Wednesday, November 05, 2008
TBR Challenge for November
The TBR Challenge for November is to read a book with a weather event in its title.
Examples from my shelves:
The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov (#15)
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
I chose:
*** Like a Hurricane by Roxanne St.Claire. Contemporary romance.
I'm not really sure why I had this book in my TBR pile. It's fairly recent (2004), so it wasn't one of my flea market finds. Maybe I got the name mixed up with another author's? Seems likely.
Real estate executive Quinn McGrath has been promised a partnership if he closes the deal for Mar Brisas resort. It shouldn't be a problem--the owner, Nick Whitaker, hasn't bothered using the insurance money to repair the damage from a recent hurricane.
You can see where this is going, can't you? "Nick" is Nicole, and she isn't using the insurance money to make repairs because she didn't get any insurance money. Instant chemistry, but Nicole doesn't want to act on it because Quinn is the enemy. Quinn, of course, doesn't think that should be a problem.
And of course, Quinn learns the error of his ambitious ways, solves the mystery of the missing insurance money, and saves the day.
I've read this story dozens of times. Which is not to say it's poorly written. It's not. It's fine. But, in my opinion (which apparently differs drastically from the Amazon reviewers), it's just average.
If I'd never read the identical plot before, maybe I'd have liked this one better. Or if I were more of a fan of straight category romance. I like category romance, but generally need an unusual plot, outstanding characters, a lot of humor, or some suspense to really love it. Again, the characters were fine, but the reluctantly ambitious workaholic and the independent free spirit has been done to death.
And I do admit that the first meet had me putting on my skeptic's hat: Nicole was fixing an elevator while wearing a short skirt, and she got stuck in the access hatch. It's later explained that she was wearing the skirt because she had a meeting with Quinn, but she'd canceled the meeting, so why she decided to climb atop an elevator car to fix it without changing clothes again is beyond me. Then their mutual lust-filled thoughts just made me roll my eyes and skim.
I did enjoy Nicole's billboards made to look like sexy personals ads, and Quinn's consternation when he finds himself the subject of a billboard was a nice complication.
So, not great, not horrible. A quick, romantic read, and, depending on your tolerance levels, fairly steamy.
To play, let us know what you read, how it fits the challenge (if you had to get creative), how you liked it, and how long it's been in your TBR pile.
Categories: TBRChallenge, Books, 3stars, ContemporaryRomance
Examples from my shelves:
The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov (#15)
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
I chose:
*** Like a Hurricane by Roxanne St.Claire. Contemporary romance.
I'm not really sure why I had this book in my TBR pile. It's fairly recent (2004), so it wasn't one of my flea market finds. Maybe I got the name mixed up with another author's? Seems likely.
Real estate executive Quinn McGrath has been promised a partnership if he closes the deal for Mar Brisas resort. It shouldn't be a problem--the owner, Nick Whitaker, hasn't bothered using the insurance money to repair the damage from a recent hurricane.
You can see where this is going, can't you? "Nick" is Nicole, and she isn't using the insurance money to make repairs because she didn't get any insurance money. Instant chemistry, but Nicole doesn't want to act on it because Quinn is the enemy. Quinn, of course, doesn't think that should be a problem.
And of course, Quinn learns the error of his ambitious ways, solves the mystery of the missing insurance money, and saves the day.
I've read this story dozens of times. Which is not to say it's poorly written. It's not. It's fine. But, in my opinion (which apparently differs drastically from the Amazon reviewers), it's just average.
If I'd never read the identical plot before, maybe I'd have liked this one better. Or if I were more of a fan of straight category romance. I like category romance, but generally need an unusual plot, outstanding characters, a lot of humor, or some suspense to really love it. Again, the characters were fine, but the reluctantly ambitious workaholic and the independent free spirit has been done to death.
And I do admit that the first meet had me putting on my skeptic's hat: Nicole was fixing an elevator while wearing a short skirt, and she got stuck in the access hatch. It's later explained that she was wearing the skirt because she had a meeting with Quinn, but she'd canceled the meeting, so why she decided to climb atop an elevator car to fix it without changing clothes again is beyond me. Then their mutual lust-filled thoughts just made me roll my eyes and skim.
I did enjoy Nicole's billboards made to look like sexy personals ads, and Quinn's consternation when he finds himself the subject of a billboard was a nice complication.
So, not great, not horrible. A quick, romantic read, and, depending on your tolerance levels, fairly steamy.
To play, let us know what you read, how it fits the challenge (if you had to get creative), how you liked it, and how long it's been in your TBR pile.
Categories: TBRChallenge, Books, 3stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance, tbr challenge
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What a fun challenge. Right now I'm doing the National Novel Writing challenge, but next month it would be fun to read with you. :)
Well...I've been reading Roxanne St. Claire's Bullet Catcher series (and I love it!) but read a few of her stand alone books. But I don't remember telling you about Roxanne's books. Nor have I yet read LIKE A HURRICANE, either.
So I know it wasn't me who sweet talk you into putting it in your TBR pile LOL! But I think you should give The Bullet Catcher series a try. There so many of them :)
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So I know it wasn't me who sweet talk you into putting it in your TBR pile LOL! But I think you should give The Bullet Catcher series a try. There so many of them :)
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