A True Lady by Edith Layton

I decided to read one of the older books from my TBR pile. I have a lot of Edith Layton books so that seemed like a good place to start.

A True Lady by Edith Layton
(1995, Georgian)
Grade: 3.5

Cristabel is the daughter of a pirate, but she yearns to be an English lady like her mother. When her father marries her to Viscount Magnus Snow, she eagerly leaves for England, but finds her marriage wasn’t valid. Never mind, she can live on her own... but Magnus has other ideas.

A unique story with an interesting setting. Cristabel is a fascinating heroine, and Magnus is a larger-than-life hero (without being a typical alpha male). The Georgian setting of 1720 is vivid and unusual. However, the story itself was a bit predictable (which is surprising considering the characters). I just didn’t find myself as enthralled as I might have been. Still, there were some nice touches. I especially appreciated that the secndary characters weren’t all perfect, or evil - they were a nice mix of good and bad. And the ending was happy but not tied up with a bow. (You rarely see that these days when everyone is being set up for their own books.) I just wish it had moved me a little more.

I chose this book in part for mercenary reasons - I wanted to use up some shipping credits at PBS and this one had a waiting list - but it was nice to read something different. Even though this book was predictable in some ways, in other ways it felt refreshing - it wasn't the typical historical romance. I have a couple of Edith Layton Regencies that I've been meaning to read as well - I may have to pick those up sometime in the next few weeks.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

I haven't read anything for a month! Actually, I did spend about three weeks reading At Home by Bill Bryson, which was enjoyable nonfiction, but I have been lax about my other reading. I will have to make up for it during my upcoming time off work.

I picked up this one because one of my book groups chose it for a book chat. I don't think I would have picked it up otherwise since it wasn't book length, and yet the publisher was charging hardcover prices. What a "nice" holiday gift - tra-la-la-la-la and let's take your money. But if I had enjoyed it more (like the similar Balogh book last year), I probably would have considered it worth the price. Unfortunately...

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas
(2010, Contemporary)
Grade: 3

Mark Nolan is convinced he doesn’t want a family, until his sister’s death leaves him with custody of his niece Holly. He and his brother Sam both love Holly, but what she needs is a mother. Mark has a girlfriend, but there’s something about toy store owner Maggie Collins that he just can’t get out of his mind...

This book contained the outline of a good story, but unfortunately the short length didn’t allow it to be fully developed. The story was a bit sentimental for my taste, with more focus on Holly than on the hero and heroine. But there were some good points. The setting of the San Juan islands was picturesque and interesting (even though the detailed descriptions sometimes made the book feel more like a travel guide than a romance). And there were some nice touches - I loved Maggie’s toy shop, and her dog Renfrew. Lisa Kleypas’s writing was excellent as usual. However, the characters themselves only seemed sketched out. We found out the main points of their lives - Maggie’s a widow from a big, loving family, Mark was scarred by his parents’ bad marriage but loves his brothers - but there just wasn’t enough time for their characters to be filled in. The author just tried to put a book’s worth of story in a novella’s worth of pages, and it didn’t quite work.

Sometimes I feel like a Grinch because I roll my eyes and gag at cute kids in romance novels. Give me a hot guy in my romance novels and I promise to be nice to Cindy Lou if I run across her down in Whoville.

Trouble in Paradise by Jeanne Grant

I was looking for something short to read last night, and I grabbed this one off the TBR shelf. From 1984! Love the feathered hair. (I didn't buy it until about ten years ago, though - I was a little too young for these in 1984. I was reading Kathleen Woodiwiss back then but I think the appeal of a divorced dad with three teenagers would have escaped me at that age.)

Trouble in Paradise by Jeanne Grant (THH 28)
(1984, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 3.5

Susan fell head over heels with Griff Anderson, and three months later they were married. But was she in over her head with three teenage stepchildren, an interfering ex-wife and a houseful of hamsters? Will she ever regain the romantic life she pictured with her new husband?

This is from the short lived To Have and To Hold series, about married couples. THH was such an odd series line. The stories were interesting and they had some great writers, but they weren’t always romantic. This one focuses more on the kids than on the romance. However, it had some good points (along with some bad ones). Jeanne Grant is an excellent writer and the story moved along well. The characters were interesting - even the kids, and I don’t normally like kids in my books. However, the book was full of cliches (even in 1984 these were cliches.) The “evil ex-wife”, the “kids with their crazy music”, the “oops, you mean sex leads to babies?” storyline. All of those things made the book feel more like it was set in 1954, not 1984. Overall, it had its good points, but the flaws made it feel very dated.

I have a surprising number of series books from the 80's in my TBR pile. (About 40 of them.) The old series books started disappearing from the used bookstores in the late 90's, and I grabbed a bunch of them so I would get them before they were gone. Most of them are dated and not that great, but it's a little sad to think they've all ended up in landfills or recycling bins.

Patti LuPone: A Memoir by Patti LuPone

I do love my Broadway divas. The library finally came through for me (after three tries!) and I was able to get a copy of this through Marina, the Maryland interlibrary loan system. (My copy came from Hagerstown - thanks!)

Patti LuPone: A Memoir by Patti LuPone
(2010, Biography)
Grade: 3.5

Patti LuPone is well known as a Broadway diva, and while this memoir definitely humanizes her, it doesn't exactly dispel the diva image. But at least LuPone has a sense of humor about it! Unfortunately, most of the book is a bit dull. It falls into the "I went here and did this, then went there and did that" style of memoir. There's not a lot of insight beyond what she did and who she met (she even makes David Mamet seem boring, which is quite a feat), and that makes the early chapters kind of hard to get through.

The book definitely perks up with the more interesting events in her career - most notably Evita and Sunset Boulevard. The battles over the casting of Sunset Boulevard are some of the most juicy stories in recent Broadway history, and even the workmanlike description here can't take away the drama. These two chapters were the highlight of the book. Still, I think I'd rather watch her on stage than read her prose. It's unfortunate that none of her musical performances have made it to DVD.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beauty and the Beast stories are a guilty pleasure of mine, so I decided to pick up this YA book at the library.

Beastly by Alex Flinn
(2007, Young Adult)
Grade: 3.5

When Kyle Kingsbury, the wealthy and self-centered son of a news anchor, plays a cruel trick on a strange new student at his high school, he finds himself transformed into a Beast. He has two years to find someone to love him or he will remain a beast forever. First Kyle must transform himself into a better person, and then perhaps he can offer friendship and love to one of his former classmates, Lindy.

There were a lot of clever touches in this book. Moving the setting to modern day New York was interesting, and there were many neat tricks to make the story fit into today's world. There was even a very funny chat room for those undergoing "unexpected transformations". However, the underlying story felt a little shallow. Kyle may have become a beast, but he still had endless wealth and any problems are fixed with a wave of Daddy's credit card. His problems felt a little too "teen age" - I can't go to the prom, my cool friends don't care about me, my Dad doesn't spend time with me, etc. It just seemed to lack depth. If I was a teenager, I might have enjoyed this more, but as an adult reader, I just didn't find it all that compelling. Good but not great.

I read a lot of YA books back when I was a teenager, but I have a hard time reading about teenage heroes and heroines now. Their problems just don't feel particularly compelling to me. But I'm glad there are so many great YA books out there to encourage young readers - the YA books I read back in the 80's definitely shaped my reading tastes today. (I loved angst then and I love it now!)

A Rogue in Texas by Lorraine Heath

I had to finish one more book before taking a huge bag of books to donate to our office book sale. I filled up an entire Container Store bag - one of the BIG ones! That's a lot of books.

A Rogue in Texas by Lorraine Heath
(1999, Western)
Grade: 4

In 1865, Grayson Rhodes, the illegitimate son of a British Duke, leaves England for Texas. However, he imagined something more lucrative than picking cotton on a backwater farm. But once he gets to know widowed Abbie Westland and her three children, he begins to look at life, and love, in a new way. He might even be willing to start a new life in Texas.

For the first three quarters of the book, this felt like a pale photocopy of Lorraine Heath. It had all of the typical elements of a Lorraine Heath story, but the passion just wasn’t there. (Not surprisingly, this was the first book she wrote for Avon.) The characters were interesting, the setting of post-Civil War Texas was unusual, but it all felt like it had been done before. The most unique part of the story was Grayson’s background as an illegitimate son and how he reveled in being valued for himself in Texas, where it didn’t matter how he was born or who his father was. However, even that aspect of the story started to feel a little forced as the book went on. But the book picked up new life in the last 100 pages, when Abbie’s husband reappears. Even though I’ve read plenty of stories where the supposedly dead husband returns, the way the author intertwined it with Grayson’s past worked very well, and brought some life back into the story. Overall, the book wasn’t one of Heath’s best, but it finished strong, and that counts for a lot.

Where have all the stepbacks gone? I couldn't find a picture of the stepback on this book (and it's too late to pull out the scanner) but it's gorgeous! Even if there were't any yellow roses on the Texas prairie. I haven't seen a great stepback in a long time - they're all way too obvious these days, if you can find one at all.

The Seduction of an English Lady by Cathy Maxwell

Back to the TBR for a backlist book. I need to clear off a few more shelves!

The Seduction of an English Lady by Cathy Maxwell
(2004, Regency Historical)
Grade: 3.5

When Colonel Colin Mandland appears at her door, Lady Rosalyn Wellborne gets an unpleasant shock - her cousin has sold her home! She has no choice but to move in with an aunt - unless she accepts Colin’s marriage proposal. He has his own motives for marriage, but perhaps they both will discover there is more to this marriage than convenience.

When I first started reading this book, I found it enjoyable and charming. The characters were interesting and likeable, the plot was familiar but well done, the writing was good. The discussion of class differences between the hero and heroine was interesting. Unfortunately, the book lost its appeal the more I read. The plot started to feel stale and repetitive. The characters did the same things over and over. And then a political sideplot was thrown in at the last minute. It might have been interesting if it had been carried throughout the book, but it was such an abrupt change of tone that it felt out of place. It left the book feeling unfinished Overall, this book wasn’t terrible, just unfocused and forgettable. Too bad since Cathy Maxwell can do much better.

I wonder where I got this book - it's stamped Hamilton Ontario. I must have picked it up at the Celebrate Romance book trade. I miss those book trades! Buying online is more efficient but it's kind of dull by comparison.

Shining in the Sun by Alex Beecroft

This isn't my usual type of book, but I was intrigued when I read the reviews. It also seemed an appropriate choice because of everything that's been going on in the news recently. (It also didn't hurt that it was a contemporary - the search for the great contemporary read continues.)

Shining in the Sun by Alex Beecroft
(2010, Contemporary)
Grade: 3.5

Alec spends most of the year pleasing everyone around him - his mother, his fiancée - but for one month, he escapes all his obligations. On the way to his vacation, he meets Darren, and the two hit it off immediately. But Darren isn’t quite what he seems - is he more interested in Alec’s money, or is he just escaping his troubled family and difficult past?

I had a hard time with this book at first. The prose was extremely melodramatic, even by romance purple prose standards. This was in contrast to a few blunt sex scenes, which seemed out of place so early in the story. However, the prose settled down after the first third of the book or so and the focus turned to the relationship, which I found more interesting. It was refreshing to read a contemporary set in Britain, and I appreciated that the author dealt directly with class differences between the heroes. It also dealt with the characters being gay (and Alec’s acceptance of himself) without feeling like a lecture. However, the book felt a bit short. There was a lot of melodrama crammed into a book that was only about 200 pages longj, and unfortunately, the character development got a little lost. I found the book unique and well written, but it was just finding its way when it ended. Overall, a valiant effort but it fell a bit short.

This was the first book I've read on my Kindle! It took some adjustments to find the right position to hold the Kindle without giving my hand cramps, but overall, I liked the experience. Perfect for this book since it doesn't seem to be available in print.

To Marry a British Lord by Judith O'Brien

An interesting book that lost its way in the second half.

To Marry a British Lord by Judith O'Brien
(1997, Victorian)
Grade: 3.5

Ten years after fleeing war-torn Virginia, Constance Lloyd is a governess who finds herself unexpectedly engaged to the second son of the Duke of Hastings. But when Constance meets Phillip’s best friend, Joseph Smith, she wonders if she’s making a mistake. As she travels in the highest society circles, she keeps returning to Jospeh and the possibility of love.

After reading the first third of this book, I was enchanted by it. The story was compelling, the characters were well drawn, the writing was witty. The biggest fault was the lack of romance, since the hero and heroine are apart for much of the book. But the story felt more like a satire on Victorian life than a real romance. Still, it was fun and interesting, with some pointed commentary on Victorian society. But the book began to go off the rails in the second half. Joseph was never explored as a character, just appearing and disappearing as the plot required. The author started throwing in one historical figure after another (John Brown! Disraeli!) and the plot got wackier and wackier. I never did quite figure out what was going on (the Prince of Wales’ valet was trying to poison everyone and blame John Brown?) The author got so tangled up that she forgot about the characters. The book did improve in the last few chapters, but overall, this was a bit of a disappointment. Too bad, because it started with such promise.

One thing that I found a little distracting in this book: the Prince of Wales is referred to as Your Majesty. I've seen that mistake in several books, and unless things have changed, that isn't right. Only the King or Queen is Your Majesty. The Prince would be Your Royal Highness. The odd thing about this book is that he is also referred to correctly as HRH. I guess I shouldn't let that bother me but it was distracting. Naming the hero "Joseph Smith" was also an odd choice.

A Family for Gillian by Catherine Blair

I finally reached my goal! I didn't finish all of the books in my TBR pile (I have 399 more...) but I finished all the books that didn't fit in my bookcase. Every little bit helps!

A Family for Gillian by Catherine Blair
(2001, Regency)
Grade: 3.5

Viscount Prescott Avery needs a mother for his children, and Gillian Harwell needs to escape her scheming family. It seems like the perfect arrangement. But the children aren't exactly welcoming, and Avery isn't sure he wants a new wife...

This was a cute and charming book. Very reminiscent of Sound of Music. I wouldn't want a steady diet of cute and sweet, but in small doses, it can be nice to read something different. It was a predictable book, and not all that romantic, but it was a nice diversion on a Sunday afternoon.

I'm not a big fan of cute children in romances, but every now and then I'll make an exception.

Scandal by Carolyn Jewel

I've been looking forward to this book for some time - I put it aside because I felt that I couldn't give it a fair reading after I'd heard so much about it. I wanted to wait until I could read it for itself, not for what everyone else was saying about it.

Scandal by Carolyn Jewel
(2009, Regency Historical)
Grade: 4.5

Three years after they first met, the Earl of Banallt is still hopelessly attracted to Sophie Evans. They are both widowed now, but Sophie is wary of trusting her husband’s former drinking companion, a man linked to numerous women and many scandals. Can Banallt show Sophie that he has changed and that he’s worthy of her trust and love?

This was definitely an interesting book. It was very well written and the characters were well drawn and interesting to read about. However, it left me just a little bit cold. The book kept me turning the pages, and I was definitely caught up in the story. The characters were more sophisticated and deep than many romance characters. But it lacked the emotional sweep of my favorite romances - it felt much more intellectual than heartfelt. (There were a few significant gaps in the story as well, particularly involving Banallt’s past.) This is probably one of the best written books I’ve read this year, but it wasn’t quite a keeper. I feel like I ought to have liked it a little bit more than I actually did.

Even though this book wasn't a perfect read for me, I will definitely look up more books by Carolyn Jewel - for some reason I thought I read one of her early books, but I can't remember now. I have one of her older books in my TBR and a newer one on my TBB list.

The Temptation of Savannah O'Neill by Molly O'Keefe

I needed a break from historicals before delving into the last few books in my TBR pile.

The Temptation of Savannah O'Neill by Molly O'Keefe
(2010, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 3.5

The O’Neill family has been the scandal of small town Bonne Terre for three generations. Savannah O’Neill may be a staid librarian, but she’s still one of the scandalous O’Neills. But when Matt appears at her door and offers his skills as a handyman, she might be willing to risk a little scandal. But Matt is hiding secrets of his own...

There were a lot of good things about this book. The setting was great - I could almost feel the heat of a Louisiana summer. And I liked the characters... eventually. It just took a very long time to get to that point. The author kept portioning out information in tiny dribs and drabs, and I started to get frustrated. It’s one thing to keep a few secrets, but keeping most of the hero and heroine’s background a secret for almost half the book is just annoying. However, the interesting plot and good writing kept me going. In the end, I did enjoy the book, I just wish it hadn’t taken so long to get there.

Down to only 5 books in the basket of "read soon" books.

Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas

Another book that was redeemed by a good ending.

Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
(2009, Victorian)
Grade: 4

Three years after their frustrating marriage ended with an anulment, Leo Marsden has arrived in India determined to bring Byrony back to England. They never seemed to fit together - Leo was society’s darling, Byrony defied everyone to become a doctor - but the secrets of their marriage, and its failure, went much deeper...

This book started out with great frustration. The author seemed to be trying to make her characters hard to understand, and sometimes the misunderstandings between them made me want to throw the book with frustration. It seemed like the author was deliberately withholding important information for literary reasons, which isn’t something I particularly enjoy. But I kept going, because the writing was good and the characters were interesting, and eventually my patience was rewarded. The book improved dramatically in the second half. The characters started talking to each other, and the backdrop of India was interesting (although I always compare books set in India to M.M. Kaye’s books, which are hard to measure up to). By the end, I did feel emotionally involved with these characters, despite the gaps in the characters’ backgrounds. I was left feeling a bit conflicted - did the good parts of the book overcome the bad parts? Just barely.

Sherry Thomas is an author who has been growing on me. I couldn't finish her first book, I found Delicious promising but disappointing, and this one was good but not great. I'm hoping I enjoy her next book more. Maybe I'm a simple-minded reader, but I get frustrated by too many "twists" like having the author withhold important information from the reader and guess what the characters are trying to say. Those may work in some fiction, but I think it hurts a romance, where the reader expects to make an emotional connection with the characters. It's hard to make an emotional connection to a character when the author is trying to keep the character's motives and background a secret from the reader.

Her Colorado Man by Cheryl St. John

Always a pleasure to read Cheryl St. John - her books always leave me feeling warm and fuzzy even if they aren't perfect.

Her Colorado Man by Cheryl St. John
(2009, 1880's Colorado)
Grade: 4

When Mariah found herself unmarried and pregnant, she and her grandfather invented a husband who was conveniently off in Alaska. But when her “husband”, Wes Burrows, appears and wants to become a part of their family, Mariah isn’t quite sure what to do. Her son needs a father, but does she need a husband?

Cheryl St. John’s best quality is that she can take basically nice characters and still make them interesting. Mariah and Wes were both kind and loving and the story was warm and charming. The setting was interesting (a German family in 1880’s Colorado who owned a brewery) and the secondary characters all worked well with the story. The problem was that the story started to fizzle out in the middle of the book. The hero and the heroine are clearly meant for each other and we get the same scenes over and over. I think the author missed an opportunity when she glossed over the hero’s background and the heroine’s difficult past, because that might have given the book more momentum. The hero mentions his past, but we never really hear that much about it from his point of view, and the heroine’s past is kept mostly secret until almost the end. There’s a little bit more drama in the last chapters, but unfortunately, the book just didn’t live up to its potential. Good but not great.

I try not to read a book and think how I might write it differently. (There's a reason I'm not an author!) But in this case, it seemed like the potential was there and it just didn't quite come together.

Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl

Two great books in a row - how refreshing!

Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl
(2010, Contemporary)
Grade: 4.5

Jane has put her childhood behind her, and now she’s determined to find a proper and respectable man. But why does she find Chase so appealing, with his dusty jeans and his tattooed biceps? At first, Chase is happy to have a no-strings affair with Jane, but when her old life starts crashing into her new one, he finds he wants more. He wants love.

It was so refreshing to read a book that felt so contemporary. As much as I love historicals, sometimes a contemporary just hits the spot, but so many of them don’t feel like they take place in the real world. This one felt fresh and modern. I had a hard time with Jane during parts of this book. In the first couple of chapters, it felt like the author was beating the reader over the head with Jane’s obsession with her image. She really did some unlikeable things in the first part of the book. But as we got to know who Jane was, it made more sense, and she became a more well rounded character. She faltered again in the middle of the book, when it seemed like her character stopped developing again and just kept repeating the same thing over and over. A heroine doesn’t have to be perfect for me to enjoy reading about her, but I get tired of a heroine who makes the same mistakes over and over. Thankfully the author redeemed herself in the last few chapters, where Jane finally stopped going around in circles and started opening up (to herself and to the readers). I loved that she was such an interesting, emotionally complex character - so rare in contemporaries! I wasn’t sure how to grade this book because I almost gave up in the middle of it, but the last hundred pages were so good, I had to give the book a little boost. The book also had great humor and great writing, so in the end, it was a very enjoyable read.

I wavered about how to grade this one. I think the factor that pushed it into the almost-keeper range was because it was a contemporary. It may have had a few flaws, but a good contemporary is so hard to find! Finding a good one puts me in such a good mood, I'm willing to forgive a few flaws.

Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant

I've had this book in my TBR for several years, but I've been waiting until I was in the right mood to read something a little more dense than my usual reads.

Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant
(2002, Regency Historical)
Grade: 4.5

When their son is kidnapped, Charles and Melanie Fraser are frantic to get him back. At first the reasons for the kidnapping seem related to Charles’ work in Spain during the Napoleonic wars... but when Melanie is forced to reveal dangerous secrets from her past, it threatens to destroy their marriage and their life together.

A fascinating combination of history, intrigue and romance. I loved the way the author took the familiar backdrop of the war in Spain and turned it on its head by showing both sides of the conflict. The writing was excellent and the issues went far deeper than most mysteries - not just “who done it” but questions about war and freedom and responsibility. The mystery of who kidnapped Colin and the search for the ring was fast paced and well written, but the most interesting part of the book for me was how the relationship between Charles and Melanie kept changing as more secrets were revealed. What kept me turning the pages wasn’t the suspense storyline, it was learning how the bond between Charles and Melanie was gradually rebuilt as they learned more and more about each other. There were some flaws - there were a couple of unbelievable coincidences that left me rolling my eyes a bit, and the plot became a little repetitive in the second half. But overall, it was a very enjoyable book that I couldn’t put down until 2 am - definitely a sign of a great read.

I was very glad to hear that Tracy Grant has a book coming out in 2011. She's an excellent writer and she deserves great success. On the other hand, I'm not sure how interested I am in the next books in the series. What made this book for me was the focus on Charles and Melanie's marriage and their emotional journey. It would be hard for that to be replicated in the prequels.

She's Got It Bad by Sarah Mayberry

Another pretty good series book - always a nice surprise. (Not that series books can't be good reads, but it can be hard to find the few I like among the dozens that come out each month.)

She's Got It Bad by Sarah Mayberry (HB 464)
(2009, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 4

Twelve years after Liam Masters left town after kissing his best friend’s sister, he finds Zoe Ford all grown up... and drastically changed. The sweet 15 year old is now a sexy tattoo artist. But she’s hiding a secret in her past that led her down this path. Can Liam help her find the woman she wants to be... and can he learn to put the past behind him as well?

At first, I was impressed by the unique characters in this book. Not many romances feature a tattoo artist who is sexy and strong and tough (and more or less comfortable with who she is). Unfortunately, the author didn’t quite follow through. There’s a lot of hand wringing about the Good Girl Who Went Bad Because Of Her Terrible Secret, especially in the middle of the book. And the hero’s inner conflict also felt a bit cliched (he has a Bad Daddy, unsurprisingly), even though it was handled well. But the author redeemed herself in the last part of the book when she didn’t completely backtrack on the heroine’s past and turn her into a romance pod person. I would have liked a little more development in the last part of the book (and maybe a little less predictability in the middle section) but the writing was good and the book was enjoyable to read. Not perfect, but a refreshing change from the typical series romance.

I still have mixed feelings about Harlequin Blaze. I still find the books a little too sex heavy, especially when the books are short anyway. I'd rather take away one or two of those love scenes and invest those pages in more emotional development. But it seems like many of the good Harlequin and Silhouette writers are writing for Blaze, especially if you aren't fond of baby stories. So I have to take what I can get, and hope I can find the good ones in between the all-sex-no-story books. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, as Seinfeld would say...)

The Best Revenge by Justine Davis

I haven't had good luck with series books lately - in addition to the ones I've posted about here, there have been a dozen more that I couldn't even finish. I started to think that I should give up on Harlequin altogether. This book gave me some reassurance that there are still good series books out there, despite its flaws.

The Best Revenge by Justine Davis (SRS 1597)
(2010, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 3.5

Jessa Hill doesn’t really want to be the mayor on her small town, but she’s determined to fight against Albert Alden, the slick politician who hides an evil secret - the supposed death of his son, Jessa’s childhood friend. But when Dameron St. John appears at her doorstep, offering to help, she’s not sure what to think, except that he seems strangely familiar...

This book had quite a few things going for it. Justine Davis is an excellent writer, and the plot was satisfying. The characters were interesting and well written, particularly St. John. I could point out the flaws - the plot was cliched and predictable, the endless praise of Redstone was irritating - but in the end, I wanted to keep reading. I was invested in these characters and wanted them to succeed and find happiness. That means more than a few flaws, at least enough to give it an above-average grade.

I've liked Justine Davis since The Morning Side of Dawn (and even before that with The Skypirate) but her books continue to be hit-or-miss with me. I like her characters but don't care for the quasi-military action books she's been writing lately.

Miss Winthorpe's Elopement by Christine Merrill

Still attacking my TBR pile... I have 22 books left in the basket next to my bed. (I'm not counting the 400 in my bookcases - I have to start somewhere!)

Miss Winthorpe's Elopement by Christine Merrill
(2010, Regency)
Grade: 3

To escape her brother, Penelope decides to head for Scotland and find a husband along the way. She stumbles upon Adam Felkirk, the Duke of Bellston and marries him when he is too drunk to object. Although the marriage solves Adam’s financial problems, it’s more difficult for him to accept Penelope as his wife - and for her to adjust to her new life as a duchess.

The setup for this book was incredibly silly and illogical. I was expecting that based on the reviews. But once the setup was over (by page 40), the book improved and became a better-than-average marriage of convenience story. It was predictable, but all of the standard plot points were done well. I can overlook a few cliches since I love a good marriage of convenience story. But unfortunately, the book descended into misunderstandings and petty jealousies in the last part of the book, and never recovered. Even the ending was unsatisfying. Too bad, because there were some good parts to this book, if only the author had stuck with what was working.

I appreciate that Harlequin Historicals is still publishing traditional Regencies, but I wish that they were better... somehow they just don't hold up to the old Signets. (Or maybe I just have a rosy view of the old days...)

Improper Relations by Janet Mullany

Several people recommended Janet Mullany to me, so I ignored the budget and ordered them from the UK. (Amazing how fast that is now - I got these faster from Book Depository in the UK than some of my paperbackswap books coming from a nearby state.) One worked, one didn't.

Improper Relations by Janet Mullany
(2010, Regency)
Grade: 4

Charlotte Hayden is saddened when her best friend Ann gets married to the Earl of Beresford and seems to forget her. But when she meets Beresford’s cousin, Shad, she finds herself intrigued - but she never meant to marry him! After they are forced to marry, they find that they get along better than expected - but misunderstandings and friends get in the way.

A very funny Regency. Mullany’s Regency world is a little bawdier and blunter than a typical Regency, which was entertaining to read. The hero and heroine’s sarcastic remarks made me laugh and the situations were fun without becoming too silly. I tried to read one of Mullany’s previous books, A Most Lamentable Comedy, and I couldn’t finish it because even though it was fun, I didn’t care about the characters and the plot kept wandering all over the place. It seemed like the author sacrificed believability to make jokes. In this book, the characters were more appealing and believable, and the plot, while silly, held together enough to keep the book going. There were some problems with the book - the alternating first person narrative sometimes jumped around too much and pulled me out of the story, and story depended too many times on the heroine getting tipsy and doing stupid things. I don’t think I could reread this book without noticing the glaring errors, but on the first read, I could ignore the plot holes and just enjoy the fun.

I'm not sure I will read another Janet Mullany book - it's too easy for humor to fall flat with me, and this one just barely managed.

The Bellini Bride by Michelle Reid

This book is an example of the persuasive power of a good review. I overruled my general suspicion of this type of book because the reviewer made it sound so appealing!

The Bellini Bride by Michelle Reid (HP 2224)
(2002, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 3

Italian millionaire Marco Bellini finds his mistress Antonia incredibly attractive, but he knows she would never be suitable as a wife. Besides the differences in their social position, she is well known as the sensual nude model featured in the paintings of Stefan Kranst... her former lover. Will this be the end of their affair...or only the beginning?

Why do I read Harlequin Presents? I end up wanting to smack someone, usually the hero. And in this case, the heroine too. They are certainly emotional reads, which I often enjoy, but I hate the way they play on the worst stereotypes of romance, and irritate me with their arrogant alpha heroes and simering virgin heroines. This one started out with the chance to break the typical HP mold. The hero actually had to confront his views of what a “suitable” woman was - except maybe not. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that the heroine wasn’t really bad, she was just misunderstood. Wah, wah, wah, play me another song. There was a slight redemption at the end, but still, I was disappointed that the author didn’t follow through with the story started off writing, and just ended up reinforcing all those old HP stereotypes.

This time I'm making a pledge. No more Harlequin Presents! They just leave dents in my walls when I throw them across the room.

A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

My last Balogh book for a while - it looks like she won't have a new book out until the middle of next year. Maybe an inspiration to go back and read some older ones that I might have missed along the way?

A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh
(2010, Regency) 9/17/10
Grade: 4.5

Reginald Mason, the son of a prosperous coal miner, and Lady Annabelle Ashton, the daughter of the Earl of Havercroft, have lived next door to each other most of their lives, but they are hopelessly separated by the difference in their class. Or are they? When Annabelle is caught up in a scandal and Reginald needs to marry, a marriage seems like the only way out...

A very cute story. Although I caught onto the “twist” very early on (probably because I’d read hints online), the story itself was very charming and cleverly written. The biggest fault of the book was that it wasn’t really a book. It was a long-ish short story. Once you figured out the situation, there wasn’t a lot left to the story. It’s a bit much to charge hardback prices for a novella, but the story was so fun and sweet, I can’t object too much.

How do you value a book? It's painful to pay hardcover prices for a book that I finished in about an hour. On the other hand, I've paid for books that I didn't like enough to finish, so maybe it evens out.

Something Shady by Pamela Morsi

I was looking for something light, so I decided to reread another book from my keeper shelf.

Something Shady by Pamela Morsi
(1995, 1917 Missouri) 9/14/10

Gertrude has always found her next door neighbor, Mikolai Stefanski, rather attractive, but up until now they've only been friends. But when her niece finds an old diary, and after she decides to bob her hair, things begin to change...

This is my favorite book by Pamela Morsi, and it's been on my keeper shelf for quite a while. But I haven't reread it in many years. Unfortunately, it didn't quite hold up after all these years. The romance is still compelling, but I'd forgotten how long it takes to get going. The relationship between Gertrude and Mikolai doesn't even start until almost 150 pages into the book. And the story of Gertrude's niece Claire and her confused matchmaking probably seemed less annoying on a first reading. I found myself impatiently turning the pages, waiting for the good stuff to start. Once it does, the book is quite romantic, with love scenes that are both tender and erotic. And the characters were interesting and unique - I particularly enjoyed Mikolai's Polish background (and his charming story of the chicken pox) It's still a lovely book, but it may not quite be a keeper any more.

There are quite a few books on my keeper shelf that might not hold up to a full rereading, even thought parts of them are very good. Sigh... I started off trying to clear a little space on my keeper shelf and now I'm finding problems with every book I reread!

Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale

It's fascinating to read a book about medieval Italy, although after reading this book, I think I understand why it's not a common setting for romance. It makes British or American history seem straightforward by comparison.

Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale
(2004, Medieval) 9/13/10
Grade: 3.5

Elena grew up in the safety of an English castle, but her roots lie in the mysterious and dangerous Italian city of Monteverde. She is betrothed to a prince of the Riata house, but she is soon kidnapped by the mysterious Raven... who was once known as Allegretto. The dark angel who once saved her, but now intends to use her for his own mysterious plans...

I wanted to like this book. Laura Kinsale is an excellent writer, and For My Lady’s Heart was fascinating and romantic, even if it had some flaws. But Shadowheart just didn’t grab me in the same way. The first 150 pages were dark, almost too dark. I didn’t see any connection between the hero and heroine other than a mutual love of pain. For My Lady’s Heart managed to combine the darkness with some light and hope, and that worked better for me. The book did improve once the action moved to Monteverde, and there were a few lovely moments between Elena and Allegretto. But then the very convoluted plot took over. It just went on and on and on - if this book had been 100 pages shorter, I might have enjoyed it more, but by the end, I was tired of keeping track of who hated who and which characters were at each other’s throats. The resolution was interesting and well done, but it just went on way too long. There was a kernel of a good book here, but it just didn’t quite come together.

After two dark and convoluted medievals, I need something light and simple to cleanse my reading palate. I just bought a stack of series books at the used bookstore, which might just fit my mood.

For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale

This is another reread - I thought I needed to refresh my memory before starting the sequel, Shadowheart. I first read this back in the early 90's when it first came out.

For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale
(1993, Medieval) 9/11/10
Grade: 4.5

Thirteen years ago, the beautiful and mysterious Princess Melanthe saved Ruck, and he devoted himself to her. Now, the widowed princess must escape from Italian assassins and she needs the help of the mysterious Green Knight. But can Ruck trust Melanthe, who grew up in a court of lies and intrigues - and can Melanthe let herself trust an English knight?

This book is completely different from any other romance I've ever read. You can't get caught up in the details of the Middle English dialogue or the convoluted details of the plot. If you try to figure out each word and each plot point, you will get bogged down in details and never get through the book. You just have to throw yourself into it and trust Kinsale to carry you through. Which she does! The characters are fascinating, if somewhat mysterious, and the language takes you away to another world. By the end, I was almost thinking in Middle English. I'm not sure I would want to read this again - it requires you to devote yourself to it from start to finish, which isn't always practical - but the experience was definitely worthwhile.

Even though I know a lot of people hated the language in this book, I was a bit disappointed that Shadowheart didn't stick with Middle English. It gave this book a mysterious, other-worldly feeling that outweighed the convoluted plot.

Two Books by Jeanne Grant

I've been going through my keeper shelf and trying to decide which books should stay and which ones should go. Although it's hard to let books go, if I'm not going to reread them, there's no point in keeping them just to take up space. There are many books that I enjoyed the first time that I will probably never read again.

Ain't Misbehaving and No More Mr. Nice Guy by Jeanne Grant (aka Jennifer Greene)
(1985 and 1986, Contemporary Series)

These two books were part of the short-lived Second Chance at Love series line. (A lot of great authors started out there!) Both of them were great the first time I read them, but will they hold up the second time around?

The hero of Ain't Misbehaving, Mitch Cochran, has a problem. Although he's recovered now, he spent most of his childhood and young adulthood in and out of hospitals. He missed out on most of the experiences that other people have - he hasn't even kissed a girl since he was fifteen! So when Kay Sanders comes along, he's not sure whether to take it slow, or make up for lost time!

Alan, the hero of No More Mr. Nice Guy, is afraid that his girlfriend Carroll thinks he's too boring and predictable. They're on their way to a life in the suburbs with a house and a dog and 2.2 kids, but is that enough? He decides to shake things up and sweep Carroll off her feet. She's initially thrilled by the new Alan, but does she really want to spend her life eating squid, canoing at midnight and living in a barn? Maybe nice guys aren't so bad after all!

Both of these books stood out because they were different. So many series books are same-old-same-old, and these definitely broke the mold. I loved the heroes in both books - Jeanne Grant does a great job making nice guy heroes sexy and appealing! (When I asked her about Ain't Misbehaving at a book signing, she said she was tired of reading about the ever-so-popular 80's rakes, and she wanted to see if she could write a believable virgin hero - and she definitely did!) However, they didn't hold up that well to multiple readings. After reading them a couple of times over the last ten years, the books feel a bit dated now, and I found myself skipping through a lot of filler to get to the "good parts". Kudos to Jeanne Grant / Jennifer Greene for trying something different, but I think these will be passed along to other readers.

As a side note, love that pink 80's sweater on the cover of No More Mr. Nice Guy. I think I had one just like it!

Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase

Sometimes it can be more frustrating to read a book that just misses the mark than one that is just OK. I can't help thinking, "this would be perfect if the author just changed this one thing..."

Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase
(2009, Regency Historical) 9/7/10
Grade: 4

After 12 years as a prisoner in a harem, Zoe Lexham has returned to England. She’s an immediate sensation and knows more about sensuality than a proper English lady should. She has no idea how to fit into society, so Lucien, her childhood friend and now the Duke or Marchmont, agrees to help. No one can penetrate his cool demeanor... except Zoe.

This was a difficult book to rate. It was well written and interesting. The characters were likeable and (mostly) consistently written. I enjoyed reading it. But there was something off about the pacing. The book seemed to be going in one direction, then it would head off in another one. Just when the romance was developing and building to a climax, the story would stop and the plot would focus on something totally different. Zoe, in particular, didn’t always behave in a consistent way, especially in the first half of the book. (She’s supposed to be impulsive but she verges on TSTL in a few places.) This makes the book sound worse than it was - I never wanted to put it down, and it was very enjoyable to read. I just found it frustrating in places and wished it was a little more coherent. Good, but not one of Chase’s best.

I also had two more DNF books along the way - Loving a Lost Lord by Mary Jo Putney and A One-of-a-Kind Family by Holly Jacobs. Both had the same flaw - not enough focus on the hero and heroine. The Putney book spent far too much time on the secondary characters and their future books than on the ostensible hero and heroine. The Jacobs book was a very nice book about very nice people, but the romance felt like an afterthought. In both cases, a disappointment, since both books sounded so appealing.

What Happens In London by Julia Quinn

Although I probably should have read this before Ten Things I Love About You, I'm actually glad I read it second. I was able to enjoy Ten Things without being too picky about it.

What Happens In London by Julia Quinn
(2009, Regency) 9/6/10
Grade: 3.5

When Harry Valentine moves in next door, Olivia Bevelstoke can't help being curious. According to the gossip, he killed his fiancée! So she decides to spy on him - and discovers there's something mysterious going on...

This book definitely had the Julia Quinn wit, but it just didn't have the depth of emotion of her last book. There were some hilarious scenes in this one - there was one scene in Olivia's drawing room that had me laughing hysterically. But the romance felt lacking. The hero and heroine don't have much of a connection until almost 200 pages into the book, and their scenes together felt scattershot and unfocused. The whole book had an episodic feel, like a bunch of individual scenes put together instead of a coherent whole. I liked the characters, and it seemed like the author was trying for something more with the hero's background and the heroine's frustration at being seen as shallow, but those plotlines never really went anywhere. The book did come together in the end and it was fun to read, but it just wasn't memorable.

I think Julia Quinn is one author who has won me over with Facebook. I tend to forget about her books since she's not an auto-buy author for me, but her posts on FB were just frequent enough to get me to buy 10 Things.

How to Score by Robin Wells

Still working my way through the TBR...

How To Score by Robin Wells
(2009, Contemporary) 9/5/10
Grade: 4

Museum curator Sammi Matthews has been so spooked since her last failed relationship, she’s actually started injuring her dates! Accidently. So she consulted a life coach. However, she doesn’t know her coach is actually Chase Jones, an FBI agent filling in for his brother. But when she and Chase meet in person, sparks begin to fly...

This was a fun contemporary. The author managed to keep me laughing without too much slapsick or silliness. (Not many authors could find a way for the hero to tell the heroine, “You’re the SCABHOG of my dreams” and have it be both funny and touching.) The first third of the book was terrific, a great combination of humor and emotion. However, the book seemed to run out of plot in the middle. The story just became predictable, as if there wasn’t enough story to fill the book. The misunderstanding between the hero and heroine just dragged on too long. (I’m always telling authors they don’t need a “suspense” plotline, but in this case, maybe a little more plot would have helped.) The secondary romance between the heroine’s boss and landlord was sweet and kept the book going. Overall, I really enjoyed the story, it just didn’t quite live up to the promise of the first few chapters. A good contemporary is hard to find, so I’ll definitely be looking for more books by this author.

Could the single title contemporary be making a small resurgence? I can't call it a trend yet, but I've seen more of them in the past year. I keep hoping!

Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran

Normally I don't post about books I don't finish, but this one was a particular disappointment because I wanted so much to like it. It seemed appealing based on the plot description and reviews, and it was written by a friend-of-a-friend. But after making it through 100 pages, it still felt like something I "had" to do, not something I wanted to do. Like homework. Unfortunately, reading this book made me feel stupid. I felt like I had to read every paragraph two or three times to figure out what the author was trying to say - like I was translating her words from another language. Maybe I'm shallow, but I just don't want to work that hard in my free time.

Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
(2009, Victorian) 9/4/10
Grade: DNF (did not finish)

Will I buy her next book? I'm undecided. I didn't particularly like her last one either, but I was assured that her next one is her most accessible one yet. I'll probably break down and buy it.

Beauty and the Scarred Hero by Emily May

I can't remember who recommended this one to me, but the title was enough to make me want to buy it!

Beauty and the Scarred Hero by Emily May
(2010, Regency) 8/31/10
Grade: 3

Lady Isabella Knox isn't looking for love. As the sister of a Duke, she is perfectly happy to live alone in her London townhouse collecting strays - including Harriet Durham, who has fled from Major Nicholas Reynolds, the intimidating man she is supposed to marry. Isabella accidentally gives Nicholas the nickname "ogre", then befriends him to offset the gossip. But she soon discovers Nicholas is far from an ogre...

Unfortunately, the best word for this book is "blah". I wanted to like it, since it seemed so appealing - tortured hero, independent heroine, Regency setting - but it just didn't hold my attention. It was just.. forgettable.

It's hard to grade a book like this - I was tempted to stop reading in the middle but I did like the heroine. It was a nice change to read about an independently wealthy heroine instead of yet another governess. But it just wasn't enough to make this book stand out.

Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight

Yay! A Keeper!! Or if not a keeper, at the very least a really great book. This is definitely a testament to online reviews, because I never would have bought this book if not for Dear Author and a couple of other online sites that raved about it. (It took me a while since it came out originally in e-book format, but then was released in paperback earlier this year.)

Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight
(2009, Contemporary) 8/29/10
Grade: 5

One year after the death of his lover, Michael Warner is struggling to hold his life together for the sake of their 8 year old daughter. Three years after a vicious attack left her scarred, former actress Rebecca O’Neill seems OK on the surface, but still faltering underneath. But when sparks start to fly between them, are they willing to take a risk and dare to love again?

This book started a bit slow, but as I got into it, I found myself spellbound. It’s rare to find a serious, thoughtful contemporary, and even rarer to find one that’s so well written. (The alternating-first-person style was a little off-putting at first, but I mostly got used to it. It did pull me out of the story a little bit at each chapter change.) Although this is a romance, the romance is only one part of the story. The primary focus is Michael and his struggle to deal with the death of his partner, Alex. (The issue of Michael’s sexuality - is he gay or straight or bi - was dealt with in a refreshingly adult way.) Since this was a Samhain book, I was expecting too many love scenes, but there was actually only one, which fit this story and these characters (but was still a refreshing surprise.) This book was just so open and emotional, it was almost too intense in some places. I’m not sure at this point whether this will be a long term keeper, but I know I have to read it again. I think this is a book that will expand on a second reading. There were some minor issues - the ending was rushed and didn’t focus enough on Rebecca and her story - but still, it’s definitely the best book I’ve read in some time.

As thrilled as I am to read such a great book, I'm also a little saddened because I know very few romance readers will discover this book. It's only available online (as far as I know) and it's from Samhain. Not to criticize Samhain, since I'm pleased they published this book, but Samhain is not a place where I'd go to look for a serious contemporary. Even the back blurb is misleading - it says it contains "explicit sex scenes" which this book most assuredly does not. I hope it finds some readership through online reviews, which describe the book far better than the publisher has.

The Summer of You by Kate Noble

I had a hard time grading this book - I found it appealing but somehow it left me a little cold...

The Summer of You by Kate Noble
(2010, Regency Historical) 8/28/10
Grade: 4

Jane Cummings is forced to spend the summer at her family’s country home when her father’s confusion grows worse. She blackmails her brother into coming along. She is caught up in village life, but is intrigued by Byrne Worth, an injured war hero that everyone thinks is a local highwayman! But Jane sees more in Byrne than he’s willing to reveal.

An interesting and well written story. This book felt somewhat old fashioned, since it concentrated as much on the secondary characters as it did on the hero and heroine. For much of the book, the focus is on Jane’s adjustment to life in Merrymere and her interactions with the people in the town. Even though there are some serious situations (Jane’s father’s illness, Byrne’s injuries and struggles with addiction), they’re dealt with in an almost abstract way, without the emotional directness that most romances have today. (This is more in the style of Austen or Heyer.) I prefer the more emotional style, but I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were interesting and the writing was excellent. But it just didn’t grab me on an emotional level.

There were some points in this book where I wished I'd read the previous book (Revealed) first. I have Revealed on my TBB list but I got this one as a gift first. It wasn't a big issue with the story, but now I want to know what I missed!

The Man She Once Knew by Jean Brashear

What happened to Harlequin Super Romance? Sometime last year, they lost 50 pages. That's a real disappointment, since HSR was my favorite series line, but their more complicated stories are harder to squeeze into just 240 pages. Sigh... I guess that's one more reason I haven't been reading series romance.

The Man She Once Knew by Jean Brashear (HSR 1595)
(2009, Contemporary Series) 8/28/10
Grade: 3

Sixteen years after a trip to Oak Hollow changed her life, Callie Hunter returns for her aunt’s funeral. She intends to leave as quickly as possible, but David Langley, the onetime town hero turned ex-con, needs her help. How could things have gone so wrong for David, and how can she make up for the sins of the past?

This book was so frustrating. It had great characters and an interesting story, but they were forced into a book that was at least 100 pages too short. Huge chunks of the story were cut off or completely left out in order to meet the page count. That’s why I can’t recommend it despite its many good qualities. These characters deserved more. There were hints of greater depth in the characters - David, the golden boy who spent 15 years in prison, and was struggling to survive on the outside. Callie, the onetime rebel and bad girl who fought her way out of a miserable home to become a lawyer and prosecutor. I kept getting flashes of what the book could have been.

This seemed like the perfect example of a story that belonged in a single title. But where are the serious contemporary single title romances? They're practically nonexistent these days.

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

I find Elizabeth Hoyt a little baffling. I enjoyed her last book very much, and this one was good too. But her previous series left me cold (and worse - I couldn't even finish the book, I disliked it so much). I know she just started a new series, but I'm reluctant to pick it up because I'm not such which Elizabeth Hoyt I'll be getting. But this one was definitely worth reading.

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
(2009, Georgian) 8/27/10
Grade: 4

On the run, Helen and her two children arrive on the doorstep of Alistair Munroe. Alistair has been hiding in his Scottish castle since he was badly injured during the war, but Helen and her children bring light and joy to his life - but can she escape her past and create a new life?

I read this in just one evening, and it was very readable and enjoyable. The plot was familiar, but it was done well and the characters were compelling. I don’t usually like children in books, but Abigail and Jamie were one of the highlights of the book, well written and unique. They brought some life to a story that felt a little cliched. The one interesting note was the heroine, who had been the mistress of the Duke of Lister for years. It’s unusual and interesting to see a heroine who has a somewhat questionable past and isn’t condemned for it. The love scenes were a bit overwrought in places (there’s one in particular that feels very out of place) but they didn’t overwhelm the book (unlike some previous books by Hoyt). Overall this was an enjoyable read, even if it wasn’t as original as the previous book in the series.

I have to say a word about the cover - love the dress but the blue-on-blue-on-blue makes it hard to pick out the details. I wish it wasn't such a tight closeup because Georgian historicals are rare and I'd like to get a better look at the dress.

The Preacher's Wife by Cheryl St. John

I decided to read something completely different from my last book. Definitely a change of pace!

The Preacher's Wife by Cheryl St. John
(2009, Americana) 8/23/10
Grade: 3.5

When a newly widowed minister comes to her town with his three young daughters, Josie Randolph wants to help. She is also widowed, and yearning for a family of her own. When Samuel asks her to marry him and join their family in Colorado, Josie is eager to accept. But can a marraige born out of necessity turn into something more?

I don’t normally read inspirationals, but I made an exception for one of my favorite authors, Cheryl St. John. She is one of the few authors still writing Americana, and she always writes lovely, heartwarming stories. At first this book was promising, with an enjoyable setup and pleasant characters. But after a while, the characters started to seem a little too perfect. The heroine, in particular, is just too good to be true. She has no flaws or doubts, at least until the final chapters. I’m not sure if this was due to the religious content of the book - the Biblical passages felt like a natural part of these characters’ lives, but it made me wonder if this was why the characters felt so one dimensional, as if religious characters weren’t allowed to have flaws. Cheryl St. John always writes characters that are fundamentally good at heart, but these characters more stereotypical and not as well rounded as many of her other heroes and heroines. Although I love Cheryl St. John’s writing, I will probably avoid her inspirationals, if she writes more of them.

Surprisingly, I don't have any keepers by Cheryl St. John, even though I buy all of her books. But I can always turn to her when I want a heartwarming American historical. I hope I'm not too selfish to hope that she doesn't start writing inspirationals exclusively. I enjoyed her other books more.

Her Ladyship's Companion by Evangeline Collins

It's surprising how many books you can read when you schedule an entire weekend for nothing but books! I'm determined to cut down my TBR at least a little bit before I take the Kindle plunge (maybe in mid-October?)

Her Ladyship's Companion by Evangeline Collins
(2009, Regency Historical) 8/22/10
Grade: 3.5

After five years of marriage to an abusive husband she rarely sees, Isabella is tempted when her cousin suggests that she take a lover. But when Gideon Rosedale arrives at her door, she finds him more than a paid companion - and he finds more than a wealthy client.

This is not my usual type of read, and I was skeptical that I would enjoy it. But the story was surprisingly compelling. The characters were well drawn and interesting, and there was more to it than just sex. The author definitely knows how to write a love scene. However, the book became a bit repetitive in the second half, with a little too much melodrama. It wasn’t enough for the heroine to be sad or upset or happy, she had to be over-the-top and distraught or hysterical or ecstatic. It made the book feel less realistic. I ended up skimming quite a bit in the last third. But still, the story was unique enough to keep my reading through to the end.

I don't remember quite why I bought this book - erotica is not usually my cup of tea, but I think the plot description tempted me. It definitely had potential, but there's a reason I stick with more traditional historicals.

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

Julia Quinn is one of those authors I love in small doses. Whenever I haven't read her in a while and pick up one, I'm completely charmed. But if I try to read too many of her books at a time, they start to annoy me. She's a nice contrast to my usual diet of angst, pain and suffering.

Ten Things I Love About You by Julie Quinn
(2010, Regency Historical) 8/22/10
Grade: 4

Annabel Winslow is expected to marry Lord Newbury, even though he’s three times her age. Her family is depending on her. But it’s his nephew Sebastian Grey who makes her laugh. Everyone thinks Sebastian is a penniless nobody, but he has a secret life as a writer of gothic romances - and he isn’t going to let Annabel get away.

As usual, Julia Quinn makes me laugh. She writes great characters and funny scenes that aren’t too silly or over the top. I loved both Sebastian and Annabel, who were interesting and well realized characters. I always like Quinn’s wise rogues - she does them so well. I wouldn’t want a steady diet of Quinn, but her books are always fun to read. My only quibbles about this one are the “Ten Things” lists which appeared in the book every few chapters. They felt out of place and a little too silly. The middle of the book also got a little slow by comparison to the rest of the book. But these are minor issues - overall this was a highly enjoyable read. It doesn’t quite have the depth of her best books, which is why I graded it down slightly, but it was definitely a fun and enjoyable read.

I have another Julie Quinn in my "must read soon" pile but I think I should put it off for a while so I don't get Quinn-ed out.

The Right Mr. Wrong by Cindi Myers

I don't remember why I picked this up in the first place, but I wish I'd read it a few months ago during the Winter Olympics! It would have been a perfect accompaniment to the skiing events, which I love. I am a Winter Olympics junkie and watch every skiing event, even though my attempts at skiing in real life have been pretty embarrassing!

The Right Mr. Wrong by Cindi Myers (HAR 1199)
(2008, Contemporary Series) 8/21/10
Grade: 4

After an accident ended her skiing career, Maddie Alexander joined the ski patrol. She likes her new friends, except for Norwegian skiier Hagan Ansdar, who has a new girlfriend every week and keeps himself aloof from the other skiiers. But as Maddie gets to know Hagan, she discovers there’s more to him beneath the surface.

As an Olympic skiing fan, I loved the background of this book. Maddie’s struggles to get past her accident and put her dreams of Olympic gold behind her were interesting and well written. I also liked Hagan, the taciturn Norwegian who hides a painful past. Although there are a lot of secondary characters (who probably have books of their own), they added to the story without detracting from the hero and heroine. However, the book started to feel a bit repetive in the second half. There was nothing wrong, but it just started to feel predictable. An enjoyable book, but not quite a keeper.

I debated about how to rate this one, because I particularly liked the heroine and her development. But I kept putting the book down to do other things, which is a sign that it just isn't holding my attention.

Halfway to Heaven by Susan Wiggs

I decided to take a break from more recent books to read an older book set in Washington DC - not a popular spot for romances, unfortunately.

Halfway to Heaven by Susan Wiggs
(2001, 1880's Washington) 8/15/10
Grade: 4

Abigail Cabot is awkward and shy, more interested in stars than in people and the despair of her Senator father. But she harbors a secret love for handsome, politically connected Boyd Butler, who only has eyes for her beautiful sister. Somehow, she keeps falling into the arms of Jamie Calhoun, a disreputable Congressman from Virginia, who agrees to help her win Boyd - but finds himself drawn to Abigail despite his best efforts

This book had a lot of things going for it, but also had a few flaws. I loved the unusual setting. The background of politics in the 1880's was fascinating, and I also enjoyed Jamie's attempt to deal with Virginia politics in the decades after the Civil War. It's a wonderful background for a book and I wish more books were set in the U.S. during this time period. I also liked the main characters - I always like the hero who sees the true value of the heroine when everyone else can only see the surface. Both Jamie and Abigail were well drawn, interesting characters. However, one problem with the book is that Abigail spends most of it pining after someone else. At first it kept the hero and heroine together, but after a while, you started to think she was a little stupid. Secondly, the last few chapters were frustrating, with a long separation between the characters and an abrupt ending that didn't pay off the emotions that had been building through the book. The disappointing ending made me mark this one down a bit, but overall, it was an enjoyable read.

I have so many Susan Wiggs books in my TBR pile - although I don't always love her books, they are always reliably good, although I'm a bit disappointed that she's turned to women's fiction these days. At least she has a large backlist of meaty historicals.

Falling Star by Olivia Brynn

Two books in one day! This one is really short, though.

Falling Star by Olivia Brynn
(2009, Contemporary) 7/31/10
Grade: 3.5

Country music star Adam Nash is pleased when he meets a sexy florist who doesn’t recognize him. After the drunken binges and supermodels, he’s ready to grow up, and Jade could be the part of his new life. But will she still want him when she finds out the life he leads, full of tours and photographers and celebrity?

I’m a sucker for rock star heroes (or in this case, country star), but you rarely find them in mainstream romances. So I splurged and bought this one despite the outrageous price to get it in print. Unfortunately, it was more like a short story - and a VERY short story if you left out the sex scenes. Not that I mind sex scenes, but they were a major focus of the book, and I wanted more romance, more character development, more everything. It was a nice story but it ended just as things were getting interesting. It seemed like a waste when the author spent so much time building up these characters and their world, which was quite well written and had the potential for a lot more story.

I know a lot of romance readers don't like books with "celebrity" heroes and heroines, and don't think they can have happy endings, but we accept a lot of other improbable things, so why not a faithful musician? (They must exist somewhere.) I only see them every now and then in ebooks, which I don't mind too much except that there's a rule somewhere that says ebooks must have sex scenes every 5 pages. Not that appealing to me.