LynneC’s review of A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant
Historical Romance published by Bantam 27 Dec 11

I nearly DNF’d this book. The heroine is worthy, the hero isn’t and they get together because she wants a baby to save the estate from the Evil Heir. By page 100 I was starting to skip, which is never a good thing, but I decided to persevere and stop skipping. While I applaud the author for writing a detailed historical romance without cliché, and that’s no mean feat, I did find the heroine very hard to like.

This book purports to be a Regency, but to me it reads more like a Victorian, although the details about enclosure make it clear that it’s set in the earlier era. The morals, personal and societal, certainly seemed more Victorian in tone, but there was nothing that I could fault about it. Grant is comfortable in her era and works in a lot of detail to get it right. In a way, that detail was one of the factors that held me back. I want a romance, not details about the heroine’s personal living space, if you see what I mean. Most of these details have significance, but you don’t get to discover these until later in the book, so they do read a bit like a shopping list earlier.

However, it’s a beautifully written shopping list. Grant’s style is probably the best thing about this book. She does describe a lot of things in sometimes suffocating detail. But it is a pleasure to read such well-researched, well-described settings, especially in a historical romance, rather than in a textbook. But the prose and the descriptions are much livelier in a real textbook, Dan Cruickshank’s recent book, The Secret History of Georgian London, which is a fantastic read, and one I should really make the effort to review. Grant works hard to get the descriptions and atmosphere in the book, and her prose reminds me very much of a Pre-Raphaelite painting – very worthy, with so many things depicted in painstaking detail that the human eye can’t possibly take them all in. I guess I prefer the Impressionistic way of focusing in on the salient parts of the painting, or even the more dashing approach of a Gainsborough or a Reynolds. Lawrence and Winterhalter rather than Ingres and Zoffany. I don’t know. Grant’s prose is incredibly reminiscent of Judy Cuevas/Judith Ivory, so if you love her work, you’ll love this book. So similar, I’m almost suspicious that Judy had taken another new name! Though I doubt that’s the truth, this book isn’t a first book. It might be a first published book, but it’s too accomplished for the author not to have practiced a great deal.

The hero and heroine have a disconcerting habit of treating servants and workers as equals. Not just people in their care, but they talk to them as equals at times, and seem to expect the same response. That attitude is foreign and does stick out a bit, although I could accept it as part of the story. Both hero and heroine are incredibly naïve, which I think is part of the reason I think of this as more of a Victorian attitude. They didn’t know, although this can rarely be said of the Regency upper middle class. The structure of their local society seems very simple, but perhaps the local network of magistrates, social events, some of which couldn’t be ignored, and neighbourly behaviour so well described by Jane Austen doesn’t happen. A woman in mourning did have a certain leeway, but, again, Victorian society set much more store by such observances.

It’s interesting to read about this class, though for novels written in this period, I prefer books about people who could make a difference to society, but Theo and Martha certainly do their best.

This book has been the subject of some controversy, and since I don’t look at other reviews until I’ve written my own, I’m guessing it’s the initial plot and the character of the heroine. Martha’s unsatisfactory husband has left her childless, and she has a month to conceive before she has to leave the estate and become a dependent relative once more. I can’t say I bought the premise, because Martha is upright and moral enough to see this for the reprehensible act that it is. The heir is given the reputation of making free with the maids, and dark hints are given by one maid that it might be by force, an account Martha completely believes (told you she was naïve). That seems to me to be a bit of a plot device, giving Martha more “right” and less selfishness to do as she did. In fact, she is totally selfish, and when she first hears the news that she is to leave, all her thoughts are for herself. She has no sense of humour, no lightness of character, and although she pays lip service to duty and honour, what she does isn’t dutiful or honourable. In the only other book I could think of that has a similar plot, Jo Beverley’s Secrets of the Night, the heroine sets out to make an heir with the permission and connivance of her elderly husband, I found the heroine more interesting and the hero much sexier and more attractive. The reasons worked better for me in that book, even though the heroine technically commits adultery. The heroine in SotN was also more mature than Martha, who is only 21. I couldn’t understand her desperation. She could try again, at that age. All is not lost. Even with the revelations later in the book, it doesn’t entirely add up for me.

Theo starts the book as a man-about-town and a wastrel. He is rusticated and his allowance cut off, and he’s sent to a minor estate of his father’s to learn estate management. About time. He’s in his mid-twenties, and he should have been brought up knowing the things he learns in this book. The iniquity of enclosures and what it meant to the working man is well dealt with here, although the “Bread not Blood” riots aren’t there, and the rustic nature of the early industrial units not mentioned. The book takes the individual philanthropist attitude, which works in context. My problem with Theo, especially at the beginning, is that he doesn’t have a purpose – in fact, that’s his problem. He has no conflict, except that he wants his allowance back. Aimless, he agrees to provide Martha with her heir, for five hundred pounds. Her maid suggests that if the tactic works and Martha has a girl, she can either do a switch or “buy” a baby boy and say she had twins, as if such deceptions were normal. I don’t believe this was the case. Childbirth was a relatively public event, and it would have been very difficult to manage. Besides, it assumes that the British upper class is so morally deficient as to take such a course as normal, and that presumption doesn’t work well for me.

I have to give this book a B for the quality of the writing, but I would like to see a development in plotting and in pace in the next book, which I will be picking up if I can. Not to mention a more sympathetic heroine. One that only warms up later in the book doesn’t work enormously well for me and I had to work hard to retain my sympathy for both characters. But Grant is undoubtedly a new talent to historical romance, and I’m sure she will only be going onwards and upwards from here.

Grade: B

Summary:
Newly widowed and desperate to protect her estate and beloved servants from her malevolent brother-in-law, Martha Russell conceives a daring plan. Or rather, a daring plan to conceive. After all, if she has an heir on the way, her future will be secured. Forsaking all she knows of propriety, Martha approaches her neighbor, a London exile with a wicked reputation, and offers a strictly business proposition: a month of illicit interludes . . . for a fee.

Theophilus Mirkwood ought to be insulted. Should be appalled. But how can he resist this siren in widow’s weeds, whose offer is simply too outrageously tempting to decline? Determined she’ll get her money’s worth, Theo endeavors to awaken this shamefully neglected beauty to the pleasures of the flesh—only to find her dead set against taking any enjoyment in the scandalous bargain. Surely she can’t resist him forever. But could a lady’s sweet surrender open their hearts to the most unexpected arrival of all . . . love?

Read an excerpt.

Dinca’s review of The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus by Tim Slover
Holiday Classic published by Bantam 2 Nov 10

Quite frankly, Tim Slover lost me in his prologue. His grammar choice was clumsy introducing his wife and sons into the story, and I have a few questions for the narrator in the prologue.

Why would a man drive up a mountain road until he gets stuck in the snow just to rip off pine boughs illegally from federal land? Why state it in a book designed to be read to children? And why write a prologue that read like something out of a psychology 101 class? If you are reading this to small children, you may want to skip the prologue.

The rest of the book is a biography of Santa Claus, same take as the others but with a few variations. The periods of his life are separated in chapters.

The first chapter of his youth and the loss of his parents is well written, but, again, the author is telling the tale of someone else’s writing, a book written by Dustan Wyatt, ES. As an aside, Klaus was his given name, but during this time period he would have been referred to as Klaus ap ‘father’s name’, not just Klaus. Anyway, he is adopted by Worshipful Guild of Foresters, Carpenters and Woodworkers. After a plague in his village, he decides to make toys for children. Word spreads year after year and soon Klaus is in the toy business.   As the book continues, a wife and a reindeer are mixed in with a lot of magic in getting the toys delivered and last but not least the blasted Grinch.

There are a lot of surprises in this story and twists and turns in the tale between good and evil and the miracle of Christmas. I did enjoy Mrs. Klaus. It would have been a blast to have her in the family.

However, if the book would have been given to me, I would read it as I did. I just don’t think I would drag it out every Christmas to torment my grandchildren.

This review is supposed to be about the story. But, come on, it’s about Santa Claus and who can give a bad grade to Santa?

Grade: B

Summary:

The magic begins in 1343, when the child Klaus is orphaned and adopted by a craftsman’s guild. The boy will grow to become a master woodworker with an infectious laugh and an unparalleled gift for making toys. His talent and generosity uniquely equip him to bestow hundreds of gifts on children at Christmas and to court the delightful Anna, who enters his life on a sleigh driven by the reindeer Dasher and becomes his beloved wife. Still, all is not snowfall and presents. Klaus will be shadowed by the envious Rolf Eckhof, who will stop at nothing to subvert him. By the end, Santa’s magic is at last unleashed; flying reindeer come to his aid, and epic battle between good and evil is waged in the frosty Christmas skies.

At once an action-packed adventure, an inspiring story of commitment and faith and a moving love story. The Christmas Chronicles is a beguiling tale destined to become a holiday favorite for the ages.

Read an excerpt.

Ash’s review of When Pleasure Rules (Shadow Keepers, Book 2) by J. K. Beck
Paranormal Romance published by Bantam 28 Sep 10

To say I’m disappointed in book 2 of the Shadow Keepers series is putting it mildly. Instead of improving the flaws from the first book, it just adds a whole lot more.

My biggest problem with When Pleasure Rules is that I couldn’t stand either Rand or Lissa. There’s nothing likable about either of them. I guess Lissa is supposed to be a good person because she blackmails bad guys to save her fellow succubi. I didn’t feel any passion from her for what she does. She’s just going through the motions.

Also, I wasn’t a fan of the idea of succubi being reborn over and over, yet keeping none of their memories. Considering that the people she interacts with are mostly immortal, it just didn’t make sense. People remember her, but not the other way around.

As for Rand, well, I am all about a reformed bad boy, but I don’t feel like he was ever reformed. He is an ex-gang member and, as a result, the wife that he never gave a damn about was murdered, which gave him a convenient past to brood over. He admits he only went after her killer because she belonged to him and no one takes what’s his. His character needs a reason to convince himself he’s nothing but a killer, so a dead wife works as well as any. Were we suppose to feel for him? Because I never did. In the end, I agreed with him, he is just a killer.

Their romance isn’t very romantic or passionate or really anything else like that. Just like with their characters, it’s like they got together because that’s what was supposed to happen. I just didn’t get them.  There is, of course, a betrayal, which included Lissa being too stupid to tell Rand what’s going on. It’s a plot that has to be done well or I just don’t care .

The ending is a little too skipping off into the sunset for me. Rand passionately telling her to have sex with him so she can take part of his soul is a bit cheesy to me. I could live without the whole “I want to know that part of me is inside you.” speech he gives.

I ended up skimming the last third of the book. There seems to be a lot of little plots going on that somehow come together at the end.  I got tired of it all after awhile, I just wanted get some answers instead of more questions. However, those are the parts that save this book from being an F. I stuck with it because I did like the first book in this series, but I kind of wish I had just given up. There is just no getting past disliking the main characters. They drag everything else down, and I don’t really see myself caring enough to bother with the next book.

Grade: D-

Summary:

Seven innocents have been brutally murdered on the streets of Los Angeles, yet the Shadow Alliance has no suspects and no leads. And as more bodies are discovered, the age-old feud between the vampires and werewolves threatens to explode and turn the city into a living nightmare.

With her back to the wall, Lissa Monroe—a strong-willed, ravishingly beautiful succubus who entices men to surrender their souls—agrees to go undercover for the Alliance. Her mission: infiltrate the mind of werewolf leader Vincent Rand, a ferociously alluring enemy who has a powerful hold over her. Lissa has never lost control of her deepest desires, but Rand is an impenetrable paradox, a principled soldier who fears nothing—except perhaps the darkness of his own past. As the city of Angels teeters on the brink of apocalypse, these two adversaries must join together to have even the slimmest chance of surviving a more lethal enemy hidden in plain sight.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of His at Night by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam 25 May 2010

When reviewing Sherry Thomas, some things go without saying.  Her prose is lovely.  I’m sure even those who don’t normally pay attention to prose notice the artistry of her words.  The historical setting is absorbing and well-researched.  Thomas has a distinctive style and while her fourth release does not deviate from that style, she does show growth as a writer.  That extra layer of polish may make His at Night my favorite of her releases.  (I need to reread the previous three to compare.  Not an onerous task at all.)

Lord Vere is an idiot.  Elissande Edgerton is a conniving young woman bent on snaring a rich, powerful husband.  Lord Vere is one of the Crown’s best secret agents.  Elissande is a scared young woman, a prisoner of her uncle who must rescue both herself and her infirm aunt.  The two fall in love at first sight, but then repel each other with the masks they use to conduct their lives.  It’s only after marriage that they begin to know each other truly.

I freely admit to hating plots full of endless misunderstandings between the hero and heroine.  Thomas, however, makes it work.  She accomplishes this amazing feat by having Vere and Elissande act like reasonable human beings.  They’re both damaged but strong-willed.  Neither trusts easily nor has a reason to reveal their true self.  But at the same time, they can’t resist their attraction whenever they glimpse beneath the other’s persona.

Aside from the main romance, Thomas creates both a compelling plot and a satisfying secondary romance.  Vere first encounters Elissande because he’s investigating her tyrannical uncle.  Her uncle’s possible misdeeds are never forgotten, shoved to the background until the climax.  The investigation is woven throughout, the various revelations about the uncle also revealing secrets of Vere and Elissande’s behavior.  The secondary romance features Freddie, Vere’s younger brother, the good natured painter who lost out to the hero in Private Arrangements.  It’s rewarding to see the losing side of a triangle get his own romance instead of being hastily paired off to a random character at the end of the book.

Those who don’t like flashbacks will be pleased to note that His at Night does not employ them to the same extent as Private Arrangements, Delicious, or Not Quite a Husband.  There are integrated flashbacks to important parts of Vere and Elissande’s pasts, but they don’t occur every other chapter.  (Nor do they ever last an entire chapter.)  But like the spy plot, the flashbacks deepen the characterization.

I think Vere and Elissande are more likable than some of Thomas’s past heroes and heroines.  They complement each other wonderfully.  Elissande needed Vere to help her out of the prison created by her uncle; Vere needed Elissande to help him out of the prison of his own making.  They help each other grow as people and find happiness.  They’re sad, sweet, frustrating, silly, and utterly absorbing.  My only complaint is that the first two sex scenes start a little rape-y.  (Interestingly, the first time Elissande is the instigator.)

Grade: A-

Summary:
Elissande Edgerton is a desperate woman, a virtual prisoner in the home of her tyrannical uncle. Only through marriage can she claim the freedom she craves. But how to catch the perfect man?

Lord Vere is used to baiting irresistible traps. As a secret agent for the government, he’s tracked down some of the most devious criminals in London, all the while maintaining his cover as one of Society’s most harmless—and idiotic—bachelors. But nothing can prepare him for the scandal of being ensnared by Elissande.

Forced into a marriage of convenience, Elissande and Vere are each about to discover they’re not the only one with a hidden agenda. With seduction their only weapon against each other—and a dark secret from the past endangering both their lives—can they learn to trust each other even as they surrender to a passion that won’t be denied?
Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Historical Romance published by Bantam 19 May 09

This is my first Sherry Thomas book, much to my dismay. I’ve chatted with other readers who have read her books and while they all enjoy their reads, it’s a split decision on whether they like the flashbacks that Ms. Thomas utilizes. I have to say that I rather liked this element use in NQaH. It gave me more insight on the characters both in the present and in the past, sometimes giving me a look at what gave rise to the current circumstances. It worked quite effectively.

We learn about the hero and heroine’s childhood and how they met at the same time we’re learning about them and how they’re reconnecting in real time. We also learn why Bryony had her marriage to Leo annulled so quickly even before Leo himself finds out, which is the bottom line that runs through this story. Ms. Thomas does an excellent job of then giving us their romance and love story all over again as they go through the trials of forgiveness and rediscovering each other through danger and heartbreak.

It’s been several years since their annulment when Bryony is surprised by Leo showing up in India where she’s putting her medical knowledge to good use. He bears bad news concerning her father, and though she doubts the veracity of the news due to its origination, she agrees to accompany him back to London to make sure all is well. This is where those flashbacks really shine in the story. While they both are wary around each other now, we get see how things really happened when Bryony approached Leo with her request to end their marriage, how he was thrown for a loop by that request, not seeing it coming, and how they acted around each other through the whole process and then how they’re currently reacting to each in the present.

This continues through their journey home, giving the reader more and more insight into these two characters. The trek they take is enlightening for both of them, as well as fraught with danger, and they end up in the middle of an Indian attack on an English outpost, suffering seven days and nights of not knowing if they will survive, seven days and nights of getting to know each other body and soul all over again. These are terrific moments between them during this time. They love and they share their thoughts and feelings more than ever before, bringing them closer and showing them they really can make a life between them work.

Back home in England, they still have a few issues to get through, but this time around they’re more open with each other, know each other better, and have decided to trust each other. I really enjoyed Leo and Bryony. Leo is more of a beta hero with moments of alpha-ness that all have to do with Bryony and his feelings for her, his sorrow at the hurt he caused her. I like that he’s open and willing to talk to her when the time calls for it. Bryony is strong-willed and very independent, has covered the globe in her post-annulment days, not sure at all what she now wants out of life. I thought at first she might make Leo pay even more dearly than she had before, but she’s definitely grown up in her traveling years and now faces everything much differently than before.

I really enjoyed Ms. Thomas’ writing. I have her previous books in the TBR pile and have every intention of cracking them open as soon as I can.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Their marriage lasted only slightly longer than the honeymoon—to no one’s surprise, not even Bryony Asquith’s. A man as talented, handsome, and sought after by society as Leo Marsden couldn’t possibly want to spend his entire life with a woman who rebelled against propriety by becoming a doctor. Why, then, three years after their annulment and half a world away, does he track her down at her clinic in the remotest corner of India?
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Leo has no reason to think Bryony could ever forgive him for the way he treated her, but he won’t rest until he’s delivered an urgent message from her sister—and fulfilled his duty by escorting her safely back to England. But as they risk their lives for each other on the journey home, will the biggest danger be the treacherous war around them—or their rekindling passion?
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Read an excerpt. (scroll way down)

Lawson’s review of Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam 19 May 09

If you haven’t read Thomas’ first two books, you need to go and get them and read them ASAP. If this is your first Thomas book, you won’t be sorry. It’s loosely connected to Private Arrangements and Delicious, but not part of any sort of series and stands very well on its own. It’s also a bit timely in that it’s set in the Swat Valley in what is today Pakistan, where various rebellious groups and militants are staging their own uprising, though the setting is in 1897 and not the present day. I must point out as well that the summary, while not terribly inaccurate, doesn’t really give the best description of the book.

The story opens with the globe trotting doctor being chased down in the mountains northwest of the Swat Valley due to the rumor about a dying father. The doctor, Bryony Asquith, is disbelieving of the news as it comes from her sister through her ex-husband. Her sister Callista has been trying to get the two of them back together for the past three years in various ways and hasn’t succeeded. Though not believing her father is ill, Bryony still leaves with Leo Marsden, her ex-husband.

Leo wants to get Bryony back to London as soon as possible, but it becomes apparent that he is ill. Forced to wait for a good number of days so Leo can get over a bout of malaria, Bryony is forced to face her past, not only with Leo, but with people not there with her, but in her memories. When Leo recovers there is a tentative rekindling of their romance that confuses both in many ways, and various truths about their marriage and annulment come to light while on their journey out of British India.

What happens instead of a steady trip is an uprising with the local tribes in the Swat Valley and with Bryony and Leo caught at a frontier fort where Leo is forced to fight against the rebels and Bryony is thrust into the role of battlefield surgeon and the need to overcome their fears in the midst of this crisis to become truly happy.

Writing a woman doctor in 1897 is probably a hard sell. Especially since said woman doctor, through nothing of her own doing, had a childhood full of grief and loss that has shaped her into a very aloof and hard-hearted woman. Bryony carries her emotions so close and is nearly afraid of loss that more often than not she closes herself off to caring rather than risk emotional pain. Bryony’s growth and change through out the book is raw and heart wrenching as she is anything but the unfeeling automaton that she tries desperately to portray in her own defense to hide her true feelings.

Where Bryony is logical and emotionally distant, Leo is warm, open and has a spirit that others want to copy. When they marry, many people asked why he would choose her. Leo has always been blessed by a sunny disposition, a brilliant mathematical mind and an ease of manner that has made him well loved by society. His family had the neighboring estate to the Asquiths’ and as he grew up he wanted to bring some light into Bryony’s life, though she was always focused on escaping her childhood she never noticed his overtures.

Like Thomas’ first two books, the history is told through the use of flashbacks, though it’s more a small device and expands on more of the character’s motivations rather than a major part of the narrative. The growth and change of both Bryony and Leo is the main conflict of the story and it is echoed by the flashbacks and the Swat Valley uprising around them. The romance takes the center stage and isn’t overshadowed by any of these other elements of the story.

Perhaps what sets this story apart is the details.  The setting, the memories that Bryony holds so close, Leo’s personality and charm, and many other small things, while maybe not the truest to period, give the characters things to talk about and work through together to get to their happiness.  The story also shows very well through aspects of Bryony’s that life isn’t easy, there is heartbreak, loss, and grief and it’s the choices that you make that grant you happiness, not what is given or done to you. Both Bryony and Leo come to this conclusion and in the end give an emotional romance and a very satisfying ending.

Grade: A

Summary:
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Their marriage lasted only slightly longer than the honeymoon—to no one’s surprise, not even Bryony Asquith’s. A man as talented, handsome, and sought after by society as Leo Marsden couldn’t possibly want to spend his entire life with a woman who rebelled against propriety by becoming a doctor. Why, then, three years after their annulment and half a world away, does he track her down at her clinic in the remotest corner of India?
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Leo has no reason to think Bryony could ever forgive him for the way he treated her, but he won’t rest until he’s delivered an urgent message from her sister—and fulfilled his duty by escorting her safely back to England. But as they risk their lives for each other on the journey home, will the biggest danger be the treacherous war around them—or their rekindling passion?
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Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
Suspense/thriller hardcover released by Bantam 15 Jul 08, paperback release 19 May 09

I came to read this book because Wendy the Super Librarian and super awesome Harlequin reviewer herself blogged about it. Since Sybil so kindly provided me with the e-copy that I read, I thought I’d break my newly self-imposed rule to only write reviews for romances on my personal blog and talk about it here. This book is an intense read, and I definitely shared Wendy’s feeling of being utterly creeped out by it, even as I couldn’t stop reading.

Our story centers around pregnant FBI agent Kimberly, who is drawn to a prostitute when said prostitute begs for Kimberly’s personal help in catching a serial killer who has preyed on prostitutes and other people whom no one would miss. The case begins to take over Kimberly’s life, and her marriage, which seemed quite stable to her, begins to fall apart at the seams. Meanwhile, the serial killer is way more creepy than even Kimberly suspects.

I got a very series-ish vibe from this book. It feels like Kimberly and her family have been featured in books before. Certainly her family’s been touched by crime in the past, and it definitely shapes the way she and her father deal with the world. I really liked that, and I liked the struggles that Kimberly went through to balance her need to do the FBI job she’s involved with and her need to protect her baby. Those parts were terribly heartbreaking, and I empathized with Kimberly’s struggles to balance those responsibilities.

The suspense plot is excellently done, and, as I said, creepy. This was one of the few books I’ve read in this genre where I appreciated having the killer’s POV. The killer is such a fascinating character, and while the reader won’t sympathize with his actions, his childhood, which is explored, will definitely bring a tear to the eye.

I really enjoyed how everything came together. the mystery was well-paced, and the surprise twist at the end was one I didn’t see coming. I also liked the epilogue, in which it is revealed that people like the book’s killer do effect the lives of those they touch in significant ways for years to come.

I’ve never read any other books by Ms. Gardner, but I definitely intend to, because this one was well-written and engrossing, and I’m so glad Wendy brought it to my attention.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Come into my parlor…
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For Kimberly Quincy, FBI Special Agent, it all starts with a pregnant hooker. The story Delilah Rose tells Kimberly about her johns is too horrifying to be true—but prostitutes are disappearing, one by one, with no explanation, and no one but Kimberly seems to care.
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Said the spider to the fly…
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As a member of the Evidence Response Team, dead hookers aren’t exactly Kimberly’s specialty. The young agent is five months pregnant—she has other things to worry about than an alleged lunatic who uses spiders to do his dirty work. But Kimberly’s own mother and sister were victims of a serial killer. And now, without any bodies and with precious few clues, it’s all too clear that a serial killer has found the key to the perfect murder…or Kimberly is chasing a crime that never happened.
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Kimberly’s caught in a web more lethal than any spider’s, and the more she fights for answers, the more tightly she’s trapped. What she doesn’t know is that she’s close—too close—to a psychopath who makes women’s nightmares come alive, and if he has his twisted way, it won’t be long before it’s time for Kimberly to…Say Goodbye.
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Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Made to Be Broken (Nadia Stafford, Book 2) by Kelley Armstrong
Thriller released by Bantam 24 Feb 09

For those who don’t know, Kelley Armstrong’s Nadia Stafford books are not paranormal.  No vamps, no werewolves, no nothing.  Instead, they’re thrillers with hitmen as the protagonists.  As I love hitmen I’m totally cool with that, but readers familiar with her other series might be disappointed. 

Nadia grew up in a cop family and spent her entire life working to be a cop.  Then everything came crashing down after she shot a guilty man who the jury was going to let walk.  She started a lodge in Canada and shortly after began performing hits for the mob.  She balances the two lives, but sometimes they cross over.  Her newest employee, a teenage mother, goes missing with her baby and no one cares since they were just white trash.  It reminds Nadia of her own past, so she uses her cop skills and assassin contacts to find out what happened to Sammi and Destiny Ernst.

Since the hitmen are the protagonists there are a number of moral issues that could be raised, but mostly it’s just an acknowledgment that they aren’t good guys.  It helps that the people they’re after are thoroughly despicable and it’s hard to blame Nadia for wanting them dead.

The romance is very slow moving.  Quinn and Nadia got together in the heat of the moment in Exit Strategy, but have since regressed to only talking.  Both are interested in a relationship, but Nadia knows she’s not in love with him.  On the other hand, she’s definitely got UST with her mentor Jack, who seems completely uninterested.  She doesn’t know whether to go for the good relationship without fiery passion and doubts waiting for Jack would ever amount to anything.  The pace of the relationships works because Armstrong does it well and makes her characters’ decisions reasonable.

The thriller part is well done too.  Nadia uses her head and puts the pieces together, though she can sometimes be impulsive.  She chooses her allies wisely and their skill sets compliment each other.  Plus, you don’t have to worry about whether they’re following proper procedure.  She hopes to deliver legal evidence to the cops of what happened, but Nadia is all about getting the evidence illegally.  Made to Be Broken keeps the focus on the plot and the relationships, keeping everything tight and fast-paced.

I enjoy the Nadia Stafford books.  She’s non-glamorous and possesses a sense of justice despite her job.  There’s action and romantic tension, always a good combination.  Armstrong is famous for her paranormals, but readers shouldn’t ignore her thrillers.  They have the same qualities that make her Women of the Otherworld series worth reading.  I hope a third Nadia book is in the pipeline.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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The author of the acclaimed Women of the Otherworld series returns with her latest novel featuring an exciting heroine with a lethal hidden talent. This time she’s hot on the trail of a young woman no one else cares about—and a killer who’s bound to strike again.Nadia Stafford isn’t your typical nature lodge owner. An ex-cop with a legal code all her own, she’s known only as “Dee” to her current employer: a New York crime family that pays her handsomely to bump off traitors. But when Nadia discovers that a troubled teenage employee and her baby have vanished in the Canadian woods, the memory of a past loss comes back with a vengeance and her old instincts go into overdrive.
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With her enigmatic mentor, Jack, covering her back, Nadia unearths sinister clues that point to an increasingly darker and deadlier mystery. Now, with her obsession over the case deepening, the only way Nadia can right the wrongs of the present is to face her own painful ghosts—and either bury them for good, or die trying. Because in her book everyone deserves a chance. And everyone deserves justice.
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Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.’s review of Hope’s Folly (Dock 5 Series, Book 3) by Linnea Sinclair
Science fiction romance released by Bantam 24 Feb 09

Linnea Sinclair is one of those authors that I feel I should love. Her books always seem to have strong world-building, which I love, kick-ass heroines, which make me squee, and nice romantic conflict. But the earlier books in this series did not do it for me. So it was with trepidation that I started Hope’s Folly because I didn’t think it was going to work for me very well, either. To my surprise, a shift from first person to third person and a more equal power dynamic between the characters worked to make this book one of my favorite reads of February.

Unlike Gabriel’s Ghost and Shades of Dark, the first two volumes in this series, Hope’s Folly follows newly minted rebel leader Philip Guthrie as he brings a stripped-down military cruiser turned fruit hauler to an alliance-controlled planet where the ship can be repaired and a full crew outfitted. He’s working with a crew he’s not familiar with, some of whom may actively be trying to kill him. Added to his dismay is Rya Bennton, the daughter of his former commanding officer, a rebellious, insubordinate and pretty woman who questions the things he’s always held true about himself.

I really liked Rya, who totally made this book for me. She’s resourceful and smart and she does what she needs to do, without being a complete hard-ass. I liked that we were introduced to her as she was leaving her lover, something that only ever seems to happen to heroes most of the time. She had all the qualities that seem too rare in romance heroines: she was smart, resourceful and competent. Because I liked her so much, I wasn’t even bothered by the niggling question of whether her feelings for Philip were genuine, or weren’t merely a case of hero worship. Then again, that question bothers Rya, too.

Philip. Oh my. He was my type of hero: charismatic, vulnerable in the right moments, and deeply, deeply honorable. I know most girls want bad boys, but I’ll take Philip’s strong moral code and sense of honor over rakes and rogues any damn day. I liked that he was alternately exasperated and delighted by Rya, and yet he respected her as a person. I was rooting for these two to get together throughout, because they were genuinely perfect for each other. And while the love scenes weren’t explicit, because I loved the two leads so much, they totally worked for me.

I liked that the universe is expanded. Sully and Chaz are mentioned, but they don’t actually make any appearances in the book, which gives Ms. Sinclair time to bring in and flesh out new characters. Unfortunately, if I have a quibble with this book it’s that the rest of the cast, being larger than it has been in previous books, is not as developed as I’d like.

The plot was intense, and kept me turning virtual pages until the end. The mystery of who is sabotaging the ship is handled deftly, and I didn’t figure out who it was until just shortly before Rya did. But even after that mystery is solved, I was genuinely not sure how Philip and Rya and the rest were going to make it to their destination, which made the last climactic space battle nail-bitingly suspenseful.

I still wish that the setting was a little more original and less Star Trek-tastic. And as I said, I could have handled a bit more development of secondary characters, but I finally see what the fuss is all about regarding this author, and I’m curious to see where else she can take this series.

Grade: B+

Read more reviews by following the series’ tag.

Summary:
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It’s an impossible mission on a derelict ship called HOPE’S FOLLY. A man who feels he can’t love. A woman who believes she’s unlovable. And an enemy who will stop at nothing to crush them both.
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Admiral Philip Guthrie is in an unprecedented position: on the wrong end of the law, leading a rag-tag band of rebels against the oppressive Imperial forces. Or would be, if he can reach his command ship—the intriguingly named Hope’s Folly—alive. Not much can rattle Philip’s legendary cool—but the woman who helps him foil an assassination attempt on Kirro Station will. She’s the daughter of his best friend and first commander—a man who died while under Philip’s command, and whose death is on Philip’s conscience.
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Rya Bennton has been in love with Philip Guthrie since she was a girl. But can her childhood fantasies survive an encounter with the hardened man, and newly-minted rebel leader, who it seems has just become her new commanding officer? And will she still be willing follow him through the jaw of hell once she learns the truth about her father’s death?
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Shannon C.’s review of Shades of Dark (Dock 5 Series, Book 2) by Linnea Sinclair
Science fiction romance released 29 Jul 08 by Bantam

I think I’ve just about resigned myself to the fact that I’ll never be happy as a reader. I want strong heroines. I got one in this book. I want complex plots that go in interesting directions. I got that in this book. I like when characters make difficult choices. They do in this book. But I did not love it.

Shades of Dark picks up right where Gabriel’s Ghost left off, so if you’re thinking about reading the series, this would not be a good place to start. We reconnect with Sully, space mercenary and handsome bastard as well as super-powerful telepath, and Chaz, capable and competent ship captain and former pride of the Sixth Fleet, on board their ship as they continue to stop a diabolical scheme we found out about in the first book. A monkey wrench gets thrown into their plans when it turns out that Chaz’s brother Thad has been captured.

Thad knows about Sully’s gifts, and it’s likely he will be made to talk. But much as Chaz wants to go rescue her brother, that seems just as likely to be playing into the hands of their enemies, so they agree to meet a contact they need, who brings his own brand of trouble to the crew, and Sully must deal with the fact that his powers are growing exponentially and have a definite dark side.

I didn’t like this book nearly as much as I liked Gabriel’s Ghost. While it was nice to check back in with Chaz and Sully, I never really felt the danger as well as I was meant to. I also felt a certain distance from Chaz as the book progressed, which is not a good thing in a first-person narrator, and since I wasn’t really involved in her character to any emotional degree, I ended up feeling that the first three quarters of the book dragged. I also still think the world-building is a shade derivative. Chaz in my head sounded quite a bit like Janeway from “Star Trek Voyager”, and I found myself bothered by a few minor little details, the revelation of which constitute spoilers.

That being said, after slogging through a huge part of the book, things do pick up. I really loved the introduction of Dell, who was the most fascinating character in the book. His motives were complicated, and I wish what had happened to him in the end hadn’t, because he would have been great as a redeemed hero in a future book.

The story also ends at a definite happy for now type ending, after Ms. Sinclair put her characters through the ringer. I liked that things weren’t resolved too neatly, and I found the end of the book gripping.

I do have an ARC of Hope’s Folly which, as of this writing, I intend to dive into. I know Ms. Sinclair is a writer with a lot of potential to write something I will find brilliant, and I’m hoping the POV shift from Chaz to a third person narrator will mean better things as far as my enjoyment goes. If you’re a fan of this series, definitely don’t miss this one. But for me, it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped.

Grade: C+

Summary:
Can love alone save the day? Award-winning author Linnea Sinclair returns with a vibrant interstellar thriller of romance and adventure in which two lovers are tested in the crucible of deep space, where there are only…

Before her court-martial, Captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren was the pride of the Sixth Fleet. Now she’s a fugitive from the “justice” of a corrupt Empire. Along with her lover, the former monk, mercenary, and telepath Gabriel Ross Sullivan, Chaz hoped to leave the past light-years behind—until the news of her brother Thad’s arrest and upcoming execution for treason. It’s a ploy by Sully’s cousin Hayden Burke to force them out of hiding, and it works.

With a killer targeting human females and a renegade gen lab breeding jukor war machines, Chaz and Sully already had their hands full of treachery, betrayal—not to mention each other. Throw in Chaz’s Imperial ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and a Kyi-Ragkiril mentor out to seduce Sully, and not just loyalties but lives are at stake. For when Sully makes a fateful choice, changing their relationship forever, Chaz must also choose—between what duty demands and what her heart tells her she must do.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Lawson’s Duckies Do Series reviews of Traitor’s Kiss and Lover’s Kiss (Pennistan Family Series) by Mary Blayney
Historical romance released by Bantam 28 Oct 08

If I remember correctly, Traitor’s Kiss was supposed to come out earlier this year (April maybe?), but it was instead delayed until November and paired with next novel in the series about the Pennistan family, Lover’s Kiss. An interesting concept to say the least, though I’m not entirely sure why it was done. It does have a very pretty cover though. The two books in one follow two siblings in the Pennistan family, headed by the Duke of Meryon.

Traitor’s Kiss

The first story follows Lord Gabriel Pennistan, the third Pennistan sibling, and Charlotte Parnell, a woman of dubious origin. Gabriel is in a French prison in Le Harve after being captured as a spy in Portugal. Charlotte has been hired to spring him from jail and take him back to England by his family. Though Gabriel is very untrusting from the beginning, he does make it back to England, where Charlotte disappears. Gabriel is determined to find his rescuer, for more than just gratitude for his freedom.

Gabriel is a scientist, brought into spying in Portugal on an attempt to do something more with his life and make a difference in the world. When he’s caught, his circumstances, family and the vendetta of a French official against his father makes his life difficult in the prison. Gabriel is a good hero, if overly observant and with a quick fire temper. His skills of observation become grating through the story, as he does notice everything and thus figures everything out in the end and gets the girl.

Charlotte is carrying a lot of baggage from her marriage and the death of her husband. Though seen in Le Harve as a prostitute, she has another personal mission and is a master of disguise. She manages to fool everyone and accomplish her goals, and while she falls in love with Gabriel and demonstrates admirable qualities in relation to her personal quest, she still pushes everyone away in the defense that she’s broken and has iron for a heart and is not worth loving due to her treatment and some choices she made while married.

The story is interesting, with the prison break and escaping to England, and the ensuing search for a real life, but with Gabriel’s knowing everything due to observation and Charlotte always whining about the fact that she doesn’t deserve love due to her dead husband and how she acted, it took away what could have been a sweet love story based on redemption and what it means to make a difference in the world.

Grade: C

Lover’s Kiss

This story opens with Michael Garrett going through the woods in the Peak District and seeing a nearly naked woman. He rescues her from near death, as it’s very cold, and though she doesn’t tell him the whole truth about herself at first, does manage to get her home safely, as she’s Lady Olivia Pennistan. Michael is then hired to protect Olivia and the Pennistan family castle, since Olivia had been kidnapped.

Though she’s stubborn, Michael enjoys Olivia’s other traits and innocence as he’s spent the last seven years as spy in France. He’s seen the worst of humanity and committed various bad deeds and feels he needs to start his life new, and saving Olivia in his mind is the start of his path to redemption. Michael is a good hero. He knows his faults, strengths and works with them well. He’s not overbearing, but he’s not afraid to do what’s necessary either. A good, strong, quiet sort of Alpha hero.

Olivia came across as childish, spoiled and overly stubborn. From the start there wasn’t much to recommend her, even though she had been kidnapped and near death in the woods. She never trusted Michael, and even suspects him of being one of her kidnappers up until the point when he takes her to the vicar’s house in town. She’s also overly obsessed with food. While that’s fine, an aristocratic lady of the time would not have cooked the family meals and spent her whole day in the kitchen. Her childish tendencies made her want to hide from the rest of the world in the kitchen and not deal with real life.

I don’t normally quote things, but one line summed up my irritation with Olivia best, as she’s just broken up a boxing match (and got knocked unconscious in the process) between her brother David and Michael about the fact that David found her sleeping on Michael’s bed:

“What were you thinking Olivia?”
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“See if you had come to me, none of this would have happened”.

Then she cries. It just makes no sense that Michael, being logical and practical would fall in love with someone so selfish, childish and impulsive. The kidnapping storyline moved the plot along, but in the end it was pretty useless, though I could see some desperate person perhaps planning that sort of thing. Michael was the best part of the story, the focus on the kitchen the worst (who knew I’d say that about food!) and Olivia just a child who gets patted on the head for her eccentricities.

Grade: D

It’d be interesting to see where this story goes, as there are three Pennistan brothers left, and the epilogue sets up the story for the Duke and possibly Jess, who wasn’t seen in either story.

Overall Grade: C-

 The Summaries:

This beguiling pair of novels from author Mary Blayney delivers a double dose of romance and intrigue as two people from one extraordinary family find themselves on the right—and wrong—sides of love, and the law.…

Traitor’s Kiss
When an enigmatic beauty rescues accused traitor Lord Gabriel Pennistan from a French prison cell, it’s just the beginning of an adventure in mystery and seduction. For Gabriel has no idea who Charlotte Parnell is, or why she has saved him… and Charlotte has underestimated the sensual stranger who awakens in her a passion that culminates in a night of exquisite lovemaking. But when she abruptly vanishes, Gabriel will not rest until he finds her—no matter what the cost.…

Lover’s Kiss
In her worst nightmares, Lady Olivia Pennistan never imagined she would be kidnapped. And retired soldier Michael Garrett never expected to be her rescuer. But he could hardly ignore the naked young beauty scrambling through the forest. Neither anticipates sharing a kiss—or wanting another. The final surprise comes when Garrett is hired to protect Olivia and her family from the insidious threats that persist. As their simmering attraction ignites, rumors of Olivia’s indiscretion surface—rumors she longs to make come true.…

Read an excerpt

Shannon C.’s review of Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair
Science fiction romance released by Bantam 25 Oct 05

I understand that Linnea Sinclair is quite popular among readers of science fiction romance. Which, of course, explains why I haven’t read her until now. I am the absolute last to know about this stuff, I swear. Anyway, I started with Gabriel’s Ghost because it has sequels that I will be reviewing soon. And I’m glad I read it. Ms. Sinclair has a great gift for storytelling, and I was entranced from the beginning. Despite its flaws, I will definitely eagerly read the rest of the series.

Chasidah “Chaz” Bergrin has been exiled to a prison planet for a crime she didn’t commit. A long-time captain in the Fleet, this has been pretty devastating for her, but she finds herself rescued by none other than Sully, a man she spent years of her career chasing through the galaxy, a man she has always been attracted to. Sully wants Chaz’s help to stop the breeding of an alien monster. Along the way, they face danger, and their attraction grows.

This story is told in Chaz’s first-person POV. This was both a strength and a weakness for the book. I liked Chaz’s narrative voice, since it was pleasant and relatively snark-free, but I really didn’t get a very good sense of who she was. I have my ideas, but I don’t feel I got to know her as well as Sully or the others, and that’s a shame, because I did like her. Except for the times that I thought she should have picked up on a few things a lot faster than she did.

The true star of this book, though, is Sully. Sully has a huge secret, the extent of which is not revealed for quite a while. It’s a secret that has deeply influenced the kind of person he’s become, and he totally had me from the beginning, mostly because, as I’ve said before, I love me some emotionally repressed tortured heroes. The chemistry between Sully and Chasidah was obvious, and though the sex scenes were more lyrical than explicit, there were definitely more than a few squirm-in-my-seat moments reading them.

The other characters we meet are equally well drawn. Sully’s crew is made up of fascinating people, and I hope we get to see more of them as the series progresses. Even Chasidah’s ex-husband, featured near the end of the book, is painted sympathetically. There are villains, too, but their motives aren’t simply maniacal and evil, and I really appreciated that.

The plot moves along at a brisk pace, which kept me reading as quickly as I could. I also liked that the romance arc and the more action-packed sci-fi arc really couldn’t have existed without each other, which, to my mind, is what creates believable science fiction romance. I do think some of the world-building could have been better — I felt at times like I was reading something just a shade too derivative of Star Trek — but that’s a minor quibble, because I liked the rest of what I was reading.

Overall, this was a good introduction to Ms. Sinclair. I hope that, in the sequels to this book, she has chosen to provide more insight into Chaz’s character so that I can fall in love with her as much as I did Sully. Other than that, though, I think fans of science fiction romance and Star Trek should definitely give this one a go.

Grade: B

Summary:

A life-and-death battle where giving up the ghost has a whole new meaning…

After a decade of cruising interstellar patrol ships, former Captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime Pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’t commit—and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows.

Gabriel Sullivan—alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue—is supposed to be dead. Yet now this seductive ghost from Chaz’s past is offering her a ticket to freedom—for a price. Someone in the Empire is secretly breeding jukors: vicious and uncontrollable killing machines that have long been outlawed. Gabriel needs Chaz to help him stop the practice before it decimates imperial space. For Chaz, it’s a matter of survival. For Sully it means facing the truth about who—and what—he really is. The mission means putting their lives on the line—but the tensions that heat up between them may be the riskiest part of all.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of The Disgraceful Duke by Barbara Cartland
Historical Romance published by Bantam on Feb 77

I don’t know if you’ve ever read a book by Barbara Cartland, but she was something of a romance powerhouse. I mean, she was Dame Barbara Cartland. I feel that everyone romance fan should read one of her books at some point. After all, they’re category length, and some are quite good. The Disgraceful Duke is a cute story, rather intricate, and entertaining.

Shimona Bardsley is the daughter of a famous actor, yet she’s lived a very quiet and solitary life. Her mother and father created quite a scandal when they ran off to get married. Shimona is rather unconventional, because she grew up sequestered; her only interaction seems to have been with her parents, her nurse, and her father’s dresser. She’s well read and well educated for a woman, but quite innocent. She’s a bit in awe of her father, as she’s been brought up to believe that his wants and desires are utmost. It’s this conditioning that leads to the actual story. Her lifestyle has also made characters in plays more real to her than actual persons and nobility.

The Duke of Ravenstone is known to all as the “His Disgrace” (which is rather clever, no?) because of his disreputable lifestyle. He grew up with an incredibly stern and austere father, which resulted in him rebelling at the first taste of freedom. He’s actually reformed since then, but we all know how gossip and follies stay with a person – especially in Regency England. Ravenstone is both selfish and not – he’s decided to help his nephew, Alister McCraig, secure an inheritance, willing to set up an intricately delicate situation to do so. Of course, he claims he’s doing so to keep his Alister out of his hair in the future. He needs an actress to pretend to be his nephew’s wife. The reason being his nephew married an actress, and is someone his great uncle The McCraig would approve of. It’s a rather ironic and complicated situation.

Enter Shimona. She overhears Ravenstone soliciting her father at the theater for an appropriate actress, and she decides to do it. They need the money, because although her father is an extremely celebrated actor (of course), he’s too softhearted and gives all his money away to his colleagues. Beau is extremely ill, and Shimona is determined to take him to a warmer climate. Ravenstone is offering 1,000 guineas for a job well done. (You can imagine what results.)

There actually are some twists and turns in the story, involving an extension of the charade, and tragedy. Shimona is a very typical Barbara Cartland character – unsophisticated and unworldly, yet sprightly and intelligent. I read this book and found myself thinking “oh, how cute/quaint” a number of times. I also will say I like the story more than I thought I would. It really is quite interesting.

One thing that does bother me is how stilted and halting the heroine’s speech is. I opened to a random page and counted eight ellipses. This is one characteristic of Ms. Cartland’s writing that seems inescapable. At times, it makes you want to smack, or muzzle the heroine, but if you ignore it, the story reads well. Whether it’s meant to be so or not, I tend to read Ms. Cartland’s books with a tongue-in-cheek mentality, and it has served me well.

Grade: B-

In a desperate attempt to earn enough money to save her dying father, Shimona Bardsley accepts the Duke of Ravenstone’s offer to act a part for two nights. Yet her involvment with the dissolute Duke known as “His Disgrace,” sets off a long train of events following her two nights of pretense. After he gallantly rescues her from a dangerous fire, she has the chance to save his life, but loses her heart. Can the Duke leave his sordid past behind and fall in love with Shimona?

Lawson’s review of Delicious by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam 29 Jul 08

Thomas’ debut, Private Arrangements, was a wonderful book and a great debut. How nice for everyone that her next book has come out so soon after the first. The aspects from the first book are present here the beautiful style, vivid descriptions and deep characterization that the few problems I had with the book got pushed to the side.

What problems could there be? I’m sure there’s a lot of people asking that question and I don’t know how much to reveal without giving bunches of spoilers. I’ll do the best I can though. Verity Durant is a world class chef, though she’s carrying a secret with her. Actually, she’s got three. Throughout the book as they come to light it becomes easier to sympathize with her plight and how instead of buckling under the weight of her past, she forges on to a future on her own terms.

After some hitches in Verity’s plan, she’s pretty steady in her life. Though a little past 30, she’s happy enough cooking in the kitchen for a former lover. The descriptions of her food are absolutely mouthwatering. She spends her nights remembering a night from her past when she met her White Knight, but she knew that it wouldn’t work and accepted her fate as a cook, though she is considered one of the best in England.

Her employer, Bertram Somerset, dies and as with estates, she’s passed on to his heir, her employer’s brother. Stuart Somerset is the illegitimate half brother of Bertie, but in a major court case Stuart won his right to be legally recognized. Stuart has some of his own problems to deal with upon hearing of his brother’s death and new inheritance. He’s getting married to a not-so-young lady, Elizabeth Bessler, because his Cinderella from so many years before hasn’t turned up and so he’s found someone he can live with.

This brief summary, of course, cannot do the plot any justice, for that would be giving away far too many spoilers. As hard as it is to believe that two people could fall in love over one night and keep that love for each other for ten years without moving on is a little unrealistic in some ways, but Thomas makes it all very real and very passionate. How Verity and Stuart deal with their issues, of course, makes the story worthwhile and with the richness of detail and characterization easily masks any issue with the length of the separation.

The secondary plot dealing with Lizzie and how she turns out is as evenly fleshed out, if in a different way, than the love story of Verity and Stuart. I started off not really caring for Lizzie, but by the end of the book I was glad she got a happy ending as well. The other plot dealing with the Dowager Duchess of Arlington does stretch things a bit, as though it was added in to make sure there was a bit of Hollywood added to the ending, but it doesn’t overshadow the rest of the fine points in the story.

One last thing to mention is the food. Or maybe the use of the descriptions of food. It’s more that just a plot device, it’s an integral element, almost a character of its own. Verity speaks through her food, and when Stuart becomes her employer she wants to convey certain messages to him through the food. There’s an especially erotic part when he’s eating a chocolate dessert of hers in the privacy of his bedroom that just makes the body tingle. Another pivotal scene is a dinner party where the food is so delicious that the guests are speechless, though Stuart’s mind is whirling about why his cook prepared what she did.

An excellent second book and though some of the same elements from the first book are present, such as having paced flashbacks through the story and a long separation between the characters, the tone between Verity and Stuart is different, as well as the secondary plot lines and the food make this book stand next Private Arrangements as great historical for 2008.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Famous in Paris, infamous in London, Verity Durant is as well-known for her mouthwatering cuisine as for her scandalous love life. But that’s the least of the surprises awaiting her new employer when he arrives at the estate of Fairleigh Park following the unexpected death of his brother.

Lawyer Stuart Somerset worked himself up from the slums of Manchester to become one of the rising political stars of England’s Parliament. To him, Verity Durant is just a name and food is just food until her first dish touches his lips. Only one other time has he felt such pure arousal—a dangerous night of passion with a stranger, a young woman who disappeared at dawn. Ten years is a long time to wait for the main course, but when Verity Durant arrives at his table, there’s only one thing that will satisfy Stuart’s appetite for more. But is his hunger for lust, revenge—or that rarest of delicacies, love? For Verity’s past has a secret that could devour them both even as they reach for the most delicious fruit of all…

Read an excerpt.

Limecello’s review of Hot Nights, Dark Desires by Eden Bradley, Sydney Croft, and Stephanie Tyler
Contemporary anthology published by Bantam on 20 May 08

This anthology is hot, sexy, and has an edge, which meshes with its setting – New Orleans. The characters are all interesting and layered, and I enjoyed my introduction to two of the authors.

The Art of Desire by Eden Bradley

Sophie and Tristan have an instant connection, which makes sense because Sophie has a tattoo fetish, and Tristan is a tattoo artist. The two of them embark on a casual affair that quickly spins out of control. However, Sophie and Tristan each have a lot of baggage, which prevents them from truly committing to a relationship. While I enjoyed the writing and the characters, and their stories, it wasn’t my favorite in the anthology. A part of it, I think is that I’m rather indifferent to tattoos, and the story revolves around them. I understand how it made Tristan hot to be “branding” his “woman” – but otherwise, no big deal. Also, Sophie and Tristan both have a lot of guilt, which makes reading this novella something of a downer. Added unto the fact that Sophie feels that most of what she does is a “sin” and has an excess abundance of Catholic guilt, it made for an occasionally difficult read.

Grade: C+

In “The Art of Desire” a sheltered young woman turned on by the idea of getting tattooed dares to make her fantasy a reality. But as her arousing sessions with a dangerously handsome tattoo artist move from the tattoo parlor to the bedroom, they make an impression that’s more than skin deep….

Read an excerpt here.

Shadow Play by Sydney Croft

This novella is part of the ARCO series. Hex can see ghosts, and is a medium – but the catch is that he is only able to see them through the lens of a camera. One lucky thing is that he’s able to capture them on film. Brenna is a super model, who is being haunted by a jealous ghost who has begun blurring her image in all photographs. Again, a match made in heaven. An issue I had, however, was the characters themselves, specifically Brenna. She’s selfish and thoughtless. There are some reasons – she had a difficult past, but I simply didn’t really care for her as a person, which made enjoying her story a little bit more difficult than I would have otherwise.
However, the story is well written, the characters interesting, and I loved the secondary characters. Once Brenna realized what a jerk she was (and sometimes her self deprecating humor helped), I enjoyed the story a lot. The tension, drama, and events all charged and enjoyable.

Grade: B-

In “Shadow Play” an ex-supermodel desperate to revive her career seeks the help of a gorgeous, reclusive photographer with a special gift-and offers him anything he wants in return. The result is a series of erotic positions captured on film-along with a mind-blowing physical connection neither expected….

Read an excerpt here.

Night Vision by Stephanie Tyler

This was my favorite novella in the anthology. Catie has inherited a bar, with a rough and rowdy crowd, which leads her to hire Bat for his services as a cooler. The two are instantly attracted to each other, but they’re running from their past. Both Bat and Catie have roots in the area, and have avoided it for a long time. However, they begin to realize they’re ready to settle down.
Bat and Cat have explosive chemistry, and slowly work through their issues in a very believable, way. In the meantime, they have extremely hot sex, and find out who they are as individuals and what they were looking for. A well written story that I enjoyed reading.

Grade: B+

In “Night Vision” when artist Catie Lanford hires professional cooler Bat Kelly to whip the failing bar she’s recently inherited into shape, she’s not looking for a lover-until she lays eyes on the sexy wild man. Soon they’ve agreed to mix business with pleasure, and Catie discovers that Bat is just what she needs to set her artist’s imagination-and her body-on fire.

Overall Grade: B-

Pleasure comes in threes…

Inspired by the sultry heat and sensual ambiance of New Orleans , this steamy collection delves into the erotic underground of the Big Easy. Here is a tantalizing trio of stories by three rising stars that will tease your imagination-and seduce your senses.

Lush, haunting, and provocative, New Orleans has something to satisfy every desire-as three very lucky women are about to discover.

Abandon your inhibitions and excite your spirit with a gathering of tales that’s as sexy and spicy as the city of New Orleans itself.

Alicia’s review of Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam Books 25 Mar 08

I went into this book knowing nothing except that it was a romance and I could count on getting a happy ending. It’s a good thing I knew that, though, because this couple put me through the wringer.

We start the book with the ten year marriage about to be dissolved. Gigi has come to the end of her ability to wait for the husband she loves and wants to have a chance at some happiness. Camden, the husband, doesn’t want her for himself but still intends to make this as difficult for her as possible. We then go back to the beginning of the story. Knowing the horrible future awaiting the young couple as they fall in love and marry is kind of like watching a train wreck in slow motion, the tremendous force behind their love only making the devastation more horrible.

The book goes back and forth between the present plot and the couple’s back-story, keeping the reader constantly involved at both levels. The unfolding is exquisite. The dignity of the characters means that the pain is not portrayed in vulgar scenes. Instead it is the bleak, almost silent bleeding out of a dream.

Gigi is the daughter of new money. She intends to marry a title and is ruthless in her hunt. She’s not shy and selfless underneath. She’s not misunderstood or innocent. She’s not in desperation, trying to save some beloved family member or under threats by some evil one. She’s just exactly what she seems and is open about it from the beginning. Actually, Camden loves her that way.

Camden has been raised in the poor and untitled branch of a “good” family. He has spent his childhood in the most fashionable locations during the least fashionable seasons, when the owners were out of town and would lend out accommodations. He is a man to whom honor is everything. It is all he ever had.

The result is painful to watch. This is one of those stories that rips out your heart and pokes needles in it, slices it in pieces, puts it through the meat grinder, then puts it back where it belongs. The emotion is high and the characters well written.

The actual writing is wonderful. The dialogue is fantastic. The use of sexual tension is precise. It isn’t used to make the book “hot” until the characters are ready for it. It isn’t rushed. The setting is Victorian and we get a feel for the time without having random history lectures tossed in. The author allows sexual references without crossing the line into unrealistic erotica (which has its place but it wouldn’t be here). It simply feels like the kind of things real adults know are part of life. The plot is simple with the focus being the characters, their history and hope (or not) for the future.

The only thing bringing my grade for this book down is my feeling like Camden didn’t demonstrate nearly enough regret. Gigi groveled enough for both of them and she gets very little reassurance of his true feelings. She has made monumental leaps in character growth and none of it easily earned. While Camden was right at first, he wasn’t right for long, and I wanted to see his pain laid bare before her for all the years she paid for her sin. She learned her lesson early and well, and he knew it. I didn’t really feel he redeemed himself.

Grade: B-

     To all of London society, Lord and Lady Tremaine had the ideal arrangement: a marriage based on civility, courteousness, freedom—and living on separate continents.

     But once upon a time, things were quite different for the Tremaines…When Gigi Rowland first laid eyes on Camden Saybrook, Lord Tremaine, the attraction was immediate and overwhelming: she simply had to have him. But what began in a spark of passion ended in betrayal the morning after their wedding—and Gigi wants to be free to marry again. Now Camden has returned from America with an outrageous demand—an heir—in exchange for Gigi’s freedom.

     Gigi’s decision will have consequences she never imagined, as secrets are exposed, desire is rekindled—and one of London’s most admired couples must either fall in love all over again…or let each other go forever.

     Read an excerpt.

Read Lawson’s review

Lawson’s review of Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam Books 25 Mar 08

It’s a hard thing to do, write a review. After reading Private Arrangements, it’s even more difficult of a review to write. I don’t want to leave the assumption that there aren’t any good things about it. It’s a very well written story. The language is smart and there aren’t any “beat this into the reader’s head” type of themes. Both the hero and heroine are characterized extremely well and don’t do anything that goes against the grain of their characters. But. . .

Isn’t it sad that there’s a “but”? What’s worse is I just can’t put my finger on what it is that is possibly bothering me, or at least making me waver on my opinion of the book. Gigi is a little unlikeable at first, especially during the flashbacks when her youth, drive and single-mindedness in getting what she wants, which is actually what her mother wants: to be a duchess. But later what comes out is her insecurities because she’s been hunted for her money and had the idea that a title is what is needed in her life.

Enter Camden, who is newly a Marquess thanks to his cousin’s unfortunate early demise. That cousin was Gigi’s fiancee, whom she had basically blackmailed into marrying her. Camden finds a kindred soul in Gigi, for they both had lonely childhoods and carried the burden of responsibility for the family. Young lust blossoms quickly into young love, which is blind to faults, and in the end leads to betryals that tear the couple apart for ten years.

There’s some flashbacks that tell the story of the courtship, wedding, and subsequent life the two lead for the next ten years interspersed with the happenings of the present, when Gigi is seeking a divorce so she can marry a man she knows adores her and will stand by her. The chemistry between Camden and Gigi is electric, they play off each other’s good and bad sides so well and even though they spend a decade apart, they know each other well because they truly do love each other.

Maybe what bothers me is the wringer Camden and Gigi put themselves through due to how young they are when they meet and not thinking things through when they do them. Or maybe it’s the fact that though they have ten years to grow up and forgive each other it actually takes them that long to do it. Or that Camden, though he puts on a brave, strong front, is possibly just a little weak when it comes down to truly going after what he wants and being happy.

I can’t give this anything less than a high B though. I loved the dialogue, the setting, the scenes, the characters, the subplot with Gigi’s mother and the overall care and detail that Thomas obviously put into this book. Maybe I’m giving it such a high grade because it’s making me think about these things so much and deep down that’s what I want, a book that truly makes me analyze what’s good and bad about it but still gives a good HEA at the end. As well as put in my keeper shelf to reread and think more on in the future.

Grade: B+

To all of London society, Lord and Lady Tremaine had the ideal arrangement: a marriage based on civility, courteousness, freedom—and living on separate continents.

But once upon a time, things were quite different for the Tremaines…When Gigi Rowland first laid eyes on Camden Saybrook, Lord Tremaine, the attraction was immediate and overwhelming: she simply had to have him. But what began in a spark of passion ended in betrayal the morning after their wedding—and Gigi wants to be free to marry again. Now Camden has returned from America with an outrageous demand—an heir—in exchange for Gigi’s freedom.

Gigi’s decision will have consequences she never imagined, as secrets are exposed, desire is rekindled—and one of London’s most admired couples must either fall in love all over again…or let each other go forever.

Read an excerpt.

Read Alicia’s review here.

Connie’s review of Blood Dreams (Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Novel) by Kay Hooper
Romantic suspense hardcover released 31 Dec 07 by Bantam Books

Blood Dreams is the latest Bishop/Special Crimes Unit novel. I have been a long time reader of the series. I like Noah Bishop, as well as the other people in his unit. Their talents shine in every character and each tale brings them together to create a successful team. This review will be short because the summary is practically a full book on its own.

Dani Justice and her sister are in a small town and a murderer finds his way there. Bishop’s team is aware of this and carefully protects them from the enemy.

Dani fights her way to the end and there are sad developments along the way. My main problem was it was too quick and I would have liked to have the story fleshed out a bit more. But it does make for a quick read, and it is always nice to revisit old friends. Kay Hooper is an author to keep up with and still seems to be going strong!

The author’s site has several extra resources to help you understand the series – timelines, etc.

Grade B-

Summary:

This killer dreams in shades of death….

In each of her New York Times bestselling novels, critically acclaimed author Kay Hooper has led readers to unforgettably chilling encounters with fear and evil. Now, in her latest thriller, she takes us on a terrifying manhunt for a serial killer no ordinary cops can stop–a psychopath who seems to step out of a living nightmare.

He’s the kind of killer we instinctively fear the most. A killer without boundaries, without conscience, without any fear of being caught. And his latest victim is terrifying proof that no one is safe: the daughter of a powerful U.S. senator.

Now, with the national media calling for justice and a grief-stricken father seeking vengeance, Bishop and his FBI Special Crimes Unit find themselves in a unique situation. This time even psychic cops aren’t enough to stop evil. Aid comes in the form of a fledgling civilian organization of unorthodox crime stoppers. Operating outside of any government oversight, without sanction or official authority, they are comprised of a membership every bit as talented and eccentric as Bishop’s SCU–if not more so. And that is no coincidence. For Bishop helped launch this organization barely two years before.

Dani Justice knows all about monsters. They haunt her nightmares–and her life. But she never expected to find herself doggedly on the trail of a real flesh-and-blood predator so cunning, he’s eluded the best law enforcement could send up against him; so deadly, he doesn’t hesitate to kill even a senator’s daughter. Or a cop.

Dani doesn’t want to hunt this killer. She doesn’t want to risk the life she’s made for herself, or her hard-won peace. But she doesn’t have a choice. Because his bloody rampage has hit far too close to home. Because Dani alone commands a weapon powerful enough to destroy him.

And because Dani knows something even Bishop doesn’t. Dani knows how the hunt ends. It ends in fire. And blood. And death.

What she doesn’t know is who will survive.

Read an excerpt.