At one time, I loved to read sagas and complex historical fiction. Unfortunately, I now find it hard to lose myself in long, dense historical reads these days. It's hard to really be immersed in another time and place, when there's always a voice in the back of my head saying "you have a report due, you should be working!" or "the rent is due next week and you haven't balanced your checkbook!" or "the kitchen is a mess and you need to clean it up before work tomorrow!". I guess that's why I prefer the more direct, get-to-the-point emotions of romance these days. I sometimes feel nostalgic for the days when I could lose myself in colonial India for 1500 pages and never worry about anything except how long summer vacation would last...
The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll
(2005, Renaissance) 6/18/07
Grade: 4
Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, is renowned for her magical talents, which she uses for good. But when Justice, the compte de Renard, wants to marry her, she is skeptical of his motives. She vows never to use the magical ring that binds them. but as she is drawn into the court intrigue of Catherine de Medici, she must depend on Renard’s strenth, and his love.
Set in France in 1572, this book skillfully blends historical fact and fiction (including witchcraft) to create a dark and intriguing story that is heavier on history than it is on romance. The author creates a world that always feels real, and is rich in historical detail. The relationship between Ariane and Justice is intriguing at first, but as the book continues, it takes a back seat to the historical intrigue and the relationship between Ariane and her sisters (who are set up for future books). The book is also a bit over-long, at least from my perspective, and I got a bit bogged down in the middle section. However, these are fairly minor problems, and I found it a rich and rewarding read overall.
I also regretfully sent a couple of recent and noteable books to the trade pile over the last couple of days - Games of Pleasure by Julia Ross (which had an intriguing storyline, but the characters seemed more like cardboard cutouts than real people) and Scandalous Lovers by Robin Schone (another intriguing storyline, but it felt more like a lecture on Victorian sexual attitudes than a book about real characters). I tossed both of them after reading about 100 pages, much to my disappointment.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Change Of Pace
This was another recommended book, and it was definitely a change of pace compared to my last couple of books!
Heavens to Betsy by Beth Pattillo
(2005, Contemporary) 6/15/07
Grade: 4
It’s not easy being a single and female, especially when you’re a minister (and your congregation isn’t quite sure they want a woman in the pulpit). Betsy Blessing thinks the time may have come to leave the ministry and go to law school, but her friend David disagrees - and Betsy finds herself having unexpected feelings for him, just at the wrong time!
An amusing chick lit book, with a twist. It features a heroine who happens to be a minister, not a proseletizer who happens to be a character in a book. That made the heroine much more real (and funny). Betsy is a great character, and it’s an interesting look into the life of a single, female minister who is trying to balance the different part of her life. Her relationship with David is only part of her life, and he’s not as well rounded as a character as she is. (It’s a chick lit book in the first person, so that’s to be expected, but I would have liked some of his perspective.) This book was very easy and fun to read (I finished it in just a couple of hours) - it wasn’t necessarily deep with emotion, but it was enjoyable.
After two very sex-heavy, dark books, it was nice to read something light and sex free!
Heavens to Betsy by Beth Pattillo
(2005, Contemporary) 6/15/07
Grade: 4
It’s not easy being a single and female, especially when you’re a minister (and your congregation isn’t quite sure they want a woman in the pulpit). Betsy Blessing thinks the time may have come to leave the ministry and go to law school, but her friend David disagrees - and Betsy finds herself having unexpected feelings for him, just at the wrong time!
An amusing chick lit book, with a twist. It features a heroine who happens to be a minister, not a proseletizer who happens to be a character in a book. That made the heroine much more real (and funny). Betsy is a great character, and it’s an interesting look into the life of a single, female minister who is trying to balance the different part of her life. Her relationship with David is only part of her life, and he’s not as well rounded as a character as she is. (It’s a chick lit book in the first person, so that’s to be expected, but I would have liked some of his perspective.) This book was very easy and fun to read (I finished it in just a couple of hours) - it wasn’t necessarily deep with emotion, but it was enjoyable.
After two very sex-heavy, dark books, it was nice to read something light and sex free!
Frustrating, Frustrating, Frustrating
This is another book that was recommended by a friend (and because of that, I slogged my way through to the end.) Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as Dirty.
The Slightest Provocation by Pam Rosenthal
(2006, Regency Historical) 6/14/07
Grade: 2.5
Ten years after their marriage, and nine years after their separation, Mary and Kit meet again, and find their sexual attraction is as strong as ever, even if they still drove each other crazy. Their plan is divorce, but can they ever be happy apart? Amid political upheaval, they discover what brought them together in the first place - and might bring them together again.
Very frustrating! I don’t normally care about style, but Rosenthal’s “style” drove me nuts. She writes in disjointed phrases, jumping from present to past, putting in pauses at random, and skipping from one storyline to another just when things are getting interesting. Her self-consciously “literary” style kept me from caring about the characters. For most of the book, I didn’t feel that the hero and heroine had any connection at all, other than sexual attraction. Even when they begin to interact on other levels (200 pages in!), the author kept the emotions from building to a satisfying conclusion, by shifting the focus away from the hero and heroine every time we got a glimpse of their inner thoughts. It’s only in the last couple of chapters that we get any sustained emotional buildup. The political side-plot was interesting (especially in the last 50 pages) but it wasn’t explored in enough detail to really make a difference. I found the book very difficult to finish.
It's rare for me to criticize a book on the basis of style. Even when I recognize the flaws in an author's style, it doesn't usually prevent me from enjoying the book, as long as the characters are good. But for me to enjoy a romance, I need to bond with the characters. To get inside them and understand what makes them tick. A few authors have a style that puts a barrier between me and the characters, and prevents me from getting inside of their skins. Their style may be admirable in a literary sense. (I think Judith Ivory's prose is lovely, for example, but I've never been able to enjoy one of her books.) But it fails for me, as a romance reader, because it maintains this emotional distance.
The Slightest Provocation by Pam Rosenthal
(2006, Regency Historical) 6/14/07
Grade: 2.5
Ten years after their marriage, and nine years after their separation, Mary and Kit meet again, and find their sexual attraction is as strong as ever, even if they still drove each other crazy. Their plan is divorce, but can they ever be happy apart? Amid political upheaval, they discover what brought them together in the first place - and might bring them together again.
Very frustrating! I don’t normally care about style, but Rosenthal’s “style” drove me nuts. She writes in disjointed phrases, jumping from present to past, putting in pauses at random, and skipping from one storyline to another just when things are getting interesting. Her self-consciously “literary” style kept me from caring about the characters. For most of the book, I didn’t feel that the hero and heroine had any connection at all, other than sexual attraction. Even when they begin to interact on other levels (200 pages in!), the author kept the emotions from building to a satisfying conclusion, by shifting the focus away from the hero and heroine every time we got a glimpse of their inner thoughts. It’s only in the last couple of chapters that we get any sustained emotional buildup. The political side-plot was interesting (especially in the last 50 pages) but it wasn’t explored in enough detail to really make a difference. I found the book very difficult to finish.
It's rare for me to criticize a book on the basis of style. Even when I recognize the flaws in an author's style, it doesn't usually prevent me from enjoying the book, as long as the characters are good. But for me to enjoy a romance, I need to bond with the characters. To get inside them and understand what makes them tick. A few authors have a style that puts a barrier between me and the characters, and prevents me from getting inside of their skins. Their style may be admirable in a literary sense. (I think Judith Ivory's prose is lovely, for example, but I've never been able to enjoy one of her books.) But it fails for me, as a romance reader, because it maintains this emotional distance.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Sex As Character Development
I don't have an objection to sexy books, but most erotica leaves me bored. If the characters don't interest me, the sex doesn't mean much, and I definitely don't want to slog through 400 pages just to get turned on. So I was skeptical of Dirty by Megan Hart, but it was recommended to me by several friends, so I vowed to give it a chance.
Dirty by Megan Hart
(2007, Contemporary) 6/12/07
Grade: 4
Elle isn’t interested in a relationship. But even though she’s been celibate for 3 years, she’s intrigued and turned on when a sexy guy picks her up, and she’s quickly having kinky sex everywhere she can. But will her sexfest with Dan turn into something more, and can she put her troubled past behind her and open herself up to a real relationship?
The first third of the book was not promising. Even though I understood the point the author was trying to make, it felt like an erotica checklist. “Sex in a public place? Check. Threesome? Check. Frequent use of the c-word? Check.” I can enjoy a hot sex scene, but this felt tedious and repetitive, like homework. The book improved once the author took a break from the constant f-ing and let us get to know the heroine. (The hero is more opaque, although I appreciate a nice guy hero - a rarity in erotica.) By the last third, emotion and character development finally came to the forefront, and I was touched by the heartfelt ending. I have to give the book a fairly high rating, but it’s a combo of 2 for the first third and 5 for the last third.
I love a good redemption story, and in the end, that's what won me over. At heart, this is a story of a tortured heroine saved by the love of a good man. But I wouldn't have made it through the first 150 pages of endless boinking if I hadn't been assured that it was worth the effort.
Dirty by Megan Hart
(2007, Contemporary) 6/12/07
Grade: 4
Elle isn’t interested in a relationship. But even though she’s been celibate for 3 years, she’s intrigued and turned on when a sexy guy picks her up, and she’s quickly having kinky sex everywhere she can. But will her sexfest with Dan turn into something more, and can she put her troubled past behind her and open herself up to a real relationship?
The first third of the book was not promising. Even though I understood the point the author was trying to make, it felt like an erotica checklist. “Sex in a public place? Check. Threesome? Check. Frequent use of the c-word? Check.” I can enjoy a hot sex scene, but this felt tedious and repetitive, like homework. The book improved once the author took a break from the constant f-ing and let us get to know the heroine. (The hero is more opaque, although I appreciate a nice guy hero - a rarity in erotica.) By the last third, emotion and character development finally came to the forefront, and I was touched by the heartfelt ending. I have to give the book a fairly high rating, but it’s a combo of 2 for the first third and 5 for the last third.
I love a good redemption story, and in the end, that's what won me over. At heart, this is a story of a tortured heroine saved by the love of a good man. But I wouldn't have made it through the first 150 pages of endless boinking if I hadn't been assured that it was worth the effort.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Success!
When I started this blog, it was in part to force myself to finish my "TBR bookcase", a collection of "intriguing reads" that I'd been collecting for years. And with this book, I've finally done it!
Some of the books ended up in my trade bag (if I didn't find them interesting after 50-100 pages), but I gave them all a chance. And I'm thrilled that I finally reached my goal.
Of course, I still have lots of books to read. I have more than 20 boxes of books in one of my closets! 1450 books in total! That should keep me busy for a long time. I have a lot more reading to do...
Best For Last
Although this book didn't quite make it into keeper territory, it's a good way to end my TBR quest.
A Bed of Spices by Barbara Samuel
(1993, Medieval) 6/10/07
Grade: 4.5
In Germany in 1348, Frederica der Esslingen visits the local herbalist, and meets a stranger, a doctor who thrills her mind, body and soul as no other has done before. But he is a Jew, and their love is forbidden. As Rica struggles with her obligations to her father and sister, the plague threatens, and Solomon doubts they can ever be together, despite their passion.
A rich, exquisitely written story with fascinating characters. The relationship between Rica and Solomon is passionate, but the author also shows us why these two characters have fallen in love. The setting and time period are richly described. The one problem is the pacing. The middle section dragged, with one identical meeting after another, and too much emphasis on the problems of Rica’s sister. And then the final section goes too fast - with all the foreshadowing of the plague and attacks on Jews, it’s skimmed over in just a couple of paragraphs. But the writing and story are so good, I can’t mark it down too much for these minor problems.
I have several Barbara Samuel books in my TBR pile. I hope they will be as rich and satisfying as this one.
A Bed of Spices by Barbara Samuel
(1993, Medieval) 6/10/07
Grade: 4.5
In Germany in 1348, Frederica der Esslingen visits the local herbalist, and meets a stranger, a doctor who thrills her mind, body and soul as no other has done before. But he is a Jew, and their love is forbidden. As Rica struggles with her obligations to her father and sister, the plague threatens, and Solomon doubts they can ever be together, despite their passion.
A rich, exquisitely written story with fascinating characters. The relationship between Rica and Solomon is passionate, but the author also shows us why these two characters have fallen in love. The setting and time period are richly described. The one problem is the pacing. The middle section dragged, with one identical meeting after another, and too much emphasis on the problems of Rica’s sister. And then the final section goes too fast - with all the foreshadowing of the plague and attacks on Jews, it’s skimmed over in just a couple of paragraphs. But the writing and story are so good, I can’t mark it down too much for these minor problems.
I have several Barbara Samuel books in my TBR pile. I hope they will be as rich and satisfying as this one.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Can't Make It To The End
Many readers are tired of Regency London, but I still find it an interesting setting, if the author can make the characters worth reading about.
Deceived by Nicola Cornick
(2006, Regency Historical) 6/8/07
Grade: 4
Desperate to escape her late husband’s death, Isabella looks for a husband in Fleet prison - and finds her former lover, who she left at the altar 12 years earlier. Marcus sees a chance for revenge, but he can’t deny the attraction between them. The more he gets to know Isabella again, the more he finds his anger softening into love.
This book started off with a bang. The characters were strong and well matched, and I loved their sparking back-and-forth arguments. The author focuses on the interactions between the characters, and I settled in for an enjoyable read. Unfortunately, the second half of the book lost the sparkle of the first. First, the characters were separated (emotionally) by misunderstandings, then they abruptly made up and the story shifted focus to the external plot. It wasn’t a total loss, the characters were still interesting, but it didn’t deliver on the wit and character development of the first half of the book.
It's always disappointing when a book starts off at the highest level, but then can't sustain that quality through to the end. Even if the book is still pretty good, it's hard not to be disappointed.
Deceived by Nicola Cornick
(2006, Regency Historical) 6/8/07
Grade: 4
Desperate to escape her late husband’s death, Isabella looks for a husband in Fleet prison - and finds her former lover, who she left at the altar 12 years earlier. Marcus sees a chance for revenge, but he can’t deny the attraction between them. The more he gets to know Isabella again, the more he finds his anger softening into love.
This book started off with a bang. The characters were strong and well matched, and I loved their sparking back-and-forth arguments. The author focuses on the interactions between the characters, and I settled in for an enjoyable read. Unfortunately, the second half of the book lost the sparkle of the first. First, the characters were separated (emotionally) by misunderstandings, then they abruptly made up and the story shifted focus to the external plot. It wasn’t a total loss, the characters were still interesting, but it didn’t deliver on the wit and character development of the first half of the book.
It's always disappointing when a book starts off at the highest level, but then can't sustain that quality through to the end. Even if the book is still pretty good, it's hard not to be disappointed.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Sometimes, It's Enough To Enjoy The Ride
I've been a fan of Laura Lee Guhrke since I read To Dream Again (which is on my keeper shelf). I've been disappointed by a couple of her books, but I was looking forward to reading this one.
The Seduction by Laura Lee Guhrke
(1997, Victorian) 5/28/07
Grade: 4
Although her father expects her to find a titled husband, American heiress Margaret Van Alden is only interested in true love. Trevor St. James doesn’t believe in love, but he does believe in money - and he needs it desperately. So he hatches a plan to woo the reluctant Miss Van Alden - but somewhere in the midst of the adventures, he finds love anyway.
An entertaining road romance with enjoyable characters. Although this book doesn’t have the depth of some of Guhrke’s other books, I found it thoroughly entertaining and zipped through it in one evening. The characters were well written, the dialogue was amusing and the setting (mostly in Italy in the 1880’s) was unusual. I didn’t remember much about the book a week later, but I definitely enjoyed the ride.
I have several more of Guhrke's books in my TBR pile. I hope they are as enjoyable as this one was! It's nice to read a book that focuses on the characters and doesn't spend a lot of time on meaningless side plots.
The Seduction by Laura Lee Guhrke
(1997, Victorian) 5/28/07
Grade: 4
Although her father expects her to find a titled husband, American heiress Margaret Van Alden is only interested in true love. Trevor St. James doesn’t believe in love, but he does believe in money - and he needs it desperately. So he hatches a plan to woo the reluctant Miss Van Alden - but somewhere in the midst of the adventures, he finds love anyway.
An entertaining road romance with enjoyable characters. Although this book doesn’t have the depth of some of Guhrke’s other books, I found it thoroughly entertaining and zipped through it in one evening. The characters were well written, the dialogue was amusing and the setting (mostly in Italy in the 1880’s) was unusual. I didn’t remember much about the book a week later, but I definitely enjoyed the ride.
I have several more of Guhrke's books in my TBR pile. I hope they are as enjoyable as this one was! It's nice to read a book that focuses on the characters and doesn't spend a lot of time on meaningless side plots.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)