- Tracey Anne Warren -
Ugh, this one started out with so much promise since I love tortured men brought back to life by determined heroine style stories, but there was major, epic fail in the form of Too Stupid To Live behaviour from the heroine, Meg, that it ended up driving me nuts.
Cade starts off all adorable and tortured, but gets distracted by a half assed suspense plot and immediately seems to forget all his mental turmoil as he works to prove the bad guy is evil.
And Meg. Seriously, Meg? You know the bad guy is guilty of evil, evil acts including torture and MURDERING INNOCENT FEMALE BYSTANDERS, and you think it's a good idea to trot off after your super spy boyfriend to "help" instead of, I don't know, enlisting the help of any one of his multiple big strong brothers, who are all on his side? She kind of deserves the hostage situation she lands in, is what I am saying.
But no worries, cause Cade's super spy mojo is back, all trauma forgotten, and he saves the day. My eyes, they are rolling.
Disappointing because the legitimate issues between Meg and Cade could have been really compelling as they overcame their back stories and how they met to fall in love but it ended up just falling flatter than a pancake.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Scandal
- Carolyn Jewel-
Hero: Gwilym, Earl of Bannalt. A notorious rake, Bannalt has reformed his ways after falling deeply in love with Sophie, wife of one of his carousing buddies.
Heroine: Sophie Mercer. Sophie was seduced into an elopement when she was barely 17 by a man who was interested primarily in her money and abandoned her more or less destitute in the country whilst he enjoyed himself in London. She is widowed now and very reluctant to tie herself to another man.
I really love the reformed rake working his butt off to prove to the lady he loves that he has changed storyline, and this was a really beautifully told example. I loved that it was Sophie who has the doubts and misgivings based on her previous relationship and her knowledge of Bannalt's prior behaviour, and he worked constantly to prove to her that he had changed and did love her.
There were a couple of threads that I wish had been explored more, ie: what is different about Sophie and why he will remain faithful to her, what Bannalt's relationship with his first wife was like as he admitted to loving her to so why did he cheat on her and will not on Sophie? I also would have liked to seen more exploration of how the death of his beloved daughter was a catalyst for the changes in Bannalt, as the hope of Sophie's love was his ultimate goal.
The only thing I really did not like about this book was the fate of Sophie's brother, John. I was very attached to the character and really did not see what happened coming, which I suppose is a sign of good storytelling, but still, sad!
Definitely picking up Carolyn Jewel's new novel asap.
Hero: Gwilym, Earl of Bannalt. A notorious rake, Bannalt has reformed his ways after falling deeply in love with Sophie, wife of one of his carousing buddies.
Heroine: Sophie Mercer. Sophie was seduced into an elopement when she was barely 17 by a man who was interested primarily in her money and abandoned her more or less destitute in the country whilst he enjoyed himself in London. She is widowed now and very reluctant to tie herself to another man.
I really love the reformed rake working his butt off to prove to the lady he loves that he has changed storyline, and this was a really beautifully told example. I loved that it was Sophie who has the doubts and misgivings based on her previous relationship and her knowledge of Bannalt's prior behaviour, and he worked constantly to prove to her that he had changed and did love her.
There were a couple of threads that I wish had been explored more, ie: what is different about Sophie and why he will remain faithful to her, what Bannalt's relationship with his first wife was like as he admitted to loving her to so why did he cheat on her and will not on Sophie? I also would have liked to seen more exploration of how the death of his beloved daughter was a catalyst for the changes in Bannalt, as the hope of Sophie's love was his ultimate goal.
The only thing I really did not like about this book was the fate of Sophie's brother, John. I was very attached to the character and really did not see what happened coming, which I suppose is a sign of good storytelling, but still, sad!
Definitely picking up Carolyn Jewel's new novel asap.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Don't Tempt Me
- Loretta Chase -
Typically entertaining read, with amusing character moments, but felt like the story was a little bit underdeveloped in this one, ie:
- never got much in the way of reaction to to story surrounding Zoe's sale into slavery by one of her family's servants - her family/friends had nothing to say about this?
- seemed a bit too easy that Zoe managed to spend 12 years in a harem but remain a virgin, whilst still being skilled in all the arts of seduction. Convenient much?
- Lucien's grief over all the losses he suffered make sense, but never really explored enough, especially as related to his disinterest in business affairs etc which resulted in a bunch of servants ripping him off.
- Zoe's assimilation back into society and ease with which she developed a normal romance with Lucien seemed.... too easy? Aside from an understandable reluctance to be kept hidden away in her home, no side effects of the whole experience? Really?
I really did enjoy the story as I was reading it, but when I put it down for a moment the glaring plot holes and lack of development get more irritating.
Typically entertaining read, with amusing character moments, but felt like the story was a little bit underdeveloped in this one, ie:
- never got much in the way of reaction to to story surrounding Zoe's sale into slavery by one of her family's servants - her family/friends had nothing to say about this?
- seemed a bit too easy that Zoe managed to spend 12 years in a harem but remain a virgin, whilst still being skilled in all the arts of seduction. Convenient much?
- Lucien's grief over all the losses he suffered make sense, but never really explored enough, especially as related to his disinterest in business affairs etc which resulted in a bunch of servants ripping him off.
- Zoe's assimilation back into society and ease with which she developed a normal romance with Lucien seemed.... too easy? Aside from an understandable reluctance to be kept hidden away in her home, no side effects of the whole experience? Really?
I really did enjoy the story as I was reading it, but when I put it down for a moment the glaring plot holes and lack of development get more irritating.
Kill Me Twice
- Roxanne St. Claire -
Heroine: Jazz Adams, private investigator and identical twin sister of Jessica Adams, a news anchor gone missing very suddenly.
Hero: Alex Romero, Cuban American alpha male, assigned as a bodyguard to Jessica Adams and ends up guarding Jazz who has taken her sister's place.
I loved that Alex and Jazz felt like more or less equals throughout this story, with different skills they each brought to the table as they tried to solve the mystery of Jessica's disappearance. Too often in romantic thrillers it feels like one of the leads, usually the woman unfortunately, is running around making stupid moves and nonsensical decisions in order to drive the plot and it results in one or both leads coming across as too stupid to leave and basically deserving whatever the villian does to them.
Here, Alex and Jazz disagree, have different approached, but ultimately resolve most of their issues in an adult way so the action feels organic instead of manipulated.
Looking forward to the rest of this series.
Heroine: Jazz Adams, private investigator and identical twin sister of Jessica Adams, a news anchor gone missing very suddenly.
Hero: Alex Romero, Cuban American alpha male, assigned as a bodyguard to Jessica Adams and ends up guarding Jazz who has taken her sister's place.
I loved that Alex and Jazz felt like more or less equals throughout this story, with different skills they each brought to the table as they tried to solve the mystery of Jessica's disappearance. Too often in romantic thrillers it feels like one of the leads, usually the woman unfortunately, is running around making stupid moves and nonsensical decisions in order to drive the plot and it results in one or both leads coming across as too stupid to leave and basically deserving whatever the villian does to them.
Here, Alex and Jazz disagree, have different approached, but ultimately resolve most of their issues in an adult way so the action feels organic instead of manipulated.
Looking forward to the rest of this series.
The Viscount Who Loved Me
- Julia Quinn -
Heroine: Kate Sheffield, the older sister of the most sought after belle of the season, Kate is determined to make sure her sister doesn't marry a rake like Anthony Bridgerton.
Hero: Anthony Bridgerton, the oldest of the eight Bridgerton siblings, Anthony's intense grief over the untimely death of his father left him convinced that he too was fated to die young and therefore he is determined never to fall in love so he will never have to feel the pain of knowing he will leave them behind.
Julia Quinn really is a master at dialogue - the interactions between the character, and particularly between Kate and Anthony as they spar with one another, read as so natural and lively and fun.
The circumstances leading to the actual wedding were almost identical to that of "The Duke and I", with the couple caught in a compromising position and forced to marry, but I really appreciated the fact that once they married, Anthony and Kate were remarkably upfront with each other: getting to know each other, working through their fears and generally behaving like a very well matched and realistic couple.
I am not generally a fan of the "I love him/her but must never let them know" trope because it can just seem so ridiculous and lead to totally unbelievable situations as they try to hide their completely obvious feelings, so I really appreciated the fact that, though it was used here, it wasn't completely overwrought: Kate asked Anthony honestly for his opinion when she feared he was picturing someone else whilst he was with her, Anthony ultimately realised that he could not deny his love for his wife, even if he was going to die young he wanted to enjoy life while he could.
This series so far has created such entertaining and believable family dynamics and it really is such fun to read.
Heroine: Kate Sheffield, the older sister of the most sought after belle of the season, Kate is determined to make sure her sister doesn't marry a rake like Anthony Bridgerton.
Hero: Anthony Bridgerton, the oldest of the eight Bridgerton siblings, Anthony's intense grief over the untimely death of his father left him convinced that he too was fated to die young and therefore he is determined never to fall in love so he will never have to feel the pain of knowing he will leave them behind.
Julia Quinn really is a master at dialogue - the interactions between the character, and particularly between Kate and Anthony as they spar with one another, read as so natural and lively and fun.
The circumstances leading to the actual wedding were almost identical to that of "The Duke and I", with the couple caught in a compromising position and forced to marry, but I really appreciated the fact that once they married, Anthony and Kate were remarkably upfront with each other: getting to know each other, working through their fears and generally behaving like a very well matched and realistic couple.
I am not generally a fan of the "I love him/her but must never let them know" trope because it can just seem so ridiculous and lead to totally unbelievable situations as they try to hide their completely obvious feelings, so I really appreciated the fact that, though it was used here, it wasn't completely overwrought: Kate asked Anthony honestly for his opinion when she feared he was picturing someone else whilst he was with her, Anthony ultimately realised that he could not deny his love for his wife, even if he was going to die young he wanted to enjoy life while he could.
This series so far has created such entertaining and believable family dynamics and it really is such fun to read.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
To Seduce a Sinner
- Elizabeth Hoyt -
Hero: Jasper Renshaw, Lord Vale who was a secondary character in "To Taste Temptation". Jasper is looking for a wife as he knows it is his duty to procreate and he seems intent on getting the job done as quickly as possible so he can focus all his attention on who was responsible for the massacre and torture he witnessed during the war. We are told Jasper is very traumatised as a result of his experiences in the war, but it definitely seems to be something we are told about rather than see - it is never explored or discussed in much depth, much the way Melisande's past is never really gone over.
Heroine: Melisande, a 28 year old spinster who after an early love affair and engagement went wrong, has mostly hidden behind her shyness to avoid society. She has loved Jasper from afar for years and so capitalizes on his broken engagement to offer herself as a replacement bride.
One thing I really did enjoy about this book was the genuine curiousity that both characters had about each other. They seemed to really be interested in getting to know each other, which is not something you necessarily see in a lot of historicals (the getting to know each other part seems to happen incidentally or against someones will). I did find it frustrating that between the two of them they have so much history - Melisande's previous love affair which had no apparent societal repercussions, her social shyness, Jasper's trauma, not just around the war but around the loss of his brother, the loss of his best friend, etc, - but all of it felt like it was skated around and not really dealt with in depth. I just wanted to see a little bit more conversation around the hard stuff I guess, as Melisande and Jasper got to know each other, as well as the more superficial stuff.
Overall a good read though.
Hero: Jasper Renshaw, Lord Vale who was a secondary character in "To Taste Temptation". Jasper is looking for a wife as he knows it is his duty to procreate and he seems intent on getting the job done as quickly as possible so he can focus all his attention on who was responsible for the massacre and torture he witnessed during the war. We are told Jasper is very traumatised as a result of his experiences in the war, but it definitely seems to be something we are told about rather than see - it is never explored or discussed in much depth, much the way Melisande's past is never really gone over.
Heroine: Melisande, a 28 year old spinster who after an early love affair and engagement went wrong, has mostly hidden behind her shyness to avoid society. She has loved Jasper from afar for years and so capitalizes on his broken engagement to offer herself as a replacement bride.
One thing I really did enjoy about this book was the genuine curiousity that both characters had about each other. They seemed to really be interested in getting to know each other, which is not something you necessarily see in a lot of historicals (the getting to know each other part seems to happen incidentally or against someones will). I did find it frustrating that between the two of them they have so much history - Melisande's previous love affair which had no apparent societal repercussions, her social shyness, Jasper's trauma, not just around the war but around the loss of his brother, the loss of his best friend, etc, - but all of it felt like it was skated around and not really dealt with in depth. I just wanted to see a little bit more conversation around the hard stuff I guess, as Melisande and Jasper got to know each other, as well as the more superficial stuff.
Overall a good read though.
The Goddess Rules
- Clare Naylor -
Heroine: Kate Disney, an animal portraitist living in the garden shed of her dad's best friend. Kate was ultimately the weak link of the story for me. She was irritatingly backbone free for most of the book, turning herself into a doormat repeatedly for a boyfriend who treated her like crap. Kate's lack of self esteem and self worth was just annoying to me - constantly putting herself down, and accepting crap treatment and treating others with disdain and like crap in the process
Hero: Louis, a conceptual artist who has been in love with Kate forever. We hardly got to know him at all, though he is clearly the smarter of the two as he cannot believe the crap Kate puts up with from Jake. He also never really asserts himself or really features in the story all that much, although the little bits we do see are very attractive as he demonstrates a quiet confidence that is pretty damn sexy.
Overall the supportive characters of Mimi, her long lost love Nick, and the gay friend Louis, are much more interesting. I will say Kate is at her best when she lets go of her snotty behaviours towards Mimi and acts as a real friend to her. Their relationship, thought the development of it is fairly superficial, is the most interesting one as Mimi forces Kate to see herself as worthy and Kate helps Mimi track down her true love.
A cute read, but totally frustrating and predictable too which ultimately killed it for me as the payoff is so perfunctory at the end.
Heroine: Kate Disney, an animal portraitist living in the garden shed of her dad's best friend. Kate was ultimately the weak link of the story for me. She was irritatingly backbone free for most of the book, turning herself into a doormat repeatedly for a boyfriend who treated her like crap. Kate's lack of self esteem and self worth was just annoying to me - constantly putting herself down, and accepting crap treatment and treating others with disdain and like crap in the process
Hero: Louis, a conceptual artist who has been in love with Kate forever. We hardly got to know him at all, though he is clearly the smarter of the two as he cannot believe the crap Kate puts up with from Jake. He also never really asserts himself or really features in the story all that much, although the little bits we do see are very attractive as he demonstrates a quiet confidence that is pretty damn sexy.
Overall the supportive characters of Mimi, her long lost love Nick, and the gay friend Louis, are much more interesting. I will say Kate is at her best when she lets go of her snotty behaviours towards Mimi and acts as a real friend to her. Their relationship, thought the development of it is fairly superficial, is the most interesting one as Mimi forces Kate to see herself as worthy and Kate helps Mimi track down her true love.
A cute read, but totally frustrating and predictable too which ultimately killed it for me as the payoff is so perfunctory at the end.
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