Lover Awakened

Long time no write . . . yes, I know. I'm still reading, but now that I'm writing more often, writing reviews sometimes seems like a chore. So I'll just keep on plugging along, doing my thing, and posting when I have the desire to post.

I read J.R. Ward's Dark Lover a while ago and quite enjoyed it. Since then, the hype this series gets has made me a little reluctant to read more. It's almost like reading about the books makes me less interested in reading the books themselves? I don't know. In any case, Zsadist interested me in the first book, so I decided to skip Lover Eternal and go straight to Lover Awakened.

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion and terror his only passion--untl he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for each other begins to overtake them, Zsadist's thirst for vengeance against Bella's tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past and find a future with her . . .

I loved the main story. Bella and Zsadist--both are terrific. In fact, Zsadist is immensely compelling. I loved every moment he was on the page, and I thought Bella was certainly his match. The singing scene was awesome.

The rest of the story, though . . . I found myself skimming the lesser scenes. There's too much from that POV and not enough of it interested me. Perhaps that's because of my tendency not to like to get the villain's POV.

As for another subplot, I wasn't as affected by it as I could have been because I knew what was coming. This made it a sad development, but I was a bit detached, too. I wonder what I would have thought if I hadn't known about it. Actually, reading that part would have been worse. I tend to like my stories nicely tied up at the end, so knowing what was coming helped in that regard.

I enjoy Lover Awakened, and give it 4 out of 5, but I don't find myself desperate to read the other books. So I guess I'd call myself a casual reader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series rather than an avid fan.

Did I mention that I love Zsadist? I just wish I'd loved the rest of the book as much as his story.

Lush . . . and a Contest

I enjoy Sasha White's books, so I was excited to read Lush. I had an interesting reading experience and thought I'd report it in a way I've seen Rosario do.

"The Principles of Lust"
Sleek and sexy erotic art gallery owner Teal Jamison knows what she likes and isn't afraid to let carpenter Zack Dillon know that her current fantasy features him in all his masculine glory. But Zack has a deliciously different game in mind for a woman accustomed to taking charge . . .

"Passion Play"
Quick to follow where passion leads, then back off when things get too close, jewelry designer Mia Jones's sensual odyssey with singles columnist Dominick Jamison is perfect: hot, sweet, and with no risk of complications. But how long can her heart stay cold--when she's lost in the heat of a man devoted to every forbidden pleasure her body craves?

"Sexual Healing"
When massage therapist Caitlyn Ellis shows photographer Jack Lowell the joys of sensual self love for the camera, he can't resist the erotic invitation to take pleasure in her lush curves--or deny himself the hands-on ecstasy of loving a beautiful woman determined to heal his battered soul . . . by setting his body on fire.

Before opening the book: Love the cover. Wish I had hair like that. LOL!



"The Principles of Lust"

Page 3: The prologue for "The Principles of Lust." Whew! This one jumps right in to the erotic. That's Sasha for you. I like the heroine's unusual occupation: opening an erotic gallery.

Page 7: Teal (interesting name) knows what she wants. I like that, and I like the fact that she's not a repressed woman who is all show. That's an all-too-common scenario in romance novels.

Page 13: I definitely want to know more about Zack. Like Teal, I'm curious about why he backs away when he so obviously wants her.

Page 14: Enter another woman . . . uh oh. The word "Master" makes me stop reading. This is apparently a hot button for me. I read on to the end of the chapter, but the scenario doesn't do much for me. I set the book aside.

"Sexual Healing"

Before reading: OK, I'm skipping ahead to this story.

Page 179: Another heroine with an interesting occupation, this time a massage therapist. The story gets off to a sensual start. I'm intrigued . . .

Page 183: The first chapter offers a strong introduction to Caitlyn. It's clear what she wants and where her lines are.

Page 203: Jack is a wounded hero; I'm a sucker for those. He and Caitlyn are definitely generating sparks . . . and a lot more. Good stuff.

Page 208: Ah. Caitlyn wants to help Jack heal. This could be a recipe for disaster, but so far it's working.

Page 217: It's working really, really well.

Page 224: This is a great chapter. Yeah, Jack says he just wants to "f*ck," but it's clear there's a deeper connection between these two.

Page 232: Love this section.

When he's snapped a dozen pictures and showed no sign of stopping, she clued into something. He was a photographer. A man who made his living looking through a camera, and she bet he saw a lot more clearly through a lens than he ever did with the naked eye.

Words didn't mean a lot to this man. What he saw did. Actions did.

A wonderful description of Jack.

Page 248: I love the way this chapter ends.

Page 250: Oh, that was terrific. This is a great story--I just wish it had been longer. Still, it makes me excited to read another story.

"Passion Play"

Page 91: Interesting. This story is told in first-person (the other two are third-person stories). This heroine is a jewelry designer.

Page 95: Oh, good. We get the hero, Dominick's point of view as well, also told in first-person.

Page 101: OK, the first meeting of Mia and Dominick is terrific. They've got energy, heat, and fun banter.

Page 105: Hmm. She's left him behind. Should be interesting to see how he tracks her down.

Page 117: He tracked her down. :)

Page 135: I like these two together, and I'm invested in the characters.

Page 138: Oooh, I like the direction Dominick is going with his writing.

Page 150: The sex-only relationship is becoming something more . . .

Page 176: Another terrific novella. Dominick and Mia are memorable characters, and this ends up being a sweet love story. With a lot of sex, of course. :)

"The Principles of Lust," Take Two

Page 19: I've liked the other two stories. I'm brave. I can go back to this one.

Page 23: Now there's a mystery--who is sending the notes against the gallery?

Page 29: Teal confronts Zack about his interest in her. Good for you, girl. Now he's going to make her dinner.

Page 37: Zack shows Teal his basement. (No, that's not a euphemism.) I like that they don't immediately get revving. Instead, it's back to dinner.

Page 43: I'm liking Zack and Teal more. They're good together.

Page 46: Love the fact that they don't even get to the basement this first time. ;)

Page 51: Another memorable passage.

Brina was looking at her like she was crazy. "What's wrong with regular sex? There's a reason missionary is the most popular position, Miss I-know-everything-about-lust."

"Yeah?" Teal smirked at her. "And what is the reason?"

"It's the most intimate."

It hit her right between the eyes. That was why she was so freaked-out by Zack. Somehow, someway, he'd managed to control their whole night, without using any physical restraints, and it had been extremely intimate.

Now I understand the point of the earlier scene that kind of turned me off. It serves to contrast with the simple intimacy Zack and Teal share.

Page 88: I like this story more than I thought I would. Much more.

The novellas in Lush are trademark Sasha White--the stories make you think and the characters make you care: 4 out of 5.

Now, for the contest. I have an autographed copy of Lush to give away, and I want to do it this week. One thing I liked about Lush is the unusual jobs the characters have. To enter, post a comment here about an unusual occupation you'd like to see in a romance novel. I'll accept entries through April 15, 2007. You can list as many occupations as you like, although you'll be entered only once. I'll choose a random winner on April 16.

Kink

I mentioned in a previous blog entry that I would be reviewing Kink. Well, here it is! Kink is a two-author anthology with novellas from Sasha White and Saskia Walker.

Watch Me
Some people have coffee. Some have tea. But the only thing that really wakes Bethany Mack up in the morning is sex. Too bad marriage to Grant has settled into a sex-starved routine. That is, until she spies a hot roofer next door. Broad, sexy shoulders: check. A muscular chest you could nuzzle all day: check. And under those jeans, well, the thought just makes her weak. So she puts on a little show for him through the window, letting her inhibitions loose, and discovers a naughty new addiction. But how will her husband react when he discovers just how far a desperate housewife will go for some lov'n from him?

Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape
Clayton's one hunk of a musician. A pin-up hottie for squealing teens everywhere. And he's gay, Kelly Burton discovers when she sneaks into his dressing room for an autograph, but gets a peep show instead. . . . But Kelly's soon distracted: a bouncer has found her. A bouncer with pecs of steel, a six-pack, and sinewy arms. After a scolding, the bouncer decides to have his wicked way with the naughty-but-eager groupie. And what follows is a night of passion, hard-rock-style . . .

Kink is a great title for this book, because the stories are a little kinky. ;) Not too much, I'd say, but this is not a book for readers who want fade-to-black sex scenes. The love scenes in both novellas are lush, with no holds barred. The fact that these scenes are also emotionally compelling just makes it better.

In "Watch Me," readers needn't worry that Bethany has an affair with another man. She doesn't. She isn't a woman who wants to look elsewhere for excitement; she simply wants her relationship with Grant to be different. She gets exactly that, and the relationship plays out in intriguing ways.

There is an issue, though, and I like the way that White brings it up and makes it part of the story. It helped answer the niggling voice in my head that kept asking, "But what about . . .?" I wasn't sure the issue was completely resolved--I wish this section was expanded a little--but when I finished the story, I was confident Bethany and Grant had established a relationship that works for them.

Walker's story takes place in a short space of time but it feels like longer because of the connections she creates between Kelly and Tommy. I loved the scene where he confronted her about spying on Clayton--it was hot and interesting. Once I read it, I wasn't stopping until the end. :)

One scene went a little past my comfort threshold but it's to Walker's credit that she makes it work for the characters. I did wish that part of the conflict hadn't hinged on a misunderstanding, and Kelly does something that seems a little cold. The action is set up, however, in a way that makes it believable under the circumstances. And I loved the way Tommy resolved it.

My rating for Kink is 4 out of 5--a solid, enjoyable read.

Watch for the interview with Sasha soon!

British Bad Boys

I'm a big fan of Nancy Warren's Harlequin novels. I've enjoyed her books for Brava to varying degrees. British Bad Boys falls right in the middle: 3 out of 5.

George and the Dragon Lady
George Hartley is high on the list of England's most eligible bachelors: he's young, single, gorgeous--and, as the 19th Earl of Ponsford, lives in a castle. Granted, the castle has seen better days . . . but nights with the Earl are what LA TV producer Maxine Larraby keeps thinking about . . .

Nights Round Arthur's Table
Seattle thriller author Meg Stanton desperately needs a quiet place to work. Stag Cottage in the English countryside is perfect . . . until she meets local pub owner Arthur Denby. He's as dark and brooding as one of her imaginary villains, and Meg always falls for her villains. But there's nothing imaginary about the things Arthur does to her after last call . . .

Union Jack
Former head chef and current love cynic Rachel Larraby can't believe she got dragged across the pond for a catering job. Weddings--ugh, she's had enough personal experience, thanks. And though perennial best man Jack Flynt is quite smashing, she can keep it to just a steamy fling. Until this very bad bloke starts looking at her with those forever eyes . . .

The premise is an interesting one, and I looked forward to reading this book. What I discovered is a good read that could have been better if each story had been longer. All three stories feature a British hero and American heroine who meet each other for the first time in the story. Warren does a terrific job of showing the physical chemistry the characters share, but the depth in the relationships isn't entirely believable.

In the first story, for instance, one passage summarizes the discussion between George and Maxine where they talk about their pasts, their emotions, etc. The summary keeps the novella short, but I found myself wishing these conversations could have been included rather than merely mentioned. It lessened the impact and left me wanting more.

I had similar feelings about the other two stories. They were good, but lacking the depth I love in Warren's longer work. "Union Jack" is my favorite of the three stories, partly because of its pitch-perfect ending.

Perfect Timing

Harlequin does time travel with this Signature Select title, which contains stories from Julie Kenner, Nancy Warren, and Jo Leigh. After reading Perfect Timing, I'm going to try some of the upcoming time-travel Blazes.

What if the best sex you ever had was . . .

200 years ago?
After breaking off her engagement, Natalie Bowman finds herself in the 1800s being auctioned off as a sex slave! She's even more shocked when the highest bidder is Andrew Greenwood--the fiance she dumped.

80 years ago?
Uptight Sylvia Preston is terrified when she time travels to a twenties party. But when Tucker Green gets her dirty dancing, Sylvia wants to see just how uninhibited she can be--in bed with Tucker.

60 years ago?
When history student Betty Kroger is transported to WWII, it feels right--and even more right to show sailor John Stevens what sex is like twenty-first-century style!

Julie Kenner's "Those Were the Days" is the first story, and it's the 80 years ago one. I liked the main characters, although I thought an extra 10 or 15 pages would have helped strengthen the connection between them. The relationship moved a little too quickly; it would have been nice to see it drawn out a little more. I liked the way Tucker put two and two together, though. 4 out of 5.

"Pistols at Dawn" is the 200 years ago story, and it's by Nancy Warren. Usually I love Warren's stories. This one I liked. Again, I think it was a space issue. I didn't know the characters enough to feel much when they broke up, which made their reunion less powerful than it could have been. I did enjoy watching them reconnect, though. 3.5 out of 5.

Jo Leigh's "Time After Time" is the best story in the anthology. Betty and John's relationship unfolds naturally, and Leigh does a wonderful job of showing the immediate attraction and making it real. John's post-war issues seemed especially realistic. The love scenes were excellent, and I loved the final scene before the epilogue. 4.5 out of 5.

The ultimate rating for Perfect Timing: 4 out of 5.

Let's Pretend

I'm working on another story, but I've been trying to make more time for reading. I seem to get cranky when I don't have reading time.

Last weekend, I bought some books during Samhain's 10%-off sale. Raine Weaver's Let's Pretend was one of them, which I bought after reading a number of blogger recommendations.

Veronica Peale is playing a game.

Her best friend Kayla has decided to "loan" Ronnie her newest boy-toy, all in an effort to make her boss, Paul Lang, insanely jealous. Veronica reluctantly agrees to pretend that she's having a torrid love affair with Brant Coleman in order to entice the man she really wants.

At least, she thinks he's the man she really wants . . .

Brant Coleman is also playing a game. He is, in reality, an insurance investigator, trying to discover why Ronnie is in possession of a priceless pair of antique earrings, reported stolen by one of the wealthiest families in Cleveland, Ohio. It is his job to verify that they are the stolen earrings and, if possible, to recover them. And if he has to pretend to be Kayla's tool and Veronica's lover to get what he wants, so be it.

At least, he thinks he's pretending to be in love with her . . .

When buying an unfamiliar author, there's always a chance I won't enjoy it. In this case, there was no need to worry. I liked it very much: 4.5 out of 5.

My favorite romances are character-driven, and the two main characters of Let's Pretend shine. Brant, with his various ploys to get Ronnie's boss to notice her, is hilarious. I ended up feeling the same way Veronica did--anxious to know what he would do next.

And Ronnie--she's intelligent, dedicated to her job, and a little insecure. She is so vividly portrayed that I felt as if I got to know her. Theirs is a case of opposites attract, and it's an opposition that works really well.

The sexual tension in this story is excellent. Ronnie and Brant have different reasons for fighting their attraction, but both of them initially fight it. I loved the scene where the inner battles stop. I'm a big fan of the-harder-they-fall romances, and Brant falls hard.

I did think Ronnie was a bit foolish to do a certain something (unspecified here to avoid spoilers) toward the end of the story, but otherwise I enjoyed the book. I only wish I'd known it was coming out in paperback this month, or I would have bought that version. I'd love to have it in paperback.

Hot Spell

I think this book has one of the coolest covers of the year.



That, in combination with a desire to read books by two of the authors in this anthology, made me snatch it up when I saw it in the store. I'm pleased to say that it was well worth the money spent: 4.5 out of 5.

Emma Holly's "The Countess's Pleasure" is the first story in the book. I actually read it last. Based on comments on other blogs about Holly's books, I wasn't sure what to expect or what I would think. People seem to really like or really dislike her work. I ended up really liking "The Countess's Pleasure."

A countess named Georgiana goes to a sex club of sorts where she sees a man she finds appealing. He turns out to be an indentured servant who is working off a family debt. Georgiana offers him money for a night of pleasure. Although Iyan has not sold his services before, he agrees.

As I mentioned, I wasn't sure what to expect from Holly's story, and I was a little surprised that the hero was introduced as a stage performer. Not surprised enough to stop reading, though. Once I started this story, I read it in one sitting. The characters are very vivid and interesting. This story reminded me of Robin Schone's The Lady's Tutor. It isn't an exact parallel, but the initial approach of the heroine and the intense sexuality are similar. This was a terrific story, especially for its length: 4.5 out of 5.

The second story is "The Breed Next Door," by Lora Leigh. Tarek is a Breed, a race that was created rather than born. He has been attracted to his neighbor, Lyra, since moving in. When a man breaks into Lyra's house and she is forced to stay with Tarek, Tarek learns that she is his mate.

I was intrigued by this story and the Breed world. I got a kick out of Tarek's reaction when he was told that Lyra was his mate. The length of the story is its main drawback; it could have used another 15 or so pages so that the shift from lust to love wasn't so quick. I also wanted to see more about how Lyra and Tarek would merge their lives when outside the bedroom. Still, it's a solid novella: 4 out of 5.

"Falling for Anthony" by Meljean Brook is the third and longest story. Spoilers ahead (click and scroll over the white space if you want to read them): When Michael leaves England and is attacked and killed by a strange creature, he is given a choice--die or become a guardian. He becomes a guardian and is soon assigned to a task involving the woman he loves.

I was impressed with the complexity of the world Brook creates in so few pages. It's fairly complex. My summary doesn't begin to explain it, and it's really better to read it for yourself. I did have a quibble with the heroine. I thought her reaction to learning of her father's infidelity was extreme. I don't require a heroine to be perfect for me to like her, but I couldn't relate to this particular element. However, I like how Emily accepts her past and doesn't beat herself up over it. As for the hero, Anthony is just beautiful. The love scenes are hot and compelling. "Falling for Anthony": 4.5 out of 5.

Completing this collection is "The Blood Kiss," by Shiloh Walker. When his brother is kidnapped by a vampire leader, Roman retaliates by saving his brother and taking the vampire's daughter, Julianna. While Julianna has no particular affection for her father, she doesn't appreciate being kidnapped after she helps Roman rescue his brother.

I've read one other book by Walker, Her Best Friend's Lover, which I enjoyed, but I liked this one even more. The attraction between Julianna and Roman was immediate and believable, and the conflicts were interesting. I liked one of the twists at the end, when one character ends up being different than he/she appeared earlier in the story.

I'm very glad I bought Hot Spell. Now I have some research to do about the authors' upcoming and/or connecting books.

Beyond the Dark

I picked up this anthology primarily because I like Evelyn Vaughn, but it also sounded like an interesting read for Halloween. It ended up being one of those anthologies where all of the stories would have been better if they'd been longer. Overall, Beyond the Dark was a 3.5 out of 5.

"Forever Mine" by Linda Winstead Jones is the first story in the book. I loved the idea behind this story. Miranda, the heroine, accidentally runs over and kills an ex-boyfriend who has been stalking her. Now he's a ghost, and he's still stalking her, saying that she is his forever. So Miranda calls a psychic to see if he can help her get rid of the ghost.

As I said, I loved the set up, but this story definitely needed to be longer. There's a lot to cover--the ghost, the hero and heroine's first meeting, the investigation, the flashback to previous lives (since this is stated on the back cover, it's not a spoiler). With so much going on, the romance seems a little rushed. Even 30 more pages would have helped. The resolution seemed a little anticlimactic as well. This story is 3 out of 5.

Evelyn Vaughn's story, "Haunt Me," is the second and best one of the anthology. It's also the longest, which might be one reason I liked it. One thing I like about Vaughn's books is that she's not afraid to try something different with her stories. "Haunt Me" has plenty of different going on. For one thing, the hero has been in a car accident and is lying comatose for most of the story. This scenario brought tears to my eyes several times. Second, one of the villains is a creature that feeds off the pain and anger of others.

Despite the obvious challenges of these scenarios, I liked the story. There is a nice balance of flashbacks and current action, and we do get to see the hero and heroine interact with each other despite the coma. I was hoping for more happiness at the end to offset the hero's coma for most of the story, but I still liked it: 4 out of 5.

The third novella is "Soul of the Wolf" by Karen Whiddon. It's the story of a woman who is investigating the death of an ex-boyfriend. The boyfriend's cousin, an FBI agent, joins the investigation and finds himself falling for the woman his cousin loved.

I liked this set up for the story, although I was taken aback by the fact that the heroine's breakup with the ex-boyfriend occurred only a month before. This made it seem a little too soon for her to become involved with someone else. The resolution to the suspense aspect of the story seems a little abrupt, as well. The couple falls in love quickly, which isn't surprising in a novella, but it's not entirely satisfying. As with the first story, this novella could have used another 30 pages. I may try one of her full-length books to see what I think.

Dark Lover

I'm distracted today. I'm going out of town for the weekend, starting tomorrow, and I've still got some packing and cleaning to do. I'm afraid this blog entry is going to be a bit short.

J. R. Ward's Dark Lover is getting quite a bit of buzz right now, so when I saw it on sale, I couldn't resist. It would have been well worth the purchase even if I'd paid full price: 4.5 out of 5.

Dark Lover has a vampire hero, but I'm not going to say more about the plot, partly because I don't have time and partly because a short summary couldn't do it justice.

Why I liked it: I enjoyed the world-building and the characters. The hero and heroine had terrific chemistry. I also liked the direction Ward took with Butch. It surprised me; I had predicted a different result, and I like that kind of surprise. Like many other readers, I'm looking forward to the next installment of the series.

Private Relations

Nancy Warren is one of my auto-buy authors, and I love her Blazes. When I visited her website yesterday, I realized that she had a new book out. Off to the bookstore I went, and I read the book, Private Relations, this morning. It's terrific: 4.5 out of 5.

Kit Prescott is the PR director at the Hush Hotel, and she has selected several winners of a contest where winners will stay in the hotel and enjoy their fantasy weekend. She and Piper, the hotel owner, are intrigued by one man's contest entry, and he is chosen to be the first winner. What Kit doesn't know is that the man is Peter Garson, the man who literally left her at the altar three years ago.

Peter's contest entry is no accident. Piper agreed to help Peter see Kit again. At first, Peter believed that he wanted to apologize. After spending a day with her, Peter realizes that he never stopped loving Kit. Peter's new goal for the fantasy weekend is to win her back.

Warren's Blazes are usually terrific, and Private Relations is no exception. While I thought Kit slept with Peter too soon after meeting again, especially after the way they parted before, the emotions of both characters seemed real and were well depicted. I was particularly affected by a scene on the roof when Peter admitted his feelings for Kit. It was so beautifully written that it brought tears to my eyes. Warren writes great love scenes, too. They are always an integral part of the story.

This book is part of the Hush Hotel series. I've read two of them so far and enjoyed both.

Her Best Friend's Lover

After reading many people recommend Shiloh Walker's Her Best Friend's Lover, I decided to try it. I read it this weekend and thought it was quite good: 4 out of 5.

Lauren has loved friend and neighbor Dale for five years. She's never acted on her feelings, however, because Dale has loved another woman as long as she's known him. Everything changes one night when Dale drinks too much and starts to see Lauren with different eyes.

Spoiler (to read it, click the beginning of the white space and scroll over it): Her Best Friend's Lover is a secret baby story unlike any other I've read. Dale tends to lose time when he's drunk, so when Lauren leaves after they make love, Dale thinks it was a dream. So the child is his baby, but he doesn't know it. He helps Lauren through the pregnancy and falls in love with her in the process. Certain elements of the plot rely on coincidence, which is at times challenging to accept. The story also includes point of view changes that are occasionally abrupt.

Besides these two points, I enjoyed the story. Dale's journey from thinking he loved someone else to realizing he loves Lauren is great to watch. I loved his wonder when he goes with Lauren to the doctor. Because of her past, Lauren struggles with worry that the people she loves will always leave her. This added a poignancy to the story. This is a sexy read with plenty of sexual tension and chemistry.

This is an e-book, but I bought and read the print version. Print books are still my preference, but Walker has a book that looks interesting coming out later this month, so I'm not going to wait for it to be released in print. She has a few dozen other books, too, so I'm planning to take a look.

Gypsy Heart

Gypsy Heart is the first book I've read by Sasha White, and it's a good one: 4 out of 5.

Sable is immediately drawn to Gage when he walks into the place where she tends bar. But Sable isn't interested in a permanent relationship, while Gage has decided that's just what he wants. But he can't deny wanting Sable.

There's a lot to like about Gypsy Heart. I like Sable's unique occupation (even though her name, Sable Castle, is a bit dramatic) and I appreciate the fact that she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. I also enjoyed watching her transformation. At first she is baffled that Gage won't immediately start an affair since she knows he is attracted to her. She's thrown off balance by Gage's desire to get to know who she is.

Gage is equally interesting. I loved watching him wrestle with his lust and with his desire for more from Sable. Their scenes together are both hot and moving. He's sweet, sexy, and sigh-worthy.

The story slowed down a bit for me--not because of a plot issue, but because my internal editor kept stopping at sentences that needed commas. Still, I enjoyed the unique story and plan to see what else White has written.

A Week's Worth of Reads

I've mentioned before that I read quickly, so I decided it might be interesting to post a list of what I've read so far this week. (I'm also feeling too lazy to do one of my usual book write-ups.)

The Last Hellion by Loretta Chase
I loved Lord of Scoundrels, and since this features some familiar characters, I wanted to like it. Well, I liked it but didn't love it: 3 out of 5. It includes some nice moments but most of it wasn't particularly memorable.

The Hope Chest by Jacquie D'Alessandro, Julie Kenner, and Susan Kearney
I love D'Alessandro's work, and she's the reason I picked up this anthology. The three stories are set in the past, present, and future, respectively. I loved D'Alessandro's "Yesterday's Magic" even though it left me wishing it were longer: 4 out of 5. Kenner's "Today's Secrets" was less enjoyable. The characters fell in love right away and the conflict seemed contrived: 3 out of 5. Kearney's "Tomorrow's Promise" was good, once I stopped saying "That's improbable" and just went with the story: 3.5 out of 5. So the anthology itself receives 3.5 out of 5. This book also includes an excerpt from an upcoming book, Kearney's On the Edge, and I'm intrigued enough that I'll probably buy it.

Free Fall by Jill Shalvis
Shalvis is turning out to be a consistently enjoyable writer for me, and this book is no exception: 4 out of 5. Loved the hero and the heroine.

My Favorite Mistake by Beth Kendrick
I impulsively added this book to my last order from Amazon to qualify for free shipping, and it was well worth it. It's chick-lit, and I loved Kendrick's voice: 4 out of 5.

Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
With Kenyon's books I tend to sit down and enjoy the ride . . . er, read. This one is lots of fun with some passion and drama added for good measure: 4.5 out of 5.

Aftershocks by Nancy Warren
I was a little worried about reading this book after reading a review at All about Romance, but I liked the book much more than the reviewer did: 4 out of 5. The tape is a bit off-putting, but I was more convinced of the heroine's conflict. I thought she did a good job of pursuing the facts, too, once she started asking questions.

Today, I'm heading out to do some shopping. I received my federal tax return, and since I have some money left after paying a few bills, I am stopping at the bookstore. Yay!

Alyssa

Shelter from the Storm

Yesterday I read Cheryl Wolverton's Shelter from the Storm. After reading my last inspirational romance, I wanted to find one about someone regaining rather than finding faith. This book certainly meets that criterion--in this case, it's the hero's journey. Unfortunately the characters are rather flat. The result is that Shelter from the Storm rates 2.5 out of 5.

Lilly has been working at Joshua's security firm for several months when he discovers that she has a secret. She's on the run from a violent ex-boyfriend. Though Joshua was burned in the past when a woman he loved didn't trust him, he vows to ensure Lilly's safety.

Although I read 248 pages about Lilly, Joshua, and others at the security firm, I can't tell you much about them. They are characteristics--devout, noble, etc.--rather than real people. The partners were essentially interchangeable.

In addition, some of the dialogue is very unrealistic, such as this section from one of the partners at the firm:

"Hurricanes always pose a threat to wherever they hit when they come inland. The worst threat will be the storm surge, which is the water that is pushed inland before the storm actually makes landfall--or the eye crosses onto land. Therefore, New Orleans, right now, with the incoming tide, is looking at a twenty-foot storm surge at least. They've been evacuating since 6:00 a.m. They weren't expecting any more than ten to twelve inches of rain for the next two or three days. Instead, it looks like they're going to catch the brunt of it. However, because the storm is so huge and moving so fast, it's not going to lose power very quickly. That means we'll still get 140 mile per hour winds up here in Baton Rouge--something we're not used to at all."

This is hurricane 101, not realistic conversation. There's got to be a better way to give readers this information than through a long chunk of dialogue. Plus, when it's recited in this manner, it doesn't evoke much feeling in me as a reader. There are stronger ways to make a reader see how dangerous the situation is.

As for the villain, he's appropriately evil and all that, but he's not very multidimensional either. That makes it rather difficult to understand why Lilly was with him in the first place when he was so obviously a crazy cult leader.

In any case, I'll keep trying inspirational romances when I go to the used bookstore, but I'm not sure my select-a-book-based-on-the-back-cover approach is working for me.

Alyssa

Moonlight and Mischief

When I started read romance novels in college, Regencies were my line of choice. I still love the genre but don't read as many as I used to. So many of them seem formulaic. You could make this argument about any genre, I suppose, but I've been disappointed in many of the Regencies I've read recently.

I decided to give Rhonda Woodward a try, so I picked up Moonlight and Mischief on my last bookstore trip. The first two-thirds are excellent, but the last third is problematic. The result: 3 out of 5.

Lord Haverstone, known to his friends as Stone, loses a fortune at cards. As he leaves his club, he's approached by young Steven Thorncroft, who tells him about his well-dowered sister. Stone is amused by Steven and invites him to a house party he's hosting in a few months. Steven's sister, Mariah, is upset when she hears what Steven did. Her parents are already pushing her to marry a titled man, and she resents feeling pressured.

The day of the house party arrives, and Stone has forgotten about the invitation until Steven and Mariah (along with their mother and younger brother) show up on the doorstep. It's soon clear that Mariah and her family, who are involved with trade, are not like Stone and his friends. They are refreshingly free of the guile and ennui that's so common with Stone's set.

Things take a dramatic turn when Mariah unexpectedly sees Stone embracing a married woman from the party during a walk outside. This event sparks an honest conversation and leads to an unlikely friendship.

I enjoyed Stone and Mariah's conversations. They were honest and engaging, so it was easy to see why they began to care for each other. While they are in each other's company, Moonlight and Mischief moves along wonderfully. Two-thirds of the way through the book, however, circumstances separate them and bring the story to a grinding halt that lasts until almost the end. To make matters worse, Mariah does something near the end that made me want to scream.

The chemistry between Mariah and Stone shows skill; I will not hesitate to try Woodward again, though I might wait for future books until I can get a copy from the library. The slow ending, however, was a disappointment.

Alyssa