Mini Review: Star Dust by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner

Source: review copy provided by the authors.

Space Age historical romance, do I need to say more?

This was such a lovely, surprisingly understated (considering the setting) book, and I had a great time reading it.

It’s set in the early 60’s. The hero is a bit of a womanizing hot-shot astronaut, and the heroine is a recently divorced single mother of two. They butt heads at first. They fall in love. It’s sweet and charming. What’s not to love?

My favorite part about it, though, and the subject of this mini review, is how the story contrasts these two people and their situations to say something about the historical period, society and gender roles. He is an impulsive young man about to do something remarkable and is lauded as a hero for it. She is a young woman who did something remarkable--albeit not as unique as going to space--but by divorcing her cheating husband, putting herself and her kids first, and finding a job, independence and a better partner, she’s seen by everyone else as a villain or as a potential victim of her own recklessness, even though is his recklessness that might get him killed.

On top of that, the book is atmospheric and just plain fun. It brought back memories of being a kid and watching old reruns of I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched, but with, you know, graphic sex *grins*.

That One Time I Read Half a Serial and Liked It: The Kraken King by Meljean Brook

Tentacle!

I’m guest reviewing the first four parts of The Kraken King serial over at Dear Author. This is a spoiler-free, general review of the first half of the serial, so it reads like a review of the whole thing. I’m not a fan of the format, but I really enjoyed this one, even though I’ll probably wait until I have the final four parts to read them all at once.

I also feel like I should warn you that this is a very positive review. You guys know how much I love Ms. Brook’s books, but I actually struggled with finding things to criticize, something that didn’t even happen with Guardian Demon. Part of it is that what I read was all very, very good, and part of it is that I haven’t read the whole thing yet, so I’m missing half the information. In that regard, writing the review was an interesting exercise, just as interesting --and slightly frustrating-- as reading the serial. I probably should have serialized my review instead of looking at it as a whole, but even then I think I would have had a hard time finding something to criticize, because each part has enough individual merits to stand on its own. And don’t worry, the book I will review next is one of the worse I've read this year, so I’ll will bring balance to the Force.

For those of you interested in the series, all the books stand alone ridiculously well,  but I would read them in order just to build the sense of the world in the order the novels were published. Also, The Kraken King offers a perspective of the world that’s pretty different to the one we get in The Iron Duke, so having that contrast makes the experience richer.

That’s it! Go read the review and let me know what you think. I’m also interested to hear how you feel about serials: love them, hate them, meh!, is there a serial that changed your mind about the format, etc.

Sex and the Romance Novel: Satisfaction by Sarah Mayberry

Source: Someecards

Source: A review copy was provided by the author.

Remember the Four Horsemen of the Tropecalypse? One of them is back, only with a slight variation.

Meet Maggie, our poor, orgasm-less heroine, who, after trying everything on hand (pun intended!), decides to get under the sexy, hung tattooist who gave her BFF a tattoo and the best sex of her life. Maggie figures that if his magic dong doesn’t give her an orgasm, nothing will, so she makes an appointment and accidentally tries to seduce the sexy tattooist’s identical twin, in what must be the most awkward scene I’ve ever read.  

But fear not! This is a Romance novel, after all, and humiliation makes for a great meet-cute. It turns out that Mr. Sexy Twin, also known as Rafel, is so smart and intrigued by Maggie, that he puts two and two together and realizes that, holy shit! She’s never had an orgasm, and lookie here, he happens to have the right tool to alleviate her ailment. That’s how they embark on a relationship that’s based on unconventional motivations, so of course things go pear shaped fast. The good news is that these two are mature individuals, so they actually deal with it accordingly. Well, Kind of.

The Good, the Bad and the DNF: A Mixed Bag of Current Reads

I have been an inconsistent blogger, but I have been a steady reader. Here are some thoughts on a few recent reads.

Source: Not all the books are review copies, but let’s assume they are. 

Ripped by Sarah Morgan

This novella is a very good blend of Chick-Lit and a Harlequin Presents. It’s told from the heroine’s POV; a heroine who is a bit goofy and socially awkward, but instead of being an insecure mess, she’s a confident rocket scientist whose dresses have the misfortune of ripping open in front of people.  The hero is an intense Italian hunk all brooding and disapproving, but not entirely overbearing. See? Chick-Lit + Harlequin Presents. It may not sound appealing, but the result is a charming and funny story that I highly recommend, even if I my issues with the price remain.

Grade: 4
Sensuality: McSteamy
Purchase: Amazon

Guest Review: And Then Comes Marriage by Celeste Bradley

Sarah is back! For those of you who don’t know her, Sarah is a library science student and a part-time librarian. She runs the blog Sarah’s Bookshelf and you can also find her on Goodreads.

*****

I first read Celeste Bradley when she co-authored a book with one of my favorite contemporary authors, Susan Donovan. The book, recently republished under the name Unbound, follows a story of a courtesan and her diary of sexual exploration. It was a fabulous read, but more importantly it introduced me to Bradley. I'm not usually a huge historical fan, but Bradley has a way to keep me laughing, sometimes crying, but almost always finding time to finish any book that I can get my hands on. This book was no exception to that. In fact, I can't wait to read the other books in this series, including the previous book, When She Said I Do.

We initially meet Mrs. Miranda Talbot, a naive widow, as she is trying to locate a man that she's previously met and very attracted to. She knows his last name, Worthington, but not much else. Her curiosity has gotten the best of her, but when she finally locates him a huge explosion occurs, and she is saved by the mysterious object of her affection. Only it turns out that man is different from the man she thought she was looking for. He is actually a twin. She doesn't realize this fact until the twins actually confront each other about their mutual interest in Miranda. 

Guest Review: After the Kiss by Lauren Layne

Our friend Sarah is back with another great guest review. Sarah is a library science student and a part-time librarian. She runs the blog Sarah’s Bookshelf and you can also find her on Goodreads.

*****

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley

Every year I make a point to find at least one new author that I can shout from the hills about. This summer has been a bit of a bust, and I had almost lost hope, but then I got my little hands on After the Kiss by Lauren Layne. This book was so much fun that I actually had a really tough time putting it down. It's a fairly short read, but well worth the time. It's a romantic comedy, but definitely has it's more dramatic moments.

Layne sets up her Sex, Love, & Stiletto series in a Women's fashion magazine office. Columnist Julie Greene has been tasked by her editor to write outside of her usual fling-related comfort zone and see what moving a relationship to the next level entails. Julie, always one for a challenge, reluctantly agrees to take on this project. With the help of her besties, Grace and Riley (also columnists at Stiletto) Julie ends up meeting Mitchell Forbes, a Wall Street workaholic. Julie, the queen of flirting and superficial relationships, gets thrown in the deep end of the pool with Mitchell, a serial monogamist. Little does she know that Mitchell is also trying to date outside his comfort zone. He's trying to do the casual fling thing and has set his sights on Julie as an easy target. However, neither of them is prepared for the truth of their relationship, or the consequences of the choices that lead them to one another.

Review: Carolina Girl by Virginia Kantra

I’m a long-time fan of Ms. Kantra’s books. Last year, the first book in the series, Carolina Home, was one of my favorite books, and I was anxiously waiting to read the next one. I’m happy to say that it was just as good as expected.

This is a pretty standard book with a pretty standard set of tropes.

First we have our heroine, Meg. She grew up in a loving home and had dreams too big for the small island. She was in love with her older brother’s best friend; a guy who broke her heart the day he took her virginity and left. Eighteen years later, she’s incredibly successful, lives in New York and shares her life with a long-time boyfriend who is clearly all wrong for her because 1. He’s never asked her to marry him and 2. He doesn’t console her after she loses her job. So she decides to go back home to put her life in order, figure out what to do and in the meantime help take care of her mother who was recently in an accident.

Review: Down London Road by Samantha Young

A few months ago, everyone was talking about a self-published book titled On Dublin Street (or at least everyone on my little corner of the blogosphere). The book became a huge success and soon was acquired by Penguin. I thought it was a compelling story, but not a unique or innovative one.  The sequel was still on my radar, though, and it became a must-read when I realized that the heroine would be the sexually forward, gold-digging friend from On Dublin Street.

Jo is a bartender whose goal in life is to marry a rich guy. Her current boyfriend certainly fits the requirements, so she pampers him and does everything he wants, even if that means not being herself. But before you get excited thinking that we’re finally getting a heroine that completely breaks the mold, I should tell you that the reason why she acts that way is because she has to take care of her teenage brother and their abusive, alcoholic mother. So nope, she’s not materialistic or self-absorbed; she’s just damaged and filled with a bunch of secret pains. Of course she is.

Review: Fire & Frost by Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane, and Jessica Sims

Source: A review copy was provided by the authors. 

Fire and Frost is the newest collaboration between authors Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane and Jessica Sims. The novellas are unique and almost impossible to compare, but they do have two things in common: the charming, compelling characters and the way the “hot and cold” theme has been cleverly incorporated into each story.

In Speed Mating by Jessica Sims we meet Estrella, a mixed tiger and lion shifter (or liger) who is about to go into heat and asks her clan’s alpha to help her find a suitable male to have sex with. Hilarity ensues. Well, not hilarity exactly, but as the title suggests, this is a light, tongue-in-cheek story that’s all about having fun while still managing to sneak in an interesting and welcome take on the ubiquitous shifter romance.

Review: A Prior Engagement by Karina Bliss

Source: review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I’ve said before that Karina Bliss is one of the best current Contemporary Romance authors, and this book is yet another proof of that. As is the case with all her novels, A Prior Engagement was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I’m happy to say that it lived up to all my expectations.

The book is the culmination in a series of not-so-loosely related book. It’s the fourth and final story, and although all the books stand alone well, you should perhaps read the previous one, Bring Him Home, first just to get a bit of background on the characters and their situation.

Review: Also Known As by Robin Benway

I bought this book on an impulse after reading a couple of favorable reviews. I’m surprised I actually managed to read it, because as much as I’m a fan of impulse buys, I don’t usually read YA stories that sound, well, so juvenile. I’m even more surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Maggie is a 16-year-old spy who, along with her parents, works for a secret organization in charge of stopping criminals. As a talented safe-cracker, her job always involves waiting until her parents are done so she can come in, open the safe and get out. But when their latest target takes them to New York, she becomes the person in charge of the latest assignment: befriending the teenage son of the magazine editor who’s about to expose the entire organization.

In order to do so, Maggie enrolls in a prestigious private Manhattan high school; something that seems quite easy at first. Yet once there, she realizes that she lacks the social skills to pass as a regular teenager and that being normal might be the most difficult assignment to date. Worse, the guy she has to befriend (and ultimately betray) is really cute, and the lonely girl she meets on the first day makes her long for friendship and normalcy.

Review: Love Irresistibly by Julie James

Source: a review copy was provided by the author and publisher through NetGalley.

The first Julie James book I read was Practice Makes Perfect, and that experience was as close to love at first sight as it gets. Ever since then, I’ve been a fan of Ms. James’ books, and each new release has been anxiously awaited. There have been some bumps in the road, but I continue to thoroughly enjoy her books.

Brooke Parker is the general counsel of a company that owns restaurants. U.S. Assistant Attorney Cade Morgan wants to use one of those restaurants to catch a dirty politician. He asks for her help, they catch the guy and they start a relationship. Sounds like I just spoiled the whole thing, right? Wrong! The catching of the bad guy is nothing but an elaborate meet-cute. Despite what the blurb says, this book is a straight Contemporary Romance, and there’s really no suspense subplot. Something I really appreciated.

Review: Once Tempted by Laura Moore

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Have I told you how much I like Ms. Moore’s books? Yes I have! But I will say it again, because for some reason she’s a bit of a hidden gem and I want to help spread the word. If you like Contemporary Romance, small-town stories and horses, then you should be reading her books right now.

Our heroine, Tess, is a recent widow who had a very traumatic experience with her husband and decided to start anew. A friend encourages her to pick a random spot on the map and that’s how she ends up in a ranch in California, where she’s greeted with open arms by everyone but the owners’ son, Ward.

The thing is that Ward is equal parts attracted and wary of Tess. But once he realizes the attraction is there to stay, he decides to pursue her. Slowly but surely they fall in love, but Tess has secrets, so will they come back to haunt her? Of course they will!

Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Ever since I finished Attachments, I've been thinking about the reason why it made such a lasting impression. There is a lot about it that’s unique and special, but as a whole, it’s nothing but a simple story of love and friendship. Now that I've read Eleanor and Park, I think that the reason why Ms. Rowell’s stories resonate with me is because she writes about people we know and can identify with. Her books walk the fine line between deep emotion and downright cheesiness, but the one thing they always maintain is their honesty. The emotions her stories elicit come from the true connection that develops organically between the reader and the characters, and never feel forced or fabricated. Her stories are certainly emotional, but they are never emotionally manipulative.

Because sometimes clichés are the best way to describe something, I will say that Eleanor and Park is a story about two outsiders who find a place to belong when they meet each other. And yes, it sounds like every other story out there, especially if said story happens to be a YA novel, but that doesn’t make it less true.

Review: Captive Prince (Volumes One & Two) by S.U. Pacat

This series was featured in Ruthie Knox’s What to Read Wednesday weekly blog post. I was very intrigued, so I bought the first book, read a couple of chapters and went and bought the second book, because that small sample was enough to convince me of its quality. The books ended up being so good, that I’m tempted to just review them in one line saying go read this now. 

Before I get to the review, you should know is that this is a work in progress. The third and final book won’t be out until next year, and the second book ends on a cliffhanger. Not only that, but these books tell one story and pretty much read like one long book. I think the only reason why they have been divided into three volumes is because Captive Prince originated as a free online serial. So the books must be read in order, otherwise it will be like randomly opening a book in the middle and starting there.

Review: The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

Source: A review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I decided to read this book because it seemed to center around a mother-daughter relationship, a premise I found compelling. It certainly delivered more than I expected, and although there are plenty of clichés in the story, it was actually quite refreshing.

Devan has lived in the Midwest with her father and her stepmother her whole life. She’s never met her mother, and until recently she didn’t even know who her mother was. But one serendipitous day she came across a book by famous author Reece Malcolm, a book that was dedicated to her. So after some digging, she finally knew who her mother was, and she even managed to make a short list of all the things she was able to find out about Reece, minor things like where she went to college or how she likes her coffee. But when Devan’s dad dies she has to go live with her mystery of a mother in L.A. and her life suddenly becomes a huge question mark.

Review: Sold to the Enemy by Sarah Morgan

ETA: I forgot to mention that I received a review copy from the author.

You guys know how much I like Sarah Morgan (and if not, now you do), so I’ll skip that part and go directly to the review.

The plot is quite simple: Selene is a sheltered young woman with an abusive powerful father. She has dreams of escaping, but she can’t do it because she has no money, her father is super evil and her mother is too afraid. So she comes up with this plan that takes her directly to Stefan Ziakas.

And who is this Stefan? I’m glad you ask! He’s a player with a secret pain that killed his soul and turned him into a ruthless man.  He’s also Selene’s father’s nemesis. Years ago he was nice to her, because he’s not as dead inside as he would like us to believe. So she has nothing but fond memories of him. She tells him her plan, which involves a very simple business idea as well as the necessary loan. After a lot of convincing, Stefan agrees because he likes her and helping her would mean getting some revenge on her dad.

Review: Time Dancer by Inez Kelley

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I’ve been known to really enjoy Ms. Kelley’s Contemporaries, but what you probably don’t know is that I’m also a fan of her Fantasy trilogy of which Time Dancer is the last installment. Each book takes place in the same universe but features a different leading couple, yet they don’t stand alone that well, especially this book. You could read the first two in any order, but this one ties everything together and brings the series to a closure. Maybe this review will tempt you to try the books!

The setting is a fantasy land that somewhat resembles medieval Europe, but with magic. Jana, the heroine, has some magic but it’s fairly useless because it only gives her insight into the past, and even then, she’s not that good at it. But when her best friend, who happens to be the prince and heir to the throne, receives assassination attempt after assassination attempt, she asks the prince’s mother, a powerful sorceress, to create a spell to protect him.

Review: Trick of Time by JL Merrow

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Ms. Merrow is one of my favorite authors, so every time she has a new book out I do a tiny happy-dance. I admit, though, that I prefer her straight contemporaries over her PNR’s, so I was just a bit apprehensive about this one. But I ended up enjoying it a lot. 

Ted is a widower whose husband and parents died in a car accident over a year ago. He works as assistant in a small theater in London and deals with his grief as best he can, but mostly by ignoring it. One night during the show he goes out for a smoke break and finds himself in Victorian London. He meets a rent boy named Jem, they have a sexual encounter and when he goes back to the theater he realizes he’s back in the present. At first he thinks he was hallucinating, but he can’t stop thinking about Jem, so the next night he goes out again in the middle of the show, and finds himself, once again, in the past. Ted and Jem develop a relationship, but is there any hope for them? Of course there is, this is a romance, after all, but it’s a very clever resolution.

Review: How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox

Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Last year when we were doing our genre tropes and themes wish list for 2013, one of the items everyone wanted to see more of were regular characters and blue collar heroes. This novella has one, and it’s no wonder we’re so thirsty for similar characters, because it was wonderful.

Amber lives and works in Camelot, a small Midwestern college town. She has lived there he whole life and even went to a local conservative college. The title and blurb make it clear that she’s a good girl tired of being good, and that hers is the story of the virgin and the bad boy. Except that it’s a lot more than that; beginning with the fact that nice girls who don’t want to be that nice, can manage to have sex --as bad as it may be-- on their own and long before the hero comes to their rescue. So Amber isn't a virgin, but does have a big set of longings and desires, one of which comes in the form of the hero, Tony.