His Bewildering Bride by Merry Farmer

His Bewildering Bride by Merry Farmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a lovely little romance. I'm glad it came up as a recommendation on my Amazon Kindle bookstore page. I liked the author knew a bit about the history of interracial marriage and wrote a story that showed that more of it occurred than history one would presume before the advent of Jim Crow/Segregation laws. I would have liked to live in a town like this during this point in history (when I normally think that being a black American at this time was a double-edged sword pointed at your throat). I liked that Wendy rose above the prejudice and ill treatment she faced. Born a slave but working to be an independent businesswoman. Although she faced racism, she didn't let it get to her or sour her or make her a hater. She didn't give up and I was glad to see her dreams come true.

Travis was such a sweetie. I loved him. He stepped in when his immature brother wouldn't honor is commitment to marry Wendy when he finds out that his bride is Negro. Travis was man enough to even help Wendy with her sewing so she could win the contest that might get her a shot at her own business.

While the ending ties up things nicely, it's a good ending that made me satisfied with the story. The love scenes are sweet but pretty steamy, and they show that Wendy and Travis had great chemistry, a strong bond, and true love. What a great combination. Probably the only thing I would change is for it to be longer. I will definitely continue this series. I downloaded the first book right after finishing this.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.00 stars.

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Batman: Gates of Gotham by Scott Snyder (Goodreads Author), Kyle Higgins (Goodreads Author), Ryan Parrott, Trevor McCarthy (Illustrator), Dustin Nguyen (Illustrator)

Batman: Gates of Gotham by Scott Snyder
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This book delves into the history of Gotham and the four families. An interesting one to read around the time that the TV series "Gotham" just finished an arc involving one of the historical Gotham family's feud with the Waynes. In this story, it's not so much a feud with Wayne, but a historical Gotham vendetta that puts modern Gotham and its inhabitants in jeopardy. I think the artwork was very well-done, and it delves into Steampunk territory with some of the design. I would have liked it better if the layout was better arranged. It was a big confusing reading the panels and the story jumps forward and backward in time. I liked that all of Batman's team is working together to save Gotham. I squeed when I saw that Black Bat aka Cassandra Cain is actually in this book. It was good, but not great.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.00 stars.

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Dangerous Obsession by Patricia Wilson

Dangerous Obsession by Patricia Wilson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I think if I don't write this review sooner, I'll forget all the details. So, yeah, it wasn't my favorite Patricia Wilson. It was good though. It was obvious Dan was in love with Anna. I could see why he was keeping his distance from her when she was younger. It was interesting to see things from Anna's eyes and then to hear about Dan's point of view. When she's older, and when the story begins in the present Dan seems to making a play for her and he's definitely staking his claim when Dan takes her to his island to recover. I was surprised at the reveal with the woman that Dan had been engaged with years ago. I didn't expect that at all. I think that I've loved some books so much by her, that this one pales in comparison. It was entertaining and I had no major issues. Anne was a bit of a wilted flower for my tastes at the time (although I liked that she was a student in higher maths) and the story slows down a bit on the island.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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His for a Price by Caitlin Crews

His for a Price by Caitlin Crews
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

Oh man, I loved the hero in this book. He was scrumptious. He reminded me of Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent from Devil in Winter in that he's a long, lean panther who talks like a panther purrs. He screams "I'm Bad For You, but I'm So Good!" He was delicious. He definitely goes on my lickable hero shelf. I fell hard for him because he is so super-sexy, and because he gave Hattie steadfast love in a way she'd never had before. At one point, he withdraws from her, and Hattie can't deal with that. He does it because it was difficult for him to deal with the fact that she refused to be honest with him. Hattie doesn't know how to deal with him not being in her life the way he's been for over ten years, and that is the impetus for change. That was when he realized she didn't know how. She didn't know what unconditional love was and the concept of being accepted no matter what. She spends most of the book pushing him away emotionally, and being a bit of a brat, so that tiptoes on the edge of being a bit tedious. Crews managed to change the tone soon enough that I was just burned out on it. I think the reveal for why Hattie has behaved the way she has so long was a pit too rapid in its delivery (and it felt a bit lightweight to be honest), and I would have liked better pacing in that regard. I did love the surprise that Nicodemus gets. I was really surprised myself. I like a good twist in a story.

This book is pretty heavy on internal dialogue and that probably wouldn't work for some. But I felt it was well done, and I think the characters are wonderfully complex. I think this is a nice mix of modern cultural awareness but with the old school intensity dynamic that makes many of us Harlequin Presents readers such advocates of the vintage novels. The sensuality is intrinsic and hot and underlined by the fact that these two people really love each other and can't imagine a life without each other.

I'm hoping that I enjoy His for Revenge, about Hattie's brother, as much as I did this book.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.

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Desert Prince, Blackmailed Bride by Kim Lawrence

Desert Prince, Blackmailed Bride by Kim Lawrence
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was deeper than I expected. I liked that both leads weren't exactly what they seemed. Gabby is tough and independent if not a bit reckless in her pursuit of justice. Rafiq was thoughtful and not the playboy I expected, not that he was celibate, but he wasn't promiscuous either. I didn't expect the reason why Rafiq was trying to marry Gabby to his brother. I'm glad he eventually realized how inappropriate his intentions really were. There was a dark aspect to this story, but the fact that things get resolved so easily kind of short-circuited the pathos that this story had. I think my favorite part was that Gabby was older and mature and not a young girl easily manipulated by Rafiq. It still wasn't my favorite by this author though.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.



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Out of Control by Shannon McKenna

Out Of Control by Shannon McKenna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading this at night before bed stretched out the process, but it was worth it. There's something about Shannon McKenna's way of writing romance. It's utterly sighworthy but extremely earthy. Sometimes I think a sacrifice is made with extra-steamy romance to convey the eroticism, and often the diehard romance is left behind. Not so with McKenna. Davy thinks he's the knight saving the princess, but he's pretty darn messed up. Margot really is an alpha heroine in a good way. When the book takes place, she's in a bad way, but it's clear that she's a very independent, competent woman. Davy spends most of the book confused and delusional about being in love with Margot, which I think would be very hard to deal with. Margot admit she's in love with Davy and he sort of throws it in her face, but at the same time, his behavior towards her suggests that he's deeply emotionally entangled with her. He is the King of Mixed Signals. I wasn't too angry at Margot when she has a crisis of faith in Davy. Based on what she's been through in the previous eight months and a history of not being able to trust men, especially men that she couldn't control the scope of their relationship with. Davy is not a man who can be compartmentalized or controlled. That's for sure. I like Margot a lot and I think she's a good match for Davy. Davy was a bit of a putz at times, but still lovable and lickable.

The villain is one sick puppy, for reals. It was a different twist. This villain being a student of the Death Touch. Being the martial arts geek I am, well I thought that was pretty interesting. His relationship with his brother was a study in dysfunctional family relationships. He was a formidable villain and definitely able to match Davy in his own enviable martial arts abilities. I wish the climax hadn't been so abrupt. I would have liked to see more of a drawn out confrontation between these two and the controlling older brother getting his just deserts in a more descriptive fashion.

It was lovely to see the other McCloud brothers and associates. They are a special bunch. The dialogue is classic. Since I read Fatal Strike before this, it was special to see Miles as the geeky apprentice. He's adorable!

This one isn't a five star book for me. I think it's more like a 4.25 star read. It doesn't have the intensity of some of my other favorites, but it's still a very good book.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.

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Injustice: Gods Among Us, Vol. 2 by Tom Taylor (Goodreads Author), Tom Derenick (Illustrator), Jheremy Raapack (Illustrations), Mike S. Miller (Illustrator), Bruno Redondo (Illustrator)

Injustice: Gods Among Us, Vol. 2 by Tom Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series reads like a very realistic nightmare. You know how people you know (including yourself) are doing things that are horribly wrong and there's nothing you can do to stop it? And the only hope you have is that you'll wake up soon? Yeah, that's Superman and those who subscribe to this skewed belief in justice after his terrible loss. It's weird to say you hate Superman, but I kind of do in this book. Batman is seen as the threat and the enemy, but he's like a sane voice in a nightmare of brainwashed insanity. It's not that Superman is all wrong, but he's so wrong it's enough to make your hair stand on end, considering who he and the power he has. Batman is staying very true to character in this book. He won't stop even if it costs him everything. Unfortunately, the cost of those who ally with him is very high. It's interesting to see who sides with Superman and who sides with Batman. You can probably guess without me telling you, except for maybe a couple of people. My heart hurts for what happens in this book. I can't say I regret reading it, but this is really like a Justice League nightmare in technicolor. FYI, this is a prequel to the video game. You don't have to be into video games to get into this.

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Wolverine Goes to Hell by Jason Aaron, Renato Guedes (Illustrator)

Wolverine, Vol. 1: Wolverine Goes to Hell by Jason Aaron


This was a trippy one. Wolverine wakes up in Hell, but there's no explanation for how he ended up there, at least not at the beginning. You find out dribs and drabs of information as the story goes along, but plenty of disturbing scenes in the process. I can't decide what was more disturbing: Wolverine in Hell or the fact that he was doing his darnedest to send his friends and loved ones there along with him and not getting why. A little bit confusing of a read to me. And just the subject matter was kind of odd. I'm not used to Wolverine being in a metaphysical context (especially with sorcery and demonic possession as a factor.) It was interesting, that's for sure.

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Veil, Volume 1 by Greg Rucka

Veil, Vol. 1 by Greg Rucka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Veil" is an effective horror graphic novel from a proven writer in Greg Rucka. It's about a creature who was summoned from dark magic but seems to retain an innocence and vulnerability that makes predators want to prey on her and protectors want to keep her safe. The artwork is beautiful but also disturbing. The prevalence of sewer rats will creep out those with musophobia. They have a weird psychic connection with Veil that adds a disturbing connotation to the story. The urban setting adds to the atmosphere of fear in that the urban jungle is full of predators of all kinds. Add a secret group who resorts to black magic to achieve desired goals and the creepy factor gets very high. Although a dark story, there is some light in it that makes the ending satisfying for me. I would read further volumes.

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The Trophy Husband by Lynne Graham

The Trophy Husband by Lynne Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this years ago, but I didn't really remember much about it. Downloading the Kindle and doing a reread was a good move. I liked this quite a bit. I miss the books where the heroine is a plain Jane. That trope doesn't seem as popular nowadays. The heroine tends to be exquisitely beautiful now more than anything, at least in my opinion. Sara wasn't really a plain Jane. She just wasn't tall and model Slender and blonde. Alex certainly had a very powerful obsession with her. Everyone could tell he was in love with her, except Sara. I like when the hero is crazy about the heroine, but she's a bit oblivious (but not in a she thinks she's too good for him kind of way). Alex is definitely a Lynne Graham hero but he's not quite as arrogant as some of hers run. He seems a bit more vulnerable. I think there would have been less trouble for them both if he had just been honest with Sara about being in love with her. Instead, he was sending out all these mixed signals and getting mad at her because he thought she was still stuck on her ex-fiance.

Glad I did a reread when I did.

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Taggart's Woman by Carole Mortimer

Taggart's Woman by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I don't think I was really in the mood for this when I read it. Sometimes I think I'm in the mood for old school HP and maybe I want something more modern and vice versa. Sometimes you want the best of both worlds. Maybe I wanted that when I read it. What I did like was that it's not toe-tipping on some issues and it was surprisingly frank in the fact that Heather's aunt-in-law was cheating on her husband and everyone knew it but the uncle. And his reaction towards the end when there is a huge potential tragedy. Oh, wow!

I felt like Daniel was mean to Heather and you don't understand why. When you find out, it's kind of like, a weird, out of nowhere explanation. Heather's father was pretty awful. People like that shouldn't be parents. He made a choice to be in Heather's mother's life and to be a father to Heather. But he treated her like crap because she wasn't the son he wanted. What kind of man does that? Heather deserved better, and I kind of hate that her marriage had a similar tone of not being able to make her husband happy either, and his unwillingness to tell her what his deal was with her. I'm at a crossroads right now in my rating. I would have rated it highly if I wasn't as dissatisfied with Daniel's meanness towards Heather. Let's face it. A mean hero is par for the course with vintage HPs, but I have to be in the mood for it. I think I'll give this 3.5/5.0 stars. It's good and has quite a bit to offer, but in the end, it wasn't completely satisfying in all ways.

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Island of the Heart by Sara Craven

Island of the Heart by Sara Craven
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a ho-hum read for me. I didn't like the characters all that much. Flynn is a mean jerk for most of the book. I can deal with a jerk hero who seems to be head over heels for the heroine and that's why he's a jerk. In this case, it was hard to believe he was so crazy in love with Sandie. His excuse for how he was treating her was pretty darn lame. Sandie seems very immature. I really didn't like that one point she seemed like she was considering having an affair with Crispin even though she knew he was married. I just can't stomach adultery and while Sandie is young and inexperienced, I disliked that she was even thinking about getting with Crispin for a hot minute. Other than the characters not being likable, there's really not enough substance to this story for my tastes. While music is always an appealing element to a story, the music didn't add that much to it for my tastes. I am a pretty big fan of Sara Craven, but this one left me underwhelmed. It wasn't terrible, just not anything that stood out in this book for me.

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