Blah Series Books

I haven't been reading a lot lately - between moving and catching up on the new TV season (I love Reaper!), I haven't had much time. Now that I've unpacked my books, hopefully I'll get back to reading a little more.

But here are two older series books that I read in between unpacking boxes, both kind of blah, unfortunately.

A Chance of Rainbows by Anne McAllister
(1985, Contemporary Series) 9/4/07
Grade: 3

After seven months of marriage, Lainie is frustrated by her husband’s silences - until she comes home one night to find he’s moved out! Griff thinks the problem is Lainie’s demanding job as a marriage counselor, but is the real problem his memories of a turbulent childhood?

Surprisingly dull. I really wanted to like this book, because I usually enjoy “marriage in trouble” stories, but this one just didn’t do much for me. The characters were likeable, but the problems between them just didn’t seem that difficult to overcome. There were some interesting aspects of the book - I liked Lainie’s job as a marriage counselor, and I’ve never read about a hero who was an umpire, but the book just seemed predictable from the first page. Some authors can make a tried-and-true story come alive, but this one just fell flat.

Body and Soul by Janice Kaiser
(1990, Contemporary Series) 10/6/07
Grade:3

Derek Gordon has escaped to a remote cottage, to work on his book and escape the turmoil at home. His wife is in a nursing home, and his relationship with his stepson is unraveling. Despite his situation, he is immediately drawn to poet Lara Serenov, but knows he must stay away. But when her ex won’t take “No” for an answer, they are forced together.

Although the situation between Derek and Lara was poignant (and handled very sensitively), the book lacked something. One problem was the “instant attraction” between Derek and Lara. It seemed like the author put them together, said “they’re attracted” and then never really grew their relationship beyond that. Also, the situation with Lara’s ex-husband, seemed contrived, a way to get the hero and heroine together. But mostly, the book was just dull - I can’t explain exactly why, but despite the potentially heartrending situation, it just left me cold.

I have a large backlog of old series books, but I know that reading them is kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack - there are some great series reads, but there are a lot more that are just blah. But still, they're quick and easy to read, so I keep trying...