Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Although I've had J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince since the day it was released, I only read it this month. I didn't read it immediately for a couple of reasons: (1) No air conditioning, so sitting to read a long book didn't sound at all appealing. (2) I was a bit turned off by book 5, which vexed me because of who was killed at the end. I also thought it could have used some editing. Desperately.

This month I finally had the urge to read it, so I did. It was quite good (4.5 out of 5), even though the only development I didn't know before reading was the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. I knew who died this time around--really, who else could it have been? I guessed even before a coworker accidentally let it slip.

Anyway, I'm not going to do a summary, because the Harry Potter books are so well known. I'll just discuss a few things. I imagine I am among the last to read this book, so I'm not going to do the highlight the spoilers thing. So, if you want to avoid spoilers, stop reading.

I thought book 5 could have been condensed quite a bit to be more effective. I felt that way a little with book 6, though not nearly as much.

I liked the bits with Dumbledore. It's nice that Harry (along with the reader) is finally starting to get some answers. The Horcrux idea is fascinating, and it should be interesting to see Harry find and destroy them in the next book. Might Harry also be a Horcrux? It can't be ruled out at this point, and that would certainly add a dramatic touch to book 7. I suspect there will be plenty of dramatic elements in the book.

I was not surprised by Dumbledore's death, or even by the manner of it. In book 5, the one person I didn't want to die was the person who did. I expected this to be the case of book 6 . . . and it was. Dumbledore was clearly next in line.

Not sure what I think of Snape. He's so smarmy and petty, plus killing Dumbledore is not the act of a good person. But it's clear that what he's doing at the end is telling Harry how to defeat Voldemort.

"Blocked again and again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed, Potter!"

And Snape prevents the Death Eater from killing Harry as well, although he says it's because "Potter belongs to the Dark Lord--we are to leave him!" (More evidence of Harry being a Horcrux?) I don't like Snape, and I'm not sure he's supposed to be likable. But I suspect he will be a crucial part of helping Harry defeat Voldemort.

Harry takes some important steps in this book: standing up for what he believes with regard to the Ministry of Magic; helping Dumbledore retrieve a Horcrux (sort of); making the decision at the end to do whatever it took to defeat Voldemort. I like watching him grow up.

I had originally planned not to read the next book in the series until someone else who read it could confirm that Harry doesn't die in it. But I don't think I'll be able to wait that long before reading it.

Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy

After reading several novellas by HelenKay Dimon, I wondered how I would like a single title. I'm pleased to say I liked Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy very much: 4 out of 5.

Annie Parks came to Hawaii to gather information and settle a score, not spend time handcuffed to a sexy stranger's bed. Okay, so this particular stranger saved her from drowning after she was pitched overboard by some goons. And he's about six feet of hard, Hawaiian muscle and gorgeous cool that's making forgotten parts of her say, "A-lo-ha!" She needs to stay focused, but a side dish of Kane Travers is awfully tempting.

Kauai Police Chief Kane Travers is not a vacation kind of guy. So it figures that when Internal Affairs suspended him, he'd end up rescuing a sarcastic, dishonest, extremely hot redhead who is clearly hiding something. Amnesia? Yeah, right. Kane's got half a mind to give Miss Whoever She Is something she'll never forget. His cop senses tell him that the lady's in deep and needs his protection. But how can he get her to tell him anything when all he wants is to take her home and do everything?

Is it just me, or does it seem like there are fewer contemporary romances out there these days? In any case, this perception--real or not--makes me really appreciate good contemporary writers when I find them. Dimon is one of them.

Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy starts with an intriguing spin on the classic amnesia story. Yes, Annie is injured. She tells Kane she doesn't remember who she is. But she hasn't really lost her memory. Instead, she's on the run. She has a mission to fulfill, and she's not sure whether to trust Kane. At the same time, she and Kane are desperately attracted to each other.

Kane has problems of his own. He's on "involuntary vacation" from his job as police chief. Enter another problem: Annie. I loved that Kane knows Annie isn't being honest with him, so there is no big misunderstanding about her honesty. He knows there's more to her story, and he also knows what he's starting to feel about her.

She does have a mouth that drives Kane crazy, and this makes the dialogue a treat to read. Here's an example:

"Travers is a famous Hawaiian name?"

He opened one eye and peeked at her. "Are you always this chatty after sex?"

"Be happy I'm not singing."

"Oh, I don't know. I like the idea of having a woman break into song right after an orgasm."

Speaking of sex, Kane and Annie have terrific chemistry, and their love scenes are wonderfully written. This chemistry is one of the biggest strengths of the book.

I did think that Annie should have fully trusted Kane sooner than she did. His job as a cop was a definite barrier, but I thought he proved himself before Annie did. Then again, given her end goal, that's understandable. The ending was just fantastic, and I'm excited to read Dimon's upcoming books. She's a great new voice in contemporary romance.

Contest Winner

I'm pleased to announce the winner of my latest contest . . .

Stacy~

Stacy, send me an e-mail with your address, and I'll send you a copy of Sharon Cullars' The Object of Love.

Thanks, everyone, for entering and sharing your recent enjoyable reads.

Giving In

I'm finally reading this.



I've heard so much about it; it will be interesting to see what parts of the plot (if any) surprise me.

The Object of Love

Eeek! I planned to post this more than a week ago. Problem is, when I'm writing, I'm not doing much reading--or writing about reading, for that matter. Well, I'll just keep stumbling along, doing my back and forth thing. Enough about that.

I discovered Sharon Cullars when I read Again for The Romance Reader. I enjoyed it, so I bought The Object of Love when I saw it in the book store. I liked this book even more than Cullars' debut: 4.5 out of 5.

It's been five years since Lacey Burnham saw Sean Logan, and in that time her son Calvin's best friend has turned from a surly youth into a handsome, self-assured young man. Crushed with grief over Cal's sudden death, Lacey offers Sean a place to stay when he's in town--an innocent proposal that quickly becomes anything but. Lacey is stunned and confused by the yearning he ignites with a single kiss . . .

Beautiful, warmhearted Lacey Burnham was a haven of comfort in Sean's troubled youth. Now, against every shred of logic she possesses, Lacey is falling hard for Sean and for a heady carnal bliss she's never experienced before. But the ghosts of the past are waiting. And sooner or later, every shadow must face the light of day . . .

As I mentioned, I liked Again; The Object of Love blew me away. It's full of emotion, drama, and sensuality, and I loved every minute of it. I'm a fan of older women/younger man stories, and this one works really, really well. Sean is the same age as Lacey's son, so we're not talking the five-year (or less) gap we often see in such stories. There's a bigger age difference here, but Cullars does a wonderful job of showing that these two can make it. Sean still has some growing to do, I think, but I am optimistic about their relationship.

Lacey is easy to relate to. Her pain over her son's death is very real, and it makes her very sympathetic. As for Sean . . . well, he's terrific. He's loved Lacey for years, and he finally has an opportunity to show her. I'm not sure how she resists for so long. There's a marvelous scene near a waterfall where you see everything he's feeling. The Object of Love is easily one of the best erotic romances I've read.

Calvin plays an interesting role in the story. I wasn't sure I liked him, but he grew to be sympathetic as well. The resolution to that story is perfect. I enjoyed the way the story unfolds a little at a time.

I was sorry to hear that Cullars has no more books contracted with Kensington. I hope that changes. If it doesn't, though, I'll read her books wherever they end up.

Anyway, I'm hosting a contest with this book, The Object of Love, as a prize. Just post here and tell me about a book you read by a new-to-you author that you enjoyed. I'll select a winner on June 11.