REVIEW: Never Romance a Rake by Liz Carlyle

Liviania's review of Never Romance a Rake (Neville Family Trilogy, Book 3) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance release by Pocket Star 22 July 08

I doubt anyone who read the other entries in the Neville Family Series can resist Baron Rothwell's story. But even those unfamiliar with the other two can enjoy this novel.  The plot relies on several cliches, but Liz Carlyle uses them well.  This book uses the gambling set up, when the slimy Comte de Valigny offers his daughter for a wager.  Kieran doesn't have much of a conscience, but he knows he's her best option between the two men at the table.  Camille's willing to take any option if it means marriage and a child.  Read more

Tags: 2008, Grade B, Historical Romance, July 2008, Liviania, Liz Carlyle, Never Romance a Rake, Neville Family series, Pocket Star, Review

REVIEW: Never Deceive a Duke by Liz Carlyle

Liviania's review of Never Deceive a Duke (Neville Family Trilogy, Book Two) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Pocket Star 24 Jul 07

In Never Lie to a Lady, Gareth acted the runner-up.  He loved the heroine and offered her a good marriage, but Xanthia just didn't feel for him like she did Lord Nash.  Liz Carlyle guides him from being second best to the hero quite well.  She starts by making him a Duke, through an inconvenient death of a man who lacked children.  Of course, he didn't lack a young and beautiful wife.  Carlyle endears herself to me by not making Antonia a twice-married virgin.  Read more

Tags: 2008, Grade C, Historical Romance, July 2007, Liviania, Liz Carlyle, Never Deceive a Duke, Neville Family series, Pocket Star, Review

REVIEW: What She Craves by Lacy Danes

Liviania's review of What She Craves by Lacy Danes
Erotic historical romance single-author anthology released by Aphrodisia 1 Mar 07

I remember this cover from a "bad covers competition." I can see why it was nominated - too much contrast, terrible hair, the weird red wash, the nipple showing, the odd pose. (Just look at his lower hand!) The cover doesn't do much to depict the contents, as I would never look at it and think, "I bet this is set in the nineteenth century." Of course, at the same time it describes them pretty well. Bad. Read more

Tags: 2008, anthology, Aphrodisia, Erotic Romance, Grade C, Grade D, Grade F, Lacy Danes, Liviania, March 2007, Review, What She Craves

REVIEW: Never Lie to a Lady by Liz Carlyle

Liviania's review of Never Lie to a Lady (Neville Family Trilogy, Book 1) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Pocket Star 19 Jun 07

Before reading the Neville Family Trilogy, I had no experience with Liz Carlyle. I recognized the name and knew Sybil was head-over-heels for the latest book, but I didn't know what to expect. The opening of Never Lie to a Lady disappointed me. Xanthia Neville meets Lord Nash on a terrace and they proceed to snog, an action both of them consider ill-considered and out of character. Xanthia thinks about how she drank a little, but neither of them had the excuse of drunkenness. A bit scared that I'd agreed to review the entire trilogy, Carlyle spent the rest of the book wowing me so much that I can happily ignore the first chapter. Read more

Tags: 2008, Grade A, Historical, Historical Romance, June 2007, Liviania, Liz Carlyle, Never Lie to a Lady, Neville Family series, Pocket Star, Review

REVIEW: The Ankh of Isis by Christine Norris

Liviania's review of The Ankh of Isis (Library of Athena, Book 2) by Christine Norris
YA fantasy adventure eBook released by Samhain 8 Jul 08

There are many books it would be fun to enter and explore, to be able to interact with favorite characters and experience events first hand. Of course, it would be fun in an abstract sense. No worries of how to get back out of the book or getting injured in the story. Megan Montgomery's library of enchanted books is a duty. She protects their contents from those who would use the artifacts they contain. Read more

Tags: 2008, Christine Norris, Fantasy, Fiction, Grade B, July 2008, Library of Athena series, Liviania, Review, Samhain, The Ankh of Isis, young adult

Slightly Quacky: Liv a Little

I like reading. Always have, probably always will. It started with easy stuff, like Nancy Drew and the Animorphs. Then my third-grade teacher gave me Watership Down by Richard Adams. I almost always list that one on my favorite books list because it changed my life. Watership Down is about four hundred pages long. At eight years old it took me three days to finish. I loved it. Loved the story, loved the characters . . . loved that I was no longer bound to the children's section. I could roam free.

Roam I did. I liked mysteries, fantasy, and science fiction best. In truth, I still like SF/F best, but I have a love/hate relationship with mysteries. They're no fun if I can figure out who the culprit is. Unfortunately, I used to be a dense reader but as I spend more time writing analysis of stories I get better and better about picking up on small clues.

My first romance was some book my mom left lying around. This is a dangerous thing to do around a voracious book reader. If s/he is bored, s/he will pick your book up and read it no matter how lame it sounds. I tend to read straight romance less than many of my other preferred genres because I like to relax with it. I also get attached to my favorites and keep reading those instead of new ones. (The Bride by Julie Garwood. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn.) Plus I'm too young to be over the embarrassing covers. (My mom's attitude is, "My coworkers don't read. Why would I care what they think about my book?")

However, I do like my other books to have strong romantic elements. I enjoy having a couple to cheer on! If I have no couple, I'm likely inventing sexual tension. Oh yes, and I read shoujo manga. Chock full of relationships, those are.

When I'm not reading, I'm watching movies, hanging with friends, or studying. I'm an undergrad honors student. I play percussion. I draw. I write. I edit. I can talk about chocolate chip pancakes with unbridled passion. I named my car Ibby because I thought it fit her well. I get notions like this quite a bit. I can use my toes to open drawers and remove or put stuff inside of them. I collect Good Luck CareBears. I can't sing in tune but I do it anyway. I buy shoes. I suck at talking about myself. This took ridiculously long to write and it's still lame.

Tags: Liviania, Slightly Quacky, TGTBTU Reviewer Intro, The Pond

Review: Devoured by Letty James

Liviania's review of Devoured by Letty James (no author site found)
Contemporary romance eBook released by Harlequin Spice Brief 1 Aug 08

I read the first Nocturne Bite, Racing the Moon by Michele Hauf, and now I have tried a Spice Brief. They're good for a quick introduction to an author's style without buying an entire anthology. They're short enough you can satisfy your craving for a quick read-and-relax without getting sucked into "Just one more chapter" land and the digital format makes them highly portable. (But just in case someone needs the warning: NSFW!) Read more

Tags: 2008, August 2008, Contemporary Romance, Devoured, eBook, Grade B, Harlequin Spice Brief, Letty James, Liviania, Review

REVIEW: Hot Mama by Jennifer Estep

Liviania's review of Hot Mama (Bigtime #2) by Jennifer Estep
Paranormal romance release by Berkley 6 Nov 07, re-release 5 Aug 08

Immediately after finishing and loving Karma Girl, I instantly delved into the next Bigtime story. Estep kept me up way past my bedtime. Both books are fast paced, well plotted, and impossible (for me) to put down. [Ed.: float your cursor over the cover to the left to see the original cover.] Read more

Tags: 2008, August 2008, Berkley, Bigtime series, Grade B, Hot Mama, Jennifer Estep, Liviania, November 2007, Paranormal Romance, Review

REVIEW: Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Liviania's review of Superb and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary romance released by Brava 1 Jun 08

Maddie Stone escaped her past. She cut her ties and made a good life for herself as a concierge for Sky High Air. I haven't read the rest of the Sky High Air series, but Shalvis introduces everything clearly so that there is no need for familiarity with the two preceding novels. While I liked both Maddie and Brody, Noah and Shayne did not make enough of an impression to cause me to immediately go back and read their stories. Read more

Tags: 2008, Brava, Contemporary Romance, Grade B, Jill Shalvis, June 2008, Liviania, Review, Sky High Air series, Superb and Sexy

Review: Once a Princess by Sherwood Smith

Liviania's review of Once a Princess (Sasharia En Garde!, Book 1) by Sherwood Smith
Fantasy romance ebook released by Samhain 17 June 08

Sherwood Smith first caught my eye with Crown Duel many years ago. Years after that I discovered her lj comm Athanarel. There she posted many of her unpublished stories for free - including this one. Now she appears to be making those stories and others available through Samhain and Norilana and taking them down from the site at the same time.

Read more

Tags: 2008, eBook, fantasy romance, Grade B, June 2008, Liviania, Once a Princess, Review, Samhain Publishing, Sasharia En Garde series, Sherwood Smith

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