Friday, October 12, 2007
Falling Angel
***** Falling Angel by Anne Stuart. Paranormal romance.
I've been slowly picking up Anne Stuart's backlist. This one's from 1993, and it won the 1994 RITA award for Best Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance. It was well-deserved.
Emerson MacVey was a ruthless, greedy, uncaring man, until he had a massive heart attack and died at the age of 32. Now, 17 months after his death, he has one last chance of avoiding hell--he'll return to earth in another body, and within one month, he has to make amends to 3 people whose lives he destroyed. The fine print: he gets 3 miracles--one per person, and there'll be someone there to keep an eye on him, and he can't tell anyone who he is or why he's there.
The first person, and the only one whose name he's told, is Carrie Alexander. She'd been his secretary for 3 months, and he fired her on Christmas Eve. She was also the only person who'd cried when he died.
Carrie had thought she'd seen the good hidden under Emerson's cold exterior, and she'd fallen in love with him. And when her hometown's only industry was collapsing, she thought she saw a way to help both him and her town, since his business was buying and selling businesses. Instead, he bought it and closed it down, dooming the town, and broke her heart.
Now she's being eaten up by the guilt, and making amends in the only way she can think of--being the town's resident angel.
So when Gabriel Falcone's car ran into a ditch near Angel Falls, Carrie was the one who looked after him.
Falling Angel is a sweet story of love and redemption, sort of a cross between A Christmas Carol and Heaven Can Wait. But it avoids the saccharine sappiness of so many Christmas redemption romances, by making the emotions real rather than forced, and by giving both characters real dilemmas instead of simply the expected self-sacrifice.
Carrie's not just your usual milquetoast altruistic heroine, and Emerson/Gabriel isn't just your usual hero who only seems unfeeling because he hasn't yet learned to love. They're a lot more 3-dimensional than that. The rest of the town is likewise real, and because of that, you care about what happens to them.
This is, I think, the quintessential Christmas romance--it's what so many stories aspire to, but so few completely achieve.
...more
Categories: Books, 5stars, ParanormalRomance
Labels: 5 stars, books, ParanormalRomance
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If you can hold out that long, it would make a nice Christmas read. I wonder if Annie's read this one.... :)
At any rate, I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about it. :)
At any rate, I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about it. :)
I got Annie to read Anne Stuart's ICE series. And I think she like it. So possiable she would read Fallen Angel too. Beside it theme holiday, right? And Anne like to read themes holidays.
Sure, I will try to hold out until Christmas then :)
Sure, I will try to hold out until Christmas then :)
'tis good to know you ARE still reading her!!! My job is done. :-)
I loooved this story. Hmmm...time for a re-read methinks. I now have ALL her books, save for her very early, hard to find, out of print candle ecstasy/dell books. VERY expensive.
Darla, when you find it, you really should read Banish Misfortune and Cinderman.
~Sangeeta
I loooved this story. Hmmm...time for a re-read methinks. I now have ALL her books, save for her very early, hard to find, out of print candle ecstasy/dell books. VERY expensive.
Darla, when you find it, you really should read Banish Misfortune and Cinderman.
~Sangeeta
# posted by 
: 10/17/2007 5:55 PM
: 10/17/2007 5:55 PM
Of course I'm still reading her! I haven't heard about Banish Misfortune or Cinderman--what are they about, and what makes them special?
Wow. Where to start? Cinderman is a harlequin american romance and Banish is a Super American romance.
Cinderman is about this this scientist Daniel Crompton (arrogant, hot,sexy chemist)--who has no use for people, but due to a lab explosion, he's left with some...special abilities. Think...invisible man crossed with Bewitched. Vague, I know, but it's still very good. Suzanna Molloy is the reporter who meets him when she's trying to find out what illegalities are going on at the company he works for and they team up. The ending had me in tears, and you know it takes a LOT to get tears from me.
As for Banish, talk about emotional wringers! I don't want to give anything away, so I finally found a blurb--
Jessica Hansen wanted to make it to the top no matter what she had to do on the way. But her tough-as-nails exterior was a mask, hiding the frightened woman underneath crying for escape. Then the real test came of just how far she would go. When a lecherous businessman wanted Jessica's body to seal an agreement for a million-dollar deal, she turned and ran right into the arms of Springer McDowell.
The only part of Banish I didn't like was, well, I could've done without the secondary couple that was just thrown in there, for what reason, I don't know.
But you can see Jessica's growth in this book--it spans about two years.
These two aren't so hard to get--I lucked out--I went to amazon and got them as part of a seven book deal--someone was selling about seven of her titles--for $30! Considering that each of these were probably $4-7 originially, I saved about $10. I think. Either way, I got what I wanted.
One thing I WON'T do, is shell out $20 bucks for ONE, that's ONE of her real old books--the Dell Regency/Candlelight books.
Cinderman is about this this scientist Daniel Crompton (arrogant, hot,sexy chemist)--who has no use for people, but due to a lab explosion, he's left with some...special abilities. Think...invisible man crossed with Bewitched. Vague, I know, but it's still very good. Suzanna Molloy is the reporter who meets him when she's trying to find out what illegalities are going on at the company he works for and they team up. The ending had me in tears, and you know it takes a LOT to get tears from me.
As for Banish, talk about emotional wringers! I don't want to give anything away, so I finally found a blurb--
Jessica Hansen wanted to make it to the top no matter what she had to do on the way. But her tough-as-nails exterior was a mask, hiding the frightened woman underneath crying for escape. Then the real test came of just how far she would go. When a lecherous businessman wanted Jessica's body to seal an agreement for a million-dollar deal, she turned and ran right into the arms of Springer McDowell.
The only part of Banish I didn't like was, well, I could've done without the secondary couple that was just thrown in there, for what reason, I don't know.
But you can see Jessica's growth in this book--it spans about two years.
These two aren't so hard to get--I lucked out--I went to amazon and got them as part of a seven book deal--someone was selling about seven of her titles--for $30! Considering that each of these were probably $4-7 originially, I saved about $10. I think. Either way, I got what I wanted.
One thing I WON'T do, is shell out $20 bucks for ONE, that's ONE of her real old books--the Dell Regency/Candlelight books.
# posted by : 10/22/2007 4:04 PM
: 10/22/2007 4:04 PM
Cinderman is a superhero? Oh, I'm there. Why don't more romance authors write about superheroes? :)
Banish Misfortune's emotionally intense, then? That's something I tend to associate with Stuart.
I'm planning on collecting Anne Stuart's backlist as I find them, but I'll start keeping an eye out for these two in particular. Thanks!
Banish Misfortune's emotionally intense, then? That's something I tend to associate with Stuart.
I'm planning on collecting Anne Stuart's backlist as I find them, but I'll start keeping an eye out for these two in particular. Thanks!
Oh YEAH. Daniel is VERY much a superhero! You'll laugh when you realize what his powers are before he does, lol! I don't know why more authors don't write more superheroes. It would be a change from the paranormal--vamp this, lycanthrope that, shapeshifter, etc, that is currently glutting the market/genre.
Yes, Banish is VERY emotional. If I find them, I'll get them and hold them for you. What titles of Anne's do you already have, Darla? I can go through my inventory and tell you what is a MUST BUY ASAP, lol.
Yes, Banish is VERY emotional. If I find them, I'll get them and hold them for you. What titles of Anne's do you already have, Darla? I can go through my inventory and tell you what is a MUST BUY ASAP, lol.
# posted by : 10/24/2007 1:47 AM
: 10/24/2007 1:47 AM
Yeah, I don't know, either! Night Shadow is still one of my very favorite Noras just because Nemesis is such a cool superhero. Angela Knight had a short story in an erotica anthology about superheros that was pretty good, but it was just too short. With all the movies about superheros out lately, you'd think authors would jump on it. Maybe I should write one myself. ;-)
The problem with making a list is that half my books are still back in TX, and I really don't remember which ones of Anne's I have back there. I know there are a few, but not how many or which ones. So I pick up ones that I either KNOW I don't have (i.e. they're newer), or ones that are inexpensive enough that I don't mind if I have two copies.
I'd have remembered Cinderman, though. :)
The problem with making a list is that half my books are still back in TX, and I really don't remember which ones of Anne's I have back there. I know there are a few, but not how many or which ones. So I pick up ones that I either KNOW I don't have (i.e. they're newer), or ones that are inexpensive enough that I don't mind if I have two copies.
I'd have remembered Cinderman, though. :)
That's too funny! Why can't you ask Dagny to go search and let you know what you DO have? :p
But didn't you say you were maybe coming State side this summer? I'll email you what books I do have with blurbs/synopsis' and you can tell me if it sounds familiar or not. :)
There was one book I got, Seen and Not Heard--scared the bejesus out of me--a real psychological thriller.
The heroine is TSTL and weakling and a wuss until the very end, but I liked it. What's ironic (don't know if that's the right word), is that it has very little romance, although there is some nice tension. Until I got a third of the way through, this really was a case of whether the hero was a "will he kiss her or kill her" and I must say Anne surprised me at how she had me biting my lips, nails and sitting on the edge of my seat. I don't want to spoil you too much in case you have it, or however you go about getting your backlist, lol.
Let's just say that Anne has never had a hero like this, and I was very surprised by him. Not at all what I expected.
Remember how we all talked about how Nora's Night Series was a precursor to the In Deaths? Well, Anne's Now You See Him (Sil. Intimate Moments), was the same for her new series--Black Ice, Cold as Ice, Ice Blue and Ice Storm(coming out Friday!). NYSH has been reissued in a two book in one with Bobby Hutchison. I believe it's called "Undercover Summer"
But didn't you say you were maybe coming State side this summer? I'll email you what books I do have with blurbs/synopsis' and you can tell me if it sounds familiar or not. :)
There was one book I got, Seen and Not Heard--scared the bejesus out of me--a real psychological thriller.
The heroine is TSTL and weakling and a wuss until the very end, but I liked it. What's ironic (don't know if that's the right word), is that it has very little romance, although there is some nice tension. Until I got a third of the way through, this really was a case of whether the hero was a "will he kiss her or kill her" and I must say Anne surprised me at how she had me biting my lips, nails and sitting on the edge of my seat. I don't want to spoil you too much in case you have it, or however you go about getting your backlist, lol.
Let's just say that Anne has never had a hero like this, and I was very surprised by him. Not at all what I expected.
Remember how we all talked about how Nora's Night Series was a precursor to the In Deaths? Well, Anne's Now You See Him (Sil. Intimate Moments), was the same for her new series--Black Ice, Cold as Ice, Ice Blue and Ice Storm(coming out Friday!). NYSH has been reissued in a two book in one with Bobby Hutchison. I believe it's called "Undercover Summer"
# posted by : 10/24/2007 5:32 PM
: 10/24/2007 5:32 PM
Hah. Dagny's been amazing incapable of finding books I've asked her to look for--despite the fact that I left them all in alphabetical order by author. But yeah, I'll be back next summer, and I'll make a list then.
I'll have to keep an eye out for Seen and Not Heard--I love psychological thrillers. In books, anyway. Not in movies. :)
I'll have to keep an eye out for Seen and Not Heard--I love psychological thrillers. In books, anyway. Not in movies. :)
Well, that sucks! Especially since you have them IN ORDER by AUTHOR, lol.
Trust me, you will be FREAKED out by Seen and Not Heard. I know I was. It's not twisted like Ritual Sins is (a book I will never read again, unless there is absolutely nothing else to read, it was THAT twisted), another good one, which is fairly new is Into the Fire--talk about emotional wringers. Anne's sneaky--she makes it LOOK like it might be a paranormal bent, but you find out real quickly that it's not. If you're not stupid, that is, lol.
Can't remember if you read historicals? You should read To Love a Dark Lord, Shadow Dance, Lord Of Danger, Lady's Fortune, Rose at Midnight; in contemps, single titles-Night Fall, Moonrise, Shadow Lover, The Widow, something Sunset...oh, never mind, I'll just email you the list, lol.
Trust me, you will be FREAKED out by Seen and Not Heard. I know I was. It's not twisted like Ritual Sins is (a book I will never read again, unless there is absolutely nothing else to read, it was THAT twisted), another good one, which is fairly new is Into the Fire--talk about emotional wringers. Anne's sneaky--she makes it LOOK like it might be a paranormal bent, but you find out real quickly that it's not. If you're not stupid, that is, lol.
Can't remember if you read historicals? You should read To Love a Dark Lord, Shadow Dance, Lord Of Danger, Lady's Fortune, Rose at Midnight; in contemps, single titles-Night Fall, Moonrise, Shadow Lover, The Widow, something Sunset...oh, never mind, I'll just email you the list, lol.
# posted by : 10/25/2007 8:00 PM
: 10/25/2007 8:00 PM
Anne Stuart's next installment is coming out this Friday? Or was that last Friday, since Geeta lasted posted hehehe..
I would have to agree with Geeta on "Ritual Sin", don't like that book. It was...weird. Out of all of Anne Stuarts' books I have read, "Ritual Sin" is the worse for me :) But I love all of Anne's books I read so far :)
By the way Darla, if you like to read about Heroes, than you should watch one of the popular show "Heroes". If not on TV then Netflix it *grin* ;)
I would have to agree with Geeta on "Ritual Sin", don't like that book. It was...weird. Out of all of Anne Stuarts' books I have read, "Ritual Sin" is the worse for me :) But I love all of Anne's books I read so far :)
By the way Darla, if you like to read about Heroes, than you should watch one of the popular show "Heroes". If not on TV then Netflix it *grin* ;)
Well, I thought that 10/26 was the release date, but I was wrong. Accoring to B&N and Borders, it's not due out until 11/7!!!! I don't know if I can wait that long, lol.
Ritual Sins--just one big CON and I found I could care less, no less than less, about the h/h. Blech.
Ritual Sins--just one big CON and I found I could care less, no less than less, about the h/h. Blech.
# posted by : 10/26/2007 11:59 PM
: 10/26/2007 11:59 PM
Julia, nag, nag, nag. I think I'm getting somebody the DVDs for Christmas--Carl or one of the boys--they all like the show. So I'll watch it then. :)
LMAO Darla, you love it when I nag nag nag ;):) AND great- that you're getting the DVDs. Just make sure that you're ACTUALLY sitting and watching with them and not READING book LMAO! I'm kidding!, really I am!....I'm kidding!... *duck head* ;) :)
Geeta - 11/7 isn't that long..it near. So we shall have it soon than :)
Geeta - 11/7 isn't that long..it near. So we shall have it soon than :)
I know a week's not too long to wait--but this is ANNE STUART! And frankly, I'm so paranormaled out, and since the last two Nora's have been disappointments, well, Anne's the only one who hasn't disappointed me and I soo love the blurb for Ice Storm.
Darla, you never did answer my question about what you meant about the Baxter/children thing in Suzannah's Surrender.
Darla, you never did answer my question about what you meant about the Baxter/children thing in Suzannah's Surrender.
# posted by : 10/29/2007 3:46 PM
: 10/29/2007 3:46 PM
LOL! Can't you just tell me HERE!!!!????
Really, Darla. Get with the program. [insert rolling eyes]
Really, Darla. Get with the program. [insert rolling eyes]
# posted by : 10/29/2007 5:10 PM
: 10/29/2007 5:10 PM
Not yet; It's due out today, right? Will make a pit stop to my store.
# posted by : 11/06/2007 6:25 PM
: 11/06/2007 6:25 PM
I pre-ordered it from B&N. The way the APO's been, though, heaven only knows when it'll get here. *sigh*
I got it! I got it! But alas, being the anal retentive being that I am, I'm currently on a re-read of the ENTIRE in death series, because Creation left me with a lot of "huhs?" about Eve's behavior/knowledge, so I'm going back from the beginning. One of the things that is bugging me is that, one would think that Eve opening up to more people would make her softer--but no. She's become a lot more harsh, especially toward children, which makes NO SENSE. I'll have my thoughts on this later. I'm taking notes!
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# posted by : 11/19/2007 9:14 PM
: 11/19/2007 9:14 PM << Home
