One Final Step by Stephanie Doyle

I'm always looking for good series books - but maybe I'm just too picky.  It's been a long time since I was able to read a series book without finding problems...

One Final Step by Stephanie Doyle
(2012, Contemporary Series)  10/27/12
Grade: 3.5

Michael Langdon wants to publicize his electric car, and he has hired the best publicist in the business - Madeline Kaye.  Madeline once helped to elect presidents, but after a sex scandal she has spent the last seven years hiding and working behind the scenes.  Michael is immediately attracted to Madeline, but she’s wary of opening herself up again - and he has a secret of his own...

I have mixed feelings about this book.  I’m happy to read a book that deals with an issue that isn’t often addressed in romance, but there was something about these characters that just didn’t appeal to me, particularly in the first half of the book.  Michael seemed a little too perfect, and neither Michael or Madeline really felt like real people.  (There was also a subplot about characters from another book that distracted from the main story.)  But my bigger problem was that the “solution” to Michael’s problem felt very “romance novel-ish”.  It’s not that Michael was “cured by love” (I thought that was explained fairly well) but that he was cured instantly without any continuing issues.  It just felt a little too easy.  However, the book improved in the last third, and I found myself caring about the characters, particularly Madeline and her journey.  The book had a good ending, which is why I gave it a slightly higher grade - I just wish the whole book had lived up to the last 50 pages.  

It's really hard to find a series book that doesn't feature babies or suspense - sometimes I wish I wasn't so picky!

Golden Girl by Joan Wolf

Why isn't this available as an e-book?  A few of Joan Wolf's books have been converted to electronic form, but more of them really deserve to find a new audience.  (I had to buy this one used from PBS.)

Golden Girl by Joan Wolf
(1999, Regency Historical)  10/23/12
Grade: 4

After his father’s death, Anthony, the Duke of Cheviot, finds that his estate is deeply in debt.  He needs to marry an heiress, and quickly.  Sarah, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, has the money to save his family, but will they be able to make a life together?  Anthony and Sarah soon find that their love of art brings them together - but will others around them threaten their happiness?

Although the storyline of this book was simple and predictable, it was well written and easy to read.  I finished the book in just a couple of hours, and for the most part, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  The characters were well developed, and the secondary characters added to the story.  There was one exception - the villain.  Although his motivation made sense, I found him a little off-putting (it bordered on the stereotypical “gay villain”) and that marred the story a little for me.  Overall, this was an enjoyable read, even if it wasn’t as memorable as some of Wolf’s other books.  

Although I have two more Wolf books in my TBR, I will put those aside for now and try something different!

Lie to Me by Starr Ambrose

I definitely do my part to support the book industry - I'm pretty sure I bought this book TWICE in paper form and once in e-book form.  I will try not to think about how much I spent when I rate it.  (I also bought a hardback that was pretty much a wallbanger - at least this one was enjoyable even if I didn't need to buy it three times!)

Lie to Me by Starr Ambrose
(2008, Contemporary)  10/22/12
Grade: 4

Ellie Coggins is determined to find out why her best friend died mysteriously, so she breaks into the Westfield house to search for clues - only to discover the black sheep of the family, Jack Payton, doing the same thing.  They decide to fake an engagement so they can team up and find out what his brother is up to - but they aren’t supposed to fall in love, are they?

This was a fun and entertaining read - one of the best contemporaries I’ve read in a while.  The dialogue was snappy, the characters were well written and the suspense plotline kept things moving along.  The secondary characters added to the story (especially Rocky, Jack’s cellmate, and Libby, Jack’s daughter - who was much less annoying than kids usually are in romances).  I debated whether to give it a higher grade, but there was a little too much emphasis on sex in the second half.  (If someone is trying to kill you, probably a bad time to make out.)  It was also a bit fluffy - I doubt I’ll remember it in a month.  But still, it was an enjoyable read and that’s pretty rare in contemporaries these days!  I’d recommend it.  

I see that Starr Ambrose has written a sequel titled Thieves Like Us - I checked out her other books on Amazon but the descriptions didn't grab me - maybe I'll try Thieves Like Us.

Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb

Still reading the J.D. Robb In Death series...

Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb
(2012, Futuristic)  10/15/12
Grade: 4

Eve and Roarke struggle to solve a terrorist-style attack, where the victims are drugged to attack each other.  With dozens of victims, it’s difficult to determine who was the real target of the attack, and who was just an innocent victim... with the origins of the crime leading back decades to the Urban Wars.

This is a reliable J.D. Robb mystery, with some interesting details sprinkled in about the history of Robb’s fictional universe with the details about the Urban Wars that have been mentioned before.  The plot was interesting and unique, and there were some nice moments with Peabody and Somerset.  I wasn’t so fascinated that I couldn’t put it down, but it was a good entry in the series. 

I've become a little bored with the series, but I still enjoy one every now and then.

The Gamble by Joan Wolf

I had to break my rule about not buying any more paperback books for this one!  Thankfully it worked well since I brought it to the hospital with me.

The Gamble by Joan Wolf
(1998, Regency Historical)  10/12/12
Grade: 3.5

After her father’s death, Georgie discovers that he was blackmailing several  gentlemen for cheating at gambling.  She doesn’t want to become a blackmailer herself, but she must protect her sister Anna, so she heads to London to blackmail the Earl of Winterdale to help her find a husband.  The new earl ihas his own reasons to help Georgie.  But her father’s other victims will do anything to stop Georgie from revealing their secrets. 

This is another one of Joan Wolf’s first person Regencies, and although it was fun to read, it didn’t have quite the snap and exuberance of the other two.  The storyline of a Regency season was more typical, and the blackmail victims were too interchangeable to make good villains.  It’s also not very clear why Georgie fell in love with Winterdale, and he with her (a common problem with first person books).  Overall, it was well written and enjoyable, but not quite up to the standards of her other Regency historicals.

I haven't run across very many new books that are appealing, so it's a good thing I keep finding older books I haven't read yet.