Stranded With Her Ex by Jill Sorenson

This was the last book I read on vacation, and it turned out to be the best.

Stranded With Her Ex by Jill Sorenson (HRS 1654)
(2011, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 4

Two years after her divorce, Daniela Flores is trying to resume her career as a marine biologist. She plans to spend a few weeks on the isolated Fallon Islands, studying sea lions. She didn't expect to find her ex-husband Sean on the research team, studying sharks at the same location. Their marriage ended after a tragic accident, but they will have to work together on the island - especially after mysterious events put all of them in danger.

Although I'm not a huge romantic suspense fan, I enjoy it when it's done well, and it was done very well here, especially in the last half of the book. The author did a great job in depicting the isolated research station and the escalating danger as the book went on. She also combined the emotional story of Daniela and Sean's marriage with the suspense in a very nice way - often, books like this falter on one side or the other. The biggest problem was just that the book was too short - setting up the situation took almost half of the book, and there just weren't enough pages to really do the story justice. This could easily have been a full length novel. However, it was very well done and I found it an enjoyable read.

I'm not sure I would recommend reading this book at the beach - the story fit very well with the beach setting but it made me wary of sharks!

Unlocked by Courtney Milan

I have enjoyed reading Courtney Milan's internet postings, and I heard a lot of great things about this story, which evidently was her foray into self publishing. However, as with her previous short story, I found it somewhat lacking.

Unlocked by Courtney Milan
(2011, Regency Novella)
Grade: 3.5

Ten years after he tormented and teased Lady Elaine Warren, Evan Carleton, the Earl of Weston has returned to England to try and make things right. But Elaine is not so ready to forgive. She’s learned to live with the jokes and insults, but the experience has made her wary of anyone who seems too good to be true.

It’s hard to grade this novella, because it seemws like a book that was squeezed into a novella length. The premise was fascinating, but there was a lot of character, plot and relationship development to be crammed into a relatively small space. To the author’s credit, she was able to bring the characters to life in a small number of pages, but where she faltered was in their relationship. There just wasn’t enough space to explain why the hero and heroine were suddenly “in love” – and the last thing this short piece needed was a very lengthy love scene near the end. All in all, a noble experiment that didn’t quite work.

Short stories are difficult - I want to like them since they work so well with my limited time availability (and attention span) but it's very hard to find satisfying ones. I also tried It Happened One Season during my vacation and had many of the same issues with it.

The Naked King by Sally MacKenzie

I didn’t intend to read two books in a row with essentially the same plotline, but that’s a disadvantage of the Kindle – it’s much harder to read the “back cover” and pick what book you want to read next. This one was a slight improvement but still not great.

The Naked King by Sally MacKenzie
(2011, Regency Historical)
Grade: 3.5

When Lady Anne Marston is out walking her dog, she finds herself tangled up with Stephen Parker-Roth – and somehow they end up engaged. She is only in London to help her sister with her first season – at 27, Anne considers herself on the shelf, especially after a bad experience in the past – but Stephen is determined to find the real woman underneath the guarded exterior.

This had the makings of an excellent Regency – a rakish hero (with a great sense of humor), a wallflower heroine, a forced betrothal. However, as this is a Regency historical and not a Regency, the author included a lot more sexual content. Some of it was worthwhile – the heroine’s past was handled very well and added some depth to this fairly light story, and the love scenes were spicy, if a bit out of place at times. But I really didn’t need a minute-by-minute update on the status of the character’s… body parts. The author spent far too much time on the hero and heroine lusting after each other. After a while, it got tedious and repetitive and detracted from the story.

I read an email recently that called this phenomenon "Instant Lust Syndrome". Maybe it's to be expected in a book called The Naked King. However, it's infecting far too many books lately - I'm reading a Jade Lee book at the moment that has the same problem. It's hard to object without sounding prudish, but it takes away from the other elements of the book and gets very tedious after a while.

The Rake and the Wallflower by Allison Lane

Unfortunately, I didn't get as much reading done on my vacation as I wanted - I read a lot the first couple of days and then my rental house caught on fire, which took away some of my motivation! But I did get a few books in before I lost my hot tub access. :(

The Rake and the Wallflower by Allison Lane
(2001, Regency)
Grade: 3

Mary Seabrook is in town for her first Season, but she feels awkward and shy next to her vivacious sister Laura. But when she meets fellow bird watcher Lord Grayson, she feels that she has met a kindred spirit. Unfortunately, between Grayson’s mysterious accidents and Laura’s vindictive schemes, there is little time for Mary and Grayson to find romance.

I was hoping for an enjoyable Regency, but unfortunately, this one went off track, with more focus on the external plot than on the hero and heroine. The story started off well, even if the characters were somewhat familiar – the shy heroine, the hero with a mysterious past. But unfortunately, the author spent far too much time on outside influences, particularly Mary’s scheming sister, and not enough time on the relationship. The things that made the characters different and interesting – Mary’s caricatures, Grayson’s collection of wounded birds – were dropped so we could read one scene after another of Laura acting badly. I kept hoping the book would improve, because Allison Lane is a talented author, but in the end I was disappointed.

Allison Lane has a dark view of Regency society, which she sometimes uses to great effect, but here it just gave the book an oppressive feeling that didn’t help the story.

Married by June by Ellen Hartman

This has been a very slow summer for reading, but I brought a stack of books with me on my vacation and I plan to work my way through some of my TBR pile - even if my "virtual" TBR pile is getting to be almost as large as my paper one!

Married by June by Ellen Hartman (HSR 1711)
(2011, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 3.5

Jorie Burke and Cooper Murphy got engaged after only knowing each other a few months, so that her dying mother could plan her daughter's perfect wedding. But now both Jorie and Cooper are wondering if they did the right thing. They're about to call it off when a crisis in Cooper's political family puts them back together... at least temporarily.

I wanted to like this book more. It had a lot of great elements - a likeable hero and heroine, an interesting backstory for the heroine, an unusual backdrop of politics. But somehow it just felt a little... blah. On one hand, I felt like I was being dropped in the middle of a series since there were a lot of references to things that happened before the book started. (Actually, I don't think it is part of a series, which makes it more confusing.) On the other hand, I found myself checking to see how many pages were left, wondering when the "real" story would start. It just seemed to meander along when it needed more umph. It wasn't a bad book, just not one that made me want to keep turning the pages.

I really liked Ellen Hartman's first book so I'm hopeful that her other books are more interesting! I felt like there was a much more interesting story hiding in this book somewhere.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

When I'm looking for a light read, I usually turn to Julia Quinn. Although some of her books are wonderful, I end up liking the idea of them more than the actual books most of the time.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
(20111, Regency Historical)
Grade: 3.5

Honoria Smythe-Smith has known Marcus most of her life - he was her brother’s best friend - but they grew up and her brother had to leave the country, they haven’t spent much time together. But when Marcus needs her help, she finds that what she feels for him goes much deeper than friendship.

This started off very well - it had the typical Julia Quinn humor with interesting and fun characters. The first half of the book, with Honoria and Marcus discovering their feelings for each other, was both emotional and charming. The problems came in the last third of the book, when Honoria and Marcus go back to London. There isn’t any real reason keeping them apart, so the author throws in a misunderstanding, which doesn’t work very well. It just felt like the characters were repeating the same issue over and over. The plotline about the Smythe-Smith musical performance had some fun moments, but I found myself skimming near the end. Unfortunately, this book was just forgettable - not one of Quinn’s best.

On the positive side, I love the cover! One of the most disapponting things about the Kindle is that I can't see the book covers - when I have some extra time, I'm going to try and hack my Kindle so I can see the book covers as screen savers. Even if they are in black and white, it's better than the generic book covers that publishers are using for eBooks.

The Golden Season by Connie Brockway

Although I haven't read much lately, at least I came back with an excellent book!

The Golden Season by Connie Brockway
(2010, Regency Historical)
Grade: 5

When Lady Lydia Eastlake finds out her fortune is gone, she has one season to find a wealthy husband. She is immediately attracted to Captain Ned Lockton, who sees her as no one else has - but he is in the same situation and needs an heiress to help his family. But are they willing to give up love in order to maintain their place in society?

I loved this book. The author managed to make a heroine who might have come off as shallow become sympathetic, and a hero who might have seemed too passive as honorable and reserved. I especially loved the way Brockway portrayed their feelings for each other - I really believed in their attraction, both physical and emotional. (Too many authors make attraction all about sex, but it goes far beyond that here.) I appreciated that there was no easy way out of this situation, and there was no magical inheritance or mistake to resolve the dilemma. (The twist at the end was a little melodramatic, but at least it came out of the characters and their motivations - even if the ultimate resolution was slightly unrealistic.) Overall, I have to say this was a keeper! Definitely Brockway’s best book since As You Desire.

So many authors become overly mannered or sentimental after they've written a dozen books or more. Nice to see Connie Brockway can still hit it out of the park!

Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb

Back to Eve and Roarke for one of the best entries in the series for some time.

Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb
(2011, Suspense)
Grade: 4.5

Detective Peabody is just wrapping up her first case as primary when she stumbles on something much more sinister - a group of cops who are using their positions for money - and who will do anything, even kill, to protect themselves. Eve must work within the police department to defend the job - and mission - that is so important to her.

One of the best in Death books in some time. There is very little romance but there’s a lot of interaction with our favorite secondary characters, particularly Peabody who has always been my favorite! It’s an interesting look at how Eve functions as a supervisor - something she found horrifying a few books ago but is now becoming a point of pride. There are even some moments of touching emotion as the case affects everyone on a personal level. My only complaint is the story became almost too convoluted towards the end - too many schemes and double-crossing, it became confusing and started to lose the emotional intensity. But overall, an excellent read.

As a side note, why are the covers of these books so ugly? I realize they want to make them appealing to people who would never buy a "romance", but surely they can do better than this. Ugh!

Clay Yeager's Redemption by Justine Davis

This one has been in my TBR pile for a while, and it seemed like the perfect book to take on vacation.

Clay Yeager's Redemption by Justine Davis
(1999, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 3.5

Casey Scott has retreated to her hometown in Iowa, after a bad experience in the big bad city. She’s doing well as a caterer, but something seems missing until a dog named Mud steals her rib roast. Mud belongs to a mysterious man named Clay Yeager, who appears to be homeless. But something makes her want to trust him and learn more about his life.

This book started out really well. I was intrigued by the mysterious stranger whose eyes were “dead” but was hanging on for the sake of his dog. He’s hiding a dark secret, as is Casey. This seems just the story for this angst bunny, but somehow as the book continued, I began to get impatient. I put the book down numerous times and skimmed through the last third. I’m not sure if it was just my mood or if I’ve read too many similar stories, but the book just didn’t excite me the way I expected. I was left feeling like this was angst-by-the-numbers. Too bad, because usually I love Justine Davis.

I think this is an example of a book I might have graded differently if I'd read it at a different time, but after 2-3 tries, I just couldn't get into it as much as I'd expected.

A Hasty Marriage by Carla Kelly

This is a short story by Carla Kelly, which was originally published in the Wedding Belles anthology from 2004. It seems to be a precursor to some of her more recent books featuring sea captains.

A Hasty Marriage by Carla Kelly
(2004, Regency)
Grade: 3.5

When Ann Utley, a 32 year old spinster, faces an unwanted marriage proposal, she runs off to her former governess, now the wife of a warehouse owner. It's there that she meets Hiram Titus, an American sea captain who is completely outside her social sphere. But the attraction between them is immediate and mutual. Will Ann throw it all away for love?

As always for Carla Kelly, this was an extremely well written story, with an interesting plot. The author does a great job (surprisingly) at depicting the instant attraction between the hero and heroine as well as pointing out their differences. Unfortunately,the story is marred slightly by a somewhat contrived ending that cuts off a real discussion of what their marriage will mean for both of them- particularly for Ann. I felt like her legitimate concerns were dismissed too quickly by the other characters and then brushed away by the end of the story. Still, the story was interesting and well written, and left me wondering about the history behind it.

I think I missed this anthology when it first came out, so it was nice to read this story, even if it wasn't one of Kelly's best.

Pricks and Pragmatism by J.L. Merrow

I bought this on a recommendation by Dear Author. (Probably the only place I find out about m/m romances.) It's a novella from Samhain, a publisher that has surprised me recently with several good reads.

Pricks and Pragmatism by J.L. Merrow
(2010, Contemporary)
Grade: 4

Luke is accustomed to trading sex for a place to live, especially when the men are wealthy and hot, but when his latest boyfriend kicks him out a few weeks before finals, he ends up with Russell, a nerd who doesn’t quite know how to deal with his new "roommate". Luke is used to men who want his body, but he’s not used to anyone who wants his heart.

Despite the premise and sexual content, this was a surprisingly sweet story. It was only novella length and could have used a few more pages to delve more deeply into the characters (Russell, in particular, is not explored in depth) but overall, it was an entertaining read.

I'd like to see more novellas published in e-book form as individual stories, as long as the price is appropriate. I hate having to buy an anthology when only one of the stories is good. This one was priced at $2.66 which is a little high for a single story but not outrageous.

Ritual Sins by Anne Stuart

This is a somewhat notorious book by Anne Stuart that I've been holding on to for some time.

Ritual Sins by Anne Stuart
(1997, Suspense)
Grade: 4

Rachel Connery arrives in New Mexico to confront Luke Bardell, the leader of The Foundation of Being, which seems to be a cult that attracts the wealthy. Rachel’s mother died of cancer and left 12 million dollars to the Foundation. Although Rachel was estranged from her mother, she is determined to find out more about the group and its charismatic leader.

Although this book didn’t completely work as a romance, it was an interesting read. It’s always entertaining to see how Anne Stuart can turn a completely unlikely and unsympathetic character into a believable hero. Luke begins the book as a character who is confident in his own strength and ability to con people. He’s not particularly sympathetic but he is fascinating. Rachel is equally closed off at the beginning. The relationship between them is based on Luke’s desire to dominate and Rachel’s determination to resist. As the book continues, we find out more about their pasts, but strangely, I never felt that this added to their emotional connection. Stuart kept me interested in Luke even after he does some pretty despicable things (some of the sex scenes border on rape) but she didn’t make me believe that the relationship between Luke and Rachel developed much beyond sexual attraction. The book worked better as a mystery / character study than as a romance, but still, it was interesting and worth reading.

Hopefully Blogger won't mangle this post the way it did the last one! I'm trying to hang onto my old computer since I can't afford to replace all my software at once, and I'm running out of hard disk space on my laptop, but it's getting harder and harder when even a simple thing like posting a blog entry becomes "incompatible" with the old systems.

Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb

Another entry in the J.D. Robb series.

Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
(2010, Suspense)
Grade: 4

Eve gets back from a vaccation in Ireland to find a new case waiting for her- a limo driver killed with a crossbow. More deaths follow, each meticulously planned and using a hunting weapon. Eve and Roarke soon believe that the murderer is hunting... people.

This was a typical, reliable J.D. Robb book - not many surprises but still enjoyable. This one included a lot of interplay between Eve and the other detectives on the squad, and a lot of fun asides from Eve about her work. Who did it was solved pretty early on and the book mostly involves putting together evidence to make the case stick - it got a little repetitive after a while. But still, a reasonably good entry in the series.

Unfortunately, I found this book very "put-downable". I read it in bits and pieces over a week. But still,I enjoy them as a refreshing change from my usual reading, and Eve Dallas is still a unique character that you won't find anywhere else. So I keep reading them.

Billy Bob Walker Got Married by Lisa G. Brown

Still in search of good contemporaries. This is an older book and very hard to find, but people still love it. It's unfortunate that the author only published three books! Maybe she was ahead of her time.

Billy Bob Walker Got Married by Lisa G. Brown
(1993, Contemporary)
Grade: 4

Shiloh Pennington is the daughter of the richest man in Sweetwater, Mississippi, and she’s engaged to marry the son of the most powerful judge. But she’s more interested in Billy Bob, the illegitimate son of the judge and the town bad boy. But bad boys have their soft sides,don’t they? Especially when a girl needs a husband to get out of a bad engagement?

This book had a very appealing “down home” feeling. The characters were interesting and realistic, and the writing was excellent. I felt like I was hearing a great storyteller telling me a tale. The characters were well written and the emotions felt real. However, the book lacked a bit when it came to plot. It meandered all over the place, spending too much time on some sections and not enough on others. The middle section dragged and the end was too abrupt. The book also felt a bit dated - it was published in 1993but some of the situations and attitudes felt 20-30 years out of date. Even for a small town, it seemed a bit much. However, these were fairly small problems compared to the likeability of the characters and the book as a whole. Overall,an enjoyable read.

I had to laugh at one section in the beginning of the book, which describes Billy Bob's hair. Short in the front, long in the back- oh no! Billy Bob had a mullet! (The cover does not reflect this, thankfully - unless that's a ponytail hiding in the shadows?) I'll try not to think of Billy Ray Cyrus when I read this book.

Best of 2010

I'm disappointed in my reading this year. I read 50 books, which is almost one per week, but most of that was concentrated in a couple of months. Most of the time, I found other things to do besides read. (The internet is my biggest temptation - it's so easy to waste a few hours reading all the news sites.) One of my New Year's resolutions is to read more, although I said the same thing last year.

But on the positive side, I had a pretty good reading year. I didn't read a single book graded lower than 3 stars - which is an average read. I either got better at picking books or better at giving up on the bad ones. And almost half of my reads were rated at 4 stars or more.

I gave one book 5 stars, which is unusual for me. I really loved Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight, a book I probably wouldn't have picked up at all a couple of years ago.



Some other books I particularly liked:

Scandal by Carolyn Jewel (a complex and interesting historical)
Lead by On by Victoria Dahl (a great contemporary is so hard to find!)
Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant (finally read it after almost 10 years)
A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh (only novella length but fun to read)
Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh (the best book she's written in many years)
Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn (a book that's grown on me over time)

I did do a lot of rereading this year, as I cleared out some of my keepers and transferred others to the Kindle. So I guess that counts as reading. My goal is to clear out some of the 2010 books in the new year - and hopefully read some new ones too!