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.

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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.

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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.

Read more...

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.

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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.

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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.

Read more...

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!

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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!

Read more...

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.

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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.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

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)

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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.

Read more...

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.

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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.

Read more...

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-.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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).

Read more...