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.

Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner

This book has been sitting on my nightstand since I won it in a Dear Author giveaway earlier this year. I started it but got bogged down in the first few chapters. But I'm glad I finally got back to it - it wasn't perfect but definitely worth reading and a refreshing change from the usual historical settings.

Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner
(2010, Western) 7/31/10
Grade: 4

Jessica Thornton has fled England, pregnant and desperate to escape a brother-in-law who wants her dead. But when her stagecoach crashes, she has to depend on Brady Wilkins, a ranch owner with a dark past of his own. On a ranch in New Mexico, she finds a new life and a new strength within herself - but will Brady put the past behind and join her?

I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it was full of emotion and vivid characters. After a slow beginning with far too much plot exposition, the book took hold and the story was compelling. On the other hand, it was a bit like a soap opera, with one terrible thing after another after another. There are over-the-top evil villains, violence, death, fires, rape, torture - the tragedies just keep piling up. (Even the dog isn’t safe!) After a while it was exhausting. When the book slowed down and focused on the hero and heroine, it was well worth reading, but sometimes it was hard to find them among all the melodrama. Still, I will look for her next book and hope that the overstuffed plot was just the overenthusiasm of a first time author.

It's so nice to see a Western again, even though this one had a little too much violence and torture for my taste. I seem to be reading a lot of violent books lately, between Carla Kelly's war books and this one. I think I need a nice genteel Regency to cleanse the palate.

Marrying the Royal Marine by Carla Kelly

I decided to finish out the trilogy with the most recent Carla Kelly book.

Marrying the Royal Marine by Carla Kelly
(2010, Regency) 7/30/10
Grade: 3.5

After a lonely childhood in an orphanage, Polly Brandon leaves for Portugal to live with her sister. On the trip over, she meets gallant marine colonel Hugh Junot. But he is sure he’s too old for her. But when the chaos of war leaves them in the hands of the French, they have to work together to survive, and they both see the other in a new light.

Not a very good description, but it’s hard to describe the plot in just a few lines. I was really excited by this book at first. I liked the characters, and the background of the war in Portugal and the struggles of the female victims of the French reminded me of One Good Turn, one of my favorite Kelly books. It was a little slow at first, but I was hopeful. However, the book took a detour in the second half when the hero and heroine were kidnapped by the French. It became a road romance, where the focus was more on what happened than on the development of the characters. After a while, I got tired of reading about where they went and what they ate and who they saw. The characters and their emotions felt like an afterthought. I enjoy Carla Kelly’s writing and I feel like I learned about the war in Portugal and Spain, but it just didn’t work for me as a romance.

Unfortunately, I'm beginning to feel like I enjoy Carla Kelly more in theory than in reality. I always buy her books when they first come out because I want to love them and I want to support Harlequin for keeping trads going, but I haven't really loved one of her books since One Good Turn.

The Surgeon's Lady by Carla Kelly

There's nothing like a trip to entice me to read. When I'm away from the distractions of the interwebs and the Tivo, it's much easier to pick up a book.

The Surgeon's Lady by Carla Kelly
(2009, Regency) 7/25/10
Grade: 4

After widowed Lady Laura Taunton receives a letter from her long lost sister, she leaves her unhappy life behind and heads to Plymouth to meet her new family. She visits the Royal Naval Hospital as a favor to her sister, and finds herself caught up with the injured men and the fascinating surgeon, Lt. Philemon Brittle. Phil is attracted to Laura from the first moment he sees her, but would a lady ever want a life with an overwhelmed surgeon caught up in the horrors of war?

This book was wonderful in some ways, and underwhelming in others. The background of the naval hospital, and the stories of the patients and their medical treatment, was fascinating. Each of the secondary characters came to life. Unfortunately, the limited page count of a Harlequin Historical meant that something had to give, and often, that was the characterization of the hero and heroine. Although I liked both characters, something seemed to be missing. The author threw the heroine into a new situation without really taking the time to explore who she was. This came out eventually, but I felt like it wasn't quite enough. The same with Phil - he's a great hero, but we learn very little about him beyond his devotion to medicine. The book is beautifully written (as expected from Carla Kelly) but I kept thinking it needed just a few more chapters to really sing.

As a side note, I love this cover. It didn't win the cover contest, but it was my favorite historical cover this year. So soft and romantic, and none of the annoying blurbs and logos and advertising cluttering up the image. (And you can see both faces!) To me, this is much sexier than a heroine hiking up her skirt.

Scandal's Lady by Mary Kingsley

I haven't been reading very much - no real reason, except nothing has grabbed my attention. So I decided to pull an old book from my keeper shelf and see if it held up.

Scandal's Lady by Mary Kingsley
(1994, Regency) 7/20/10
Grade: 3.5

Governess Cassandra Aldrich is surprised and pleased to discover her childhood friend, Nicholas St. John, is the new Earl of Lynton and is living nearby. She hasn't seen him since he left for sea many years ago. But she knows that her position - and the scandal in her past - will prevent her from being more than an acquaintance. But when Nicholas needs her help, will she risk it all for love?

I first read this in 1995, when I was a fairly new romance reader. (I read romance when I was in high school and college, but I didn't become a devoted reader until the early 90's when I went off to grad school and could afford to buy my own books.) Mary Kingsley was one of my favorite Regency authors, and I loved this book and put it on my keeper shelf - where it sat, unread, until now. Unfortunately, it wasn't as enchanting the second time around. The characters were nice, the Regency setting was pleasant, and I always like a second chance at love story. But it just felt boring, like I'd read the story many times before. (I didn't remember the specifics of the storyline, but what seemed fresh and new in 1995 seemed blah in 2010.) The characters just didn't come to life. I guess this is one keeper that I won't be keeping any more.

I have several more books on my keeper shelf that I haven't revisited since the 1990's. Now I'm wondering if I want to reread them or not - should I see if I'll enjoy them the second time around, or leave them undisturbed and preserve my memories?