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

Review: Skin Deep by Pamela Clare

In my very humble opinion, I think Pamela Clare is one of the best Romantic Suspense authors out there. I may be blinded by her awesome sex scenes and dreamy heroes, but that’s what I believe. And hey, if dreamy heroes and sex scenes aren’t part of what makes a romance great, then I don’t know what is. 

Skin Deep is the latest installment in her I-Team series about a bunch of investigative reporters and the alpha males who love them. This time we get a novella and none of the leads are reporters, instead we get to see a former secondary character fall in love.

Megan Hunter has had a very difficult life. I won’t go into details but it’s been an odyssey of tragedy after tragedy. She’s finally putting the pieces back together, she has a job and a nice home. The only problem is that her ex is after her and her money.

Review: Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

Breaking Point is the latest book in the I-Team series. Natalie, the protagonist, is in Ciudad Juarez for a Society of Professional Journalist convention. While on a bus tour a group of very bad men storm the bus, kills every single Mexican journalist in there and kidnaps her. During captivity she hears a voice that comes from the cell next door. The voice belongs to Zach McBride, our hero.And then the fun begins. 

I have read tons of romantic suspense and I can honestly say that no one does it better than Pamela Clare. This book proves that. It is difficult to find a romantic suspense novel that has the perfect balance of both genres. Oftentimes you get a book that is heavy on the suspense but the romance seems almost like an afterthought, or you get a romance novel with a ridiculous cliché bad guy and a very predictable plot that has nothing suspenseful about it. But a book that gives you the same amount of focus in both aspects of the story is difficult to find. The other thing is that the romance in her books has a feel to it that goes perfectly well with the plot. Is down and dirty, so even though the heroes are the ultimate alpha male who protects and loves his woman till the bitter end, there is nothing sugary about it. These are people running for their lives, in very stressful situations, and the romance reflects that.