paranormal element and then completely forget it when the suspense plot starts to get interesting.

Also, Krentz does the "theme" thing very well in her books, using something (the Italian Renaissance, in this case) in analogies and descriptions throughout the whole book. It works for her, but I can just imagine the weird images someone who's not such a good writer would come up with.

I felt really sorry for Caitlin, but the way she was ready to use Jonas and Verity put her beyond the pale, IMO. I wouldn't have forgiven her.

I finished The Man Who Loved Christmas and I loved it. It was an A- for me. I'm not usually into tear-jerkers, but I read half this book with a lump in my throat and loved it. I think the difference is that the lump was because the story was so emotional, not because the characters are going through tragedies.

The love story was very well done, from the time Dylan and Beth were enemies to their first rapprochement at the hotel, to their deciding to commit to each other. Shay succeeded in showing their changing feelings. I must be a bit of a sadist, because I liked seeing Dylan suffer, wanting more from a woman who was determined to give him nothing but sex. I was rooting for him, but he still needed to suffer a bit.

I understood Beth's issues (something I wasn't able to do in the preceeding book in the series), and I thought her reaction to them was realistic. Of course, I thought Dylan and the psychologist were right in forcing her to start living again, but her reaction to so much loss was realistic.

I liked that when she gets pregnant, she actually considers an abortion as a possibility. This was a first for a Harlequin for me. In this particular case, I felt her decision to not go through with it (of course! this is a romance novel after all. If I ever read a romance where the heroine has an abortion or has had in the past and isn't made to "pay" for it, I'll know romance publishers have really started to respect their readers) was the right thing to do. I understood her impulse to not want something to care about a child again, and risk losing it, but in this case having it was the right thing.

I found the setting of the book, with the training of the new recruits for the Fire Department, very interesting. However, at times it felt like Shay just wanted to cram every fact she found in her research into the book, and it felt a little artificial. It was interesting, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't very smoothly incorporated.

The Man Who Loved Christmas, by Kathryn Shay

Next I'm reading the second in Kathryn Shay's firefighter series, The Man Who Loved Christmas. I liked the first one in the series, Feel the Heat.

Plot summary:

Dylan's a risk-taker and fights fires by confronting danger head-on. Beth instructs her recruits at the Fire Academy that caution and safety is the credo of a good firefighter. So when Dylan comes to teach at the academy, the clash is inevitable. But so is the attraction between them...

Posted later...

I finished The Man Who Loved Christmas and I loved it. It was an A- for me. I'm not usually into tear-jerkers, but I read half this book with a lump in my throat and loved it. I think the difference is that the lump was because the story was so emotional, not because the characters are going through tragedies.

The love story was very well done, from the time Dylan and Beth were enemies to their first rapprochement at the hotel, to their deciding to commit to each other. Shay succeeded in showing their changing feelings. I must be a bit of a sadist, because I liked seeing Dylan suffer, wanting more from a woman who was determined to give him nothing but sex. I was rooting for him, but he still needed to suffer a bit.

I understood Beth's issues (something I wasn't able to do in the preceeding book in the series), and I thought her reaction to them was realistic. Of course, I thought Dylan and the psychologist were right in forcing her to start living again, but her reaction to so much loss was realistic.

I liked that when she gets pregnant, she actually considers an abortion as a possibility. This was a first for a Harlequin for me. In this particular case, I felt her decision to not go through with it (of course! this is a romance novel after all. If I ever read a romance where the heroine has an abortion or has had in the past and isn't made to "pay" for it, I'll know romance publishers have really started to respect their readers) was the right thing to do. I understood her impulse to not want something to care about a child again, and risk losing it, but in this case having it was the right thing.

I found the setting of the book, with the training of the new recruits for the Fire Department, very interesting. However, at times it felt like Shay just wanted to cram every fact she found in her research into the book, and it felt a little artificial. It was interesting, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't very smoothly incorporated.

Good Time Girl, by Candace Schuler

After reading vampires, I was ready for something extremely non-dark, so I went for a Blaze title. I read Candace Schuler's Good Time Girl.

Blurb:

After getting a makeover from prim to improper, Roxanne Archer - now just Roxy - sets out to have a good time being bad. And she has her heart set on a good-looking, dangerous cowboy to do it with. Her first stop is a west Texas honky-tonk where Tom Steele, with all his dangerous laid-back rodeo cowboy charm, strikes her fancy. But what was supposed to be a one-night stand is so good, one night isn't nearly enough.

Tom can't believe his luck. This sexy, sassy woman wants to spend the summer with him, having mind-blowing sex, then go her own way — no muss, no fuss.

They both think they've got exactly what they want. For a while.

It was no good.Though I like the basic story (people who get together for just sex and end up wanting more), and that part was well done, the setting ruined everything for me. I found it tacky and stupid. I despised the characters for loving it, Tom for feeling everyone wants to be a cowboy and Roxy for dreaming about rodeo all her life. This was my basic problem. Their relationship wasn't perfect (that scene where he pulls her face-down across his lap and smacks her, eeuuw!), but I kinda liked it.

Plus, I had some little things that bothered be too, like Tom immediately calling Roxy "Slim". WTF?? I kept thinking of Eminem... "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?" Not very romantic. And he keeps thinking of her as "a long, tall glass of water". I swear, at one point, Schuler uses that phrase 4 times in as many pages.

I also hated it when they go to his ranch, and meet his neighbour and Roxy and she start "competing" for Tom by showing they are the best at domestic duties. That was such a sexist piece of shit! Of course, in the end she gives up teaching in a private school in Connecticut to raise a dozen kids in Texas. Argghh! My grade: C-.

Well, I'm done and this was nothing like the Carpathian crap. However, I've very mixed feelings about this one. I liked it, but no way I'm going to read the next ones.

On one hand, I adored Anita. She was such a wiseass, and I loved her sense of humour and her decency. Also, I was really intrigued by the world in this book, the whole normal but not too normal world, with the vampires mingling with the humans and the changes this caused in laws, etc.

On the other hand, I had lots of problems. There was way too much violence for me here. I'm usually not too squeamish, but this was past my comfort threshold. I actually stopped reading while I ate, because I was afraid I'd throw up. Blood and gore everywhere. And Anita ends up battered too often for my taste (too close to the parody in AAR!) Plus, there seemed to be a very close relationship between sex and violence, which is something I really don't get. Jean-Claude was an intriguing character, but he spends over half the book inside a coffin. Additionally, the religious element was a bit off-puting for little agnostic me. I had a problem with Nikolaos too, she was too over-the-top evil. If she'd had a moustache, she would probably have twirled it!! ;-D

All in all, a grade of B. Why, when I had so many problems? Because it was so original and intriguing. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not coming back for more. I definitely don't see the attraction of vampire books. I just find the idea yucky.

Guilty Pleasures, by Laurell K. Hamilton

I feel like trying something new, so I'm going to give vampires another try. The only one I had read before had been Christine Feehan's Dark Fire, which I hated. Why? Mrs. Giggles really describes my feelings when reviewing this author's latest:

"People, this is not part of the Carpathian series. Fans of Carpathians' mindrape and utter subjugation of their weak-willed walking ovaries with breasts will also be disappointed - the "intensity" of the hypnoexploitation of the said Carpathian brutes of their women is noticeably absent here."

Also, I felt the whole vampire love scenes were icky ;-D

What I'm reading next, from all accounts, is nothing like this trash. I'm trying the first installment of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, Guilty Pleasures. Let's see if I like it any better.

Posted later...

Well, I'm done and this was nothing like the Carpathian crap. However, I've very mixed feelings about this one. I liked it, but no way I'm going to read the next ones.

On one hand, I adored Anita. She was such a wiseass, and I loved her sense of humour and her decency. Also, I was really intrigued by the world in this book, the whole normal but not too normal world, with the vampires mingling with the humans and the changes this caused in laws, etc.

On the other hand, I had lots of problems. There was way too much violence for me here. I'm usually not too squeamish, but this was past my comfort threshold. I actually stopped reading while I ate, because I was afraid I'd throw up. Blood and gore everywhere. And Anita ends up battered too often for my taste (too close to the parody in AAR!) Plus, there seemed to be a very close relationship between sex and violence, which is something I really don't get. Jean-Claude was an intriguing character, but he spends over half the book inside a coffin. Additionally, the religious element was a bit off-puting for little agnostic me. I had a problem with Nikolaos too, she was too over-the-top evil. If she'd had a moustache, she would probably have twirled it!! ;-D

All in all, a grade of B. Why, when I had so many problems? Because it was so original and intriguing. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not coming back for more. I definitely don't see the attraction of vampire books. I just find the idea yucky.

I finally finished My Lady de Burgh, and it was just ok, a B-.

I mean, it was readable and I liked it, but it was not one of Simmonds' best. It did have most of the elements that have made her one of the few writers whose Medievals I read, but things simply didn't jibe as they should.

The good parts were:

• It was quite lite (not light!), which is the way I prefer my Medievals


• The H/h really had lots of chemistry going on and were quite likeable


• the part about life in the nunnery was interesting

On the flip side, too many clichéd plot devices. For instance: you don't lie down and fall asleep on a guys bed when you go to find him in his room and he isn't there. That's just a plot device so that he can find the heroine there and have a love scene. Also, it was TSTL behaviour on Sybil's part not accepting marriage in name only to Robin when her life was in danger.

Other problems: the dénouément of the suspense part felt rushed, especially in the resolution. It was way over the top how everyone bowed before the great power of the de Burghs, and the whole congregation in the ecclesiastical court an opportunity to get all the de Burghs together so that they could make their obligatory appearance in this book (I hate when that happens in series).

My Lady de Burgh, by Deborah Simmons

I'm going with a Medieval light, by Deborah Simmons. It's the last published of her de Burgh series, My Lady de Burgh.

Short description:

Blaming the rash of family weddings on some sort of curse, Robin de Burgh tries to find a cure, but instead he stumbles across murder, mystery, and his own mate.

Posted later...

I finally finished My Lady de Burgh, and it was just ok, a B-.

I mean, it was readable and I liked it, but it was not one of Simmonds' best. It did have most of the elements that have made her one of the few writers whose Medievals I read, but things simply didn't jibe as they should.

The good parts were:

• It was quite lite (not light!), which is the way I prefer my Medievals



• The H/h really had lots of chemistry going on and were quite likeable



• the part about life in the nunnery was interesting

On the flip side, too many clichéd plot devices. For instance: you don't lie down and fall asleep on a guys bed when you go to find him in his room and he isn't there. That's just a plot device so that he can find the heroine there and have a love scene. Also, it was TSTL behaviour on Sybil's part not accepting marriage in name only to Robin when her life was in danger.

Other problems: the dénouément of the suspense part felt rushed, especially in the resolution. It was way over the top how everyone bowed before the great power of the de Burghs, and the whole congregation in the ecclesiastical court an opportunity to get all the de Burghs together so that they could make their obligatory appearance in this book (I hate when that happens in series).

I don't know what to read next. Looking at my reading spreadsheet, I notice I usually don't read books of the same genre back to back. In fact, I consciously try to vary my genres, so I don't get burnt out on a given one.

I made a little graph of my reading this past year. On the Y-axis are the genres, coded, and on the X-axis is basically time. I put correlative numbers on each reading entry. It looks almost like white noise ;-D

Basically, what I see in this graph is confirmation of what I try to do. I jump a lot from genre to genre ;-D I'm such a nerd!!

I've just finished Promises to Keep and I have mixed feelings about it. There were some things which were great, but others which force me to lower my grade, which is finally a B.

Let's get the bad stuff over with: I really couldn't connect with Suzanna and Joe as a couple. I didn't see any chemistry and I skimmed over their love scenes (in fact, I didn't pay much attention to most of their scenes where the plot wasn't being advanced). I just didn't care what happened to them. This would usually be enough to get a failing grade from me.

However, even if I never got to care about the main couple and this lowered my grade, I liked the book. First off, Luke and Kelsey were spectacular. Not only the piquancy of the situation (which was fun to read, the whole appeal of the forbidden ;-D), but the characters themselves. I adored Luke (I tend to prefer boyish men to alpha guys; LOL! I don't want to think what that says about me!) and Kelsey was so very ethical about the whole situation. Loved the resolution to their story, with the 7 sisters trying to interfere! And I was waiting a long time for that final love scene, which was so very well done!

The plot about the school in danger was very well executed, much better than the other book I read, though it got a bit too preachy in the last part, where the whole book started to sound like a pamphlet. It got me thinking about how different things seem to be in high schools in the US and here. They seem to spend comparatively so much time in non-academic stuff. I can't figure if that's good or bad, however.

Nit: it was weird that Suzanna's son, Josh, had so little presence in this book. He never came together as a character. What happened? Was he edited out? The other teenagers were well-drawn, but not him.

First book were I've seen September 11th mentioned, just in passing, as something that has affected the school's students. It's interesting to see it already in pop culture.

Promises to Keep, by Kathryn Shay

I've started reading Kathryn Shay's debut single title, Promises to Keep. I loved the series book of hers that I've read, and the story-line in this one looks very interesting. However, I'm a bit apprehensive because the last book I've read which dealt with a school shooting was pretty awful (Lisa Gardner's The Third Victim).

Plot summary:

"In one of life's greatest ironies, Joe Stonehouse, secret service agent, the man who'd always protected his family, is away on assignment when a fellow high-school student shoots and kills his beloved niece. Now part of the special School Threat Assessment Team, Joe uses his credentials as a clinical psychologist to help in his role as Fairholm High's school counselor, while youthful-looking agent Luke Ludzecky, masquerading as Joe's rebellious nephew, completes his cover. Principal Suzanna Quinn is furious to find out that the new staff member is actually a secret service agent, but a student's suicide note warns of plans to commit violent acts, so she reluctantly goes along with the charade. As they work together, Suzanna's resentment of Joe evaporates, and mutual respect turns to love. Shay does an admirable job with a difficult subject, writing about school violence with sensitivity and realism and without shying away from any of the hard issues, such as the balance between the students' protection and their civil liberties." Shelley Mosley - Copyright © American Library Association.

Posted later...

First book were I've seen September 11th mentioned, just in passing, as something that has affected the school's students. It's interesting to see it already in pop culture.

...and posted later still:

I've just finished Promises to Keep and I have mixed feelings about it. There were some things which were great, but others which force me to lower my grade, which is finally a B.

Let's get the bad stuff over with: I really couldn't connect with Suzanna and Joe as a couple. I didn't see any chemistry and I skimmed over their love scenes (in fact, I didn't pay much attention to most of their scenes where the plot wasn't being advanced). I just didn't care what happened to them. This would usually be enough to get a failing grade from me.

However, even if I never got to care about the main couple and this lowered my grade, I liked the book. First off, Luke and Kelsey were spectacular. Not only the piquancy of the situation (which was fun to read, the whole appeal of the forbidden ;-D), but the characters themselves. I adored Luke (I tend to prefer boyish men to alpha guys; LOL! I don't want to think what that says about me!) and Kelsey was so very ethical about the whole situation. Loved the resolution to their story, with the 7 sisters trying to interfere! And I was waiting a long time for that final love scene, which was so very well done!

The plot about the school in danger was very well executed, much better than the other book I read, though it got a bit too preachy in the last part, where the whole book started to sound like a pamphlet. It got me thinking about how different things seem to be in high schools in the US and here. They seem to spend comparatively so much time in non-academic stuff. I can't figure if that's good or bad, however.

Nit: it was weird that Suzanna's son, Josh, had so little presence in this book. He never came together as a character. What happened? Was he edited out? The other teenagers were well-drawn, but not him.

Good book, but not the best I've read. A grade of B. For some reason (maybe I was just restless) I kept leaving it aside after reading 4 or 5 pages.

There were lots of things I liked. For one thing, their professions were original for a romance novel (he an architect, she an ad-woman). Also, this was one of those books where you can clearly see the process of H/h falling in love, through conversations, etc. And they are very convincing as a couple in love. I helps that throughout most of the book we see them doing regular courtship stuff: going to a ball game, dinner at her parents' house, a picnic with other people in the building, etc. Sean was a nice 2ndary character, though his recovery was a little to quick, and I think I'd like to read his story.

What didn't really work for me here, in spite of the well-drawn characters and the believable love story, was the suspense subplot. First: I would have thought Chase would have tried to keep up to date about Granger, what he was doing, etc. I don't know, that's what I'd do. Also, it was so very obvious it was Granger's son who was after them. Why didn't they see it? Plus, aside from those plot holes, I don't really like the whole "I have to leave so that you are safe" story line.

Stevie's Chase, by Justine Davis

I'm now starting another book by Justine Davis: Stevie's Chase. I've had it for a while but I'd forgotten about it. After reading Hunter's Way, however, I grabbed it.

Blurb:

"Who Was Chase Sullivan?
Stevie Holt found herself watching for him, waiting to hear her neighbor's motorcycle roar into his driveway. All she knew about Chase Sullivan was that he filled out a simple white T-shirt and a pair of tight, worn jeans better than any man she'd ever seen, and that the rugged loner wasn't interested in making friends - until the day Stevie gave Chase no choice....

The strawberry blonde next door with the sky-blue eyes had a heart that was just asking to be broken. Chase didn't just look dangerous, he was dangerous - to anyone foolish enough to care about him, to love him. Forced to live in the darkness, how could he ever take the sweetness Stevie was offering?"

Posted later...

Good book, but not the best I've read. A grade of B. For some reason (maybe I was just restless) I kept leaving it aside after reading 4 or 5 pages.

There were lots of things I liked. For one thing, their professions were original for a romance novel (he an architect, she an ad-woman). Also, this was one of those books where you can clearly see the process of H/h falling in love, through conversations, etc. And they are very convincing as a couple in love. I helps that throughout most of the book we see them doing regular courtship stuff: going to a ball game, dinner at her parents' house, a picnic with other people in the building, etc. Sean was a nice 2ndary character, though his recovery was a little to quick, and I think I'd like to read his story.

What didn't really work for me here, in spite of the well-drawn characters and the believable love story, was the suspense subplot. First: I would have thought Chase would have tried to keep up to date about Granger, what he was doing, etc. I don't know, that's what I'd do. Also, it was so very obvious it was Granger's son who was after them. Why didn't they see it? Plus, aside from those plot holes, I don't really like the whole "I have to leave so that you are safe" story line.

One of the best of the In Death series in a long time. Definitely a keeper for me, and an A+.

I know the best part of these books (and what most people keep reading them for) is always the interaction between the characters, but I really enjoyed the suspense sub-plot this time, and felt it added a lot to our knowledge of the characters. It was interesting to see how Eve and Roarke had such different reactions to what the Purity Seekers were doing, and these reactions were very true to the characters. However... maybe having innocent people killed as bystanders by the actions of this group was a little cop-out on Nora's part. As it was, of course we'd condemn Purity. But what if their plan had worked correctly? Would she have been able to write as effectively a story where all the victims really deserved to be dead? Where the problem with Purity was only that they were vigilantes and operating outside the law, not that they were also endangering innocent bystanders? Mind you, I still enjoyed the way it was written, but sometimes it's fun to play "what if"s.

I always say you can usually more or less infer quite a few things about the author based on their books. This one really made clear the fact that Nora is probably quite liberal. Many of the Purity Seekers were "staunch conservatives" (especially Dukes, a really loathsome character), and at the end, she has Mayor Peachtree stay in his post (at least that's what I interpreted) even though he's a transvestite. I quite like this, but I know I would hate it if her ideology were different to mine.

Other miscellaneous stuff: I liked the pregnant Mavis part, a good way of giving something to the fans who keep screaming for Eve and Roarke to have a kid, without giving said fans exactly what they want, which would be a disaster for the series. I was surprised (happily) to see the final round-up of the suspects go exactly as planned, with no snafus, and the way Eve screwed the villain in the end was priceless.

I just found something funny.

Opening line of Purity in Death:

"The heat was murder. July flexed her sweaty muscles, eyed the goal, and drop-kicked New York into the sweltering steambath of summer."

So far so good. But last week there was a contest in All About Romance where you had to identify the book some opening lines came from. One of them was:

"Summer, that vicious green bitch, flexed her sweaty muscles and flattened Innocence, Mississippi"

Now, where does this line come from? The answer is Carnal Innocence, by none other than Nora Roberts, aka J.D. Robb! Is she starting to repeat herself or what? I still love her, though ;-)

Purity in Death, by JD Robb (In Death #15)

I've started Purity in Death, by Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb. I'm very anxious to read this: I preordered it from Barnes & Noble about 2 weeks ago, but it got here only yesterday. Normally, I would wait until the weekend to read it, but I just couldn't wait. Plus, they've already started discussing it in the JD Robb fans group I belong to, and I can't wait to join the conversation.



Blurb:

Louie Cogburn had spent three days holed up in his apartment, staring at his computer screen. His pounding headache was unbearable-like spikes drilling into his brain. And it was getting worse. Finally, when someone knocked at his door, Louie picked up a baseball bat, opened the door, and started swinging...

The first cop on the scene fired his stunner twice and Louie died instantly. Detective Eve Dallas has taken over the investigation, but there's nothing to explain the man's sudden rage or death. The only clue is a bizarre message left on his computer screen: Absolute Purity Achieved.

And when a second man dies under nearly identical circumstances, Dallas starts racking her brain for answers and for courage to face the impossible...that this might be a computer virus able to spread from machine to man...

Posted later...

I just found something funny.

Opening line of Purity in Death:

"The heat was murder. July flexed her sweaty muscles, eyed the goal, and drop-kicked New York into the sweltering steambath of summer."

So far so good. But last week there was a contest in All About Romance where you had to identify the book some opening lines came from. One of them was:

"Summer, that vicious green bitch, flexed her sweaty muscles and flattened Innocence, Mississippi"

Now, where does this line come from? The answer is Carnal Innocence, by none other than Nora Roberts, aka J.D. Robb! Is she starting to repeat herself or what? I still love her, though ;-)

And posted later still...

One of the best of the In Death series in a long time. Definitely a keeper for me, and an A+.

I know the best part of these books (and what most people keep reading them for) is always the interaction between the characters, but I really enjoyed the suspense sub-plot this time, and felt it added a lot to our knowledge of the characters. It was interesting to see how Eve and Roarke had such different reactions to what the Purity Seekers were doing, and these reactions were very true to the characters. However... maybe having innocent people killed as bystanders by the actions of this group was a little cop-out on Nora's part. As it was, of course we'd condemn Purity. But what if their plan had worked correctly? Would she have been able to write as effectively a story where all the victims really deserved to be dead? Where the problem with Purity was only that they were vigilantes and operating outside the law, not that they were also endangering innocent bystanders? Mind you, I still enjoyed the way it was written, but sometimes it's fun to play "what if"s.

I always say you can usually more or less infer quite a few things about the author based on their books. This one really made clear the fact that Nora is probably quite liberal. Many of the Purity Seekers were "staunch conservatives" (especially Dukes, a really loathsome character), and at the end, she has Mayor Peachtree stay in his post (at least that's what I interpreted) even though he's a transvestite. I quite like this, but I know I would hate it if her ideology were different to mine.

Other miscellaneous stuff: I liked the pregnant Mavis part, a good way of giving something to the fans who keep screaming for Eve and Roarke to have a kid, without giving said fans exactly what they want, which would be a disaster for the series. I was surprised (happily) to see the final round-up of the suspects go exactly as planned, with no snafus, and the way Eve screwed the villain in the end was priceless.

I think I've found a new author to glom! This book was great, an A-. I had some doubts at the beginning, because I thought the whole internal lusting was too much for a guy who was supposed to be worried about his missing son, but it got much better soon afterwards.

The kidnapping subplot was intriguing, though I guessed who the kidnapper was much too soon. That's the problem with suspense category books: they don't have space for too many characters, so you have too few of them to choose the villain from.

I loved the characters here. Hunter was strong but compassionate, and though she had the backstory to be much more tortured, she had gotten over her problems. And Josh was great for her. Seeing him confront what he had become, a father whose own son is afraid of him, was very powerful stuff. Their relationship was lovely, and I liked how Josh could only let go with Hunter, and how Hunter contained him. Finally, Davis does internal lusting VERY well.

Hunter's Way, by Justine Davis

This morning, I started Justine Davis' Hunter's Way.

Blurb:

A Father's Search
Josh Kincaid
Profile: Hard-edged business tycoon. One point of vulnerability: Jason, his missing son.
Josh Kincaid would do anything to get Jason back, even work with unorthodox investigator Hunter Garrett. He'd spent a lifetime not needing anyone. This beautiful, intelligent woman soon became important to him in ways he'd never anticipated.

Hunter Garrett
Specialty: Finding missing children. Credentials: An impressive success rate.
Hunter Garrett knew too well the devastating emotional price of losing a child, and she vowed to prevent that tragedy from happening to Josh. She relied only on her uncanny instinct, but Josh stirred her other senses, unearthing long-buried desires. So she soon found her greatest challenge was to love again.

It looks good so far, but I found it incredibly distracting that Josh keeps lusting for Hunter as soon as he meets her, when his son has just been discovered to be missing. One would think he'd be preocupied about that, not about how Hunter looks!

Posted later...

I think I've found a new author to glom! This book was great, an A-. I had some doubts at the beginning, because I thought the whole internal lusting was too much for a guy who was supposed to be worried about his missing son, but it got much better soon afterwards.

The kidnapping subplot was intriguing, though I guessed who the kidnapper was much too soon. That's the problem with suspense category books: they don't have space for too many characters, so you have too few of them to choose the villain from.

I loved the characters here. Hunter was strong but compassionate, and though she had the backstory to be much more tortured, she had gotten over her problems. And Josh was great for her. Seeing him confront what he had become, a father whose own son is afraid of him, was very powerful stuff. Their relationship was lovely, and I liked how Josh could only let go with Hunter, and how Hunter contained him. Finally, Davis does internal lusting VERY well.

I finished Shades of Honor yesterday, but I couldn't post until now because we had a big storm and my internet connection was wiped out for a while. My grade is a B+. This was a likeable book, but it lost a lot of strength in the final 70 pages, after Radford and Evelyn's relationship was outed. I really enjoyed the build-up towards it, how the characters behaved when confronted with the problem of loving someone they shouldn't be loving, but after the confrontation scene, pfft, the book just lost steam. A pity.

This will sound shallow, but I had a little problem with the (only!) love scene. After all that heavy internal lusting, the payoff was extremely lackluster.

Still, points given for the interesting setting of post-Civil War New York state (much more to my taste than Southern settings) and for making Kyle a likeable character. I'll probably buy his book, which is apparently the next Lindstrom will release.

Shades of Honor, by Wendy Lindstrom

I'm reading Wendy Lindstrom's Shades of Honor next. It's not the type of book I'd usually buy, but the AAR DIK review convinced me to try it.

Plot summary:

"Former Union soldier Radford Grayson returns to his small home town, looking for a stable and comforting place to raise his young, motherless daughter. Despite his troubled past, his hopes are to reconcile with his family and put his dark secrets behind him. But he doesn't count on falling in love with Evelyn-his brother's fiancée...

When Evelyn Tucker accepted her childhood friend Kyle Grayson's marriage proposal, she thought it was the best way to make her ailing father happy. But when Radford arrives home, the fiery and independent Evelyn soon realizes that the comfort and friendship Kyle has provided her with will never hold a candle to the instant, undeniable passion she feels for Radford. Now their forbidden desire threatens to shatter family ties and destroy newfound dreams-unless their love has the power to overcome all obstacles... "

Posted later...

I finished Shades of Honor yesterday, but I couldn't post until now because we had a big storm and my internet connection was wiped out for a while. My grade is a B+. This was a likeable book, but it lost a lot of strength in the final 70 pages, after Radford and Evelyn's relationship was outed. I really enjoyed the build-up towards it, how the characters behaved when confronted with the problem of loving someone they shouldn't be loving, but after the confrontation scene, pfft, the book just lost steam. A pity.

This will sound shallow, but I had a little problem with the (only!) love scene. After all that heavy internal lusting, the payoff was extremely lackluster.

Still, points given for the interesting setting of post-Civil War New York state (much more to my taste than Southern settings) and for making Kyle a likeable character. I'll probably buy his book, which is apparently the next Lindstrom will release.

Oh wow! Whisper's "Burning" rating in the AAR review was well earned! This was a B for me. I liked it, and amazingly enough, it was believable that Genna didn't recognize Nick. And BTW, come on! He should have imagined she wasn't going to be very happy when she found out the truth.

Was I the only one who felt uncomfortable reading a scene with the hero having (or almost having) sex with another woman with the heroine watching? It recovered from that, however, and I forgot that scene.

The problem I had with this one was that it felt like there was a prequel somewhere, where we see why and how Nick falls in love with Genna, but I didn't find anything in Warren's backlist. This was where the book wasn't as good as it could have been: we never really see that Nick loves her.

Whisper, by Nancy Warren

The next book I'm reading is a Blaze: Whisper, by Nancy Warren. I've heard good things about it in message boards, so I have great hopes for it.

Plot summary:

"Lawyer Genna Monroe doesn't mean to eavesdrop on a private romantic liaison one sultry night in New Orleans. When she hears the man's sexy whisper, though, she feels as if he's seducing her. Now she can't get his voice out of her mind, and just thinking of him isn't enough. She has to have his body, too....

Nick Cavallo knows of his best friend's desires for a secret rendezvous, and is more than willing to fulfill them. He's wanted Genna for longer than he can remember, and who cares if their steamy nights need to be anonymous? Provided she never finds out the truth, he's happy...and so is she. But when Nick wants more than just hot sex, he's not sure if Genna will want the man behind the voice...."

I usually find books where the heroine meets the hero in disguise (or vice-versa) and doesn't recognize him a little problematic. It's a little like believing Lois Lane doesn't recognize Superman is really Clark Kent because he's not wearing glasses!Posted later...

Oh wow! Whisper's "Burning" rating in the AAR review was well earned! This was a B for me. I liked it, and amazingly enough, it was believable that Genna didn't recognize Nick. And BTW, come on! He should have imagined she wasn't going to be very happy when she found out the truth.

Was I the only one who felt uncomfortable reading a scene with the hero having (or almost having) sex with another woman with the heroine watching? It recovered from that, however, and I forgot that scene.

The problem I had with this one was that it felt like there was a prequel somewhere, where we see why and how Nick falls in love with Genna, but I didn't find anything in Warren's backlist. This was where the book wasn't as good as it could have been: we never really see that Nick loves her.

The Star Price was great fun; a grade of A-. I'm beginning to think I'll have to read more science fiction, because I enjoy the whole world-building stuff so much.

Apart from a great setting, this one had one of the loveliest heros I've ever read. I'm a sucker for the nerdy, honorable hero, who always tries to do the right thing, but isn't frightened of fighting for what he wants, and Ian was all that. And Tee'ah was the right woman for him. Very often this goody-2-shoes heros are paired with shrews, but Tee'ah was nice too (niceness is often underrated in romance), as well as honorable. I also loved that there wasn't too much adventure here (not life-in-peril situations, that is) and that court intrigue didn't overwhelm the story.

This one wasn't an A+ only because of the ending, which was way too much and melodramatic. I didn't like it at all. Also, a little problem: I don't know how much of a stand-alone this book was. I mean, I don't know if I would've enjoyed it so much if I hadn't read The Star King, where we see how Earth comes into the Trade Federation.

The Star Prince, by Susan Grant

I feel like reading something different, so I'm going with Susan Grant. I read the AAR DIK review of Contact a few days ago, and that reminded me that I still have The Star Prince (Pandora's Box review) to read, and it sounds great.

Plot summary (from Amazon.com):

"Imagine for a moment that you're a twenty-year-old guy in college, working on a finance degree, when your divorced mother remarries -- a king. But you're happy for her, and gradually you grow used to the idea. Imagine now that several years later your stepfather tells you that he's picked you to succeed him, and the next thing you know, you're the crown prince, thrust into a world you never envisioned, complicated by a court-load of scheming royals who don't think you belong there, either. And if that weren't enough, an independent-minded princess-in-peril lands in your arms, on the run from the very laws you pledged to uphold. Outmanned and outgunned, plowed under, fish out of water -- at this point, any of those terms would describe you. Only allowing yourself to be overwhelmed is a luxury you can't afford; it seems that the entire kingdom is hurtling toward war, and you're the only one who can stop it... "

Posted later...

The Star Price was great fun; a grade of A-. I'm beginning to think I'll have to read more science fiction, because I enjoy the whole world-building stuff so much.

Apart from a great setting, this one had one of the loveliest heros I've ever read. I'm a sucker for the nerdy, honorable hero, who always tries to do the right thing, but isn't frightened of fighting for what he wants, and Ian was all that. And Tee'ah was the right woman for him. Very often this goody-2-shoes heros are paired with shrews, but Tee'ah was nice too (niceness is often underrated in romance), as well as honorable. I also loved that there wasn't too much adventure here (not life-in-peril situations, that is) and that court intrigue didn't overwhelm the story.

This one wasn't an A+ only because of the ending, which was way too much and melodramatic. I didn't like it at all. Also, a little problem: I don't know how much of a stand-alone this book was. I mean, I don't know if I would've enjoyed it so much if I hadn't read The Star King, where we see how Earth comes into the Trade Federation.

I finished If a Man Answers, and it was just ok. Nothing remarkable, but entertaining and very readable. A grade of B.

The setup, which I had liked before starting the book, was actually a bit out of place here. Just an excuse to get Sam and Molly to make a truce, but after that, the whole suspense subplot didn't jibe with the overall tone of the book.

I had a couple of niggles: (1)Molly's addiction to spangles and glitter (tacky!) and (2) the fact that they went around telling everyone and his mother about Molly having heard a murder. It turned out ok, but there was no need to risk it.

Apart from the tackiness, the Vegas setting was original, and I liked it.

If a Man Answers, by Merline Lovelace

I've started the other story on the Overload 2-in-1 book. It's by Merline Lovelace, and the title is If a Man Answers. The setup of this one sounds really interesting. I've liked the previous books I've read by her, so I'm expecting to like this one too.

Blurb:

"Molly Duncan thought she was phoning her handsome neighbor Sam Henderson with a simple noise complaint. But at the sound of gunfire, she became the innocent "witness" to a murder - and was suddenly seeking the shelter of Sam's strong embrace..."

Posted later...

I finished If a Man Answers, and it was just ok. Nothing remarkable, but entertaining and very readable. A grade of B.

The setup, which I had liked before starting the book, was actually a bit out of place here. Just an excuse to get Sam and Molly to make a truce, but after that, the whole suspense subplot didn't jibe with the overall tone of the book.

I had a couple of niggles: (1)Molly's addiction to spangles and glitter (tacky!) and (2) the fact that they went around telling everyone and his mother about Molly having heard a murder. It turned out ok, but there was no need to risk it.

Apart from the tackiness, the Vegas setting was original, and I liked it.

Good day at work. I moved my things from one office to the other (I carried my personal stuff in a box, like people who've been fired do in American movies! I hope it's not a sign, or anything!), and got everything set up. I got my first assignment, and it's manageable, so I'm a bit calmer now.

I'm a bit nervous because I'm starting work in another area today. It's quite a big promotion for me, so I'm kind of scared I won't be able to handle it. Also, I loved the work I was doing, so in a way, I'm sad I'm leaving.

I've just finished Overload and it was a really good short story. There was a discussion a while ago in a Yahoo! Group I belong to (either canwetalk or aarlist, I can't remember which) about romance short stories. The conclusion seemed to be that most romance authors didn't know how to write one. They tried to squeeze a regular novel into less pages, so this meant the story felt rushed, a bit like the skeleton of a novel. I think there are a few plotlines which are perfect for a short story format (in romance, of course. I've read plenty of regular fiction short stories which are works of art). One of them is "friends falling in love" and the other is "reunion": people who've already had a relationship but broke up for some reason. Overload has this last plot. The H/h already know and love each other, so there's no need to rush through all stages of the courtship, only solve the problem which was keeping them apart. Therefore, the story doesn't feel rushed. The trick is showing in those few pages that the H/h do love each other, not just tell the reader that they do.

In this case, Linda Howard succeeded in doing so. I really saw Tom and Elizabeth as a couple, and when the story finished I really felt the problem which had been keeping them apart was solved. The setup was great fun, being marooned in a deserted building (not elevator, as the blurb implies) sounds like a nice, safe adventure, just as LH says in her intro. Love scenes took up a bit too much space, but they were LH scenes, so I wasn't too bothered by it. There were a little plot hole, however: I didn't buy Tom would leave Elizabeth alone for 6 months, not trying to force a confrontation. He was going to do so that afternoon, but he didn't seem like the type of guy who'd wait so long (too much of a hyper-alpha male).

A grade of B+.

I was thinking: what should I do with Honor's Splendour? Should it go to trade shelf? I'm not sure if I'll reread it, but I find myself resistant to getting rid of it, because there were some elements which were good.

Overload, by Linda Howard

I feel like reading something short and uncomplicated now, and I think I have the perfect Linda Howard story: Overload. It comes in a 2-in-1 book with a Merline Lovelace story.

Blurb:

Elizabeth Major couldn't believe it when a blackout had her spending a sultry summer night in an elevator with Tom Quinlan, the man she'd once loved with all her heart - the lover, she quickly discovered, who could still make her lose control...

Posted later...

I've just finished Overload and it was a really good short story. There was a discussion a while ago in a Yahoo! Group I belong to (either canwetalk or aarlist, I can't remember which) about romance short stories. The conclusion seemed to be that most romance authors didn't know how to write one. They tried to squeeze a regular novel into less pages, so this meant the story felt rushed, a bit like the skeleton of a novel. I think there are a few plotlines which are perfect for a short story format (in romance, of course. I've read plenty of regular fiction short stories which are works of art). One of them is "friends falling in love" and the other is "reunion": people who've already had a relationship but broke up for some reason. Overload has this last plot. The H/h already know and love each other, so there's no need to rush through all stages of the courtship, only solve the problem which was keeping them apart. Therefore, the story doesn't feel rushed. The trick is showing in those few pages that the H/h do love each other, not just tell the reader that they do.

In this case, Linda Howard succeeded in doing so. I really saw Tom and Elizabeth as a couple, and when the story finished I really felt the problem which had been keeping them apart was solved. The setup was great fun, being marooned in a deserted building (not elevator, as the blurb implies) sounds like a nice, safe adventure, just as LH says in her intro. Love scenes took up a bit too much space, but they were LH scenes, so I wasn't too bothered by it. There were a little plot hole, however: I didn't buy Tom would leave Elizabeth alone for 6 months, not trying to force a confrontation. He was going to do so that afternoon, but he didn't seem like the type of guy who'd wait so long (too much of a hyper-alpha male).

A grade of B+.

Just thought of another strike against it: I notice it took me ages to read. I started it on Monday and could only finish it on Wednesday evening. Definitely NOT a page-turner.

This was a difficult book to grade. I enjoyed it at times, but there were plenty of things that bothered me.

First of all, I'm not fond of the type of relationship were the hero constantly patronizes the heroine, and I felt that very often Duncan treated Madelyne like a child. There were many instances where he thought, "ok, I'll lay down the law here". I also dislike books where court intrigue is given an important role, and this happened during the ending (also about the ending, that final confrontation was terribly superfluous and out of place). Finally, I had some trouble with the writing style. I'm not a fan of purple, overblown prose, but Garwood's style felt too simplistic. I guess some people would consider it sparce and elegant, but for me it felt a little childlike.

But there were a couple of things I liked. Duncan was very quick to admit his love for Madelyne and to accept that she was right in many of the things she defied him about. The character of Madelyne was problematic for me: she was definitely not TSTL, but she was too much of an innocent for me to completely like. However, I appreciated that she showed great courage throughout the whole book, never engaging in stupid, pointless defiance and some of her excentricities were endearing.

I'll give this book a grade of B. I don't regret reading it, but I think I can safely conclude that Garwood is not the author for me.

Honor's Splendour, by Julie Garwood

Since I had such a great time with SEP, an author I hadn't really liked in the past, I've started one of Julie Garwood's. I hated the 3 other Garwoods I've tried, but 2 of them, the For the Roses trilogy and The Clayborn Brides are not supposed to be her best, so I'll see if I've changed my mind.

Plot summary:

"In the feuding English court, gentle Lady Madelyne suffered the cruel whims of her ruthless brother, Baron Louddon. Then, in vengeance for a bitter crime, Baron Duncan of Wexton -the Wolf- unleashed his warriors against Louddon's main. Exquisite Madelyne was the prize he catured...but when he gazed upon the proud beauty, he pledged to protect her with his life. In his rough-hewn castle, Duncan proved true to his honor. But when at last their noble passion conquered them both, she surrendered with all her soul. Now, for love, Madelyne would stand fast...as bravely as her Lord, the powerful Wolf who fought for...Honor's Splendour. "

Posted later...

This was a difficult book to grade. I enjoyed it at times, but there were plenty of things that bothered me.

First of all, I'm not fond of the type of relationship were the hero constantly patronizes the heroine, and I felt that very often Duncan treated Madelyne like a child. There were many instances where he thought, "ok, I'll lay down the law here". I also dislike books where court intrigue is given an important role, and this happened during the ending (also about the ending, that final confrontation was terribly superfluous and out of place). Finally, I had some trouble with the writing style. I'm not a fan of purple, overblown prose, but Garwood's style felt too simplistic. I guess some people would consider it sparce and elegant, but for me it felt a little childlike.

But there were a couple of things I liked. Duncan was very quick to admit his love for Madelyne and to accept that she was right in many of the things she defied him about. The character of Madelyne was problematic for me: she was definitely not TSTL, but she was too much of an innocent for me to completely like. However, I appreciated that she showed great courage throughout the whole book, never engaging in stupid, pointless defiance and some of her excentricities were endearing.

I'll give this book a grade of B. I don't regret reading it, but I think I can safely conclude that Garwood is not the author for me.

...and posted later still:

Just thought of another strike against it: I notice it took me ages to read. I started it on Monday and could only finish it on Wednesday evening. Definitely NOT a page-turner.

What a perfect book! Definitely an A+. I didn't want it to end, I liked it so much!

Molly was great, and though I didn't expect it, Kevin was lovely. I hadn't really liked SEP's previous books very much, but this one has converted be into a fan. Every aspect here was strong: the humour, Kevin and Molly's relationship, the plot, the secondary love story... everything. The book was filled with little details which made everything come alive

I adored Molly's books, and would have loved to read something like them when I was a child. The SKIFSA thing was very current and original, and the scary part is that it wasn't at all far-fetched. I also very much enjoyed all the modern stuff references (Prada, Comme des Garçons, Harry Potter, etc), it made it very contemporary. In a few years it may sound dated, but it was perfect for now

The secondary characters deserve a special mention here. Lilly and Liam's love story was very, very sweet, and Amy and Troy were LOL funny. Phoebe and Dan I didn't like very much (too dominating, and butted in too much into Molly's life), but their children were incredible, especially Hannah in that softball match!

The campground description was very well done, and the place sounded perfect. Very Nightingale Woods.

Finally, it was great that there wasn't much football here!

I'm just back from the stadium, where Nacional beat Peñarol 2-0 in Uruguay's most important derby! That means we are the champions with one game to spare, and we lifted the Cup right in their faces :-)

What a great book! 40 pages to go, and I don't want it to finish. I'm waiting for my food to get here so I can read the rest while I eat (a little quirk of mine: I like to read something good while I eat. It enhances my enjoyment of the food).

After I finish, I'm leaving for the stadium for the Nacional - Peñarol derby.

This Heart of Mine, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

What I started reading instead is Susan Elizabeth Phillips' This Heart of Mine. I'm 100 pages into it and it looks good. I've wanted to shake Mollie a few times (stupid decissions!), but it's improved. And I adored Kevin in Nobody's Baby But Mine, one of the few things I liked about that book.

My favourite parts so far are the children's books excerpts and Mollie's swear word: "Slytherins!" LOL!


Blurb:

"Ever since she was a teenager, children's book author Molly Somerville has been infatuated with handsome Kevin Tucker, quarterback for her sister's Chicago Stars football team. Unfortunately, Kevin doesn't know she's alive until one fateful weekend when they're marooned together at the family vacation cabin. When Molly gets carried away by her creative imagination and compromises Kevin, the results are disastrous and before the dust settles, Kevin's in trouble with his boss, Molly's in deep trouble with her emotions, and both of them are in danger of losing their hearts. Their journey to a happy ending is dicey, at best, and even if they can get past their outrageous and painful beginning, whether these two can lower their guards and let the other into their equally wary hearts is questionable."

Posted later...

What a perfect book! Definitely an A+. I didn't want it to end, I liked it so much!

Molly was great, and though I didn't expect it, Kevin was lovely. I hadn't really liked SEP's previous books very much, but this one has converted be into a fan. Every aspect here was strong: the humour, Kevin and Molly's relationship, the plot, the secondary love story... everything. The book was filled with little details which made everything come alive

I adored Molly's books, and would have loved to read something like them when I was a child. The SKIFSA thing was very current and original, and the scary part is that it wasn't at all far-fetched. I also very much enjoyed all the modern stuff references (Prada, Comme des Garçons, Harry Potter, etc), it made it very contemporary. In a few years it may sound dated, but it was perfect for now

The secondary characters deserve a special mention here. Lilly and Liam's love story was very, very sweet, and Amy and Troy were LOL funny. Phoebe and Dan I didn't like very much (too dominating, and butted in too much into Molly's life), but their children were incredible, especially Hannah in that softball match!

The campground description was very well done, and the place sounded perfect. Very Nightingale Woods.

Finally, it was great that there wasn't much football here!