The Border Lord by Sophia James

The Border Lord by Sophia James


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I couldn't stay away from this book any longer. It sat on my bed, calling my name, and I dived in. This is a good book for those who like the English-Scottish conflict romances. It's got a healthy dose of the politics of that situation, but not so much that it's boring. The focus stays on the growing romance between Grace and Lachlan. Their relationship doesn't start out ideal, either.

First of all, Grace has a skin condition (I think it was probably eczema), that she was self-conscious about. She also stutters, has really bright red hair, and limps. She's 26 yrs old, and firmly on the shelf. A big fan of Plain Jane stories, I was wondering where things would lead as I read this story. Would this be a 'makeover' story or the kind of plain jane tales I prefer where the hero sees the heroine as she is and loves her for the person she is. Luckily this fell into the second category. Grace's lack of looks wasn't really an issue for Lachlan. His issue was his weariness at all the fighting and intrigues, his distrust for his bride who may or may not have been his deceased brother's lover and murder. He is attracted to her voluptuous curves, her brown eyes, and her bright shiny hair. He also finds himself attracted to the courage she shows, despite the fear that she has.

Lachlan is one of those hard heroes that you have to warm up to. He fully intends to keep his mistress, although he will take full advantage of having a comely wife to get with child many times over. There is an almost adultery scene, but I was gratified that he couldn't do it in the end, because all he could think about was how it felt to be with his wife instead. Yay! But I was pretty annoyed when he was allowing his mistress to fondle him at the table with his wife. Grace was a cool customer about it. I probably would have brained him with a tankard. But all ended up well with that situation. Lachlan soon comes to realize that he doesn't want any other woman but his wife.

Grace is considered an outsider initially, but she slowly wins over her husband's people, first by saving a boy from a severe burning, and then by saving the son of a neighboring clan, who could be an enemy of the Kerr clan. However, there is sabotage trying to make it seem like Grace is trying to bring down the clan. I liked that Grace remained steadfast and true to herself the whole time. She didn't jump off the handle or do anything stupid. She showed the maturity of a woman of her age, and trusted that her integrity would shine through.

This book might not be to the taste of those romance readers who don't like a lot of history and politics in their romance. But I felt it was well intregrated into the story. Lachlan is in a dicey situation. He has loyalties to some of the English rulers but also the Scottish rulers. This book is set during the time when King David has returned, but also there is Robert the Bruce with his agendas, and some of the Scottish leaders want Scotland to be free of English rule, and some want Scotland under England. And right in the middle is Lachlan. He had been fighting his whole life according to pre-decided loyalties because of his French grandmother and his Scottish father who turned into a womanizing drunkard. Plus his brother wasn't the best man either, being a womanizer himself, and also very self-serving, going off and making politial alliances he shouldn't have. All Lochlan wants is a home and a family. Although he is not happy at the edict from King David to marry Grace, she turns out to be the key to having the home he always longed for.

At times I was frustrated at Lochlan's lack of faith in Grace, in the face of clear evidence that she had proven her loyalty. I tried to tell myself that it was reasonable for a man who had buried a faithless wife and was cuckolded by his brother, and who spent most of his life involved in court intrigues, to be distrustful. Thankfully, Grace shows her solidarity to Lochlan and her new home not by going through any changes, but by being herself and being steadfast in her loyalties to the husband she quickly falls in love with.

This was a beautiful story, and the writing is fairly artistic in some passages. I think that Ms. James really poured her heart into writing a story that would touch the reader and give them entertainment that engaged the mind and the senses. Highly recommended for fans of Scottish-English conflict romances, arranged marriage, and plain jane themes in romance.

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Prospero's Daughter by Nancy Butler

Prospero's Daughter by Nancy Butler


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had never read Nancy Butler before this book, although she is quite well-loved in traditional regency reading circles. I can see why she is admired. The stories of people who have suffered grievously both physically and mentally never fail to touch me when written well. This is one of those books.

Initially I didn't think I would care for Morgan Pearce. He is upset because he'll have to put off his affair with a very married woman and leave London for the country, out of a debt to a friend who supposedly saved his life on the battlefield. I was thinking, how honorable is that to be having an affair with a married woman? This is one of those books where you need to keep reading and put your robe and gavel away. For soon, it is clear that Morgan has many times more honor than most men.

He goes up to his friend's family home to help his friend's retired General father write his memoirs. At first he is quite impressed with the family of his friends, the Palfreys. They are very friendly, have a beautiful and perfect home, and seem to be a warm, affectionate family. Even helping with the memoirs of General Palfrey is going well. Then one day his eyes lay on a very sad figure out in the garden. A thin, broken woman who is clothed head to toe in heavy wool, and abandoned in a Bath chair.

Morgan can't look away. Having fought in the army for years, he has seen his share of wounded soldiers, and his best friend lost a leg in the war, and has yet to recover emotionally or physically. He knows he has to help her. This is not one of those love at first sight books. Miranda is a shadow of her former self. She is very debilitated from barely eating,and her muscles are atrophied from disuse. Not only that, her face has been slightly disfigured on one side, with scarring and flattening of her cheekbone. Morgan doesn't see her as the monstrous figure that she believes herself to be, or her neglectful cousin and his family have deemed her to be. He sees a woman that he can help to recover (and he feels the desire to do so because of what his own friend has been going through) and go on to lead a productive life. It becomes his mission to do so.

As this book progresses, we see Morgan pushing and goading Miranda on to care about herself and to want to get better. Initially Morgan uses the tools of somewhat harsh words and saying things designed to get a woman's goat. It works, as Miranda is so angry she is empowered to fight back, to push this meddlesome do-gooder away. Gradually a strong chemistry develops between the couple. Morgan sees the attractive woman that Miranda is despite her infirmitites. He admires her spirit and intelligence, and her beautiful blue-grey eyes that sparkle with anger towards him. Miranda falls in love with the man who has pushed and prodded her to get better. She doesn't think anything can come of it, but she loves him anyway, and will enjoy the time they have together before he leaves to go back to his life as a publisher in London.

Prospero's Daughter succeeds in being a sweet but passionate romance at the same time. The action never goes past kisses, but you don't doubt the desire and longing that Morgan and Miranda feel for each other. Morgan was a very masculine, vital hero, but he was also a gentleman. Although he was not without his flaws, he was a really good person. Although he had an affair with a married woman and availed himself of courtesans and prostitutes in the past (two of my pet peeves in a hero), I couldn't hold that against him, because he really showed with a good person he was. He was honorable and kind, and he was the kind of person who did the right thing, even though it might cost him something. He was perfect for Miranda.

I loved Miranda as well. My heart was breaking for her. Not only had she lost her mother and father, she lost the dreams for a normal life and a future. She was not quite at the point of suicide in this book, but it was clear that fairly soon, she might consider taking that option. Miranda wasn't that kind of person who would give up easily and take that way out, but she was such a vital, strong-minded person, trapped in a feeble body, and treated like a burden and a monstrosity by her family, even though she had her own means and property. It must have been awful to be in her situation and to be so neglected and abandoned by those who were supposed to love her.

I was very glad that Morgan called her family on their selfishness and their shallow natures. It was awful that they lived in the same house with her, but never took the time to visit her, and reassure her. She lived a separate life, and wasn't even included in Christmas celebrations or dinner with the family. That kind of neglect was beyond criminal, and it probably added to Miranda's feelings of despair.

Miranda had a very wise thing to say to Morgan that he needed to hear. He had pretty much given up on helping his friend who had lost a leg in the war. She told him that he needed to tell his friend that he was okay the way he was, even if he never walked or got out of bed again. Morgan had to struggle with that, because he was used to feeling like he had to fight to be the best and to strive for excellence due to his troubled relationship with his father, who felt he married beneath him by marrying a daughter of a publishing family. His mind interpreted that as failure. But it turned out to be excellent advice that does help Morgan to accept Miranda as she is and not fixate on improving her if it's not meant to be, and he and his sister to deal with Phillip's condition. His sister Kitty is in love with Phillip but has finally given up and decided to marry another man. Miranda helps to get the two lovebirds back together, showing the intelligence and strength of will that she never really lost. It was just locked away in a feeble body and a heart starved for love and the acceptance of others.

This book really touched me and kept me reading. It is a wonderful story of how caring about someone enough to put oneself out there in the emotional danger zone, basically putting your money where your mouth is. Being a person of principles means nothing if actions don't back it up. Miranda's family thought they were good people, but it was clear that it was just a facade when it was really obvious how much they had neglected Miranda (despite having people to care for her most basic needs and nothing much above that). It's about doing the right thing, and reaching out to others in need, and how you will be blessed when you do take the time to open your heart and care for others. Morgan stepped up to the plate and discovered a treasure in Miranda, and a great love that will continue to reward him for the rest of his life.

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Naked in His Arms by Sandra Marton

Naked In His Arms by Sandra Marton


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book was almost a wallbanger at certain parts. The hero and heroine were acting way too hormonal for me. They had some serious imbalances in their brain chemistry causing them to act like idiots. But then it would settle down and I'd like it again.

Alex is a jerk. He's very macho and tough, and judgmental. He has decided that Cara is a skanky ho because he believes she is the ex-mistress of a crime lord. Even though he says he doesn't have an issue with a woman being sexually experienced. Whatever dude. This from the guy who picks up women in bars for sex. I thought he treated Cara pretty bad for too much of the book, although he's caring in other parts. This is part of the hormonal imbalance issue.

Cara is typical for Sandra Marton. She's way too soft with the hero. She lets him get away with too much crap. She gets snarky a few times, but most of the time, he can kiss her into submission. That really gets on my nerves when the hero can kiss the heroine and she turns into a pile of jello. Sometimes it's okay, but it's overused, especially by this author.

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy Sandra Marton's books. But I think she has borderline uber-alphas in some of her books. Uber-alpha means bad alpha to me. Not the tough, possessive loving type of hero. But the testosterone toxicity hero. Alex definitely falls into this category. He really didn't use his brain as much as he should have. I figured out pretty early just what Cara's connection was to the crime lord. I don't mean to stereotype, but it was fairly obvious that Cara wasn't mistress-material. All he could see was how hot she was, and that made her skanky, crimelord guy's ho in his mind.

I was disappointed with the adventure plot. It could have been a little better executed. He did some covert spy stuff, but mainly it consisted of breaking into Cara's apartment, accosting her in the shower, and sexually intimidating her. And then at the end, he and his two brothers break into the crime lord guy's mansion to get 'closure' with Cara. The Desert Virgin (the 1st book in this series that I read) had much better action. This one really wrapped up way to easily and it was very anti-climactic.

I have to say this is probably my least favorite Sandra Marton book although some parts were okay. I am keeping it because it's part of a series with The Desert Virgin, and I hate to break up a series in my collection.

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Lub-Dubs Interracial Romance Readers Awards

It's not too late to vote if you're a reader of Interracial Romance/Erotica.

CEREMONY: “The Lub-Dubs” (that’s right, the sound a heart makes) - an interracial romance fiction award ceremony for the fans, by the fans. I’ve picked the categories but all of you will pick the nominees and vote for the winners. I will tally the votes and host the award ceremony “live” on my blog at a date TBA (most likely end of September). I will do my best to notify every nominee and maybe we can even get the winners to post “acceptance speeches” the night of the ceremony. Depending on its success, the award ceremony might become an annual thing, but for now it’s just one time only, so let’s enjoy. C’mon, people, let’s have fun with this and create THE BEST “go-to” list for everything related to interracial romance books!

AWARD: The Heart (how does it sound? “and the heart goes to…” or “two time heart award winner” lol)

RULES: first and foremost, all stories submitted for nomination MUST be interracial romance. one nomination per category per person (meaning you can’t list three different books for each category, just one!) Yes, authors are allowed to vote as well - after all, they are fans too. MUY IMPORTANTE - everything submitted for nomination must have been published (or for free/non-published work, it must have been "posted") within a year of when voting ends. (basically the eligibility dates are: the month of august 2008 - the month of august 2009) i’m putting my total trust in you all, so NO cheating! (meaning you can’t nominate a contemporary book in the historical category and you can‘t nominate a book from 2007) and please be as detailed with your nominations as possible, so for example: in the best hero category, nominate Mr. so-and-so from the book such-and-such, written by miss ahuh - so that I know who you’re talking about)

WHERE TO SUBMIT: send your nomination picks to: dreamwild1985@gmail.com with “lub-dub” written in the subject box.

DEADLINES: The deadline to submit nominations will be 11:59 PM eastern standard time on Friday, August 21. That gives everyone a little over six weeks to vote. I will tally all of the submissions and the ones with the most votes will make it onto the nomination board (most likely 4 or 5 per category). After all is counted, I will post the Nomination list (in multiple locations) that following Monday, August 24 and the voting will begin!!!

CATEGORIES:
Best Hero
Best Heroine
Best Supporting Male Character
Best Supporting Female Character
Best Villian - (can be male or female)
Best Alpha Male
Best Vampire/Warewolf/Shape-Shifter - (can be male or female)
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Best Author of the Year
Best New Author
Best Editor
Best Publisher
Life Time Achievement Award - (do you know of an author that has significantly advanced the interracial romance genre? submit their name!)
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Best Lip-Lock - ( we all love a heartfelt kiss)
Best Love Scene - (only 2 person sex. for three ppl or more, check out the menage cateory)
Best Proposal - (we all love it when the couple says “I do”, pick your favorite down-on-one-knee moment)
Best Fight Scene - (love it when the protective hero, socks the a-hole ex in the face? I know I do!)
Best Ménage twa - (can be any combination of males and females)
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Best Erotica
Best Inspirational
Best Historical
Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal
Best BBW
Best Mystery/Suspense-Thriller
Best BDSM
Best Western
Best Contemporary
Best LGBT
Best Comedy
Best Series - (can only nominate if one of the books from the series was published during this past year)
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Best Website/Fan-Group/Blog
Best Fan - (know a steadfast fan of interracial romance books that maybe created a fan website or gives great reviews? nominate them!)
Best Choice to Become A Movie - (sure to be a favorite category, which book would you love to see become a movie?)
Best One-Liner - (that one line in a story that’s so f-ing awesome, you wanna share it with the world)
Best Cover Art
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Best Short Story - (less than 20,000 words)
Best Novella - (between 20,000 - 40,000 words)
Best Novel - (more than 40,000 words)
Best Story of the Year - (any length story can be nominated… That’s right folks, short storys can go up against novels)


Let's show Interracial Romance some love!

Murder Game by Christine Feehan

Murder Game by Christine Feehan


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Here I was thinking that Kadan was going to be mellow compared to the Norton twins. NOT! That man is intense. I loved this book. It starts out with a bang and keeps going.

I think Christine Feehan is wonderful at pairing these characters. Tansy and Kadan are a great match for each other. She's strong but willing to be submissive with Kadan. He's very much a dominant kind of man. At times I vacillated between being completely in love with him and thinking he was way too dominant for my tastes. It was like a knife edge in the very hot and sensual scenes for me. I was thinking, "Is he being too rough?" But he really wasn't. He didn't do anything that Tansy didn't like or made her feel uncomfortable. But he was all about control. He would do and say things that showed he was in charge, and Tansy probably could have fought him on more things, but she really didn't seem to feel the need to do it. She was a very calm, composed person.

Kadan thinks of himself as an ice man. Very remote, and always in control. Because of a traumatic event as a child, he sees himself as a cold-blooded killer, almost a monster. He didn't think he could have a family or a woman. He felt all he had was his Ghostwalker family and the next mission. From the moment he sees Tansy, he feels like there is something more for him. It was very refreshing to read a book where the hero is in love from the first moment. He might not have said 'I love you,' but if this man wasn't in love, than I don't know what love is. He was completely crazy about Tansy. I don't know why, but these kinds of heroes that I call 'stalkerific' never fail to appeal to me. They are crazy possessive and obsessed with the heroine. And sometimes it's a little scary, but since it's romance and fiction, it's all good. Well Kadan might be the King of Stalkerific heroes.

I think that he would be more scary if it wasn't absolutely obvious how much he adores Tansy. This man is crazy about Tansy. He would always need to touch Tansy, even around the other Ghostwalkers. It wasn't anything over the top, but definitely PDAs. The thought of her suffering or being hurt or in pain drives him absolutely crazy. It makes him get even more dominant alpha. I have to give it to Tansy. She really understood that, and reassured him that he had her love and always would.

Tansy was a very mature person. She was quite Zen. Although not an alpha heroine, she had a formidable inner strength. She had weathered so much for young age, and she goes through even more during this book. Tansy had a way of accepting things and seeing them for what they were. But I believe that her near breakdown and getting through that gave her the strength to be able to deal with very bad things in a straightforward manner without going off on the deep end.

I really loved Tansy as a heroine (which I love all the Ghostwalker heroines but she's my favorite now). She has the phenomenal mental ability to track serial killers by touching the objects they handled, although it makes her physically and mentally ill when she does it. Initially that was the reason that Kadan finds Tansy, to track the rogue Ghostwalker team who is committing a series of murders. When Kadan sees how devastating it is for Tansy to use her ability, his protective instincts override the desire to use her talents. He sees that she has not been shown how to use filters to protect her mind. I liked how Kadan was so protective of Tansy, and how he didn't like her doing something that was so bad for her. Although Tansy submitted to Kadan in almost every way, she refused to stop using her talent if it could save lives. So he did everything to help her to be safe when she did use her talent. Those scenes were very well done. This showed that although Kadan was so dominant, it was clear that he was able to be gentle and caring. Also this was shown in the other moments when Tansy is hurt or suffering. He couldn't handle it.

Kadan and Tansy have their first sexual encounter very, very early in this book. It didn't feel wrong to me. It felt right because of a few factors: intense relationship, their being paired because of Mad Scientist Whitney, and the fact that Kadan has already realized that she is the woman for him and that he's not letting go of her. If Tansy hadn't been the kind of heroine that wasn't as level-headed and philosophical, it could have felt ugly and forced, but it didn't. She's a special person, and made for this man. He'd be way too scary for a lot of women. But she is fine with him, immense control issues and all.

The action in this book is very in your face. I love action as much as I love romance, so it was a great combination. It was so cool to see the original Ghostwalker team (especially Nico, Gator, Ryland, but also Tucker and Ian) in on the action. They are in this book a lot (I was in heaven because I love these guys). It was nice to see the joking and comraderie between the Ghostwalkers. The pretty much adopt Tansy into the family. Kadan gets teased a lot because of his obvious adoration of Tansy. The Ghostwalkers work so well together and love each other (although they are alpha males and don't get all mushy about it, this is very clear). We also get to see Ken, Jack, Jeff, and Mari. These guys are total, badass (pardon my French) warriors. I am in awe of them. I could hug Christine Feehan for writing these books, because they really meet my needs for a great romance novel with high octane action. Readers who are sensitive about violence should be warned about this book. It does have quite a bit of violent scenes. I didn't think they were gratuitous, but definitely might be too much for a sensitive person. The subject matter is quite dark. There are people who kill for money and for sport in this book. But Kadan's Ghostwalker team is going to shut them down with Tansy's help. The end was very intense and Tansy has her own battle to fight with the Ghostwalkers' help. I wasn't expecting the way things wrapped up. It was sort of like a one-two punch. At first I thought the storyline was wrapping up a little too tidily, but then wham, bang. All I can say is wow.

There was nothing I didn't like about this book. It is my favorite in the series now. Kadan is just an incredible hero (kind of crazy in a typically quiet and deadly fashion, but really in the best ways). Tansy is just the heroine to handle this intense guy, and give him the love, acceptance and home he craved. And he's just the man to love her within an inch or her life and keep her very, very happy at the same time.

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Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian

Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of those reviews where I have to eat my words. I have to say that I really grew to like Elise. I didn't think I would care for her as a heroine after the last book in the series, Kiss of Crimson. But I found that I liked and respected her. She has lost a lot, but rose like a phoenix from the ashes. She made herself strong, even though she was raised like a delicate flower in the Chase family, told what to think, how to act, and what she should do with her life.

Elise suffers terribly when she is around humans, because her inborn psychic ability makes her hear their most violent, ugly, and dark thoughts. Despite this, she goes out to hunt and kill Minions, which are the souless humans that have almost been bled dry by the vampires who have given themselves over to Bloodlust, called Rogues. Some might view this behavior as TSTL, but I felt that a woman who lost her son to the evils of vampires and their minions would want to wreak vengeance on her enemies. So she didn't come off that way to me.

I liked Tegan a lot. I hate to compare books, but I must say that I don't connect with him as a tortured hero as intensely that I have with some of the other heroes in various other paranormal series that I have read and loved. Having said that, he definitely held his own in this book as a formidable warrior with a tortured past, but capable of complete tenderness and gentleness with Elise. I think that is what made me like him, was the way the took care of Elise, and showed her respect. He did tell her she was risking her life, and had some things to say about that in a very non-political way, but I think he showed respect for her need to do something in the war against the rogue vampires. I also loved that he was celibate for several centuries after the loss of his breedmate. That's devotion! I read one book where a hero who was supposed to be so in love with his lost love that he couldn't even wait less than five years before sleeping with some other women.

I was curious why Ms. Adrian paired Tegan with Elise before I read this book, but it totally made sense when I read it. On the surface, they seem different, as Elise is a pampered, delicate Breedmate who is a society maven in the Darkhaven (communities in which the vampire civilians and their breedmates live), and Tegan is a fierce, rough warrior, seen as a conscienceless killer by many. Yet they have a connection and can understand each other because of the losses they have suffered and how those losses changed their lives and their personalities. There is a strong bond between Tegan and Elise that is emotional and sexual, that Ms. Adrian does a great job of building on. I liked that there wasn't the instant sex scene, but the tension builds between them until it explodes like C-4 in the love scenes that occur later in the book.

I feel this series is building very well. It has an interesting world, but, I admit I like a paranormal romance with more creatures in it a little more. This one just has the offspring of the alien vampires that came to earth millenia ago, went on a bloodthirsty rampage, and sired offspring on human women. Having said that, I think Ms. Adrian really does a good job with this storyline and reveals more layers with each book.

The battles in this book are intense and violent. There is always the chance that these warriors could die or get wounded. The stakes are very high and you hold your breath waiting to see what's going to happen next. The villain Marek is a completely despicable, morally bankrupt piece of work, and you want him taken down by the Breed.

This book kind of wraps up one storyline but leaves things open for the start of another one. I definitely need to keep reading to see what's going to happen after this book. Also because I am intrigued with the characters of Rio, Andreas Richen, Sterling Chase, Niko, and the new recruit brethren Kade and Brock, and I want to see who they get paired up with.

Another plus of this series is that there is some ethnic diversity. This is another big reason I keep reading these books. I will get off my soapbox in a moment. I promise. I just have to say it's nice to see people of different ethnicities in the paranormal romances. Just saying. (Climbing off the soapbox now).

If you are looking to read a well-written book with formidable warriors, intense action, and a great romance, and you're a fan of vampires, I'd recommend the Midnight Breed series to add to your to be read pile.

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The Desert King's Pregnant Bride by Annie West

The Desert King's Pregnant Bride by Annie West


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book made me cry a little bit. That doesn't happen a lot (in fact it's pretty rare). It really affected me how deeply unwanted Maggie felt, growing up with a cruel, withdrawn, bitter father who never even celebrated birthdays or Christmas. She went home one day and her mother had left, taking her sister with her. So she is a character who really does have good reason not to believe that the hero might love and desire her.

I could totally understand why it took so long for her to believe that Khalid loved her. It was pretty sad that she thought he only had sex with her the night they conceived their baby out of pity. She walks in on her beau having sex with his married lover. It turns out he was just using her to keep suspicion off his relationship with the married woman. Heartbroken, she is wandering down the road in the rain, and Khalid gives her her a ride. He takes her back to his suite to dry off, and she more or less seduces him (with him being completely willing). He makes her feel very good and appreciated, but the next morning she leaves, not wanting to subject Khalid to any morning after explanations.

Flash forward one month and she is in Shajehar working as a groom with the horses from the sheikh's stud farm in Australia. She sees Khalid (now the sheikh since since his brother died the night that they made love) again when he helps her get control of an unruly horse (although I like that this book showed that Maggie probably could have handled the situation herself). She doesn't know it, but Khalid has her brought there so he can continue the relationship with her. With her low self-esteem, she doesn't see how a sheikh could have feelings for a lowly tomboy groom. Because the horse knocks her down, Khalid insists on her having an exam by the doctor, who does a test since Maggie said she was feeling dizzy. It turns out she's pregnant although Khalid scrupulously used protection.

Khalid insists on marriage, although Maggie is very resistant at first. I liked that he did try to consider her feelings and give her time to make a decision instead of blackmailing her and threatening to take her baby as some HP heroes might have done. Maggie feels the responsibility to do what is right for her baby and give it a family, so she says yes.

The rest of the book shows the tug of war that Maggie has with her feelings. She falls deeply in love with Khalid, but doesn't believe he loves her. She even thinks he consummates the marriage out of duty instead of desire. Again, this might cause some readers to roll their eyes, but I could see that she viewed everything through the eyes of an unwanted, rejected child. It would make her doubt any genuine affection from others. She really enjoys his desire and lovemaking, but it breaks her heart because she doesn't think he loves her and she needs his love. She grows increasingly withdrawn as she tries to protect her heart.

Khalid feels intense attraction and desire for Maggie from the beginning. This is one of those books where the hero sees the heroine as beautiful although she doesn't feel attractive because of being raised like a boy. Khalid has a struggle ahead of him. He lost his childhood love and wife tragically, and subsequently doesn't want to fall in love. He has had no-string sexual relationships with women and no trouble walking away when they are done. What he feels for Maggie is much more intense and different (eventually he realizes it's even more profound than his love for his deceased wife). He feels he can compartmentalize his strong feelings for Maggie as affection and desire, and the possessive feelings a man has for his wife and the mother of his child. But love creeps into his heart very quickly, although he makes the mistake of not telling Maggie this until it's almost too late. She just thinks he desires her and feels an obligation towards her because she's pregnant with his child.

This theme may not work for some readers who don't like heroines who have low self-esteem. However, this book affected me because of the sadness that Maggie had endured as a child, and the fact that she has trouble believing that she is loved. I like heroines who have emotional struggles ahead of them and need to grow. I think it's unrealistic for every heroine to be strong and confident, and to have hearts that are emotionally whole. Life isn't like that for most women. And it's nice to see women who have struggles with self-esteem find happiness in romance novels.

I think Annie West is a really good author, teaming sensual love scenes with intense emotion between the characters. She's great at creating strong, masculine heroes who are never domineering and cruel to their heroine. This kind of hero is sorely needed in this line of romances, and I can say that as a longtime fan of Harlequin Presents, but one who doesn't really like how cruel and overly arrogant and macho the heroes can be.

I was glad that I got the chance to read this emotional, well-written book, and will be adding it to my keeper shelf.

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Faery! Edited by Terri Windling

Faery! by Terri Windling


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this collection. Some of the stories didn't work for me. Yet, there are some gems in here that make this book a keeper, just for those stories. The standout tales in this collection were:

A Troll and Two Roses by Patricia A. McKillip
The Thirteenth Fey by Jane Yolen
Lullaby for a Changeling by Nicholas Stuart Gray
Brat by Theodore Sturgeon (Simply hilarious look at changelings! Must read more Sturgeon!)
Wild Garlic by William F. Wu (Chinese-American protagonist, chilling ghost story with foxwomen)
The Stranger by Shulamith Oppenheim
The Box of All Possibility by Z. Greenstaff
Rhian and Garanhir by Grail Undwin
The Woodcutter's Daughter by Alison Uttley (my favorite. Very like some of my all-time beloved fairy tale reads).
Touk's House by Robin McKinley (another fairy tale-great read)
The Boy Who Dreamed of Tir Na N-Og by Michael M. McNamara

I did not like these at all:
Spirit Places by Keith Taylor (it was really boring)
The Five Black Swans by Sylvia Townsend Warner (it seemed pointless)

Sad And Confounding But Well-Written
The Erlking by Angela Carter

Bizarre Yet Interesting
Prince Shadowbow by Sheri S. Tepper

Good But Too Slow-Moving
The Snow Fairy by M. Lucie Chin (I loved the Chinese Folklore aspects)

Indifferent About
The Seekers of Dreams by Felix Marti-Ibanez
Bride by Steven R. Boyett
Crowley and the Leprechaun by Gregory Frost
The Antrim Hills by Mildred Downey Broxon (Rather bleak. It captured the cold nature of the Fae very well)

It also had poetry, but for some reason, the poetry didn't really mesh well with the prose to me.

I'm glad I read this collection but I hope that I find the next faery anthologies in my tbr pile to be more interesting and moving than this one.


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The Chosen Ones: Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd

Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book has a really cool premise and takes things in a different direction from the other paranormal series right now. I really did like that about the book. However, I do feel the romance suffered because of the time that had to be spent on building the world and the lore for this new series. I really wish that Ms. Dodd had been able to preserve her excellent ability to write a great, sensual romance and still accomplish setting up this series. Normally her love scenes are fairly blistering. They were a little more on the tepid side. I felt as though I barely got access to the intense relationship between Jacqueline and Caleb. What I saw of it was so intriguing, yet I wanted more.

As for the action and suspense, that was excellent. Ms. Dodd introduced an interesting cast of characters that I'd like to see more of. She kept me guessing who the saboteur was until the very end, which can be difficult for an author to do. There were some thrilling moments that had me on the edge of my bed and the elliptical trainer (the predominant places where I read this book. Also while waiting for my clothes to dry in the laundry room). I liked the paranormal aspects, and as I said earlier in this review, they felt different and unique. There were times I didn't know what to think of this story and I was afraid for the first time I would dislike a Dodd book. She is one of my favorite authors, and rarely disappoints, so I was glad I didn't have to say that.

I like that she uses a more Judeo-Christian kind of lore in this book, fighting against the devil. I love most paranormal themes, but it's nice to see something in a paranormal romance that is relevant to my everyday existence as a Christian. Kudos to her for that.

Overall, I have to give this four stars because it was an enjoyable book that sucked me in. I took away a star because the romance seemed to be lacking somewhat in this story. I did feel like there was telling that Jacqueline and Caleb were deeply in love, instead of showing. Nevertheless, I look forward to reading the forthcoming books, and definitely will add this to my keeper shelf.

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A Taste for Blood by Various Authors

A Taste for Blood by Martin H. Greenberg


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Here is what I thought about each story in this volume:

Carmilla by Jospeph Sheridan Le Fanu: Three stars. I posted a review separately.

Murgunstrumm by Hugh B. Cave: Three stars. It was pretty good. Had some moments that inspired terror. I really felt for Paul and rooted for him to prevail. I also liked his sidekick Jeremy. The vampires were thoroughly evil and disgusting, and Murgunstrumm was a complete and utter ghoul.I won't even say what he was up to. I picked up a little bit of xenophobia in this story. Why is it that in the older stories, the bad guys are always described as having thick, disgusting lips? What's wrong with having thick lips. Seems a little bigoted to me. Pretty good if you like over the top vampire stories.

The next story was The Hills of the Dead by an author I admire a lot for his pioneer offerings in the sword and sorcery genre, Robert E. Howard. Okay it was really good, except for the racist leanings. I will try not to hold it against Howard. He lived in a time that was really not very enlightened when it came to equality and diversity. The fact that he does have a protagonist that is a Black man who has saved Kane's life numerous times and who is not protrayed as a stupid 'bestial' type does help me to feel he is not a total racist. Also knowing a little about his life, he had friends that were Black. But I really did not like this passage: "The girl was a much higher type than the thick-lipped, bestial West Coast Negroes to whom Kane had been used." Again with the lips: "...,her lips were not too thick." Argh!!!! That really turned my stomach. That is the problem with pulp fiction from this time in the United States. You do have to wade through a lot of racist, xenophobic, elitist, bullcrap. I still like Howard for his good storytelling abilities, but I will cringe everytime I read passages like this. Another issue I had with this story is the word 'black' was way overused. I think it must have been used at least thirty times. As a writer I know that it's hard to avoid using the same word, but I do wish that Howard had a thesaurus handy when he wrote this story. Other than the overuse of 'black' and the blatant racism, I'd give this story four stars.

Black Thirst by CL Moore is a different soft of vampire story set on Venus. The vampire is a creature older than any other life on the planet, who has bred a race of beautiful courtesans as his food source. Our hero is Northwest Smith, sort of a gunslinger in space. He might be a tasty snack for said vampire. But not if Northwest and his trusty raygun have something to say about this. This was a very good story. My first experience with CL Moore, I am happy to say I enjoyed reading it. How could I not? She writes very well, in a poetic and visual style. Plus it's a gunslinger in space fighting space vampires. Too good to resist. I'd give it four stars.

The Shunned House by HP Lovecraft is the next story. It was pretty good, 3.5 stars. Typical Lovecraft. He's a good writer, and he started out calmly telling his story, but slowly he builds up with fantastic terminology that you only read in a Lovecraft story. Lovecraft is no stranger to hyperbole and drama. I still don't know what the heck is going on. But it's probably some tentacled, blobby thing. Oh, could I be right? You have to read it to find out. No spoilers here. One interesting thing about this story is the pretty optimistic ending (I know it's sort of a spoiler, but in a good way). I think this is atypical for Lovecraft (or as much as I have read by him). I think that calling this one a vampire story is a bit of a stretch. I'm just saying.

The Feasting Dead by John Metcalfe follows Lovecraft. I must say this story was a waste of time. Meandering and going nowhere. Almost getting scary but wandering off course so that the thrill is denied. I am quite angry that I spent my time reading it. I think the author just wanted to show off his French-speaking skills. 1 star.

Pages From a Young Girl's Journal by Robert Aickman is the sixth story in this anthology. This is told in the form of journal entries. It isn't especially interesting. Perhaps the writer wanted to highlight the inane existence of this young girl, and contrast this against the transformation that is occuring to her as she is slowly being transformed into a vampire by her lover. I would give it three stars, because it is well-written, but rather dry for my tastes. I thought the story I read by Aickman in "New Terrors" was better.

If you like your vampire tales lurid, then you will love Beyond Any Measure by Karl Edward Wagner. It has sex, drugs, rock and roll, violence, reincarnation, lesbian love (ahem, sex), you name it. It's set in London in the late 70s or early 80s. This story even has a Freud-esque parapsychologist chap who hypnotizes people to get them in touch with their past lives. Wagner is a very good writer. He is great at transmitting detail and setting the scene. I am not that interested in reading about people who take drugs liberally and party like it's 1999 in all the ways possible. But you definitely have to hand it to him in his skill of writing this type of setting. I felt like I was right there (and I wanted to head for the door). I must say this is a unique type of vampire story. I've read it twice now. The first time was in The Vampire Hunter's Casebook a few years aog. However, I was still surprised at the ending. You are drawn in, feeling a sense of slowly escalating dread and fear for what awaits the young woman Lisette. Although I got a little bored with some of the scenes, I wanted to keep reading to see where Wagner would lead me. While some of the lurid elements (including lesbian love scenes) weren't to my taste, and the psychobabble and girl talk was a bit long-winded, I'd give it three stars for having an interesting premise with building tension and a climax/conclusion that was superbly executed.

Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons takes a different approach to the vampire legend. Well-written, sharp, suspenseful, and I hated this story. These creatures that appear to be humans are complete moral vacuums. You may laugh and say, "That's what a vampire is, chica." I beg to differ. I do believe that some vampires are completely evil. But some are basically more like predators. They prey on humans to live. These creatures in this novel have made a game out of 'using' humans to do horrible deeds to win bets against each other. They are psychic vampires, and derive energy from humans. But there is a cruelty that is callous and unnecessary in how they use and destroy humans. Human life has no value whatsoever. This story is full of collateral damage, which I absolutely abhor in novels and books. While it succeeds in unnerving the reader, it also feels this reader with a complete repugnance. Let me state the obvious: I won't be reading this story ever again. I'd give it two stars for the quality of writing. I cannot give it any more because of how awful it made me feel to read it.

The Yougoslaves by Robert Bloch takes place in Paris, and the city comes alive in Bloch's deft hands. The glamor of Paris is paired to seedy squalor of the underbelly. This story is like believing you're going to get hit with a right-cross and instead getting socked with the left instead. I was expecting one thing, and was excited to see what Block would do with the Yougoslaves. Boy was I wrong. I love those stories that manage to surprise me. This was an enjoyable story. Definitely a four star story.

Bite-Me-Not, of Fleur de Fur by Tanith Lee was a beautiful fairy tale. I read the last sentence and felt tears come to my eyes. It was a story about love in its most unlikely, but somehow destined form. This story had vampires in the sinister form, but also a sympathetic vampire. It had bad, cruel humans, and a good-hearted human. It was a story of self-sacrifice and how love can come of it. I rate this story five stars for its beauty and for the pure message in it.

The Lost Art of Twilight by Thomas Ligotti was lyrical, descriptive, and sad. I felt for the narrator, who lived a twilght existence, but passes over into something much worse. The best kind of vampire stories, I find as I get older, are the ones where you feel a sense of pity for the creature of the night. The ones what make you sad, and wonder, what if? Maybe he could change. This is one of those. I'd give it four stars. This is my first story by Ligotti, making me glad I have The Shadow at the End of the World in my tbr pile.

Blood Disease by Patrick McGrath was another good story. It was very well written, and I liked the narrative tone, kind of like a person who is relating a case (in the past tense, but also in present tense). It's set in the 1930s and has a very interesting premise, that seems to veer away from what is expected with the information given at the beginning of the tale. Small town people in England drain the blood of the rich people who come to stay at their hotel, out of psychosis induced by pernicious anemia. This story has one of those endings that's like a question mark. This is a four star read.

An excerpt from the novel Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson is the next story in this collection. This was a five star read. Wilson is an incredible writer. He has an ease with words and is a very good storytelling. This story was chilling down to the bone. But at the same time, it was uplifting, showing something I believe down to the bottom of my heart. That faith can save a person. You don't have to be perfect or without sin. As long as you have faith, you can be saved. The vampires in this story were awful. To think how they desecrated that church. I love how the unlikely heroes, Joe (a disgraced, alcoholic young priest), and Zev (an orthodox Jew who has seen most of his people destroyed by the vampire horde) take a stand and take back the church that was Joe's first parish. It might be one of my favorite stories, other than the Tanith Lee story.

My absolute least favorite story (even counting the awfully boring The Feasting Dead) is Son of Celluloid by Clive Barker. This was a one star story as far as I'm concerned. It turned my stomach. I hate stories, movies, and tv shows that are gross just to be gross. This story had that sort of vibe to it. The concept was interesting, and I can't go into it without spoiling the story, but a malevolent presence made the movies come to life and kill in an old movie house. This is my second story by Barker, the first being the story that was adapted into the Candyman movie. That was a good story but pretty dark and scary. This one was not to my taste at all. I just had a yucky feeling during the reading of this story that only intensified as I read the last sentence. I did like the heroine, Birdy. That was the only thing I liked about it. Sadly, this was the last story in the anthology, and I ended this book with a bad taste in my mouth.

To sum up, this was a fairly good anthology, but at the same time, this was probably the worst one I've read so far. I've had good luck with horror anthologies, and this one hurt my streak a little bit. There were too many stories that were dry or left me annoyed, indifferent, or in the case of Son of Celluloid and Carrion Comfort, disgusted. However, I have to give this anthology three stars because of the high quality stories in here by Ligotti, Moore, Howard (despite the racist elements), Lee, and Bloch. I was a bit disappointed with Carmilla because of the dry moments, although it was a solid tale. If asked by a vampire fan if they should read this story, I would say yes with reservations. I do think there are some stories in this volume that are unmissable, but there are also some that I could have lived without reading. If that person is a devoted vampire story fan, I'd say go for it.

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Trolling Nights by Savannah J. Frierson

Trolling Nights by Savannah J. Frierson


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have heard nothing but good things about Savannah J. Frierson's writing. I can see the praise was well-deserved. This is one of the best books I've ever read. I've read a lot of romances, and luckily I don't actively dislike most of them. But neither can I say I love many of them to death and would seriously consider taking on a desert island as the only book I would bring. I feel that way about this book. It's one of those books you want to read again right after you finish it, and will no doubt pull off the shelf again and again to reread, in parts or completely.

This book is a love story, pure and simple. Don't let the fact that Tim and Bevin met in a bar on a night where her friends go out to pick up guys fool you. When they met, an intense connection was there. One of those once in a lifetime kind of things. Tim saw this beautiful, dark-skinned, thick/abundant/luscious/far from thin woman and knew she was the one for him. He loved her body, loved her being a dark-skinned Black woman, loved her heart and her mind, loved everything about her. Bevin thought he'd see her only as the gateway to her thin, sexy White friend who has her eye on him. But he makes it very clear that he's interested in her, not her friend. It takes a little while for this to sink in for Bevin, but Tim is a very patient man, and very willing to express his feelings for Bevin as often as possible, giving her the reassurance she needs. Tim is a man who knows what he wants, even in a very short period of time. His instincts honed in dangerous, spur-of-the moment situations make it clear that Bevin is the woman he wants and he should go for it. Tim is a very appealing hero in pursuit!

I knew I was going to like Tim early on in this book. Tim is real. He's down to earth, raw-speaking, big muscles (he picks up Bevin all the time), lovely sea-green eyes, Southern charm, mind-melting intensity and all. He knows how to love a woman. That is rare, even in a lot of the so-called romance novels that get written now. I submit that a lot of modern heroes know how to sex up a heroine. Love just happens along after they've had a few orgasms together. That is not this book. Yes, there is a strong sexual connection between Tim and Bevin, and I loved that about the novel. But it was the intense love that he shows Bevin that makes this book a winner for me.

Bevin is not an easy sale. Tim even thinks at one point that he had never worked so hard to get a woman. He says this with a sense of awe and satisfaction, no frustration. She is completely skeptical of his attentions after being ignored for her thinner, livelier, and might I submit looser friends (well, they are). He sees her as the real deal, the one that he wanted and was willing to work for.

I liked that Bevin was a strong woman, but she was gentle and sweet also. Somewhere along the way, a very pervasive stereotype of black women as hardass buttkickers who don't cry and never allow themselves to be vulnerable has caught on. It's so untrue. Black women want to be cherished and loved just like any other women. Like many other real Black women, Bevin was vulnerable, in a way that was almost painful to observe. Bevin was very real. Bevin was infinitely worthy of being loved so intensely by Tim.

Tim didn't have a real family, other than his now-deceased grandmother. His father was a drunk abuser who ran off when he was three. His mother was a drunk who neglected him. He found his home and sense of purpose in the NAVY SEALs and his team. He comes to the conclusion that he wants forever with Bevin, a family. He wants to love and cherish her and treat her with respect. You never have a moment when you doubt this in how he treats Bevin. I loved how caring and possessive Tim was. He was pretty raunchy too, but at the same time, he showed her a lot of respect. I was actually surprised at how late the consummation came and the way it came (Sorry. No spoilers here).

The secondary characters were great in this story: Bevin's wonderful parents, Tim's best friend Ulrich, Bevin's friends (Rosita, Courtney, Patrice, and Tamara), who are also her co-workers at the coffehouse The Grind that they own, and co-members in the Femme Crew. I love how Bevin's mom and dad adopt Tim very early on as their future son-in-law despite the race difference. He not only got the woman he dearly loved, but a ready-made family to go with her.

This is one of those really hard reviews to write. I can't say how much I loved this book, because my writing is nowhere near as good as Savannah J. Frierson's. But I can and do recommend reading this book from the bottom of my heart. I think that anyone who wants to read an intensely good love story that will touch the heart and engage the emotions, and keep your interest riveted past the last page would enjoy this book. It doesn't mantter if it's a fan of interracial romance, plus-sized heroine romances, or just plain romance. Yes, the sex is spicy (but happens in the best way (in my opinion), and there is some raunchy language, but this story couldn't be sweeter. In fact, I think the intense sexual attraction was an integral part of this story, because a woman should be desired intensely by the man who deeply loves her, and vice versa. I was buying her books already, but after this wonderful book, without a doubt, Savannah J. Frierson goes on my autobuy list.

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Crusader's Lady by Lynna Banning

Crusader's Lady by Lynna Banning


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a recommended book if you like a good, realistic medieval romance with a good dose of adventure, and have an interest in the Crusades. Soraya is a likeable, industrious, wise, and loving heroine. Although initially Soraya vows to kill Marc for killing her uncle, She didn't hang onto her vow to kill Marc so long that it was annoying. Instead she forgave him when she came to know him as a person. He accidentally killed her uncle, and he was sorry for it, and that was made clear. I was glad that the whole book didn't consister of Soraya hating Marc and trying to kill him the whole time.

Soraya is dressed as a boy, and initially Marc doesn't catch onto her being female. But when he grabs her to pull her out of the way during an attack, it becomes very clear that she's a woman. Marc is an honorable man, so he doesn't spend the whole book trying to seduce Soraya and discard her, knowing that he has a betrothed waiting at home. I have read books with heroes who have no such scruples. Their love grows stronger as they suffer through countless dangers on their long trek back to Scotland. It was nice to see that when they come together, it is out of true love on both sides.

Marc is a battle-hardened, war-weary soldier in the Crusades army. He has seen horrible massacre and taken part out of a vow to follow his King, Richard the Lionheart during the seige of Acre where 2000 hostages were killed (some were Jews and Christians, not just Muslims). But he saw that this honorable man had ordered some unspeakable acts that even their enemies the Saracens might not have done and it killed something in him. Luckily Soraya comes along and gives him a reason to hope and to live again.

I liked Marc as a hero, but I have to say that Soraya impressed me much more. She was a very strong, caring, and resourceful person. She kept her commitments and did not give her love or trust easily. But when she did, she was steadfast. She stayed with Marc long past the point of it being to her benefit, even knowing that he would be returning a betrothed in Scotland, to a land where she had no ties, and would likely be disliked as a foreigner. Thankfully her steadfast love is rewarded, with a little help from Queen Eleanor.

The descriptions of the medieval towns were well done and authentic. You could see, smell, and hear what went on there. Danger lurked around every corner on their arduous journey, as Saladin sends assassin's after Soraya if she fails to deliver the message he has entrusted her to give to King Richard. The book begins in the Middle East and ends in Scotland, as Marc has been tasked with escorting his wine-sodden, lecherous, but at the same time devout monarch, King Richard back to England. After seeing Richard safely back to England. Marc will return back to his lands to take up his role as the new laird of his people, since his brother has died.

The descriptions of King Richard speak to me as realistic. He was known to be a very blood-thirsty warrior, and had a reputation for being at least bisexual if not gay. In this novel Marc takes measures to protect the young boy Soray from his monarch's attentions. I appreciated that King Richard was shown as a real life person, not a historical figure who has been lionized to be completely absent of faults. King Richard doesn't make their journey easy at all, and a significant part of the time is spent rescuing the monarch from scrape after scrape.

Queen Eleanor also makes an appearance. With any other historical fiction I have read, she comes off as a powerful, intelligent, and magnetic figure. This book was no different. The use of Queen Eleanor and King Richard as characters adds depth to this love story.

Although Marc does not have a Scottish name, he is half-Scot, so this book would appeal to lovers of scottish historical romances, since it shows a Scottish slice of life, when the couple finally make it to Scotland.

I enjoyed this book very much as a medieval historical romance about the Crusades.

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Saxon Bride by Tamara Leigh

Saxon Bride by Tamara Leigh


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is my first time reading Tamara Leigh's historicals, and I was impressed. Although this is not a quick read, it's worth investing time into reading it. I felt the setting was very authentic (which I really like in a historical), the characters were intense and multi-dimensional, and the relationships complex.

The Norman conquest of England under Saxon rule was a defining point in English history. It affected the country profoundly and led to much bloodshed. One of the things I really love about historical romance is the duality of having a great history lesson with an engaging romantic story. I think that Ms. Leigh did a great job of doing both of these. You get to see the human element, and how the everyday person was affected by the Norman conquest in this story.

Another thing I liked about this book is that the heroine Rhiannyn is not a lady. She was the daughter of yeoman farmers. The Norman conquering lord, Thomas Pendry, sees her and takes her into his keep, makes her a lady, and decides to marry her. She doesn't want to marry him because he's a Norman, and she was promised to marry the true lord of the keep, Edwin. Edwin is a fugitive, who should have died with his overlord (as is the custom of Saxons), but was brought back to life by an old witch. Rhiannyn was treated kindly by Thomas, but never grew to love him. But when he is murdered by an unknown Saxon rebel, she is accused of the crime. She actually takes the blame because feels her actions of running away lead to the murder. Even though she could have ran away, she stays and holds Thomas while he dies. Thomas curses her because she doesn't love him, also because fleeing after her leads to his death. He calls to his brother for vengeance and curses Rhiannyn to never to know love and to never marry and have children unless she belongs to a Pendry.

The instrument of vengeance is Maxen, Thomas's brother who was called the Bloodlust Beast for his many kills on the battlefield of Hastings. He has retired to a monastery to repent of his sins. When he gets a message that his brother has been slain, he comes to wreak vengeance. I found Maxen to be a very complicated, and initially not very likable character. He was a very angry man and seemed to let his anger control him too much. Although he spent two years in the monastery, he still seethed with negative emotions, the root of which are revealed as the story continues. He wants to destroy all those culpable for his brother's murder, and Rhiannyn is at the top of his list. However, when he sees her, he finds himself drawn to her in ways he doesn't like. Initially, he perceives this as the trap she set for his brother.

Rhiannyn is a complex character as well. She is completely torn between her loyalties to the Saxons, and the desire to do what is right and fair. She doesn't care for the Normans, but she wants peace, and she realizes that peace will come when the Saxons accept Norman rule. She is also conflicted because she is very attracted to Maxen, despite his anger and perceived ruthlessness. She is treated terribly by her people because they think she is a traitor, but she does do what she can to help them, even though it makes trouble for her with Maxen.

Maxen wants to be cruel to Rhiannyn, but he finds himself incapable of doing so. First and foremost, I think deep down, he didn't have it in him to be a cruel person. He might have been afflicted by bloodlust while on the battlefield. Also, his father trained him from the time he could pick up a sword to be focused on being a warrior. That kind of training is hard to turn off, even for a person that despises killing. That war rages in him. The desire for peace against the violent nature that was fostered in him by his sire. But it is clear that he would never hurt someone more delicate and helpless. Even when the Saxon rebels are captured, he spares them out of the desire to see no more lives lost. Ultimately, Maxen won my respect although he could be a hard person capable of harsh words, and initially he doesn't have honest intentions towards Rhiannyn. He swore he wouldn't marry her because of what she does to his brother. But he does want her and has intentions to make her his leman (mistress). Maxen is shown to be a very tortured character, but you can see how he heals because of Rhiannyn's gentle regard and acceptance over the course of this book.

Rhiannyn feels desire for Maxen that is difficult to resist. She is drawn to Maxen in a way she never felt for Edwin or Thomas. She knows that Maxen won't marry her, but the needs of her heart tell her to yield to him. There is a tug of war inside of her, and Maxen tests her willpower, although he also forces himself to hold back until she is ready. There was good tension and dramatic emotion between Maxen and Rhiannyn in this book that kept me reading to see what was going to happen.

I liked Maxen's younger brother Christopher very much. He is fourteen in this book, yet very mature. He was physically disabled, with a bad leg, but with an incredible brain and heart. He was the healer for the keep, but also very wise. He saw much and managed to probe deep into the hearts of Maxen and Rhiannyn and to help them see the truth about themselves and each other. He was quite the matchmaker for the couple, in fact. I hope that Ms. Leigh wrote a book about him before she stopped writing historicals, because I'd like to see him find happiness when he gets a little older.

There were times I had to put the book down and read something else for a little bit. I think it's because this is a serious book. Sometimes you want to read something quicker and light. This won't fit the bill when you're looking for a light read. But it definitely will fulfill a historical romance fan who likes an intense story that shows history from a personal perspective. All the characters are shown as humans, with good and bad urges. Edwin is the enemy to the Normans, but he is merely a man who wants back what was stolen from him. He is a man of honor, and that is made clear. His honor is questioned on a personal level in a way that really adds another layer to this story.

I will add Saxon Bride to my keeper shelf as another very good historical romance, highlighting the Normal Conquest Era. I was glad to read this book, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

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Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What I liked about this:

The artwork was beautiful. The stories were imaginative. It had some themes that were thought-provoking, such as how one ends up going down a dark path and evolves into the person one is. The nature of repentance, and the fact that anyone can be forgiven. The waste of war. The foolishness of prejudice. How zeal can spur some to horrific acts that make them just as wicked as their enemies. I liked the concept of Snow White taking the place of Scherezade. I love the Arabian Nights stories, so that made this a must buy. I admired Snow White for being able to get herself out of a tough situation, and to tell stories that made the flawed king Shahryar rethink his barbaric actions against women.

What I didn't like:

A fair number of the stories were very depressing. I know that a lot of the fairy tales had their grim moments, but most have happy endings along with a good moral lesson. Most of these ended abruptly or had really downbeat endings. Some of the stories were downright disturbing. There were a couple that ended so fast, I was left to wonder, what happened.

This is a keeper because of the quality of the artwork and the fact that I liked the Arabian Nights theme. I'm not sure how often I will reread it, though. It put me in a downer mood. I am still curious to read the other Fables volumes, but it's not a priority right now.

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Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan

Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There were things I loved about this book, but it was a bit of a slow read. I think it's because I started reading Feehan with her Ghostwalkers, and I got used to the near constant adrenaline rush of those stories. One good thing about this book and the Drake sister series is the focus is really on the heroine. So if you like strong, heroine-oriented romances, you should read these books.

I like the idea of a family of sisters who are bound together by intense love and loyalty. I loved the scenes where they are chatting and kidding around. But I have to admit, I found the slice of life stuff in Sea Harbor a bit tedious. I don't know. I guess the happenings in Sea Harbor don't grab my interest that much. I did like the bit about the rivalry between the Drake sisters and Sylvia. Aunt Carol is a hoot as well.

Alexsandr was very yummy. Can I get one of him? I wasn't expecting him to be on the dangerous side. That was so cool that he worked for Interpol. He was a guy I could like and respect although he was considered shady and morally flexible. I didn't think of him that way at all. Before I read this story, I thought he'd be really straight and narrow (and maybe a little boring compared to Ilya and the Ghostwalkers), but he had dark edge that I loved. I don't know why I thought that when it's clear that Ms. Feehan writes some pretty excellent heroes.

As much as I liked Alexsandr, I have to say that Ilya stole the show and is the star hero in the Drake series for me. I just love that man. He was in this book enough just to tease and torment me. They talked about him a lot and I was smiling goofily the whole time. I am almost at the point where I'm considering a reread of Turbulent Sea just to get some more Ilya time (big grin). But since this is Oceans of Fire we're talking about, I should get back on topic.

Abbey was a good heroine. She was strong, yet vulnerable. I could understand why she didn't want to trust Alexsandr and let him back into her heart, although I wanted her to. She didn't really understand what he had to go through and why he 'left' her in that situation. She drew away from him to save herself, because the pain of his betrayal almost killed her emotionally. I didn't feel like she was too stupid to live about that. I think there are times when you love someone so much that they can tear a hole in your heart and you cannot survive unless you get some distance away from that person.

On the other hand, I could see where Alexsandr is coming from. He was in a bad situation and had some conflicted loyalties. What he was trying to accomplish did require a sacrifice, and he made the best decision he could, and it cost him his relationship with Abbey. Four years is a long time to live with regrets and to have to face the loss of one's true love. It was clear how much he suffered. He didn't want to fall in love. He was all about his work in law enforcement, but love walked in and took his heart. So he was really in between a rock and a hard place. I feel that Alexsandr truly did show steadfast love for Abbey, and that spoke louder than what his actions appeared to show. Let's just say it was a very complicated situation.

As an animal lover, I was very entertained by the interactions with the dolphins. They are such intelligent, interesting animals. You could tell that Ms. Feehan did her research on dolphins, and this part of the story felt authentic without going into 'info-dump' territory. And the descriptions of the coast and the ocean made me miss living in San Diego really, really bad. The ocean has a beauty that goes into your soul and doesn't let go. Ms. Feehan really showed this well in Oceans of Fire.

I'm not a big fan of the witch storyline, but Feehan does it well. I'd be a complete idiot to complain about the witch parts, since I read this book knowing that it is about witches, so I won't. It's interesting in a way, but my paranormal interests really don't go in this direction. I do like how they use their power to help others and can heal and control animals and the wind. That's pretty cool. All the herbs (Sort of. I'm interested in herbs to be honest), candles and various witchy accoutrements and their rituals was a little boring for me at times. Nothing against that, just not my cup of tea. One thing I do like about this book is the way the descriptions of the witchy aspects of the Drake sisters sends a chill down my spine at certain times. I feel that the power of the Drake sisters comes off pretty eerie (And I'm all about eerie/scary/frightening stuff in fiction. Maybe too much at times. Ask my sister about that). I kind of feel sorry for the men in their lives, because that aspect is probably really weird to someone not used to it. That house kind of gives me the creeps. Yeah, a house that comes alive. Not for me. Poor Jonas has been around it most of his life, and he still hasn't gotten used to it.

I just love Jonas. He's so fun to read about. He says the most entertaining things and he is so in love with Hannah and totally in denial about it. I'd like to see more of Jackson. His dangerous, strong, silent character is calling my name.

I love the Drake sisters, and Ms. Feehan does such a good job of making them unique from each other. They all have interesting personalities, and seem to support and love each other as sisters and friends. Their girl talk is a lot of fun to read. Hannah is so sweet, I just want to hug her. Joley is outrageous and fun, reminding me of my aunt. Sarah is very mature and protective. Kate is nurturing, Libby would bend over backwards to help ease someone's pain, and Elle is calm and loving. What a great family.

So I'd give this a very solid four stars for the good things: Alexsandr, Abbey, the Drake Sisters, the sexy Russian hero aspects, the sexy, dangerous hero aspects, Ilya, Ilya (I wrote that twice on purpose), the descrptions of the ocean and coastal life, and the dolphins. It could have be a more interesting read, but it was definitely a good read.

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Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First of all, I want to thank my Goodreads friend, Shannon, for recommending this wonderful book. My life was so enriched by the reading of it. I also want to thank Ms. Simone Elkeles for putting fingers to keyboard and bringing this incredible story of the love between Alex and Brittany to life.

Life is cruel and harsh, and we all wear armor to protect ourselves against the pain of loss and the hardships we face. In Perfect Chemistry, we see two very different people who have a kindred soul. They are both walking through life wearing protection and disguises for their survival. One of the most illuminating and fascinating parts of this story is when these two reluctant chemistry partners are asked to tell the class a little bit about each other. What they say represents what the two of them want the world to see about themselves, even if that's not who they want to be.

Alex is a tough gangbanger, macho (and very appealing) Latino young man. He has pretty much had to join the Latino Bloods gang because his family and his own life would be in jeopardy otherwise. So far, he has managed to stay out trouble with the law, and to avoid crossing the line and killing and selling drugs. But the time is coming where he may not be able to prevent that transition. He sees Brittany and she is all he ever wanted but couldn't have. He tells himself that she's just a blond princess type, no substance, but he soon finds out that is far from the case.

I fell head over heels for Alex. He was not perfect, but even his imperfections endeared him to me. Under the scary, macho gang facade, he is a very perceptive, intelligent, and loving person. His caring nature is evident in how he treats his brothers and his mother, and even his friend Paco, and also how he treats Brittany, despite the teasing and sexual innuendoes. He comes off as being hardcore, but his heart is very good. I have to say that he was a very sexy guy. I was surprised at how much charisma this eighteen year-old kid was. I could imagine this drop dead gorgeous guy with black hair and dark eyes, a seductive smile, and a hard-body, riding his motorcycle. I am not big on gangs or the urban lifestyle, but this was so much a part of him, that it didn't lessen his appeal at all.

I loved seeing the world through his eyes, and enjoyed the authentic Latino/Mexicano flavor of his thoughts and language. I have a deep appreciation for Mexican culture, and I feel that Ms. Elkeles showed this in a manner that did it justice, adding to the depth and the characterization of Alex and flavoring the life he lives. Gosh, I cannot tell you how much I adored Alex. He made some bad choices, but also suffered for things beyond his control, and my heart ached to see what he had to go through. But deep down, I never doubted that he had a good head on his shoulders and he would end up doing the right thing in the end. I wanted for him to get out of that destructive lifestyle, and I was holding my breath hoping that he did.

I loved Brittany as well. She was a very three-dimensional character, even from the beginning. She might seem like the girl that I would avoid like the plague in high school, one of the shallow 'beautiful people,' but she had a really good heart, and was a very loving person. She was under tremendous stress trying to keep things together and maintain a perfect facade that was getting harder and harder to keep up. Her homelife was very difficult, with her hypercritical mother who was on the edge of emotional collapse, and her father who spent more time at work and thinking about work than interacting with his family. She is weighted down by her family's enormous expectations to always be perfect and to represent them well. Her steadfast love for her disabled, mentally-challenged sister really opened my heart to her, from the first page of the book. Shelley was very important to Brittany, although even her boyfriend was uncomfortable being around her. So she didn't let people come to her life or talk about Shelley. Not out of embarrassment, but because of the fact that Shelley was a private, personal part of her life that others didn't understand or know how to deal with. It meant a lot when she introduced Alex to Shelley and he hit it off with her right away.

Like Alex, Brittany impressed me as a very level-headed, mature for her age person. I really appreciated how she was able to look past Alex's scary gang facade and see the warm, loving boy inside. She inspired Alex to want to strive and to be the person he was meant to be. This book really teaches a lesson about judging a book by its cover. Brittany would be the kind of girl that would be envied by many. But the truth is, her life was very difficult, despite living in a big, beautiful house, driving an expensive car, and wearing designer clothes. Being the captain of the pom-pom team and dating the head quarterback isn't all it's cracked up to be, and Brittany knows this first hand. And it's clear that she would willingly give that up without any regrets to have a true love, even with someone so different from her as Alex. However, the fear of what will happen to Shelley if she lets go, keeps her on the narrow path that has been given to her to walk. It is wonderful when Brittany decides to go where her heart leads her, although she does have to deal with some anguish and heartbreak along the way.

This couple is one of my favorite couples of all times. That's saying something for this serious romance fan. I never thought I could feel that way about a couple in a young adult book, but I believe Twilight did open the door for me to young adult romance, and I am very glad about this. Alex and Brittany meet each other's needs in every way. They had blistering sexual chemistry between them, yet Ms. Elkeles wrote this book in such a way that I didn't feel conflicted about reading these teens expressing themselves sexually. You could see that every encounter came from a deep connection on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level. I loved how they saw each other clearly in a way that no one else did. That is what soulmates should do for each other.

The cast of secondary characters added to the flavor and the depth of this beautiful story. Some of the people in both Alex and Brittany's life are not good for them, and do much to hinder their growth, but people like Paco, Alex's best friend, Isabel, a childhood friend of Alex who becomes Brittany's friend, Ms. Peterson, and Sierra, Brittany's friend, do their part to help Alex and Brittany on the journey to self-discovery and finding a future together. Ms. Peterson, their chemistry teacher, was the kind of educator that we need more of. She works hard to inspire her students, and didn't give up on Alex and write him off as just another Mexican gangbanger who was going to end up dead or in prison.

This book has some parts that were hard to read, but they needed to be there, because it is a story about a young man who is surrounded by violence and crime on a daily basis. There had to be some of this in the book, or it would have lacked authenticity. Fortunately, this does not detract from the story, but helps you to see what Alex is dealing with, and to respect him for the choices he makes to have a better future.

The climax of this book will have your heart in your throat, and tears welling up in your eyes. But the way this book ends gives the reader so much hope and joy. It's truly a perfect ending to this book.
I could go on and on about how wonderful Perfect Chemistry is, but I will end by saying, if you read one young adult book, please put this on the list to consider. You won't come out of this book without having your heart touched.

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The Appeal of the Antihero

I love antiheroes. They just intrigue me and captivate me. Why I wonder? I am a pretty morally-focused person. That doesn't mean I'm perfect. Far from it, but I do believe in doing what is right. Well, antiheroes, by nature, usually aren't the types of characters known for their moral compasses. Yet, they are the characters that usually appeal to me. Now I love the really good characters, but I probably love antiheroes just as much.

Before I sit down and ponder why I tend to choose books with antiheroes, I have to define what I consider an antihero to be. Antiheroes have these traits (in my opinion):

Immoral or Amoral or having a flawed moral compass
Extremely pragmatic or selfish in their decision-making
Conflicted
Hard to categorize
Unpredictable behavior
Dark personality, often dangerous

Well looking at that list, I can put together a pretty good argument for why antiheroes appeal to me.

First of all, I love the theme of redemption, regardless of the genre of literature. I remember reading Crime and Punishment by Dosteyevsky in school. At first I was less than thrilled at the story, and then a switch turned on. I saw this really awful man go through a change (moral, emotional, and spiritual). It was very influential on me as a reader. I don't know. Maybe this was when I fell for the antihero. Or maybe sooner, with Anne Stuart. Ms. Stuart, the Queen of Dark Romance, writes wonderful stories with dangerous, hellbound men who are saved by the love of a good woman. Those stories never, ever get old for me. I know fundamentally it's because I believe that as a Christian, God's love can save even the worst sinner. In literature, this message can be very well transmitted, and it doesn't even have to be on a religious level.

Seeing this character who would make decisions that are motivated by selfish or logical reasons (that don't consider doing what is right as the primary motivation) sets the reader up to find out how the situation will unfold. Will the protagonist develop a change of heart, will he/she reap what has been sowed in the decisions made, or will the protagonist learn a lesson and go on to make better decisions in the future. This hooks the reader in so that they have to keep reading, so closure can be gained. This definitely can make a book a high priority for me. I have to know what's going to happen. Now there is a danger in this, if the writer spends too much time heaping coals of damnation over the protagonist's head. You eventually get to the realization that you hate that person and don't care what happens to them. It's a delicate balance. There needs to be some intriguingly good or some core of unselfishness in that person, at least enough, to make the protagonist an unknown quality. So you can ask yourself, "What's going on with him?" and want to finish the book to find out exactly what the deal is with this intriguing character.

Another aspect of antihero appeal for me is the fact that they are usually conflicted, flawed people. In real life we are all flawed. There is no getting around it. You may meet people that you know are very good, kind people, but even they have flaws. Fiction has to mirror reality in that sense. You cannot have a character who is absolutely perfect. Yes, there can be good characters who are just wonderful. But even they must have flaws. Be it insecurity, a stutter, crossed eyes, whatever. They need a flaw, or the reader will not believe they are real. Even though the fiction writer is creating something that is not real, it must appeal or seem real to the reader in that sense (even if the book is set on Venus). The flawed character sucks me in. I don't know how else to say it. I want to go on the journey with this person. I want to see the character prevail and gain happiness in the end, and learn a lesson along the way (and hopefully I will learn one too). I get so bored with the perfect heroine with the perfect looks who is so sweet and she meets the perfect hero and everything is just perfect. Nope, bored now. I like the not so perfect heroine who falls in love with the guy who everything thinks is evil. Or vice versa (yes I love an antiheroine just as much)I like to see these outcasts get their happy ending. I will always root for the underdog. It's an integral part of my personality.

Do you ever read a book, and you're not sure what to think of a character? Well I love that. If the sentence in your review starts like this: "Well I liked him , but....", then chances are I will put this book on my to be read list. I want to find out what makes this character tick. I want to know if I will have the same dilemma of not having this person figured out. The puzzle needs solving, and I'm on the case. This adds an extra spice to the story for me.

The antihero is unpredictable to a 'T.' If he was straight up evil, he'd probably blow up the bus with the school children on it. But an antihero might assassinate the diplomat but save a child about to drown in a river. He's bad, but he's capable of good. And you never know which way he will go. Okay in the real world, that's scary. In books, it's fascinating and interesting. At least to me.
Another area where the writer must be careful. There are some places an antihero cannot go. There are some lines that cannot be crossed. If you cross that line, at least far into the story where the reader has some hope, then the reader is lost, and mostly likely the book becomes a wallbanger. The readers will not believe that this person is worthy of their interest or regard. The antihero becomes the villain that must pay the price for his or her actions in order for most readers to be satisfied with the ending of the book. (I am adamantly insistent that evil be vanquished in the end). Personally there are some things I don't want to see an antihero do. But I am more willing to keep reading if I see them do bad things early on in the book, and show a change (in a well-paced way) over the course of the book. I need to know that something has shifted in that person that makes them want to be a better person. Not perfect, not a boy scount. Just more moral. I won't tell the the writer how to accomplish this. It's up to him or her. Eecause, at the end of the day, it's all in the execution.

Dark and dangerous is a great combination for me. Antiheroes should have these qualities if it's a genre fiction story. If it's a family drama, probably not. In the romance genre, nothing gets me perked up as much as a dark or dangerous (both even better) hero. Oh, yes, Danielle is engaged. Show how murky the character is. Let me see him being a badass, and then give him a woman he can love. I am so there. Even better when he uses his dark and dangerous powers for good (or to protect the heroine. He would break most of the rules for her, yes). Happiness!

If you put these combinations together (all or most, or some of them) in a well-written and characterized story, you have have an antihero. That antihero will take the reader on a journey of discovery, that is unpredictable, resistant to pigeon-holing, full of insight and wisdom, and will hopefully to love and redemption. It's one of the best literary experiences that this reader can have.

Tune in for Part 2 (where I list my favorite antiheroes)

Shadow Touch by Marjorie Liu

Shadow Touch by Marjorie M. Liu


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I can't say enough good things about this book. It was so unique and very intense. The characters are so real that they jump off the page at you, and their suffering palpable. The first book in the series, Tiger Eye was good enough that I knew I wanted to continue reading, but this book lit me on fire for this series.

Shadow Touch starts with a shot to the heart. You see poor Artur at a crime scene, reliving the suffering of the horribly-murdered woman by using his ability to touch things and see what happened in the past in that place, by having contact with the same object that person touched in the past. The dark visions take their toll on Artur because he experiences everything that the other person feels. From the beginning, I know I would love Artur. To subject yourself to that kind of torture to make sure that justice is done.

I was predisposed to love Artur as I love Russian heroes, and he's one of the best I've ever read. He's very attractive and appealing as a hero, but he is flawed and vulnerable too.

Elena is a wonderful woman. She goes into hospitals as a volunteer and uses her ability to heal the sick. She doesn't do it to get glory, and stays under the radar, but because she feels her ability must be used to help others.

Marjorie Liu did such a good job of creating a compatible couple in this book. There is no doubt that Elena and Artur should be together. There is a bit of a delay before they actually meet, but honestly it was very important for the story to be set up. But when they meet, there is an instant connection. Arthur's telemetric abilities have seriously weakened his brain, and he is on the verge of death when Elena saves his life. When she does so, their souls merge. She goes into her body and leaves part of her soul there, the good part, which gives Artur the strength to fight the evil web of a horrible woman, who is one of the scariest villains I think I've ever read about.

I lived for the interactions between Elena and Artur, because their relationship is serendipity in action. This is one of those books where you really want the couple to stay together and fall deeply in love. They just complete each other in every way. Their pure, accepting love for each other is the balm to the wound caused by the evil cruelty perpetuated by the bad guys in this book.

And on top of that, there is a great suspense/intrigue plot in this story. Liu does a good job of balancing the emotional aspect with the adventure, giving you characters that you get deeply invested in, and putting them in dangerous situations that make you hold your breath. The way she writes this book, you do believe that magic is possible, and that people can have extraordinary abilities. I really love the concept behind Dirk and Steele as well (I'm an occult detective novel fan). She also has some snarky humor (and comraderie between the quintet of people who meet in a research facility run by the bad guys, including Elena and Artur) that I found very enjoyable.

Fans of Russian heroes and those with an interest in Russia will enjoy this book. I am just very interested in Russia so it was great to see how much detail Liu put into describing the country and the people. This book made me want to book a trip to see this very intriguing, and old part of the world.

And like the cherry on the top of the sundae, Artur is ex-Russian Mafia (sigh). I have a bizarre interest in them as well. Artur had a very bad life and did bad things, but he didn't get a lot choices, abandoned by his mother in an orphanage where he was abused and starved, and ending up on the streets. My heart went out to Artur. He was really a decent man despite what he had to do to live. There was no question that he was a moral person, and he suffered for his past sins.

Elena has to deal with some moral issues as well, as she realizes that the power to heal can also be used to kill. She has to face a serial killer who is being used by the villain to do her dirty work. This serial killer develops an unhealthy fixation for Elena. Serial killers have a real ick factor for me, but I must say it was handled well. This dynamic and many of the scenes showed what a strong, although deeply caring person Elena was. She was quite the smart aleck and had no problem telling other people what she thought. I liked her a lot.

The Dirk and Steele series really is one of the underrated paranormal series, but I recommend it highly. There is some of everything going on in this series. If you like psychic characters, healers, shapeshifters, antiheroes who have incredible supernatural powers that you cannot even guess about, not to mention, intriguing sexy men, and a great romance, you should read this series.

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