I See You

I really enjoyed Holly Lisle's Last Girl Dancing, so it was a no-brainer to pick up her next book, I See You.

For paramedic Dia Courvant, each day brings the possibility of facing blood and death. But nothing can match the horror of the day she was dispatched to the scene of a terrible car accident and resuced the sole survivor--only to find her own husband dead in the wreckage. Four years later, a series of deadly car crashes brings handsome Detective Brig Hafferty into Dia's life. She's drawn to Brig, but can she trust him enough to tell him of the terror that stalks her? For Dia has received a message warning her of danger and death--a message that seems to have been sent to her from beyond the grave. . . .

While I liked I See You, it wasn't as strong as Lisle's previous book: 3.5 out of 5. Lisle definitely knows suspense, and she does a terrific job of drawing the reader in. I was very curious about what would happen next. The first section of the story is particularly strong in this area.

The romance itself isn't as strong. It progresses a little too quickly from attraction to love. I can definitely buy that unusual/emotional situations can help a relationship skip a step or two, but I didn't get a sense that Dia and Brig know each other well enough for this.

Back from the Doctor

Lots of health and other blah blah. Feel free to skip.

I had my appointment with the doctor today. It was as I thought--diet and exercise are at the top of the list. In fact, he emphasized exercise, and suggested five or six days a week. My next appointment is in two months, and my goal is to have lost six to eight pounds by then. He says this is doable even with my current (bad) diet if I add the exercise, but he advised making some common-sense decisions about the diet as well. I'm already starting to do that.

The doctor had me get on the scale so he knew where we were starting. I asked him not to tell me; I figured it would be a bit discouraging, although I know about what I weigh.

I'm already planning ways to reward myself for meeting intermediate goals. Since I'm avoiding the weight issue, I'm instead going to focus on clothing size. I figure I need to drop three sizes to get to the size I was all through high school and college. Now I'm thinking of things I can reward myself with each time I drop a size. It won't be ice cream. Books might well be on the list.

Bad Boys of Summer

Geez, how long ago did I say I'd review Bad Boys of Summer? Well, I started reading it on the flight home from RWA in Atlanta and finished it later that day, so it's been a while. Long enough that I had to do a quick review of the stories before writing this review.

Luscious by Lori Foster
Bethany Churchill just quit her lousy job, dumped her lousy boyfriend and moved into a new apartment. She's not looking for love, but her hot new landlord is determined to change her mind. SWAT officer Lucius Ryder--known to the women in the building as "Luscious," much to his chagrin--is one sexy lawman, and before long Bethany is tempted to find out he's really as delicious as his nickname . . .

It's About Time by Erin McCarthy
County prosecutor Trish Jones has had it with smooth-talking, under-performing suits. And though she's never had a thing for big, brawny guys, one look at Caleb Vancouver's bulges makes her think she might have been missing out. One Harley Ride later they're back at her place, and she realizes that she has been missing out . . . on quite a lot . . .

Wish You Were Here by Amy Garvey
Photographer Mackenzie Pruitt knows exactly what she wants her future to look like, and this summer that means renovating a dilapidated shed into a studio. But when hunky carpenter Leo Dawson shows up, she'd much rather have his capable hands on her than on a hammer. He's not the kind of guy she always thought she'd fall for, but when he touches her, she can't imagine wanting anyone else . . .

Bad Boys of Summer is a nice entry in the Bad Boys series. "Luscious" is my least favorite story of the three, although I loved the fact that Lucius was able to tell the twins apart so obviously. I thought that was a nice touch. It's a solid story, if nothing particularly memorable: 3.5 out of 5.

I wondered how McCarthy would portray the tough Trish. She seemed a bit too hard at times as a secondary character in previous stories. In "It's About Time," I liked the fact that Trish's character doesn't undergo a dramatic change, but we see a different side of her. Caleb is the perfect man for her, one who will balance her nicely. At one point, Trish expresses surprise that a man who looks so big and tough is one she finds herself thinking of as cute and sweet. McCarthy does a good job of making this realistic. He is cute and sweet: 4 out of 5.

"Wish You Were Here" is the first story I've read by Amy Garvey that doesn't include a mystery. Well, there is a mystery of sorts, but it doesn't revolve around a dead body. It was nevertheless an engaging romance with wonderful characters. I don't want to go into detail since this is a story better read than described. This excellent story proves Garvey's versatility: 4 out of 5.

I rate Bad Boys of Summer as 4 out of 5 overall.

Full Moon Rising

Keri Arthur's Full Moon Rising was one of the books in the RWA goodie bag I got at the registration desk. I've been curious about this one since reading the All About Romance review of it a few months ago.

A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne's Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races--and protect humans from their depredations.

While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker--until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn't be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when here need to mate becomes all-consuming . . .

Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need. But she will have to control her urges if she's going to find her brother. . . . Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful--and delectably naked--vamp who raises her temperature like never before.

In matters carnal, Riley has met her match. But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts to not only find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest. For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior--by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan. Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind--and just how much it needs her.

As the blurb suggests, this is not a traditional romance. Since I knew this in advance, I was prepared for it. Arthur's is an interesting and compelling world: 4 out of 5. The story is told in first-person from Riley's point of view, and it's clear the world she lives in isn't a calm one. She faces danger, along with the machinations of others, on a regular basis.

She also lives in a world where it's perfectly acceptable to take multiple sexual partners without guilt. I like the way Riley makes no apology for it; she simply presents it as a normal part of her life. What I didn't like? It's a big spoiler, so scroll over the white text at your own risk: Both of her lovers turn out to be part of the plot. One I can understand, but two doesn't say much for her taste in men. Wouldn't she have had an inkling about one of them? Apparently not.

The plot isn't tied in a neat bow by the end. Since I was prepared for this, it was fine, but other readers might find this frustrating. I thought the conclusion worked and was satisfactory. Full Moon Rising is a fast-paced story packed with lots of action. Arthur does a good job of creating a vivid, memorable world I would be happy to revisit.

Date Me, Baby, One More Time

After reading several positive reviews of Stephanie Rowe's Date Me, Baby, One More Time, I decided to get it when I went to the RWA signing last month.

Justine Bennett is cursing her life. She's the Guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth, she hasn't left the house in ages, and it's been over 200 years since she's had sex. Oh, and the Goblet has shape-shifted into an espresso machine named Mona. Not exactly the stuff grand destiny is made of . . .

Derek LaValle is worried. Due to a family curse, he'll be dead in the pace of a week unless he finds the Guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth and beheads her. Which wouldn't be a problem if she weren't so sexy, smart . . . and ready to behead him right back.

I started reading this book at RWA but got distracted and set it aside. I picked it up again this weekend and read it straight through: 4 out of 5. I have to admit, it took me a while to get into the story. I loved Derek's first chapter, but once I hit Justine and Theresa, I thought, How corny. This is about the point where I got distracted.

Once I got back into the story, though, I decided that the campiness was part of the point, and I had fun reading. I loved watching Derek and Justine interact--Derek's arousal over a woman who carries weapons and Justine's excitement at the thought of a man who finds all of her weapons. Their scenes were fun to read.

I did wish there had been more detail at times, particularly in one scene toward the end. But overall, this was a fun read.

One of the book's biggest strengths lies in its originality. It's definitely a world I haven't seen before. I got a kick out of the characters, including Satan. I found myself almost liking him. I'm looking forward to the next book, which features Theresa. Should be interesting.

Crossroads

I hadn't intended to drop off the face of the earth. The main thing I can say about this month is that things are a-changing. After a few days of not hearing from the doctor about my test results, I called the doctor's office and learned that my doctor is out for back surgery. Yikes! So the doctor on call reviewed the test results and had his assistant call me.

The bad news is that there is an issue. The good news is that it's one I think I can do something about. I have an appointment on Tuesday, so I don't have details, but my internet research turned up the same thing I expected: I need to change my life, starting with exercise and a change of diet.

Any change is difficult, but these will be good in the long run. It would be nice not to be tired all the time, for one thing. I've started walking and will continue to do so every day. It's a good start.

This month I've also learned about some restructuring at work. With some companies, this is a polite term for layoffs. That's not the case for the company I work for. In this case, restructuring is restructuring. I don't love change, but I hate being in limbo, which is where things will be for a few months until the dust settles and we figure out who's going where. There may be a few opportunities for me if I decide to pursue them. Ah, decisions.

What all this means is my energies have been focused elsewhere. Most of my online stuff has been slipping through the cracks. I haven't written a review for TRR for almost two months. I did manage to post a column at Romancing the Blog and was pleased to see it received some comments. Still, I need to think long and hard about accepting any any more responsibilities. And about whether I should keep the ones I have.

As for reading, I find myself turning to my comfort reads, which now include Kelley Armstrong as well as Rachel Gibson, and Julia Quinn. I've read a few new books, too, and hope to post short (possibly very short) reviews sometime.

What are you reading?

Interesting . . .

I saw this on Cindy's blog and thought I'd check out the definition of my name in the dictionary. It's interesting.

Alyssa [adjective]: Benevolent to a fault 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

I've dropped off the radar a bit more than usual lately. I've been coping with writing issues and potential medical issues. At the moment, I'm waiting for the results from some medical tests; I should hear something early this week. It's interesting how one's focus changes when health issues are pressing.

My doctor mentioned the test as something that would rule out a few possibilities. It's quite possible that the end result will simply be that I need to change my diet, which could definitely use some improvement. Still, the wait is nervewracking, so I've been trying to distract myself with reading and shopping. For the most part, the distraction is working, but I still have moments of panic. Then logic sinks in and I go back to being OK.

Distractions are still nice, however. Yesterday I went used bookstore prowling, which I haven't done for a while. I found a number of books for people in my book trading group. Does that make me benevolent to a fault?

Blog It

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com. To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

• $200 Amazon gift certificate


• Signed copy of Slave to Sensation


• New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh


• ARC of Christine Feehan's October 31 release: Conspiracy Game

You can read about the experiment here and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

SLAVE TO SENSATION
Nalini Singh
Berkley / September 2006



Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities…or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt

Angel with Attitude

I bought Michelle Rowen's Angel with Attitude at the latest RWA signing, and it was one of the first books I read when I got home. It was a great one to start with: 4.5 out of 5.

Falling naked into the killer whale tank at MarineLand is always bad news, but it's a real bummer when you've just been kicked out of Heaven. Former angel Valerie Grace is determined to reverse her banishment--Earth's just no fun. Her best friend is a slightly perverted human-turned-rat (note to self: never cross a powerful witch) and she's being tailed by a sexy Tempter Demon named Nathaniel who's trying to lure her to Hell with kisses that are almost worth the trip. With the talking rodent sneaking peeks down her shirt and Nathaniel getting more irresistible every minute, this ex-angel has only one hope: find the stolen Key to Heaven and go home. Then the oddest thing happens--Nathaniel starts to show signs of loyalty and love. And soon Val is asking herself if it is such a bad thing to have the hots for a demon.

What do I like about it? The humor is terrific, and I love Rowen's voice. There were a number of great scenes and other things I enjoyed in the story, including phrases that made me chuckle, such as one character having a "tempter tantrum" (look at the first word closely if you don't get it at first). The "human-turned-rat" offers some nice comedic moments as well.

I also thought this was an intriguing world. The idea of a Tempter Demon is a fun one, and the opposing goals of Valerie and Nathaniel naturally heighten the conflict and the romantic tension. They are a fascinating couple, one I enjoyed spending time with, although I would have loved another sex scene or two. ;)

The book kept me engaged from beginning to end. I really love how the story came full circle and did it in a way I hadn't expected.

Brain Dead

My apologies for vanishing once again. I decided to post the rest of my RWA experience at the blog of my alterego, mainly because it's more writerly in nature. I still have two days left of the conference to summarize, which I hope to do this week.

Last week was a bit hectic. First, I ended up needing some serious car repairs--I knew the grinding sound when I hit the brakes couldn't be a good thing . . . Then, I transcribed a few tapes for a freelance gig, since the car repairs won't pay for themselves. The only problem with that is that my weekend was not much different from any other day of the week. Man, I'm tired.

Once I recover, watch for reviews of Angel with Attitude and Bad Boys of Summer, two of my literacy signing purchases.