Linda Howard is one of my least favorite authors - her alpha heroes make me want to hurl - but after all the online buzz about this book, I picked it up at a used bookstore.
To Die For by Linda Howard
(Suspense, 2005) 2/26/05
Grade: 4
Former cheerleader Blair Mallory now has a comfortable life, running her own gym. But when one of her clients - who looks just like her - is murdered, she finds herself at risk. At least Lt. Wyatt Bloodsworth is on the case - even if he dumped her after 2 dates. Except all he wants to do is get her into bed!
Cute, and surprisingly enjoyable for a Howard. Normally I hate her “alpha jerk” heroes, but even though Wyatt leans toward alpha territory from time to time, the humorous style of the book makes him less objectionable. The book is written in the first person, and it works here - a slightly airheaded cheerleader heroine probably wouldn’t have worked in third person, but in first person, you get to know her and sympathize with her. I probably won’t remember much about this book in a month, but it was a fun, quick read.
I guess this book shows the value of trying something different.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Delightful Sunday Reading
I've enjoyed some of Diane Farr's Regencies (particularly Once Upon a Christmas) and so I was glad to read her first single title. It was an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
The Fortune Hunter by Diane Farr
(2002, Regency Historical) 2/20/05
Grade: 4
With no other way to save his estate, Lord Rival has to marry an heiress. The first on his list is Lady Olivia Fairfax, who has devoted her life to charitable causes. But when he meets her unexpectedly, he finds himself drawn to her despite himself. But can he persuade her to risk everything, and marry him?
Witty, sexy, but not deeply emotionally involving. This was a smooth and easy read - I finished it in a couple of hours, and quite enjoyed reading it. The characters were fun, and although there’s no actual sex, the sexual tension between the hero and heroine fills the book. The focus of the book is the developing relationship between George and Olivia, and it’s fun to read. But even though I enjoyed these characters, I wasn’t deeply drawn into their story - up until the end, when the book does take off with true emotion. I wasn’t sure how to grade this book, but in the end, I had to grade it down slightly because it didn’t quite touch my heart.
Farr has been compared to Georgette Heyer, and in the end, it had the same problems for me that Heyer does - this book is amusing and witty, but doesn't have the level of emotion that I prefer.
The Fortune Hunter by Diane Farr
(2002, Regency Historical) 2/20/05
Grade: 4
With no other way to save his estate, Lord Rival has to marry an heiress. The first on his list is Lady Olivia Fairfax, who has devoted her life to charitable causes. But when he meets her unexpectedly, he finds himself drawn to her despite himself. But can he persuade her to risk everything, and marry him?
Witty, sexy, but not deeply emotionally involving. This was a smooth and easy read - I finished it in a couple of hours, and quite enjoyed reading it. The characters were fun, and although there’s no actual sex, the sexual tension between the hero and heroine fills the book. The focus of the book is the developing relationship between George and Olivia, and it’s fun to read. But even though I enjoyed these characters, I wasn’t deeply drawn into their story - up until the end, when the book does take off with true emotion. I wasn’t sure how to grade this book, but in the end, I had to grade it down slightly because it didn’t quite touch my heart.
Farr has been compared to Georgette Heyer, and in the end, it had the same problems for me that Heyer does - this book is amusing and witty, but doesn't have the level of emotion that I prefer.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Top Read of 2004
Since this was my top read of last year, I thought I'd add a review.
Marry Me by Susan Kay Law
(2002, Western) 6/27/04
Grade: 5
To free her sister from another loveless marriage, Emily Bright heads to Montana where she buys a land claim and intends to make a new life. Except that her new land isn’t empty. The original owner, Jake Sullivan, left after his wife died, but now he’s back and isn’t leaving. But can eternal optimist Emily co-exist with skeptical, taciturn Jake?
A wonderful book. It started out with a lot of laughter, and by the end it grabbed my heart. Both characters are wonderful. Emily is bubbly and eternally optimistic, but she’s not dumb (and not even that naive). Jake is sometimes grumpy and cynical, but he’s not an alpha jerk - he admires Emily’s strength from the beginning. The West is a little bit prettified here, and the ending gets a bit overly sweet, but the gradual development of the relationship between Jake and Emily was well worth it. I stayed up until 3 am reading this one, and then closed the book with a happy sigh.
I consider Susan Kay Law a hidden treasure - some of her books are better than others, but she deserves a bigger audience. I only hope she doesn't end up being pushed into romantic suspense or women's fiction, when she does American Westerns so well!
Marry Me by Susan Kay Law
(2002, Western) 6/27/04
Grade: 5
To free her sister from another loveless marriage, Emily Bright heads to Montana where she buys a land claim and intends to make a new life. Except that her new land isn’t empty. The original owner, Jake Sullivan, left after his wife died, but now he’s back and isn’t leaving. But can eternal optimist Emily co-exist with skeptical, taciturn Jake?
A wonderful book. It started out with a lot of laughter, and by the end it grabbed my heart. Both characters are wonderful. Emily is bubbly and eternally optimistic, but she’s not dumb (and not even that naive). Jake is sometimes grumpy and cynical, but he’s not an alpha jerk - he admires Emily’s strength from the beginning. The West is a little bit prettified here, and the ending gets a bit overly sweet, but the gradual development of the relationship between Jake and Emily was well worth it. I stayed up until 3 am reading this one, and then closed the book with a happy sigh.
I consider Susan Kay Law a hidden treasure - some of her books are better than others, but she deserves a bigger audience. I only hope she doesn't end up being pushed into romantic suspense or women's fiction, when she does American Westerns so well!
Top Ten of 2004
I started this blog in early January - a fresh start in a new year. But it seems like a good time to look back at what I read in 2004.
I've been in a long reading slump, since the late 1990's. (Which corresponds to my becoming active online and getting a full-time job. And having my own apartment and my own TV for the first time. Lots of distractions!) But I don't think it was just the distractions. I only read 6 books in 1998 and 18 in 1999 - quite shocking, especially when I used to routinely read over 100 books a year. I haven't gotten back to that point, but I've been reading more and enjoying books more over the past couple of year. I read 96 books in 2004.
I'm always behind in my reading - with 1500+ books in my TBR, I'm more likely to pick up an older book than a new one. So I can't really judge the quality of 2004 books based on the books I read - I'll probably still be reading 2004 books in 2014. And one of my projects this year was to read through one bookcase of older books, so I probably read fewer new books this year than I have in other years. But there were some interesting trends this year.
When I looked at my top rated books from 2004, I was surprised. Only one historical! (I couldn't do an entire "top ten" because these were the only books I graded B+ or better. I can't really call a B read a "best" book.) I have quite a few 2004 historicals in my TBR pile, but it seems to be a trend - I'm having a harder time finding currently published historicals that I want to read. On the other hand, I bought more categories this year than I have in a decade - maybe Harlequin is finally escaping from their "cowboys and babies" obsession. There are still plenty of brides and babies, but I'm actually finding new categories that I want to read.
1. The Marriage Test by Betina Krahn
2. Finding Mary Blaine by Jodi Thomas
3. Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella
4. A Family Christmas by Carrie Alexander (HSR 1239)
5. Forbidden by Tori Carrington (HB 129)
6. Mommy Said Goodbye by Janice Kay Johnson (HSR 1197)
7. Visions in Death by J.D. Robb
But when I look at my top reads of the year, regardless of publication date, the list is quite different. The only "keeper" I read this year was a traditional American historical - Marry Me by Susan Kay Law. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book (published in 2002).
I think that romance has lost something important by giving up on American historicals and pushing so many authors into other periods. There's something unique about books with this type of setting - you can't just transplant these stories to another time and place and have them work the same way.
I have to give a mention to Suzanne Enoch's England's Perfect Hero - a book that started off as the best of the year, and ended as the worst. I am baffled by this book. The first half was an exquisite tortured hero story, but then it went off in a different - and bad - direction. When the hero and heroine started humping each other in the mud in an open stable yard (and I use the word "humping" deliberately), I couldn't believe it was the same book. Perhaps the author just went off track, but I can't help wondering if it was the result of publisher pressure to "sex up" the book and to add unneeded excitement and suspense.
My top ten reads of the year:
1. Marry Me by Susan Kay Law
2. The Top Gun's Return by Kathleen Creighton (SIM 1262)
3. A Merry Little Christmas by Martha Schroeder
4. Hazard by Jo Beverley
5. The Nights Before Christmas by Vicki Lewis Thompson (HT 853)
6. The Marriage Test by Betina Krahn
7. A Promise Of Love by Karen Ranney
8. The Tenderfoot Bride by Cheryl St. John
9. Miss Ware's Refusal by Marjorie Farrell
10. Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath
I've been in a long reading slump, since the late 1990's. (Which corresponds to my becoming active online and getting a full-time job. And having my own apartment and my own TV for the first time. Lots of distractions!) But I don't think it was just the distractions. I only read 6 books in 1998 and 18 in 1999 - quite shocking, especially when I used to routinely read over 100 books a year. I haven't gotten back to that point, but I've been reading more and enjoying books more over the past couple of year. I read 96 books in 2004.
I'm always behind in my reading - with 1500+ books in my TBR, I'm more likely to pick up an older book than a new one. So I can't really judge the quality of 2004 books based on the books I read - I'll probably still be reading 2004 books in 2014. And one of my projects this year was to read through one bookcase of older books, so I probably read fewer new books this year than I have in other years. But there were some interesting trends this year.
When I looked at my top rated books from 2004, I was surprised. Only one historical! (I couldn't do an entire "top ten" because these were the only books I graded B+ or better. I can't really call a B read a "best" book.) I have quite a few 2004 historicals in my TBR pile, but it seems to be a trend - I'm having a harder time finding currently published historicals that I want to read. On the other hand, I bought more categories this year than I have in a decade - maybe Harlequin is finally escaping from their "cowboys and babies" obsession. There are still plenty of brides and babies, but I'm actually finding new categories that I want to read.
1. The Marriage Test by Betina Krahn
2. Finding Mary Blaine by Jodi Thomas
3. Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella
4. A Family Christmas by Carrie Alexander (HSR 1239)
5. Forbidden by Tori Carrington (HB 129)
6. Mommy Said Goodbye by Janice Kay Johnson (HSR 1197)
7. Visions in Death by J.D. Robb
But when I look at my top reads of the year, regardless of publication date, the list is quite different. The only "keeper" I read this year was a traditional American historical - Marry Me by Susan Kay Law. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book (published in 2002).
I think that romance has lost something important by giving up on American historicals and pushing so many authors into other periods. There's something unique about books with this type of setting - you can't just transplant these stories to another time and place and have them work the same way.
I have to give a mention to Suzanne Enoch's England's Perfect Hero - a book that started off as the best of the year, and ended as the worst. I am baffled by this book. The first half was an exquisite tortured hero story, but then it went off in a different - and bad - direction. When the hero and heroine started humping each other in the mud in an open stable yard (and I use the word "humping" deliberately), I couldn't believe it was the same book. Perhaps the author just went off track, but I can't help wondering if it was the result of publisher pressure to "sex up" the book and to add unneeded excitement and suspense.
My top ten reads of the year:
1. Marry Me by Susan Kay Law
2. The Top Gun's Return by Kathleen Creighton (SIM 1262)
3. A Merry Little Christmas by Martha Schroeder
4. Hazard by Jo Beverley
5. The Nights Before Christmas by Vicki Lewis Thompson (HT 853)
6. The Marriage Test by Betina Krahn
7. A Promise Of Love by Karen Ranney
8. The Tenderfoot Bride by Cheryl St. John
9. Miss Ware's Refusal by Marjorie Farrell
10. Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath
Poignant and Emotional
Cheryl St. John has been an auto-buy for me for some time, although I don't have any of her books as keepers. But her books are always satisfying, solid reads. This one didn't disappoint.
Prairie Wife by Cheryl St. John (HH 739)
(2005, Western) 2/17/05
Grade: 4.5
The book is set in Nebraska in 1867. The hero and heroine have been married for a few years, and as the book opens, they are burying their 3 year old son. It's a heart wrenching beginning. The book then jumps ahead a year, as Amy and Jesse are struggling with their grief. Amy has locked herself away so she won't be hurt again, and Jesse is sleeping in the bunkhouse with a bottle of whiskey. Can they find a way back to each other
again?
Cheryl St. John doesn't write unique plots - although there are a couple of interesting turns in this book, I could have predicted just about everything that happens. Even the "exciting twist" that happens at the 3/4 point is familiar from dozens of westerns. But in her books, they don't feel like cliches. She creates characters that you care about, emotions that mean something. Although the book was a bit slow, especially in the first half, I really enjoyed it. I cared about Amy and Jesse, and their gradual journey back to each other was poignant and sweet. It's a kind of book you rarely find any more.
This is a kind of story that just doesn't fit in a Regency Historical format - it wouldn't be the same in a different time and place. These characters are quintessentially American Western. It's a type of story that we're losing, because of the insistent purblishing focus on a few types of books. It's sad to think that so few of these stories are being written now. Cheryl St. John could be called the heir of LaVyrle Spencer, and I think there are readers out there who are still hungering for this kind of book. I hope they find this one.
Prairie Wife by Cheryl St. John (HH 739)
(2005, Western) 2/17/05
Grade: 4.5
The book is set in Nebraska in 1867. The hero and heroine have been married for a few years, and as the book opens, they are burying their 3 year old son. It's a heart wrenching beginning. The book then jumps ahead a year, as Amy and Jesse are struggling with their grief. Amy has locked herself away so she won't be hurt again, and Jesse is sleeping in the bunkhouse with a bottle of whiskey. Can they find a way back to each other
again?
Cheryl St. John doesn't write unique plots - although there are a couple of interesting turns in this book, I could have predicted just about everything that happens. Even the "exciting twist" that happens at the 3/4 point is familiar from dozens of westerns. But in her books, they don't feel like cliches. She creates characters that you care about, emotions that mean something. Although the book was a bit slow, especially in the first half, I really enjoyed it. I cared about Amy and Jesse, and their gradual journey back to each other was poignant and sweet. It's a kind of book you rarely find any more.
This is a kind of story that just doesn't fit in a Regency Historical format - it wouldn't be the same in a different time and place. These characters are quintessentially American Western. It's a type of story that we're losing, because of the insistent purblishing focus on a few types of books. It's sad to think that so few of these stories are being written now. Cheryl St. John could be called the heir of LaVyrle Spencer, and I think there are readers out there who are still hungering for this kind of book. I hope they find this one.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
A Week Of Frustrating Reading
I've had a very unsatisfactory couple of weeks - I tried three books and quit halfway through each. I really need to find something good.
Emily and the Dark Angel by Jo Beverley
(1991, Regency) 2/13/05
Grade: 2.5
Practical spinster Emily Grantwich has taken over running the small family estate since her father was injured and her brother gone missing in the war. But when she is hit with perfumed powder, aimed at rake Piers Verderan, she finds her life turned upside-down. The more she is warned about the dangerous rake, the more attracted she becomes!
This was a frustrating book. I liked the characters, but they seemed to constantly be kept apart by misunderstandings and plain pig-headedness. The book seemed to be spinning in place instead of going anywhere. Although I’m not a huge Beverley fan, I usually like her Regencies well enough (I quite enjoyed Deirdre and Don Juan), but I couldn’t even finish this one.
I debated about how to grade this book, since there were good things about it. But since I finally gave up and didn't finish, I couldn't give it a higher grade.
The other two books I tried - and gave up on - were Bliss and Dance by Judy Cuevas. I've tried to get into her books several times, and it's hard to explain why they don't work for me. I read about 80 pages into Bliss and still didn't care what happened to the characters. I still felt like I was "slogging through" even after over 1/4 of the book - and didn't think it was worth continuing. It was especially disappointing because so many people, including many readers with similar tastes to mine, love her books. I really wanted to like them.
Emily and the Dark Angel by Jo Beverley
(1991, Regency) 2/13/05
Grade: 2.5
Practical spinster Emily Grantwich has taken over running the small family estate since her father was injured and her brother gone missing in the war. But when she is hit with perfumed powder, aimed at rake Piers Verderan, she finds her life turned upside-down. The more she is warned about the dangerous rake, the more attracted she becomes!
This was a frustrating book. I liked the characters, but they seemed to constantly be kept apart by misunderstandings and plain pig-headedness. The book seemed to be spinning in place instead of going anywhere. Although I’m not a huge Beverley fan, I usually like her Regencies well enough (I quite enjoyed Deirdre and Don Juan), but I couldn’t even finish this one.
I debated about how to grade this book, since there were good things about it. But since I finally gave up and didn't finish, I couldn't give it a higher grade.
The other two books I tried - and gave up on - were Bliss and Dance by Judy Cuevas. I've tried to get into her books several times, and it's hard to explain why they don't work for me. I read about 80 pages into Bliss and still didn't care what happened to the characters. I still felt like I was "slogging through" even after over 1/4 of the book - and didn't think it was worth continuing. It was especially disappointing because so many people, including many readers with similar tastes to mine, love her books. I really wanted to like them.
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