Two Throw-Aways

I had some time to kill in NYC today, so I brought along two "throw away" books - series books so old and battered that even the library book sale wouldn't want them. After I finished, I tossed them out, so I wouldn't have to carry them around all day. Unfortunately, I could barely finish either one.

Sail Away by Kathleen Korbel (SD 1254)
(1998, Series) 9/24/05
Grade: 2.5

Lilly Kokoa is sailing near her home in Hawaii when she finds movie star Cameron Ross (actually his look-alike cousin) floating in a life raft, bleeding and disoriented. She tries to help him but soon they're both captured by kidnappers. They flee for their lives - but who is this man really? He can't quite remember.

Although this isn't one of Korbel's best books, I had hopes for it at the beginning. It's light-hearted and charming, a fun "love on the run" story. But then Korbel starts mixing in the bumbling kidnappers (who are supposed to be funny but aren't), Lilly's angst over her Hawaiian heritage, Ethan's impending blindness, etc. etc. It was just too much for a 180 page book, and it ended up a confusing mish-mash. By the the end, I was skimming in frustration.

The Dragon and the Dove by Glenna McReynolds (LS 693)
(1994, Series) 9/24/05
Grade: 2

Jessica Langston, a divorced single mother has just finished her MBA and has gone to work for the mysterious Cooper Daniels. When she discovers his real business is collecting bounty on pirates, she's not sure what to think. He is afraid she's too innocent for his world - but soon finds she's tougher than he thought. Together, they'll strike back at the mysterious pirate who killed his brother.

Another book with potential that's lost in confusion. I really liked the premise - I always enjoy a good revenge plot, especially with a heroine who's tougher and smarter than she looks. But this is another series book that tries to cram 400 pages of plot into 200 pages of book. By the halfway point, I was confused and had no idea what was going on. It just didn't make sense, and the romance seemed like an afterthought. I gave up halfway through.

I keep a stash of these old series books to take with me on trips, and sometimes they're good, sometimes not. Two clunkers today, unfortunately.