Last post of the year! I'm at work right now. In about an hour we are having a kind of toast in my office and then I'm off!! I'll be receiving the New Year in Punta del Este, a seaside resort about 140 km east of Montevideo.

We'll be at my mom's best friend's house till midnight, and then I'll probably be going to some kind of party. I don't anything planned yet, but I'll probably be going out with my best friend, Cecilia, who'll be there too. I have to enjoy her while she's here, because she moved to Paraguay with her boyfriend Nico last October. Plus, we have a lot to celebrate: they recently decided to get married next June!

Last Saturday my friend Javi invited me to go with him to a wedding. It took place in a chacra (a kind of farm?) about 20 minutes from the centre of Montevideo... not that it took us 20 minutes to get there >:-/ The invitation had 2 different little maps, one in case you lived to the east of the city and one for those of us who live more or less downtown. We are both completely clueless about moving around some parts of town, so instead of using the second map, we drove all the way to Solymar (20km to the east) and then drove to the wedding from there. It took us 1 full hour. *sigh*

Anyway, we had fun, though we sat with Javi's friends from work and I ended up having to chat with their wives all through dinner. Nice ladies, but all they talked about was their children and their diets. Talk about boring! Plus, I had to tolerate the obligatory

"Are you two married or just dating?"

"Neither, just friends."

"Friends??" *wink, wink*

People are so predictable.

Anyway, when the dancing started it got better. Oh, and everyone was just shocked! because the bride and groom didn't start the dancing with the traditional waltz. Instead, they hired some mariachis and danced their first dance to one of their songs. I liked it! :-D

Deep Waters, by Jayne Ann Krentz

I know I shouldn't keep reading her books back-to-back, but I started another JAK, Deep Waters.

Plot summary:

"It's Charity Truitt's elaborate, lavish engagement party in downtown Seattle and everyone's having a good time except for Charity. She suddenly realizes that she doesn't care that Brett Loftus is such a great guy or that their marriage would put the final stamp on the merger between the department store chain she's inherited from her mother and stepfather and Brett's family's company--Loftus Athletic Gear. Charity really wants true love and is willing to wait for it, so she runs out on the party, leaving her stepbrother and sister (not to mention hapless Brett) in utter shock and comes to rest in the isolated community of Whispering Waters Cove.

Her newfound career managing a bookstore is a far cry from her executive roots, and it's clear she won't be satisfied with small-town life indefinitely. But excitement comes knocking on her door soon enough in the form of Elias Winters, a strikingly handsome man with sea-gray eyes and an uncertain past, who appears mysteriously and takes over Charms & Virtues, a ``junk shop'' owned by the recently departed Hayden Stone. Unbeknownst to Cove folk, Elias has just come from the climactic resolution of a lifelong trauma--avenging his deceased father, whose business success was thwarted by the evil Garrick Keyworth.

Charity and Elias don't share much about their pasts, but they do fall in love. Then a series of violent deaths causes them to realize that there's more going on in Whispering Waters than they'd imagined; their quest to uncover the inner-workings of the community forces them to learn- -and then face--each other's complicated histories."

Posted a few days later...

I didn't read much these last days. I was very optimistic when I packed for Punta, put like 5 books into my backpack. Turns out I could only finish Deep Waters and start one other book.

Deep Waters was very, very good. An A. I want a guy just like Elias: very beta, solid, dependable, a little mysterious, deep, vegetarian, good cook. I loved him. Problem is, with time, he was cooler than most JAK heroes and with time, her heroes stared getting cooler and cooler. Elias struck just the right balance, but the following ones weren't as good.

Charity was great too. No ditzy girl, this one, but a real grown-up woman. I really identified with her feeling she had to quit her high-powered job. It felt (in a smaller scale, of course!) just like when I quit working for the bank and came to my current job: less money and power, but work I actually like and much less stress.

Those two together were perfect. Their relationship was lovely to see develop. This was a leisurely (sp?) book. Not a page turner, but sometimes you feel just like reading something you can wallow in, so it was perfect. Anyway, Elias and Charity's relationship develops with the same rythm, and it just felt right.

And I should comment on Tal Kek Chara and the food. Now, I'm pretty sure Tal Kek Chara is supposed to be a parody, but it made sense to me! I'm weird! Then the food. All I can say is yum. I made a note of the food mentioned and I'm going to look for the recipes online and try them out.

Reckless was a good one, though not as good as Ravished. A B+

My basic problem was Gabriel. He was likeable, but he was a teeny bit too high-handed for me. I just can't tolerate heroes who try to dictate to their wives / girlfriends what to do, and Gabriel was one of them. He does reform (after a fashion) in the end, but it was a turn-off. My other quibble with him probably stems from having just read Ravished, where Gideon is crazy in love with Harriet. I just didn't feel that level of emotion in Gabriel.

He did have some redeeming qualities, though. I especially appreciated how he quickly abandoned his plans for vengeance (and good that he did: I don't really see the reasoning behind blaming a child for her parents' sins) and how he actually accepted that Clarington had had good reasons to do what he did all those years before. His relationship with Clarington and Anthony was very enjoyable after that.

Phoebe I liked. I liked her romantic nature, with a mind filled with notions of chivalry and honor, a nature hidden behind great practicality and good business sense. I found her being Gabriel's publisher a nice subplot. And I loved her pragmatism, especially when she'd impulsively ran away and then after thinking things through decided she'd been wrong and should go back.

The theme running through this book, medieval ideals and manuscripts, was great. It lead to an enjoyable tension between Phoebe, who tried to cast every one of Gabriel's actions into that mold, and Gabriel trying to disabuse her of that notion and convince her that he wasn't a medieval knight.

The suspense subplot was more interesting than most, and I liked the character of Alice, and how she got what she deserved.

Reckless, by Amanda Quick

I tried not to, but I just had to start another Amanda Quick book: Reckless. I chose this one because it's the one she wrote right after Ravished, so it's bound to be good.

Plot summary

"Phoebe Layton had always imagined Gabriel Banner a brave and valiant knight, which was why she went to him when she was in desperate need of help. but when she lures her shining knight to a lonely midnight rendezvous, Phoebe finds herself sparring with a dangerously desirable man who is nothing like the hero of her dreams. She fears she's made a dreadful mistake when Gabriel sweeps her into his arms and passionately embraces her. Yet it's a kiss that seals her fate. Now Gabriel must possess her -- even if he has to slay a dragon to do it!"

Posted later...

Reckless was a good one, though not as good as Ravished. A B+

My basic problem was Gabriel. He was likeable, but he was a teeny bit too high-handed for me. I just can't tolerate heroes who try to dictate to their wives / girlfriends what to do, and Gabriel was one of them. He does reform (after a fashion) in the end, but it was a turn-off. My other quibble with him probably stems from having just read Ravished, where Gideon is crazy in love with Harriet. I just didn't feel that level of emotion in Gabriel.

He did have some redeeming qualities, though. I especially appreciated how he quickly abandoned his plans for vengeance (and good that he did: I don't really see the reasoning behind blaming a child for her parents' sins) and how he actually accepted that Clarington had had good reasons to do what he did all those years before. His relationship with Clarington and Anthony was very enjoyable after that.

Phoebe I liked. I liked her romantic nature, with a mind filled with notions of chivalry and honor, a nature hidden behind great practicality and good business sense. I found her being Gabriel's publisher a nice subplot. And I loved her pragmatism, especially when she'd impulsively ran away and then after thinking things through decided she'd been wrong and should go back.

The theme running through this book, medieval ideals and manuscripts, was great. It lead to an enjoyable tension between Phoebe, who tried to cast every one of Gabriel's actions into that mold, and Gabriel trying to disabuse her of that notion and convince her that he wasn't a medieval knight.

The suspense subplot was more interesting than most, and I liked the character of Alice, and how she got what she deserved.

I finished Ravished earlier today and I flat-out adored it. An A. I didn't remember this one was so good.

As I said below, this one's a Beauty and the Beast romance. Gideon, who is actually called "The Beast of Blackthorne Hall by society, is one of the best tortured heroes I've read in a long time. He really is suffering, and has completely lost hope in finding someone who'll believe him. Quick conveys his loneliness beautifully, and the scenes where he realizes Harriet trusts him absolutely and finds him attractive are heart-wrenching.

Harriet is a typical Amanda Quick heroine: curious, reckless, a bluestocking. She might be a bit of a stereotype right now, but there's a freshness in her that makes her cute, not irritating. She does some things that are TSTL, but you tend to forgive her. ;-) Of course, at the time this book was written not all Regency heroines were bluestockings, so that's probably why she doesn't feel like a cliché. Quick was one of the first to write this type of heroines, after all.

The recurring theme in this one is fossils, and it is a compelling one. It's interesting to see how the discipline got started, and a bit reminiscent of the amateur egyptologists in the Amelia Peabody series.

The suspense subplot is the weakest element here. It feels disjointed, probably because we have two different mini-subplots going on here. Interesting though.

Finally, this is one of the hottest books I've read lately. The first love scene... I melted, and the rest of them were nice too.

Ravished, by Amanda Quick

I've started rereading JAK's Amanda Quick books. Looking through them yesterday, I realize I haven't reread most of them in a while, so here I go. The first one I chose is Ravished, a Beauty and the Beast story and one of my favourite Quicks.

Plot summary:

"Gideon Westbrook is helping Harriet Pomeroy track down the thieves who are using her caves for hiding stolen goods. She is one of the few people who does not fear Gideon, despite the horrible scar on his face and the gossip about his past. For the first time in years, he has met someone who puts her total trust in him, and realizes that he cannot bear to be without her. There is also one more thief they have yet to catch, which is the one person that can ruin the love that has blossomed between Gideon and Harriet."

Posted later...

I finished Ravished earlier today and I flat-out adored it. An A. I didn't remember this one was so good.

As I said below, this one's a Beauty and the Beast romance. Gideon, who is actually called "The Beast of Blackthorne Hall by society, is one of the best tortured heroes I've read in a long time. He really is suffering, and has completely lost hope in finding someone who'll believe him. Quick conveys his loneliness beautifully, and the scenes where he realizes Harriet trusts him absolutely and finds him attractive are heart-wrenching.

Harriet is a typical Amanda Quick heroine: curious, reckless, a bluestocking. She might be a bit of a stereotype right now, but there's a freshness in her that makes her cute, not irritating. She does some things that are TSTL, but you tend to forgive her. ;-) Of course, at the time this book was written not all Regency heroines were bluestockings, so that's probably why she doesn't feel like a cliché. Quick was one of the first to write this type of heroines, after all.

The recurring theme in this one is fossils, and it is a compelling one. It's interesting to see how the discipline got started, and a bit reminiscent of the amateur egyptologists in the Amelia Peabody series.

The suspense subplot is the weakest element here. It feels disjointed, probably because we have two different mini-subplots going on here. Interesting though.

Finally, this is one of the hottest books I've read lately. The first love scene... I melted, and the rest of them were nice too.

Perfect Partners, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Yesterday I read another JAK, Perfect Partners.

Plot summary:

"Midwestern librarian Letitia Thornquist didn't have the right stuff to run Thornquist Gear, Inc. That was the bottom-line opinion of Joel Blackstone, the seasoned CEO who had built the small Seattle sporting goods store into an industry giant. But Letty's rich Uncle Charlie willed her the company, and now she was bubbling with enthusiasm to have Joel, a perfect mentor, show her the ropes.

Teaching her the business was all Joel grudgingly planned to do...until the sensuous curves under Letty's navy suit and the unabashed desire in her wide, innocent eyes left him longing for a personal kind of merger. Soon his sizzling kisses convinced her that she wasn't in Kansas anymore. But no matter how skilled Joel was in the art of love, Letty knew she was at risk in his arms. Behind his tough facade she sensed a world of hurt that cried out for her warmth and understanding. She realized the "L" word might never be spoken if trust didn't make them perfect partners 9 to 5...and in the loving after-hours of midnight to dawn."

A beautiful book, an A-, which got rid of the bad taste in my mouth after the last book I read. I can't say much about this one that I haven't said 10 before, but I really loved Joel and Letty together, even if she was a little scatty for my tastes.

I enjoyed how Letty managed to earn the right to make decisions in the company, in spite of Joel's roadblocks, and it was nice seeing how she was actually right in most of her recommendations (good to see how Joel gave those decisions his full considerations and didn't dismiss them outright).

I found the characters of Diana and Keith interesting. Diana was the type of character I hate to see as a heroine, a weak, spoiled, daddy's girl, but I enjoyed seeing her grow a little back-bone here as a secondary character. And I also had lots of fun with Stephanie and Morgan. It was great to see the 3 very different women become friends in the end, and her relationship felt very believable.

And I must mention the love scenes here... some of JAK's hottest. This was a particularly good year: I'm now reading another of her books from 1992 (more on it later), and the love scenes are scorching hot too.

I've finished it now. I skimmed the last 50 pages, because it seemed like a shame not to see how it ended, but what I really wanted to do was to throw this book against a wall and never touch it again. I actually did throw it against a wall, but I picked it up again and finished it, and then put it on my trade shelf. What a waste of time and of a potentially interesting storyline! A D, at most.

I've no idea why I had such a violent reaction to it. It didn't just bore me, it offended me and made my stomach ache with frustration at the stupid, stupid characters. Julian had so much potential! But London just had to pair him with that witless Claudia Whitney! Oh, she had her heart in the right place, as a real feminist, but that only prompted anti-feminism from most other characters, and that just made me angry. And what was the message of that imbecile Sophie's storyline? "Girls, the men in your family really do know best what's good for you"?

I hated Sophie's subplot. I especially detest it when characters like that evil wife-beater William Stanwood get away with it. Julian got a divorce for Sophie, but he had to give Stanwood 50.000 lbs. to get it. If that isn't getting away with murder then I don't know what it is.

And I hated the way Julian and Claudia's relationship progressed, all that back and forth because of little misunderstandings and miscommunications. Frustrating, that's the word for this whole book.

I haven't finished The Ruthless Charmer yet. It's been hard going, basically because most of the plot has been fueled by misunderstandings and miscommunications. This is SO frustrating!

Naked in Death, by J.D. Robb (In Death #1)

Naked in Death is definitely an A+. It's interesting to see how much Nora has developed the characters and the series throughout all the books. Still, this one very much stands alone.

I have a confession to make: after reading this one and Rapture, I like the Eve of the first books much better than the one from the later ones. She's much more tolerant and is sometimes even nice. She doesn't rip people's heads off for asking "how may I help you". I still like the latest books, but I think I like these much better.

Roarke hasn't changed all that much. He's now much more developed as a character, but he hasn't fundamentally changed.

The plot itself... ok, but, as always, not the most important element of the book. What I did see much more of is world building. Nora goes into much more detail about 21st century history here than in most of the rest of the series (maybe except Loyalty). This was very enjoyable.

Huge update, wasn't it? I'll be back after Christmas!

The Ruthless Charmer, by Julia London

I also started The Ruthless Charmer, by Julia London, part of "The Rogues of Regent Street" trilogy.

Plot summary:

"Julian Dane, the Earl of Kettering is being slowly tormented by guilt. Once Phillip's Rothembow's constant companion in gaming rooms and notorious boudoirs, he struggles with Phillip's death for months until he is teetering on the brink of self-destruction. Phillip's death has made Julian believe he harms those he loves. Phillip is not the first--as the guardian of four younger sisters, Julian has never been able to overcome his guilt at having lost one to fever. He believes he didn't do enough to save Valerie, and now, after months of painful reflection, he is quite certain he didn't do enough to save Phillip--because he secretly loved Phillip's intended, Claudia Whitney. It is a guilt that plagues Julian almost unto death--until he sees Claudia again. The desire for her is too strong, overpowering his guilt, and Julian fears he will stop at nothing to have her.

Unfortunately for Julian, he is the last person Claudia wants to see. Having known the most handsome Rogue for years, she sees nothing more than a charming rakehell with a horrid reputation for loving and leaving. Worse, she believes it was Julian who led Phillip down a path of debauchery and finally, death. A forward thinking daughter of an influential duke, Claudia would rather become a spinster than attach herself to the likes of Julian Dane. But as hard as she might, she cannot deny the strong physical attraction she has to him.

It is an extremely compromising situation that throws them together. But it is their growing desire for one another that pulls Julian back from the brink of despair by showing him the quality of love and infusing him with a revived will to live."

Posted later...

I haven't finished The Ruthless Charmer yet. It's been hard going, basically because most of the plot has been fueled by misunderstandings and miscommunications. This is SO frustrating!

...and posted later still:

I've finished it now. I skimmed the last 50 pages, because it seemed like a shame not to see how it ended, but what I really wanted to do was to throw this book against a wall and never touch it again. I actually did throw it against a wall, but I picked it up again and finished it, and then put it on my trade shelf. What a waste of time and of a potentially interesting storyline! A D, at most.

I've no idea why I had such a violent reaction to it. It didn't just bore me, it offended me and made my stomach ache with frustration at the stupid, stupid characters. Julian had so much potential! But London just had to pair him with that witless Claudia Whitney! Oh, she had her heart in the right place, as a real feminist, but that only prompted anti-feminism from most other characters, and that just made me angry. And what was the message of that imbecile Sophie's storyline? "Girls, the men in your family really do know best what's good for you"?

I hated Sophie's subplot. I especially detest it when characters like that evil wife-beater William Stanwood get away with it. Julian got a divorce for Sophie, but he had to give Stanwood 50.000 lbs. to get it. If that isn't getting away with murder then I don't know what it is.

And I hated the way Julian and Claudia's relationship progressed, all that back and forth because of little misunderstandings and miscommunications. Frustrating, that's the word for this whole book.

Naked in Death, by J.D. Robb (In Death #1)

I started 2 books late on Sunday. One of them is the first in J.D. Robb's In Death series: Naked in Death.

Plot summary:

"In a world of danger and deception, she walks the line--between seductive passion and scandalous murder... Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all--and knows her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire--and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about--except the addictive hunger of needing his touch."

Posted later...

Naked in Death is definitely an A+. It's interesting to see how much Nora has developed the characters and the series throughout all the books. Still, this one very much stands alone.

I have a confession to make: after reading this one and Rapture, I like the Eve of the first books much better than the one from the later ones. She's much more tolerant and is sometimes even nice. She doesn't rip people's heads off for asking "how may I help you". I still like the latest books, but I think I like these much better.

Roarke hasn't changed all that much. He's now much more developed as a character, but he hasn't fundamentally changed.

The plot itself... ok, but, as always, not the most important element of the book. What I did see much more of is world building. Nora goes into much more detail about 21st century history here than in most of the rest of the series (maybe except Loyalty). This was very enjoyable.

Contact, by Susan Grant

On Sunday, I read Contact, by Susan Grant. After all the brou-ha-ha (sp?) about Wal-mart censorship, I just had to buy it new. It was worth it B+.

Plot summary:

"United Airlines pilot Jordan Cady is promoted to captain when her 747 is captured en route to Hawaii and her captain dies from a heart attack. With the events of September 11 still fresh in her mind, Jordan initially believes the aircraft has been hijacked by terrorists, but she soon realizes that they've been pulled into the maw of an alien spaceship. Grant's "aliens" look and act human, but they speak Key, the official language of the "Alliance," and possess loads of Star Trek-like gadgets. Using a high-tech translator, Kào, the scarred son of the ship's commander, reluctantly informs Jordan and her passengers that a comet has destroyed Earth. While Jordan sees to the comfort of her crew, she battles an ever increasing attraction to Kào, who has demons of his own to purge. Their romance plays out against the backdrop of the war between the Alliance and the Talagars, a race of amoral humans, which makes for an explosive finish. "

The plot itself was fabulous. I found everything fascinating... seeing how the hi-jacking was handled, how the new society developed, the interactions with the aliens, etc. The world-building could have been a little better, though. There were many things that were like in Earth (like in the US, actually) which could have been different. And there were detail, like Kào automatically answering in Earth years when Jordan asked him his age. It didn't completely throw me out of the story, but it was a shame that more effort wasn't put into this area.

Jordan and Kào were great characters: Jordan a really kick-ass but still feminine woman and Kào a lovely wounded, tortured hero, who didn't torture others simply because he was tortured himself. But I just felt something was lacking in their interactions. Their falling in love was a bit too sudden for my taste.

The adventure part was fun, and the action sequences very well written. I did distrust Ilya Moray from the beginning, but this part of the book was fine

I had a problem with the ending, which I felt was too rushed. I would have loved to see more of the adjusting to Earth Kào had to do, and what the repercussions were, and all that. Also how Kào and Jordan interacted when not under stress.

I still enjoyed the story, and will continue to read Grant's books.

Into the Night, by Suzanne Brockmann

My Saturday read was probably the the book I most looked forward to this year: Into the Night, by Suzanne Brockmann.

Plot summary:

"It was supposed to be a "dog and pony show" -- an elaborate demonstration of SEAL rescue techniques -- to celebrate a presidential visit to a California naval base. Professional, no-nonsense White House staffer Joan DaCosta arrives early to scope out the area. Assigned to be her SEAL liaison is Lt. (jg) Mike Muldoon, a born leader -- strong, decisive, tough and fearless.

Against her better judgment, Joan finds herself drawn to the handsome young officer. Skilled at being "one of the guys" in the mostly male world of politics, she is dismayed when Muldoon breaks through her defenses. While tension mounts between them, fueling their growing attraction, a far more sinister danger is lurking, as terrorists plot a daring attack against the president. To protect their commander in chief, Joan and Muldoon must not only risk their hearts -- but their very lives..."

I'd heard horrible things about this, so my expectations were low with this one. I didn't expect to LOVE it, but I was sure I'd like it more than most because I like older woman / younger man romances (first criticism I'd heard: there are many readers who don't), I was prepared to forgive Sam for not giving his all to his marriage to Mary Lou (second criticism: so many people hated Sam! I didn't, maybe because I'm not a big fan of marriage, and I think marrying only for the sake of a child is never a good idea) and I don't hate Mary Lou (third criticism: I can't get over how worked up people get about this. They really hate her!).

Anyway, I was right. This isn't her best, but I did enjoy it, even if I had to fly through the last 50 pages because I had a wedding to go to. As it was, I had to go from slob to showered, dressed and make-up on (and I looked pretty damn good, too!) in under 30 minutes. I'd give this one a B+.

As I said, I was prepared to like the main story. I like the premise, and I was probably the only person in the world anxious to read Muldoon's story (I fell in love with the guy in Over The Edge!). I fell in love more in this one. I've heard people say on message boards that they thought he was immature, but I didn't think so. Maybe it's because I'm the same age (25) he's supposed to be, but to me he was endearing and generous, and lovely. Total dream man. However, I am a fan of beta heroes, so if alphas are your poison, you probably shouldn't expect to love Mike as much as I did.

Joan was ok too. A smart, modern career woman, who was never depicted as evil because she was a career woman. I can't adequately express how refreshing that was. However, she did go on too much about the age difference, and how she was a cow, and how Mike couldn't possibly love her. A bit of this would have been understandable, but she went on, and on, and on... until it became tiresome.

Oh, and I mustn't forget about their love scene! I loved the love scene in which Mike declares his love. I was a puddle by the time I was done with it! ;-) Brockmann is GOOD!

Moving on, Mary Lou (ML) and Sam. Very interesting, what Brockmann is doing. Yep, that marriage is falling apart, but both are clearly to blame. Sam never really made the effort to be a good husband and ML never made the effort to go past the SEAL image and get to know the real Sam. I started to like ML, probably because with her, we see real growth.

My biggest problem here was how this subplot was left even more open-ended than usual. Before this, in Over the Edge, the Sam / Alyssa storyline was left hanging, yes, but for each of them, we more or less knew how their lives would go on from that moment on. We might have not liked it, but it was a kind of ending, and if we had decided to stop reading right there we would have thought "ok, Sam will be unhappy with ML, Alyssa will be alone". Here we don't know if Ibraham will completely recover, what ML will do about him, and we don't know how the suspense subplot was resolved.

It's one thing to leave the fate of a couple of characters uncertain, but this is the first time the author leaves the story's suspense subplot unresolved, and I didn't like this. I did like the fact that this was less of an adventure romance than previous books. The suspense part is in the background (very much so) for most of the book and flares to life for just a couple of pages. The rest of the book concentrates on the characters, which is the way I prefer it.

Another think I didn't like was how obvious it was who the villain was. The moment Bob appeared, I knew who he was. It was obvious Brockmann wouldn't make Ibraham, the only Arab character, a villain. She's too even-handed for that. Oh, and I didn't get why Bob had those bikers beat up Ibraham. WTF was that about? BTW, I loved Ibraham, and I hope to see him and ML end up together in the next book.

And speaking of the next book... OMG that excerpt! I really hope it's not ML who's dead. That would mean Gone Too Far would be like a remake of Forever Blue, with Sam and Alyssa running around Florida trying to prove Sam's innocence, a premise I don't much like. I'm still reading it no matter what, but I'm really hoping for another kind of plot.

Finally, the WWII story was nice, but not even remotely my favourite, though I do like virginal heroes!

A Coral Kiss, by Jayne Ann Krentz

On Friday, I read my second JAK in a row: A Coral Kiss.

Plot summary:

After a scuba diving incident in the South Pacific leaves her with a dark mystery and a memory of fear, Amy Slater shuns the company of men, until Jed, a man with a secret of his own, enters her life. Amy and Jed are just friends. But when they travel to a Pacific island to solve Amy's boyfriend's murder, she fears that Jed's dark secret may be her worst danger

This one was interesting, but not one of JAK's best. Still, a B+.

I liked the relationship between Jed and Amy, and I just loved the little details, like Amy being a SF/F writer, and Jed building bird cages. JAK is great at this. The scuba diving part was fascinating too, and the suspense subplot was unobtrusive enough for me to like this.

I guess my only problem with this one was that I felt there was something lacking in Amy and Jed's relationship. Both were very nice, but I didn't really see them fall in love. They were friendly, had sex, and boom! they're in love. JAK's usually better at this.

The Golden Chance, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Ok, now that's done, I've read a lot since the last time I posted, but was too lazy to update this. So, I'll have a monumental task today!

My first read was a JAK, The Golden Chance. I'm going through my JAK shelf, and I have very few of her books left to reread. Luckily, my friend Anne has sent me a box full of books, including many JAKs. It'll be arriving in February at the latest, so I'll have them when I go on vacation late that month.

Plot summary:

"Stunning, stubborn, and independent, Philadelphia Fox lost the best friend she ever had because of the fabulously rich and powerful Lightfoot family of Washington state. Now she's got her friend's controlling shares in Lightfoot Industries -- an inheritance that brings Nick, the family's prodigal and extremely attractive son, knocking at her door.

The last thing Phila expects is to fall in love -- but the spark that ignites their quick wits and suspicious hearts soon blazes into an extraordinary passion. In Nick's arms, Phila finds the deepest satisfaction she has ever known, but behind his gray eyes lurks a disturbing enigma. P> Lost in the confusion of her own feelings, wary of her own passionate abandon, Phila faces the choice of her life. Love has never come easily for her...and if she wants it now she must believe not only in Nick, but in his formidable family as well...for this golden chance will never come again.

This was a good one, A- No villains, just the way I like it, and lots of family dynamics. JAK doesn't make the mistake of writting the protagonists' adversaries as one-dimensional evil. They are extreme right politically, but they are educable. Or they are out to sink the company, but they have some valid reasons to want revenge. Or they fuck everything that moves and wears a skirt, but they are charming. I like this about her. And speaking of secondary characters, I really liked the "marriage - in - trouble" subplot. Really sweet.

Phila and Nick are a nice fit. Phila is a bit more foolish than most JAK heroines, but she's cute (nice cute, not ugh! cute). Nick is just the type of guy she needs, and she's the type of woman who'll be perfect for him. Plus, I loved the ending.

Chasing Darkness, by Danielle Girard

Next, I'm reading a mystery novel: Chasing Darkness, by Danielle Girard.

Plot summary:

"Samantha Chase, a special agent for the Department of Justice and a former homicide detective, spends her time apprehending child abusers and caring for her orphaned twin nephews. At all times she represses her own traumatic childhood experiences and maintains an aloof distance from her colleagues, friends and family. But when a copycat killer begins targeting women who are connected to Sam through her cases, her life starts to unravel. Her colleagues wonder what she's hiding behind her icy veneer could she be a rogue cop? and a single-minded police chief who's convinced of her guilt is determined to put her away. Sam's primary ally is her ex-lover, Detective Nick Thomas, but his lingering affection for her may place her life in jeopardy."

Chasing Darkness was ok, a well-crafted mystery, but it didn't really catch my attention. A B-.

The characters were nice, both protagonists and secondary characters (though Nick's mom was such a cliché! Stereotypical wise woman, dispensing advise and talking in aphorisms), but I never really warmed up to Sam. Yes, traumatic past and everything, but some of her backstory didn't check out for me... like her divorce. This was SO melodramatic, and the strong Sam described in the book wouldn't have reacted this way.

Also, I don't really see the fascination of serial killers and, more recently, child molesters. Both appear prominently here in this book, and I'm a bit sick of reading about them.

Amaryllis and Orchid, by Jayne Castle

First of all, a repost. Some of this is not showing up in my archives, so I'm afraid it'll be lost when the posts leave the front page. So bear with me, here it is (first posted on Dic 17th):

I did manage to read something this weekend: 2 of Jayne Ann Krentz's St. Helens trilogy: Nº 1 - Amaryllis and Nº 3 - Orchid. When I started, I was sure I also had Nº 2, Zinnia, but after a long search through all my shelves, it appears I was mistaken. Bummer, I'll have to wait a couple of months until I can read it!

Plot summary for Amarillys:

In the futuristic city of New Seattle on the Earth colony of St. Helen's, love and passion bring together two very unlikely people. Amaryllis Lark is a prism, able to focus the power of a psychic talent. She's also one of the best psychic detectives working for Psynergy, Inc. She's cool, proper and completely professional-- until Lucas Trent gets past her defenses. Lucas is head of Lodestar Exploration and wants Amaryllis to help him track down a corporate thief.

This should be just another job to Amaryllis, but it turns into something much more as the rugged adventurer touches her heart and mind. Someone is betraying Lucas and he intends to find out why. Used to living life on the edge, Lucas has no interest in the prissy Miss Lark, even if her prism ability is a match for his off-the-chart talent. What starts out as a simple corporate security situation turns into a murder investigation that puts both Lucas and Amaryllis right in the middle of the danger. Lucas doesn't count on being attracted to Amaryllis, but when their minds touch, passion takes over. The unlikely duo discover that there's more to appearances than meets the eye!

Plot summary for Orchid:

This romance and mystery revolves around Orchid Adams and Rafe Stonebraker. Rafe Stonebraker is a very powerful strat-talent. His ability heightens his senses and creates an awareness of his surroundings that normal talents cannot fathom. At this point in his life, Rafe is trying to take the reins of his grandfather's shipping firm, but having been the family outcast for years, his return is looked on as less than favorable in many people's eyes, and there may even be a fight for the CEO slot. The one thing that might clench his acceptance is a proper wife. Bypassing the matchmaking agencies that seem reluctant to help, Rafe sets out on his own to find the wife he so desperately needs.

Contracting with Orchid Adams to help with some private investigation work he has, he quickly realizes he has found what he wants. Orchid's ice-prism ability more than matches his talent, and the focus that they achieve is far greater than anything either of them expects...and she likes his house. But marriage? Can it be that this primitive, all-consuming fire that burns between them is more than a hang-over effect of the prism/talent link?

When a strange alien artifact is stolen by one of Orchid's friends, a tangled web of danger and mystery weaves itself around Rafe and Orchid. A mad killer is trying to cover his tracks, but Rafe and Orchid are fast on his heels. More than once, bullets fly and the body count rises. Once the danger threatens Orchid, it will take all of Rafe's talent and then some to protect this strangely linked pair.

I give an A- to both stories. I adore St. Helens. JAK has a very good idea here: many of the ideas are what humanity might evolve into, but setting this in a world where most Earth technology has disappeared allows her to have a forward-thinking people with no high-tech gadgets. Plus, the psychic talents, which are also fascinating.

Both Amarillys and Orchid are great heroines, and Lucas and Rafe were great for them. Their relationships were lovely, and I didn't mind the fact that they seemed similar (actually, they were similar to most JAK relationships.

The suspense subplots were light and didn't overshadow the love story, just the way I like it. I'm looking forward to reading about the discovery of the alien relics in Zinnia.

I received Into the Night yesterday, and I can't wait to read it. I'm saving it for Saturday, but I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself.

Chasing Darkness was ok, a well-crafted mystery, but it didn't really catch my attention. A B-.

The characters were nice, both protagonists and secondary characters (though Nick's mom was such a cliché! Stereotypical wise woman, dispensing advise and talking in aphorisms), but I never really warmed up to Sam. Yes, traumatic past and everything, but some of her backstory didn't check out for me... like her divorce. This was SO melodramatic, and the strong Sam described in the book wouldn't have reacted this way.

Also, I don't really see the fascination of serial killers and, more recently, child molesters. Both appear prominently here in this book, and I'm a bit sick of reading about them.

Next, I'm reading a mystery novel: Chasing Darkness, by Danielle Girard.

Plot summary:

"Samantha Chase, a special agent for the Department of Justice and a former homicide detective, spends her time apprehending child abusers and caring for her orphaned twin nephews. At all times she represses her own traumatic childhood experiences and maintains an aloof distance from her colleagues, friends and family. But when a copycat killer begins targeting women who are connected to Sam through her cases, her life starts to unravel. Her colleagues wonder what she's hiding behind her icy veneer could she be a rogue cop? and a single-minded police chief who's convinced of her guilt is determined to put her away. Sam's primary ally is her ex-lover, Detective Nick Thomas, but his lingering affection for her may place her life in jeopardy."

I did manage to read something this weekend: 2 of Jayne Ann Krentz's St. Helens trilogy: Nº 1 - Amaryllis and Nº 3 - Orchid. When I started, I was sure I also had Nº 2, Zinnia, but after a long search through all my shelves, it appears I was mistaken. Bummer, I'll have to wait a couple of months until I can read it!

Plot summary for Amarillys:

In the futuristic city of New Seattle on the Earth colony of St. Helen's, love and passion bring together two very unlikely people. Amaryllis Lark is a prism, able to focus the power of a psychic talent. She's also one of the best psychic detectives working for Psynergy, Inc. She's cool, proper and completely professional-- until Lucas Trent gets past her defenses. Lucas is head of Lodestar Exploration and wants Amaryllis to help him track down a corporate thief.

This should be just another job to Amaryllis, but it turns into something much more as the rugged adventurer touches her heart and mind. Someone is betraying Lucas and he intends to find out why. Used to living life on the edge, Lucas has no interest in the prissy Miss Lark, even if her prism ability is a match for his off-the-chart talent. What starts out as a simple corporate security situation turns into a murder investigation that puts both Lucas and Amaryllis right in the middle of the danger. Lucas doesn't count on being attracted to Amaryllis, but when their minds touch, passion takes over. The unlikely duo discover that there's more to appearances than meets the eye!

Plot summary for Orchid:

This romance and mystery revolves around Orchid Adams and Rafe Stonebraker. Rafe Stonebraker is a very powerful strat-talent. His ability heightens his senses and creates an awareness of his surroundings that normal talents cannot fathom. At this point in his life, Rafe is trying to take the reins of his grandfather's shipping firm, but having been the family outcast for years, his return is looked on as less than favorable in many people's eyes, and there may even be a fight for the CEO slot. The one thing that might clench his acceptance is a proper wife. Bypassing the matchmaking agencies that seem reluctant to help, Rafe sets out on his own to find the wife he so desperately needs.

Contracting with Orchid Adams to help with some private investigation work he has, he quickly realizes he has found what he wants. Orchid's ice-prism ability more than matches his talent, and the focus that they achieve is far greater than anything either of them expects...and she likes his house. But marriage? Can it be that this primitive, all-consuming fire that burns between them is more than a hang-over effect of the prism/talent link?

When a strange alien artifact is stolen by one of Orchid's friends, a tangled web of danger and mystery weaves itself around Rafe and Orchid. A mad killer is trying to cover his tracks, but Rafe and Orchid are fast on his heels. More than once, bullets fly and the body count rises. Once the danger threatens Orchid, it will take all of Rafe's talent and then some to protect this strangely linked pair.

I give an A- to both stories. I adore St. Helens. JAK has a very good idea here: many of the ideas are what humanity might evolve into, but setting this in a world where most Earth technology has disappeared allows her to have a forward-thinking people with no high-tech gadgets. Plus, the psychic talents, which are also fascinating.

Both Amarillys and Orchid are great heroines, and Lucas and Rafe were great for them. Their relationships were lovely, and I didn't mind the fact that they seemed similar (actually, they were similar to most JAK relationships.

The suspense subplots were light and didn't overshadow the love story, just the way I like it. I'm looking forward to reading about the discovery of the alien relics in Zinnia.

I don't know if I'll be reading much this weekend. I still have quite a bit to do about my thesis plan, though it went well in my meeting on Thursday. My adviser's first comment on reading it was "I can see you've worked hard on this".

Finished Family Man. What can I say? Beautiful, vintage Krentz, an A-. Actually, nothing I haven't said before in my comments about other Krentz books: smart heroines, smart, vulnerable heros, very light suspense, lots of emphasis on relationships and the love story....

The only thing that bothered me here was how noone thought it was really stupid that Justine was so insistent on accepting only family as heads of the company. I'm just not a big believer of the "blood is thicker that water" idea.

Family Man, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Next up.. a reread. I need to read something that won't have me turning the pages to see what happens, neglecting everything else, because I have to finish writing the plan for my thesis by the 19th (and have to finish a first draft for my tutor by next Thursday). Hence, a reread. I chose my perennial favourite, Jayne Ann Krentz, and Family Man.

Plot summary:

Almost a decade of working for the high-powered Gilchrist family empire has made Katy Wade sassy, spunky -- and secretly determined to open her own business. There's one last problem she has to solve before she feels free to leave. The Gilchrists need an heir apparent to save their mysteriously floundering fortunes, and there's only one man for the job: Luke Gilchrist. All his life the Gilchrists have made Luke pay for his father's scandal, and now he's a renegade who's sworn he'll never go home -- except to get even. Katy must persuade Luke to use his business expertise to rescue his family, but one look in his sexy green eyes, and she knows why they affectionately call him "the Bastard."

What she doesn't know is that Luke's decided he wants her even more than he wants revenge. He agrees to play savior, but only with Katy at his side. It's a high-handed tactic sure to make this saucy red haired angel madder than hell, but she's the only one who can turn this devilish rogue into a family man. Luke may be an SOB of a CEO, but he knows the bottom line is heartbreak...unless he can trust Katy with his secrets and she can believe in his love.

Posted later...

Finished Family Man. What can I say? Beautiful, vintage Krentz, an A-. Actually, nothing I haven't said before in my comments about other Krentz books: smart heroines, smart, vulnerable heros, very light suspense, lots of emphasis on relationships and the love story....

The only thing that bothered me here was how noone thought it was really stupid that Justine was so insistent on accepting only family as heads of the company. I'm just not a big believer of the "blood is thicker that water" idea.

Well, I'm done with Rogue. It was only an average read, a C+

First of all, as I said, I find it very hard to warm up to characters who are completely uneducated. Abbie wasn't, not completely, but enough to bother me. Plus, the woman was a self-righteous prig, and the instances in which she becomes more sensual didn't "go" with the way her character was depicted in the rest of the story. I often take a look at the last page at some point, and when I did it here I saw Abbie "purring" something wicked to Gray. I thought "wow, she'll have to change a lot to get to the point where she purrs to her lover. This should be interested to read." The problem is, she doesn't change. It's always "We take care of our menfolk, here" and "I swore to stay with my husband for better or for worse. So what if I've fallen in love with someone else." Admirable values for some people, but not for me. It also irritated me that the woman refused to have any ambition... as she puts it "dreaming creates discontent". Idiot.

Gray was a more likeable character, but he didn't quite gel for me either. He was a nice, noble guy, who wasn't afraid of enjoying life. So far, so good. But why so much emphasis on his being "disreputable", "a rogue"? He never showed any indication of being one, but Heath kept hitting us over the head with the fact that he was. He thinks he is, Abbie thinks he is (why? because he said so?). Still, I liked him, and the way he needed to be loved so much was really poignant.

Another point against this book was the plot twist of having Abbie's husband come back from the dead. [Incidentally, who was the brain-dead idiot who wrote the back cover blurb? Something from Abbie's past that comes to haunt her and Gray? Oh dear, what could it be? She married at 16... it's obvious it'll be her husband coming back. Spoiler, spoiler!! Don't put it on the back cover, it only happens on the last fifth of the book.] This is not my favourite plot, but I've been known to enjoy it, when it's well done (Gaffney's To Love and To Cherish comes to mind). In this case.. ho-hum.

A Rogue in Texas, by Lorraine Heath

On Sunday I started A Rogue in Texas, by Lorraine Heath.

Back cover blurb:

A duke's son, Grayson Rhodes was a maverick who had left London's suffocating upper class world to earn his own fortune. So he seized the chance to work Abbie Westland's land...and from the moment he first saw Abbie, he was determined to use his arms to work the farm by day and to soothe her through the nights in his strong embrace.

Abbie, with her fiery determination, was different from the fragile beauties he'd known at home. In her Grayson found an honest passion he'd never experienced before. But could their growing love survive the surprising reminder of her past that comes to haunt them?

I've had some doubts about this one, since I usually don't like reading about uneducated protagonists, and I find the pairing of a very cultured person with an undeducated one very difficult to like, but I'm willing to give this one a try. I've liked the Heath's I've read in the past.

Posted later...

Well, I'm done with Rogue. It was only an average read, a C+.

First of all, as I said, I find it very hard to warm up to characters who are completely uneducated. Abbie wasn't, not completely, but enough to bother me. Plus, the woman was a self-righteous prig, and the instances in which she becomes more sensual didn't "go" with the way her character was depicted in the rest of the story. I often take a look at the last page at some point, and when I did it here I saw Abbie "purring" something wicked to Gray. I thought "wow, she'll have to change a lot to get to the point where she purrs to her lover. This should be interested to read." The problem is, she doesn't change. It's always "We take care of our menfolk, here" and "I swore to stay with my husband for better or for worse. So what if I've fallen in love with someone else." Admirable values for some people, but not for me. It also irritated me that the woman refused to have any ambition... as she puts it "dreaming creates discontent". Idiot.

Gray was a more likeable character, but he didn't quite gel for me either. He was a nice, noble guy, who wasn't afraid of enjoying life. So far, so good. But why so much emphasis on his being "disreputable", "a rogue"? He never showed any indication of being one, but Heath kept hitting us over the head with the fact that he was. He thinks he is, Abbie thinks he is (why? because he said so?). Still, I liked him, and the way he needed to be loved so much was really poignant.

Another point against this book was the plot twist of having Abbie's husband come back from the dead. [Incidentally, who was the brain-dead idiot who wrote the back cover blurb? Something from Abbie's past that comes to haunt her and Gray? Oh dear, what could it be? She married at 16... it's obvious it'll be her husband coming back. Spoiler, spoiler!! Don't put it on the back cover, it only happens on the last fifth of the book.] This is not my favourite plot, but I've been known to enjoy it, when it's well done (Gaffney's To Love and To Cherish comes to mind). In this case.. ho-hum.

Maternal Instinct, by Janice Kay Johnson

On Saturday I read Maternal Instinct, by Janice Kay Johnson. It was ok, a B.

Plot summary:

More than anything, Officer Nell Granstrom wants to stop history from repeating itself. Born to a 16 year old mother, Nell had her daughter, Kim, at the same age. Now Kim's 16 and has a serious boyfriend. But how much weight can Nell's words have? Years of living a careful life are over, because she's made another mistake. After witnessing a terrible crime, Nell turns to her new partner for comfort - which leads to a second unplanned pregnancy.

Despite his reputation, Hugh McLean will no doubt offer to do the right thing. But would marriage to a man she hardly knows (and isn't sure she likes) work? For Kim's sake, for the baby's sake, is Nell brave enough to try?

I bought this one in spite of the baby subject matter, and it's lucky I didn't see the awful cover before ordering it. In spite of this, I enjoyed the book.

First of all, the suspense subplot was fascinating... though not so much suspense, but an intriguing puzzle to solve, with no physical danger involved for our protagonists. And I was surprised to see I really liked Hugh; I thought it was very sweet how he worried about whether Nell was only with him for the baby, and I liked his relationship with Kim. Kim was a nice character: a teenager, but very mature. No childish brat here.

I never really warmed up to Nell. I thought she was STUPID!! She started losing me when she mentioned how she had never tried to get child support from Kim's father... "he wouldn't be there as a father, so what was the point?" (paraphrasing). Well, you idiot, the point is that you ended up sleeping in a car with your child one night, putting her in danger, when the guy should have been helping you out. I hate these proud, thick-headed heroines. I could have forgiven this if she had considered this a mistake, made because she was so young, but she never did.

I also hated how she behaved towards Hugh when they were married. The way she grabbed on to a casual comment made by Hugh's mother and started to blow hot and cold towards him didn't make any sense. But she did earn a bit of my respect because she was a good cop and because she was the one who took the risk and confessed her love first. Ok, I didn't completely hate her, then.

Nitpick: I though the way Nell thougth about her daughter having sex with Colin was seriously creepy. She started imagining Kim stripping down to her bikini, and how Colin would be so hot, and want to tear it off of her... they sounded more like the thoughts of a man in lust with Kim than of her mother. The way they talked about sex was refreshing, though, especially Nell offering to sign something to get her on birth control Much more sensible than this abstinence crap that's so in vogue right now in the US.

I haven't started any books since I finished Thunder. That sometimes happens: right after reading something great I prefer to give reading a little rest, or rather, read something in a completely different genre (no reading altogether would be cruel and unusual punishment). Otherwise, everything pales in comparison, and I end up not enjoying something I usually would.

This time I decided to read a few magazines I had been meaning to read but had never got to. I suscribe to Newsweek, and I had the last 4 issues untouched. I started on them yesterday, and have gone through 2 of them already. I read them cover to cover, even forcing myself to read articles I have 0 interest in... I figure this is good for me! ;--)

I finished Thunder last night. It was one of the best books I've read lately, an A+.

Since I started rereading this series (I had read a couple of the books already, out of order), I tried to wait a couple of weeks between books, so as not to burn out on them. After reading Falcon, however, with its cliff-hanger-ish ending, I just couldn't wait and started reading the following one.

This one brings lots of stuff to a close, in fact, Peters herself has said its the conclusion of the internal quartet that develops the relationship between Ramses and Nefret. This was great for the book itself, but I kinda worry for the series. No more Sethos (though I've heard some speculation that he's still alive... who knows? I guess I'll find out in the next books), plus we know his identity, no more Percy, no more "will they or won't they" with Ramses and Nefret. We'll just be going back to tomb robbers and archeological adventures, which were good enough for me before this quartet started anyway.

I just hope Peters gets rid of the spy stuff. It was a very strong element in Thunder, and excellently done, but it's not really my cup of tea. It's a tribute to Peters that she had me liking a book with such strong spy elements in it.

Apart from that, this book was perfect. It had all my favourite elements, plus a very interesting development of the relationship between Ramses and his parents. Amelia does have some maternal instincts after all, and when they come to light, they are very, very sweet. I think my favourite scenes are those in which she finds out, first from Ramses, and then from Nefret, what's going on between the two of them. And the ending.. oh, that ending! So many great scenes... Ramses kissing Nefret in the garden, Ramses finding out the exact circumstances of her marriage to Geoffrey, Ramses seriously telling Seshet the cat (paraphrasing) "Much appreciated. I'm just going down for breakfast, however. If it could just keep for a while..." when she presents him with a dead mouse...

To summarize, this was a book that made me LOL, cry, sigh and dance with joy. The definition of a keeper.

He Shall Thunder in the Sky, by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody #12)

I couldn't resist, and as soon as I finished Falcon I grabbed the next one in Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series: He Shall Thunder in the Sky.

Plot summary:

The winter of 1914-15 finds the Peabody-Emerson family back in Cairo--now under British martial law, with the Suez Canal under constant threat of attack from the Ottoman Empire. The city's young Englishmen are rushing to enlist, except for Ramses, who is widely scorned for his pacifism. Yet Amelia and Emerson soon find out that Ramses is (literally) playing a mysterious and potentially explosive part in the conflict between Egyptian nationalists and the British authorities, for reasons both political and familial.

Nefret, for her part, is still running a health clinic for the city's fallen women and trying to avoid the attentions of Percy, Amelia's odious nephew. In the meantime, the Emersons' excavations at Giza reveal an unexpected treasure so remarkable that the uneasy Amelia immediately senses the fine hand of Sethos, the Master Criminal (who through many previous books has alternately plagued her and protested his boundless affection for her), at work.

Posted later...

I finished Thunder last night. It was one of the best books I've read lately, an A+.

Since I started rereading this series (I had read a couple of the books already, out of order), I tried to wait a couple of weeks between books, so as not to burn out on them. After reading Falcon, however, with its cliff-hanger-ish ending, I just couldn't wait and started reading the following one.

This one brings lots of stuff to a close, in fact, Peters herself has said its the conclusion of the internal quartet that develops the relationship between Ramses and Nefret. This was great for the book itself, but I kinda worry for the series. No more Sethos (though I've heard some speculation that he's still alive... who knows? I guess I'll find out in the next books), plus we know his identity, no more Percy, no more "will they or won't they" with Ramses and Nefret. We'll just be going back to tomb robbers and archeological adventures, which were good enough for me before this quartet started anyway.

I just hope Peters gets rid of the spy stuff. It was a very strong element in Thunder, and excellently done, but it's not really my cup of tea. It's a tribute to Peters that she had me liking a book with such strong spy elements in it.

Apart from that, this book was perfect. It had all my favourite elements, plus a very interesting development of the relationship between Ramses and his parents. Amelia does have some maternal instincts after all, and when they come to light, they are very, very sweet. I think my favourite scenes are those in which she finds out, first from Ramses, and then from Nefret, what's going on between the two of them. And the ending.. oh, that ending! So many great scenes... Ramses kissing Nefret in the garden, Ramses finding out the exact circumstances of her marriage to Geoffrey, Ramses seriously telling Seshet the cat (paraphrasing) "Much appreciated. I'm just going down for breakfast, however. If it could just keep for a while..." when she presents him with a dead mouse...

To summarize, this was a book that made me LOL, cry, sigh and dance with joy. The definition of a keeper.

I also finished and loved Sweet Fortune. It had a completely different feel than Falcon, thank God, otherwise I would have died due to too much angst. It gets a B+.

It had the vintage Krentz elements that I love, like a vulnerable hero who really needs the heroine, a lightish suspense subplot and likeable characters, but there were a couple of things which kept it from being an A. First of all, it bugged me how Jessie kept being manipulated by everyone; it was a bit too much. And I wanted to kill them all when they breezily assumed Jessie and Hatch were getting married, and completely ignored her when she said they weren't. Maybe it's just me, but this makes me feel very frustrated... it was the same feeling I had with Crusie's Crazy For You.

The best part was the ending, how both Jessie and Hatch renounced to what they were supposed to care about most in the world, each showing the other he/she was the most important thing in their world. The scene where Hatch is completely conviced he's ruined everything, and Jessie's going to leave him now, is especially poignant. Beautiful!

I finished Falcon at the Portal last night. After going back and forth a few times, I'll have to rate it an A.

There were times when I hated this book and wanted to throw it against a wall (and yeah, some of the things that happened were low blows), but I figure that a book that keeps me awake at night agonizing about what's happened and cursing the fact that I have to get up early, otherwise I'd stay up and finish it, deserves an A.

I'm now in love with Ramses. He gets better and better with every book, or maybe it's that we get to know him better. How I wish MPM wrote explicit love scenes... I think I read the descriptions of the consummation of his and Nefret's relationship 3 times, trying to read between the lines. Actually, MPM's great at this: while I usually kind of skim over love scenes, and don't pay much attention, I remember she had me reading and rereading the scene in the first Amelia where Emerson and Peabody just look into each other's eyes. This was more erotic to me than most of Robin Schone's full-blown love scenes.

MPM has hit on an interesting villain with Percy. I don't much like larger-than-life, invincible villains (though I'm fond of Sethos), and he is completely the opposite. He can do great damage, but just because he's stupid and a snake. I'm completely sure he engineered the appearance of Sennia to make sure Ramses never got Nefret.

I just hope Ramses and Nefret get together in the next book. This is getting worse than the Sam and Alyssa story, MPM has dragged it through even more books than Brockmann. Hmmm, I think I'm on to something. Actually, the R/N story, especially in this book, has some similarities with the S/A one. I felt the same outrage when one of them married the wrong person, just when it seemed everything was going to be fine, at any rate. Luckily, in this case I had the following 2 books waiting for me, otherwise I would have been pissed.