Review: Charming the Beast by Cynthia Eden

I sort of feel like all of my reviews of Cynthia Eden's books sound the same. Fast paced, lots of action and danger, plenty of mystery and suspense and smoking hot sexy times.  Something like that. But if it works, stick with it. That's why I love these books.

Also, they've become my perfect travel companions. Stuck for hours in an airport, long, uncomfortable flight, boring train ride - these books provide the perfect escape. This one I read on my flight from Dallas to Milan and it worked well.  Nice to be able to open up a book and all of a sudden, you're not in some grimy airport anymore, you're running for your life, alongside some sexy as sin werewolf.

This was the third of the Purgatory books, and it's been a few months since I read the first two, but it seems like I enjoyed this one and the next book much more than the first two. Could have just been my mood or the setting in which I was in when reading them.  Not sure.  But thoroughly enjoyed this book.

In this book Connor - who was sort of a bad guy werewolf in previous books - is now having to work with the "good" guys.  He's been assigned to guard Chloe. Chloe just wants to be free, despite her attraction to Connor, she's tired of being a prisoner. But she's not safe on her own.  There are too many people after her and she doesn't know who to trust.  So they're together, reluctantly, at first. But they can't fight their attraction for each other. I think Connor is one of my favorites, something about the bad guy doing good, even though he still sees himself as a bad guy, always gets me.

This book has everything you need for a perfect escape: action and romance, with a heavy dose of paranormal. Highly recommend if that's your sort of thing.  

Review: Brokedown Cowboy by Maisey Yates

This book didn't work for me at all. I read this because I'd read the first book in the series and for the most part enjoyed it and wanted to see what happened with the rest of the family.

I'm not a big fan of friends to lovers story lines. To me, that seems like a huge betrayal of friendship. It's like someone isn't really a friend because they have an ulterior motive, and that makes me angry. Every once in a while though, I pick up a book with that story line and it is written in such a way that I'm okay with it, but this was not one of those books.  In fact, this book sort of confirmed and emphasized all the this I find wrong with "friends to lovers" story lines. I found the way friendship was abused in this story to be kind of horrifying.  Let me further explain.

Three years ago, Connor Garrett lost his wife, Jesse, in a car accident. She'd been his first and only love, the two having been together since they were in high school.  In one moment he lost his entire future and he's not sure how to move on.  Now it's him and his alcohol in a big empty house, remembering everything he ever did wrong in his marriage and all he'll never have.  He has his family and his friends to help him get through this. One of those friends is Liss.  She was friends with both he and his wife, and now has taken on the role of bringing Connor food on a regular basis, for fear that he won't remember to eat otherwise.

When Liss is thrown out of her rental house and can't find another place to stay, due to an ex ruining her credit (which kind of doesn't make sense if the town is as small as it seems, but anyway), Connor offers to let her stay with him.  This is when things get complicated because turns out, Liss has a crush on Connor.  She's had a crush on Connor since she was a teenager. And even worse, turns out that even though he was dating her friend, when that friend went away to college, Liss harbored hopes of him deciding he wanted her instead of Jesse and was devastated when he proposed to his girlfriend.  She even says she ran off during the wedding reception and cried her heart out, while wearing her bridesmaid dress because good friend that she was, she was, of course, part of the wedding party.  Sorry, that's not a friend. You don't lust after your friend's boyfriend like that. Yuck.

Connor and Jesse are married for eight years. Happily married. Oh sure, they have their issues, but nothing more than typical marriage type issues. Still, Liss is longing for Connor. Finally, Jesse dies and she has her chance. She steps in and tries to play the wife, acting like his house is her own and buying him groceries - even though Connor wants his wife, not a replacement wife. Connor thinks she's just being a friend because she was friends to both he and Jesse.

This is the point where I find this isn't even a "friends to lovers" story but more a Single White Female type story, but maybe that's just me.  Maybe I could have accepted this story if Liss had begun to develop feelings for Connor after Jesse's death. Maybe if they'd grieved together, and grown closer in their shared loss.  But to say she always wanted him? That she ached for him while he was married to her friend? She needs mental help. She should talk to Sadie, Connor's future sister-in-law who is a professional counselor.

After living in the house together for a while, things get a little awkward, Connor accidentally grabbing Liss' underwear when it's in the dryer, and then Liss walking in on him in his underwear.  This is the point where it starts to hit Connor that he's been without sex for three years and now there's a somewhat attractive woman living in his house. Pretty soon, this woman is throwing herself at him. He's a guy, so he has sex with her, but he's pretty clear about it just being sex. In fact, he tells her many times that he wants nothing more than sex, and she doesn't seem to be able to take that answer. She's literally throwing her naked self at him and continues to do so, despite him saying he doesn't love her, doesn't want to love anyone. They finally get to a point in which she says if he doesn't love her, then he'll even lose her as a friend.  She gives him an ultimatum. I guess this is where we're supposed to believe that he sees the light and realizes he does in fact love her. But to me, it read more like, may as well keep her, easier than finding someone else and he didn't want to be alone forever.

Suffice it to say, I didn't find this love story to be very convincing. I thought Liss was kind of pathetic and so very, very desperate. I did not like her at all. She waited around for her friend to die to get her hands on the man she wanted.  (Wouldn't be surprised if she had something to do with the car wreck, but that's just my twisted mind.) Then she took advantage of the fact that he was painfully lonely and sad and wallowing in his grief and hadn't had sex in years.  He settled for her because she was convenient.  He liked having sex with her and he appreciated what she did for him, but I never felt he loved her.

One other thing I didn't like about this book though, and it bothered me a lot, was the need to try to describe the dead wife as having been inadequate in bed. Is that some rule in romance books - the only great sex the characters can have is with each other?  That seemed so cruel and unnecessary. How can you say this man is so sad and grieving, and then try to say the wife he's grieving was kind of boring in bed?

What I'd really like to read would be a novella/prequel about Connor and Jesse, though I suspect that won't happen because well, they don't get a happy ever after, do they?

As much as I disapproved of the romance in this story, there must be something of quality to the storytelling for me to feel this wound up about a story. The characters are interesting, and realistic.  Obviously, I care about the characters, otherwise, I wouldn't get so angry about the things that happen to them.  This isn't by any means a bad book, I just didn't like what happened in the book. I especially liked some of the scenes between Connor and his brother, Eli, thought those scenes were more poignant than any of the scenes between Connor and Liss. I really liked Eli and Sadie from the first book, so was glad to see some of them in this book.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

This was such a good book. A little slow in the beginning, wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

This is the story of Laurel, trying to figure out the story behind a disturbing incident that happened during her childhood. She was witness to her mother doing something shocking. Now her mother is in her 90s, and nearing the end of her life. Laurel wants to know the story. And what a story it is.

The story is told in flashbacks and revealed through Laurel's research. I thought I'd figured it out mid-way, then was certain I was wrong, only to realize I'd been correct, at least partially.

Great story, completely held my interest.  My favorite scenes were those that took place during the war.  The setting and characters are vividly described.

Didn't have the happy ending I was hoping for, but did have a much happier ending than what I was dreading.

I highly recommend this story for an intriguing, sweet war time romance and mystery.

Review: Part Time Cowboy by Maisey Yates

I was hesitant about reading this book.  I tend to want to read anything written by Maisey Yates - but on the other hand, I don't really like cowboys or small town romances.  I grew up in a small town, around cowboys, and as a result of that constant exposure, I don't like either.  So why read about things I don't like?

But still, I was curious about the story, I was intrigued by quotes and photos and even a theme song to go along with the book.

First chapter, I was convinced I wouldn't like the book.  Why would someone return to a small town they disliked, especially when they had no family there or any reason they had to return?  Sadie was going back to a place full of terrible memories by choice?  Someone who liked to run and never settle down was signing a five-year lease to run a bed and breakfast?  None of this made any sense to me.  After the first chapter, I put the book away and read two other books.  But then I returned to it.  At least give it a try.

Well, by chapter four, I was thoroughly drawn into the story and couldn't put it down.   All other plans for the day were put on hold so I could keep reading.  Parts of this book were so good.  And I'm not even talking about the sexy times - which were plenty good - but it was the other parts.  Sadie learning to confront her past demons and Eli realizing he'd spent his whole life trying to save everyone.  This book had me in tears more than once.  It also had me laughing and cringing and then it made me angry.

In the beginning Sadie is returning to her home town after being gone for ten years.  But as she approaches what is to be her new home, she runs out of gas, and a law officer pulls over to see if she needs help.  Officer Eli Garret, the same man who arrested her ten years earlier, and the catalyst for what caused her to run away.  Also, turns out that was Eli's first arrest.  You never forget your first, right?

Sadie's back in town to open up a bed and breakfast, which happens to be located on land owned by Eli's family.  Little bit complicated.  These two can't seem to stand each other, until they realize that really they can't get enough of each other.  They have some serious, explosive chemistry.  The dialogue is great.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing these two realize how much they wanted each other.

For a while I was loving this book so much, was thinking it was one of the best romances I'd ever read.  There is a scene (possible spoiler! Sorry.) in which Sadie finally tells Eli about what happened the night he arrested her.  So incredibly heart breaking and so very well written.  I was feeling everything reading this, the hurt and the shame and guilt.  And the way their relationship developed after that, after all the secrets and been uncovered.  So good.

But then something happened that pissed me off.  Made me so angry and I considered not even finishing the book (for like three seconds, but still).  She'd just been completely vulnerable with him, showing him the place she'd run to for safety when she was younger and he'd been so kind and understanding.  Damn bastard had braided her hair.  Then all of a sudden, something happens, and it was a big, bad something, but still, his response was to say, "It's over."  This from the guy who was always so careful and controlled and concerned, and his reaction is to ditch her after seeing how much she wanted him, how much she trusted him?

I know this is a romance novel and I knew they would work it out, but at that point, I was thinking Sadie would have a happier ever after if she packed her things, got in the car and drove as far away from the dysfunctional Garrett family as possible.  Suddenly living with no one but her cat and moving from place to place every year or so didn't seem like such a bad idea in my mind.

Also, I detest when some character who has no importance at all suddenly shows up bestowing invaluable wisdom.  That's such a trait in small town romances - the all knowing elder or busy body, too observant neighbor.  I hate that.  To me it's lazy that the characters can't figure out important things for themselves and need someone who really should be minding her own business to show them the way.

The ending is sweet, and of course, I'm glad they worked things out, but because of the events right before the ending, I'm not able to call this one of my favorites.  However, it was still a very good book.

I've already started reading the next book in the series.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Rodin's Lover by Heather Webb

My first trip to Paris was a day trip from London.  I took an early train to Paris and then a late train back to London.  That first trip, it was pouring down rain, and I just saw the highlights - quick trip through the Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe.  But on the tour bus back to the train station, I was listening to the commentary and the guide said on your left, you'll see Rodin's Museum and Gardens.  So I looked and what I saw was so beautiful.  A couple of years later, when I returned to Paris - this time for a week - one of my first visits was to the Musee Rodin to get a better look at what I'd glimpsed that rainy day on the bus.  Now, anytime someone asks for suggestions of places to visit in Paris, I mention this small, but beautiful museum and the surrounding gardens.

Inside the Museum, along with Rodin's work, is the work of Camille Claudel, one of Rodin's students as well as his lover.

I've always been curious about this woman.  Passionate, unconventional and mentally unstable according to most stories.  But I know enough about history to know that a lot of women deemed mentally unstable and women who simply refused to conform to the idea of how a proper woman should behave.  Any woman who wants do something different, who wants to be more than a wife and a mother is at risk of being considered crazy.  Then again, a lot of artists are to some extent tormented by some form of mental illness.

I was looking forward to reading this book, hoping to learn more about her and her work and who she really was.  I suppose I should have guessed by the title that this would mostly be about her connection to Rodin, but I'd hoped it would be more.

While the story starts out about Camille, and her desire to be an artist, the focus eventually shifts to Rodin.  But I felt the story was told in very general terms.  For a relationship that is believed to have been so passionate, their story is told here in a very boring manner.  I felt nothing for this couple.  There are a few sentences hinting at Camille's mental illness, and descriptions of her bursts of temper, but it didn't feel very convincing.

This story focuses too much on Rodin, trying to claim that he loved Camille as much as she loved him, and that it was voices in her head that caused her to be so on and off again with him.  He was a man twice her age, with a long-time live in lover (also the mother of his son) and a reputation for bedding many women.  I find it highly doubtful to assume that he viewed Camille as anything more than another lover.  Once he realized her talent, he had no problem "borrowing" her ideas and enlisting her assistance in his own work.  Okay, that's my opinion.  I felt like this story glossed over all of that, trying to claim that had some sweet love affair, and even though there are mentions of Rodin stealing Camille's work, it's played off as something Camille over-reacted about.

I didn't like this book very much.  I had to force myself to finish it.  I don't feel as though I learned anything in this book that I'd not already learned from reading the placards at the Rodin Museum.  There are no details.  This being a novelization, I'd hope the author could at least make some details up.  But the story felt vague:  They saw each other, they wanted each other, they worked on their sculptures.  Camille heard a voice, she got very angry.  Rodin went back to his lover, but thought of Camille all the time.  

Even more disturbing though is the way this book tries to claim Camille's abortion was her mental breaking point.  If anything, the abortion was what saved her.  It was what prompted her to end her sexual relationship with Rodin, and what caused her to focus on her work and separate herself from Rodin.  She finally realized she didn't want to be tied to Rodin and certainly didn't want to be burdened with his child.  After splitting from Rodin, she actually did become somewhat successful and made a point of doing work that was very different from Rodin so she wouldn't simply be considered his talented student, but rather an artist in her own right.  It was years later that her family began to suspect she was mentally ill and had her committed.  The idea that she considered the abortion so devastating seems cliche to me and doesn't at all fit with what she wanted in her life.  She didn't want a husband and children, she easily could have had that, but she wanted to be a respected artist - she wanted to be more than Rodin's lover.  

I read this book hoping to learn more about Camille Claudel and Rodin, or at least find a passionate fictionalized version of their relationship.  This book wasn't very interesting or passionate
and I didn't learn anything new.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Billionaire's Intern - Part 1 by Maisey Yates

First, I should admit I did not understand what I was reading. Yes, I saw that it was "part 1" but I assumed that meant it was the first book in a trilogy. When I opened it on my kindle, I saw it was very short, but thought it was a novella, in the same vein as the Cosmo Hot Reads.

I generally avoid anything with "Billionaire" in the title. I think that has become so overused, and such a weak word to describe someone. He has money. Okay? Not saying I don't like stories about wealthy men, but if the most important thing about him is his money, kind of boring. (I spent my twenties in the Dallas-area, knew a lot of guys with a lot of money and most of them were total jackasses who thought money was all they needed. So anyway.)

But I generally love Maisey Yates' books - her Presents books were some of the first romances I read when I returned to reading romances, and remain some of my favorites. So when I saw this on NetGalley, of course I wanted to read it. And once I began reading it, I was so happy to see Austin from Avenge Me in the beginning of the story. (I absolute loved that book!)

But this part 1 is just like 50 pages of the story. If I'd known it was simply part of a story, I wouldn't have bothered reading it - I would have waited until I could get the entire story. I don't really understand this format. I went to amazon to try to figure out what is going on. According to their listings, this will be released in parts - 50-60 pages each - every two days. First part free (June 7), second part 99 cents (June 9), next one 2.50 (June 11) and then I think, four dollars for the fourth part (June 14). Or you could get entire story for six dollars (June 17). This concept doesn't make sense to me at all. The entire story is less than 200 pages (if the amazon listing is correct) so why split it up? Maybe there is something involved that I simply don't understand or am not aware of. Like it's a special promotion of some sort. But I don't like it, and I was incredibly disappointed when I realized last night that I didn't have an entire story.

The biggest problem though is there is nothing in the first part that makes me feel the need to keep reading it. I know that Allison likes Skittles - bought by her brother - and Logan Black doesn't wear shoes and he doesn't like being around people. That isn't enough to make me want to hurry up and purchase part two.

I'll probably read the entire book when it's available, but I really don't like the serial concept at all. I like reading a book all at once. And after reading the first part, I'm not in any way anxiously awaiting the rest of the story.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: The Vampire's Fall by Michele Hauf

The Vampire’s Fall is another excellent paranormal romance from Michele Hauf .  In this book, Blade, a sexy, brooding vampire/fairy falls for a woman, Zen, who has lost her memory and all awareness of who and/or what she is.

That I really liked this book is not a big surprise.  A quick glance through my past book reviews and it’s clear that I’m a big fan of Hauf’s writing.  Love her Beautiful Creatures world, full of paranormal creatures such as vampires and werewolves and fairies.  A couple of weeks ago, I read Her Vampire Husband, about Blu and Creed Saint-Pierre, a werewolf who marries a vampire.  After that I read a few novellas about the couple and their family, and then Ghost Wolf – which is about their granddaughter, Daisy Blu.  (I read Moonlight and Diamonds, about Daisy Blu's brother, Stryke before I read any of the other Saint-Pierre books).  Could not get enough of this family and wanted to do nothing but read while I was engrossed in this world.

I was very much looking forward to reading Blade Saint-Pierre’s story because of the hints about him in the other books.

But in the beginning, I was a little worried because the novel started out slow for me.  Usually I’m involved in the story from the first few pages, and this book didn't feel like that to me.  Maybe that was partially because I simply didn't have time to sit down and read for an extended period of time. 

Even when I wasn't sure I was loving the story, I still loved Blade, who was struggling  with a painful past that made it difficult for him to move forward in life.  But Zen, I didn't like much at all, not at first.  I couldn't understand why Blade wanted her and didn't find their attraction very convincing at first. 

I kept reading though, and once Zen’s memories began to return, she developed a more interesting personality.  Once Blade finally began to open up to her and talk more about his past, I felt the story got much more interesting.

By the time I finished the book, I pretty much loved the story.  This book is heavy on vampires and demons and fairies and angels.  The last few I've read have been mostly werewolf stories, so I enjoyed the change – being that vampires are my favorite. 

What really won me over though was the imagery in this story, especially the description of the wings.  I highlighted several passages in hopes of returning to these when I have my sketchbook in hand to try and capture these visuals on paper.  These are such beautiful and powerful scenes, so vividly described, I could see the black wings facing off against the angel as they battled to the death.  And there is one love scene involving fairy wings which is probably one of the hottest, sexiest scenes I've ever read and completely made up for any perceived slowness in the beginning of the story. 

Overall, I thought this was a great book.  I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances.  These are some of the best.

According to Amazon, this book will be released in paperback on May 15 and as an ebook on June 1.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

And just a general comment about these books because I was reading about the Saint-Pierre's, one right after the other - I have been dealing - rather unsuccessfully - with some health issues that are beginning to adversely affect other areas of my life, and these books have been my salvation.  When nothing else in my life was working, I knew I could dive into these books and find a much needed escape.  Books are important.  Fiction is necessary.  And authors who create worlds like this are, at times, more valuable than doctors.   

Review: A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott

Being a huge fan of Gone with the Wind, I felt like I would either love or hate this book - which takes place largely on the set of the movie and involves the lives of those who put this masterpiece together.

Well, turns out, I loved this book. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves Gone With the Wind or old movies and stories about old Hollywood.  I couldn't put it down.  Last night, I went to bed after reading a little bit, couldn't stop thinking about the book, and got up and read until 6 a.m.

This is a novelization about the making of Gone With the Wind, told from the perspective of Julie, a young woman from Indiana who moves to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of being a screen writer. The book begins as she's doing one of her first jobs in Hollywood, delivering a message to David O. Selznick on the day he's burning Atlanta (as big GWTW fans know, this was the first scene shot, even before the part of Scarlett had been cast.)

Soon after, Julie's hired as Carole Lombard's assistant - because keeping Carole happy would keep Clark Gable happy.  Lombard plays quite a big role in the book, acting as Julie's mentor and serving as the sort of woman Julie wants to be - fierce and independent and not afraid to go after what she wants.  Julie's a wonderful character, as she struggles to make it in a world dominated by men without compromising herself.  There's also a really nice romance happening in this book, as Julie falls for Andy - one of Selznick's top men (though I'm not sure of his exact title, but it's mentioned he's very important to Selznick).  Andy's keeping her at a distance, worried she's too young and fragile and that Hollywood will destroy her - like it has done to so many other people.  He's also not certain she can handle the pressure of being with a Jewish man as the world watches what is happening across the ocean on the verge of what would become World War II.  Julie has to prove to Andy - as well as herself - that she does have what it takes to withstand the cruel fiction of Hollywood, as well as love someone as complicated as Andy.

This book reads like a really great classic romance movie, complete with interesting side characters, and a dramatic setting, intertwined with social issues and of course, what I consider a must in my favorite stories - a woman who finally figures out what she wants out of life and goes after it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, didn't want it to end.  I highly recommend it.

I received a review copy via Net Galley.

Review: Shoulda Been a Cowboy by Maisey Yates

I'm not a big fan of cowboy stories, but I am a big fan of Maisey Yates' books, which is why I decided to go ahead and read a book with the word "cowboy" in the title.  But I didn't love this story.  For some reason, what I find attractive in the Harlequin Presents books isn't so attractive in a small town contemporary.  That probably makes me a bad person - rich guy in a suit can be an arrogant jerk, but not a mechanic on a motorcycle?  (At least I'm aware of my flaws, right?)  I didn't like the guy in this book, and Cassie just seemed very sad and a little desperate.  I found myself thinking she probably could have done a lot better if she'd tried looking.  (I may also have an issue with stories that involve high school crushes re-connecting, maybe because the guy I thought was so wonderful and attractive in high school is now bald and fat, so these stories ick me out a bit.)

Another problem I had was that I started reading this on the same day I finished reading Victoria Dahl's So Tough to Tame, and the set up was way too similar.  Girl had big crush on guy when she tutored him in high school, he had problems with his dad, now they re-connect after all these years, neither realizing they liked each other way back then.  Now they lived right next to each other, thin walls and she can hear what is happening in the shower.

I'm also noticing that I tend to not like a lot of romance novellas, the stories are too short for so much intensity.  Maybe I need a little more build-up.

Shoulda Been a Cowboy is the prequel to Yates' Copper Ridge series - and the guy in this book isn't actually a cowboy - hence the title.  I do have every intention of reading the other books in this series because, as I said, I am a huge fan of Maisey Yates and love almost everything she's written.  This was a rare exception.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: So Tough to Tame by Victoria Dahl

This is the last Victoria Dahl book I have on my kindle, and after spending the last two weekends with the first and second book in her Jackson Hole series, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this yet.  Because after I read it, I'd be done, and then what?  Her new one isn't coming out until this summer.  Could I really go that long without another of her books?  And here is where I tell you I have a long, horrible history of saving things I want until later.  I was the child who put aside my favorite Halloween candy for later, only to discover it had all gone bad by the time I found it again. I never learned my lesson.  I did this every year.  I still do this - not that I still go trick or treating, but you get the idea.  This is a problem.  A problem I need to stop.  So what the hell, I decided I'd read it now and not save it for later because why am I always putting off the things I want in life?  Okay, well, that got a little too intense for the beginning of a book review.  Anyway.

No surprise, I very much enjoyed this book.  Read a few chapters last night, and began my day with it, doing absolutely nothing other than make coffee until I'd finished it.  Perfect way to spend a Sunday - or any day for that matter.

While I didn't love this book as much as I liked the other two books, it's important to keep in mind that I loved those books just about more than I've ever loved any romance novel.  With the other books, I felt as though I could relate very well to both Grace and Merry.  Not the case with this story.  So while this book didn't turn me into a sobbing mess as the other two had, I still thought it was a very good book.

Charlie (short for Charlotte) has returned to her hometown after an embarrassing embezzlement scandal.  She's taken a job at a ski resort owned by the husband of an old high school friend because it's pretty much the only place that will hire her.  But things aren't going so well at the job.  Her old friend is behaving strangely.  Charlie decides to move out of the apartment provided at the resort and get a place in town.   That's when she runs into another friend from her past - Walker.  She'd crushed on him in high school, but she was never anything more than his friend and more importantly his tutor.  Walker was a flirt, everyone loved him and he didn't waste his time on "good" girls.

But Charlie's all grown up now, and she wants to make sure Walker knows that a lot of things have changed since high school.  Along the way, she also discovers that Walker is a lot more than the carefree, good old boy cowboy she imagined him to be.  They both have their secrets, which are revealed gradually, causing the expected disagreements and heartbreaks.  Part of the fun is seeing them get through all of this.

After reading this series, I guess I have to stop saying I don't like cowboy romances.  But maybe that's because Dahl's cowboys have a bit more depth than the cowboys with which I'm familiar.  Walker is such a funny, nice guy.  Like Charlie, he's also left his last job after a bit of a scandal.  He's trying to find work and feels like he doesn't have many options.  Charlie sees more in him than he sees in his self.  Sometimes that's the main thing a person needs - someone who believes in him - even though at first Charlie's attempts at helping him are met with anger.

Besides the very steamy scenes - and she writes some of if not the best - I think what makes Dahl's books so strong is the real way her characters behave.  They're real people.  They have real jobs.  They have real flaws and they're scared to death to fall in love.  I suppose the part where they divert from reality is that they are willing to face their flaws and try to overcome them because someone in their life has convinced them it's okay to want a better life.  But it's books like this that provide hope that even real people can move past their mistakes and have a good life.  You don't have to be a princess or a billionaire to deserve love and a satisfying job.  That's another thing I appreciate about these books - it's never a simply "love solves all" but rather a process showing that accepting love also means correcting the other things that are messing up their lives - things like screwed up family relationships and bad jobs.  These are not stories of heroes sweeping in to rescue someone in trouble, but rather the characters learning to rescue themselves.

I loved this series, and if I was a really, really nice person, someone like Walker, I'd buy multiple copies of these books, and I would give them to my friends any time they were having a bad day.  Seriously, I think they're more enjoyable and way more healthy than chocolate or cupcakes.  But instead, I will just strongly recommend that you get yourself a copy of these books.  Start with Close Enough to Touch and work your way to this one, and then move on to the Girls Night Out series.  (I actually read those books before these, now I may need to re-read them because I know some characters from these books appeared in those.)

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on Their Decision to Not Have Kids by Meghan Daum

A couple of weeks ago, I read one of the essays included in this book in the New York Times.  As someone who has made the decision to not have children, I very much enjoyed the essay and could relate to much of what the author said.  I was happy to discover it was part of a book with other essays on the same topic.

This is a collection of very well-written, thoughtful essays about why each of these people chose to not become parents.  I started reading this, and read through several of the essays in one sitting.  However, then I got to a very boring essay, all about statistics and the decline of white people.  I had to pick up the book three different times before I made it through that one essay.  I'd have to check to see who wrote it, but I feel like the book would have been much more enjoyable had that essay not been included.  The author focused on statistics and other people whereas the other essays in the book were very personal and reflective - not weighed down by facts.  I wasn't in search of a textbook.

The goal of the essays is to show that despite what most people think, choosing to not be a parent is rarely a selfish or shallow decision.  We have our reasons.  Some are well thought out decisions, while others have always known parenthood wasn't the right path.  Most of the writers told stories to which I and I suspect anyone who has made the same decisions - could easily relate.  Their choices were varied, some based on wanting to put a priority on their careers, they feared repeating the mistakes of their parents and reliving their bad childhoods, they didn't want to pass on their depression, or were afraid their depression would severely affect their ability to be a parent, or they simply enjoyed their lives too much to disrupt it with a child, or simply, they waited too long.  I liked that most of them addressed things like the possibility of regret.  But as one writer said, we all have regrets, such not having children will probably be one of those regrets - but that wasn't a strong enough reason to have a child you weren't sure you wanted.

Even the essays to which I couldn't relate, I found to be interesting.

Mostly, as I read the book, I had this strong feeling of "these are my people."  Anyone who doesn't have children - especially women, but I'm sure also men - is constantly being expected to explain why they don't have children and then justify their reasons.  Mostly I get this from strangers or casual acquaintances.   Anyone who knows me understands well why I don't have children.  I like my life.  I like my lack of responsibilities.  I like being able to sleep in, or take long trips during the summer and change up my plans while in the middle of the trip.  I like taking last minute weekend trips, and being able to spend absurd amounts of money on concert tickets.  I like being able to do whatever I want without having to consider how this might affect someone else.

But also, some of the things my friends may not realize, as many of the writers mentioned, I worried that having a child consume my whole life.  I noticed this whenever I was in relationships, the things I cared about were set aside and my lover became everything - not because it was ever asked of me but rather because that's how my mind worked.  I'm an extremist.  I don't know how to do anything halfway.  I notice this with my job and it frightens me.  If I'd had a child, it would have become my entire life and I like my life too much to give up all the other things I enjoy about it.

And yet, another of the essays pointed out something I've lamented for years.  I've often said that I wish I'd gotten married and had a few kids - not because that seems like a good life, in fact, to me, it seems like a horrible life - but rather because then I would have a valid excuse for not having become a successful writer or artist.  How nice to say, "Oh, I could have written my novels or painted my masterpiece, but I fell in love and had these babies," and everyone would nod knowingly.  Now though, my only excuse is that for much of my adult life, my bouts of depression have forced me to spend most of my free time curled up in front of the TV, unable to do anything else.  That kind of answer is horrifying and a quick way to lose friends.

Overall, I really liked the book because it said things I've said to people for years.  Rarely did anyone understand.  But now it's in writing and I know that someone else does understand how I feel about this topic.  Also, I feel this would be a good book for people who are so baffled by those of us who have made this choice to not have children.  Maybe these essays would explain something that seems so odd to them.  But then again, probably not.  They would just claim the writers are being defensive, at least that's what I always get told when I try to explain my decision to people who chose something different.  We're constantly bombarded with stories about why having children is the greatest thing ever, would it really be so awful to try and understand why some of us think not having children is also kind of great?

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Too Hot to Handle by Victoria Dahl

I loved this book so much.  I liked it as much as the first book in this series, which I didn't think was possible because I loved that more than just about any other book I've ever read.  But this one was pretty great.  I was in my room sobbing at one point, and that doesn't usually happen.  Oh, sure I say, a book made me cry, but rarely does a book reduce me to the ugly cry like this one did.

In the first book of this series, I felt I could relate to Grace, in that she kept people at a distance.  I couldn't relate to Merry's happiness and need to always be positive.  But the awkwardness felt so familiar.  And yesterday, when I started reading this book, I was wearing my Keep Calm and Remember You're Wonder Woman sweatshirt, and today, as I finished up the book, I was wearing an "Are You My Mummy" Doctor Who shirt.  You'll have to read the book to understand why that's relevant.

I really enjoyed this story, and seeing how Merry and Shane got to know each other, and were gradually able to overcome the issues in their life that had been holding them back.  Such a well-written story that felt real.  And the thing is, I always claim I have no interest in reading about reality - that I read romance for the fantasy.  But these stories give the illusion that people in real situations - people who are drifting through life, trying to figure out what they want to do, struggling in their careers, bitter about their childhoods and still dealing with family issues well into adulthood - can also find some very real happiness.  Not perfect, fairy tale, happy ever afters, but rather some very satisfying, "hey, maybe I don't have to be alone forever and be really happy with someone" sort of stories.

I'm going to recommend this series to anyone who will listen to me, because seriously, you need this book in your life.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.  Have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading it. So glad I finally did.

Review: Moonlight and Diamonds by Michele Hauf

I've always been a fan of paranormal romances, especially those involving vampires and witches.  However, because of Michele Hauf, I'm also starting to become something of a werewolf fan - something I never thought I'd say.

Moonlight and Diamonds is a very nice, sexy romance between a werewolf from Minnesota and a Paris socialite (who is also a werewolf, but takes medication to keep her werewolf tendencies hidden.)  Stryke is in Paris for a family wedding.  He's hoping to enjoy some sightseeing in the city and maybe meet some beautiful Parisian women.  His first night in the city, he attends an art gallery displaying jewelry, and ends up having a quickie with the owner of the gallery, Blyss in the backroom.  Nice way to begin his trip.

Stryke isn't sure what's going on with Blyss, she seems a bit out of his league, being that he considers himself a country boy/wolf from Minnesota and she's what he calls a "glamour girl."  He's especially surprised when he discovers she's a werewolf, and doesn't understand why he didn't realize that sooner.

Blyss' life isn't quite as comfortable as it seems.  She's been spending a lot of money on the medication she takes to suppress her werewolf and now she'd in debt and desperate.  What Stryke doesn't realize at first is that he was being used that first night in part of her attempt to gain some money to pay off her debt.  (She slipped a diamond in his pocket during that quickie, will plans of retrieving it later.)

I admit to being a little bit confused about the details of the theft of the diamond and who wanted it and why.  That's probably my own fault though, because I was much more interested in the developing relationship between Stryke and Blyss.  I liked the way they both started out with such clear ideas about what they wanted in life and how they envisioned their futures, only to be later be willing to rethink things due to their attraction to each other.  Styke was in search of a female werewolf to start a pack of his own, Blyss wanted nothing to do with werewolves.  Rather than one deciding to give up what they wanted, they were each willing to compromise - without being asked to do so.  (I have difficulty believing any scenario in which someone is willing to give up Paris - anyone remember the last episode of Friends? - so I thought this was handled well.)

Michele Hauf writes some of my favorite paranormal romances.  I know I can rely on her books for an enjoyable story. Lots of action, danger and plenty of steamy romance, plus very nice descriptions of Paris.  I love her characters and as I've begun reading more of her books, I especially enjoy seeing characters from other stories popping into these stories.    (I've got quite a few of her older books on my to-read list so I can learn more about some of these characters.)

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances, especially those involving sexy werewolves in Paris.

Review: Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl

I loved this book so much. Last night, or rather in the early morning hours, when I went to bed, I told myself I'd just read a chapter or two.  I didn't stop reading until I'd finished - and then I went to sleep after the sun was up and the birds were singing.  Worth it.

This is such a great book, and normally I avoid cowboy stories.  I don't like cowboys.  I grew up in rural west Texas, surrounded by cowboys, and I don't think there is anything sexy about them.  But I didn't even bother reading the description of this book, decided to read it based on the author.  So I was hesitant for a moment when I realized this story involved a cowboy, but I got over it quickly.  Alas, Dahl is a magician for creating a cowboy character that even I find to be appealing.  So very appealing.

What I love most about this book is Grace.  She's the sort of character to which I can relate.  She has big dreams, but has trouble putting those dreams into action.  She's supposed to be a grown up, but can't quite get her act together.  She's spent so much of her life simply trying to survive and stay safe and not get hurt that she's not had much chance to really live her life, much less enjoy it. Now she's reached a point in which she wants to change but isn't quite sure how.  I know this is supposed to be a "fun" romance, but there were scenes in this book that brought tears to my eyes when Grace starts thinking about her life and how it feels to be so tired you just want it to end, and the fear of growing older and realizing you've alone because you worked so hard at keeping a safe distance from anyone who might hurt you.  Maybe those scenes hit a little close to home, which is why I loved the book because stories like this make a hard, jaded person like me believe, if only for a moment, that things won't always be this way.

Also, Grace is not the sort of person who would ever fall for a cowboy, so again, I can relate. She's a city person.  She's just passing through.  But the cowboy across the hall is very tempting.  And he's got secrets of his own.  He's not quite the simple, easy-going cowboy Grace first imagined him to be.

This couple despite, or maybe, because of their differences, have amazing chemistry.  The sex scenes are so damn hot.  Add the actual romance and emotion to that, makes for easily one of my favorite romance novels.

Review: Need Me by Cynthia Eden

I very much enjoyed this book, the third in Cynthia Eden's Dark Obsession series.  This was another that I devoured while traveling - this one on the return trip from New York City.  Really the perfect kind of book to keep the mind occupied while waiting in an airport or passing the time on an airplane.  Fast paced, lots of action, danger and suspense, along with plenty of steamy romance.

I liked this one a bit less than the other two in the series, I didn't find the heroine to be as likable.  But I still enjoyed it.  The book is a stand alone, but I really liked how the same characters appear in each book.  I recommend reading all three, and in order.  Because I read them all so close to each other, it sort of formed one big story in my head.  

As in each of the stories, a woman in danger hires a body guard to protect her after she feels her life has been threatened.  In this case, the woman is the beautiful young wife of a man found dead.  She's accused of the murder, but she claims she's innocent - even though she can't remember the details of the night her husband died.  Now she's worried the person who killed her husband is also after her.  There are several suspects, quite a few twists and turns.  And of course, the hot bodyguard falls for the woman he's protecting.  

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys quick, fun, romantic suspense.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Want Me by Cynthia Eden

I began reading Want Me, the second book in Cynthia Eden's Dark Obsession series, as soon as I finished the first book in the series, Watch Me.

I was traveling from Dallas to Newark, NJ, on a Saturday, and I found myself looking forward to diving into this book.  This type of story is perfect for travel.  Lots of action and suspense and romance.  After I got on the plane, I was only slightly aware of the delay because I was absorbed into the book immediately.  Of course, then it turned into an hour on the runway, get off the plane, get on another plane and then another hour on the runway.  Flight was delayed again, this time something to do with catering.  Whatever the case, I finished reading this book before we landed and was able to start the third in the series - though I wouldn't get back to it until the return flight.

The stories are fun, not exactly literature or deep or thought provoking.  Beautiful woman in danger, hires sexy guy to protect her.  Their lives are in danger multiple times, lots of fighting with bad guys and gunfire, and along the way the couple falls for each other and has some very hot sex.  But what makes these books stand out, and what I especially like about them is that the women are really tough and badass.  These aren't weak, flailing beauties dependent on a man for their very survival.  They hold their own.  Yes, they hired a professional body guard because they're in danger.  But they aren't curled up a corner watching their bodyguard save them.

In this book, Sophie, a successful attorney, hires Lex for protection, when she suspects she is being stalked.  She's made a lot of enemies and she's got friends with some shady pasts.  This makes for a lot of twists and turns in their attempts to figure out who is stalking her.  Lots of suspense here.  Along the way, as their lives are put in danger numerous times, the intensity of the situation ramps up Sophie and Lex's attraction to each other.

I love these books.  Love this series.  For a moment, after I climbed onto the plane and noticed my excitement at having a few uninterrupted hours to read this book, I thought of how odd it might seem that I like these books so much.  I almost felt a craving for them.  In another review I described the book as "mind candy."  It's danger, action and romance.   All the fun things that don't exist in my real life.  I feel like there's an essay topic there waiting to be explored.  Why an independent, educated woman gets so much satisfaction in stories about big, strong protective men?  Maybe because in the real world, in my experience at least - I have no statistics to back this up - big, strong, hot men don't like strong women.  They'd prefer someone frail, someone who needs them.  But in books, it's okay for a woman to be strong, and in books like this, the men respect that, they think it's sexy.  This may be why I love books like this.  Perfect escape from the real world.

Like I said, essay topic I'll explore further at some point.  For now though, I highly recommend this book - this whole series, really - to anyone who wants an action packed story with plenty of suspense and romance.

The book works as a stand alone, but I'd recommend reading the whole series, because they're really good and the characters reappear in each story, which I think adds to the story.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Watch Me by Cynthia Eden

Late last night, I got the text letting me know work would be closed due to inclement weather.  Not completely a surprise, as there was already a thick layer of sleet on the ground.  For a brief moment this morning, I considered using the unexpected day off to clean house, so I wouldn't have to spend so much time doing that during spring break next week.  But all the World Book Posts I was seeing on social media convinced me reading a book was a better idea.  (Not that I needed a lot of convincing.)

I wanted a book I could finish during the day.  Something quick and fun, something with plenty of danger and romance.  I wanted what I consider to be mind candy. Having read and loved Cynthia Eden's Mine series, I figured Watch Me, the first of her new romantic suspense series, Dark Obsession, would be a safe choice.  Every once in a while, I do make good decisions, and this was one of them.

Fast-paced, plenty of action, suspense and a very steamy romance.  Your typical "boy gets hired by girl's dad to protect her from stalker, and girl and boy end up falling in love as he's protecting her from crazed stalker."  No, actually, there's a bit more to it than that.  Like the body guard had worked for the dad years before, when dad was a big shot government official, and that's when he fell in love with the daughter, but he was too professional to act on those feelings.  The woman he loved took this as a rejection and was very hurt.  Now he's not working for her dad, or at least she doesn't think he's working for her dad.  That gets a little complicated.

One of the things I very much enjoy about this book is that the women - even though they have men who want to save them and take care of them - are perfectly capable and willing to take care of themselves.  From the daughter who doesn't want to be controlled and is willing to fight to save herself and the people she loves to the police officer who makes clear she can get a promotion without having her boyfriend call in any favors - these women are great.  I can never get enough of this in books and I will always return to authors who feature women like this in their stories and recommend their work to others.

This book reminded me quite a bit of the books in the Mine series - the guys have the same type of job and similar backgrounds and the romance has that same type of intensity.  But I loved the Mine series, so I am perfectly okay with the similarities.  I have every intention of continuing to read as many of these books as are released because I enjoy them quite a bit.  As I was reading this I was thinking of how the love story almost has a Heathcliff and Cathy-like quality in that the love borders on unhealthy obsession.  But the characters are willing to acknowledge that they may not exactly in a healthy state of mind, (the series is called Dark Obsession) and while in reality that might be a little distressing, in a book, it makes for a very enjoyable read.  (And to be clear, in case it wasn't apparent, Wuthering Heights is my all time favorite book.)

Glad I read this, made for some delicious mind candy.  I've already started reading the second book in this series, Want Me.  Would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a fun, sexy romantic suspense novel.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

I'm feeling some annoyance with this book because it took me so long to read.  The story moved so slowly, with hardly anything of significance happening in the first half of the book.  Also, the way it is written with one chapter happening in 1920 followed by a chapter in 1995 seemed to kill any sort of urgency to keep turning the page.

But at the same time, I have to acknowledge that the story is interesting and the book is well written.  The two story lines of two very different women provide a compelling story of the struggles of women then and now.  The expectations of family and society along with the conflicting desires of independence and love always make for a thoughtful mix.  Also, I loved the London setting and the time period - both time periods.  I liked reading about London after the war, and the shops and Bloomsbury and Soho areas.  Also, I found the 1995 setting to be of particular interest because I graduated from high school in 1994 and was out on my own for the first time in 1995, so I felt a connection with Betty in that way.

The story is about Arlette and her step-granddaughter, Betty.  After Arlette dies, she leaves everything a person named Clara Pickle, someone no one in her family has ever heard of, nor are they able to locate.  So Betty, who has spent the past few years caring for Arlette, decides she'll move to London and find Clara.  As Betty is making the transition to living in London and beginning her search, we are also told the story of Arlette moving to London as a young woman.  We see them both falling in love with the city, exercising their independence, getting their first jobs, making new friends and attracting the attention of men.  They're both young and beautiful and on their own in London for the first time their lives.  And here's something of a spoiler, but both of them gradually watch as their dreams fall apart.  This story is so sad.  I'm something of a fan of sad stories, but this may have been too sad, especially where Arlette was concerned.  Betty is still young, so there's still some hope for her.  But we already know how Arlette's life ended, and knowing the life she had before, the life her family knew nothing of, makes the rest of her life especially bleak.  I suppose this is why the book is called, "Before I Met You."

This is another book I would place on my imaginary shelf titled, "an abortion would have solved most of your problems."  So many women - and men - in this story have their lives destroyed by the result of unwanted or unplanned pregnancies - whether it be the result of rape, ignorance or carelessness.  From the woman who feels obligated to marry her rapist to the alcoholic mother with a houseful of young boys to the pop star with the failed marriage and three children under the age of three.  There's something so sad about children being viewed as dreaded responsibilities and punishment.  They're doing these children no favors bringing them into a world in which they aren't wanted and are in turn neglected or resented by angry, sad or unprepared parents..  In this way, maybe this book is a bit too painfully realistic.

Maybe I need more happiness in the books I read or if it's going to be sad, I want there to be some value in it.  As I said before, the book is well-written, it's given me quite a bit to think about.  But I don't know that I gained much from the reading experience.  Maybe it isn't so much happiness that I need as some sort of a strong emotional impact.  This was simply dreary.

This is the second book I've read by Lisa Jewell in the past few weeks, and yet again, I found myself disappointed with the attempt to create a "happy ending" in a case which was far, far from happy.  To be fair, this ending was not quite as bad as House We Grew Up In, which left me horrified, but still, so depressing.  While, yes, there was some resolution, it wasn't especially satisfying.  The choices made didn't seem to be choices that were great, but rather, not as bad as the alternative.

Not sure I'd recommend this book to anyone, though it might work well for a book club.  Again, like House We Grew Up In, there's quite a bit I'd like to discuss regarding this book.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Shadows Over Paradise by Isabel Wolff

I've been a big fan of Isabel Wolff ever since reading The Trials of Tiffany Trott many years ago. It was categorized as chick lit, but there was something deeper to the book, a stronger message of independence that wasn't quite as evident in a lot of the books that got labeled as chick lit at the time.

I've since read several other of her books and I've enjoyed seeing how her style and subject matter has changed over the years. I know that whatever the story, it will be well written and enjoyable.

I especially liked A Vintage Affair, which was similar to this book in that it had story lines in the past and present that reflected each other.

Shadows Over Paradise is the story of Jenni, a ghost writer who is meeting with Klara and writing her memoirs.  Klara is a Dutchwoman who spent much of World War II in an internment camp in Java under Japanese occupation.  Her experience is harrowing.

As Jenni learns more about Klara though, it becomes clear that Klara isn't the only one with ghosts in her past.  Both women have concealed tragic secrets for much of their lives, experiences that have adversely affected the choices they've made in life.

I liked this book a lot. It's very sad to the point of gut-wrenching at times, but at the same time a really beautiful story about survival and moving on in life. Also, I found it interesting to learn about this aspect of World War II because it isn't something I've read much about.

For a moment, I was very worried about some of Jenni's decisions near the end, but it all worked out in a way that I liked quite a bit when it was over.

Really good book, I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in World War II and stories about women surviving difficult times and making difficult choices.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Grave Vengeance by Lori Sjoberg

Grave Vengeance is the third book in Lori Sjoberg's Grave series about grim reapers.  I really like this series.  I'm a big fan of paranormal romances, and I like these books because they're so different. I'm sure there are other series about grim reapers, but none that I know of. I mostly read vampire/werewolf stuff - and I love that stuff - but also nice to read something different every once in a while.

And even better that the hero in this book was a former KGB agent and the heroine an American spy. The action takes place in current times, but as reapers, they've lived for a very long time and have a history together - from the time before they died.  They don't like each other, they were enemies in their former lives, but well, after spending some time together, forced to work together, things change.

I really like stories like this. Also, right around the time I read this book, I had just started watching Agent Carter, so I was feeling very immersed in the whole spy culture.  That's a good thing.

This is a fun story, lots of action and the characters have some great chemistry, as is always the case in Sjoberg's books.

Looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

When I was in London this summer, I kept seeing big billboards for this book on the subway and the brief description of the book provided made me want to read it.

This is the story of a family that seemed perfect and normal.  Then tragedy struck and everyone handled it their own, self-destructive way.  The story is told in flashbacks, as the family gathers to death with a member's death and the settling of affairs.

I liked this book, but there were parts of it that may have hit a little too close to home for me, forcing me to face things about my own life that I have tried to ignore.  That might have hindered my full enjoyment of the book because parts of it felt almost painful to read.  One of the main characters in this book is a hoarder.  While I'm not a hoarder, I do need to get rid of some things in my house. There's a line about a bag of items set aside for Oxfam that had been there for years, and it reminded me that I have a bag of items for Goodwill in the guest room - and it's been there for a very long time. Things like that frightened me.  I'm an art teacher, so I save things for projects, cardboard and empty containers.  Reading this book made me want to start throwing everything away.  So maybe that's a good thing.

Clearly, the book evokes some strong emotions.  While the mother and her hoarding is the central part of the story, that isn't the only storyline.  We see the effects of the mother's mental illness on the rest of her family - her husband and three children.

It's a good book, but a very sad book. While there's an attempt at showing some sort of hope at the end, I didn't feel fully convinced, at least not where one particular character was concerned. I don't want to give away what happens, but I couldn't help but feel as if Beth's situation in the end was just as bad as ever. It's described as if she's finally recovered from her past issues, but she's only put herself in a situation that will most likely lead to many more years of twisted family issues.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl

I've gotten behind on my book reviews, and I feel like I've done everyone a big disservice by waiting so long to write this review.  Especially with all this cold, snowy, icy weather most of us have been having.  Because this book, Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl, is almost guaranteed to keep you warm.  Perfect for those cold days when you can't leave the house, and want to spend the day curled up with a good book.  You need this book.

I liked this book so very much.  Actually, I loved this book.  It's early in the year, so if I say one of the best books I've read all year, the compliment doesn't have the kind of weight it deserves so let me add that I feel certain when the year nears its end, I'll still be able to say it's one of the best books I've read this year.  Easily going on my list of favorite romance novels.  This book is so good.

The book immediately caught my interest in its description of the heroine.  Thirty something artist, Isabelle, living in a cabin on her own, with a decent distance between her and the next person.  She's happy with her life, content to be on her own.  And I thought yes, this is someone to which I can relate.  Someone who isn't pining away for a husband and babies.  Someone who is happy with her work and her solitude.  And she's an artist.  As an artist, I was impressed by how well Dahl captured the life and mind of an artist.  Sometimes I read books in which a character in an artist and I find myself thinking, painters don't really think like that, weirdo.  But this character resonated with me.

There are some great characters in this story, besides the main couple.  My favorite secondary character was probably Isabelle's neighbor who was always cooking for everyone.  I usually don't like small town contemporary romances, but I love this Jackson: Girls Night Out series and the people in these books.  I have read the other books in the series, Looking for Trouble and a novella, Fanning the Flames, and enjoyed them, but it isn't necessary to read them before this one.  This stands alone just fine.

Everything is going well in Isabelle's life, when Tom, a U.S. Marshall shows up at her door, claiming he's there to protect a judge whose life is in danger.  But Isabelle panics, certain he's figured out her secret.  She isn't who she claims to be.  She's in hiding because of crimes her father committed and she's afraid she's been caught.  Eventually she realizes Tom was telling the truth - the story about the judge is all over the news, but her behavior has now made him suspicious, and he's attracted to her and wants to know more about her - as you can guess, he does figure out her secret.  So there's a bit of crime drama/mystery to this story, along with a very steamy romance.

So steamy.  This book has some of the best sex scenes I've ever read.  Ever.  I'm trying to think of some educated, mature way to write about this and all I can come up with is, "This book is so hot!"  Because it is.  I mean, the story is great, the characters are interesting, and yes, the sex is so very hot.

I loved that the characters are intelligent and independent and they know what they want.  This is romance for grown-ups.  These are real people, living real lives, working on creating a real relationship.

I'd recommend this book to anyone.  Grab it before all the snow melts, and pretend like you've got your own little cabin in the snowy woods and enjoy!

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai

I wanted to read this book because several people who usually like the same books I like seemed to love it. But it really wasn't my type of book.  

I'm beginning to realize I'm something of a Goldilocks with my romance novels and what I find to be the perfect mix of steamy sex and romance. This seemed to be lacking in the romance department. After reading a few comments, I think maybe this was my fault in assuming it was a romance novel when, in fact, it's more erotica. Usually I'm okay with erotica though, but I felt this book was trying to provide a nice romance story, and it wasn't working for me. (Also, for an erotica book, took them a long time to finally get together, yes, they fooled around some but they did a lot more talking about it and wanting it than doing it.) I just didn't find this to be especially hot or sexy or at all romantic.  There's plenty of sex in it, but to me it was more shocking and not what I considered to be hot - which I'm fully willing to admit may mean that I'm kind of boring.

In over simplified terms, this is the story of a good guy who is struggling with his desires to be a bad boy and a very "bad" girl who deep down wants to be a good girl. Or something like that. Jacob is described as a hermit, he's an author who has no friends and has spent his life raising his three young step-siblings. Akira was an unloved child (she's in her 30s and still fixated on her parents and childhood) who acted out in need of attention, did drugs, got in lots of trouble, but is also brilliant - was accepted at all universities, but chose Harvard - and posed nude in her younger days, has big orgies at her house, and owns a string of successful clubs, thus making her a billionaire.   And secretly, she's in love with "boring" Jacob, but thinks she isn't good enough for him. This is supposed to be the main conflict of the story, but I honestly never understood what they saw in each other. We're told they want each other, but not really why.

Both characters were just so good and flawless, it made it difficult for me to feel anything for either of them. They're both successful in all areas of their lives, both confident and willing to experiment with no hesitation ever.  Maybe I would have like the story more if there had been some sort of struggle or reluctance to overcome in their experimentation.  But no, Jacob about six seconds to go from "boring" guy to a guy who would do and try anything.

Also, Akira's family reminded me too much of the Kardashians and I very, very strongly dislike anything associated with the Kardashians, so that might have turned me off from the book early on.

I like that Akira is strong, and confident and successful. The heroine as the billionaire is a nice change because I'm getting so tired of billionaire heroes. I think it was Jacob that I never warmed to, he simply didn't seem all that great or worth all that much angst. I wanted to know why she found him so appealing, was it because her current lifestyle wasn't that satisfying - we are certainly not led to believe that. She wants to make him a part of that. But why, when she already has so many other men? Clearly she didn't want his kind of life.

As I've said, just not for me, but a lot of people love this book. I'm just not one of them.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

I loved this book, absolutely loved this book. Am not usually a fan of small-town, family, contemporary romances, but this one was perfect. Every time I thought the story was going to go in a direction that I generally find annoying, it took a turn in such a way that I did not find annoying at all.

PR professional from London who now works in New York City decides to work over the holidays, thinking it will be the perfect escape. She hates Christmas, avoids family, and she's getting a secluded cabin in Vermont to work on her new account, a struggling resort. But then she finds herself having to confront all her fears of family and love and holidays.

Last year, I won a contest with a website called Bookish, which was supposed to be a Harlequin holiday romance package including several books, such as this one. But then the package arrived, containing nothing but a photo album with pictures of people I didn't know. Turns out the package busted in transit and the postal service guessed as to who got what. (Imagine the surprise of receiving a bunch of holiday romances. Lucky person.) I was approved for a NetGalley copy, but it never appeared on my kindle. I remember several people having this problem at the time. So I assumed I was not meant to have this book. Then over the summer, I remember updating the kindle, and a slew of holiday stories appeared, including this one. But I forgot about it.

This was a case of finding exactly the right book at the right time. From Thanksgiving until the end of the year, I bombard myself with holiday romances. I wasn't all that impressed with this year's selections. I'd started two books that didn't really hold my interest, so I was searching for something different..

Then I saw this book mentioned as being free from the Harlequin website, remembered how I'd wanted to read it the previous year, so I went to get a copy, only to realize I can't read ebooks bought from the Harlequin website on my kindle. Then I discovered it was already on my kindle. So I thought I'd give it a try, since I wasn't enjoying the other books I was trying to read.

I started it on Christmas Day when flying out to see the family and found myself wishing my flight was a bit longer.

As someone who doesn't find the holidays an especially wonderful time of the year, as someone who has issues with family, as someone who generally prefers to be alone when others are blathering about togetherness, I could relate so very well to this character. Isn't there some saying about every cynic being a romantic at heart? Because we want that fairy tale and we've been convinced by the world that it is never, ever going to happen, so quit hoping. But this story. It's magical.

Loved the characters and seeing their emotional growth enabled by the perspective of outsiders. The setting made me ache for a snowy, secluded cabin to spend the holidays (even without the romance, that'd be kind of awesome). But most of all, loved the super steamy romance. Such a wonderful story. And I cried through the last two chapters - and I pretty much have a heart of stone - so that was
impressive.

Highly recommend this book to anyone in search of a holiday romance that is both sexy and has a great story.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley. (I also purchased a copy from Harlequin.com when it was available for free as part of their holiday specials.)

Review: The French for Christmas by Fiona Valpy

I liked this book quite a bit. I very much enjoyed the idea behind the story - running away to the French countryside to escape the holidays. Evie is dreading Christmas and her friends offer to let her stay at their place in France.  In the process of running away, Evie is able to finally come to terms with the grief that forced her to run away.  She also meets some wonderful people in the area and rekindles her love of cooking.

But I'm only giving this three stars instead of the four I'd normally give a book like this because I had a problem with the way the story ended. I don't want to give away too much, but I didn't think the husband was treated fairly. He suffered the same loss, and for some reason he's supposed to be punished because he didn't give up on life the way Evie did? If he did something horrible that was deserving of the way he was treated it wasn't mentioned.  It sounded as if even when they were separated he continued to credit Evie with his success as celebrity chef.  He didn't run off and abandon her.  If Evie really wanted to honor her dead child, shouldn't treating the child's father fairly be part of that? The more I think about this, the more I'm bothered by it.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and especially the setting and this is yet another book that has made me want to run away to France for the holidays.  I think a lot of people probably won't be as bothered as I was by the ending. There's still a nice, simple romance involved, but to me it seemed a bit generic and an easy solution when going another direction would have created a much deeper, stronger love story.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Wild Holiday Nights: Holiday Rush\ Playing Games \ All Night Long

I love reading these anthologies over the holidays, and finishing a story a night. Overall this was a fairly enjoyable collection.

The first story, Holiday Rush by Samantha Hunter, is about a woman who runs a bakery in New York City. Her brother's friend from Texas stops by to check on her when her family is worried after her store is broken into. During their time together, they revisit an attraction they had for each other thirteen years earlier. I liked this story, but in the beginning, I was annoyed about how indignant the guy was about respecting his partner (Calla's brother). She's 30 years old and I found it insulting that he would think her brother had some control over who she slept with. They got over that fairly quickly though.

My favorite story was the second one, Playing Games by Meg Maquire. These two people run into each other at the counter for a rental car after their flights are cancelled. They'd known each other in high school - she'd dated his best friend. And they'd each secretly harbored a crush for the other. I loved the way this story played out as they made the long road trip home. Then when the roads get too difficult to drive, they have to pull over to a motel and of course, there's only one room left.  Things get very hot and steamy in that hotel room.  This story was really great - exactly what I want in a quick, sexy holiday story.

I didn't like the third story, All Night Long, by Debbi Rawlins, all that much.  A woman gets sent on a trip a few days before Christmas to get some papers signed. In the process she finds herself drawn to the man who is supposed to sign the papers. I found this story to be a little bit sleazy, the paralegal hooking up with the rich business guy. Might have worked for a full length story if there had been time to develop their relationship, but not in this short format. I sort of skimmed over this one because I didn't like it very much.

Overall though, worth the read for the first two stories, especially the second one.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Christmas at Waratah Bay by Marion Lennox

I didn't like this book very much. I thought the characters were too perfect and a little boring. She's a super model and he's a rich rancher/tech success story.  I started this book thinking I would finish it in a night and it ended up taking me a week to read it because it never grabbed my interest. Very simple romance, no real conflict, a minor misunderstanding, but nothing dramatic.

And the extent of their physical contact was maybe a kiss. If a story isn't going to be interesting I tend to hope it makes up for that by being steamy, and this wasn't the case. This might be fine for someone who wants a simple, sweet, no conflict romance.  Not really the type of story I enjoy.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.