Does an ARC guarantee a review?

I get a lot of the books I review from Netgalley. Others I buy myself. Very occasionally, I might get one from the author, but that doesn’t happen often.

If I buy the book myself, I choose whether to review it or not. When I get the ARC for free, I feel more obliged to do the review. But I won’t give an unfairly good review, because it’s not fair to the readers or to the authors whose books I loved, for that matter.

For better or worse, I try to be honest. That’s why I restrict the books I’ll review. Friends and publishers I write for, I won’t review, because, frankly, my writing comes first, and the people I work with are an important part of that. I would hope that most of the writers whose books I give not-so-good reviews to accept that I’m not criticising them, I’m not even criticising their book. I’m saying why I didn’t like it. And I never, ever criticise an author. Just that particular book. There are authors whose books I have both hated and loved, and I try to be fair and give them the grade I think they deserve for that particular book. The happy-sigh book gets the highest grade, regardless of author, genre, or publisher. And there are books by friends that I adore. Sometimes that’s why they’ve become friends, but if I’m ever moved to praise them, I’ll always state upfront that we’re friends. Just so you know and you can take that into consideration.

Like all reviewers, I bring my own expectations and even my background to my appreciation of a book. I’m particularly hard on historicals. I can’t help it. If there’s a vague, wishy-washy background or if the author has taken vast liberties with history, the book will get marked down or DNF’d. I have found that in the “wallpaper” history books, the characters are often as thin as the background, and no amount of hot sex scenes will make up for that.

That’s why histories don’t always work for me, even though I love, love, love a well-written, absorbing historical romance. But if I ever read a wishy-washy history book with vivid, believable characters that I care about, I’ll say so, because that is the point of reading a romance. To share in the experience of the main characters and to care about them. To be taken away for a while.

I sometimes write books set in modern-day America, so I have the same problems in reverse – trying to understand the American psyche and writing in the correct idiom. If I wrote that cars went down Fifth Avenue instead of up, if I had two-way flow at the Central Park end, I could guarantee lots of scathing letters. Something that seems trivial to me detracts from someone else’s enjoyment of the book. But I have two huge advantages over people trying to get into British history to write their romances. First, I can visit the places I write about, and I do. I love my visits, make copious notes, and take hundreds of photos. I travel alone so I can sit in restaurants and museums or on a park bench and just listen. Get the cadence of the area, hear the patterns of speech. Love it to bits. Now while a writer of historical romance can visit the UK, they can’t go back in time. None of us can. But visiting helps. The second advantage? I have American editors, usually two or more per book. That is invaluable, so much that I wouldn’t like to try to write a book with an American character without them. They point out things I’d never have dreamed of researching. To take a simple example, I had “car park” changed to “car lot.” Sure, I’d heard the expression, but I naturally write “car park.” Those editors are so, so important to what I do.

So why not get British readers for the historicals set in the UK by US authors? That would ensure that at least the language used is right. And if history buffs were recruited, even better. That’s not to say that there aren’t some American authors who get it right. Miranda Neville, Laura Kinsale, Loretta Chase, for instance, write fantastic books about vivid, believable characters who I remember for a long time after I’ve closed the book. So it can be done. And some of my compadres, Nicola Cornick, Sarah Mallory, Jo Beverley, write wonderful books that sell well both sides of the Atlantic. Long may they flourish.

I never read American romances before around 2000, so I missed out on the rape-into-love books (I read one Catherine Coulter, and it horrified me, but I did love the old Susan Johnson American historicals). I was used to books that respected the history they set the stories in and editors who were knowledgeable enough about history to critique them. I’m still trying, but these days a lot of the books I receive are ARCS.

Which brings me to the point. When I get an ARC, I feel more obliged to review the book. Recently I’m learning to decline. For instance, the Linden book I read recently didn’t work for me, so when I was sent another, I couldn’t see the point of reviewing it. Why should I start a witch hunt or upset the people who enjoy her books? So I declined to review it. But when I buy a book and it’s so-so or meh, then I’ll probably not review it, because I won’t be saying anything new or making a point. But if I’ve received the book as an ARC, then I’ll probably review it.

Raves—I get so excited about those that I almost always do a review. That’s why I read and why I review. I want people to know about this great book. If you ask most reviewers, they’ll say the same thing. It’s the raves that are so exciting. The D, F and DNFs I write with a heavy heart because I really, really want to like the book. I never pick up a book thinking, “I’m going to hate this.” I want to love it, to buy in to the romance, to have a good time. If I read a book and hate it, I don’t always do a review, because it might be a personal dislike (like my dislike of big misunderstanding books), and I’m not adding anything to the debate. But if it’s an ARC? I kind of think I ought to say something.

It’s probably not escaped your notice that there have been a few author blowouts recently about reviews and authors who review and reviewers in general. I’m not going there, I’m just not, although I’m prepared to explain what I do and why. I’m an author, I’m a reader, I review. Deal with it.

But there have also been some discussions about professionalism. Since this is a topic that interests me more than somewhat, here’s my tuppence, and it’s about professionalism with authors and reviewers. And be warned, this is subjective. Sorry. But, as far as I know, there aren’t any industry standards, so you have to do your own thing. These are the rules I try to run my career by, and if you have any more comments, have at it. Love a good discussion, but I will walk away from an Internet spat.

I think authors owe it to their publishers to keep confidential matters just that. It seems to be really important to me, or maybe it’s my position that makes it important. I write for several publishers, not just one, and they are rivals and competitors. But I have never, and I will never, provide a publisher with any information about another that I have discovered because of my privileged position. Not that they’ve ever asked me to, and that’s one indication that you’re dealing with a worthwhile outfit. It used to be called ethical behavior. For all I know, it is still. I will not leak anonymously or otherwise, something I haven’t permission to leak. I won’t tell tales to one publisher about another. I won’t whine about one publisher to another. If you see some information here that I have discovered, you can bet that either it’s a personal opinion, or I’ve asked the publisher’s permission to post. I don’t think I would have lasted too long without that ethical code. But it’s not something you see written down, except on the occasional confidentiality clause. I’m sad that they even have to exist, to be honest, because once you sign that contract you have a privileged relationship with the publisher (not talking in the legal sense, or at least, I don’t think I am).

That’s what author friends are for, and to some extent, that’s what conventions and meetings are for. You can’t trust the Internet to keep your secrets, so sometimes face to face is the only way. I have probably half a dozen author friends I can really, really trust, and I discuss things that are bothering me with them and they discuss their troubles with me. Because you don’t have the luxury of the real life watercooler, and the Internet ones are a bit, well, public. We are a support network, of a kind. But nothing, absolutely nothing, goes further.

Terrible when that trust breaks down. When it does, someone pays, and in the two instances I have inside knowledge of, the results were truly tragic. No, I won’t go into details, but yes, terrible results. I was marginally involved in one of them and it makes me deeply ashamed that I was. I got carried away in a witch hunt, and felt the thrill of righteous indignation, but later, I got to hear the real story and the result. So learn from what I say in this instance, not what I did. Don’t get involved. If you have a valid comment to make, do it and then leave before someone says “Hitler.”

Gossip and rumor online? Enjoy it, but don’t take it seriously unless you have positive proof. Like a murmur of “crows” at one end of a room turns into “murder” at the end, and two and two equals three million. The one that comes to mind, and that I’ve mentioned before, was the demise of Triskelion. The company ran out of money. The other rumors were nothing, but there were some damaging leaks which didn’t help anyone, but they did precipitate the company into bankruptcy, which was a bit of a shame for the 50 plus authors involved. The owners walked away, and so did the commenters.  We were left with the mess, so you might say that the wrong people suffered for that one. It’s over now, and I just regard it as a lesson learned. Life’s too short for grudges.

We all know that sometimes someone will say something controversial for a bit of publicity. It happens everywhere. My history tutor at university told us, “If you have a good book, a well thought out theory and a solid thesis, wait. Find something really controversial, something a lot of people will disagree with, but something you can defend. Write and publish that. Give them two dignified responses and then let them argue. Then put out the book you really wanted to publish. They’ll be watching you.” Sometimes it’s just for the blog hits, especially when it’s an author or blogger you’ve barely heard of before. It works, it always has. Kim Kardashian and Katie Price have made great careers out of doing that. Not looking? Flash your crotch, that will do it. Have an argument in public, get drunk, punch a paparazzi. You thought that was all spontaneous, that they really felt that way, that they’re embarrassed when the youtube clip of them crotch-flashing gets its millionth hit? Really?

The reviewing bit? No, I don’t intend to reply or comment to the inflammatory views I’ve been reading hither and yon. I’m privileged to have people who want to read my reviews, but I always try to make it clear that it’s just my opinion. Just one reader sharing her views. You don’t have to write to be able to do it, and sometimes, I think it’s an advantage not to. But I do, so I try to give a writer’s viewpoint. It’s always about that particular book. I have writers who are on the edge – sometimes their books really, really rock my boat, and sometimes they just annoy me, but if I only commented on the ones I loved, it’s like showing only one side. And I don’t do it for writers. If a writer reads one of my reviews and likes it, maybe wants to use a quote, that’s great, fantastic, in fact. But I do it for the reader, not the author. I’m sharing with other readers my experience reading.

I don’t review books from publishers or lines I’m also with, because that’s a bit close to home, and because I value friendship higher. Plus, I might be privy to some information that might color my opinion, such as the author’s state of health, or the way a publisher edits. I don’t usually review books from friends, but if I do, it will be a book I’m bursting with love for, and I will, I promise, state my connection up front.

Sometimes I’ve met authors because of my reviews, and we’ve become friends. And that’s even when I’ve given a negative review. I like to think it’s because they’re as professional as I try to be. The ones who take it all personally—my best advice is to close down the Internet for a few days, and walk away. Publishers who take any notice of reviews? Are you kidding? All a big publisher these days is interested in is the bottom line. It’s a hard world out there. If you’re a train-wreck personality who manages to produce halfway decent books at regular intervals, they will be falling over themselves to get to you. If you’re a regular, nice person who produces great books, they’ll have you too. But a review is another mention online, and one of the first things you learn in marketing 101 is that it’s the mentions that count first, not what was actually said.

I learned early in my career. My first published book was “Yorkshire.” I had some great reviews for it, then someone ripped it to shreds. My then publisher advised me to ignore it, because responding would feed it, and increase the hit rate. I took the advice, and the review died a death. It’s not there anymore, and to be honest, I can’t remember where it was. The review was deeply unfair, and I honestly believe that the writer hadn’t read all the book. She (or he) certainly hadn’t read a first person book before, because that aspect gobsmacked her (or him). So I consoled myself that I was in good company, but that review hurt, it really did. I had other not so good reviews later, but they didn’t hurt so much, because those reviewers had read the book and decided it wasn’t for them. Fair enough. I’d start to worry if I wrote a book that everybody loved. Bland R Us. Yes, it hurts because we want everybody to love our babies, but as the mother of a biter, I know that not everybody loves the offspring, literary or otherwise.

Anyway, after that appalling review, my sales went up.

But if everybody did that, we’d have to rely on the real nutters for our amusement. So maybe I shouldn’t say it. Because it’s all grist to the writing mill, and let’s face it, it means we can put off working for another day or two.

I’ve done a fair few things since I joined the writing world. I’ve edited (don’t do it anymore – the pay wasn’t brilliant and it detracted from my own writing time), I review and I write. And, of course, I read.

When Syb asked me if I wanted to review for TGTBTU more regularly, I was delighted to do so. I always read the blog for the reviews as well as the other pieces, and I’d done a series on the Romantic Times Conference. Most of the books I review, I buy myself, or I get from NetGalley. I get the occasional ARC. I try to say in the review where it comes from.

I won’t review books by close friends or by publishers or lines who publish my work because friends and publishers mean more to me than reviewers. I try to keep to that particular book and my response to it when I review. If I don’t like a book, I’ll say so, but I might like another by the same author.

Honestly what you see is what you get with me and the reviews I do. I’ve been reading all my life except for the first two years (yes, I was reading at two and reading fluently by the time I went to nursery at three). I grew up in a house full of books. We didn’t have central heating, but we had books, so my mother bought a lot of old and tall bookcases at auctions and filled them with books. Great insulation. Some great reading, too.

So publishers think that some sites don’t review “fairly.” What’s a fair review? It’s only one reviewer’s opinion, after all. And I really want to refute the opinion that the reviewer somehow “owes” something to the person who sent them the book. As a reader, I want to read an honest opinion, which I have the right to agree or disagree with. As a reviewer, I don’t owe anyone anything. I’ve paid my dues, and I want a good read. When I open a book, I’m really hoping that it’s going to be a great read and I’m disappointed if it isn’t. I don’t set out to trash a book.

If a book has tropes that really don’t work for me, then I’ll say so. If a book squicks me out, I’ll say so, too. And it’s not always the writer’s fault, I get that too. If the blurb doesn’t mention it, or it’s sold in the wrong genre, and I pick it up that way, then it’s not a decision the author usually gets to take.

But as an author, I’m getting tired of the “authors should be seen and not heard” opinion. We write our books and we have to then get out of the way unless we’re invited. No, just no. Let me make it clear that author whining is not what I’m talking about here. That is clearly a stupid thing to do. But replying to criticism? Sure, why not,if it’s done in the spirit of discussion? Authors have opinions too and as long as it’s not a whine, I’d like to see more of it. But not author domination. Authors do have the temptation to go on and on. Otherwise we wouldn’t have the stamina to write all those words! And authors tend not to give opinions about books, but I wish there were more authors who dared to do so. But in these austere days, and believe me, they are really austere for the author, there is a lot more careful behaviour.

Author bullying I hate to see, too. When an author declares that her books are the best evah and even gathers a clique around her – not to be confused with fangirls who arrive of their own free will. Which brings up the subject of fan bullying. Recently I had the pleasure of discussing the Twilight books on a private loop without the twihards turning up. It was interesting and we learned a few things about the books that way. As a reviewer, you know if you review a book like that, the fans will turn up, so the pressure is already on to do a good one, or not to do one at all. And the author clan thing, there are a few, and I’m sure some of us know who they are. It means we don’t review your books because we don’t want to deal with the feedback, so you don’t get the exposure. Either that, or a reviewer might choose the book to increase traffic (surely not! But yes).

And now more bullying. The recent assertion by some authors and editors that authors should not give bad reviews – or else. I have never known a responsible editor to do or say that. Never. I’ve seen a few authors say that, and I wonder if it’s a gut response, or if they have evidence. But after all, reviewing is writing, too, and it can be great practice. I won’t be muzzled in that way. If I give up reviewing it’s my choice, and I want it to be a choice. Anyway, if you want to shut me up, offer me a publishing contract. Then my personal reviewing policy comes into play and I won’t review any more books from that publisher or line.

Flippancy apart, and offering me a publishing contract on that basis is about as real as that pig flying in the sky up there, I feel very uncomfortable about a publisher who would quieten authors that way, or a big author who would try to suppress comment by threatening boycotting or something similar. I don’t know if it happens, to be honest, but I really hope that it doesn’t.

Reviewing can evoke furious responses, but while I consider that the opportunity to do it is a privilege, I also think that the only person I owe anything to is the reader. I’m not doing it for the author, although I am one myself. I do it to give as honest an opinion as I can. And don’t forget, it is only my opinion. Feel free to pass on by.

Liviania’s review of Hero at Large by Janet Evanovich
Contemporary romance released by Harper 30 Mar 2010

I love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.  Her other books have been more hit and miss for me, especially HarperCollins’s reprints of her old categories.  For the most part, Hero at Large is funny and entertaining.  In my opinion, it goes a bit off the rails at the end.

Ice-skating coach and single mom Chris Nelson is a little strapped for cash.  It’s pretty unsurprising that her beater breaks down by the side of the road.  Ken Callahan stops to help and ends up with a broken arm for his trouble, when Chris accidentally drops the hood on him.  Through a series of events that would only occur in a screwball comedy, Ken ends up boarding at Chris’s house until his arm heals and he can return to work.

The two have an instant physical attraction, but the sparks really fly while they get to know each other.  Chris teaches Ken about competitive ice-skating.  Ken tries to cook edible food and bonds with Chris’s daughter Lucy.  They joke around with each other.  I love the scene where Ken reads one of Chris’s romances.

“That’s some book.  I always thought romances were for delicate, frail lady types.  Do you know there are pages and pages of sex in that book?”

. . .

“You read the whole book.”

. . .

“Well, hell,” he grinned good-naturedly, “the truth is . . . I enjoyed it.”  His eyes raked across her nightshirt.  They crinkled into laugh lines and his teeth flashed white in a dazzling smile of laughter turned inward.  “You can’t imagine how frustrating it was.”

Then Chris figures out what the reader figured out far earlier: Ken isn’t a freelance carpenter.  He’s rich and successful.  This drives Chris away since he isn’t the man she got to know.  I could understand a little bit of anger, but it felt like too much too me.  Perhaps I’m projecting, but I’d be happy to learn that the man I loved was insanely rich rather than struggling for employment.

While the heroine frustrated me some, I still laughed quite a bit while reading Hero at Large.  Ken and Chris are both amiable, likable characters.  Chris’s pushy Aunt Edna is a clear (and more clear-headed) predecessor of Stephanie Plum’s grandma Mazur.  I’m not sure whether I’ll read Hero at Large again, but it did serve its purpose as light entertainment.

Grade: B-

Summary:
He cooks a pot holder in the spaghetti sauce and needs lessons on making Jell-O. Still, single mom and ice skating coach Chris Nelson is committed to keeping her sexy, scruffy, new “house husband” around. After all, she did break his arm…and his toe…and she can’t just turn him out into the cold…

It seemed like luck when this gorgeous stranger first stopped to help Chris with her car, but suddenly her peaceful life turns topsy-turvy as tender, long-suffering Ken Callahan enlists the sympathies of her 7-year-old daughter and her meddlesome Aunt Edna. And even Chris can’t deny the excitement his magnetic blue-black eyes spark deep within her…But who is he?
Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Lured by Lori Devoti
Paranormal romance released by Nocturne Bites 1 Jan 10

I enjoyed Lori Devoti’s Unbound series and Amazon Ink, so I happily picked up Lured for more of the same.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t more but less.

Annie is attached to her PDA, the stereotypical uptight businesswoman.  She’s recently become a werewolf, but thought she found a medical trial for a cure.  Instead, it was a trap.  Now, why a woman who is attached to her PDA did not research the trial or the address is not explained.  One of the complexities of a short story is the need to develop the characters much quicker.  Character inconsistencies are that much more apparent.

Theo is the alpha werewolf who rescues Annie, and then goes back to put a stop to the men who set the trap for good.  There isn’t much more to him.  I like the idea that he’s stronger with Annie, but it feels like true love happens to fast.  I followed the plot of Lured, but I didn’t believe in it.  Perhaps I would of enjoyed it if it were by an author I had lower expectations of, but as I like Lori Devoti quite a bit, I was disappointed.  She can do better.

Grade: C-

Summary:
Theo Malone was an alpha, not a lone rogue who needed to fight for a female. Still, something about Annie Cartwell called to him. Unclaimed and unaware that she had been turned into a werewolf, she was vulnerable to other wolves…and irresistibly attractive to Theo. His wolf had never reacted so strongly to a woman before–and Annie’s new inner wolf had the same hunger for him. His scent made her feel safe, his touch soothed her…and the thought of Theo awoke fantasies of being claimed by him like she’s never had before.

But while they both longed to fully give in to their desire, Theo and Annie must struggle to control these new feelings. For someone set up Annie as bait, and no wolf was safe until he was caught….

Moon Marked by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
Paranormal romance released by Nocturne Bites 1 Jan 10

Nikki is a hunter, waiting for some werewolves that got away. Of course, those aren’t her only orders. Jonathon is a hereditary werewolf trying to rescue Nikki, since he knows she’s in over her head. The two are instantly attracted despite their conflicting loyalties, but things become complicated when Nikki is bitten by one of the crime lord’s wolves.

As a standalone, Moon Marked is a little confusing. Linda Thomas-Sundstrom’s world is involved, and it’s hard to figure out the hierarchy of things that go bump in the night in 62 pages when there’s action and romance going on. As an introduction to her Wolf Moons series, it’s fairly effective since I do want to read more about this world. Those who are already reading this series will want to pick up this Bite, since there is some world-building that seems important. (I could be wrong, since I haven’t read the series yet.)

Grade: C+

Summary:
In the secret war between humans and werewolves, Jonathan Baird and Nikki Reese were natural enemies. Born with the genetic gifts needed to join the secret society of hunters, Nikki had been raised to see all Lycans as her enemy…even if hunting them brought on a powerful craving for sexual release.

It was that craving that drew werewolf Jonathan to Nikki. Though he also sought the rogue creatures that threatened the secrecy of his people’s existence, his organization sent him to watch her…but he lusted after her, too. When a hunt goes bad and Nikki is infected with the Lycan virus, Jonathan couldn’t resist coming to her aid, igniting an insatiable desire between them. Will their passion bring together the two rivals, or will old loyalties die hard?

Loch Dragon’s Lady by Christine McKay
Paranormal romance released by Spice Briefs 1 Jan 10

I like Ellen, though she is a bit too stubborn for her own good.  After all, she has a sensible reaction to a handsome man trying to carry her off: stab him.  Unfortunately for her, it doesn’t work since Robert is a dragon.  Christine McKay doesn’t say much about how the setting or creatures work, but she provides enough information that nothing seems jarring.

Robert enjoys being alone, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t sometimes lonely.  It’s nice to see a fairly nice guy meet someone who he can live with.  The Spice Briefs are supposed to be more erotic than the Nocturne Bites, but I believed the happily-ever-after of Loch Dragon’s Lady the most.

Grade: B

Summary:
When Robert Dunyveg finds Ellen Kildonan on his secluded Scottish isle, he thinks she’s just another tourist to spoil his peace. Though outraged by her claim that the island is hers, the dragon shifter can’t resist indulging his long-denied desire with the exotic beauty. But while Ellen has the scent of a human, she tasted of magic–and the only way to unlock the mystery of her true identity is to explore their red-hot passion even more….

Liviania’s review of My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers, Book 2) by Rachel Vincent
Young adult urban fantasy released by Harlequin Teen 29 Dec 09

My changing feelings about Rachel Vincent’s novels have been well documented on the internet.  What has been less documented is the fact that sometimes I read other people’s reviews before I write my own.  Sometimes it sharpens my focus, other times it confuses me.  For My Soul to Save, it was the latter situation.

I expected more comments about the dark ending.  I expected remarks about the social satire and thinly veiled barbs aimed at Disney, which are particularly well-timed given the public meltdown of Lindsay Lohan.  I expected comments about the gender politics.  I just didn’t expect all of the comments about the gender politics to be completely opposite of my own observations.

Many reviewers dislike Vincent’s banshees because they are hysterical women who can only be calmed by a man.  I can get behind that being a bad subtext.  Now, I can’t blame Vincent for Kaylee, as a banshee, being a screaming woman.  Bean sidhe means female fairy.  Banshees wail before deaths in the common folklore.  The man part is Vincent’s invention, so that’s what I’ll focus on.

First, Kaylee doesn’t need boyfriend Nash to stop her wailing.  She did in My Soul to Take because she had no clue what she was or how to use her powers.  Now Nash’s mother is teaching her to control her wail, she can let it out a little at a time instead of becoming hysterical.

Second, I see Vincent’s banshees not as an interesting take on gender dynamics, since the females have the most agency.  Kaylee can interfere with a Grim Reaper on her own.  She can cross over into the Netherworld on her own (perhaps unwisely).  The only thing she can’t do on her own is prevent someone’s death.  Nash, and all of the male banshees, have no power without a female banshee.  He can’t direct a soul back into a body without Kaylee’s wail.  He can’t even do that often, since it pisses Reapers off and causes someone else to die.  Males only have power thanks to the females, and even then they rarely get to use it.

But really, subtext is subtext.  What about the text?  My Soul to Save is an interesting and well-presented story.  When Nash’s deceased brother Tod’s girlfriend Addison sold her soul, she had no idea what she was getting into.  Now Nash, Tod, and Kaylee are trying to save her – unfortunately, Addison was destined to die young.  And not even Kaylee’s wail can prevent her death since she has no soul.  There are clever plans in abundance, selflessness, and a nice sense of urgency.  But hoo-boy is the ending dark.

Maybe I’m deluding myself about the gender issues, but I like my interpretation.  If I thought the series was down on women I would not be nearly as excited as I am for book three.

Grade: B

Summary:
When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.
So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.

Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….

Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie
Contemporary romance released by HQN 24 Nov 2009

I’m supposed to focus on new releases, not reprints.  I picked up this Jennifer Crusie because I know she’s a favorite of many.  (I’ve even seen her on my mother’s shelf.)  I figure it’s all right then, as there are probably a number of readers like me who are new to the romance genre and pick up a big name completely clueless as to whether it is new or a reprint.  I can say this after finishing Strange Bedpersons: Crusie earned her reputation.

Tess is the crunchy granola feminist.  Nick is the lawyer determined to make partner.  Together, they pretend to be affianced even though they broke up.  (Why they broke up is a bit of a headbanger.)  Nick is about to land an important client, and it matters to him who Nick is dating.  Then Tess gets further involved with Nick’s life when her best friend, retiring dancer Gina, begins to date and falls for Nick’s best friend, playboy lawyer Park.  Tess and Nick have conflicting sensibilities and desires, but an undeniable attraction to the other.

Unfortunately, Tess was the weakest part of the story.  She is utterly intolerant of other people’s points of view.  She’s that friend who tries to make you guilty for ever eyeing a cow, much less eating and wearing it.  I’m all for living in the way you prefer and not hiding your lifestyle, but people who try to shove their way of living onto others because it is the only way to really live and be a good person annoy me.  Luckily, Gina gets a great scene of calling Tess on her shit.

On the other hand, I really loved Nick.  Tess’s main issue with him is that he’s too ambitious.  However, he never comes across as ruthless or cut off from other aspects of life.  Dude wants to make partner and be secure and thus does a good job.  She’s also got a problem with the fact he isn’t instantly GGG when she tries to foist her kink on him.  Kink’s fine, but you’ve got to look out for your partner if he or she is going to indulge you.  My main problem with Nick is that he kept pursuing this crazy chick who stepped all over him.  (That, and he messed with her clothes.  He’s not perfect, but he was more likeable and sympathetic than Tess.)

This sounds really down, but it is a major compliment to Crusie that I enjoyed Strange Bedpersons despite my initial dislike of Tess.  The book is extremely funny, particularly during the final dinner scene.  Nick and Tess have enough chemistry with each other and enough willingness to compromise (even if it does come slower on Tess’s part) that I believe the happy ending, despite the relationship’s rocky beginning.  I think I will seek out another one of Crusie’s novels, though I know some of them are considered misses.  After all, it doesn’t take much work to check out the blogs and see which ones are hits.

Grade: B-

Summary:
Tess Newhart knows her ex-boyfriend Nick Jamieson isn’t the right guy for her. He’s caviar and champagne; she’s take-out Chinese pot stickers. He’s an uptight Republican lawyer; she was raised in a commune. He wants to get ahead in business; she just wants…him. But there’s no way Tess will play second fiddle to his job.

Yet somehow she finds herself agreeing to play his fiancée on a weekend business trip that could make or break Nick’s career. And while he’s trying to convince Tess that he needs her in his respectable world, Tess is doing her best to keep her opinions to herself and her hands off Nick.

Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Dream Stalker by Jenna Kernan
Paranormal romance released by Silhouette Nocturne 1 Dec 09

Jenna Kernan gets bonus points for using Lakota mythology. As urban fantasy and paranormal romance have become more popular, authors have diversified their interests from vampires.  But Native American myths remain sadly underused, possibly because many of their legends are lost to us.  Nowadays folklorists work to preserve those myths, but nothing helps more to preserve a culture than getting people interested in it.

That is not to say that Dream Stalker is a cultural artifact.  It’s a likeable story, but predictable.  Kernan’s system of Halflings is intriguing, and I hope to see her do more world-building in this Lakota influenced setting in later books.  Dream Stalker is the story of Michaela Proud, a woman who can see spirits and is on the run from the Ruler of all Ghosts, Nagi.  Her attempts to escape him attract the attention of Sebastian, who can turn into a bear.

Michaela, of course, is not just an ordinary human.  She’s a little passive for my taste, spending most of the novel following Sebastian and letting him protect her.  In the end, I can’t fault her much for that since there wasn’t a better action she could take.  She isn’t weak.  She decides what she wants and pursues it, not allowing other characters to decide what they think is best for her.  But until she began making those decisions, she felt somewhat blank to me.

Sebastian is better realized.  He wants love and acceptance, but has been burned by humans before.  A previous girlfriend took issue with the fact he could turn into a bear, increasing his wariness to become involved with a non-skinwalker.  Of course, as Michaela becomes easier to understand he tends toward silliness as he refuses to trust her.  At the point where she finally convinces him of her love, I’d understand it if she smacked him and informed him that if she didn’t love him she’s have left him five chapters ago.  (At which point every other character in the book would say, “Duh.”)

Nagi is an intense bad guy.  How do you escape someone who can track your soul?  How do you fight a spirit?  Kernan leaves Dream Stalker open ended, with Nagi plotting another way to gain power.  (In fact, it sounded like she might write a story where Nagi gets redeemed by love.  I could be wrong.)  As I said before, if she continues writing in this setting I would be happy to read more, but I’m not sure that I like the brief passage about Nagi that keeps the story from being totally resolved.

The writing and romance in Dream Stalker are slightly above average.  I wouldn’t say there was anything unusual, but the setting was fresh and there weren’t any major flaws.  Dream Stalker was pleasant, if not earth-shattering.  I hope Kernan aims higher next time, because it feels like she could write a memorable paranormal romance as opposed to a serviceable one.

Grade: B+

Summary:
Native American Michaela Proud thinks her escalating nightmares signal madness. But the truth is far worse. For she is being stalked by the god of death. And when she suffers a brutal attack at his hands, she awakens to find a devastatingly handsome stranger kneeling before her. Whose gentle touch eases her pain…and makes her feel safe.
An Inanoka shape-shifter and healer, Sebastian doesn’t want to feel anything for the beautiful woman he’s rescued. But he can’t abandon her once he discovers she has a spirit wound. As he cares for Michaela, he realizes that he can read her thoughts, emotions… and desire. Sebastian realizes that he’s found his true mate. But will she accept him once she learns his darkest secret?
Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters
LGBTQ Young Adult released by Knopf Books for Young Readers 8 Sept 09

Julie Anne Peters is known for writing novels about LGBTQ teens.  While the main characters of Rage are lesbian or bisexual, it’s not a focus of the story.  Johanna and Reeve are both out and comfortable with their sexuality, though every once in awhile someone says something derogatory to one of them.  The focus, instead, is on their emotional issues caused by unstable family life.

I’ve read books about abusive relationships before.  Alex Flinn’s Breathing Underwater is an excellent look into the head of an abuser, and her Diva an equally interesting portrait of the girl recovering from the relationship and beginning new ones.  Sarah Dessen’s Dreamland is an equally compelling look at a girl and why she would stay with the guy abusing her.  Rage plays with the formula by making Johanna not an ordinary girl fighting to stay with her abuser, but a girl who was severely damaged before she even entered the relationship.

When the book begins, Johanna has been fantasizing about Reeve as an escape to her life.  Her mother and father are dead; her sister stayed at college while she cared for their dying mother.  At the crucial point when she needed Tessa’s support, her sister said nothing.  With that trust broken, the only person she can rely on is her best friend Novak.  But Novak’s dating a scummy guy, and pretty soon her relationship with Johanna is on the rocks.  And Johanna’s fantasy relationship is about to become a reality.

Reeve had an abusive father, and now she’s left with her druggie mother and abusive uncle.  She also has to care for her autistic twin brother.  She’s grown up with only Robbie’s love, and she’s best at using people.  She isn’t the classic abuser, trying to keep Johanna under her thumb.  Reeve wants to push Johanna away because she understands the relationship isn’t healthy.  I half expected Johanna to erupt into a rage of her own, the psychopath upset that the reality isn’t her ideal.

Despite being almost 300 pages, Rage felt a little thin.  Rage is a psychological novel, and there’s little going on aside from a series of interconnected relationships.  It’s in Johanna’s point of view, but I still found her the most opaque character.  I understand her on a logical level, but not an emotional one.  (It’s hard to explain.) However, the supporting cast helps out by being engaging.  I can’t help but wish for more of Novak in the novel.  She’s a magnetic presence, even when her actions are repulsive.

Rage can be enjoyed even by those who dislike lesbian content.  The only actual sex scene is done subtly, and Johanna’s (explicit) fantasies are clearly marked by heading and italics.  For those who have been in abusive relationships, Rage may contain triggers.  Other than that, it’s extremely interesting on a psychological level.  But for those who prefer plot-driven fiction to character-driven, it might not be the best choice.  I have not read Peters before, but I would be willing to try one of her other novels out based on Rage. (Edit: Just looked at the author bio and I know I’ve read Define “Normal.” But it’s been a long time and I remember nothing.)  She seems to have a strong understanding of the way teenagers really act, always a bonus in YA novels.

Grade: B

Summary:
Johanna is steadfast, patient, reliable; the go-to girl, the one everyone can count on. But always being there for others can’t give Johanna everything she needs—it can’t give her Reeve Hartt.

Reeve is fierce, beautiful, wounded, elusive; a flame that draws Johanna’s fluttering moth. Johanna is determined to get her, against all advice, and to help her, against all reason. But love isn’t always reasonable, right?

In the precarious place where attraction and need collide, a teenager experiences the dark side of a first love, and struggles to find her way into a new light.
Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Ice Song by Kirsten Imani Kisai
Science fiction/fantasy released by Del Rey 19 May 2009

Sybil quickly figured out that I enjoy stories that play with gender.  Many people are intrigued by what separates men and women, but I enjoy that separation even more when it’s illuminated by a blending of the characteristics.  Therefore, a story about a main character who transitions from female to male naturally seemed right up my alley.

Unfortunately, that’s one of the weakest aspects of the story.  Sorykah doesn’t become Soryk until over a hundred pages into the novel.  Then, she only stays Soryk briefly; it’s just long enough to meet a girl, become attached, have sex.  The relationship does spur on many later events in the novel, but it felt clumsy.  Until the finale, Soryk doesn’t serve much purpose other than having sex and preventing Sorykah from moving forward in her quest since he has no clue what her quest is.

Fortunately, Kirsten Imani Kasai imagined an interesting world.  Many people are born with strange deformities in this dystopia, and discriminated against.  One man, the Collector, enjoys experimenting on them and has just stolen Sorykah’s twin babies.  He’s incredibly creepy, and his servants provide the most intriguing point of views.  After all, those who work for him are the same as those he hunts.  But they do have their reasons.

I like Ice Song best when it’s being a straight ahead sci-fi adventure about a mother and her allies against the man who stole her children.  The relationship between Sidra and Soryk becomes touching after its clumsy start, so I could forgive the seeming gratuity of it.  But I find the other sex scenes in the book fairly unpalatable, as – this is something of a SPOILER – Sorykah is forced to prostitute herself in order to receive information about her children.  This interlude did explore the consequences of the setting, but I just feel like I’d be more interested in the questions it presents in a different book.  Here it slowed down the action.  It seemed to me like Kasai tried to inject some eroticism, but only made the sex disturbing instead of titillating.

Ice Song was not what I was expecting.  I mostly enjoyed it, though the parts I didn’t like I really didn’t like.  The unevenness took away from the reading experience.  I may pick up something else by Kasai in the future since this is her first novel.  Though the execution was clumsy, she had several ideas that I would love to see her explore again once she gains more experience.  I would recommend Ice Song to fans of dystopian fiction who don’t mind fantastic elements, since the worldbuilding was the strongest part of the novel.

Grade: B-

Summary
There are secrets beneath her skin.

Sorykah Minuit is a scholar, an engineer, and the sole woman aboard an ice-drilling submarine in the frozen land of the Sigue. What no one knows is that she is also a Trader: one who can switch genders suddenly, a rare corporeal deviance universally met with fascination and superstition and all too often punished by harassment or death.

Sorykah’s infant twins, Leander and Ayeda, have inherited their mother’s Trader genes. When a wealthy, reclusive madman known as the Collector abducts the babies to use in his dreadful experiments, Sorykah and her male alter-ego, Soryk, must cross icy wastes and a primeval forest to get them back. Complicating the dangerous journey is the fact that Sorykah and Soryk do not share memories: Each disorienting transformation is like awakening with a jolt from a deep and dreamless sleep.

The world through which the alternating lives of Sorykah and Soryk travel is both familiar and surreal. Environmental degradation and genetic mutation run amok; humans have been distorted into animals and animal bodies cloak a wild humanity. But it is also a world of unexpected beauty and wonder, where kindness and love endure amid the ruins. Alluring, intense, and gorgeously rendered, Ice Song is a remarkable debut by a fiercely original new writer.
Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s Duckies Do Series reviews of the Holidays Abroad Series by Merline Lovelace
Contemporary romances released by Harlequin Nov 2008 – Jan 2009

I quite fancy the idea of Christmas in summer (especially during a sweltering heat wave), so when I read the Duke’s New Year’s Resolution, I realized I was in the middle of a series, and read the other books in the trilogy – The CEO’s Christmas Proposition (Book 1) and The Executive’s Valentine Seduction (Book 3). This is a really cute trilogy that follows a natural progression, and takes place realistically chronologically. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for Ms. Lovelace’s books in the future. [And yes, I realize for some places at least, summer has disappeared and we're facing bitter cold. So... this is good to prepare for the upcoming holiday season!]

The CEO’s Christmas Proposition (Book 1)
Released by Silhouette Desire 11 Nov 08

While I didn’t find the premise of this story very believable, I nevertheless liked it. The whole winter wonderland aspect really appealed to me, and I also appreciate the “we’re stranded together so our relationship will develop much more quickly” trope. I think that Devon and Cal were characterized nicely, and that each stayed true to him and herself.

Although generally I’m not a fan of this, I really liked how Sabrina and Caroline had parts in this book. Normally I’d say the focus should have been on Devon and Cal, and that Sabrina and Caroline had their own books to be released soon enough. However, Ms. Lovelace writes the characters in so that they fit naturally, and really bolster the story. After all, the entire premise of this series is that Devon, Sabrina, and Caro are abroad because they’ve just started a new business. And they’ve started a new business because they’re best friends, all looking for something different.

I also enjoyed the fact that Ms. Lovelace incorporated the holiday into her story, and the way Cal and Devon treated Christmas really showed a lot about their personalities as well. And yes, led to their relationship as well.

Grade: B-

Summary:
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A case of mistaken identity landed Devon McShay on the receiving end of a mind-blowing kiss—from her new client! CEO Cal Logan was an undeniably handsome man, and despite their business relationship, Devon couldn’t help thinking about kissing him again.
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When a crippling ice storm traps them in Salzburg for Christmas, sharing a room is their only option. And sharing a bed becomes their pleasure. Could this passionate encounter evolve into anything more than a holiday affair?

Read an excerpt here.

The Duke’s New Year’s Resolution (Book 2)
Released by Silhouette Desire 9 Dec 08

I think this is my favorite story of the bunch. First of all, I’m a sucker for a sexy Italian hero. And he’s a surgeon. And he’s a duke. Be still my beating heart.

However, I also like The Duke’s New Year’s Resolution so much, because I liked it — even though the premise of the book has so many things I don’t like. (That makes sense, right?) First, the heroine is/was a heiress, and I cannot stand the “poor little rich girl” character. However, Sabrina isn’t like that. She knows she was wild and bratty when she was younger, and that rebelling openly and publicly in the tabloids against her father probably wasn’t the best thing to do. She also doesn’t particularly feel sorry for herself, but it’s clear her emotional relationship with her father was lacking. That will elicit my sympathy. And it did.

Then there’s the creepy factor wherein Sabrina supposedly looks just like Marco’s deceased wife. (I don’t think this was entirely necessary, but it definitely adds a lot of drama.) It does force the characters, and especially Marco to profess the depth and sincerity of his feelings for Sabrina, which is always nice.  I really like how Sabrina’s past comes to haunt her – I felt that Ms. Lovelace tied all aspects of the story together nicely, and made it believable. It wasn’t all cotton candy and fluff, and the characters had to take responsibility for their actions and pasts.

And you know, the romance and heat and super hot Italian duke/surgeon.

Grade: B

Summary:

The setting was picture-postcard perfect; the hero, bonafide royalty. Sabrina’s worst fear was that she would wake up and discover it was all a dream. Duke—and doctor—Marco Calvetti had almost run her off the road. Now Sabrina was playing houseguest in his Amalfi-coast villa. Marco’s romantic words and skilled hands gave new meaning to the term “bedside manner,” but his brooding eyes hid secret wounds…or was it a secret agenda? Either way, the duke promised her a New Year’s she would never forget.…

Read an excerpt here.

The Executive’s Valentine Seduction (Book 3)
Released by Silhouette Desire 13 Jan 09

I enjoyed this book because the hero grovels. I have this slightly sadistic streak, which makes me revel in the heroes’ suffering. (I think it was because I read too many old school romances starting out, so I always felt that the heroine gave more than the hero.) In The Executive’s Valentine Seduction, Rory has to work for it. But with good reason. I really like who Caro is as a person, although she is off balance for much of the story.

I also love the trope of friends to lovers – and the story here is a loose interpretation of it. Anyway, Caro and Rory definitely have history, and a lot to work through, but it gives them a foundation, and makes the fact that their “forever and totally in love” relationship is established in the course of a few days believable.

Another thing I really appreciated is that Ms. Lovelace featured Rory. We get to see him in action, and it really brings everything together – what Rory does, who he is, the entire purpose of the conference, which is why Rory and Caro meet again. (With some orchestrations on Rory’s part.)

Lastly, I thought there was a sense of finality to this book, and the series, as Ms. Lovelace had Cal and Devon, as well as Sabrina and Marco all go to Rory and Caro in Spain. It was nice the three women get together, and all have their happy ending.

Grade: B

Summary:

Amor was on the menu…

And Rory Burke was intent on having Caroline Walters as the main course.

This meeting he’d arranged in beautiful Tossa de Mar was no mere business transaction. Having learned the truth about his long-ago lover, Rory had gone to great lengths to orchestrate this Valentine reunion in sunny Spain. His plan? To lure Caro back into his bed—as his bride. With his powers of persuasion, the high-powered executive was certain he would get his way—until the power of pasión turned the tables on him….

Read an excerpt here.

I felt that the relationships Ms. Lovelace wrote were incredibly believable, and I liked the focus she had on it. I don’t think I’ve read anything by Merline Lovelace before now, but I know I’m definitely going to look for her new books, as well as her back list. All three couples work individually, and together, and I think it was a very well written series. I like that Ms. Lovelace had such well developed heroines, and that they were satisfyingly showcased. Each story played to the heroine’s strengths, which made for a great romance.

I definitely recommend this if you like reading from the Silhouette Desire line, or if you’d like to try the line out.

Overall Grade: B

Liviania‘s Quick Quack Reviews of A Bunch of Category Romances by a Bunch of Authors
Paranormal and contemporary romances released Jun-Jul 2009

That’s right, I’m back in the US and all moved into my apartment.  But . . . I’ve got a lot to catch up on.  So here’s some short reviews of various Harlequins I read on vacation.  That’s the lovely thing about eBooks – you can take them anywhere without affecting the weight of your baggage.  [Gwen ed.: we made her save room in her luggage for booze and chocolate souvenirs for us ducks.] 

The Highwayman (Wicked Games, Book 1) by Michele Hauf
Paranormal romance released by Silhouette Nocturne 1 Jul 09

This is my second exposure to Michele Hauf, the first being a Nocturne Bite.  I enjoyed the short story, but found it a bit thin.  It can be hard to develop two characters in a very limited page count.  Luckily, the hero and heroine of The Highwayman get more development, though part of the hero’s reasoning still remains opaque to me.

Aby is a familiar – in the case, a familiar is someone who brings demons into the world through having sex.  Max has a deprivation demon trapped inside of him, making him unable to sleep, orgasm, or feel full.  This has made him a little testy.  But he’s found a way to escape his fate with Aby’s help – but he still plans to kill her afterwards, even after he gets to know her.  I prefer my heroes to be less intent on spilling the heroine’s blood.  Especially when they’re an otherwise reasonable person and the heroine has given them no reason.

Max’s stubborn homicidal tendencies would annoy me more if the plot didn’t work so well.  It moves right along, building the mythology of familiars, revealing Max’s past, and moving the characters to France for the final showdown.  It’s quick and fun, just like a category should be. I look forward to the second book in the miniseries, Moon Kissed, available September 1.

Grade: B

Summary:
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Max Fitzroy, the legendary Highwayman, had slain scores of demons with a razorlike whip and a burning need for revenge. Now, to rid himself of the demon inside him—who’d cursed him with immortality and stolen all sensual pleasures—Max needed a witch’s familiar, the one creature he’d made a career of killing.
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But the Highwayman wasn’t prepared for the familiar named Aby. The sleek and sexy conduit to the demon world saw past his swirling shadow as easily as he scaled the walls she’d erected to protect herself. Max needed Aby to grant him his freedom, and then he needed to slay her. But how could he destroy the only creature he’d desired in centuries?
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Read an excerpt here.

Wild Wolf (The Pack) by Karen Whiddon
Paranormal romance released by Silhouette Nocturne 1 Jul 09

I haven’t read any of Karen Whiddon’s other Pack books, but she quickly sketches out the important parts of her world and moves onto the relationship and plot. Simon is a member of the Pack, charged with finding feral werewolves and deciding whether they can be rehabilitated or need to be put down. Raven is a feral werewolf, living along after a traumatic experience with a mad scientist.

I can buy that feral werewolves are dangerous. Raven manages to fit into wolf society because she is sane – she just doesn’t want to live among humans because of her past. Since she is reasonable and Simon can see it, things have to go terribly awry in order for the plot to have enough excitement. And go awry they do.

Seeing how corrupt this segment of the Pack has become really makes me wonder how Whiddon set this up in the previous novels. It seems like something that was probably building. I love that Wild Wolf gives a sense of the larger world while standing fine on its own. The leads work well together. Both of them are strong, neither deferring to the other. Raven’s got as much alpha instinct as Simon does. It’s a nice change.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Turning her back on humans because of her ability to shape-shift into a wolf, young and beautiful Raven doesn’t believe she needs anyone. Until the day a darkly handsome man appears near her remote cave…and she watches him turn into a wolf.
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Simon Caldwell has been sent to assess the threat of a new feral wolf prowling the Rockies. But he’s wholly unprepared for his intense attraction to Raven. His investigation is about to take a deadly turn as he and Raven become the hunted. Now their very survival depends on Simon’s ability to win what this wild wolf holds most dear!
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Read an excerpt here.

Return of the Wolf by Karen Whiddon
Paranormal romance novella released by Silhouette Nocturne Bites 1 Jun 09

After finishing White Wolf, I headed happily into this Bite by the same author. Three tries later and I still haven’t finished the sixty or so pages of this story, so I’m giving up. It begins slow, with the hero and heroine fishing together. They’re instantly attracted – Gideon knows she’s his wolf’s mate, and Memphis believes their reincarnated lovers.

I couldn’t sympathize with either of the characters. Memphis especially seems rather dippy. It takes quite a bit to make the destined lovers work, and I wasn’t buying. It didn’t help that I found the beginning boring. Fishing just doesn’t appeal to me.

This may work for others, but for me it’s a pass.

Grade: DNF

Summary:
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When Gideon Aronditis meets his new client Memphis Ayers for a fishing expedition, they both feel an instant attraction–and sense that they’ve met before. For shape-shifter Gideon, the explanation is clear: Memphis is his true mate and destined to be with him. Yet Gideon refuses to accept Memphis’s belief that knew each other in a past life, even though she has seen Gideon in her dreams for years. Can Memphis convince Gideon of the truth, or are they doomed to lose each other once again?
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No excerpt found.

The Illegitimate King (The Castaldini Crown, Book 3) by Olivia Gates
Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 14 Jul 09

I liked the summary of this one, even though I’m not that familiar with the line. Clarissa and Ferruccio would have had love at first sight, if they hadn’t managed to deeply insult each other at first conversation. Ferruccio pursued Clarissa for years, and now has the leverage to make her romance him since she’s trying to convince him to accept the position of king of Castaldini. (Yes, the country name is ridiculous.)

This one had a few problems. Ferruccio could be kind of sleazy and their inability to communicate doesn’t bode well for a future relationship. (That doesn’t prevent a baby-filled epilogue since this is the end of a miniseries. If I were one of the wives, I’d insist on condoms. That many pregnancies takes a toll on the body.) Still, it was a perfect vacation book. It kept me interested and there was definitely sexual tension.

I might skip the first sex scene. It includes such awful descriptions as Ferruccio “feeling like a sword just out of the fire” to Clarissa. Not all of it is that painful, but none of it is sexy. It does get better, but that one scene is truly awful.

If you like family secrets or the other novels in this miniseries, you’ll probably like this one. The Illegitimate King made me want to try to the previous two novels, even with all of it’s problems.

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Once, she’d scorned him. And illegitimate secret prince Ferruccio Selvaggio had sworn he would make her pay. Now, Princess Clarissa D’Agostino was in his power. It was time to teach her a lesson…. The future of the kingdom rested on her. Clarissa knew she had to do whatever it took to convince Ferruccio to accept the crown and save them all. Even if it meant marrying a man who believed the worst of her. Even if it meant giving him her heart.
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Read an excerpt here (click “Read the prologue”).

Endless Summer by Julie Kenner, Karen Anders, and Jill Monroe
Contemporary romance anthology released by Harlequin Blaze 1 Jul 09

Normally I would separate all the novellas, but these are intertwined so I’ll do them as one. I picked up this anthology since I enjoy Julie Kenner’s paranormal books and wanted to try one of her contemporary offerings. It helped that Endless Summer, as the name implies, was a surfing collection. I enjoy surfing stories even though I’ve only been to a beach where you actually could surf once.

I’m not which of the stories was my favorite. I liked Drea, from Jill Monroe’s story, the best of the heroines because of her strong personality. I liked Zach, from Karen Anders’ story, the best of the heroes. Due to an injury, he became overly cautious. It’s a change from the take-charge hero. He’s also not afraid to design clothing. Now that’s a man. Kenner’s Laci and Taylor were a bit more bland. And Laci makes the classic mistake of not explaining why she’s angry. For some reason I want my romantic leads to communicate well even though I know miscommunication is a standard part of life.

But while each story had elements I liked, part of the reason I can’t pick a favorite is that nothing really stood out. While perfectly readable, each story was by-the-numbers – not what the risk-taking heroines deserve. I read these stories just yesterday and they’re already fading from my mind.

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Summer has never been sexier!
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Making Waves by Julie Kenner, Laci Montgomery is determined to be pro surfing’s Golden Girl. Does she need help from her ex—hottie sports promoter Taylor Dutton? No way! Well, not unless she’s on top…
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Surf’s Up by Karen Anders, After a crash meeting in the waves, surfer J. C. Wilcox and entrepreneur Zack Fanning practice daring moves that would make fish blush. But is it just sexy fun in the sun—or are they ready to risk their hearts?
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Read an excerpt here.
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Wet and Wild by Jill Monroe, Daredevil Rookie of the Year Andrea “Drea” Powell needs a sponsor. Superstar pro Kirk Murray needs a flashy new surfer to back. The explosive results heat up the competition…and the bedroom!

Liviania’s Duckies Do Series reviews of The Wallflowers Series by Lisa Kleypas
Historical romances released by Avon Oct 2004 – Jul 2006

Four girls approach the Season no longer believing they have any real chance.  It is not their first and they still have no prospects.  Annabelle Peyton has beauty, but no money.  Lillian and Daisy Bowman have scads of money, but they are uncouth Americans.  Evangeline Jenner has money, but she is also common – as well as exceedingly shy.  But these wallflowers make a pact: from oldest to youngest, they’ll help each other find a husband. 

Secrets of a Summer Night (Book 1)
Released 26 Oct 04

Together, they manage an invite to Lord Westcliff’s country estate.  Annabelle knows this is her last chance to catch a husband.  There are no end of offers for her to be a lord’s mistress, but she’d work any job before that.  Especially before becoming Lord Hodgeham’s mistress.  Her mother has been sleeping with him to pay the bills, but he wants to move onto the younger model.  Neither Annabelle nor her mother has any intention of allowing that to happen.  Of course, the husband hunting would be easier if her brother Jeremy’s former peer Simon Hunt didn’t keep getting in the way.

This was my introduction to Lisa Kleypas after hearing all the other ducks rave about her, and it’s a good place to start.  The Wallflowers are hilarious, especially Lillian Bowman.  Annabelle is a great heroine.  She’s practical and strong-willed.  She knows what men want from her and she also knows not to sell herself short.  There are some jobs she could take.  She wants to marry more to help keep her brother and mother afloat as well than to just provide for herself.  It’s nice to see a heroine with dedication to her family who knows not to martyr herself for them.

Simon Hunt is a good match for her, since he pairs sensibility with romanticism as well.  (He is unfortunately blind to the fact Annabelle intends to become no man’s mistress.)  And the men get dialogue as snappy as the women.

“Westcliff,” Simon asked conversationally, “does it ever occur to you that you might occasionally be wrong?  About anything?”

The earl looked perplexed by the question.  “Actually, no.”

It’s a nice, straightforward romance that manages to capture the historical feel quite well.  Simon and Annabelle’s relationship is cute, as are their friendly and familial relationships.   Kleypas does inject the right amount of drama with the loathsome Lord Hodgeham and some last minute fireworks.  Secrets of a Summer Night isn’t revolutionary, but it is solid.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.
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Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle’s most intriguing–and persistent– admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition… but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.
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Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon–and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon’s passionate embrace and tempting kisses… and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.
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Read an excerpt here.

It Happened One Autumn (Book 2)
Released 27 Sept 05

With Annabelle happily married, it’s Lillian’s turn to find a husband.  “Marry Lillian; you’ll get a million,” the saying goes.  But her mother wants nothing less than a titled husband for her.  Lillian would prefer love. And she just received a magic perfume made from the Lady of the Night orchid, and she and the other Wallflowers are eager to test it out.

I do love Lillian.  She boldly states her opinions, though they might go over easier if she were less rude.  Her dialogue is full of zingers that play well off of the other’s conversation.  It wouldn’t be a fun story if she fell for a man without her strength of will.  So who can avoid being steamrolled by Lillian?

None other than equally steamroller-like, but more staid, Marcus Westcliff.  He hasn’t thought much of Lillian’s character since he caught her playing Rounders-in-Knickers, but he has thought of her.  It’s fun to watch the controlled man come undone over his attraction.  He could end up being a total prig, but Kleypas both lets the reader into his mind and allows him to come alive in his scenes with Lillian.  And it is fun seeing that kind of character set back on his heels, as Lillian puts it.

On the other hand, Lillian has another viable suitor – the handsome and charming Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent.  He’s a rake and after her money, but they do enjoy each other’s company.  He definitely has the turn of phrase down to match wits with her.  You can see why Lillian is tempted by his offer of marriage even as she falls in love with Westcliff.

I enjoyed the love triangle, but one of the faults of the romance genre is that it’s pretty easy to tell which man will win even without knowing which one is the hero of the next novel beforehand.  This one definitely wasn’t my favorite entry in the series.  Kleypas does a good job with him, but I just don’t like Westcliff as much as the other heroes.

Grade: B-

Summary:
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It Happened One Autumn is the story of Lillian Bowman, a bold and headstrong American heiress, and Marcus, Lord Westcliff, the most eligible peer in England. But even though Lillian is hunting for a husband, Marcus is the last man she would ever consider marrying.
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Read an excerpt here.

The Devil in Winter (Book 3)
Released 28 Feb 06

I had high expectations for this one since I’ve heard Sybil’s praise of it (and St. Vincent).  Unlike most stories, it opens with the marriage.  Evie can’t stand living with her abusive relatives one moment longer – especially since they’re going to marry her to a loathsome cousin so that they can control her money.  She also wants to be with her father as his final days approach.  The only way for her to escape is to marry.  She knows St. Vincent needs money enough to accept her offer, so the two head off to Gretna Green.  The only catch is that she’ll only sleep with him once.

Evie is a total sweetheart, though Kleypas puts steel under her caring exterior.  Evie needs it in order to escape her family and live in her father’s gambling hall.  She deserves someone who will watch out for her, so it’s very nice to watch St. Vincent mature into the role.

While St. Vincent has done some villainy in the past, he can be redeemed.  And it’s not a cliché, love of a good woman redemption, though Evie’s love does factor in.  St. Vincent flourishes when given responsibility, as he begins to pay attention to the gambling hall he will inherit and adapts his skills to the task of bringing in new and more respectable customers.  When given something to do other than drink and go wenching, he rises to the task.

It’s easy to see why this one ranks so high on Sybil’s list.  Evie and St. Vincent have tangible chemistry as well as being great characters in their own rights.  There’s a stronger plot running alongside the romance than in the other Wallflower books, due to Evie’s variety of family troubles.  It adds some moments of danger throughout the novel.  In addition, I like the character of Cam Rohan, the gypsy Evie grew up with.  I even bought a copy of his story, Mine Til Midnight.  (As of writing this review I haven’t read it, but I do look forward to it.)

I did notice, while reading Devil in Winter, how good Kleypas is with continuity.  She strings little details like Evie’s cold feet throughout the story, mentioning it enough that it sticks in your mind without becoming intrusive.  Those details are part of what makes her characters so attractive.

Grade: A-

Summary:
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A devil’s bargain…
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Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!
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Sebastian’s reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden’s good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.
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But Evie’s proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine’s callously discarded broken hearts — which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions…or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.
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Read an excerpt here.

Scandal in Spring (Book 4)
Released 25 July 06

The youngest Wallflower finally gets her chance to marry, though it may come sooner than she wants when her father gives her an ultimatum.  If she doesn’t have a fiancé in two months she must marry his protégé Matthew Swift.  As Daisy recalls, he’s coldly ambitious, not to mention scrawny and pale.  Once more the Wallflowers set out to Westcliff’s estate to gather eligible men together for Daisy to choose from.

At this point I realized that I’m confused by the titles of the series.  Annabelle was summer, so she can have a just born baby in spring.  But Lillian was autumn, so she can’t physically have a healthy baby in spring – there’s only six months between the two.  So I’ll choose to ignore the titles since I was mostly ignoring the timeline anyway.  It’s just one of those things that bothers me if I think about it.

I empathize with Daisy, who is the Wallflower I’m probably most like.  She enjoys reading fiction and is not grounded in reality sometimes.  She’s the least practical of the Wallflowers and wants romance, rather than an arrangement with a business associate of her father.  However, she is pleasantly surprised when she becomes reacquainted with Matthew.

Matthew has grown up and filled out.  (Though he’s secretly still a total dork, since he’s been in love with Daisy for as long as he’s known her.)  Though Daisy realizes she’s not all that adverse to marrying him, he doesn’t want to marry her due to the secrets of his past.  And even if he does clear up the troubles from his past, Lillian doesn’t approve of the match.  She’s hormonal, protective, and holds a grudge.

Reading about Matthew and Daisy falling in love and then working to be able to marry is fun, though Scandal in Spring is not as dramatic as Devil in Winter.  Matthew balances Daisy well, as many of the characters note.  It’s a strong finish to the tales of the Wallflowers, as all four previously unmarriageable ladies end up with love matches.

Grade: B

Summary:
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After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman’s father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can’t snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses—the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.
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Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn’t count on Matthew’s unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.
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But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy’s wildest fantasies.
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Read an excerpt here.

I’m glad I gave Lisa Kleypas a chance.  The Wallflowers series is composed of four solid historical romances that showcase a nice variety of heroes and heroines.  I love the friendship the heroines form as well as the one that already exists among Simon, Westcliff, and St. Vincent.  This series also made me want to find copies of Kleypas’s contemporaries.

Overall grade: B+

Sandy M’s review of The Bridesmaid Chronicles by Karen Kendall, Kylie Adams, and Julie Kenner
Contemporary Romances released by Signet Jun-Sep 2005

I’ve had this series for a while, thinking I’d get to it soon, but, of course, never doing so. My 16-year-old niece visited me last month, the niece who, unfortunately, doesn’t want anything to do with reading, the niece I’ve been trying to get interested in reading a number of times during those sixteen years. The niece who actually picked up a book while in my home during her visit, actually read it, liked it, and shocked the heck out of me. Then she wanted to read this series. So I told her if she’d hang on, I’ll get the series read and reviewed, and then it’s hers for the taking. The series actually started out well and I thought my niece would also enjoy it. But my enjoyment didn’t last long. I’m hoping hers lasts longer.

First Date (Book 1) by Karen Kendall
Released 7 Jun 05

In this first book we’re actually introduced to the bride, Julia Spinelli, though it’s her sister’s book, and we don’t get Julia’s story until the fourth book in the series. It’s Julia wedding that is the connection among these four heroines. Sydney leaves her work and overbearing father behind to check out Julia’s fiance and why they’re getting married after knowing each other for only a month.

This guy has to be up to something, maybe lusting Julia’s money. Their dad, as classless as he is, has made the bucks opening his cheap inns all over the country, including the one in Texas that Julia is now managing. A prenup is in order, even if her sister doesn’t want it.

Alex is the groom’s best friend and he’s been coerced into keeping Sydney busy so she can’t interfere any more in Roman and Julia’s relationship. But that favor soon turns into something Alex doesn’t mind doing at all. Sydney may see herself as the brainy sister compared to Julia’s beauty, but he sees her in a whole different light. She’s witty, intelligent, and beautiful to him. She even knows how to handle his mother, who is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s, but Sydney needs to learn when to help and when to let go.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Alex is a true Texan cowboy with a great sense of humor to play off the normally low-key Sydney. She does at times go overboard on the interfering — and her sister lets her but Alex doesn’t — so her heart is in the right place even when it’s the wrong time. This is my first book by Karen Kendall and I liked her writing a lot. I would definitely read more of her books.

Grade: A

Summary:
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Meet the sister of the bride. Sydney Spinelli has her heart set on stopping the wedding between her little sister and her Texas boyfriend of one month! The only problem is, her heart is getting distracted by the groom’s sexy best friend . . .
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Read an excerpt.

First Kiss (Book 2) by Kylie Adams
Released 5 Jul 05

After such a terrific start to this series, this is where it stumbled – big time. Instead of Texas we’re in New York where Kiki, sister of the groom, lives and plays. She’s a former beauty queen, now an actress still trying to make it big. She’s also a very shallow and selfish person, one that I hardly liked at all.

Two friends share the spotlight with her in this book, and this is the first of the silliness that did the story no favors, one friend’s name is Suzi-Suzi. I don’t know, that bugged the hell out of me when reading.  Next are the antics that Kiki gets into, one of which is she takes over Julia’s wedding preparations without even asking, making the most awful suggestions, and the other is the main part of the story and how she meets the hero.

While shopping with her friends, they stumble upon a popular married Hollywood couple who are expecting their first child. A chain of events ends with a member of the paparazzi snapping a suggestive pic of Kiki and the husband. This, of course, is front page news, accusing Kiki of being a homewrecker, and the media then hounds her every step. She ends up at The Affair, a club of sorts where you can literally go to to have an affair.  Okaaaay.  The place is run by Fab, who is often in the tabloids himself, always with a different beauty on his arm every time.

Kiki wiles her way into one of his suites to let the fervor over her notoriety blow over and they end up spending time with each other. There is an instant attraction between them and Fab would like to explore that. He puts up with such ridiculousness from this woman. Even the sexual banter didn’t work due to her attitude. The actual love scenes themselves were good, mainly because Fab is involved. I did like his character, what I got to see of it. He’s not in this book very much, making it more chick lit-y than romance. And I really don’t care for chick lit all that much. Hence, my dislike of the book, I guess.

Of course, things eventually work themselves out, Kiki and Fab fall in love and decide to get married. Not without Kiki fobbing off all of her friends on Fab, giving them jobs in his organizations without even asking him. Even at the end the woman is full of herself. The only reason the grade for this book isn’t lower is Fab, the few times he had interaction with anyone. Other than that, I could have done without reading the darned thing.

Grade: D+

Summary:
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She’s always the bridesmaid, never the bride. But unlike that Jersey girl her brother is marrying, at least former Miss Texas and out-of-work actress Kiki Sonntag can save her brother’s wedding from bad taste. Too bad Kiki can’t save herself from a nasty tabloid scandal. Until it blows over, she’s hiding out in Manhattan’s hippest new hotel and enjoying some perks from its playboy owner….
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No excerpt available.

First Dance (Book 3) by Karen Kendall
Released 2 Aug 05

I was happy to see that Karen Kendall wrote this third book in the series. After the disaster of the second book, I needed a good one to keep me going. I did get it here. We’re back in Texas, thank goodness, where wedding preparations are still going on when the bride’s best friend, Vivien, a Manhattan divorce attorney, makes it to Fredericksburg to help out. I really liked Vivien. She’s, of course, very independent and intelligent and has a soft spot for Greyhounds, saving abused ones every chance she gets.

She has reservations about being in Texas again since that’s where JB Anglin, the groom’s best friend and attorney, lives and practices. The last time she saw JB, she’d just booted him out of their hotel room where they’d had the most incredible sex. Obviously Vivien has commitment issues. And JB now has issues with Vivien. They try to put those issues aside, though, for the sake of the happy wedding couple, but things don’t go as planned. They’re constantly thrown together by the bride asking them to do errands for her, but it’s JB who’s out for revenge, waiting for his turn to kick Vivien of his bed.

When the time comes, however, he’s not able to do it. And Vivien does her best to stay the night, but arguments commence, feelings are hurt, and things go downhill fast. Imagine the make-up sex, though. I really liked this couple. Though they had issues, they still had some fun together, tried to keep the humor upfront, and do a fairly good job until they realized their true feelings one another. That was another hurdle to get over, but they did it admirably. We still get a lot of interaction with the bride and groom and Sydney and Alex from the first book. Thank goodness Kiki is still in New York.

I liked being back with a Texas cowboy who wants to share his way of life with the heroine, who sincerely tries to work through her problems to be with him, especially when he agrees to help out with the Greyhound work that is so close to her heart. Even when these two were at odds, they thought about the other and what they could do for them. Definitely a couple worth reading.

Grade: A

Summary:
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Manhattan’s top female divorce attorney a bridesmaid? Stranger things have happened. The bride’s best friend, Vivien Shelton has seen the ugly side of love—and alights in Texas with the perfect wedding present: an iron-clad pre-nup. But the groom’s good-ole-boy lawyer is itching for a fight—especially one with Vivien, a woman he has tangled with in the past . .
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Read an excerpt.

First Love (Book 4) by Julie Kenner
Released 6 Sep 05

Finally we come to the wedding couple who have been prominent figures throughout each book up to this point. Well, maybe not in the disaster of Book 2, but close enough. Julia and Roman fell in love very quickly, which is what brought her sister to Texas to begin with. He’s nearly broke, sinking all of his money into the family winery while hoping everything works out. That’s exactly why Sydney thought he was after Julia for her money.

But after falling in love so quickly herself and getting to know Roman more, Sydney now realizes he’s a good man and her sister is lucky to have him. It’s Julia herself who is now having doubts. She thought they knew enough about one another to get married, even though she’s never told Roman more about her parents. He does a little about them, considering their fathers have a shaky past. Though she loves her mom and dad, they are quite classless and tacky, and the scenes that get this point across are actually pretty hilarious and priceless.

On top of this, Roman doesn’t seem to listen to Julia when she tells him what she wants and likes when it comes to the important things between them. The next she knows the entire wedding is on a downhill slide and it’s five days until the big day.  They both have secrets they’ve never shared, feeling those secrets would be the deal breaker in their relationship. but when they finally come clean, only more doubt settles in. Choosing to postpone the wedding, Julia feels it’s better to wait, to really get to know each other, but will their love survive a longer engagement?

While I did enjoy this book, I was a little surprised at the direction it took after Julia being so stalwart in the first three books on how much she loves Roman and knows him plenty enough to get married.  I kind of felt I’d wasted my time in all the previous reading. But I ended up being okay with it all because of the way Roman took care of things and gave me a fairly good ending. The other characters are still present a good part of the book, excluding Kiki – thank goodness! – so I’m pretty happy overall with this last book in the series.

Grade: B

Summary:
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Just as bride-to-be Julia Spinelli is about to throw the swankiest wedding Fredericksburg, Texas, has ever seen, in roll her Jersey parents in all their tacky glory—and out roll her hopes for happily ever after. If she can’t convince her father that her fiancé is head over heels for her and not her trust fund, the wedding is off….
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No excerpt available.

Overall Grade: B

Overall I liked this series, with the exception of you-know-what. All four books have now been passed on to my niece, so it will be interesting to get her take on them. I have a feeling, however, that Kiki is going to be her favorite character. Goes to show what a difference a few decades in age is.

Sandy M’s Duckies Do Series reviews of the Langley Family Trilogy by Lucy Monroe
Historical Romances released by Berkley Sep 2005 – Oct 2006

I’ve had this trilogy in the TBR pile for quite some time, and since I was lucky enough to find all three of them there at the same time, I had to read them now while they were in hand. (Books have a way of getting up and walking out around my house, so I read them when I can see them.) I’ve enjoyed Ms. Monroe’s contemporaries that I’ve read over the last couple of years, so I wanted to check out her historicals. I am certainly glad I did.

Touch Me (Book 1)
6 Sep 05

This is a great start to this trilogy. We get a taste of the betrayal that happened which affected so many lives, a look at how those lives have flourished, or not, over the years since that time, and we get to experience the love as a result of those long-ago actions, plus a very nice set-up for the next book in the series.

Thea’s mother ran from her husband when the man stole her first born from her arms when the boy was only minutes old. What none of them knew was another babe was about to be born, so keeping her daughter a secret, Anna tried to stay in London to secretly see her son, but when her beast of a husband found out, Anna chose the West Indies as a home for her and her daughter, hoping one day to return to see her son when he was man. That day never came, Anna dying of fever before she could make the trip.

Growing up in the West Indies, away from the social confines of London and the ton, Thea is her own woman, intelligent and independent, vowing never to marry and give herself over to a man only to be treated as her mother was. She’s a partner in a prosperous business with the couple who took her and her mother in years before and Thea has discovered discrepancies in the business books. She decides to go to London to confront the man she believes responsible. When Pierson Drake appears looking for the services of a blacksmith to repair his ship’s boiler, she has found a way to the city much sooner than waiting for one of her own ships.

Drake is on a timeline racing to bring his shipment into port so that his investors will not lose money when they put their faith in him; his damaged boiler is costing time as it is, so he doesn’t need a woman trailing along, even one as intriguing as Thea Selwyn. But the woman surprises him at every turn, and he’s determined to find out who is causing the sudden accidents that come too close to fatally injuring the woman. By the time they reach London, their feelings have grown for one another, but Thea is still of the mind she doesn’t need marriage, despite Drake’s insistence they will be together.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the fact the lead characters are together so much of the time, either getting to know one another, irritating the hell out of one another, or lusting their hearts out and taking care of that lust. Mystery and danger are well represented in the story and there’s a nice twist at the end that you don’t see too early.

Grade: A

Summary:
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Outspoken, opinionated Thea Selwyn is no ordinary lady. Raised in the exotic West Indies, she has none of the starchy propriety Pierson Drake is accustomed to—rather, there is a lush sensuality about this impulsive beauty that tempts him unmercifully. Her delectable curves and wide, innocent eyes are enticing enough, but her breathless response to his touch is a lure he can’t resist.
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On a voyage that takes them from tropical paradise to the glittering ballrooms of London, Thea and Drake are pulled into a firestorm of illicit passion. Thea knows that once they reach England, the secrets she’s been keeping will kill whatever Drake feels for her. But Drake’s own history has taught him the value of acceptance and the desolation of loss. Thea is the one women Drake has ever trusted with his heart, and he has no intention of losing her— not to the ghosts of the past or the threats of the present. But can he convince Thea to forget the hard lesson she’s learned and take a chance on love?
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Read an excerpt.

Tempt Me (Book 2)
4 Apr 06

I’m normally not a fan of misunderstandings between main characters when reading. Misunderstanding happens a number of time between Lucas and Irisa, but it’s mostly because of her innocence and naïveté, so it didn’t really bother me all that much because they would talk it out, argue it out, and go on. I actually had to laugh at these times because Lucas would become so frustrated not understanding the female gender, though he was at fault a few times himself and did not help the situation at hand.

Now the misunderstanding between Lucas and Irisa’s father is another matter altogether. It’s perpetrated by this poor excuse of a father to guarantee that Lucas would not back out of asking for Irisa’s hand; though at this point nothing mattered to Lucas, he wanted Irisa, and I was happy he felt that way. Of course, the misunderstanding comes to light too late, causing Irisa to once again take the blame on herself and try to give everyone an out to save their reputations at the expense of her own.

She’d been raised in a very unloving home, parents wanting her only for what she could bring upon her marriage. Irisa made sure she was biddable on everything except the choice of a husband. So turnabout is fair play, she blackmails her parents into refusing inappropriate suitors. That is until Lucas makes his request for her. All of her “properness” goes out the window once she’s engaged to the man, however, getting herself into trouble right and left with Lucas to the rescue every time. And still he chooses to stay with her instead of walking away.

Irisa expected him to walk away because she’s courting scandal just as Lucas’ mother and brother did and that’s the one thing he doesn’t want in a wife. He’s been a courtly gentleman for years in order to bring the family name back from ruin, but by the time Irisa manages all her trouble, his feelings are full blown for the girl and he refuses to lose her.

Even with the misunderstandings, I enjoyed these characters together. If they hadn’t talked things out, the story could have become quite worrisome, but it actually worked for me. And we’re set up very well for the last book in the trilogy, Jared’s story, which I really looked forward to while reading this one.

Grade: A

Summary:
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Humiliated by his family’s indiscretions, Lucas, Lord Ashton-nicknamed “The Saint” – wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with the prim and proper bride of his choice. And if the innocent young lady in question gives him some decidedly devilish urges, he is determined to control himself-much to her dismay.
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Lady Irisa Langley is at her wit’s end. Much as she loves her exasperatingly perfect fiancé, she’s starting to think it would be wrong of her to marry him. For Irisa has a secret that would shock even the world-weary denizens of the Ton, and someone-who doesn’t want her anywhere near Lucas-knows it.
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Lucas never knew that he could desire more in a bride than impeccable manners and an unblemished pedigree. But even as scandal looms, a loyal little spitfire with heated kisses and silken skin is making him forget every rule of etiquette he’s ever known…
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Read an excerpt.

Take Me (Book 3)
3 Oct 06

Of the three books, this is my favorite. I was actually curious about Jared, Thea’s twin and Irisa’s half brother. He is called “Lord Beast” by the ton due to the scars he bears from saving Irisa from a wolf attack when they were teenagers. He has his own estates and stays away from London society and cares not one whit about what they think of him. After he learns what his father did to his and Thea’s mother, he wants nothing more to do with his sire. So we pick up in Take Me after his father and stepmother have left London for an extended time to hopefully downplay the gossip that is sure to abound when the family scandal is let out.

Calantha is a widowed duchess, experiencing freedom for the past four yours after the death of her abusive husband. She’s closed herself off to all feeling, knowing she’ll never marry again. But when Jared seeks her out, shows interest in her, her heart begins to thaw, and especially more so when she finds out that he’s the one who took in her friend and former servant Mary when the girl disappeared from her home years before. But then she realizes that Jared sought her out only because Mary had asked him to bring her daughter, Hannah, to Calantha, to The Angel, as the ton calls her. Their attraction to one another keeps growing despite the circumstances and she finds herself wanting what she’s never had before, and they eventually marry so that they both can take care of Hannah.

But when Hannah is nearly kidnapped, all evidence points to Calantha and Jared and his family, all of whom she has come to love, look on her with suspicion, except for Irisa, who never doubts her innocence. This breaks Calantha’s heart because she trusts Jared completely and he can’t seem to have the same faith in her. As the entire family hunts down the villain, Calantha once again has to harden her heart with that regal duchess air she does well because she knows it will break her if she allows Jared to burrow any further into her life.

This book was so much more moving than the other two. I actually became misty-eyed several times at scenes dealing with Hannah and Calantha and Jared and then Jared’s realization of how he hurt Calantha with his doubts. And the scenes when Calantha see and touch Jared’s scars for the first time are wonderfully emotional.

Grade: A+

Summary:
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Jared, Viscount Ravenswood, has no choice but to honor the deathbed wish of his ailing servant. All she asks is that Jared introduce her soon-to-be orphaned daughter to the notorious and reclusive Calantha, Duchess of Clairborne. No ordinary request, for this is no ordinary child. She is, in fact, the key to the Duchess’s most private secrets, and to Jared’s own past-one that has branded him Lord Beast among the ton.
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But when the Viscount meets the Duchess, he finds not the pitiless dowager he expected, but a lovely and wary angel-survivor of a brutal marriage left now with only her roses and the breathtaking mystery that is her life. For Jared, to solve it is to fall in love, to make her believe in the impossible, and to follow the promise that comes with the most intimate whisper of all… Take me…
.
Read an excerpt.

This is a terrific family trilogy and I highly recommend it!

Overall Grade: A

Sandy M’s Duckies Do Series reviews of the Oldest City Vampire Series by Nancy Haddock
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Berkley Apr 2008-May 2009

I’ve obviously had La Vida Vampire in the TBR pile, since it’s a year old now. Like a lot of the books I have, I meant to read it right after I received it. Time got away from me and then I recently received a copy of Last Vampire Standing and knew I had to get myself in gear. I’m sure glad I did because I had the best time with these two books. Besides just great writing and terrific characters, it’s the humor that caught me off guard and made these books so much fun. Ms. Haddock has a huge hit on her hands with this series.

La Vida Vampire (Book 1)
Released 1 Apr 08

In this first book we meet Cesca, our heroine, of course. She’s a psychic vampire princess who has just recently been discovered chained in a coffin buried under a Victorian house for the past couple of centuries. Maggie, who is now her sponsor, is in the process of renovating the mansion and she’s the one who finds Cesca and liberates her from her hellhole of a home. Being behind in life from fashion to pop culture, Cesca devours anything and everything she can by taking online classes, watching every DVD she can get her hands on, and working as a tour guide for Old Coast Ghost Tours in St. Augustine, Florida.

After her first few months of freedom pass relatively peacefully, suddenly her life becomes entangled with that of several of the folks who take her tour, culminating in the death of a French bride on her honeymoon.  Cesca is at first a suspect herself, questioned by the police and a preternatural special crimes investigator and former vampire slayer, Deke Saber. Cesca and Saber don’t hit it off in the beginning, but when threats and actual attempts are made on her life, Saber is the one to guard her and keep her safe while they investigate the other people from the tour who are under suspicion.

Aside from the growing relationship between these two, it’s the secondary characters that help make this book what it is. From gun-toting senior citizens to a vampire hater to a vampire lord and his minions, the laughter and the mystery take turns keeping a reader entertained.  Cesca is just trying to live a normal afterlife, playing bridge, surfing, things a young person would do. But it’s everyone else who makes her out to be something she’s not, except Saber. He’s the one who encourages her to learn more about the powers she should have, to be the vampire she is and not hide that fact like she’s been doing. I thoroughly enjoy these two together. They make a great team.

This is a terrific start to a light and fun series. Though the mystery is solved, we’ve given glimpses of a wizard and magical panther who know something Cesca and the reader don’t, and the author hooks you quite effectively so you just have to know what’s going to happen in the future. And, as I’ve said before, humor is a difficult element of writing to get right, to make it perfect, but Ms. Haddock does it beautifully. I am so glad I had the next book in the series in hand and ready to read once I finished this one.

Grade: A+

Summary:
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Being dead isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Take it from Francesca Marinelli, trapped underground for over 200 years and rediscovered during the renovation of a Victorian mansion in historic St. Augustine. A tourist attraction herself, she’s well suited for a job as an Old Ghost Town Tour guide. Francesca’s due for a new lease on afterlife-and with enough sunblock, she can finally live it.
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Unfortunately, everything she learned about men is a little dated. And when people in her tour group turn up dead, naturally the police suspect her. After all, she is a vampire. Which is why a crazed vampire-hunting vigilante squad is out to get her as well. Between the dead bodies, the stalkers, and a seriously non-existent love life, she’s starting to wish she was dead. Or at least buried, where she was safe.
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Read an excerpt.

Last Vampire Standing (Book 2)
Released 5 May 09

But when I actually got to this second book, I was slightly afraid, with the reading of the first chapter, that perhaps things would get a little too over the top with some silliness. I’m so happy to say I was totally wrong about that. We pick up with Cesca and Saber a year after the first book when Jo-Jo the jester appears out of nowhere. A vampire and former comedian, he has searched for Princess Cesca to ask for help in regaining his humor and timing to continue his career. From that, of course, all kinds of mystery and fun ensue.

Saber and Cesca are happy and content in their relationship. He’s still nudging her to learn and use more of her powers, and with Jo-Jo’s help she’s learning to fly, but it isn’t going very well. Cesca has spent so much time trying not to be a vampire that it’s difficult for her to now try to be one. Thus, her powers so far only come to her when she doesn’t think about it, and she needs them now more than ever because she’s coming face to face with vampire leaders who want her dead.

In the midst of all of this, she and Saber learn that a darkness is taking over these vampires, causing them to act abnormally. Another investigation begins and they end up going head to head with vamps while also trying to figure how an ancient friend of Cesca’s, who she hasn’t seen in eons, is involved in the whole crazy mess.

There’s a whole new set of characters who take Cesca’s walking ghost tour who figure into the evolving mystery. We also get a few answers (but only a few!) to the overall future mystery involving the elusive wizard and do see more of the shapeshifting panther, Pandora. We also learn some unforeseen information about Saber, which had me a tad scared for a minute. I’m glad my sneaking suspicion that he was going to be killed off was just a suspicion. I love Saber and he’d better be sticking around for the life of this series!

Grade: A+

Summary:
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With a new cottage, a fun job, and her hot hunk, Deke Saber, Cesca Marinelli’s afterlife in sunny Florida is brighter than ever. That is, until a vampire from the Atlanta nest crashes her housewarming party.
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Jo-Jo the Jester begs sanctuary with Cesca so he can pursue a stand-up comic career. Problem is, he brings more than bad jokes to town.
Can Cesca defeat both the psychotic vampire stalking her world, and the energy-eating plague targeting the vampire world? She must, or her life won’t be the only one at risk.
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Read an excerpt.

Included throughout these two books is the rich and varying history of St. Augustine. Writers usually write what they know and Ms. Haddock is doing a terrific job with information about this city she calls home. Again, the humor adds a whole new layer to the story; I laughed out loud a number of times.

I’m certainly hooked and look forward to the next installment!

Overall Grade: A+

C2 started it off, but I’ve got a list as well!  (And my choices are way better than hers.)  2008 was a great year for books, but here’s my top 10:

The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book Six) by Kim Harrison
Urban fantasy released by EOS 26 Feb 2008

Kim Harrison keeps this series going storng with an entry that solves a lot of ongoing questions and to open new ones. The paperback is now available with a bonus story just in time to reread for the release of White Witch, Black Curse.

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (The Immortals After Dark, Book Four) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal romance released by Pocket 1 Apr 08

It was a toss-up between this and Dark Desires After Dusk. With this year’s releases, Cole set the bar high for Kiss of a Demon King. Seriously, any paranormal romance fan needs these two on their shelves.

Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Young adult fantasy released by Flux 1 Oct 08

This debut has faeries, violence, music, and romance. What more can one ask for?

Dreaming Again edited by Jack Dann
Speculative fiction anthology released by EOS 30 Sept 08

Australia’s literary scene rocks hardcore. Here some of its best authors serve up 35 excellent stories. This anthology contains no misses.

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Paranormal young adult released by Hyperion 6 May 08

Zombies, high school, and sociology come together for a humorous novel that will stay with you for awhile after you finish.

Madhouse (Cal Leandros, Book Three) by Rob Thurman
Urban fantasy released by ROC 26 Feb 08

Just read this series. Please.

Delicious by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam 29 July 08

Another author with two brilliant releases to choose between -this and her debut Private Arrangements. Both are terrific, but only this one makes me hungry. Food porn and romance is a winning combination.

Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer series, Book Three) by Karen Chance
Urban fantasy released by ROC 1 Apr 08

This series really hit its stride with this book. Chance also debuted anther series with the excellent Midnight’s Daughter.

Undone by Brooke Taylor
Young adult released by Walker Books for Young Readers 22 July 08

Taylor’s debut is emotionally strong, which any romance reader can appreciate.

Paper Towns by John Green
Young adult released by Dutton Juvenile 16 Oct 08

Green understands the nerd lifestyle, strong females, and what makes a good story. I don’t know if the man is capable of writing a book that isn’t made of win.

Honorable Mentions

Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready
Urban fantasy released by Pocket 13 May 08

Smith-Ready makes her urban fantasy debut with a series that takes an inventive approach towards vampires and adds to the genre.

Tarnished Beauty by Cecilia Samartin
Literary fiction released by Atria 18 Mar 08

This is not self-important literary fiction. It’s simply a beautifully written story.

Are you tired of reading 2008 wrap-up lists yet?? Too bad! Read on, suckers gentle readers.

My top 10 books I read in 2008 (in no particular order): 

	Heart Fate (Celta’s HeartMates, Book 7) by Robin D. Owens Fantasy romance released by Berkley Trade Sep 2008 A series that just keeps getting better and better!
	Flat-out Sexy by Erin McCarthy Contemporary romance released by Berkley Sensation Nov 2008 Sweet, sexy, fun read! The internet buzz sucked me in and I’m glad. )
	Innocent In Death by J.D. Robb Futuristic romantic suspense released by Berkley Aug 2007I purposely keep myself behind in this series but I’m catching up – oh noes! I must pace myself better.
	Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) by Larissa Ione Paranormal romance released by Forever Jun 2008 An excellent start to a new series! With a looonnngggg wait between books one and two. However, books two and three will be out back-to-back. Yay!
	Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair Sci-Fi romance released by Bantam Oct 2005  Sully! Does anything else need to be said? I didn’t think so.
	Grimspace by Ann Aguirre Sci-fi romance released by Ace Feb 2008
	A Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverley Historical romance released by Signet Apr 2008 I love the Mallorens and this was one secret I was glad to see revealed.
	At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker Historical romance released by Avon May 2008An excellent Avon debut! Ms. Parker’s website says she is working on the sequel.
	Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James Contemporary romance released by Berkley Oct 2008 More online buzz I couldn’t ignore and another excellent debut.
	With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland Fantasy time-travel romance released by Jove May 2008One of my very favorite authors! She doesn’t get the attention she deserves, says me.

A side note – I have got to change my rating system, dang it all. I suppose I’ll go back to numbers. I always have too many books with the same rating and then I can’t sort them properly.

Honorable Mention:

	Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English Mysteries – yup, I read them all in 08…I can haz moar, plzkthx?
	J.L. Langley’s Englor Series – just so fab!

Limecello’s review of Superb and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary romance published by Brava on 1 Jun 08
I have a confession to make. I’ve wanted to read Maddie and Brody’s story since I read Smart and Sexy in April, 2007. I actually found myself eagerly flipping through pages for more of Maddie and Brody’s witty repartee while reading Noah and Baileys story (which was enjoyable). So, I have good news for all of us – Maddie and Brody’s story is now out for all of us to savor. And I did.

Maddie and Brody are both extremely strong characters. Starting off with Maddie, I love how she’s sassy, smart, has a take no prisoners attitude, but still human. She has a depth and complexity that is fun to read, and her story was definitely not something I was expecting. I thought it was interesting how Ms. Shalvis introduced us to Leena, and incorporated Maddie’s identical twin as a way to add depth and vulnerability to Maddie. She’s a great heroine- enjoyable to read, and someone who would be fun to be friends with.

Brody is a perfect hero. He’s successful, has made something from nothing, owns his own elite company, and is intelligent. Brody-although having a heart of gold – doesn’t really show that soft spot to many people, making it that much sweeter. I admire how Brody sticks with Maddie, and is determined to help her, even though she does her best to evade him and solve problems on her own. Brody’s such a guy, which makes reading him fun. But there’s also something special about him, which prevents Brody from being mundane.

The chemistry and relationship between Maddie and Brody is intense. Not only that, but the action and the plot make you eager to turn each page. What makes this even better, is that the plot and romance don’t detract from each other – and it doesn’t feel like there’s a trade off between the two. Ms. Shalvis has managed to write in a way that not only are both believable, they interact and each works to further the other.

While there were some moments where the characters acted in a manner which made me want to smack them upside the head, it was still enjoyable. There of course was a lot of drama, and some borderline slapstick situations where characters just missed each other, creating a whole new set of problems… that got to be a bit much. Nevertheless, over all, I liked it. The characters had a lot to do with it – Maddie and Brody are terrific, and the cameo appearances of the others were nice.

I think the conclusion to the Sky High series was a great book – definitely my favorite of the three. The story was well written, and the romance was very believable. The plot kept my attention, and I’m wondering why I haven’t read more of Ms. Shalvis’ books. That’s definitely something I plan on changing.

Grade: A-

BUCKLE UP. IT’S GOING TO BE QUITE A RIDE.

Despite his brooding bad-boy attitude, Brody knows life has treated him pretty well. His luxury charter airline, Sky High, has given him financial security and the means to take to the skies whenever things on the ground get complicated. And lately, things have become very complicated, thanks to the insanely passionate, or perhaps just insane, kiss he shared with Sky High’s gorgeous, wisecracking concierge, Maddie. He’s tried to keep his distance, but now Maddie desperately needs help, and it’s triggering protective alpha-male urges Brody didn’t even know he had.

For months, Maddie hid her crush on sexy, exasperating Brody behind a cool, kick-ass exterior and then blew that to smithereens by jumping him in the lobby. Yeah, real smooth. She’s tried to break her ties with Sky High, but Brody won’t let her walk away-especially now that he knows that Maddie and her twin sister Leena are in big-time trouble. To save Leena, Maddie and Brody must pose as husband and wife, and Maddie is amazed that the man she thought was oblivious to her existence knows her very well indeed. But that’s nothing compared to the way she’s about to get to know him-intimately, in depth, and over and over again.

Read an excerpt here.

Jane has an interesting post up regarding ‘Street Teams‘, which is a topic expanded on from a blog post Karin Tabke posted at Writer Unboxed. Really this was posted a week or so ago and I am sure has more comments and such. But I am lazy so I either post this now or say fuck it.

I know, I know… you are shocked I would shut up and NOT post something but teh lazy often over rides the mouth (keyboard?) whatever…

As a reader, a blogger and blog owner I happen to think the idea of ‘street teams’… blows chunks. And it is odd that is has come up because it was something I almost addressed (two) Saturdays ago… in a serious ass round about way.

There are so many things going on in that post and the comments – all nifty stuff but I will try and keep it short. (shush all of you it could happen) The post I started had nothing to do with Street Teams but self interest – as in my own. We are not paid. We do not currently take ads. We do not review every book sent to us. I do not have every author who requests – do a guest guest and/or contest. We do want we wanna do, say what we wanna say, play how we wanna play. And hope that others have a good time too…

I hope you discover authors you have never heard of and give them a try. I hope you find new authors to love. I hope you tell us what you thought and above everything, I want from you, what I demand from any person who reviews here – I want you to be honest. I would like every reader blog to be honest and reflect what that readers honestly thinks, not what they feel they should think, believe is expected of them or was agreed to in a back room.

The idea of author lead street teams sucks because it reeks of dishonesty and is the soil that grows the rabid. Am I saying every ‘member of an author grown’ team would be dishonest – nope – but sadly I am a cynical bitch and it would make me think twice. If not completely discount the author because so many books so lil time…

Kristie J lead a charge for Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas. She wanted to put that book in every reader’s hand and say “try it”. It was charming and she respected people who tried it and didn’t like it. She had no agenda, no purpose, no goal other than to share the love she had of a book with others.

I understand authors have a very hard time today. I get publishing is often more about numbers and green than it is about talent. There is such a push and pull and authors are put in a bad spot. They have a right to educate their readers – hell all readers. I totally agree with azteclady (comment #32 @ DA) “Self interest, readers’ choice = all good, IMO.” Provide the reader the info and allow them to decide what to do with it.

Angela pointed out “I don’t know…you guys at Dear Author–if not the SBs and the folks at TGTU–can be pretty close to a street team when you’re giving away copies of books you’ve loved and/or allowing them to guest blog (sometimes authors you guys know). It’s a pretty fine line to walk, and it seems that the reason why Karin’s attempt to create a street team is being pointed out is because she’s an author and DA, SBTB, TGTU,etc are helmed by readers.”

Being the vain duck I am, we will go with TGTU being us and she is right to a point. I can answer for no one other than TGTBTU but it is simple and leads back to azteclady comment. We are all about self interest baby and more often than not it is my interest. Score!

No one makes us do the things we do, no one tells us what we have to review and honestly I don’t know if you could pay us enough for the time, energy and effort we put into TGTBTU. Much like you could not recreate Kristie’s DoY crusade, you couldn’t put out a casting call, give rules and recreate us, Dear Author, Book Binge, Smart Bitches or any other reader blog . That is what I don’t want street teams to fuck with. I don’t care about reader/author breakups or entitlement issues (that is a whole other blog post and the rabid are just short bus special).

But have you noticed the ‘reader’ blogs popping up that read like sound bites. They are happy, happy, joy, joy two paragraphs of “please fucking quote me” goodness. There isn’t a bad read book in the bunch – evah. I don’t think it is bad so to speak, as long as the Harriet clones are nice and upfront about being in it for the free books. Or whatever rush that comes from having people lurve you for lurving them. The ones that seem to pass themselves off as everyday readers who love to review what they read is dishonest and triggers my cynical bitch.

Will these street teams cause us to look at every new blog that pops up and wonder are you a “Team Author” or “Team Reader”? Discounting a few, the romance community is very welcoming, we don’t care where you were the night before or who you were with – you don’t have to like what we like or do as we do – but be honest with us because we sure as hell plan to be honest with you.

Personally there are a handful of authors I would count as ‘friends’ and I am very sure each and every one of them knows if they ask me something there is no reason to say be honest. There are friends of the pond, as in many a duckie here loves many of their books, most likely they have also gotten ‘lower’ reviews here as well. The Harlequin Spotlights that have been going on was completely my want to do. Harlequin didn’t ask me, aren’t paying me and by now are prolly hoping I go away soon *eg*. This month has been a lot of work, mainly because we set the standard of the blog and ‘try’ to keep to what few rules we have.

In June we will have had around 30 authors guest who write for Harlequin Historical and we will have talked about, reviewed and/or had excerpts of well over 30 Harlequin Historical books. I hope the next time you are in the store you pick a few up and it would be awesome if you bought some, read some, honestly reviewed some because my self interest is in getting MORE Harlequin Historicals. See how that works…. if you had tried to recruit me for this with any other line I would have laughed at you. I don’t know if I would have gone along with it for HH and it is just a good thing the others here have taken to nodding and smiling whenever I go off on a wild idea.

I love reader blogs and our community is grand. Can we stay as awesome as we are and join ‘author teams’? Can we as a community join these teams and still have our blogs belong to ‘us’ and not just reflect some author or publisher’s self interest? Or is it just me being my normal cynical self and it won’t mean a thing.

**I so think I have used this title before or Jane has or something… but hell if I can be arsed to look I do know this vid was up on the blog (as was/is the snakes on the plane one *g*)

As usual, this post is brought to you by the department of Let’s Please Give Shannon something else to do…

I wonder what reviews would look like if Shakespeare had been around in the age of the Internet. Would they be something like this?

Honestly, the hero and heroine in Romeo and Juliet didst not worketh for me as well as other of the bard’s romantic couples. In fact, I believeth that Shakespeare hath jumped the shark. Gone are the days of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing. In the bard’s latest installment, Romeo and Juliet we are plagued with a heroine who is too stupid to live. Yea verily, I wanted to strangle her. As for Romeo, wherefore did he haveth to end up with that stupid slut Juliet? It was obvious from the sexual tension between himself and Mercutio that Romeo did loveth the men. I am afraid I cannot giveth this folio a grade higher than a C+.

Feel free to lambast me in comments for not getting my 17th century English vernacular right, for not understanding the bard at all, and for getting the chronology of his plays wrong. Or, you know, alternately, post up your own parody reviews of classics in the comments.

In case you haven’t noticed… JR Ward has started to answer some of the questions in her Q&A post… 

Wonders of wonders, she is really answering some of them! So go look, unless you hate spoilerish stuff. Then don’t go.

ETS: JR Ward is also on Romantic Times in their Ask the Author feature. Go check it out if you haven’t.

Really.

No going and then whining about the spoilers cuz I would have to beat you.

I am going to add links to reviews as I see them… I will mark with spoilers IF I KNOW they are there. I willl not be able to read them all first. I will be updating this all day. Fill free to post a note if you have one up!

soooo enter at your own risk:

Bam takes on Lover Revealed

Janine takes on Lover Revealed

Cindy takes on Lover Revealed

Tara Marie takes on Lover Revealed

Angie takes on Lover Revealed

Rosario takes on Lover Revealed

Paperback Reader takes on Lover Revealed

Arielle guest reviews on rosario’s blog and takes on Lover Revealed

Devon takes on Lover Revealed

Nath and Ames take on Lover Revealed