Sunday, April 17, 2011
Midnight Resolutions
***** Midnight Resolutions by Kathleen O'Reilly. Contemporary romance.
If you read my recent Weekend Update, you know I just got back from a spring break trip. The week before our trip, I was really tense and stressed, and my mom suggested I take some fun reading along. At the time, all that was left unread on my e-reader was classics (a LOT of them), and some dense fantasy, and while I'm sure I'll enjoy them when I read them, my mom was right--this wasn't the time.
So I went shopping at the Sony Reader Store, and a few minutes later had five new books ready to go. (Have I mentioned how much I love my e-reader?) I haven't bought new books other than nonfiction for so long that I had no idea what was out there, so I just searched for authors I trusted and came up with Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Anne Stuart (a.k.a. Kristina Douglas), and Kathleen O'Reilly.
from the back of the book:
When midnight strikes...The last thing temp agency owner Ian Cumberland expects on an icy New Year's Eve is a little magic. But when a stunner of a woman plants a sizzlin' kiss on him in the middle of Times Square, Ian's world explodes. A moment later, she's gone....But as much as Ian shakes Rose Hildebrande to the tips of her designer shoes--and a few other choice places!--she can't afford to fall for a charming pauper instead of Prince Charming. Still...there's something about Ian, his sexy good looks, his charming kindness, that inspires Rose to find him and seduce him. But will their naughty fling still be blazing come summer?One thing about e-books is that you don't really see the cover, which is a good thing. This would have irritated the heck out of me. Ian Cumberland does not own a temp agency. He works for an employment agency, and has since he was laid off from his prestigious job as an investment banker. It's a big step down, and part of his personal journey.
But Ian is not the primary focus of this story--it's Rose. Gutsy move on O'Reilly's part, I have to say. Readers love damaged heroes. Damaged heroines, not so much. Unless the heroine is damaged in a way that makes her ultra-lovable. (insert eye-roll here) Unlike the other reviewers I read, I was captivated by Rose from the start.
It was clear from the beginning that Rose had Issues, and pretty serious ones. I loved how she had to fight herself, how she struggled between what she believed she should want and what she did want. Even better was how the origins of her issues came out a little bit at a time. Each chapter I knew her a little better. And it was never all laid out like "Rose was screwed up because of X, Y, and Z," not even when she finally came clean with Ian. It was very well handled.
Midnight Resolutions demonstrates exactly why Kathleen O'Reilly was one of the first authors I looked for. She's a master of category-length romance, a difficult length for many authors. Both characters grew and changed, the conflicts were real, and the secondary characters were three dimensional and their challenges added to the main conflict.
One more reason to like my e-reader: Midnight Resolutions, being a Harlequin Blaze, is already out of print in paperback, but it's still available in e-format.
Categories: Books, 5stars, Contemporary Romance
Labels: 5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Friday, December 11, 2009
Friday Flashback
from July 2003:
Taste of Honey by Eileen Goudge. Contemporary romance.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
Taste of Honey by Eileen Goudge. Contemporary romance.
To truly appreciate this book, I probably should have read the first Carson Springs novel, Stranger in Paradise, first. Not that Taste of Honey wasn't a complete story in itself, but I'd like to see how some of these characters' stories unfolded before I met them in Taste of Honey.Originally posted =>HERE<=.
Gerry's intention of becoming a nun was derailed when she became pregnant by a priest. Twenty-eight years later, after a marriage, divorce, and two more children, she finds the daughter she'd given up for adoption.
Claire had been raised by loving, but overprotective adoptive parents. The story of her being torn between two families is very poignant and real.
While they get to know each other, Gerry and Claire also learn more about themselves, and open their hearts to love.
The next Carson Springs novel, Wish Come True, is out in hardcover now, but first I'm going to catch up on events in Stranger in Paradise.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: books, ContemporaryRomance, flashback
Monday, September 28, 2009
Hell with the Ladies
Hell with the Ladies. Contemporary romance.
This anthology is about the devil's three sons. The devil wants to retire and turn the "family business" over to one of his sons, so he gives them each a test.
- ***½ "Jack" by Kathleen O'Reilly
Jack Vassonovich is the oldest son, and his task is to get the Book of Souls away from bookstore owner Gabriella D'angelis. When he fails, it's up to... - ***½ "Nick" by Julie Kenner
Nick Velnias, the second son. Nick is a painter, and his task is to paint Delilah Burnett's portrait, and in the process take her soul. When he fails as well, it's up to... - ***½ "Marcus" by Dee Davis
The youngest son, Marcus Diablo. His task is to steal the ruby known as the Devil's Delight. But to find it, he'll have to work with old adversary/flame Celeste Abbot.
The stories were all readable and entertaining, but I'm glad I didn't read them all at once because there was a certain sameness to them. Trying to put my finger on exactly what kept me from loving them--I think I expected them to be a little darker. These are supposed to be the sons of Lucifer himself, but I didn't feel any menace from them, and I was never concerned that they'd chose reigning in hell over staying with their human loves.
Oh. I'm categorizing this as "contemporary romance" instead of "paranormal romance" because despite the presence of the devil and his sons, there really wasn't anything paranormal about it. Hmmm. Yes, they were immortal, and they were supposed to be trying to steal souls, but you never actually saw any of that.
Categories: Books, 3.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Playboy Prince
****½ The Playboy Prince by Nora Roberts. Contemporary romance. Re-read.
This is the third book in the series about Cordina's royal family, about younger brother Prince Bennett and undercover agent Hannah.
I've never seen the appeal of horses, so I didn't care too much about that. Mostly, for me, Bennett was just okay--it was Hannah who was the star of the book.
I like that Bennett saved her in the end--it didn't make Hannah any less capable, but poor Bennett's had to be sitting on the sidelines the whole time. Plus, it's only fair, as she saved his life in the theater.
But otherwise, we don't learn much about Bennett's life. That's why I feel it's Hannah's story, and Bennett's just her romantic interest, or her reward, maybe. There was a little bit about his frustration with being kept on the sidelines, and I think more could have been done with that if it were a longer book. One thing, I was surprised when nothing came of Bennett not telling Hannah about the children's wing at the museum that was apparently his big project that meant a lot to him.
The Playboy Prince is definitely dated, and a little typical-romance, what with royalty of a fictional kingdom--oh, excuse me: principality--but if you can just suspend disbelief and accept that (and accept the people from all different countries bowing and curstseying to foreign royalty, which, if memory serves, is Not Done), they're good stories, with real-feeling characters.
I also enjoyed Armand, and his balance between being a father and a ruler. Reminded me of some of Gaius Sextus's speeches, though not quite as intense.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Command Performance
****½ Command Performance by Nora Roberts. Contemporary romance. Re-read.
This is the second book in the series about Cordina's royal family.
I think Affaire Royale is still my favorite of the series--I have a weakness for amnesia stories, and I've never really understood the I-love-you-so-I'm-going-to-act-like-I-despise-you game.
Still, it's a fun story, and I loved how Nora showed the pressures and emotional toll on Alexander of being the heir, and I loved how the way Eve took responsibility for her theater troupe showed that she would make a good mate for him and princess for Cordina.
And best is, it was better than I remembered it. The characterization was really impressive for such a short book.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Bachelor
*** The Bachelor by Carly Phillips. Contemporary romance.
This had been in my TBR pile for a while--I'm not sure why I bought it. I really disliked the only other story I've read by this author, but I'm pretty sure I bought this before reading that story.
The premise was the first problem: the Chandler brothers' mother feigns a weak heart and tells her sons her one desire is to have a grandchild. Roman loses the coin toss, so he has to get married and impregnate his wife a.s.a.p. I've read and enjoyed plenty of matchmaking mamas, but nobody made any sense in this one. Maybe I'm an unusual parent, but I'd rather my kids remained single than marry the first person who'll have them. And I can understand the sons' concern for their mother, but I just couldn't buy their response.
I'd have gotten over that--give me an excuse and I'll happily suspend disbelief--if there had been some real emotion between Roman and Charlotte, his high school sweetheart. There could have been a good story there, and I was looking for it, because reunited lovers is one of my favorite romance plots. But it simply wasn't there.
Instead of real emotion, there were simple jokes. Some of which, granted, were pretty amusing--hence the three stars.
Bottom line, The Bachelor is passable for a quick read if you don't expect much. And sometimes you really don't want much. For me, it would have been just right for a time when I'm tired and stressed out.
Another plus: it illustrates just how difficult it is to write truly good romantic comedy, and makes me appreciate Crusie and SEP that much more.
Categories: Books, 3stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Getting Rid of Bradley
***** Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie. Contemporary romance. Re-read.
This is one of Crusie's earlier books, but it still has the Crusie magic.
High school science teacher Lucy Savage is, as the title says, "getting rid of Bradley"--Bradley being her soon-to-be ex-husband... if, that is, he didn't stand her up at their divorce hearing.
Taking her sister Tina's advice (Tina has a lot of advice), Lucy's getting on with her life. Or trying to.
Cop Zack Warren overhears them in a restaurant talking about "getting rid of Bradley," and follows Lucy to ask her about Bradley--an embezzler he's been trying to catch.
When someone shoots at her and he tackles her, Lucy, who didn't hear the shot, thinks he's mugging her and hits him with her bag, that's filled with science books.
If this is starting to sound like one of those screwball comedies, you'd be right. The banter and misadventure fly fast and furious, and just don't let up. And that would be enough to make the book worthwhile. But it's got the Crusie trademarks: a heroine who's changing her life, and fabulous writing, where every little detail means something.
And of course there are dogs: Einstein, Heisenberg, Maxwell, and Pete. This is also the book with the dog joke in it.
Getting Rid of Bradley is short but perfect. I've read it several times, and it never fails to entertain and impress.
Note: the last time I read this, I did a better job with the review, I think. Click Here to check it out.
Categories: Books, 5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday Flashback
From September 2002:
The Fling by Elda Minger. Contemporary romance.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
The Fling by Elda Minger. Contemporary romance.
I was under the impression that Jack had worked his way up in the business, but I realized James wanted him to get to know that particular resort inside out. Ten days isn't long enough to learn all the jobs, but he'd apparently done them before, and it was just long enough to get to know the resort and the people who worked there and appreciate what they did.You can read the entire thread here.
I'm not completely sure why James wanted Jack's identity to remain a secret, since it seemed like several people knew who he was already. Maybe it just seemed that way, but any longtime employees certainly knew, because he grew up there. I understand James didn't want anyone giving Jack special treatment because of who he was, though---it would be very hard to boss your future boss around.
I think the reason why James didn't release Jack from the agreement was that he knew Jack was sensitive to fortune-hunting, and he thought that by making Jack hide his fortune from Kate it would prove to Jack that Kate really loved him. That sounds confusing---hopefully you understand what I meant?
Very ironic when Kate had second thoughts about staying with Jack, not because she thought he didn't have money, but because she thought he had potential he didn't want to use.
Very sweet and sad when they bonded over losing their parents. Nice moment when Jack took Kate to see the sun rise over the volcano.
I really felt for Kate when she found out that she was the only one who hadn't know Jack's true identity. And what a way to find out! That obnoxious drunk.
For a while I thought we'd be getting a 3-in-1 romance---Patti with Matt, and Cherry with James. I'm glad we didn't---it was more realistic this way---Patti and Matt might be good together, but Patti needs a little more time to get over being left at the altar, and Matt deserves more than a rebound relationship. I hope they do eventually end up together, though. And Cherry--I'm really glad she just found friends. If she'd paired up with James, which I'd thought would happen for a little while there, it would have just reinforced her belief that men are only interested in looks, and women (at least her) only interested in money. I don't think she'd have let herself love him, or any other millionaire, until she learned to love herself, which she's doing now with the help of her friends.
I liked how that developing friendship was a two-way street. Cherry'd never had close girlfriends, and Kate was initially prejudiced against Cherry because of her looks. I started really feeling for Cherry when she told about her string of bad relationships. That really emphasized that being beautiful isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I wasn't surprised this book was so hot, after Elda Minger's story in Fantasy. Kate and Jack really made the sparks fly.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: books, ContemporaryRomance, flashback
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Nightcap
****½ Nightcap by Kathleen O'Reilly. Contemporary romance.
Whoops. I did it again--read a series book out of order. This is the third in the "Those Sexy O'Sullivans." I'm pretty sure the previous two are in my TBR pile.
Ah, well. It didn't seem to make any difference in my enjoyment of Nightcap. The other O'Sullivans were in the story, but I didn't get bashed over the head with "these characters have stories of their own!" or with hints of stuff I'd missed.
Sean O'Sullivan is a medical malpractice lawyer and part-owner of a bar along with his brothers. Gabe, who runs it, has been having one regulatory problem after another, and it appears that someone in City Hall is out to shut them down. So Sean, with his legal expertise and his history of knowing everyone and being able to charm most of them, tackles deputy mayor Cleo Hollings to solve the problem.
Cleo's overworked and sleep deprived, and there's a transit strike going on. She doesn't have time for petty problems, much less for being charmed. But Sean isn't one to take "no" for an answer.
They start a tentative physical relationship in stolen moments during the day, but it's not enough, and Sean is getting increasingly concerned about how she spends her nights and weekends. The reader knows that Cleo is caring for her mom, who has Alzheimer's, and she's keeping mum about it because a previous boyfriend made her choose.
I had a little trouble warming up to Cleo initially, even once I found out she was taking care of her mother. It was only once she showed some vulnerability that I could like her. Too, it was hard for me to understand her feelings about not wanting to find a supervised place for her mom to live, or even to hire full-time help. If money had been the problem, it would have been more understandable for me, but it wasn't. I finally decided it was a different relationship than I have with my mom (or than my mother-in-law had with her mother, who only stayed a few weeks with her daughter once she became unable to live on her own, then decided on an assisted-living complex). And Cleo does have the very common superwoman complex, thinking she needs to do everything, completely on her own.
Sean was a wonderful hero. Though he was a charmer, he was also vulnerable where Cleo was concerned. He didn't really have any issues, but that's okay, because this was Cleo's book, and he was just what she needed.
I'm sure I've said it before, but I'll risk repeating myself: Kathleen O'Reilly writes great category romances. She has a real knack for the shorter length, and her books feel neither rushed nor shallow. She manages to fit complete, satisfying romance novels in those slim volumes and include character development and growth and convincing emotion, as well as subplots. Nightcap is no exception. For example, Cleo's mother's condition was well-developed, as was its effect, emotional and otherwise, on both Cleo and her uncle. I don't buy many categories, but O'Reilly's are on my must-buy list.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Untamed
***½ Untamed by Nora Roberts. Contemporary romance. re-read.
This is Nora's circus book, and another very early one--from 1983. Again, it shows.
Jo (short for Jovilette--why??? who knows.) Wilder (heh) is a lion trainer in a small circus. She and the rest of her circus family are afraid that Keane Prescott, the new owner of the circus, will sell it or close it down. So it's up to Jo to convince him that the circus is worth saving.
She talks him into traveling with the circus, and along the way, she falls in love with him.
Again we have the paternalistic hero, with the typical-of-80s-romances trait of being pretty darn inexplicable. He waffles back and forth in his reactions to Jo in a way that experienced readers of 80s romances will realize means that he's in love with her, but which just confuses Jo (along with any readers who are used to heroes who make at least a little bit of sense).
I suppose it's not really fair to complain about a book that simply follows the conventions of the time, but while I try to take books for what (in my perception) they were intended to be, my ratings reflect my enjoyment, and even in the 80s I didn't like that convention.
OTOH, I'm a huge fan of the small family circuses you can still find here in Europe, and once again, Nora did a wonderful job of portraying an unusual setting and job with non-intrusive thoroughness. I really enjoyed visiting behind the scenes in the circus, and that was where most of my favorite parts of the book took place. There was a particularly affecting scene with Jo's oldest lion that even brought me to tears.
Bottom line: if you've 'gotta have 'em all', or if you like circuses and don't mind 80s romances, check it out. If not, you're not missing a lot by skipping this one.
Categories: Books, 3.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Monday, April 13, 2009
Dance of Dreams
***½ Dance of Dreams by Nora Roberts. Contemporary romance.
This is the sequel to Reflections, and I read them the same month; I just didn't get around to writing about this one until now.
As I suspected in my review of Reflections, I did like Dance of Dreams better, but only slightly.
If I remember correctly, in the previous book, Ruth Bannion was sixteen, so this takes place nine years later (although the book says five, it also says she's 25 now), and Ruth is a rising star in the world of dance.
Unless I'm missing something in my quick memory-refreshing scan through the book, Dance of Dreams is rather unusual, in that there's no real catalyst for the change in Ruth and Nickolai's relationship other than a brief comment by Lindsay (heroine of Reflections, Ruth's stepmother, and Nickolai's former partner) that Ruth doesn't seem happy.
At any rate, Dance of Dreams is the story of the development of their relationship from teacher/student to romance. They're both volatile and passionate, and it shows in the progress of their relationship.
Something else that shows is that this is one of Nora's earliest books, from 1983. And it shares some problems with other romances of that time--like the paternalistic hero, something that gets on my last nerve. At least Ruth isn't the typical heroine for that time period--she doesn't hate men.
It is a nice view into the world of professional dance, with its cutthroat competition and grueling physical challenges, and the detail is handled so masterfully that you'd swear that Nora had previously been a professional dancer. Ironic that she seems to have lost that skill.
Categories: Books, 3.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
TBR Challenge for August
Once again, I'm ludicrously behind. I did read the book during August--I just hadn't gotten around to posting about it yet.
The TBR Challenge for August 2008 was to read a book by an author with 3 names.
Examples from my shelves:
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Another Scandal in Bohemia by Carole Nelson Douglas
True Colors by Jayne Ann Krentz (#16)
I chose:
**** Trading Places by Ruth Jean Dale. Contemporary romance.
I have no idea why this 2001 book was in my TBR pile. Usually, category romances only get in my TBR pile for three reason: 1) if they're by an author I already read, 2) if someone's recommended them, or 3) the author wrote for Berkley/Jove or NAL (I went through a streak of buying a bunch of earlier books by the B/J and NAL authors to familiarize myself with them). I can't find evidence that any of these was the case. So, it's a mystery. Good thing I had the TBR challenge, because otherwise, this book might have languished even longer in the TBR pile.
Alice Wynn works for glamorous celebrity Sharlayne Kenyon (I don't know about you, but boy, did I have trouble not reading this as "Sherrilyn Kenyon"!), and her job has just become stranger... and more dangerous. Seems Sharlayne has decided to write her memoirs, and there are a lot of people out there who object to what she might write. Since she and Alice share a certain resemblance, she makes Alice a too-good-to-be-true offer: enough money to pay off her debts from her grandmother's hospital bills and then some, in exchange for Alice masquerading as Sharlayne so that Sharlayne can write her memoirs in peace.
There's danger from the aforementioned people who object to the memoirs, and danger of a quite different kind from Sharlayne's bodyguard Jed Kelby. And there's Tabitha Thomas, the strangely bitter dragon-lady of an assistant to Sharlayne.
It's a story that's been done before, but it was engaging nonetheless. Even though the plot was unsurprising, the characters rang true, and I enjoyed watching Alice struggle with living Sharlayne's life, and Jed figuring out her identity. Tabitha, too, was an interesting character--I went from thoroughly disliking her to a grudging admiration.
I see that Ruth Jean Dale now writes as Lee Duran. I'll have to keep an eye open for books by either pseudonym.
If you participate in the TBR challenge, leave a comment to let us know what you read, the author's name, how you liked it, and how long it had been in your TBR pile.
Categories: TBRChallenge, Books, 4stars, ContemporaryRomance
The TBR Challenge for August 2008 was to read a book by an author with 3 names.
Examples from my shelves:
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Another Scandal in Bohemia by Carole Nelson Douglas
True Colors by Jayne Ann Krentz (#16)
I chose:
**** Trading Places by Ruth Jean Dale. Contemporary romance.
I have no idea why this 2001 book was in my TBR pile. Usually, category romances only get in my TBR pile for three reason: 1) if they're by an author I already read, 2) if someone's recommended them, or 3) the author wrote for Berkley/Jove or NAL (I went through a streak of buying a bunch of earlier books by the B/J and NAL authors to familiarize myself with them). I can't find evidence that any of these was the case. So, it's a mystery. Good thing I had the TBR challenge, because otherwise, this book might have languished even longer in the TBR pile.
Alice Wynn works for glamorous celebrity Sharlayne Kenyon (I don't know about you, but boy, did I have trouble not reading this as "Sherrilyn Kenyon"!), and her job has just become stranger... and more dangerous. Seems Sharlayne has decided to write her memoirs, and there are a lot of people out there who object to what she might write. Since she and Alice share a certain resemblance, she makes Alice a too-good-to-be-true offer: enough money to pay off her debts from her grandmother's hospital bills and then some, in exchange for Alice masquerading as Sharlayne so that Sharlayne can write her memoirs in peace.
There's danger from the aforementioned people who object to the memoirs, and danger of a quite different kind from Sharlayne's bodyguard Jed Kelby. And there's Tabitha Thomas, the strangely bitter dragon-lady of an assistant to Sharlayne.
It's a story that's been done before, but it was engaging nonetheless. Even though the plot was unsurprising, the characters rang true, and I enjoyed watching Alice struggle with living Sharlayne's life, and Jed figuring out her identity. Tabitha, too, was an interesting character--I went from thoroughly disliking her to a grudging admiration.
I see that Ruth Jean Dale now writes as Lee Duran. I'll have to keep an eye open for books by either pseudonym.
If you participate in the TBR challenge, leave a comment to let us know what you read, the author's name, how you liked it, and how long it had been in your TBR pile.
Categories: TBRChallenge, Books, 4stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 4 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance, tbr challenge
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday Flashback
From June 2003:
Blushing Pink by Jill Winters. Contemporary romance.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
Blushing Pink by Jill Winters. Contemporary romance.
Everything seems to go wrong for Resse Brock. Or rather, on the surface, everything seems perfect, but it's not quite right.Originally posted here.
She's in a Ph.D. program...but the professor is a tyrant using her to write his boring book.
She has a job in a bookstore...but the manager is another tyrant--a young, perky tyrant, no less.
She has a boyfriend, Kenneth...but there are not sparks between them, and he seems oddly uninterested in her.
She has a loving family...but one sister is married and the other's wedding is approaching, and the pressure is on for Reese to follow suit.
The she sees Brian Doren again, the best man in her sister's wedding, a man with whom she shared a passionate kiss two years ago.
But things go wrong there, as well. Every time she seems to be getting somewhere with him, something goes wrong.
And to make matters worse, Kenneth suddenly begins courting her, and Brian's ex-fiancee, Veronica, is trying to resume their relationship.
Somehow everything works out in the end, amazingly.
The book isn't all a light comedy of errors, though. There's a subplot I absolutely loved--Reese's sister Angela's husband Drew had had a heart attack a while before, and now their marriage is falling apart. There's a wonderful story of how the heart attack affects both of them and how they end up repairing the cracks in their relationship afterward.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: books, ContemporaryRomance, flashback
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday Flashback
From August 2002:
Crossing the Line by Laura Castoro. Contemporary romance.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
Crossing the Line by Laura Castoro. Contemporary romance.
I was afraid when I read the back of this book that I would have trouble relating to the characters---I have very little experience with racism, and I'm not particularly religious. But nothing could have been further from the truth. I was drawn into these characters' lives so well that I literally could not stop reading. It kept me up until 3 a.m. ! on a school night ! which left me with about 3 1/2 hours' worth of sleep, so that should tell you something.You can read the entire thread, including a conversation with the author, here.
I fell absolutely in love with Xavier. Somehow, his charisma was translated to the page, & I understood why people were drawn to him. A very effective personality trait for a minister or a politician. He was calmly confident, without the bluster or aggressiveness of many romantic heroes, and it made him seem even stronger in comparison. His insecurity about his appeal for Thea and at the end (avoiding spoilers here, because it's a biggie) only made him more attractive, because he'd been established as a strong man. His faith, a practical, down-to-the-bone faith, only added to his appeal. It didn't make him holier-than-thou or hypocritical, just seemed an integral part of him.
Thea was much easier to identify with than I'd expected. All of us have at one time or another felt like outsiders, & it was her struggle to just be herself that kept me reading until the wee hours. I could feel her anger, pain, & sorrow with her in-laws, her bemusement & annoyance with her husband's best friend. I could feel the steel go into her spine when she stood up for herself with Xavier's family & felt her anger with him at putting her on the spot. But the emotions between Thea & Selma and Thea & Jesse and Thea & David were the ones that hit me the hardest. I'm getting tears in my eyes just remembering. The sisters both hurting because of the distance between them, and the teenage daughter's waffling between independence & dependence, self-centeredness & understanding, getting bitchy & then apologizing was so realistic. I have a 17-year-old daughter, & believe me, I recognize Jesse's behavior. As for David, well, he just broke my heart.
To top it off, when I finally finished the book the next morning, I didn't want to start reading anything else right away, which to me is one of the surest signs of a really satisfying book. I was reluctant to leave their world, but at the same time, it was okay to close the book because I knew they'd be all right.
All in all, a wonderful story, one I'm sure I'll read again.
Categories: Flashback, Books, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: books, ContemporaryRomance, flashback
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Nerd Gone Wild
**½ Nerd Gone Wild by Vicki Lewis Thompson. Contemporary romance.
Well, I think I've decided that this series is not for me. Which is a shame. I was hoping for super-intelligent heroes, and while I dimly remember the hero of the first book being intelligent (I read it before I started writing about the books I read), there wasn't much intelligence evident in the hero of The Nerd Who Loved Me, and in this one, the hero is only disguised as a nerd. What could have been a very nice niche series that was actually different is just mediocre contemporary romance.
Ally Jarrett has just inherited a fortune from her grandmother, and along with that fortune comes her grandmother's nerdy employee, Mitchell J. Caruthers, Jr. Unbeknownst to Ally, her grandmother hired him as a bodyguard to protect Ally from fortune hunters, but she stipulated that it was to remain a secret. So Mitch is in disguise as a financial whiz and has to come up with excuses to stay close to Ally.
Ally goes up to a small town in Alaska to pursue a dream of becoming a wildlife photographer, prompted by covert correspondence with the uncle her grandmother refused to speak to. Of course, the uncle is after her money, and he's assisted and prodded by his dominatrix-girlfriend, who's posing as a famous but reclusive wildlife photographer willing to give Ally a few pointers.
It's all very predictable. The cast of small-town-Alaska inhabitants is quirky but flat. Mitch's disguise seems to consist of an ugly orange parka and clear glasses. There's interminable back and forth between Ally and Mitch over whether she wants to sleep with him or not. And the romance consists of physical attraction and not much else. It takes everyone far too long to figure out that the photographer is an impostor. The humor seems contrived.
I really did have high hopes for this series, but instead it seems to subscribe to the notion that brains are boring. I can't be the only one who finds intelligence sexy. But you couldn't prove it by this series.
Categories: Books, 2.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 2.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Monday, January 26, 2009
Your Planet Or Mine?
*** Your Planet or Mine? by Susan Grant. Contemporary paranormal romance.
I ordered several books by Susan Grant on a recommendation from someone. I can't remember who, though I do remember that it was in response to me mentioning that I liked science fiction romance and that it was rare. This is the first of the books I've read.
Jana Jasper is a member of a political family. When she was a young girl, she couldn't speak. Then she met a glowing boy and rescued him from a tree outside her bedroom window. She thought of him as "Peter" (as in Peter Pan), and when he heals her skinned knee, she's suddenly able to talk.
Years later, Jana has parlayed her "gift of gab" into a political career and is now a senator. "Peter"--whose real name is Cavin, and who she's convinced herself was an imaginary friend--returns with a tale of impending invasion, and a cyborg assassin hot on his heels. It's up to Jana and Cavin to save the earth.
I like "light" books. Given a choice, I'll always pick the funny book over the serious one. Humor generally raises a book in my estimation. But this one just fell flat for me.
Part children's story about believing in yourself and "using your words" (****minor spoiler****Cavin didn't actually restore Jana's speech, and her "gift of gab" was the key to saving the day**** and part cheesy sci fi, with almost an afterthought of romance--or sexual attraction, Your Planet Or Mine? didn't quite deliver on any of those levels.
Mostly, I think, it was just too simplistic. For example, Jana's family had no trouble whatsoever believing that Cavin was an alien and that an invasion was imminent. And the language and customs barriers were far too easily overcome. Then there was what could have been an interesting conflict with the cyborg assassin, but that plot thread was glossed over and shortchanged and instead just became repetitive and dull. Also given short shrift was the plot thread involving Cavin being more or less assigned to marry his Queen.
And the romance just wasn't there. It was one of those stories where love = sexual attraction, no emotional content necessary. Though that's apparently a matter of taste, or belief. I can never buy the love-at-first-sight kind of romances, at least not unless that initial attraction is followed up by some genuine emotion. Finding someone "hot" doesn't do the trick for me.
It's not a terrible story, by any means, but it's definitely a casual read--not something you really need to pay close attention to. My overwhelming impression at the end of the book was that it felt like a kids' book with sex added to make it for grown-ups.
Categories: Books, 3stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Monday, January 05, 2009
When You Were Mine
**** When You Were Mine by Adrianne Byrd. Contemporary romance.
This book was the result of one of my find-new-authors buying sprees. Unfortunately, it's the second in a series or trilogy, which accounts for perhaps half a star of my rating.
Joey Adams is an aspiring screenwriter who thinks Laurence, her cosmetic surgeon boyfriend, is about to propose because she's found a receipt from a jewelry store. Well, we all know what that means: he breaks up with her on Valentine's Day and shortly thereafter announces his engagement to Hollywood's hottest starlet.
Joey's not one to give up without a fight, though, so she decides to confront him. Denied access to the exclusive club, she breaks in through the men's room window, and in the process meets director Ryan Donovan, who finds her intriguing. And, more interestingly from his point of view: she's the first woman to get a sexual response from him in months.
They all end up in Milan where Ryan's directing Laurence's new fiancee in a movie, and after a few disasters, Ryan offers to help Joey win Laurence back by making him jealous by pretending that they're engaged. Well, we all know where that's going, too. News flash to the Amazon reviewer: French Kiss isn't the first place this plot showed up, either.
Despite the predictable plot, When You Were Mine is a lot of fun. Joey is from a big, meddling family (the source of the series), and her sisters' attempts to "help" her (especially in a wonderful scene of revenge) and the problems in their own lives and the life of their only brother account for quite a bit of the humor and emotional content of the story.
Joey herself is responsible for a lot of laughs, too, beginning with her first meeting with Ryan. Though there's a lot of humor, it's still believable, as is the emotion. When the charade becomes too real, her emotional reaction makes perfect sense. She doesn't have the usual knee-jerk negative reaction, but she doesn't react naively, either.
The same thing goes for Ryan: he's one of the most realistic romance heroes I've read. He's not perfect, by any means, and he's not the too-noble-to-be-true gentleman any seasoned romance reader will expect. Instead, he's refreshingly realistic: quick with the unapologetic come-ons and sincerely appreciative of Joey's physical charms, and not above pressing the attraction between them when she's had a little wine--all of which Joey objects to: more realism. Still, it's very clear that he's genuinely falling in love with her, which, in my opinion, is vastly more romantic than some preternaturally perfect Romance Hero™ declares undying love-at-first-sight.
I was a little thrown by the plethora of characters, not least because Joey and her sisters all have masculine names: Joseph, Michael, Peyton, and Francis. Their brother is apparently named "Flex." Making it even more confusing, they all have nicknames, and significant others. By the end of the book, I think I had it straight, but I suspect it would have helped a lot if I'd read the first book in the series, Measure of a Man, first. I've put it on my to-look-for list.
Categories: Books, 4stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 4 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Friday, December 19, 2008
Affaire Royale
****½ Affaire Royale by Nora Roberts. Contemporary romance. Re-read.
This is the first in the series about the royal family of the fictional country of Cordina.
Of course, Affaire Royale is a total cheesy cliche--it's about a princess with amnesia. But if you can accept that, it's a very sweet book.
I thought Nora did a great job of describing Gabriella's state of mind, not knowing who she was, and the pressure she felt from her family's emotions. She could tell that they loved her and were hurt by the inability to remember them, and she hated hurting them, but there was nothing she could do about it. It made a lot of emotional sense to me, as did the fact that she felt more comfortable around Reeve, who was a relative stranger, than she did around her family.
I thought it also made sense that she was worried about what kind of person she was--if she would like herself, and if she wasn't just a shallow socialite.
The suspense part wasn't all that suspenseful--I knew whodunit from the moment they were introduced, but that's okay--it wasn't really the focus of the story.
I recommend it. It's a quick, feel-good read.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Friday, November 07, 2008
Dual Image
***½ Dual Image by Nora Roberts. Contemporary romance. Re-read.
I re-read this on Monday, and already I'm having a little trouble remembering it.
A very early book of Nora's, and it shows.
Ariel's a soap opera actress and Booth is a screenwriter. He's written a to-be-made-for-TV movie about his life with his horrible ex-wife who's also an actress. For some reason, Booth is also in charge of casting, and he's holding up production until he finds the right actress for the lead, who turns out to be Ariel.
He doesn't trust actresses, because of his ex-wife, and he hurts Ariel's feelings a couple of times when he does or says something expressing that.
Ariel is an incurable optimist, a GREAT actress, very open and honest, and she always thinks the best of everyone and has compassion for them even when they're trying to hurt her.
Except she unaccountably hides her custody battle for her orphaned nephew with her deceased brother's in-laws. She says it's to avoid publicity, but it's not like Booth would be telling anyone.
Everything got tied up a little too easily and neatly in the end--probably Silhouette's fault--either length restrictions or actual editing. It just seemed... I don't know... unfinished somehow. Maybe there were too many things going on for the length.
Categories: Books, 3.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 3.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
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
