Gather the Stars by Kimberly Cates

I'm not usually much of a rereader, except for a few "comfort reads". But I picked up an extra copy of this book for the CR book trade a couple of years ago, and it ended up being an extra. I remembered how much I enjoyed it the first time around (back in 1996), so I thought I'd see if it still held up.

Gather the Stars by Kimberly Cates
(1996, 1700's Scotland) 5/23/08
Grade: 4.5

As a general's daughter, Rachel de Lacey was taught to be a good soldier, and she's chosen the hero of Culloden to be her husband. But when a notorious Scottish rebel called the Glen Lyon kidnaps her, she discovers there's more to bravery than fighting battles - and more to love than duty and obligation.

I'm not a big fan of Scottish historicals. Either it's wallpaper history with a smattering of brogues and plaids or it's knee deep in bloody battles. This book depicts the suffering in the aftermath of Culloden, but it's not the typical Braveheart historical. It's a thoughtful look at what really makes a hero. Gavin is not the typical romance hero - he wasn't a hero on the battlefield, and his strength comes from his compassion and love, not his swordplay. And it's Rachel that has to learn that emotions mean more than war ribbons. I found their relationship very moving. This falls just short of keeper territory, because of some dated purple prose that pulled me out of the story, as well as a little too much action in the last section of the book, but still, it was well worth reading, even the second time around.

I tried to think of other Scottish books that I enjoyed - The Maiden of Inverness by Arnette Lamb, A Promise of Love by Karen Ranney, hmm, that's pretty much it. (Neither one of these is a typical Scottish romance, though!) In my early days of romance, I used to love Jude Deveraux and I think she had some Scottish books, but that was before I kept records of my reading, so I have no idea which ones. I also love the first couple of seasons of Monarch of the Glen, does that count?

The Monk Upstairs by Tim Farrington

What makes a great book feel great? I think a good book is good and a bad book is bad regardless of what you might be feeling at the time, but when a good book really hits the spot and does something magical to you? I suspect that has to do with timing as much as the book itself - it was the right book at the right time.

I read The Monk Downstairs back in 2003, and I unhesitatingly rated it as a 5, one of the best books of the year. And yet, I didn't keep it (it was a library book), although I had the idea in the back of my mind that I might buy it for my keeper shelf if it ever came out in mass market paperback.

After four years, the plot of the book had faded into the mists of time, so I reread it over the weekend, in preparation for reading the sequel. And I was left with the feeling of "it's OK, but..." The magic that I'd felt the first time around just wasn't there. It was still good, but not a keeper. Was it just the right book at the right time?

The Monk Upstairs by Tim Farrington
(2007, Contemporary) 5/19/08
Grade: 4

Rebecca and Mike (from The Monk Downstairs) are about to be married. But marriage to an ex-monk is more complicated than Rebecca might have expected, and between her mother’s illness, her daughter’s new love of religion and her ex-husband’s obsession with renovation, she isn’t sure how she’ll make it through.

Although this wasn’t as magical as the first book, The Monk Downstairs, there were moments of insight and poignancy. I particularly liked the depiction of Rebecca and Mike’s marriage, and how they had to adjust to each other - especially how Mike navigated his journey into the secular world and his relationship with Rebecca and Mary Martha. However, I felt that Phoebe’s illness was a little over-emphasized (much as I liked Phoebe, it felt like the same note over and over) and the book started to feel repetitive after a while. I enjoyed getting another glimpse into the characters’ lives, but it didn’t have the exciting sense of discovery that I got from the previous book.

One thing I found notable about this book (and the previous one) is the way the author dealt with religion. Unfortunately, most romances are either explicitly proselytizing Christian books, or don't deal with the subject at all. (There are some exceptions, but not many.) I don't consider myself religious, but I wouldn't mind reading about religious characters, without the limiting straightjacket of "Christian romance". But that's a controversial approach, I guess.

Beyond Breathless by Kathleen O'Reilly

I have a mixed history with Blaze books. Most of the time, I don't find them all that appealing. I enjoy a good sex scene, but I want it to be grounded in the characters and mean something to them - and the "first chapter sex scene" in Blazes usually leaves me cold. I find it hard to get past that. But the few Blazes that have worked for me, have usually really worked for me. I guess if an author can get me past my initial distate for "sex between near-strangers", she has enough talent to write something I'll enjoy!

Beyond Breathless by Kathleen O'Reilly (HB 297
(2007, Contemporary Series) 5/15/08
Grade: 4.5

After a power outage, Wall Street broker Jamie McNamerra finds herself sharing a hummer limo with a sexy stranger. Jamie lives for work and nothing else, but a little fling wouldn’t hurt, just this once... But when she finds out her anonymous paramour is a Wall Street wiz himself, can she see him as anything but a rival?

In most Blazes, the opening sex scene seems contrived, but in this case, it came across as sexy, but still grounded in the characters. I loved the way the author portrayed these two characters, who love their jobs and get turned on by things like pork futures. She really made them feel real, and they didn’t fall into the usual romance hero and heroine cliches. (She has a great way of conveying the characters in a few words - “Andrew was a walking, talking, six foot tall chocolate bar”.) I thought that the conflict between them seemed realistic and meaningful (how could she ever know her own strengths if he overwhelmed her?) although I wish she’d had them talk about them at greater length toward the end of the book. The book did lose some of its fizz toward the end, but the rest of the book was so unique and well written, I had to give it a grading boost because of that.

One reason I like contemporary books is that they can present characters and conflicts that just wouldn't work in a historical setting. These characters lived and breathed their jobs, and I loved how she stayed true to that, instead of using the typical romance "types".

A Kiss To Dream On by Neesa Hart

I can't remember where I got this book originally - I think I may have gotten it as a giveaway at a conference or book signing, because I don't remember buying it. But I know why I kept it - it got a rave review from Mrs. Giggles! I don't always share her tastes, but I definitely have to thank her for recommending this one.

A Kiss To Dream On by Neesa Hart
(1999, Contemporary) 5/11/08
Grade: 4.5

After a harrowing experience in Bosnia, reporter Jackson Puller is given an easy assignment to help him get back on his feet - write about the Wishing Star foundation for deaf children, and its founder, Cammy Glynn. The more time that Jackson spends with Cammy, the more he realizes how important she is to him - but will she let him past her defenses?

This is a quiet book that lets the reader explore these two characters in depth, without a lot of external plotlines or sexual escapades. At first, the book is almost too quiet - it was easy to put it down and come back to it later, since it didn’t really have a lot of plot moving it forward - but it became more compelling as the book continued. Jackson is a great “nice guy” hero (maybe a little too nice to be realistic?) Cammy is the more troubled character (and her infertility issue a little bit too belabored) but I thought her relucance to get involved was realistic given her background. I thought the issues involving the deaf community were explored without becoming a lecture. Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, and by the end they felt like old friends. A quiet story is a nice change from time to time!

Another reviewer criticized this book for its "unrealistically nice" hero. From my perspective, this isn't a problem - after reading so many "unrealistically jerkish" alpha heroes, I'll take a hero who is too nice any day!

His Style of Seduction by Roxanne St. Claire

One nice thing about series books is that they don't need a lot of external conflict to make the book work. An internal conflict between the characters is enough to fill 200 pages, while it might not fill 400. Unfortunately, sometimes the short length isn't enough, but at least it's an opportunity.

His Style of Seduction by Roxanne St. Claire (SD 1841)
(2007, Contemporary Series) 5/9/08
Grade: 3.5

Lily Harper has been hired to give a makeover to advertising exec Jackson Locke - to smooth over his rough edges and make him more presentable to upper management. But when Jackson first meets Lily, all he can think about is her sexy appeal. He’s willing to go along with Lily’s makeover during the day... if she’ll give him the nights.

I was a bit skeptical of this book when the author found an excuse to put the hero and heroine in bed together within the first 30 pages. It felt contrived. But things improved once we got past that, and got to know the characters as people. What impressed me about this book was that the conflict between the hero and heroine came out of who they were as people, not from some external source. He’s a free spirit who hates restrictions and walls. After being homeless as a child, she yearns for stability and a home of her own. The author makes the conflict feel convincing and the resolution a loving compromise, not one person giving in to the other. The book was very short, and some of the sex stuff at the beginning went on too long, so it felt like the emotional part of the story didn’t get quite enough space, but overall, it was a rewarding read.

I've been reading a lot of series books recently, and for the most part, they haven't been that great. I've read several that were acceptable enough tof finish (barely) but just too dull to even make it worthwhile for me to write a review. When I first started writing reviews of the books I read, I didn't bother writing reviews of series books. I think some of them are worthwhile enough to rate a review, but so many of them are just boring retreads. They might be worth finishing, just to see what happens, but they're not memorable.

The King's Mistress by Terri Brisbin

The Lion In Winter is one of my favorite movies - I'm always intrigued by books set during that time period, even though medievals aren't really my favorite.

The King's Mistress by Terri Brisbin
(2005, Medieval) 5/2/08
Grade: 3.5

Marguerite was raised to be a king’s mistress, but Henry Plantagenet has tired of her, and orders her to marry Orrick of Silloth, a northern lord she considers far beneath her. Orrick hopes to find happiness in his marriage, despite the circumstances, but can Marguerite let go of her life in Henry’s court, and accept the love of her new husband?

This was an interesting read that took a chance on a hero and heroine that aren’t your typical romance characters. Marguerite, in particular, is not all that likeable in the first part of the book. She’s no romance virgin - she was the king’s mistress and she enjoyed it - the power, the weath, the sex. She’s angry and hurt by her banishment, and she fights against it for most of the first half of the book. (Her treatment of her illegitimate daughter also goes against what you might expect of a romance heroine, although it’s probably accurate for the time.) But as we get to know her background, I found her more interesting and sympathetic. I appreciated that Orrick wasn’t a typical romance hero, either - he was a nice beta hero who wanted to woo his wife, not dominate her. (I especially liked his “bribe” of a library full of books.) However, I never felt a real romantic connection to this book. Maybe it needed more space than a Harlequin Historical could provide, but I just found the story a bit lacking - there was something missing that would have made this book more compelling.

I've read some wonderful medievals, but I think authors who write in this period have a greater challenge - it's hard to really put ourselves in the mindset of people who lived in that period.