Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas

Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I checked this out on audiobook and my sister and I listened to it in the car. It was a fun read. I liked that one of the narrators was male and the other was female. They alternated the parts of Allie and Luke and it was a nice touch. The male narrator sounded a bit noir, but it suits Luke being an investigator of sorts. The female narrator makes Allie sound as adorable as she is. I pictured Allie as Claire Bowen, who plays Scarlett on "Nashville."



For Luke, I pictured a younger Luke Wilson

I loved the small town, Texas atmosphere. All of the characters are quirky. They are all hanging on to life on the edge of Jefferson's Crossing, near the lake that was made when Jefferson's ancestors dammed up Twisted Creek. Allie is a very sweet young woman. Her devotion to her grandmother made me smile. Nana raised her when Allie's self-centered, good for nothing mother ran off. When Allie's grandfather died, Nana lost their farm and Allie had to leave school to help take care of Nana.
I liked this viewpoint of their relationship. It's not typical to think of a young woman who is living with and supporting and caring for an aged relative, but I'm sure it happens more than one would believe. Allie has a lot of burdens on her young shoulders, but you never get the impression she wants to get rid of that burden of caring for her grandmother, but does it willingly.

I liked the rag-tag band of Nesters (as the objectionable sheriff) refers to them. Each of them has been hurt by life, or merely decided to drop out and hang out in the fringes. When Allie and Nana arrive at Jefferson's Crossing, they establish a found family of these misfits, one that effects change for everyone in a good way.

Luke was one heck of a guy. Thomas writes Texan heroes that make me wish I met guys like that in real life living in Texas. Luke is definitely a keeper. Even though he seems like a slacker, he has some very strong reasons for being on the lake. He and Allie have great chemistry that is a good underpinning for this book, but the relationships between all the characters could actually stand on its own. I loved how he connects to Nana almost immediately and they form a strong relationship.

I adore Jodi Thomas's books. They are satisfying reads with characters that feel real and are quirky and textured. She is a great romance writer, but one of her best skills as a writer is characterization. Her larger-than-life characters come out of the page and make friends with the reader.

I have a print version of this, but I'm really glad I got the audiobook. I do have to say that the Southern accent made the narrative a bit slower than I wanted at times, since I read much faster than the narrator speaks. However, that was true to the characters.

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Dangerous Passion by Lisa Marie Rice

Dangerous Passion by Lisa Marie Rice

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a classy, emotional romance. I really liked Drake and Grace as a couple. The idea of lonely people who drift through life, and find each other, two pieces of a heart coming together always makes me feel mushy and sentimental in the best way. That's the ultimate kind of romance to me. Add on top of that, a hard, lethal man who melts only for one person, the woman he loves... Yup, I go into instant sighing mode. Despite the fact that this could have been rather cheesy in theory, this book is not cheesy in the slightest. At least, not to me. I love the dangerous hero who will do anything for his woman. And Drake definitely embodies that.

Lisa Marie Rice has an elegant, smooth writing style that makes for a quick, involving read. The love scenes are just right, although I could have done without the 'c' word for the woman's anatomy. I can understand that from the perspective of a rough man like Drake that he would use terms like that and the 'f' word for the sex act, so I was able to deal with it. I could see that his feelings for Grace were so deep, multi-layered and real. He never viewed her as a disposable sex object, which is a huge turnoff for me in a hero. He was just a rough guy who grew up in the worse circumstances, and to whom gentleness and love were foreign, until she came into his life, and everything changed. I'm not an erotic romance person, but I felt right in my comfort zone with the love scenes in this book ('c' word aside). The scenes show a sensuality teamed with an emotional connection that progressed the story nicely. Nothing too crude, kinky, or off-putting for me.

The action and suspense elements won over this exacting action/adventure fan. I knew I was going to like Drake from early on. This man knows how to handle himself. He might have bodyguards, and he is wise to do so, but he is lethal all by himself. Anyone who comes after him and his woman has a serious death wish, and there was no question about that. The strong, silent, lethal hero is my favorite type, and I will add Drake to my list. I also liked the way that sweet, gentle Grace handled herself in some dangerous circumstances, keeping her cool and showing a lot of resourcefulness. She proves that she can handle being in Drake's world.

I really enjoyed this book. The scenes of emotional and physical intimacy were perfectly rendered. Drake is the larger than life kind of hero that you do have to suspend disbelief to read (because he just makes normal men just fade in comparison), but that's the fun of it. Grace is a woman that you know is more than worthy of his love, who gives back even more than she takes, even from a man who would hand her the world on a platter. I can see them living happily ever after, more deeply in love each year of their long lives together. I love reading romance books that are like action movies with very good and extensive romance elements. That's the perfect combination for me. The adrenaline rush from both the danger and the swoonworthy romance. And this book definitely delivers that. I can see why this is such a well-liked book. I'd recommend it, even if you aren't into erotic romance. It gets the Danielle seal of approval, if that means anything to you.



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The Captain's Lady by Lorraine Eckhart

The Captain's Lady by Lorhainne Eckhart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Well, that was a nice change from my last book! I did enjoy this quite a bit, but I would not recommend this book if you don't like men with Stone Age era ideas about women. The hero in this book actually believes all women should be at home raising their babies and taking care of their husbands. Yes, really!!!! I had to read the paragraph out loud to my sister in which he laid down the rules with his new wife, our intrepid heroine. He told her that he needs to be in charge and call the shots. There would be no career for her, ever! She would be at home, taking care of his kids. Here is the great thing about fiction: I don't have read a book that mirrors my life. I am glad for that, because I would not have liked this book if I felt that way.



I liked Eric, for the most part. He was gentle and loving with Abby. In general, I didn't care for how he interacted with women, although I didn't think he deserved the sexual harrassment suit a 'crazy' woman corpsman filed against him. His attitude about women not belonging in the military rubbed me the wrong way. But, I respect that he was honest about his feelings. He didn't go out of his way to mistreat the female sailors under his command. He mainly avoided them. I have to be honest and say that I don't think I would like him much in real life. Let's just say we have the opposite ideas of womens' roles in society and wifehood. I'll leave it at that. I wish the author had delved more into his past so I could better understand his thing about women. He wasn't a misogynist, per se. He just tended to compartmentalize women and didn't have much to do with them. It was interesting how quickly Abby worked her way into his heart. It made sense, because she was just the kind of woman he was looking for. She softened the rough, lonely places inside of him. She saw him as her hero. He needed that.



Abby needed a protector and a man who would take care of her. She was totally fine with his dictate about his expectations for her as his wife. She said all she'd ever wanted was to be a wife and mother, and to take care of her husband. I have always wanted to get married and have kids, but I definitely had a lot more goals than just that. So, I can't identify. Despite that fact, I liked Abby. I thought she was a strong woman, for what she'd been through. She was also very loving. She didn't let Eric walk on her, but I think she's somewhat submissive, at the same time. That works for their relationship.



As far as writing, I thought some of that was a little rough. I felt that it could have used a couple of revisions to make the writing flow a little better, because some of the phrasing and word choice seemed awkward. Having said that, this was a pretty compelling story. Ms. Eckhart was able to convey the powerful connection between Eric and Abby very well. I think that the plot involving the man who had bought Abby and was the father of her child was left as a pretty big loose end. I think that Abby probably should have had a little more reticence about sexual intimacy after her experience in captivity. I would have liked to see a little more closure with that whole situation. Also, I felt like I didn't really get to see why Gail Carruthers, the sailor who filed the sexual harrassment charge, was so loony. I would have liked more insight into that. Additionally, for those who don't like 'head-hopping', there is a lot of that in this book. But, all in all, this was a good read. It was interesting and a good love story.



If you want a quick read with a hero who has some very antiquated ideas about women, but is a pretty nice guy in most of the ways that count, I think you'd like this book. With my bizarre fascination with the Navy, I enjoyed the views of life on a battleship. I thought the secondary characters were pretty interesting, although not heavily developed. But then, this was a short romance.



In summary, this book came along right when I needed it. It was enjoyable and interesting. I thought the love story was good and believable. That's why I'd give it four stars.



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Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson

Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Although this isn't near my favorite book by Catherine Anderson, it was a very good. I loved Tucker and Samantha. Even though I felt that the balance was a bit off between the mystery/suspense element and the romance development, I did feel their connection and the love between them. Tucker, like most of Catherine Anderson's heroes, is just wonderful. He falls pretty hard for Samantha and does a great job of showing it, although he does something that momentarily feeds into Samantha's residual insecurities from her divorce and bad marriage. Otherwise, a girl couldn't ask for a better hero. Samantha felt true to life, and was a woman that I would admire in real life and possibly become friends with, if we traveled in the same circles. I liked that although she came from money, she was very grounded and a kind, warm person. She loved her horses very much, and it was abundantly clear.

I also loved how Ms. Anderson showed family interactions. That's always a good part of a book to see characters with loving families, although things are not always 100% perfect. Although Samantha's father and brothers were controlling and meddling in Samantha's eyes, you could clearly see that they cared about her and were trying to watch out for her. I could see how Samantha felt stifled and wanted to make her own decisions. I am the youngest daughter and I have family who think loving is telling people what decisions they can make and how to live their lives. It can be frustrating, but this book reminded me to consider that these people are showing love, perhaps in ways that may bother, but love all the same. I was actually pretty envious of Samantha having all those protective older brothers. I always wanted that. Another enjoyable aspect for me, seeing Tucker with this close-knit family. It was nice to catch up with Jake and Molly from Sweet Nothings.

I think that some readers will have issues with the significant degree of the narrative that was focused on the horse aspects. I actually enjoyed that. Although I am a surburban girl who was never around livestock until I went to college, I have become horse-mad later on in life. I think they are beautiful, fascinating animals. It broke my heart to see Samantha's horses poisoned and how they suffered from that. I can't imagine doing something like that to animals for any reason. I cried when she had to bury her horses that died. I loved the medicine aspects, finding it very interesting. With my background in animal medicine, it was sort of a no-brainer that I'd like that, but I could see the descriptions of the medical care that Tucker administered possibly being dry for some readers who are not interested in horses or medicine. I think he was an exceptional vet, really caring and devoted to doing a good job for his patients.

Although I think this could rub a non-religious person the wrong way, I actually liked that Samantha was a person of faith, and you could see evidence of that in her daily life. I think it's important to show a person of faith who does walk the walk, instead of professing something that is not evident through her behavior. I don't feel that Ms. Anderson was too heavy-handed in this book with it. I haven't read many books were the characters were devout Catholics, so that was interesting for me.

I wouldn't rate this book as a five star because of the intrigue plot being a little too much of a focus. I would have liked to see a little more romantic moments between Tucker and Samantha, although I enjoyed what was there. Also I had a little pet peeve with a small part of the story. I am hugely against declawing cats, which is the removal of the last digit of their toes. I find it cruel and unnecessary. It can be done painlessly, but it does cause residual soreness and effects on animals when it's not a crucial surgery. I think it was a little jarring for a major message of this story to be against cruelty to animals, but mention Tucker performing a procedure that I feel is not beneficial and necessary to most cats. I am not saying that a caring, conscientious veterinarian cannot perform this procedure, but my personal beliefs against declawing made it hard to swallow in a story that seemed to speak so strongly against animal cruelty. Most likely, this would not bother most readers. But, it did bother me. I mean no offense against Ms. Anderson, but it's food for thought that I felt necessary to add to this review. Most laypersons do not really understand the mechanics of this procedure, and that it's not necessary, and that was one of my things I tried to educate clients on. I learned to do this procedure, but made a decision not to do it in practice, based on my personal beliefs against it. Sorry for the PSA! This is a subject close to my heart, so I couldn't leave that out of my review.

Another issue I had was how they kept referring to one of Samantha's employee's Carrie, as mannish and homely. Her attempts to pretty herself up were made to seem clownish. That just felt mean to me. I realize this was tied in heavily to the overall story, but it seemed shallow. Not all women are going to be small, delicate, and drop-dead gorgeous. Beauty comes in all shape and sizes. It's hard for me to see people treated badly because they don't fit the popular modes of beauty. Carrie did something truly awful, and I don't let her off the hook for it. But the judgment of her shouldn't hinge on her looks or lack thereof. I wasn't quite comfortable with how that was handled, to be honest.

Despite my issues, and all in all, this was a very pleasant read, and one I will be adding to my keeper shelf with her other books. I love Catherine Anderson's stories because they are full of heart. I was glad to be able to reconnect with the Coulters and to meet the Harrigans. I look forward to reading more of the stories in this series.

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