The One and Only by Carole Mortimer

One and Only by Carole Mortimer

My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars


This was a fun read, in the way that the older Harlequin Presents books can be (a good story and not tied down with the typical overused tropes).  Joy is a very likable heroine. I appreciated that she's just a regular woman, with a job, and takes a week off for a vacation that changes her life in unexpected ways. Although she is wearing borrowed clothes, I think that Marcus fell in love with the real Joy, and not the false image of her.  That part of the story alone was very appealing. Joy is the kind of heroine I would like to see more of. She has a maturity and an independence I appreciated.

I also liked how there is a lot of good sexual and romantic tension.  Long before things get physical, there is a strong connection that I could see building between Joy and Marcus.  I enjoyed every interaction between them.  Even though Marcus could assume the worse about Joy based on the information available to him, he never calls her outside of her name or treats her disrespectfully. In fact, he still stands up for her and looks out for her, even when she is rebuffing him (seemingly for other guys). Despite that, he is definitely a hero who is on the hunt, and I definitely was rooting for him to catch his woman!

I really liked Marcus.  He's a man, not a boy. He's not a playboy, nor is he shiftless and careless, with too much money and too little character, like some of the HP playboy heroes.  I don't need to be reminded of his scores of past conquests to find him sexy. He just is.  Although I don't tend to gravitate to characters who are stars, Marcus wears his celebrity status very well.  I liked the idea that he was an actor with Hollywood stardom, but he chose to live in Britain and lived a somewhat down-to-earth lifestyle. End verdict: Loved him as a hero. His proposal was very sweet.

One and Only was a good, quick, and enjoyable Sunday afternoon read.  I liked everything about it.  It's not a five star read, but a very respectable high four star book that I'd recommend to fans who want something more than the overused billionaire playboy businessman and the arm-candy, beautiful, but not self-actualized heroine in this line of books.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.



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Line of Fire by Cindy Dees

Line Of Fire by Cindy Dees

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Cindy Dees delivers once again for this reader.  I have to say, I was worried initially. I did not like Kimberly at first. She was whiny, critical, and seemed very shallow. She was almost like Carrie Bradshaw in the jungle, but with a deliberate anti-military stance.  I kept reading parts and putting this down for other books and to do other stuff. But since I am a big fan of this author, I wanted to give it a chance. Plus, I definitely liked Tex. 

I would say at about page 75 is when I started liking Kimberly.  I learned more about her, why she is so hard on military men, and why she's determined to work to shut down the special ops units.  When she gets kidnapped with Tex and transported to the Gavarone rain forest, she learns first hand why soldiers like Tex are needed, and worthwhile.

I really liked the survival aspects of this book. Tex proves he definitely knows his stuff as far as being an elite special ops soldier good in the field, keeping them both alive and using what little resources that come their way. The survival elements felt realistic, although I feel that some of the steamy romance seemed less likely, since they weren't able to bath or brush their teeth at first. Maybe I'm too fastidious, but I wouldn't feel sexy if I was dirty, sweaty, hadn't been able to brush my teeth for a couple of days.  But, fortunately, I do know how to suspend my disbelief. And they do pick up ginger root and mint leaves along the way, and find a lovely fountain to bathe in before they actually did the deed.

I will say straight up that I loved Tex. He is all that and a bag of chips.  He's just a bit cocky, just enough to be realistic for a Spec Ops soldier.  But more than that, he is a really genuine, hardworking, resourceful, honorable man who truly believes in protecting others and putting his life on the line for his country and for those who are in need.  He has some vulnerabilities because of a past breakup and his mother leaving when he was a kid, that crop up when he realizes he is starting to fall for Kimberly, who is way 'out of his league.'  I was thinking he was way too good for Kimberly, but she shows that she is a good woman for him, and she embraces who and what he is, and this was shown very credibly in the progression of the novel.

The ending was great, both Kimberly and Tex making gestures that showed how much they loved each other and were committed to spending their lives together.  So I ended up believing in the romance 100%, which is good, since I wasn't feeling Kimberly initially.

As far as the action, it was top-notch. That's one of the reasons I like this author so much. She writes the kinds of books I love, a great mix of action and romance. 

This book was sitting on my shelf a long time, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.  Although it took me awhile, this turned out to be a very enjoyable book.



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Grimm's Fairy Tales

Grimm's Fairy Tales: Wolf and the Seven Little Kids/Pack of Ragamuffins/Brother and Sister/Three Snake-Leaves/Boots of Buffalo-Leather/Drummer and Others by Jacob Grimm

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


What an enjoyable quick audiobook! A nice mix of short fairy tales from the Grimms' collection.  I haven't read any of these particular stories, although I am familiar with plot devices and archetypes from more than a few of them.  The narrator was great. She brought these stories to life. There is also classical music to accompany parts of the stories.  I could see this audiobook being very good for kids to expose them to fairy tales. They would enjoy the stories and the narrator's different voices.  I would say these are pretty kid-friendly stories, especially for the Grimms, which can be dark.  Overall, each story has a good lesson about morals and ethics, from hard work, to keeping promises, and not giving up when things get rough.

Listening brought back the joy of reading fairy tales, that I have not ever gotten over, even into my 4th decade.  I'd recommend it!

Overall rating:  4.5/5.0 stars.





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Baltimore: The Curse Bells by Mike Mignola

Baltimore: The Curse Bells by Mike Mignola

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


This was more creepy than Baltimore: The Plague Ships, and that's saying something.  Baltimore is still on the hunt for his one-eyed, scarred vampire nemesis, but he comes across a cult of demented nuns who follow an occultist bent on rebirthing a powerful sorceress. 

I think this series is for readers who loved the Monster of the Week type programs such as Night Gallery or Thriller, or even episodic television like The Incredible Hulk where our lone hero conquers a different situation each week.  I could see this as a good television adaptation in the right hands.

The artwork is as beautiful as The Plague Ships, and the writing just as atmospheric.  Although this was more scary. It delves deeper into the themes of diabolism and occult dealings with dark entities, and this town that Baltimore goes to is full of a sense of wrongness, death and murky secrets.  I did read this at night and I didn't have nightmares, but that was because I read something else before I went to sleep.

Baltimore has to balance his selfish need for revenge against the greater good, and he teams up with an American journalist who is writing a book about vampires after discovering they were real in the Great War. I thought the reporter looked a lot like Edgar Allen Poe, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was a deliberate choice of the creators of this graphic novel.  Part of the narrative even includes as passage from "The Bells" by Poe. 

I think this was just as good as The Plague Ships if not better, but it's more disturbing and disarming than that prior book in the series. I know that's because it focuses on occultism, black magic, and people who trade the lives of others for ultimate power. Those subjects are inherently more affecting to me than, say zombies and vampires.

Baltimore is a very effective dark hero with an antiheroic bent.  He is the dark hero that fights against the darkness, and strives to recover his own lost soul in the process.  Those kinds of heroes always get me.

I am loving this series.  Keep them coming!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



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Married to the Enemy by Ann Major

Married to the Enemy (June Grooms, #2) by Ann Major

My rating: 4 .25 of 5 stars


This was a lovely little contemporary western romance with a prominent Gothic feel. Stormy Jones has not seen her father since she was five years old. In fact, she was told he died.  She has spent the majority of her life in her mother's women-centered commune, with little to no contact with men.  Yet she feels something missing from her life.   When Jonathan McBride enters her life, she is blown away by his rugged male appeal, and has a sinking feeling he is just what he was waiting for.  He's like the proverbial forbidden fruit, a virile male, and the epitome of what scares her mother and her followers about men. 

Jonathan came to Los Angeles to meet his employer's daughter and deliver important news.  Her father is sick and wants to see her before he dies.  One look at her tells her she's trouble.  He saves her life and ends up in her bed. He is sidetracked by an unfortunate attraction to Stormy that leads to a night of passion.  He wakes up the next day, determined to put Stormy at a distance. His experience with love in the past taught him that women could only destroy a man.  He feels enormous guilt at sleeping with Hugh's daughter, and just wants to forget about it. Unfortunately, Stormy is a hard woman to forget or to push away.   Plus, Stormy still needs to see her father, and when she blurts out a confession of her involvement with Jonathan, the conniving old man changes his will to require a marriage between the two at his death.  Jonathan doesn't want another wife, but he does want his inheritance from her father, and marriage is the only way to get it now.  Stormy feels deep inside that Jonathan is a man capable of love, no matter how hard he pushes her away.  And she's carrying his child, so she doesn't want to walk away.  The problem is, someone keeps trying to kill her. Stormy refuses to believe it's Jonathan, despite the cloud of rumors about his last wife's death hanging around him.

I really liked this book. It had a lot of emotion and intensity.  I liked the Gothic vibe, and I enjoyed the push/pull between Jonathan and Stormy. I love when the hero is hard and rough and wants to push the heroine away, but needs her and the love she shows him.  Jonathan was really quite tortured. He'd had a very rough life and it had taught him that loving and trusting others was a dicey proposition.  Stormy's innocent hope and vital passion was just what he needed in his life.  While he fights his love for her throughout the book, it was enjoyable to see him fall for her.

The western atmosphere was very well done as well. I felt like I was on a cattle ranch in Southwest Texas, where the land is closer to desert than anything else.  This book had a lot more suspenseful vibe than I associate with the typical Silhouette Desires, with someone trying to kill Stormy, and Jonathan's dark past.  I miss these old vintage Harlequins which are full of lots of drama and intensity. The newer books just don't have that zing.

I am glad I was able to read this book. Definitely worth looking up if you want a good vintage modern western contemporary romance.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.




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Mistress to the Marquis by Margaret McPhee

Mistress to the Marquis by Margaret McPhee
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Mistress to the Marquis was a very absorbing, beautifully-written read. It honestly deals with a relationship between a titled gentleman and his mistress, who comes from very humble origins and has a very scandalous past. Initially Razelby embarked on his mistress arrangement with Alice as a sort of 'last hurrah' before he married and had his heir to meet a 30th birthday deadline that is proven to have a very pivotal effect in his psyche. He is slow to admit how deeply he loves Alice, even though on a heart level, he doesn't want to terminate their arrangement. He does so out of duty. It is time to marry. And he will just have to move on and forget her. But that proves difficult, even impossible in the end. On Alice's side, her feelings are not something she has the agency to dwell on. She doesn't have the power to demand anything more from Razelby, so when he ends it, she has to find a way to be happy in the future without him.

There are things I really appreciate about this book. I am not fond of the trivializing of sexual relationships in romance novels (or the media for that matter). I know that in real life that is how many view sex. However, sex is never as 'no strings' or as 'casual' as we try to make it. Both Alice and Razelby find this out the hard way. I liked that a great deal of this book is about the emotional consequences of ending their affair. While mentally, they have both agreed to move on, their hearts have not agreed, and are in fact in rebellion against their minds.

I was happy with the execution in this book. I appreciate that McPhee makes this book about something more than just illicit passion, which is what you might expect with the subject matter. Instead, she uses the page time to show more than just numerous sexual encounters between the couple that was supposed to be broken up. Instead, McPhee shows how their everyday lives have become intertwined and seeing each other is obligatory. I've always wondered how two people in the same circle who were sexually involved and then break up manage to get past that when they see each other every single day and can't rearrange their lives to not be around each other. That is the case with Alice and Razelby. It's difficult to be around each other without the emotions and the memories impressing on their minds. They both come to realize how important they were to each other in many ways. How their time together wasn't just sexual, but also a deep friendship that blossomed into a profound love affair. It's not so easy to erase that experience. They both come to realize that ignoring what the heart wants is not always possible.

I also appreciated how dimensional the characters were. Instead of Razelby coming off as a heartless rake who enjoys his pleasures without considering the consequences, he is actually a man of consideration, a good man. I mean, he didn't have to end his mistress arrangement, but could have gone ahead and got married. Many did that in reality. But something in him knew that wasn't fair to either his future wife or his mistress. Perhaps in the past he wasn't so considerate, but through his relationship with Alice, he really starts to see her not as a commodity, a piece of pretty flesh for his exclusive and convenient use, or someone that he can use and throw away. Razelby is forced to consider the ethics of the titled gentleman's debaucheries. One of his cronies makes a suggestion to visit a bawdy house and he cringes internally at the thought of how Alice was forced to pursue this profession for her survival. I don't think Razelby could ever see houses of prostitution the same way in the future. This reader can't abide prostitution and particularly hates when it's trivialized as a mere harmless thing. This false conception the idea of a man paying a woman (or vice versa) has no inherent ills associated with it. At the same time, Alice is viewed as a whole and lovable person, despite the fact that she has a past as a prostitute. Many women end up in that life, and there is nothing inherently bad or worthless about them just because they had to make that choice. Razelby is well aware of this past and doesn't think any less of her. It's fortunate that Alice was able to move on from her past and hope for a better future, which is not always the case with women who end up in prostitution, either in the past or now.


I also liked how McPhee shows the the daily life of a woman in the demimondaine. It was interesting to see the rules that they live by and how some of them actually travel in the same circles as the ton, even though they aren't accepted in some places.

At first, I didn't like that Razelby didn't consider marriage to her a viable option. But later, it's revealed that his reasons are as much about her well-being, knowing how hypocritical and cruel the ton particularly the women could be towards a woman with her past, even if she is married to a titled gentleman), as his own status in society.

Frankly, I hate the hypocrisy of this system in which men can act like complete dogs and women are held to a different standard. Women are forced into the sex trade and their world and options shrink and doors close to them because of that, but the men who pay for their services are free to do pretty much whatever they want. It was awkward for both Razelby and Alice to encounter acquaintances who knew them as a couple and now consider Alice fair game or not suitable to be acquainted with. In effect, while Razelby has the option to carry on as usual, Alice is put in the situation of dealing with the fallout of their separation and its effects on her own reputation and future prospects.

I have rambled on big time. I guess that's a good thing when a book gets you thinking so much. I found Mistress to a Marquis that kind of read--involving me in the story, enthralling me with a really good love story, and giving me a lot of issues to ponder. While this is not my favorite theme in romance, it was handled very well in this book, and it definitely a higher rating for that.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Stranded by Pepper Pace

Stranded by Pepper Pace

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


I started reading this early this morning when I couldn't sleep, and I finished the whole book in that short time. This is really one of those unputdownable reads.  I was compelled by and drawn into the dramatic situation that Oceans and Marshall faced. 

I always enjoy a good survival on the elements book, and Pace excelled with this novel about two people who end up being stranded on a Caribbean deserted island and have to make a life there for the time being until they are rescued.  This book is incredibly realistic about survival on a deserted island, including the risks and privations that people would face.  Emotionally, Pace goes there. She involves you with Oceans and Marshall, makes you fall in love with them, and walk in their shoes in a way that doesn't leave you unaffected when the book is over.  I can honestly say that Marshall is the kind of man I would want to be stranded on an island with. He steps up to the plate in so many ways. While he isn't a chest-thumping, stereotypical alpha, he shows all the traits that a mature man should have in a desperate situation and when he has a family to protect and care for.  Oceans was also an incredible character.  Her ability to adapt and survive and to use her knowledge of the islands to help them both survive really made me admire her. She is the kind of more realistic heroine I would like to see in romance novels. Not perfect, but perfectly lovable.

One aspect of this story was utterly heartbreaking.  I felt the pain and anguish that both Oceans and Marshall faced, and I didn't think I would recover (it really hurt me on a deep level).  It was one of those situations where I didn't agree with the choice made, but I still love and respected the person who made it, and like the other party involved, I had to decide if I was going to move past it for the greater good.  I was so glad that things ended up working out in the end.  While I still would have loved this book, I love it more the way things ended than if they had gone in a different way, just because that is such a tough, wounding situation to read about. I don't think either party in this book could have walked away whole from that.  I can imagine it's even worse if you lived it.

I loved the fact that love blossoms realistically and intensely, and the sexual content wasn't the focus, although it was a big part of the novel. There were so many emotional depths to plumb that I would have felt cheated if this book was mainly sex scenes. I think a very good point was made about how sex is a way to express intimacy between two people, but certainly not the only way.  And the fact that Pace shows the real consequences of sexual intimacy on a couple, good and not so good. 

This is one of those books that lingers on the mind, making an indelible imprint on the emotions.  I was very glad I got the opportunity to read Stranded, and Pace has upped the bar for stranded/marooned/survival romance for me.  While not a perfect read, it's very close for me.

Overall rating:  4.5/5.0 stars.



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Dust of the Damned by Peter Brandvold

Dust of the Damned by Peter Brandvold
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

If you like your Weird West horror Cinemax After Dark-style, you will enjoy this book. Dust of the Damned reminds me of the Longarm westerns I used to read sex scenes out of when I was a kid. Just add some supernatural elements, and there you have it. Plenty of sex and violence, and more sex and violence. Shaken, not stirred.

I found this book too trashy for my tastes. I think there is a way to do sex and violence where it doesn't come off sleazy, but this book doesn't achieve that goal. I really dislike having to write negative reviews, but sometimes you just don't like books and have valid reasons for it.

I don't like to leave books unfinished, so I slugged away (plus the hero's name starts with a U and I need a U hero). And while I didn't enjoy this book that much, it wasn't all bad. The idea of Lincoln employing werewolves to win the War Between the States (and it backfiring) was an interesting twist. The werewolf mythology when not played for cheap thrills was interesting. It has some good western action, and it has some of the character types you expect in a book of this genre. But there was a heavy hand with the violence, and the sex seemed to be on the exploitative side.

The descriptions of the characters reminded me of a low-budget soft-core with violence movie. The author tended to write the female characters in a way that felt very objectifying, and simultaneously the male character descriptions (with the exception of our larger-than-life, oh so manly hero) were largely repellant. Uriah Zane is a fairly likable hero, although I felt that his attributes were described in a way that spoke of godlike awe (or so the reader is supposed to feel) from the unseen narrator. Angel, who is the local female marshal and Uriah's sometime lover was admirably tough and heroic, but I felt like she could have been played by Shannon Tweed, Joan Severance, or Bobbie Phillips (three good actresses who have starred in their share of sex-ploitation films) in the 90s movie version. There were more sex scenes in this book than the average romance novel (which are all labeled as trashy romance, most of which are actually not this trashy). They brought mind the Emanuelle movies from the 80s, at least to me.

I think the idea of a group of werewolf bandidos on a rampage of violence felt authentic to the feel of a weird western adventure (which is why I wanted to read it). There is even a suitably evil and bodaciously sexy witch villainness (if that floats your boat). However, I could have done without the detailed descriptions of these very evil low-lives' actions against their helpless victims, interspersed with 'steamy sex'. These violent scenes also felt exploitative, like the 70s gore galore grindhouse cinematic greats. Lots of gushing stumps from beheaded victims and spilling entrails. Ugh!

Anyhoo. Caveat emptor. There's pulpy and there is sleazy. I think this is more in the sleazy territory. If you're in the mood for this, then you might enjoy Dust of the Damned. If you turn the channel when Tarantino films come on or when Cinemax goes 'dark', then you may want to pass this by.

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0 stars.


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Baltimore: The Plague Ships by Mike Mignola/Christopher Golden

Baltimore: The Plague Ships by Mike Mignola

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


The Plague Ships is bonafide horror.  Not only does our intrepid hero battle vampires, but he also battles Hessian zombies infected from nasty fungal blossoms!  Baltimore is a relentlessly driven man with a soul full of vengeance and hurt.  An act driven out of fear leads to his whole life being destroyed and the subsequent quest for vengeance against all vampires, and in particular one with a vicious scar on his face.

Mignola is an auto-read for me.  His imagination is expansive and he plumbs the nightmares and dreams of the collective consciousness, offering up his resulting creations for the reader's enjoyment and consideration.  This graphic novel is actually more true horror than his Hellboy stories, which straddle the dark fantasy line as much as horror. But the visions in this novel are right from the darkest depths of horror.  The horror is of the more overt kind:  vampires, plague and zombies, but also emotional. The endless quest of Baltimore and his non-healing heart wound from the loss of his family through his own well-meaning actions. The fact that he can never go home again, either emotionally or physically. 

As much as the writing is a strength, so are the illustrations. They have a clarity and a concreteness, even though they are all almost monotonal (blacks, tans, reds). They convey action beautifully, making this graphic novel as much an action work as a horror work.  The dialogue is rather spare, but the pictures give you the whole picture even when there is no narrative.

For readers who enjoy the enigmatic, dark loner on a quest for justice, knowing that he can no longer call any place his home, this is worth reading.  I also recommend it to readers who enjoy the more traditional brand of horror, where the monsters aren't human, and where good fights against evil, even though man often struggles against the evil in his own heart. 

It doesn't feel like a five star book, but it's definitely close. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



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The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Reread Completed for Immortals After Dark 2013 Group Reread (July 5-7, 2013)

This is the one that started it all. It's been great to go and revisit the first book of one of my favorite paranormal romance series (and book series) of all time.  Even after rereading again it so many years later, it still holds an enormous appeal. I just fell into this story head-first. I have to say that the world that Kresley Cole has built stands distinctive and very strongly in the genre.  This book reads more like fantasy with sex/romance than just paranormal romance (while there is nothing wrong with the later, a book that can carry itself in the fantasy world-building as strongly as the romance is even better).

I didn't forget how hot Cole writes love scenes. It's funny that although I don't consider myself a fan of erotica, I connect so strongly with her story in which the sex is frequent and blistering hot. Maybe it's because she writes it so well and there is so much else going on along with it. At any rate, this woman has you reaching for a cold drink indeed!

Nikolai Wroth:

Still fantastic.  Still delicious.  While I refuse to choose a favorite IAD hero, Nikolai does retain a soft spot in my heart.  He makes a non-vampire lover into a sign me up first convert. He's rough and unpolished, vengeful towards Myst. But his heart is so vulnerable, and he gives it on the platter very early on.  I can't resist a hard, tough hero with a soft heart.   A girl could not do much better to have Wroth as her devoted husband.  Even though he screws up very badly, oh boy does he make up for it!  Major sigh-worthy points!  Definitely on my hero to die for shelf for all times.

Myst:

Myst is a woman of delightful layers. She seems callous and cruel at first, but it doesn't take long to see what a big heart she has, her depths of devotion and caring.  Myth's love of Nikolai's warrior-status and hard-earned battle scars was a distinctive part of her personality. At first, I had a problem with how she used her sexuality against her enemies, because I am not big on that, but I can understand the psychology behind it.  What was used against her, she took for her own strength, and it was just one tool in her armament. I sympathized with her over her broken heart when she finds out what Nikolai was hiding from her.  I didn't like what she did to him initially and so I didn't think his reaction was that bad. I think she met him tit for tat and respected his manner of dealing with her, knowing that he was the man for her because of his strengths and how it felt to be in his embrace. 

As a couple, I loved their courtship, warts and all.  When they weren't fighting, there was a lot of tenderness between.  It wasn't just about sexual attraction. Even before sex was possible, I could see that bond forming between them. For a short read, Kresley Cole beautifully builds a powerful love story that is missing in nothing, although I'd be lying if I didn't admit I would have loved a full-length novel.

I can't say too many good things about this novella.  This is stellar reading for this reviewer. The mix of hot romance, oh-so tender love, laugh out loud humor, and familial and friendship bonds really works for me.  I can see how Cole got a series deal out of this story. This is one of those novels that has you coming back for more.

*Pauses to think about the hotness of Nikolai Wroth and fans herself*  Where was I?

My series reread with the Immortals After Dark group on Goodreads is off to a fantastic start!

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Elektra: Assassin by Frank Miller/Bill Sienkiewicz

Elektra: Assassin by Frank Miller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Was thrilled to see this on the shelf at my library, since I've been wanting to read it for a while. Mostly enjoyed it, although there were some unpalatable aspects.  A good dose of sex and violence cocktail.  I am not a big fan of that combo.  You may say a duh to that, since Elektra is a sexy assassin.  I think it's all in the execution. 

Elektra was depicted as a whole lot of crazy in this book.  It occurs after her death and is about her resurrection by the Hand.  She becomes a killer designated in service of the Hand, indirectly the Beast (yeah that one). However, she slowly becomes aware of a conspiracy of the Beast to end the world through the use of political puppets and dedicates her exceedingly expert kills in the art of death-bringing to eliminate all involved.  She leaves quite a body trail behind her. 

The artwork is innovative and very stylish, with a use of multiple media to convey the visual message of and along with the narrative in this book.  Elektra doesn't speak much. She retains this mystique that adds to her allure. Most of her narrative was thought processes conveyed on the page. Honestly, I found her psychopathic in some ways.  I wasn't quite sure if what she was experiencing wasn't a psychopathic break, and didn't get clarity until the end. 

I wasn't quite in love with the storyline.  It was way more political than I would have liked.  I think I would have preferred a more intimate storyline.  I certainly didn't like some of the venues and the secondary players in this novel.  Wasn't that in love with Garrett's character or his ex-partner who turns out to be all kinds of icktastic.

Would you like this one? It depends. If you like Sin City (by the same writer), then probably. If you find some aspects of Sin City repellent, you might be like me, where I do like some aspects and others not so much.  Yes, you know you're in for violence and lots of it with Elektra.  I think I was hoping for something a little different in the execution. However, I can't give it less than four stars, because it's quite a work of art overall, the parts that were a turnoff, not withstanding.

At the end of the day, I am still a big fan of Elektra.  A guilty pleasure of mine (since at heart I am not a fan of unnecessary or gratuitous violence).  Yes on one level, I know that's probably wrong of me, but she's a bad@$$ female Ninja assassin who knows her way around a katana and sais (any edged weapon although her whole body is lethal), and can wreak all kinds of havoc in unimaginable ways.  And I have to love her for that!



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Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore

Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Dead Things is serious magic noir. The name of this book tells it all. This book is about a man surrounded by dead and the consequences it has on his life and his relationships with the living. The narrative is very cynical, with a main character who has a foul mouth and a dark point of view. Of course, anyone who has his necromantic abilities might tend to lose his faith in humanity and everything else. Despite that fact, I did like this book for the most part. Blackmoore lost me some near the end though. It was too abrupt and I didn't completely like the choice he made with the story. The end does make sense to some extent, and if this is a series, it will be interesting to see how Eric gets himself out of the mess he is currently in as of the end of this book.

I don't like to compare, but for male-lead UF readers, you could think of Eric as the darker counterpart to characters like Dresden and O'Sullivan, probably more like Connor Gray than the former. His gifts are part of him, and they taint his life in many ways. But in the case of Eric, his choices continue to alienate him from those who live and want connection with him. He fears tainting them or destroying them, but by walking away, he endangers them even more. Kind of a vicious cycle and a bound to bring on the existential crisis or dark night of the soul.

The imagery is what got me with this story. The world-building is suitably and necessarily dark for a story about a necromancer. His vantage point of life on the highways and backroads of America, seeing all the ghosts who either wander or who are anchored to their place of dying. In some ways a warrior for the light, but one who exists in the twilight and shadows. Eric sees and deals with many so-called deities and has little respect for them. Unfortunately, he makes a deal with one and will have to pay the piper very dearly.

I hadn't ever heard of Santa Muerte, the Patron Saint of the Narcos (Drug Traffickers) on the Mexican Border. A death goddess who started out in the Aztec pantheon, but found her way into the Narco-influenced border culture where she has plenty of followers. Blackmoore brings this mythology to vivid but disturbing life. A distinctive turn in urban fantasy that fits this very noir read.

I can't say Dead Things is for everyone. This is one is quite violent and kind of depressing in some ways. Lots of swear words and a great deal of irreverence on display, along with moments that border on being nauseating for the squeamish. Eric's choices aren't always admirable, but I did feel for him. He remains a sympathetic character despite his flaws. People around him tend to get hurt, and that's hard for me to read, especially since I can't 100% place that blame on his shoulders. I felt his loneliness and isolation, his front of apathy that doesn't quite hide a fear of being the screw-up that no can love, respect or stand up for. I wish his actions didn't turn this into a self-fulfilling prophecy. I want to continue this series to see what happens next to Eric, and to hope that he turns things around and stops walking away from life and deeper into the world of the dead, while there is still some part of him that has a connection to the living.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks

In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading this entire book, I would say the comparison to Julie Garwood's Highland romance books is apt. Yet, it's good to have a new author who writes Highland romance with a lovable heroine and a fierce hero who is not quite tamed, but definitely gives his heart to her. If it works, why not do it?

Favorite aspects of this novel:

*Hands down, I really like Mairin. Who doesn't like a heroine who is genuinely kind and good-hearted? One who is also tough and determined but sweet and innocent as well.
*A hero who does truly love her and shows it, despite the fact that it goes against his well-earned, tough-guy reputation to be a marshmallow for his woman. Ewan happily said I love you, which is awesome! (view spoiler)[Even though he married her for her dowry and heritage, in the end, he was more than willing to sacrifice that just to have her safe and sound with him. (hide spoiler)]
*The suspense was good. The book starts with a bang, and the tension is well-sustained throughout with threats on Mairin's life. My heart was beating very fast towards the end. I literally wondered if I would get the happy ending I expected. Of course, I was not disappointed.
*The bonding between Mairin and Crispen. Too cute how he would sleep in the bed with her and truly adored her. But then, she risked personal injury for his safety. Crispen was a cute kid period.
*I felt like the period was well-represented without going too stereotypical "Highland romance." While I don't mind brogue, it was nice that Banks didn't feel the need to pepper the dialogue with Highlander accents. And the hero didn't wear a kilt. He wore trews. A Highland book but I didn't have to constantly be reminded of that in an in-your-face way.

Wow moments:

*I think Mairin took more lickings than Harry Dresden from the series by Jim Butcher, and boy does he get hurt a lot! If this was a Charmed episode, she'd be rendered infertile by all the injuries she received (for those who watched, you know I'm talking about Piper).
*Evil, evil villain. I did feel cheated that (view spoiler)[ I didn't get to see him get his arse kicked by Ewan, Mairin, or at least someone. My hope is that this is rectified in future books. (hide spoiler)].
*Really like that Rhionna promises to be a bonafide kickbutt heroine. Looking forward to her book.
*The love scenes are nicely steamy! (view spoiler)[ I loved how after their first time is abbreviated by a threat, and Mairin does not have much confidence in Ewan's loving skills, he proves her wrong! (hide spoiler)]

Overall, this is a very good book. I am glad to find some newer Highland historical romance novels to read, since I enjoy them. While it wasn't mind-blowing, it was entertaining and had a novel feel to it so that I didn't feel like I was reading the same book again. The characters were well-developed and the humor touches were good. While Ewan and Mairin both have some miss-steps in their interactions with each other, it was clear that they were meant for each other, and I could feel the love. I also loved how Mairin won over the clan's loyalty.

I recommend this book to historical romance readers, especially those who enjoy medieval, Highlander books.

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Sealed With a Curse by Cecy Robson

Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sealed With a Curse starts out in medias res, and that pace pretty much matches what is found throughout this novel. I was a bit clueless at first as to what was going on, but I got sucked into the narrative and the Wird sisters' story almost immediately. There is more or less nonstop action, and the cool thing, is the heroine and her sisters are the main ones kicking butt and taking names. Along with laugh-out-loud humor and wonderful sisterly bonding, with a touch of romance, that adds up to a very enjoyable book.

Celia and her sisters were cursed before birth, but the curse backfired into a blessing. They are all gifted with unusual abilities. Despite the strangeness of the four Wird sisters' abilities, three of them manage to have busy dating lives and all four fulfilling careers as a nurse. Celia had a big issue that precluded dating a lot. She has an inner tigress that makes her one tough woman. Most men can't handle that. Celia fears that she never will meet that guy. Until she sees a hunky werewolf running with his pack. Their gazes connect, but that doesn't mean that they will "connect". And there is an epidemic of vampires turning into feral, bloodthirsty killers, so they might not get the chance to 'connect' anyway. Aric Connor might be the man of Celia's dreams, but as a purebred werewolf, she might not be a good partner to settle down with on his end. However, master vampire, Misha Aleksandr thinks Celia is pretty awesome, wooing her with expensive gifts and his supernatural vampire allure, which Celia is a lot more immune to it than she would have thought. Instead, her heart beats for Aric.

I loved the sister camaraderie the most in this book. They really had each others' backs. I liked how each sister had a distinct personality. They were individuals, but they worked and lived together in harmony. I also enjoyed the humor a lot (although it is sometimes of the raunchy, foul-mouthed variety). At first, I thought that would book would be too silly for me, but Robson proved she could hang with the Grade A Kickbutt Action Writers crew with her seriously intense action scenes. Readers who don't like gory description should be warned, because the author doesn't skimp on these. But seeing the Wird sisters kick butt and hold their own against a slew of powerful immortals makes up for some icktastic moments.

I thought it was cute how Celia's sisters all found romance with other weres associated with Aric. Although I didn't like the assumption that sleeping with them that fast was 'normal' whereas Celia was weird because she didn't get physical with guys like her sisters did. Sort of an inherent value judgment against people who choose a celibate lifestyle, for whatever reason. Granted, Celia did tend to be very self-pitying about her lack of a love life. I do think she could have dated more if she wanted to. And it's perfectly fine if she didn't date much, if she was okay with it. The fact that Misha definitely found her sexy and appealing from the beginning of the book (even before she met Aric) was proof that there was nothing wrong with Celia. Misha thought she was better than sliced bread, and he could have any woman he wanted. A man who couldn't handle her wasn't worth it anyway. I think deep down, Celia didn't want to settle for a Mr. Now when she could have Mr. Right.

Overall, this was a very good book. Lots of action, hilarious humor, great sister bonding. I liked that there is good ethnic diversity in this novel. The Wird sisters have Latin descent on their mother's side, and numerous characters are of different ethnic/racial backgrounds. The world-building was good, with some interesting takes on vampires, werewolves, witches, and other paranormals. Personally, the romance wasn't the biggest draw for me, although it was good. I liked the sister bond the most and the action, but the romance is pretty good (for an urban fantasy book). But there is definitely good chemistry and romantic promise for those who want that in the urban fantasy. This is a series I look forward to continuing.

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Hajar's Hidden Legacy by Maisey Yates

Hajar's Hidden Legacy by Maisey Yates

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Hajar's Hidden Legacy is a book for fans of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.  It plays out a lot like that much-loved story, although that is not to say there is no innovation or unique touch here.  Maisey Yates careful touch with writing romance and the manner in which she builds a layered, emotional story is evident here.  Her characters are real life, both struggling with emotional wounds from their past.

Zahir is a tough nut to crack. He doesn't want to be married to Katharine, and he definitely doesn't want to love her. He's afraid to let her in, and he is unable to let go of his guilt about surviving the attacks against his family. He hates himself, and that is very evident. He also fears his life is over. He exists because he must protect his country.  But he is in a world of pain.  At first, I wondered why if he thought his scars were so hideous, he didn't get plastic surgery. I came to realize that his disgust with his appearance was more about his disgust about how he survived when his parents and brother didn't.   He felt like he was the unworthy one who lived. His truly believes he is unable to heal emotionally.  He is like a lion with a thorn in his paw, and that requires some real nurturing and persistence from Katharine.  Katharine was just the heroine to soothe his savage breast.

While Zahir has the bulk of torment, I liked that Katharine had her own angst to deal with. She was dismissed, sidelined, and marginalized by her father. He truly does not value her, and he shows it.  But she craves his approval and moves mountains to get it. I loved how Zahir stood up for Katharine to her father.  I also loved how Zahir helps to validate Katharine and build up her self-esteem, despite his own struggles. 

Yates carefully builds the tension, both romantic and sensual.  The love scenes are quite steamy, but it's very natural to the story.  You can see that the connection between Zahir and Katharine has entwined itself between them on many levels.  Before they both know it, their match is very much one of love and devotion, as well as a marriage of state.  Their mutual fears of not being enough are assuaged by the fact that they are just what each other needs. 

Hajar's Hidden Legacy is very much a novel about the healing of emotional wounds and the development of love between two hurting people. It lacks the drama of some book in this category series. Instead, it's more of an introspective novel about the development of a relationship that turns into a deep love between two people who weren't even looking for love, but needed it the whole time.



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The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan

My rating: 3.25 of 5 stars


I picked this up because it was recommended to readers who enjoyed A Tale Dark & Grimm on Amazon. I loved the humor and the quirky twist on the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel in A Tale Dark and Grimm, and I just plain love fairy tales, so I am looking for innovative, interesting retellings of these classic stories.  I'm glad my library had this on audio. It was a fun and quick read, about 3 hours (It took me longer because I listened in spurts).

Initially, I was very drawn in.  The characters of Sol and Connie are captivating, their story was somewhat poignant.  I definitely felt for these kids.  If you're familiar with Hansel and Gretel, you can get a head start on the storyline, although McGowan throws in some novel touches that were fun.  I won't say which, because that's the fun of reading it.  Sol is a young genius and inventor who gets a huge blow to his confidence that he has to work through. His mischievous, free-sprited, and intuitive sister Connie carries a burden of guilt related to Sol's greatest failure.  This is a pivotal element of this story, and the author does carry it through successfully to the end.  The story shows what the child-eating witch is up to in the modern age, and she's definitely streamlined her operation. 

The child-eating witch is truly heinous.  What makes it even more harrowing is that people actually volunteer their kids to be eaten because of the manifold failings of those kids! Definitely folks who shouldn't have reproduced!  It's humorous, but on one level it's really kind of disturbing that parents would set their children up to be eaten by a witch just because they misbehave or fail to live up to certain standards.  I think that they are even worse than the witch, honestly.

This is one of those books that won't appeal if you don't like a dark and kind of twisted sense of humor.  Let me just say that here and now. But I think readers who like the Hansel and Gretel story won't find anything here that countermands the original story.  Instead, this is just a modern update with more humor.

If there was anything I was underwhelmed with, it was the use of the secondary character who happened to be a witch as well, but she's a good witch. I understand why she couldn't help the kids very much, but I still feel she was underutilized in the story.  I also wished there was some sort of confrontation between her and the evil witch.  Also, I feel the ending was too abrupt.  I know this is supposed to be a short book, but I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending. I definitely wanted more story and more closure.

Overall, this was pretty good. It's hard to rate it higher or to perform a very intensive analysis, because it's very short.  I am glad this was recommended to me because I liked A Tale Dark and Grimm. However, it doesn't live up to the excellence of that book, and that's one caveat I would give any reader who is investigating humorous, middle grade/juvenile fairy tale retellings.

As far as suitability for young readers, I think it's fine for kids who are 8-12 (or older readers who like J/MG fiction). However, this would be too scary for a younger reader.  Not that much is described, but the idea of a witch eating bad kids or even worse, their parents giving them away to the witch, is pretty disturbing, even for a much older reader like myself.

If you are able to get this on audiobook, I recommend it. I liked the narrator.

Overall rating:  3.25/5.0 stars.



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Fated by Benedict Jacka

Fated by Benedict Jacka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fated is a fantastic debut novel.  This is what urban fantasy can accomplish, taking fantasy concepts and giving them a new spin in a modern setting.  Jacka uses the concept of an age-old war between Dark and Light Mages and sets it in contemporary London.  While many will think of Dresden and recommend this to fans of that great series, I don't even think it's fair to compare them outside of the fact that they are both male POV urban fantasy novels with magical protagonists.  Jacka writes his own book here, and I loved him for it.  Yes, it does have the somewhat smart-alecky, down on his luck magical protagonist, but actually Alex Verus and Harry Dresden couldn't be more different.

While I am not a big fan of witchcraft themes in urban fantasy, I love the idea of modern-day mages and magic-users.  This book is for those who like to see the magical battles without all the spellwork and spellcasting along with it.   And the one thing that felt so refreshing and delightfully distinct was the fact that Alex is a Diviner. His main ability is to see the future and shift through possible outcomes and choose the best one for his situation.  This makes Alex more of a thinking man hero as opposed to a reactive/shoot first and ask questions last hero.  His strength is his ability to assess the situation and choose wisely.  He will be the first to admit that he's often out-numbered and our-powered by his adversaries, but that just makes me more loyal and root for him all the more.  Because of the fact that he has been the punching bag, Alex has a lot of humility and grace for those who aren't strong.  I respected his sense of right and wrong, even if he's not exactly what you'd call a Boy Scout.

Luna is an interesting secondary character.  I felt for her situation, and I have a feeling that her relationship with Alex will continue to be pivotal in this series.  In some ways, they aren't that different. Both isolated and ostracized for being different.  They have a strong connection, even just on that level.

I found the storyline very interesting.  Alex having to navigate through shark-infested waters of political and physically violent power struggles between Dark and Light Mages.  Jacka endows his world with a lot of weight and texture.  He takes the urban fantasy genre is a much needed different direction.  Instead of treading on the overtrodden territory of vampires, werewolves and even faerie, he focuses on magic users and not the kind you usually see in urban fantasy novels.  I found his insights into the social dynamics of Dark Mages quite enlightening and it felt very realistic. Although he doesn't dwell on it, there are some very disturbing and dark (no pun intended) aspects to their concept of power and how it's obtained and used.

This took a while to read because the print in my copy was tiny!  But that doesn't mean I was bored. I was too sucked in to feel boredom. Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres, so I do have high expectations, but this one exceeded those nicely.  I was drawn into this world whenever I picked up the book to read, and I will definitely read more of this series. 

I highly recommend this to fans of urban fantasy, especially those looking for something different!



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Leopard's Prey by Christine Feehan

Leopard's Prey by Christine Feehan

My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars


Leopard's Prey is Remy Boudreaux's story and he lives up to the anticipation he built when he entered the scene the first time in Savage Nature.   It's been a year since I read a Feehan book, so Remy's book is a great way to break my fast.  I knew Remy would be 'something else,' the kind of hero only Feehan can write.  With Bijou, he gets the story and the heroine that I wished for. 

I will freely admit that the GhostWalkers is my favorite series by Feehan, and the others pale in comparison, so I make sure my expectations reflect the fact that all the redoubtable Ms. Feehan's writing gets measured against this series, because of my inestimable love for it. However, I am always very happy to get my hands on another book by her, since I just plain enjoy her writing. She has some interesting stories with characters I fall for and burning hot and emotional love stories.  That's what this romance fan loves.

Anyway, Leopard's Prey is steeped in Louisiana bayou atmosphere.  The characters are almost all natives of this region, and based on my short visits to this part of the United States, I felt like I was taking another trip down there and enjoying it, taking in the sights and sounds.  Additionally, the feel of family is strong in this novel.  The Boudreaux clan of brothers and sister, along with the larger Leopard Clan, are tightly bonded to each other, loving and teasing each other, sometimes in mean ways (but it's all in fun).  Bijou, who had just about the most dysfunctional childhood ever, needs a family like this, full of people who watch out for each other, even as they give each other a hard time.  

Bijou is the daughter of a notorious, yet beloved rock star.  This is very important to the story because it affects everything in Bijou's adult life and all her relationships. He failed her beyond measure as a parent, scarring her self-esteem and sense of confidence, despite her incredibly beautiful looks and formidable musical talent of her own. I really liked her character.  Despite her awful start in life, she's grown into a wonderful woman with a generous heart and a strong core, despite her insecurities.   Remy and Bijou have a long-standing and deep bond from an event a long time ago, when he saves her life as an eight-year-old, but their lives go in different directions. Remy is quite older than Bijou, but in some ways, she has as much to teach him and he does her.  Remy needs to learn the language of love that Bijou speaks. He takes it for granted that she night not understand how special she is, when she doesn't have that frame of reference at all.  Growing up the way she did, how could she? Remy knows intellectually that Bijou is clueless on their shared leopard heritage. However, he doesn't get that she might interpret the strong sexual attraction they share as merely a function of the Leopards' sexual needs and not any higher bond between them, or that she is special to Remy.  So a good chunk of the book is about them exploring their relationship and coming to understand just what it means on both sides to be together (paired to the murder mystery). 

Bijou and Remy had great chemistry. The love scenes are quite scorching.  Feehan makes a big deal about the leopard's need for rough sex, and it does veer in that direction, but nothing too out there or tasteless, in my mind.  I do roll my eyes a bit at the whole 'dominating' aspect of the love scenes, 'cause that's not my thing at all.  There is no question that Remy is a sexy beast though!  I like how Feehan uses the love scenes to show the different aspects of their relationship:  primal, affectionate, deeply emotional and fiercely intimate, and even playful.  I also appreciated how Feehan presents the leopard nature.  She gets the aspect of this big cat right, and it fits in with this story of human leopard shapeshifters. In some ways, this story reminded me of the film Cat People, but with a much happier ending that I always wished for.

I can only give this in the four stars region because I feel like this story could have been longer.   I felt like I missed something when it ended.  Maybe I am just very rapacious when it comes to books by this author.  She gets me hooked and I hate when the ride is over too soon. The story moves along at an expansive pace, and before I knew it, things were wrapping up.  For those who are following the Leopard storyline, this doesn't add a whole lot to the overall Leopard shapeshifter species arc from the beginning. It focuses on the Boudreaux family and the specific group in the Louisiana bayou.  Some of the original guys show up in cameos, which was cool. As far as the storyline, it was more of a murder mystery/romantic suspense with paranormal romance, and lacks as much action as some of Feehan's books.  I did think the mystery was quite suspenseful and the aspects of the murder was kind of gruesome and disturbing. The killer was not the person I expected at all (Well, I got this sick suspicion later on in the story and was hoping I was wrong). The reasons were very chilling for that person's actions, although there could be no palatable reason for what the murderer was doing.  

Although not a five star book, it was higher in the four star range, because I enjoyed reading it immensely, and I tried to savor reading it.  I could have done with more book, as I said earlier, so that takes off from my rating.  I couldn't subtract too much because of the high enjoyment factor.  I have so much fun visiting with Feehan's characters in the various series, and I admit the Leopard series did sneak up on me.  I loved Bijou as much if not more than Remy, which is saying something. She's a sweet woman, and you just want her to have her happy ever after. I'm glad that her prince is Remy and she's going to be a part of the Boudreaux clan and will get the family she missed out on.  I'm curious to see what Feehan comes up with next in this series.

Overall rating:  4.25/5.0 stars.



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Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

Crystal Gardens [With Earbuds] by Amanda Quick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Crystal Gardens is for readers who enjoy their historical romance with strong paranormal elements. In this case, a huge part of the story is the concept of 'psychical energies.'  Both Evangeline and Lucas have paranormal abilities, and they are drawn to Crystal Gardens, Lucas' deceased uncle's estate by no accident. In the case of Lucas, he comes to investigate his uncle's murder. Evangeline comes to soak up the atmosphere and work on her series of serial novels, and also to investigate the place that her father (a man who studied psychical energies and invented machines that ran on these energies) was obsessed with.  Evangeline is also fleeing a murderer and ends up running right into Lucas' arms, which is a very good thing!  Lucas is just the knight in tarnished armor to keep her safe.

I enjoyed listening to this book on audio but it did fall short overall. The narrator has a very dramatic way of reading it.  Sometimes, her voice sounded a little odd (especially when she narrated the male characters), but I loved her British accent, and that each character sounded distinctive.  I think that Quick's books lend themselves very well to audiobooks.  Her style is very focused on the mystery components, and the romance seems to take a bit of a back seat at times. This would probably bother me more if I was reading than when I listen to books. That is not to say that the romance wasn't good. It was. I just could have used more than I got.  I do feel that she emphasized the paranormal elements too much.  She used the term 'psychical' excessively.  I think that the reader gets the point about the paranormal energies and she could have spent time on building up the story in other ways. I do think Quick excelled in her descriptions of the Gardens and its otherworldly atmosphere.  I felt like I was there in the Gardens, which might be a very strange experience indeed.

Unfortunately, the characters didn't feel as well-developed as I would have liked.  I found Evangeline and Lucas likable and intriguing, but I don't feel that I knew them as well as I wanted. I feel that Quick did more telling about them than showing. Maybe she could have caused their characterization come to light more organically if she had spent more time on revealing who they were than explaining about the paranormal elements of the Crystal Gardens.  At the end of the story, I could feel their attraction and feelings for each other, but I didn't get to explore this powerful love that supposedly had developed between them. Since this is a romance, that is crucial.  I found the love scenes well written and passionate, and I really liked this about the book.  I did feel the attraction between Evangeline and Lucas, although Quick sort of stole its impact by implying it was related to the psychical energies.  Lucas is the kind of hero I love, strong, intelligent, compelling, and dangerous in an appealing way, but something was missing from his portrayal. Evangeline was a good person, a sweet woman who is independent and intelligent, and I wanted things to work out for her, but she wasn't distinctive as a character.  The secondary character were barely fleshed out.  I did like Evangeline's friends Clarissa and Beatrice, as well as Lucas' siblings, Beth and Tony. I also like Molly, Evangeline's maid, and Stone, Lucas' manservant, but they weren't as vivid as I would have liked.  Judith, Lucas' stepmother seemed more lively in her characterization, especially with her feelings of antipathy towards Lucas and the reasons for them. The way Lucas treated Judith endeared me to him. He was respectful and he took his responsibilities for her very seriously even though she had never treated him well.  The villain was quite cardboard, and his motivations were shallow.  He shows up just in time for a thrilling climax, but he spends very little time in this book overall.

I guess it's clear I wanted to like this book more than I did. I liked it, but I think that this author is capable of writing a better book than this. I say that with all respect for her.  I hope that the next books in the Ladies of Mystery have the spark that this book was lacking, because I think this series really has potential. And I am a sucker for the Victorian Gothic romance!




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A Honeyed Seduction by Diana Hamilton

A Honeyed Seduction by Diana Hamilton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Honeyed Seduction seemed to mirror another Harlequin Presents I recently read in the same weekend, which is a very cool coincidence. Like the heroine in the other book, Chelsea is the product of divorced parents who had a bad marriage.  She has avoided emotional and physical entanglements, and has focused on her career. Unlike the other heroine, she knows that a sexual relationship without emotional involvement wouldn't work for her.  In this novel, Quinn is another hero who is pursuing a reluctant heroine.  In this case, the dynamic turns out very differently.

Chelsea's boss is sexually harassing her.  In order to get recommended for a promotion, she has to sleep with him.  Chelsea seizes on the idea of getting her neighbor, Quinn (who as far as she knows is the rich, aimless playboy son of the billionaire Ryder Gem empire), to pretend to be her fiance'.  Quinn agrees, but he starts being very touchy feely at the public function they are both attending, so the word gets out in a big way about their engagement.  As a result, Quinn manipulates Chelsea into agreeing to be engaged publicly for a lot longer than she wanted and going to stay at his family home for two weeks.  He claims he is using the engagement to discourage a girlfriend who is trying to get him to marry her.

Chelsea is clearly in over her head.  She has plenty of feelings towards Quinn.  He's attractive and sexy, and deep down, she is not immune to him.  He comes on pretty strongly.  He is actually quite predatory.  For Chelsea, that's an issue, because she doesn't want sex without a commitment, and she doesn't want to be married.  And the more time she spends with Quinn, it's getting harder to say no to his appeal and to keep from falling in love.

I can't really say why I gave this book four stars. I think I just felt more enjoyment as I read than the other books I read this weekend.  I liked Chelsea a lot.  I could understand where she was coming from.  Quinn acted a little too much like a billionaire playboy for my tastes, even though he was actually hard-working and had in fact, saved their company.  He lived down to the ideas that Chelsea had of him, which was unfortunate, because that made her more wary of him emotionally.  I think that Quinn should have been more honest about his feelings, and Chelsea would have trusted him more and have been more willing to go with her feelings towards him.  Instead, he was playing along with her ideas, and that made him seem kind of like the oily playboy type, think young Hugh Hefner (gag!).  That rubbed me the wrong way, and that would have been a turnoff for me if I was Chelsea.  On a lighter note, it was amusing how he was always trying to undress Chelsea.  A recurring motif of this novel.

Maybe this book was a little more fun and I needed a fun read when I read it. Maybe that's why it feels more like a four star read to me.  Plus, I do like the whole pretend engagement/lovers storyline. It's a good opportunity for the characters to spend time together and fall in love.    I can't seem to talk myself out of the four star rating, so I'll leave it be.  A good, quick, entertaining story when I needed it.



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Mistress At A Price by Sara Craven

Mistress At A Price by Sara Craven

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Mistress At a Price is perfect for my Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group movie challenge, because it has a 9 1/2 Weeks feel. I needed a book for that movie, and I got one here.  This is quite different for a Sara Craven book, IMO.  The heroine is a more 'worldly' woman than she usually writes. She's the one who wants a no-strings attached sexual relationship with the hero. The reasons are quite interesting. She is deathly afraid of emotional attachment, because of her parents' disastrous marriage and the subsequent string of marriage and affairs they have both had afterwards.  She feels that she's better off staying single and focusing on making a life for herself and a career outside of emotional attachments with men.  While she's not inexperienced, it's clear that she is also not a serial 'hit it and quit it' dater.  She has some vulnerability that isn't quite as well-hidden as she thinks.  She uses brittle armor to try to keep Liam at a distance, and she's not very nice to him at times. 

We don't get Liam's point of view, so one has to guess how he feels about everything, but I suspected that he always had strong feelings towards her, and he was taking it slow so she wouldn't be scared off.  I think that backfires, because he gives her the impression he is just after sex with her and seems almost predatory in that sense. I think that even when he shows objections initially to Cat's plan, she felt it was because he wasn't in control of their relationship parameters, not because he could have wanted more from the relationship.  This is one of those books that I wish the characters would stop playing games.  I don't have a lot of patience for that, honestly. This dynamic is not romantic to me.   For me, a romance book has to show the emotions and the bond between the characters that goes beyond physical to the emotional/mental level.  Otherwise, it's empty for me. I'm not saying that Craven doesn't bring that to the table.  You get the impression that there is a lot more going on, but I was frustrated at Cat because she should have just been real and told Liam that she wanted more than what she originally suggested.  While she enjoyed making love with him and spending time with him, deep down, she felt rejected and unfulfilled because she wasn't getting what she needed emotionally.  It was kind of like when you get a Quarter Pounder with Cheese Large Size meal from McDonalds. It might satisfy at the time, but afterwards, the regrets surface. I realize she was afraid, but it was clear she wasn't happy with what she was getting with their 'no-strings' fling.

One thing I liked about this book was how it showed the change for the better in Cat's relationships with both her parents.  Those old wounds were being healed in the best way possible.  She was seeing her parents' regrets about their broken relationship and their efforts to make amends and to fix that relationship, because they still loved each other. Also they worked on seeding love into their relationship with Cat. I think they could finally see how damaging their antics were to their oldest daughter.  The ending was very poignant, and that definitely enhanced my opinion of the book overall.  A good way to end things, and felt almost like full circle.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as most of the others I've read by Sara Craven. I know it's a 'me' thing. I am not big on the no strings attached/affair theme, so of course, I'm not going to get as much out of this as someone who is more attracted to this storyline. I did like that Craven delves into the emotional impact of this kind of relationship on a person who is not jaded about relationships and believes in sex without emotional involvement. I don't look at sex that way, so for me, anytime I read books where sex is treated as something that can be indulged in without an emotional impact, I don't feel it's truthful, at least in my perception.

The writing was good, and I felt the emotions and the poignancy of Cat's situation.  I didn't see as much romantic payout, which is why I read romance, so that's part of why I couldn't rate this higher.

Overall rating:  3.5/5.0 stars.





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Deadly Angel by Sarah Holland

Deadly Angel by Sarah Holland
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Deadly Angel was an entertaining read, and it definitely had plenty of tension and emotion to it. When I read Harlequin Presents, those are some of my biggest criteria, so the book scores in that way. However, I couldn't give it high marks because of some issues that were too serious to overlook. Let's discuss those first.

Nick is a bully. He is used to throwing his weight around and using his sinister reputation to get what he wants. I like tough, scary heroes, but I don't like bullies. I thought he was way too physically intimidating with Olivia. He forces her to kiss him and pushes her around in a way that felt uncomfortable to me. He does not rape her, Thank God. However, his behavior was still hard to swallow. I think I would have flung the book against the wall if Olivia hadn't been a courageous woman who didn't bow to his intimidation (any more than she could avoid). I don't quite understand why she fell in love with him though. He wasn't nice to her. He didn't treat her that well. He didn't show her much gentleness. Even with the scary, sexy, cool literary men I love, I need to see and to feel that he is a man the heroine could love. I didn't quite feel that with Deadly Angel. Yes, he's sexy if you like a domineering, rough, demanding hero who threatens her constantly.... But all of a sudden, she realizes she is deeply in love with him? Huh? I did appreciate his loyalty to his family and that he worked hard to bring his family business back from the edge of oblivion. Some of his methods, not so much.

Another aspect I struggled with is the almost stereotypical presentation of Sicilians as violent, dangerous people. Maybe I don't know much about Sicilians, but I don't think it's right to label a group of people some way. People have done plenty of that with black people, and I'm not having that. I really dislike movies/books about the Italian/Sicilian mafia, and this book sort of took me too close to that perception. If I was Sicilian, I think I'd be a bit offended. I'd be curious to see what a person of Sicilian ancestry thinks about it. Maybe I am taking it too seriously....

I liked Olivia. I felt for her situation. You can't help if you don't love someone, and what Greg did was not her fault. But she did was right in that she went to him to help him when he was in the hospital and recovering. I didn't quite get her actions towards the end of the book though. Why would she get in the car with that slug? I would have kept on walking and I probably would have started screaming to draw attention to myself. But I guess it gave Nick the chance to be protective....

Anyway, I give some points for dramaticism, emotion, and the fact that this book kept my interest, but I have to subtract points for Nick's brutish nature and the stereotyping of Sicilians. I think 3.5/5.0 stars is a fair rating.



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The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will freely admit that part of why I read this book was that I enjoyed what I have seen of the movie so much. I actually didn't get to watch all of it, as I caught it on Turner Classic Movies after it started and wasn't able to watch the whole movie. I made a note that I wanted to read the book and get the whole movie set on DVD at some point. Additionally, I am interested in the roots of the detective novel. You can't explore detective fiction without reading Dashiell Hammett. So here we go....

I liked this book. It starts out very well. I was instantly drawn into the story from the first sentence. The writing is crisp and ripe with that heady atmosphere of the early 20th Century (1930s). There is a cynicism apparent in the characterization and the dialogue that speaks of its noir tone. That makes sense in light of the fact that it takes place during The Great Depression and right at the end of the Prohibition years. I was quite surprised at the frank elements of sex, drug/alcohol abuse, and crime, and a hint of police corruption (clearly I haven't read much pulp/noir classic fiction). Sadly, the 'n' word was used, which I could have done without. I have to say I appreciated the unsympathetic portrayal of human nature more than the actual mystery. Hammett's lens of humanity (via Nick) is not at all rose colored, but it's very astute and the characters were well-drawn. Overall, this was very good. While it did have some good twists and turns, it was rather anticlimactic in the end.

Nick Charles is a suitably amiable narrator. He seems experienced and wise to the ways of the world, nobody's fool. Yet he isn't completely jaded or lacking in integrity and honor. People seems to like him and open up to him, but he's not a man to take advantage of. While Nick is now retired from private investigation, his acquaintances draw him into a case unwillingly. I think Nick's nose for a mystery leads him the rest of the way. Nick proves that his investigative skills have not weakened in his retirement. I must say that I enjoyed the fact that Nora's a very perceptive woman with a good brain for investigation as well, even though she serves in the capacity of a part-time sidekick to Nick. Available to give a helping hand and a word to point him in the right direction. Hammett teaches me how to write a novel in which the mystery is tag-teamed by two instead of where the main character works alone and always knows more than anyone else.

This novel had me laughing a lot initially. Hammett's writing was quite witty, albeit cynical. Nick and Nora definitely like their booze, and have strong opinions on good quality alcohol. Their constant drinking was a source of humor to me, although I did wonder what effects it had on their liver.

Not one of the characters in this book is what I would consider well-adjusted, outside of Nora, and possibly Nick. Nora as seen through Nick's eyes doesn't reveal a whole lot about her except that she is very observant and has a nurturing nature (shown in the way she cared for and fussed over Dorothy). She also seems to lack patience for gossipy types, considering her dislike of Tip, a hostess in their social circle. She clearly loves Nick and feels comfortable with him to say what she thinks. She doesn't coddle him, although she does see to his comfort and is affectionate. She keeps things real with him and tells him the truth when he needs to hear it. I enjoyed their banter. Nora seems like a woman of her times, but is neither overly submissive or dominant in a way that would be unlikely for her times. In comparison to other women in the book, she comes off as the ideal mate to a seasoned man of the world--attractive, accepting, intelligent, socially graced, and fun-loving. I found it amusing how captivated the police detective, Guild was with Nora.

Mimi, the ex-wife of the missing man that starts the case that this novel revolves around, is a negative contrast. She is calculating and emotionally unstable. Her cruelty towards her daughter and her tendency to manipulate others cancels out her clearly considerable beauty and physical charms. Nick's narrative suggests that she is envious of her daughter (who is described as gorgeous and beautiful for her young years by few of the male characters). Despite these negative traits, she's not quite the quintessential femme fatale one expects to encounter in noir fiction. Dorothy herself was hard to read. She seems to lack emotional stability, but that makes sense in light of the abuse she suffers with her mother, and the fact that she probably gets far too much and unwanted attention from men for her young age. She latches onto Nick and Nora as a substitute parental unit, as they represent stability that she has lacked in her family life. Other characters also have a rather vivid life, despite the shorter length of this novel. As any good mystery writer, Hammett gives the reader a healthy list of suspects from which to choose the culprit, and I didn't guess who it was until Nick reveals the murderer.

As I said earlier, I found the denouement rather lacking in tension, which did dim my enjoyment a bit. Additionally, this book falls into periods of expansive dialogue towards the end that felt a bit tedious. Despite those shortcomings, this was still an enjoyable book. I would have to agree that this book is quite different in feel from the movie. I wonder if that is because of the Movie Codes. I don't think they could have gotten away with putting some of the more frank elements in this novel in the movie version, so they played up the witty banter and humorous elements from the novel.

All in all, I enjoyed my first exposure to Dashiell Hammett. I felt truly immersed in this time period and I liked Nick and Nora as main detectives. I like reading about main characters who are married, and this is definitely one to recommend to readers who enjoy this theme. I will be reading The Maltese Falcon in the near future.

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Bride by Design by Leigh Michaels

Bride By Design  (Contract Brides) by Leigh Michaels

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was hoping for a good, older Harlequin goodie when I picked this up, but I didn't get my fix that I wanted.  Reading this was like swimming through molasses. I don't know if it was my mood or if the story just didn't do it for me. I suspect it was a bit of both.  Now I am not the girl who thinks every book she reads needs to have descriptive sex, so that wasn't my problem with this book. It was that I didn't feel the love between David and Eve.  Eve was fighting tooth and nail not to feel anything, I do get.  She was recovering from a damaging relationship with a man who turned out to be married, which I can respect. However, the execution on that was poor. I never felt that Eve had an ethical dilemma with the adultery so much as that he was thinking of leaving his wife for her, and specifically his kids.  Yes, taking a man away from his children is bad, but it's also bad to participate in an adulterous relationship and contributing to a man betraying his wife is equally bad.  I didn't expect Eve to wear a scarlet letter 'A', but she didn't seem to have any angst about the actual act of cheating.  The author threw in a casual 'he said he was separated', which means nothing to me. He's still married.  So, yes, that was an issue with this book.

The other issue is just that it felt mediocre.  No passions were stirred in the slightest.  I didn't care about the love story.  David was mildly appealing. He was a nice guy, he was attractive, but he was bland to me. I liked him, and that was as deep as it got.  Eve was bland as well, when she wasn't abrasive.  I didn't care about her that much. I normally like when the heroine is slow to fall for the hero and he has to work to woo her, when it's done well, but in the case of this book, it didn't work for me. As far as Eve, I didn't feel any sympathy for her and I don't think David did that much wooing.

End verdict:  This was disappointing for a book of my favorite theme: marriage of convenience.  I guess my needs for a good and quick romance were too great for this book to satisfy. I give it three stars because it wasn't a bad book, but it was just okay.  Lukewarm is a good word for it.  One thing I did like was the fact that David was a jewelry designer, and his creations sounded beautiful! Oh, and it was set in Chicago, a much beloved city to me.  There was even a scene where David had ordered pizza.  Chicago style pizza---sigh!



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