Review: The Best Intentions by Candice Hern

Guess what? Yep, I have another buddy review over at Breezing Through! Seems like Ames and I are on a roll :) Speaking of roll, for it to continue, I need buddy review partners!! I've updated my sidebar with the books that I am currently reading and have read recently. If there's any books in there that you'd like to discuss, let me know! Also, I'm planning to read Written in Red by Anne Bishop and that one has been getting rave reviews, so it might be fun to talk about :)

In the meantime, you can click here to check out my buddy review of The Best Intentions by Candice Hern. Enjoy!


The Best Intentions by Candice Hern

self-published in May 2011 (first published by New American Library in June 1999)

The Earl of Strickland is a handsome widower in search of a new wife to be a mother to his two young children. Having lost his one true love, he is determined on a practical, dispassionate match with a mature woman. Young girls in their first Seasons, their heads full of romantic notions of love, are not for him. When his sister comes to visit bringing along a beautiful widow, Miles thinks he may have found the perfect match. But the widow is chaperoning her gauche, much younger sister, an artless girl who causes Miles's best intentions to go awry as he finds himself falling in love with precisely the sort of woman he sought to avoid. Set at a grand country estate in the Midlands, this sweet love story of the reserved and dignified Miles and the delightfully guileless, clumsy, outspoken Hannah is sure to charm readers.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Country House Party, Book #2

Review: Texas Glory and Texas Splendor by Lorraine Heath

Okie dokie, it seems that I've fallen into a Lorraine Heath's binge :) Been reading a lot of her older books - I mean, I even went ahead and bought some of them in e-book format. That tells you how much I'm enjoying her writing, right? So look out for reviews of her books in the near future :) Today, I'm starting with her Texas trilogy series. Before starting though, I have a quick disclaimer: I have not read Texas Destiny, the first book... and quite frankly, I doubt I'm going to read it ^_^; However, it doesn't seem to have lessened my enjoyment of the books, so yay!

Enjoy!


Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath

published by Penguin (Topaz) in March 1998

She was given to a stranger

Cordelia McQueen was a virtual prisoner in her father's house. Until everything changed when she was shamelessly traded in a battle for land and water rights, and thrust into an unfamiliar world as the bride of Dallas Leigh.

He belonged to the land

Dallas had given his life to the land. Now he aimed to put West Texas on the map. But as he gazed into the eyes of the lovely stranger who belonged to him, he caught a glimpse of another ambition--a warm, radiant desire of the heart. Was this the woman who would walk beside him as, together, they carved out a rich future with all the promise of love?

Genre: Historical romance - Western
Series: Texas trilogy, Book #2

The Story: Dallas Leigh is a man with big dreams - own land, build an empire, found a town; basically build a legacy. However, all is for naught if he doesn't have a son to leave the legacy to and unfortunately, marriageable women are scarce in Leighton. Thus, when Dallas learns that the McQueens have a sister, he decides sight unseen that she will do. He intends to strike two birds with one stone: get a wife who will provide him with an heir and make truce with the McQueens with whom Dallas has been disputing lands for years.

For Cordelia McQueen, she really doesn't know what to expect from the outside world, let alone marriage to Dallas. All she knows is that this autocratic, commanding man terrifies her... Then why is it that she is so disappointed when she discovers that all he wants from her is a son?

Can an union between two strangers really lead to happiness?

My Opinion: Last November, I re-discovered Ms Heath's writing as I read her new trilogy, London's Greatest Lover. So when I saw Texas Glory during a charity sale, there was no way I was walking away without it, even though it was a western romance. Plus, Kristie and Wendy have raved about Ms Heath's western... and I have to say I'm really glad I picked it up :)

What surprised me the most is that I enjoyed the setting of Texas Glory - it wasn't your typical western romance. What I mean is that it wasn't about a woman needing help to get her ranch through the winter, how harsh life was in that time period, cowboy work or Indians vs cowboys, etc. Yes, Dallas was a cowboy and there were allusions to his work and cattle, but it really wasn't the focus of the book. The focus was the characters, the romance and the flourishing of the new town.

I really, really loved the characters in Texas Glory, most particularly Dallas. Don't get me wrong, Dee was a very likable heroine. It was a joy to see her discover the world, enjoy her freedom and become more confident. I don't really understand why her father kept her so sheltered, perhaps so she wouldn't leave like her mother intended. However, I'm glad that she wasn't mistreated, as in abused verbally or physically. Sure, living with her brothers and father was not a walk in the park, but at the same time, she didn't have a dark, secret past and I liked that. Dee was just shy and innocent, but she caught on really fast and once she came out of her shell, it was great to see. She was much stronger than anyone thought she was and I don't think anyone can help but admire her. I also really liked that as she grew confident, she didn't lose her sweet side :) While Ms Heath did a great job with Dee's character, she's not new... We've seen heroines like Dee in many books... as opposed to Dallas who really in my opinion stood out. Dallas character was very authoritarian, commanding, domineering... he exuded power and could be ruthless when he wanted... and it's really no wonder Dee or anyone else was so intimidated by him. But then, he totally surprises the readers with his gentle side: how generous and supportive he was, how much he loved and cared for his brothers, his gentleness with children, etc. Okay, so you're going to tell me that there is a lot of heroes like him as well, but it's the way Ms Heath wrote his character, the balance between generosity and authority that makes him stand out of the crowd. It's how realistic his character was - nice and caring, but at the same time, he could utter the wrong things and be a complete ass :P But what really won me over was really how much Dallas was generous and I'm not talking money/property-wise. I'm talking of largeness of mind which you really wouldn't expect from someone so ruthless like Dallas.

I also really enjoyed the romance in Texas Glory as it was well-written and developed. Dallas and Dee started off on the wrong foot not knowing each other and Dee being terrified... However, Dallas was very considerate and decided to take his time to get to know his wife, to appease her which was the right move. I also loved how he realized on his own the mistakes he's made by marrying Dee sight unseen - how she was hurt, how she wasn't given a choice, how she didn't get a honeymoon and so on. I also thought the hardships Dallas and Dee went through together really contributed to their relationship, strengthened it, instead of being in the story just to create conflicts and obstacles.

Overall, I think Texas Glory was a great romance. I don't have any complaints about it. I loved the H/H and their romance and I enjoyed the setting and the effervescent atmosphere of a growing town. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters, I thought they added to the book... and I'm a huge fan of the "taking in the street urchin" trope :) Especially since Rawley's story was so heart-breaking and he deserved so much more in life.

My Grade: Initially, I was going to give Texas Glory a B, but after this review, really, it's a B+. I really, really enjoyed the book and as I said, I didn't have any issues with it. So why not an A? Well, I just didn't have that wowzer feeling at the end, you know. Still, a very good book and I now understand why Kristie and Wendy are such a fan of Ms Heath's western romances :P



Texas Splendor by Lorraine Heath
published by Penguin (Topaz) in January 1999
e-book format by Harpercollins Publishers (Avon) in November 2010

Five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit—that's how long Austin Leigh has waited to clear his name and return to his old life. But when he is finally released, that life is no longer waiting for him. Determined to find the real killer, Austin goes on a hunt for justice—and revenge. But what he finds is something quite different: Loree Grant, a woman with her own tragedies, whose strength scatters the shadows of his past—and whose beauty eclipses the Texas sun...

Genre: Historical romance - Western
Series: Texas trilogy, Book #3

The Story: Five years ago, Austin Leigh was arrested for the murder of Boyd McQueen; however, he did not reveal where he was at the time of the murder in order to preserve his sweetheart's reputation. As a result, Austin spent 5 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Now a free man, Austin realizes how much those five years have cost him. First, his sweetheart has not waited for him... and worst, she's fallen in love and married his best friend. Then, he missed five years in his family - his niece Maggie barely remembers him, his other nieces born after he went to prison don't know him and so on. Also, the music in him died and he can no longer play. Finally, while he did go to jail, he never realized that the people in town actually really believe that he's killed Boyd McQueen... and in the mean time, the real killer has gone free.

Determined to find the real killer, Austin heads for Austin - the only clue he has. However, before he can reach the town, Austin falls ill... Luckily, he is taken in by Loree Grant who nurses him back to health. Then, a night of loneliness leads to passion and to a new life... But can Austin forget the past and forge a future for himself? And then, there is Loree's past which also haunts her...

My Opinion: After reading Texas Glory, I really wanted to read Texas Splendor. I was hoping that the heroine wouldn't be Austin's sweetheart - just because I think it would have been too boring ^_^;  So I was really glad to find out that Austin was going to be paired up with a heroine we haven't been introduced to yet :) I think Texas Splendor was a great sequel to Texas Glory and wraps up this trilogy very well :)

I really liked the changes in Austin between Texas Glory where he was young and carefree to Texas Splendor, where he has hardened. It hasn't made him bitter and cynic, but obviously, it has changed him, made him more down-to-earth and wary. It was also sad that his family did not understand. They meant well and they loved him and wanted to support him, but they could not understand what he went through. It was also heart-breaking when Austin found out that Becca had not waited for him :( Everything was really well written and very realistic and I thought Austin had really become a man after all he went through.

Loree was an interesting character, another very admirable woman. I think she was exactly what Austin needed - someone who did not know Austin before and who made her own mind about him after she's spent time getting to know him. However, I had a little bit of difficulty connecting with her... After a while, I just got a bit impatient because I thought with Austin, she could get over what has happened in her life... but then, everything made sense at the end, since her big secret had yet to be revealed ^_^;

I enjoyed the romance, but at one point, it was tiring the doubts between them. I understand why Loree was so reluctant and hesitant, that she wasn't sure about Austin's love for her. Nothing less romantic than have your lover scream another woman's name and then have him marry you because you're pregnant... Let say, it's pretty hard to overcome. However, you know how it is obvious to readers, to everyone else that the H/H are in love, except for them? Then again, I think Austin had the biggest grand gesture I've ever seen and at the end, there was no doubt for either :)

I also think Ms Heath did a great job with the storyline. There was a lot going on: the romance, finding the killer and Austin discovering himself and I think Ms Heath really handled it well and kept it interesting. I really like the last part of the story where Austin finally finds out what he wants out of life besides Loree and a family. I think it made sense and really fit Austin :) She has did a great job inserting the familiar faces into the story and the characters stayed true to themselves :) I loved reading about Dee and Dallas and their family, loved the scene where Dallas was a jerk - because that's so him, making mistake because he cares so much ^_^; Also, everything was tied up neatly and well... and that might be my only other complaint... About the identity of Boyd's killer - what was the chance? It worked, everything from previous books fell into place to lead to this ending... but I thought it was just such a huge coincidence ^_^; But then, coincidences do happen, so it's probably me just being picky ^_^;

My Grade: All in all, I really enjoyed Texas Splendor and thought it was a very satisfying ending to this trilogy :) However, Austin and Loree didn't grip me as Dallas and Dee did and then, there's the identity of the killer... and so, Texas Splendor is a B for me :)

TBR Day: Homeplace by JoAnn Ross

It seems I'm back to a period of my life where I cannot accomplish anything on time ^_^; Sigh, that is really not a good sign. Time to put a bit of order in my life again I guess it means. However, I'm not giving up! LOL.

So yesterday was TBR Day. Although I had a book read, I just didn't realize it was TBR Day until I read Wendy's review. Also, I realized lately that I cannot do like before: blog-hop and blog in the same day... it's either one or the other ^_^; Sad no? Never thought I'd age that fast! LOL.

Okay, hopefully, I'll be able to complete this review and it will all make sense.


Homeplace by JoAnn Ross

published by Simon & Schuster in March 1999

Fighting legal battles eighty hours a week has left Raine Cantrell burned out and empty. Although she once dreamed that success might make the father who walked away without a backward glance take notice, the high-powered big-city lawyer now finds herself feeling very alone. Then she gets an urgent call from three kids in trouble in her Washington state hometown, and suddenly Raine is returning to face unresolved feelings, unhealed wounds -- and an unexpected desire.

Sheriff Jack O'Halloran, a man with a tragedy in his past and a six-year-old daughter to raise alone, has three teens barricaded inside a house and the media clamoring for a story. He isn't ready for Raine to invade his territory -- or his thoughts. And Raine isn't ready for anyone to touch her heart.

Unable to deny their attraction to each other, their solution is adult, reasonable -- and totally foolish. They decide to have a simple affair. But they are about to discover that love is rarely simple -- and that lives can change forever in a single heartbeat.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: Coldwater Cove, Book #1

The Story: Raine Cantrell is a successful lawyer in New York City. She's work hard, has recently closed a very high profile case and is about to make partner. Then, she gets a phone call from a young girl informing Raine that her grandmother has been admitted to the hospital... Worst is her grandmother's three foster protegees have barricaded themselves in the house, calling attention of Sheriff O'Halloran and the surrounding counties sheriffs and deputies. Raine has no choice then coming back home to take care of the trouble, as they cannot count on Raine's free-spirited mother.

Returning home, Raine has mixed feelings. Her relationship with her mother has never been good and all these years, she's been working hard, trying to gain her father's approval. However, seeing the situation of the three troublesome young ladies her grandmother has taken in, Raine realized that she was lucky because she always had at least someone there when she needed. As time goes by, Raine re-acquaints herself with Coldwater Cove and she starts to wonder if she's really happy. Least but not all, there is Sheriff Jack O'Halloran and his adorable little daughter...

My Opinion: Recently, I've been having a lot of difficutly knowing what to read. I thought of buying Ms Ross' new release, The Homecoming as Holly and Lori have enjoyed it a lot... However, I wasn't totally convinced. Then I remembered I had Homeplace at home and settled on this book instead :)

Ms Ross is an author that I read on and off :) I think my enjoyment of her books really depend on my mood ^_^; And this time, it was a miss. Part of the reason was the book itself, but the main reason I think is because I've been reading a lot of books with the successful heroine coming back to small hometown storyline - Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery and Burning Up by Susan Andersen - and this one was just okay in comparison...

I have to admit, Raine was part of my problem with this book. Basically, she just annoyed me. In many instances, she jumped to conclusions and I don't know if it's because she's a lawyer or something, but she was always thinking the worst of things. I don't like this kind of characters. I wonder if it's because it's opposite to my personality ^_^; Also, there was the fact she loved her grandmother and realized that she was aging and growing frail, but whenever her grandmother asked her for a favor, Raine would find excuses. Oh, they were good excuses and made sense, but at the same time, Raine didn't find ways to help out. As a result, it felt like her words and feelings were empty. As a whole though, Raine's character wasn't bad. She just didn't stand out for me.

Jack O'Halloran was a more interesting character. He's a jock and bad boy turned into an authority figure. He married the love of his life and adopted a daughter, but unfortunately, his wife passed away from cancer. Now, he tries his best to raise his daughter. Jack was a good guy, level-headed. Willing to help and thoughtful. I liked seeing the bonds between him and his daughter, Amy. You can see that he's trying very hard. My favorite part was him taking care of Amy's electronic toy - kind of like a Tamaguchi. You know those little toys you had to feed, play and take care of for it to grow :)

The relationship was okay. Basically, Jack and Raine are attracted with each other and once everything is over with Raine's grandmother and the three young girls, there's no real obstacle for Jack and Raine to be together. No problem either from Amy as she's longing for her a mother. The only trouble in paradise for both of them is that Raine lives in New York, but that's taken care of easily.

What stood out for me in Homeplace was the reasons why Raine left. She didn't have any troubles with the town and people treated her nicely. Instead, it stems from her childhood and issues with her mother. Raine's mother is a free-spirit and a flake. She would often abandon her daughters to their grandmother and I guess Raine has abandonment issues... as a result, she's seeking her father - her lawyer shark in Hollywood - for approval. I thought that was nice that the problems were more internal than the small minds of a town. I'm also glad that she was able to work things out with her mother.

There was actually a lot going on in this book. There was a secondary story with Raine's mother and her first love. The three young girls that her grandmother took in. I think it was a bit too much. Ms Ross took many familiar storylines/plot devices and put them together to create Homeplace... However, nothing really had enough development and was a bit too typical.

All in all, my only real quibble with Homeplace was Raine's personality and that was pretty minor. As for the rest, well everything went as expected, but nothing exceeded the expectations ^_^;

My Grade: C.

Review: The Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop

I really hesitated whether to post this review on my blog or on Twisted Kingdom or both... but in the end, I decided both, mainly because I still can't "edit" posts that were made by others and since we've decided to lump all our reviews of the same book together, well I couldn't do it. Anyway, I know, you guys are not interested with my problems :) what you want is the trilogy's review... well here it is:

Daughter of the Blood: 4/5
Heir to the Shadows: 4.5/5
Queen of the Darkness: 4.5/5
Dreams made Flesh: 4.5/5

Overall series grade: 4.5/5

So where to start... Very brief synopsis of what's happening. In this world where there are witches and warlords, women rule and men serve them. The amount of powers depend on which jewel you are born with and with jewel you possessed after you've made your Offering to Darkness. Your Offering to Darkness will also determine what position you hold: whether you're a Queen (there's many kind), a Priestress or something else. In the land of Terreille however, no Territory Queen (highest Queen position possible) rules. Instead, it is a Priestess, Dorothea, who holds the highest position; however, the males do not rush to serve her as a Queen as she expected... Therefore, her viscious game starts in order to corrupt all the Blood (ppl with jewels I think) and other territories. As she grows powerful, other Queens are fearful and therefore adopt Dorothea's way and become tainted. Then, one day, Tersa, a high-rank witch who should have reigned over Treveille instead of Dorothea if she'd made through her Virgin Night, announces that SHE is coming. The Witch, most powerful being, that will restore peace in every realm and will restore the Blood.

It will take 700 years before the Witch makes her first apparition... as a 7 y.o. girl named Jaenelle Alexandra. Her life will affect many, many ppl, but especially three men: Saetan SaDiabolo (50,000 y.o.), her adopted father, mentor and the High Lord of Hell. Daemon SaDiabolo (1,700 y.o.)who is Saetan and Tersa's son and had been used as a pleasure slave by Dorothea... in a few words, Dorothea has lent him to many Queens to be serviced... he is to be Jaenelle's Consort/mate. Finally, Lucivar Yaslava, also Saetan's son with a Healer, who will be Jaenelle's brother and protector. Lucivar's fate is not very different from Daemon; however, because he's Eyrien (a race of human beings with wings and very hot temper who usually become warrior), he has a hot temper that've hurt many Queens in bed. In the beginning of the trilogy, Daemon and Lucivar know that they are brothers, but do not know who is their father. It turns out that they are Saetan's sons out of wedlock and Saetan's been threatened with their lives and so, Saetan cannot become involved with them.

So slowly, we follow's Jaenelle's growth. She is an exceptional magical being. A normal person will usually be born with a jewel and get another after his/her Offering. There is a selection of jewels, the darker the jewel's color, the more powerful you are. When you do your Offering, you can gain a maximum of 3 jewels power. However, Jaenelle is obviously different. She possesses ALL the jewels + 13 Black Jewels (Black being the most powerful)... With all this power, she is able to psychically travels in different realms, different territories very easily and she befriends many, many ppl: humans, but also beings that were thought to be legend only. Although she yields lots of power, she cannot accomplish the basic Craft such as fetch her own shoes and so her family believes that she has no talent, she is nobody. In addition to that, when Jaenelle talks about her adventures, they think she makes it up to gain attention and that she has too much imagination; basically, that she is mentally unstable. Because she couldn't learn basic Craft at home, Jaenelle goes to Saetan... Saetan welcomes her with open arms as he was predicted that one day, his daughter of the soul would come. So Jaenelle will often slip from her house/home to come to Saetan or visit her friends.... Meanwhile, back at home in Chaillot, her grandmother is the Queen of Chaillot, she is sent to Briarwood... an institution for mentally unbalanced kids... However, the horror that you witness in this institution are unbelievable.

When Jaenelle is 12 y.o., Daemon is sent to Chaillot to service the Queen and her court. This is where Daemon and Jaenelle meet for the first time... Daemon is shocked to learn that the Witch he's been waiting is only 12 y.o.... but he nonetheless falls in love with her. During this span of time, Daemon also discovers that Saetan is his father as well as the reason why Jaenelle still remains in Chaillot instead of going to live with Saetan. Jaenelle has an older sister whom she wants to help give her Offering so her sister will be able to protect herself, before leaving Chaillot forever. However, things do not go according to plan. During her 5 years with Saetan, Jaenelle has attracted Saetan's ex-wife, Hekatah's unwanted attention. All her life, Hekatah has wanted more and more power and she is the influential force behing Dorothea. Thus, Jaenelle presents as a threat to Hekatah that she wants eliminated... As a result, she plans to break Jaenelle's spirit by having her rape in Briarwood. The rape occurs, but it does not destroy Jaenelle because Saetan and Daemon rescue her soul and body in time... However, there is a price and Daemon slowly falls into the Twisted Kingdom where ppl become insane.

Although Saetan and Daemon were able to save Jaenelle, it will take time for her soul to heal and come to her body. Meanwhile, Saetan took care of her body and become her legal guardianship. Daemon tried to save Lucivar who at that time was a slave, but Lucivar thought that Daemon was the one who raped and killed Jaenelle and so gave the last push necessary for Daemon to drown in Twisted Kingdom. Jaenelle finally makes it back to her body, but she does not remember anything of the trauma and has forgotten Daemon. Slowly, she becomes once again who she was and reconnect with all her friends from different realms and territories. Dorothea and Hekatah will later figure out that she's still alive and scheme for her downfall once again. Few years later, Jaenelle saves Lucivar and he comes back to SaDiabolo Hall and becomes her protector. Jaenelle is living a peaceful life till the day when the Queens and Dark Council in Terreille start invading lands that they say are "unclaimed" by humans. However, these lands are habitated by kindred animals which are animals born with Jewels and who can contact humans, if they will and if humans are listening, psychically. The Dark Council, which is under the influence of Hekatah, announces that if the lands are really claimed by kindred, then they need a human representative and under her current status, Jaenelle cannot be the representative. Although Jaenelle has power, she never wanted to rule, but she has no choice... She becomes Queen and set her court which is composed of many, many Queens and Warlord Princes who all yield their lands and territories to Jaenelle.

Before becoming the Queen, Jaenelle, through Tersa, remembers Daemon and tries to save him by guiding Daemon back to the real world. Although she is successful, she still needs to wait for him to come back to her one day... This occurs about 5 years after she officially becomes the Queen. Jaenelle might be the Queen of Darkness, Daemon finally returns as her Consort, Saetan is her Stewart, Lucivar is her first Escort and her court is powerful... however, Hekatah and Dorothea are still alive. They might only rule Terreille, but it is still enough to stir trouble. In her dreams, Jaenelle sees that the Blood is going to war against Terreille.... she also sees the consequences: very few of her friends will survive. However, she is pushed to engage in the war as Lucivar and his family, as well as Saetan are kidnapped by Hekatah. Jaenelle needs a way to be able to make the difference between the Bloods and the Bloods who've been tainted by Hekatah and Dorothea... she finally finds a way, but needs time. As a result, Daemon is sent as a decoy to Dorothea's court where he creates illusions that he betrayed Jaenelle, with the promise that when he comes back, when they've won the war, Jaenelle and him will marry. Because of Daemon's past, his stay in Twisted Kingdom and his behavior, Jaenelle's court does not trust him and the distrust becomes worst when Jaenelle gives them the interdiction to engage into war, because this goes against their nature. Finally, Jaenelle goes to war on her own with an army of dead-demons, so all the living Blood is spared. The plan is successful, everyone is freed, but Jaenelle is gravely injured...

In the end, Jaenelle will heal, but her condition is very fragile. She's also lost all her jewels and instead, have a new one, Twilight Dawn. Both Jaenelle and Daemon dance around each other for awhile, but finally, they will get married... and they will leave happily ever after.

Reviewer's opinion: that was a short synopsis right? well that's the shortest I could make and I left a lot out. The story is very good, although sometimes, I think it might exceed some boundaries. Not that I mind, but it can become very violent, brutal or crude. I like the fact that we follow Jaenelle' s growth from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. It is a very intriguing story and you want to know what happens. I really liked Jaenelle's childhood (except Briarwood), but what I really luv in this book was the relationships and personalities. I think that my fav. character is Saetan :) I've always been a sucker for those almighty characters with so much power, but face with someone they care for, they become grumpy old bear :) So the story was almost perfect, but sometimes, I got confused and that's why the 4.5 instead of 5. And I understand that Jaenelle and Daemon were meant to be together; however, you do wonder when did Jaenelle start loving Daemon... and by the way, what's their lifespan? cos Daemon is 1,700 y.o. and Jaenelle is not even 30 y.o. In addition to that, the world in which it happens is bit hard to understand, cos it's really Moyen-Age-ish, but they have nail polish, mud mask? Also, my advice is that if you are going to buy the trilogy, don't forget to include Dreams Made Flesh, because it contains the conclusion of the trilogy. It also have three other short stories worth reading :D

Recent reads - take 3

Okay, so the first time I tried to write this post I gave up... but then, I decided to start over, because the whole point of starting this blog was to share the books I read with the others and so far, I didn't really do it... so I started writing it up and then, lost electricity ^^; so hopefully, this time, it'll go up.

So, yes, I want to talk a bit about the books I've read lately, but I don't know in which format. I'm not the best writer nor am I the most coherent either... so yeah, I'm not the best reviewer and there's so many good reviewers in the romance blog land that I don't know if I can measure up (okay, I know it's not a contest, but...) I don't know if I should add the book blurb or not or whether I should write up a synopsis or just give my opinions... and talking about opinions, I don't express myself real well either, so... maybe I should just answer some questions. One review style I really like is Sandie's... so perhaps I'll try something similar to her...

But let's put everything aside and onto the recent reads now :D

Suzanne Brockmann is an author I'm not sure whether I like or not. I've read very few books of hers and so far, I've never been compelled to buy her backlist... Sure, I was a bit curious about some of her books and characters, because all her books are part of a series, but each time I thought of buying one of her book, I could stop myself. Even after reading 3 books this week-end, I'm still unsure...

The Unsung Hero : 3.5/5

This was a good book; however, there were too many sub-plots. I mean, if an author can squeeze 3 storylines in one book, then to me, it means that she didn't have enough material and had to scramble to come up with a full novel.

Tom and Kelly: They are the main characters and they're okay. It was nice that for once, the guy realized that he was in love with her first. What annoyed me was that Kelly was in love with Tom, but she didn't want to... she's afraid of marriage... but why?!? Personally, if it has been only their storyline, I would have bumped the grade down to 2.

Joe and Charles: Joe is Tom's great-uncle and Charles is Kelly's father and these two men have been best friends for almost 60 years... since WWII. I luv grumpy old men :P In novels, I've always loved how grumpy old men could soften to become reluctant sweet grandpa... not that it happens in this book, but still. Anyway, back to the book: both men were part of the 55th regiment and soon, it will be their regiment reunion (55 yrs. after WWII) and Joe will be celebrated as the Hero of Baldwin's Bridge town; however, he doesn't want to. Then, Joe is asked to be interviewed by a writer who wants to write the story of the 55th regiment. This create tension between the two best friends as Joe has agreed but Charles doesn't want him to talk. Basically, the story of this sub-plot is what really happened during WWII and who is the real Hero of Baldwin's Bridge.

Mallory and David: Mallory is Tom's niece and she's 18 years old. David, 20, is an artist who's working for the summer in Baldwin's Bridge and looking for a model for his new graphic novel's character. Mallory is somewhat of a rebel, but at the same time, she's sweet. She refuses to go to college because 1) her mom doesn't have enough money and 2) what will happen to her mom once she leaves? Then, she meets David who she considers a geek, but a nice geek. Anyway, story short, both fall in love with each other and it's so sweet! Both characters are sweet, but the most important is that they discovered what was inside :)

The Defiant Hero: 2/5

Basically, this book is not a keeper. I still haven't finished it, but I know... Anyway, here's the blurb:

The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists." Meg Moore remembered the warning from her job as a translator in a European embassy.

Those same words will spell out a death sentence for her daughter and grandmother who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists. Meg will do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything—even kill—to save her child.

When Navy SEAL Lieutenant, junior grade, John Nilsson is summoned to Washington, D.C., by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn''t seen her in years, but he''s never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't...

The whole story is confusing to me and I'm not sure what to think of Meg. She kinds of double-cross John, but still, he stands by her side and is ready to sacrifice his military career for her. Quite noble... which is why Meg annoys me. Just accepts his help! Don't try to do it on your own, because seriously, what's your chance of succeeding? She involved him by asking him to be the negociator, then she throws him away again and again. Just doesn't make sense to me.

I have to say that I like the grandmother, Eve, plotline tho.... While Eve is being held as hostage with Amy, Meg's daughter, she re-tells the story of how she fell in love with her husband, Ralph, to little Amy. That's story is quite sweet.

Then, what annoys me in this book is Sam and Alyssa's relationship - is this your book? No... so how come you have more sex than the main characters? and how come all you do is have sex instead of doing something a bit more constructive? So yeah, Suzanne Brockmann tries to set up her next book, but they take too much place. They steal the screen time of the main characters and worse, their story is not settle yet.

Gone Too Far: 2/5

This is Alyssa and Sam's story which I understand, fans have been waiting for a long time. They first appeared in The Unsung Hero and some other books afterwards as well. I didn't read the books between The Defiant Hero and Gone Too Far, so I'm missing some parts of their story and that is something I don't like. I don't usually care reading random books in series, because I know that I'm only missing some bits of their story such as how they were introduced. However, in this case, I'm missing big gaps and I think it's something that the author shouldn't have done.

Personally, I wasn't that interested in Sam and Alyssa once I started reading the book, altho I've been quite curious about them since I read Hot Target a few months ago. So this was a major disappointment. Even the presence of Tom and Kelly from The Unsung Hero couldn't help me like the book... and the last storyline - Max and Gina - didn't make sense to me, cos once again, I was missing too many gaps from other books.

In a few words, Suzanne Brockmann's books are definitively not stand-alone books. You really need to read them all... and in my opinion, the intrigue kind of takes the backseats... and the characters are a bit unreasonable to my taste.

Charming the Prince: 2.5/5

Quite frankly, I didn't like the book. I think it's the main idea of the book that I dislike. Lord Bannor comes back from France after the war and must now take care of his 12 children - yes, 12. He can't... he can't bear them, they're too much for him. So he asks his steward to find a wife that will be a mother to his children.

Appears Willow - who's been taking care of her 6 half-siblings + i don't know how many step-siblings. She sees Lord Bannor proposal as an escape route, tired of taking care of her siblings that her step-mom keep popping out... however, becoming Lord Bannor's wife is not much better.

Then, you have Lord Bannor that finds his wife beautiful, but he doesn't want to bed her, because he doesn't want more children (his family line is very potent). At first, Willow is hurt by Lord Bannor seemingly indifference, then she understands. So she goes to the village's whore to seek for advices... urgh.

At first, I really pitited Willow. I mean, she was like Cinderella, except that her father wasn't dead: she was treated poorly by everyone, she had to do everything, etc. Then, when she finally escapes her faith, she ends up as Lord Bannor's bride with tons of children to take care of. Hello, Lord Bannor, wouldn't it have been easier to hire a few more nurse to take care of them. Having a talk with your children instead of ignoring them would have help also. Then, Willow seeking the village whore(Netta) was a bit extreme ^^; Wasn't there any older lady, someone who could have given her advice? Was Netta the last woman on Earth?

Other things I didn't like in the book was: Lord Bannor's son romance. Desmond is 12 years old and he's falling in love with Beatrice, 14, who is Willow's step-sister. Isn't that a tad to precocious? At least, make both 16, 17... that's a bit bearable. I like to see two young people fall in love, but this was really too young for me. Then, Stefan, another of Willow's step-sibling, this time, closer to her age, leecherous attitude. I mean, Stefan has been demeaning Willow ever since his mom married Willow's father, ever since he stepped into the castle. I guess, as they grew, Stefan has been lusting after Willow and looking for a way to take advantage of her. But then, sending his little sister Beatrice to seduce Lord Bannor so the man wouldn't marry Willow and that Stefan would get her was a bit ridiculous. Add to that the kidnapping scheme... really...

So didn't like the book... and the 2.5/5 is because they were some funny moments that made me laugh. Teresa Medeiros thus join Suzanne Brockmann in the category - do I like this author or not? So far, I've read After Midnight - her regency/vampire series - which didn't entice me at all and Yours Until Dawn which was quite good. So I guess I'm going to have to read more books to have a good opinion.