Wedding Night with a Stranger by Anna Cleary.  Harlequin Presents Extra, August 2010.  Australian-born Ariadne was orphaned at a young age and taken in and raised by her older Greek aunt and uncle.  After a scandal that included leaving a man at the altar, her uncle tells her that he is sending her on a vacation to Australia.  She can lie low and let things die down a bit, supposes Ariadne.  She supposes erroneously.

As the plane begins pull away from the gate, Ariadne discovers that she is being sent to marry a stranger as part of a business transaction.  Sebastian needs a loan to keep his company afloat, but he doesn’t want to remarry following his wife’s death.  The two meet and while Sebastian is willing, Ariadne is not.  But she’s broke, and pawning what little jewelry she brought with her has her changing her mind.  Marriage will release the small amount money her parents left in trust, and she will be free to at least plan the next step in her life.

The title was slightly misleading.  The wedding doesn’t take place until late in the book, after Ariadne and Sebastian have gotten to know each other more.  Contrary to the title, she didn’t step off the plane and get married immediately.  Most of the conflict stemmed from Sebastian not knowing that Ariadne didn’t know about the marriage before she got on the plane.  He thinks she’s a party girl who is out of control, and of course Ariadne doesn’t try to change his opinion of her.  Once they actually get married, they have a wedding night, some cold feet, a misunderstanding, and then the end.  The pacing of the book just felt off to me, as the lead up to the wedding dragged, then the ending was rushed.

Grade: C

Neurosurgeon … and Mum! by Kate Hardy.  Harlequin Medical Romance, July 2010.

Amy Rivers needs a break.  Her best friend’s husband was critically injured and Amy was the only available doctor at the time, and when things didn’t go as well as hoped, the couple turned on her, leaving her to question her life as a neurosurgeon.  GP Tom Ashby is escaping London to give his daughter a fresh start after his wife died on a medical mission trip.  Amy and Tom meet as house sitters for Amy’s aunt and uncle, and they are attracted to one another, but neither wants to take a risk on being hurt again.  Amy’s fiancé left her and took his daughter to another country to give it another chance with his ex wife, not allowing Amy to say goodbye to her.  Perdy, Tom’s daughter, reminds Amy of her almost-daughter, and she wants to keep her distance.  Tom’s wife was insecure and distant, and he doesn’t want Perdy hurt again.

Amy and Tom admit just how screwed up they are to each other, and really make an effort to move on from their pasts.  It was nice for once to see the woman as the advanced doctor, while Tom did the village rounds and drank cups of tea.  In the end, Amy and Tom did find some closure.  My only real quibble with this book, and Medicals in general, is that there is always a little subplot, or interesting case, that is still open at the end of the book.  I don’t know if it’s good writing that I’m so interested, or bad writing because I’m not completely focused on the characters.  Either way, I was left hanging. Again.

Grade B–

The Billionaire’s Housekeeper Mistress by Emma Darcy. Harlequin Presents, September 2010.

Daisy is PA to a bosszilla.  Said boss is trying to get the attention of hero Ethan, who is trying to get the attention of Daisy.  One unemployed Daisy coming right up.  Money wizard Ethan hires Daisy to manage the renovation and redecoration of his home, and hopes to date her as well.  Daisy explains that she can’t date her boss, and that she has to work because her parents lost nearly everything in the Great Recession, and she wants to help them.

Daisy has also been harboring feelings of resentment towards Ethan because he has the know-how to help her parents, and she believes the little guys like her parents got the shaft. But she can’t date him, ask for help and not feel like she’s prostituting herself.  Ethan works it out so that he can get Daisy’s parents turned around, help Daisy get another job and a place to live, AND date her all with resorting to blackmail.  I think it’s because his parents are college professors.  He’s nice.  He and his his high school friends get together for Game Night on Tuesdays.  His former fiancé didn’t sour him on all women.  He barbecued for the crew that renovated his house.  How could Daisy walk away from him? I couldn’t.

Grade: B

All books are available in print and ebook at eHarlequin.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I don’t have a TBR book read for today. What I do have, though, is A Bunch of Harlequins!

The Family Plan by Susan Gable.  Harlequin Super Romance.  July 2010. I like Susan Gable’s books; they deal with families that begin through less than traditional methods, such as surrogacy and donors.  This title features chiropractor Amelia Young, who 13 years ago used donor sperm to conceive her daughter Jordan.  Now Jordan needs a bone marrow transplant, and Amelia finds chef Finn Hawkins to beg him to donate again.  Finn is willing to help Amelia, and we find that his youngest brother suffered from leukemia.  Amelia accepts and disappears from Finn’s life, but Jordan has decided that she wants to know her dad and runs away to meet him.  This leads to Amelia and Finn being forced to hammer out a sometimes uneasy relationship between themselves.

Both Amelia and Finn have reason to be leery of relationships, but watching them dance around each other got frustrating at times.  Okay, watching Amelia dance around while constantly rebuffing Finn and then blaming him for the results got old fast, and lasted until the last two chapters.

Grade: C+

Dakota Cowboy by Linda Ford.  Love Inspired Historical July 2010. Lucy Hall is waiting tables when Wade Miller comes into her restaurant and orders the Starving Bachelor Special.  He’s on a mission from Lucy’s estranged father, Scout, who might be dying and wants to see Lucy again.  An angry Lucy want s no part of him, and she lives with the memories of Scout ignoring her, leaving her mother unmarried, and finally not attending her funeral when Lucy was 16.  Howeve0r, before Wade can leave town, Lucy witnesses a murder and must hide from the killer, who knows what she saw.  Suddenly Scout’s ranch isn’t such a bad place to be.  Lucy, Wade, and a second witness, an orphan named Roy, leave for Scout’s ranch, where Roy and Scout immediately bond, again leaving Lucy an outsider, and Wade feeling helpless to change anything.

I really liked Lucy and Wade.  They each had similar pasts: orphaned childhood and never feeling good enough.  What was interesting was that Wade was the person who kept pushing a brooding, damaged Lucy to reconcile with her father, while Lucy was stoic and silent.  Wade does quite a bit of mental hand-wringing before accepting that maybe he doesn’t know best.

Grade: B

The Patchwork Bride by Jillian Hart. Love Inspired Historical, August 2010.  Meredith Worthington and her wealthy family moved to Montana to care for an injured relative in a previous book and never left.  The only reason I can think for this to happen is so that Meredith’s mother can feel like a big fish in the small pond that is Montana high society.

As the book opens, Meredith is driving the buggy and gotten the horse stuck in the mud.  She is very distraught because now her mother will use this against her in her quest to become a teacher.  Meredith and her spunky younger sister get rescued by Shane Connelly, the apprentice to the new horse trainer her father hired.  This took two or three chapters.  Mother notices how muddy Meredith is and tells Shane that she can no longer drive the buggy. 18-year-old Meredith gets to the one-room schoolhouse the next morning and her 18 year-old best friends (who appear to be getting their own books) stand around and talk about Shane and the teaching exam, and then do battle with Narcissa, the Mean Girl who knows a secret about Shane.  In a moment of reflection, Meredith calls herself a loser. In 1884.

Grade: DNF

All books are available in print and ebook at eHarlequin.

Yes, I’ve been remiss with blogging lately especially at this blog. If you are not aware, I am now running two blogs now. One for mystery and one for everything else. I am right now more interested in reading mystery than romance these days but will definitely try to tackle some of the romance novels that are interesting to me. But anyway, this is the TBR Challenge Day! My book selection after stopping & starting so many, will be late. My apologies but please make sure to visit the other participants today! And a big THANK YOU to all those who are participating and have been doing really well with the challenge. Edited: added link

The Sleeping Beauty

Godmother Lily and The Tradition both recognize the opening the Queen’s death leaves for an Evil Stepmother, and indeed, women have already begun arriving. Lily has been Godmother for several hundred years, and has learned to watch for patterns that could attract the attention of The Tradition, and also to subtly manipulate it. Lily attempts to check The Tradition and with the help of the King (who married a lowly, yet clever, shepherdess), ensconces herself as his cold and distant new wife, Sable.

Lily’s disguise fools an unhappy Rosa and the castle workers, but when a Huntsman appears in the stables, he upsets the applecart. Rosa feels threatened, by him, and despite Lily’s machinations, she is chased into the woods and becomes lost. Following Tradition, she is found by a group of dwarves, but these dwarves are mining illegally and they trick Rosa into becoming their slave. She is chained to the house to cook and clean for them. She is eventually found with help of the Godmother’s Magic Mirror.

To rescue Rosa, Lily follows the Traditional Path of Beauty Asleep to free her, with some slight modifications. Unfortunately, a Hero appears. Siegfried has been traveling from the North to escape his Traditional Path that will lead to what his bird companion calls his DOOM! His parents are demigods, AND twins who fell in love. A sleeping, armored maiden on a bier is stalking him. She is his aunt, whom he is destined to marry and continue the family curse of LOVE! DEATH! DOOM! GLORY! No matter where he goes she soon follows. When he spies Rosa, he senses a chance to escape his DOOM! and tries to kiss Rosa.

From the other side of the forest, another Traditional Prince appears, trying to change HIS life. Leopold’s Path of Handsome, Loveable, Scamp of a Younger Brother forced him from his home. His older, ordinary, yet completely capable older brother with an ordinary wife and ordinary kids was being overshadowed, so in order for his rule to succeed, Leopold had to go. Since then, Leopold has been traveling and relying on his skill at cards to pay his way. The temptation of a sleeping princess was too much for Leopold to ignore and he and Siegfried come to blows over Rosa. Lily manages to awaken Rosa and in her true form as the Godmother, returns Rosa to her Kingdom amid great fanfare and to Sable’s dismay.

Since this is The Tradition, Rosa is soon in need of a husband to help her rule the Kingdom and Godmother Lily reveals her identity as Sable to Rose. Now they can work together to devise a way to find a new king and also permanently stave off attacks. Princes are invited from all over to compete for Rosa’s hand, and their attendance provides hostages to dissuade anyone who feels the urge to start another war. Siegfried and Leopold decide to take part in the competition, quickly becoming allies and friends, turning another Traditional trope on its head. Over the course of the competition, various Traditions play out, and more than one character finds love in an unexpected place.

While writing this review, I realized that The Sleeping Beauty was less about Rosa and trying to save her than it was about Lily and her determination to save the Kingdom she loves and has served for so long. I found Lily’s methods of bending the Tradition to be very interesting and creative. While this wasn’t a “funny” book, there was much humor in the way that The Tradition manifested, especially in the characters and in the competition for Rosa’s hand. I also liked the way Lackey brought various cultural tales and archetypes together cohesively, something the author has done in at least one other series. This isn’t my first Five Hundred Kingdoms story, but it is definitely one of my favorites.

Grade B+

This book is published by Harlequin Luna and is available at eHarlequin, Sony Bookstore, Amazon, Borders, and other places you buy books.  The version I reviewed was received from NetGalley, although I have since purchased my own copy.

My car didn’t stall out on me — thank goodness!- as I coasted my way through the murky water. The rain wasn’t letting up at all. I feared that I was going to be stranded. However, I managed to find higher ground and get home safely (yes!).

While I was trapped in my car, I did manage to take pictures but more than half didn’t come out worth a damn. It’s forecast to rain some more today and all I can say is thank goodness this is my weekend off. It’s been a rainy couple of weeks, folks. My grass is almost ten feet high and I haven’t really seen the sun in I don’t know how long. Happy Fourth of July!

Alice shows up for work one day and Andrew is the newest doctor in the department.  He is as shocked to see her as she is to see him, and suddenly both are in dazes thinking about what a crappy coincidence this is.  They used to work together in London, and had a pretty friendly relationship.  Andrew was engaged Melissa,  who also worked at the hospital, and Alice was friends with both.  Here’s where the backstory gets weird.

Someone started stealing drugs during Alice’s shifts, and an ampule of morphine was found in Alice’s pocket, along with empty ones in her locker.  She was allowed to quit rather than be prosecuted.  Alice used her savings up while waiting to be cleared, eventually having her house repossessed by the bank and moving back to New Zealand where she got another job.  Now Andrew shows up, and while working on a patient, he assily asks her to fetch some morphine.

Andrew is not happy to see Alice, because she has dirt on him that he would rather keep quiet.  Melissa died in a fall down the stairs and everyone thought Andrew did it.  Yeah, Andrew quit his job in London because he was a suspected wife beater.  For real.  So while Andrew is needling Alice about morphine, he’s also hoping she will keep her mouth shut about Melissa.

Andrew also needs a nanny for his daughter Emmy, and the cottage that Alice rents is on his newly-purchased property.  He wants her out, and she volunteers to watch Emmy if he will let her stay, because she really needs a place to board her horse, who Emmy loves dearly, even though she just met him.  So Alice becomes the nanny, and eventually the girlfriend.  Then someone starts stealing drugs again and Alice gets the side-eye from the head of the department.

Andrew doesn’t tell Alice that everyone at the London hospital knows she was innocent of stealing the drugs, even when she asked him if he still thought she did it.  Remember the part about him asking her to fetch some morphine? Yeah.  Turns out Melissa was stealing the drugs and other things to feed her habit.  Andrew didn’t want anyone to know, so he kept it quiet until Melissa fell down the stairs.

After they argue about how Andrew lied, the horse kicks him in the head, Alice realizes she doesn’t care that her life had been ruined because of a lying junkie and her husband, they live happily ever after, and I throw the book down in disgust.

Okay, I will give it a grade: D

This book is available at eHarlequin, Sony, Amazon, and other places you buy books.

The protagonist of My Mother Made Me! is Jane Tivik, a Canadian high schooler, and her friends Marna, Carlie, and Steph.  They like hanging out and even if it is boring, it’s still summer.   During one of their hangout sessions, Carlie announces that her mother is going to challenge the “only boys play hockey” tradition. Their town, Amesbury, Ontario, is a hockey town.  So many boys play hockey that the rink has teams scheduled starting at 5 am.

Even if girls wanted to play, there’s no rink time available.  Instead, girls play ringette in other towns, which (correct me if I’m wrong, Canadians) is like hockey, only instead of a puck, there is a rubber ring that is picked up instead of shot like a puck.  The four friends have no interest in hockey, but soon Jane’s mother is eager for her to play.  Jane’s dad is chair of Amesbury’s hockey association, and has no desire to fight this battle.

When Jane’s mother tells her that she wishes for the same opportunities that Jane has, Jane begins to understand some of her mother’s motivation, but still doesn’t want to play hockey.  In the midst of the hockey drama, Cousin Allison comes to visit from Chicago.  She is Canadian like Jane, but she’s also older, beautiful (aren’t they always?) and extremely well-dressed.

Allison comes up with a plan for the girls to avoid playing hockey.  It involves them running away and hiding in the rink since it’s shut down for the summer.  They can shower and cook there, and once their parents see the error of their ways, they can return home.  This plan works great, except for the part where Jane forgets to leave the letter with their reason for leaving, which also includes the demand that they not be forced to play hockey.  The moms turn this to their advantage, proclaiming that the girls ran away because they wanted to play hockey and the town wouldn’t let them.

Sandwiched into the story is a short romance between Jane and Bill, a boy she’s known since kindergarten, and much discussion of Jane’s love of the “romance” known as The Great Gatsby.  Marna, Carlie, and Steph are more than Jane’s sidekicks.  Marna’s younger sister Jenny wants to play hockey, but there are no leagues for her to play in.  Marna doesn’t want to play, but recognizes what an opportunity this would be for Jenny if she did.  Carlie and Steph are best friends, but overweight Carlie is constantly being called fat by Steph.  Of course it’s for Carlie’s own good, but what kind best friend says things like that?  The cover even features a heavy girl with a double chin.  If Steph were a character in a book written, she would totally be the Mean Girl.

For a book that was only 120 pages long, there was a lot of feminist subtext going on OUTSIDE of the hockey.  This book was written in 1978, so there were a lot of changes that had occurred and were about to occur, so it kind of makes sense.  Jane spends a lot of time thinking about looks and how women are judged by them, even as she admits she does it too.

A handsome male character dates a girl who is not very pretty, and he uses her to prop up his ego.  Jane comes across him trying to persuade her to put out, and then the boy hits on Jane when his girlfriend leaves.  Jane catches herself falling for his lines and has to remind herself that he’s a jerk, even though she just saw him treat his girlfriend like crap.  Jane discovers that Allison plays hockey in Chicago.  In the end, the girls don’t play hockey themselves, but do take pleasure in watching girls like Jenny get their chance.

After reading this a second time, I have a hard time understanding what I saw in it the first time.  Maybe I didn’t “get” the emotion behind the mothers wanting their girls to play sports because when I read it, Title IX had been in effect for many years, and I already had those opportunities.  I also don’t see what was so funny the first time.

As stated earlier, this book did not hold up for me.

Graded by me 25 years ago: A

Graded by me today: D

This book is out of print.  It was published by Scholastic in 1978, and the copy I have was printed in 1986.  WorldCat shows that 11 libraries worldwide own it, and 7 are in Canada.  If you want my copy, it’s yours!

Entrepreneur Adam Cavanaugh and two of his friends are mountain climbing in Italy when there’s a tragic accident. Adam falls 30 feet and seriously injures his back while his two friends are reported dead. He’s flown to Rome then to Hawaii. His injury has caused temporary paralysis. The accident didn’t sever his spinal cord and the paralysis is due to diaschisis or spinal shock. Despite physical therapy, Adam’s condition hasn’t improved like it should. Eventually the hospital staff lets him go home because he’s exhausted their patience along with a long list of therapists.

Adam Cavanaugh has good friends in Thad and Elizabeth Randolph. They hear the news of his accident along with the lack of improvement and reach out to Elizabeth’s sister, Lilah Mason. She’s a physical therapist who’s good at her job. Lilah wants nothing to do with Adam. She cuts them off at the pass. She knows patients like Adam well. He’s a millionaire and a jerk who only cares about what he can’t do versus what he can. She doesn’t want to deal with his nasty behavior nor is she in the mood to baby him. Of course they talk Lilah into helping him and he’s everything she thought he would be…and a whole lot more.

Adam throws down the welcome mat with this salvo at his new therapist:

“Does a view of your cleavage come with your services?“
“Fringe benefit,” she replied with a cheeky smile, “thrown in for free.“
“I’ve seen better.“
“Not at this price, you haven’t.”

Adam promises to be a resistant patient:

“You’re wasting your time. I’ll never be good for anything but to lie here and stare at the ceiling.“
“Wanna bet, duckie?” I’ll have you walking if it kills me. If it kills both of us. In the meantime, we’re going to come to hate each other.“
“We already hate each other.”

Adam is such a petulant child that I had no hope for him:

“I don’t want physical therapy. It won’t do any good. I’m not putting myself through that humiliation. Pete, get that crap out of here. What’s in those boxes?“
“Portable therapy equipment.“
“Get it out of here.“
“Soon this bedroom will look like a gymnasium. Hand me that screwdriver, will you, Pete?“
“Pete, if you value your job, if you value your Asian ass, you won’t lift a hand to–All right, you’re fired. Pete, didn’t you hear me?” Then in a stubborn tone of voice, “I won’t use any of this. I mean it, you two. You’re wasting your time.”

The two battle like this for most of the book then it transforms into something else. I can say with all sincerity that despite the predictable storyline and some really cheesy dialogue, I enjoyed the story and how Brown tackled the emotional side of someone who’s handicapped. Under Lilah’s guidance, Adam starts to gain confidence in himself and his strength. For a romance written about two decades ago, I am surprised at how enjoyable it is to read today, flaws, virgins and all [hehehe].

So it’s a low B– for me, surprisingly. You can probably find a million copies of this book at the used bookstore. It’s not a book I would make a special trip for and since it’s dated 1988, it read like 1988, too. But overall, this was a quick, fun read with a injured jerk for a hero with a heroine who’s a good match for him. B-. Make sure to visit the other TBR Challenge participants this month and thanks.

The previous titles are: One of These Nights (2003), Midnight Seduction (2004), In His Sights (2004), Second Chance Hero (2005), Dark Reunion (2007), Deadly Temptation (2007), Her Best Friend’s Husband (2008), Backstreet Hero (2008), His Personal Mission (2009) and The Best Revenge (2010).

Back blurb for The Best Revenge (Feb 2010):

Something in St. John’s intense blue eyes reminded Jessa Hill of her childhood friend. But Adam Alden was long dead.…

The handsome stranger had vowed to help her defeat Adam’s father in the mayoral race. Yet St. John’s quest for revenge seemed too personal for a casual acquaintance. Could St. John and Adam be the same man…and would he disappear with Jessa’s heart a second time?

Dameron St. John returned home with a new identity and a score to settle. But he wasn’t prepared for the emotions that surfaced when he reunited with Jessa. Could he let her in once again…and together would they slay his demons once and for all?

I like a good revenge story just like the next but something was seriously lacking here. The hero had all the required characteristics for a good angst-ridden serious read but the author didn’t deliver on it. And the worst offense of all was that the romance felt forced.

The hero escaped his abusive father when he was a teen. The small town of Cedar thinks he’s dead because when he ran away, he let everyone assume that he drowned. He starts living on the streets but is taken in by Josh, the founder of Redstone, Inc. With someone to look after him, he changes his name from Adam Alden to Daman St. John. He only goes by St. John.

Many at Redstone, Inc have accepted St. John’s oddities because he’s damn good at his job. He’s very quiet and reserved. He only speaks in monosyllables. He’s a hard shell to crack. His father abused him so he’s drawn into himself. Over the years, St. John’s had to battle with his demons. He considers himself a coward for hiding. But one day he’s alerted about his father running for mayor. So he uses his vacation time for the first time ever, to return home and take his father down.

Jessa Hill runs a feed store in the tiny town of Cedar. Her father just recently died when the story starts. He was mayor for several decades and now his seat is open for re-election. Jessa is undecided if she will run in her father’s place but when she remembers Adam, the troubled boy of her childhood who shared his secrets with her about his father’s abuse, she decides to run against Albert Alden.

The story shows Jessa and St. John work together to defeat and destroy (St. John’s words) his father. Jessa doesn’t recognize St. John the man from the troubled boy she knew a long time ago. He’s had several surgeries to make recognition difficult. The two did grow up together and Jessa was the only one to reach him. She’s able to elaborate on his clipped responses. Immediately there’s a connection there but it’s paper thin. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them which is a shame because for St. John, Jessa was the only bright spot in a childhood that was full of darkness.

From the way this story sounds, it should be a page-turner but it wasn’t. I was looking for an intense relationship but that didn’t pan out for me either. It doesn’t bode well when the reader has to skim to get to the dialogue. Usually I don’t mind introspection much. I found it all kind of boring in here though. The characters: I felt bad for St. John and understood why he was drawn into himself but I felt that his relationship with Jessa could have been stronger.

Jessa sometimes sounded like an idiot to me. She was just so naive about campaigns and politics even though her father had been mayor for several decades as well as her grandfather. She didn’t think people should run just on a name (people do it all the time, idiot). She didn’t want to use her father’s name just to win votes (they do this too, idiot). There’s only so much silliness I can tolerate. As for Albert Alden, he was a cardboard villain. Every evil deed you could think of, he did it.

Overall, this book was a disappointment. I need to stop searching for another “Stevie’s Chase” type of category romance from this author that I use to read regularly. There are many titles I’ve enjoyed by Justine Davis but for the last 5 or 6 years, I’ve not read anything that comes close to her earlier, better written categories. There’s a review on Amazon that said this book was as good as Clay Yeager’s Redemption. I don’t think so. The book wasn’t the worst I’ve read but it fell somewhere close to just below average for me, C-. But to balance out my harsh review, here’s a review from the The Romance Reader that awarded this story four hearts out of five (reviewed by Thea Davis). Maybe one of you will have better luck.

Daisy Bell works with her Uncle Bill at a living museum.  Their family used to create and build steam-powered amusement park rides, but that business folded.  First Bill, and now Daisy, began to collect, repair, and run a fairground featuring the rides created by Bells.  Daisy also serves as the chief mechanic of the park.

Upon arriving for work one morning, Daisy discovers that the park has been vandalized: rides defaced and damaged, and windows broken, along with evidence of a wild party.  Bill learns that their insurance policy no longer covers vandalism and both he and Daisy know they lack the cash reserves to keep the park closed, pay workers, and make repairs.  Their best shot at keeping the park going seems to be finding a hands-off sponsor/investor to help with expenses.

In London, Felix Gisbourne is making his PA a cup of coffee when he sees that she is crying over a newspaper article.  Mina used to visit Bells as a child, and reading about the damage just gets to her.  Felix muses over the photo of a glum Daisy and wonders what she looks like when she smiles, and instructs Mina to find the contact information for Bells.  Felix is taken aback when he finds Daisy underneath a hunk of machinery, but he’s also charmed by her purple boots sporting white daisies.  Daisy finds Felix a little too clean-shaven and full of ideas.  She does accept his invitation to dinner, however, and wows him with her glam appearance and borrowed finery.

Daisy and Felix come with issues; it wouldn’t be a Harlequin Presents if they didn’t.  Daisy’s family are all engineers of one kind or another, but she wanted to be a mechanic.  Her ex-boyfriends didn’t have problems with Daisy the Mechanic until she became Daisy the Girlfriend, then it all turned into “Daisy, why can’t you wear a dress/makeup/heels more often?” leaving her to believe that no man really wants her as she is.  She’s understandable leery when Felix puts the moves on her.

Felix has a type – tall, blonde, leggy – and the only time he went for a woman outside of that type – short, brunette, short – he overheard her telling her friends how dull she thought he was but that his money made up for it.  Hurt and embarrassed, Felix simply told everyone that he got cold feet.  Now a short brunette is in his life again, and he’s not so sure that dating her is the best thing to do, but he’s willing if she is.

Daisy and Felix aren’t all about the drama.  They go out to dinner, see shows, and talk.  They have cute habits – Daisy sings while working, Felix nicknames her “Boots”, and human frailties – Felix is very insecure about himself and how others see him.  They also haven’t begun to let go of their baggage.  Daisy freaks out when Felix buys her a dress, and Felix blows up when Daisy suggests that the fairground isn’t doing as well as they had hoped financially.  Felix doesn’t attempt to crush Daisy’s family when she breaks up with him, and Daisy doesn’t have a secret baby while living in dire poverty.  They talk it out, admit fault, and work it out they way we like to think that normal people do.

Grade: B

This is a May 2010 Harlequin Presents Extra.  Available at eHarlequin, Sony eBookstore, Amazon, and wherever else you buy books.

This was a good read that started off well enough. The first mystery that’s brought to our attention involves a beech tree that was discovered by Sophia Sime­oni­dis. It was planted in her garden overnight and she has no idea who put it there. Her husband Pierre didn’t plant the tree there either and seems to be undisturbed by it but Sophia is distressed.

As a famous ex-Greek opera singer, Sophia’s had her share of crazy fans that makes her understandably nervous. Her neighbors, Lucian, Marc and Mathias are three out of work and down on their luck historians, living together in a house they call a “disgrace.” They befriend her when she approaches them to dig under the tree. Soon after the “tree incident” Sophia disappears and it’s up to Marc, Mathias and Lucian to figure out how her disappearance relates to the mysterious tree.

The villain was one that was unobtrusive in here. Hidden right under our nose. The author did an excellent job with the red herrings, throwing suspicion on everyone and it stuck on quite a few people, too, namely the husband Pierre, who didn’t bother to report Sophia missing. Then there’s Sophia’s niece, who shows up out of the blue after a ten year hiatus and lastly there’s an unstable ex-boyfriend back in Greece.

The mystery was a good one. It’s one of those mysteries, told in third person, where you have a lot of speculation/introspection where one character tries to figure it all out towards the end and comes rushing to save the day. The mystery was somewhat difficult to solve. I was interested to know who planted the tree and what had happened to Sophia.

The three men–Marc, Lucian and Mathias, find themselves involved in solving this mystery under the guidance of Marc’s godfather/uncle, Armand Vandoosler. He’s an ex-policeman. The men are each nicknamed St. Mark, St. Luke and St. Matthew respectively by Vandoosler hence the title, The Three Evangelists. All four men are a tight group and all are quite broke (no money) with a lot of time on their hands.

Writing-wise, I found the narrative quite choppy but then I got used to it. The idea of the story was enough to have me overlook quite a few things that were annoyances to me. Revenge seems to be a popular theme. In here, I would say that this is a story about revenge. It brings to mind all those sayings like: revenge is a dish best served cold and my favorite: keep your friends close but your enemies closer. That last one would be more appropriate fit for this story. I found it quite scary to know that someone can harbor so much hate for one person for so long (in this case 14 years) yet smile & laugh with them to their face. There were clues but they were subtle. This is a mystery where you really have to pay attention to the details. I didn’t have any favorite passages to quote and the ending played out in the usual manner with the protagonist relating the motive, the means and naming the culprit behind the murder(s).

I enjoyed The Three Evangelists but I wasn’t blown away by it. After reading talented writers like Jo Nesbø, Stieg Larsson and Ken Bruen, I’m afraid they have spoiled me to expect the best. I’m not saying that Fred Vargas isn’t good in her own right. In fact she is quite good at writing a complex mystery. I really enjoyed the setting and unlike some readers, I did enjoy the characters. If one is looking for a solidly written French mystery then The Three Evangelists would fit the bill. Just don’t have high expectations going in like I did. My grade, B. Other authors to recommend: Jo Nesbø, Steig Larsson, Ken Bruen and Michael Connelly for starters.

A sexy stranger by the name of Ian Thornton, who is rumored to be the illegitimate grandson of a Viscount. There are many wonderful quote worthy, swoon-worthy, laugh-out loud funny scenes in here but the one I am quoting is one scene that I have remembered vividly, where Elizabeth and her friends are giggling over the stranger behind some hedges, watching him and daring her to go dance with him.

The scene: This is essentially, the first time Ian Thornton, our mysterious, enigmatic hero with “questionable lineage” meets 17 year old Elizabeth Cameron.

Oblivious to her presence for the moment, Ian Thornton walked forward another pace, then stopped near a lighted torch and withdrew a thin cheroot from his jacket pocket. Elizabeth watched him, suffused with trepidation and an unfamiliar, tingling excitement that was due as much to his appearance as to her secret assignment. He was nothing like she’d expected him to be. Besides being older than she’d imagined–she guessed him to be at least twenty-seven–he was startlingly tall, more than six feet, with powerful shoulders and long muscular legs. His thick hair was not blond, but a rich brown-black that looked as if it had a tendency to curl. Instead of wearing the customary bright satin coat and white breeches that the other men wore he was clad in raven black from head to foot, with the exception of his snowy shirt and neckcloth, which were so white they seemed to gleam against the stark black of his jacket and waistcoat.

First impressions…

Elizabeth expelled the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and the tiny sound made him glance up sharply. His eyes narrowed in surprise or displeasure—Elizabeth wasn’t certain. Caught in the act of lurking in the shadows and staring at him, Elizabeth blurted the first idiotic thing that came to mind. “I’ve never seen a man smoke a cigar before. It–they always retire to another room.”

His dark brows lifted a fraction in bland inquiry. “Do you mind?” he asked as he finished lighting the cigar.
Two things hit Elizabeth at once: His piercing eyes were the strange color of gleaming amber, while his voice was richly textured and deep; the combination sent a peculiar warmth up her spine.

I remember one of the things I loved about McNaught’s stories is the short separations that would occur between the characters. When they meet again — usually that’s the most anticipated scene in the book if done right—it can be quietly intense and explosive. No worries, the separations aren’t felt in real time and the author often leaped ahead. But that’s something I miss in romance today, the sense of anticipation.

Almost Heaven is one of my very favorite books. It was nice going back down memory lane and rereading certain sections again. This is one of Judith McNaught’s best books. I still need to read the one most fans at the time just couldn’t quit talking about — Once and Always.

But back to separations in romance, Meredith Duran did this with her debut novel, The Duke of Shadows. That the book was well written and reminded me of the romances of the past. Judith McNaught had separations in her books so often that I think it became a trademark of hers. Other notable reads: Sandy Hingston’s historical romance, The Suitor, Paullina Simon’s The Bronze Horseman and of course, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Raise of hands how many times you read the reunion scene with Jamie and Claire? I’m sure there are more stories out there but those titles listed had a short separation in the story accompanied by a nice reunion scene.

I know some readers don’t care for the h/h to be separated for too long and I’m one of them. Does it truly make the heart grow fonder? If the separation is too long, I tend to get bored and close the book. After all, the purpose of romance is to experience the journey of the couple finding love together, not apart. On a slightly different track, I didn’t care for Julia Harper’s Hot that had the hero and heroine develop their relationship by playing phone tag. They never really had any face time together. That was not cool. That’s the only book I can think of where the separation between the h/h didn’t work out so well. But enough of my thoughts, what are yours? Do you enjoy romances where there are brief separations? Does it matter to you one way or the other? What other authors use this type of plot device and use it well? Because I’d surely like to read them. Thanks.

Photo Credit: The Heart Grows Fonder by Godward, John William 1861 — 1922 from World Classic Gallery.

“If you have any objections, I’ll hear them in hell.” — Ikigami recipient on the war path

The basic premise of this graphic novel revolves around a social program in Japan called The National Welfare Act. The Act is suppose to make citizens appreciate life by making everyone confront their mortality. The National Welfare Act dictates that every child entering the first grade must be immunized with a nanocapsule that causes the recipient’s death between the ages of 18 and 24. Each child immunized has a 1:1000 chance of receiving the “Ikigami” or “death papers” that gives them the time and date of their death. Their death is labeled as “honorary” and is required for the social health of the nation.

In each volume we are introduced to the people whose lives are impacted by the Ikigami. Some characters use their last 24 hours to do some act of kindness while others are moved to act in a violent manner. Each of the stories thus far have been rather moving. As usual, we are given two great stories. The first one, “The Last Lesson” is about a teacher who believes that it is the fault of the parents and teacher’s that kids behave poorly. He’s always saying that “children can do no harm.” Yet he is the victim of a prank pulled by one of his students that unfortunately gets him fired.

The second story titled, “A Place of Peace” follows a couple who married young and had a kid against their parent’s wishes. The young father is a car geek who is badly in debt and lacks maturity for his age. His wife struggles with raising their asthmatic daughter, the debt and competing with a car for her husband’s attentions. Things go downhill further when an Ikigami lands at their doorstep.

The Ikigami seems so cruel and it takes it toll on Fujimoto, one of the few recurring characters in this series. He works at the Ward Office and hand delivers the death papers to the recipients. He sees first hand how the Ikigami diminishes people’s hopes and dreams. After being on the job for several months, he’s learned to live with it but at the same time, he is unconvinced that the Welfare Act does anything to make people value life.

Each story is a morality tale and yes, I enjoy them. This volume goes into a little of the backstory behind The National Welfare Act and explains it’s origins. Also, we get to see a little more dissent but as we are reminded it is difficult to escape this law or even speak publicly about it in a negative way. We do learn that there might be dissent but it is quietly building up. The Japanese government likes to manipulate facts in order to paint a positive picture that society is still loyal to the Welfare Act when it actuality it is not.

The stories are character driven and the artwork is great. This is one of the few graphic novel series I’ve enjoyed reading and plan to continue to keep up with. If you’re looking for gritty, captivating and often moving stories set up in a world where people are slowly but surely trying to combat government oppression, then you should read Ikigami. It is excellent reading. B+.

Note: Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit, vol.5 should be out in stores now…off to find my copy.

I think Melina Marchetta is a compelling writer who writes about the teen experience really, really well. Whenever I read one of her books, I can’t stop reading. That VOICE. It is captivating to me. I just want to gush and gush about her books. I emailed a friend of mine to squee about her and then told all the readers in my family that they must buy and read Melina Marchetta (yes, they all have ebook readers). Told the two friends I work with and oh yes, everybody on Twitter. Of course her voice isn’t going to suit everybody. Some might find her too dark *cough* but I love dark.

If interested in reading her, I would start with her first published novel, Looking for Alibrandi and work my way up. Some of her titles are in digital format. Look them up at the etailer you use regularly and please note that Fictionwise does not have them.

I don’t expect many of you to run out and buy her books. There’s the library. Check them out. Give them a try. I rarely if ever spotlight or talk about an author I like a lot unless I really, really like them and I really, really like Melina Marchetta. But don’t take my word for how well she is received. Dear Author along with several others sites have reviewed her books and she’s been well received. If you like compelling stories featuring teens having to find their path in life and it’s told in a humorous way, with the added touch of a dark and serious tone, I would point straight at Melina Marchetta and say READ HER.

Author backlist: She has a nice list of books to get you started except one of them is only available in Austrailia right now with a US release date of 2011. That was too long for me so I bought the book from Austrailia. Anyway, here is her backlist titles: Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, On the Jellicoe Road, Finnikin of the Rock and The Piper’s Son (Australia only).

Who are some of your favorite YA authors? I’ll looking to expand my list.

Eight years ago on prom night, 16 year-old Jennifer Gardner tried to stop Bobby, her boyfriend’s best friend, from driving drunk. She took his keys and he tried to kiss her, just in time for her also-drunk boyfriend Neal Cain to find them. Neal and Bobby fought, ending with Bobby hitting his head on the curb and dying from the trauma.

In the courtroom, Neal pled guilty to spare everyone the pain of a trial, but pastor’s daughter Jennifer went off the rails, becoming a runaway, drinking and drugging, eventually finding herself pregnant at 18 with no idea who fathered her child. Neal stayed in prison, refusing to consider applying for early release, and his lawyer father finally refused to watch his son rot in prison as amends for the fight.

After Neal’s release from prison, he founds a legal aid center to help the poorest of the poor fight the system. He hasn’t spoken to his father in years, and when he finds out his father has become a drunken recluse and is dying, his world is thrown into a tailspin, and he is at risk of jeopardizing several cases.

Jennifer got help when she discovered she was pregnant, and became a social worker to work with teens to keep them out of trouble. She recently moved back home to be near her parents and work with a youth group at her father’s church. Living down her past and acknowledging the damage done to her father’s career was not easy, but the kids like her, even if their parents don’t.

Driving home one night, Jennifer almost runs down a drunken man looking for his dog. Realizing that it’s Nathan, Neal’s dad, she is shocked to see the man who used to be her father’s friend. She takes him home and after seeing how run-down and filthy his house is, decides she needs to help him. Of course he refuses and demands she leave him alone, but Jennifer won’t be daunted. Neal eventually shows up and is also surprised at the squalor his father lives in, but he gets thrown out, too.

Jennifer and Neal run into each other, and there’s a lot of whys and hows to get through, and they reveal what’s happened in their lives since that fateful night. They talk, kiss, argue, worry about Nathan, lather, rinse, repeat. While all this is going on, Traci one of Jennifer’s youth group attendees tells her about her “friend” who is having sex with a man (not boy) who isn’t her boyfriend (Brett), and he doesn’t use any protection, and Tra-, er, her friend would like some advice, because she doesn’t think they should having unprotected sex. And then Traci reveals that SHE is her friend and might have missed a period.

Now we get pages of Jennifer thinking about Traci and her predicament, and telling Traci to talk to her parents, because yeah, they will really be glad to know that their underage daughter was stepping out on her high school sweetheart. Traci told her lover that she was pregnant, and he hit her in the face and threw her out. Traci tells Jennifer that she wants an abortion, and mentally, Jennifer thinks that she won’t try to hinder Traci from making that choice, even as she totally does.

The rest of the book: Traci tells her parents that she’s pregnant, leaves to stay with Jennifer’s parents, then talks to Nathan and realizes that she can’t run away from problems. Bobby’s brother, Jeremy, drives his car into Jennifer’s car as revenge, but Traci’s driving and she has a miscarriage and reconciles with her parents. Brett doesn’t hate her. Jennifer gets all the parents angry at her and she quits her job. Neal does something, but it’s all Traci, Traci, Traci, so I kind of lost track of him. Nathan dies, but not before the townspeople are able to clean up his house and grounds; he lapses into a coma and dies the day after they get done.

I just couldn’t get emotionally involved in this story. There was too much outside conflict that didn’t really move the romantic relationship along, which was too bad, because there was potential in the plot. I can’t say that I liked either character all that much: Jennifer was too busy trying to solve everyone’s problems, and you know what happened with Neal. Grade: D

This review was apart of the TBR Challenge 2010. Please make sure to visit the other participant’s in the challenge and enjoy!

Update: This was Senetra’s review. I just updated the info. My apologies for the confusion.

But anyway, The Vizard Mask tells the story of Puritan Penitence Hurd, a young girl who has left America to find her mother in London. It’s also set during the Restoration Period. As that first sentence states,

Penitance Hurd and the Plague arrived in London on the same day.

The story is all about Penitence Hurd. I think the story spans 25 years opening with Charles II on the throne and ends with Mary of Orange. I read this book twice back to back and would still say that today this book would be a terrific read as it is certainly worth finding.

The scene: Once Penitence has arrived in London, she stays in a brothel called the Cock & Pie. Just like I mentioned earlier, the Plague has hit London hard. Penitence along with the actor, Henry King put on a play, something by Shakespeare called, Much Ado About Nothing, in order to distract the Watch. A family who were suspected of having the Plague are ‘Shut Up’ for 40 days & 40 nights and that was a death sentence. So the play is just a ruse for the family to make good their escape.

So, Penitence is rehearsing her part. She’s afraid she’s going to mess up things because she has a habit of stuttering. Henry King comes to her rescue and tells her to breathe:

The actor was in front of her now. ‘Breathe.’ She breathed, her eyes fixed on his.
“Who are you?“
“I am Beatrice.“
“Are you rich? Beautiful? Witty?“
“Yes.“
“Who am I?“
“Benedick.“
“Do you love me?“
“Yes.”

He extended his hand, palm-upwards. She put her own on it and together they walked out on to the balcony

The Vizard Mask is a historical fiction novel that was deeply moving, entertaining and memorable. It has a wonderful love-story along with other parts that were full of suspense and political intrigue. The Vizard Mask is one of my favorite books and while I quoted to you one my favorite scenes, there are plenty more where that came from. And yes, Henry King is one of the best heroes I’ve ever run across in fiction. He’s mysterious, witty, charming and he made an impact on Penitence’s life. Excellent book.

Note: I’ve read the following and recommend them highly: Blood Royal, A Catch of Consequence and Taking Liberties under Diana Norman. Ariana Franklin’s medieval mysteries are awesome as well as her stand alone novel, City of Shadows. Awesome writer all around.

Moonlight Mile is the sixth book in the Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro series is scheduled to be released on 11/2/10. Plot synopsis is below:

Amanda McCready was four years old when she vanished from a Boston suburb in 1997. Desperate pleas for help from the child’s aunt led savvy, tough-nosed investigators Kenzie and Gennaro to take on the case. The pair risked everything to find the young girl — only to orchestrate her return to a neglectful mother and a broken home.

Now Amanda is 16 — and gone again. A stellar student, brilliant but aloof, she seemed destined to escape her upbringing. Yet Amanda’s aunt is once more knocking at Patrick Kenzie’s door, fearing the worst for the little girl who has blossomed into a striking, bright young woman who hasn’t been seen in two weeks.

Haunted by the past, Kenzie and Gennaro revisit the case that troubled them the most, following a 12-year trail of secrets and lies down the darkest alleys of Boston’s gritty, blue-collar streets. Assuring themselves that this time will be different, they vow to make good on their promise to find Amanda and see that she is safe. But their determination to do the right thing holds dark implications Kenzie and Gennaro aren’t prepared for … consequences that could cost them not only Amanda’s life, but their own

cited as written by Wikipedia

Patrick/Angie series in reading order:

A Drink Before the War (1994)
Darkness, Take My Hand (1996)
Sacred (1997)
Gone, Baby Gone (1998) (sequel is Moonlight Mile)
Prayers For Rain (1999)
Moonlight Mile (2010)

Melina Marchetta is still relatively unknown in the US. As readers and fans of her work, this needs to change. Marchetta has won various awards for her teen fiction efforts. Her first book, “Looking for Alibrandi,” short-listed for the prestigious German Prize Award for Youth Literature. She also won the US Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature for Jellicoe Road in 2009.

Her second novel, Saving Francesca, is a much stronger novel. It’s another coming of age story with the same themes from her previous book about teens having to deal with complicated, real life adult issues while trying to find themselves. What this author does that makes me such a big fan after reading two of her books is that she makes the reader feel like they are apart of the story. It helps that her stories are character driven and humorous.

I love the author’s voice and narrative style. She has a straight forward style. She doesn’t gloss over the issues. We are not hit over the head with uplifting messages and she’s not repetitive. She writes about the teen experience with humor and sincerity. I like that her stories are family oriented and culturally and ethnically diverse. No boring middles.

Once again, the story’s narrative is in first person and follows 16 year-old Francesca Spinelli. She’s started Year Eleven at St. Sebastian’s, a former all boy’s Catholic school. With only 30 girls attending St. Sebastian’s, the only thing that makes it “co-ed” is the girls now have their own toilet (according to the narrator). The girls haven’t been completely accepted by their male peers yet. There’s a lot of crotch grabbing and wolf whistles in the halls.

The girls do try to start their own “woman’s movement” by handing over a list of their demands. First on the list is a tampon dispenser in the bathroom. The list is handed over to William Trombal, a Year 12 student who is also Head leader. He’s an ex-choir boy who wants to study civil engineering. He’s described as having the voice of a sex-god and he ends up being Francesca’s biggest crush. I enjoyed many of their scenes together (hand holding, flirting, talks of the future, passionate kisses in the dark).

I must like issue books as again we are confronted with one in here where Francesca’s mom has a nervous breakdown. Her mother, Mia, is a communications lecturer at the University of Technology-Sydney. Mia is passionate and very vocal about everything. Everyday after school, Mia would be there to ask her daughter about her day or wake up in the morning to give her one of her pep talks.

But for several days in a row, Francesca has noticed that her mother doesn’t want to get out of bed. When she does get out of bed, she’s in the bathroom retching. Her father, Rob, is struggling to maintain the household. Throughout the course of book, Francis and her father argue a lot. Rob’s an optimist and a man who doesn’t like to discuss problems. He’s one of those people who like to say “everything’s going to be alright” even when things don’t look that way.

I think what I found frustrating was that everybody knew what was wrong with Mia except for Francesca. She stays mostly in the dark, grabbing whatever info she can from her cousins and grandparents. Even though the story has very little scenes with Mia in them, we get to know her through her daughter’s memories of her through anecdotes, prep talks and advice.

The author has once again, introduced a somewhat largish cast of characters. Fortunately for us, each of them have a distinctive voice and personality so that we can keep track of them. You feel a connection to these kids. How would I describe Francesca? I’d say that she’s cynical, indifferent and reserved (just like me). At the same time she can be unpredictable and outgoing. Her mother’s breakdown has seriously caused her life to run off track.

And the writing! After reading Melina Marchetta, you almost want to go back and relive your high school years. There are quite a few hilarious moments in here especially when the girls ask to participate in competitive sports and the guys oblige. Yes, they get annihilated. Francesca recounts what happened:

This is the short version: They play like it’s the Olympics and their country’s honor depends on it. If we even dare to try to adjust our gym pants, we get wolf-whistled. There are nosebleeds, fractured fingers and hair pulling. It’s pretty full-on and although I’m tall, I feel as if I’ve been tossed around the whole game. I end up on my bum so many times that I’m convinced that I’ve broken a bone there.

I’m not a fan of teen angst of the Bella Swan variety but I had no problem with the teen-age drama in here. And as for the romance, I don’t think it’s fair to describe them as “romances” so I have to becareful with how I use that word in here. There’s a lot of flirting, hand-holding and passionate kisses. Complicated romance stuff that’s fun to read and watch unfold but, it’s not “romance” per se.

Melina Marchetta writes about the teen experience well and I haven’t mentioned every plot point in the story either. At the heart of this one, it’s about family and friendships. I guess another reason why her stories stand out to me is that her characters seem to act and behave like real teens act and behave. The guys in the story come off initially as obnoxious and bone-headed, but as the story progresses, more layers are peeled away and we get to see their vulnerable side.

Marchetta gives you the complete reading experience (at least for me she does) — memorable characters, hilarious high school scenes, complicated family issues along with complicated romance issues with a happy ending. You can’t ask for more than that. So, overall, this book is an A read for me. If you’re still reading this far down, I also ordered her newest release, The Piper’s Son, that just came out in Australia, that features one of the boys in Saving Francesca, Thomas MacKee. Can’t wait to read it! US release is set for 2011.

The world called him bad, tough, and wild…until a special woman dared to love him

“Are you my woman?
“I am your wife.“
“Ah, but are you my woman?” he said and bent his head to nuzzle her hair. “Do you know what it means to be a woman? My woman?” He breathed close to her ear and shivers of excitement darted through her. “Sally, you’re so beautiful. Do you know what you do to me? Let me love you. Let me make you a woman.
“Luke, you are drunk,” she said shakily. She was excited and yet scared –he was so different from usual, so strong, so suddenly demanding, as though he’d unleashed the power and wildness normally kept under such tight control. Sarah was not at all sure that this Luke would not hurt her…

Sybil, your copy is on the way…