TBR Challenge 2014: The Bad Boy Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement by Maya Rodale

Sigh, almost two weeks since my last post. So sorry everyone! My blogging muse seems to have gone on vacation lately. I don't know if it's having more time on my hands now that I'm not curling, but I've been bored. I don't know what to watch, don't know what to read despite all the new releases, don't know what to do... and blogging, well the words are just not coming ^_^; Hopefully, this feeling will pass soon because otherwise, it's going to be a very, very long summer ^_^;

Anyway, I made a big effort  for the TBR Challenge because I want a perfect year for 2014 LOL. Seriously, finding books to read is so hard lately :( I just don't know what I'm in the mood for. I'm just so afraid that my "romance novels/fiction" phase is over... Fingers crossed that it isn't. Since the TBR Challenge date was closing on me, I totally cheated and picked up the shortest book I could find... and that was:

The Bad Boy Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement by Maya Rodale
published by Harpercollins Publisher (Avon Impulse) in December 2013

Jane Sparks has accidentally announced her engagement on Facebook—to the infamous Bad Boy Billionaire, Duke Austen. As soon as it’s discovered that Jane and Duke barely know each other (One hot kiss at a party does not a relationship make), she’ll be humiliated. And then Duke does something Jane never expected. He plays along with her charade.

With his hard partying, playboy reputation jeopardizing a fifty million dollar investment deal, Duke realizes an engagement with the hot but oh-so-proper librarian could be just the thing to repair his reputation. This good girl tempts him to be very wicked…but just with her. It’s unprecedented. Inconceivable. Totally alluring.

As the unlikely match of librarian and tech entrepreneur set out to convince the world—and the internet—that their love is real, something unexpected happens: they start falling for each other. But Jane is secretly writing a historical romance novel that could expose their carefully constructed romance…unless two perfect strangers are content to be perfectly scandalous together.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: First part in the contemporary version of The Wicked Wallflower, connected to Bad Boys & Wallflowers series

The Story: Basically, The Bad Boy Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement is a fake engagement between two completely opposite persons. Jane Sparks had her whole life planned out as the future Mrs. Sam Chase... that is until her high school sweetheart of 12 years dumped her for being too settled, too safe. After the break-up, Jane moved to NYC, took a job at New York Public Library as a library assistant and told everyone she would write her romance novel. In truth, after six months, she's still pining after her ex, hoping he'd take her back. When she gets her tenth annual high school reunion invitation, she panics because she feels like a failure while her classmates are all in relationships, even Sam who seemed to have moved on. In a bid to help her, Jane's roommate posts an update on Jane's FB announcing her engagement to Duke Austen, a bad boy billionaire who made his fortune in the technology field with codes and apps, and the man with whom Jane made out at a party very recently. To Jane's utter shock, Duke doesn't deny the engagement and even seeks out Jane. Turns out that Duke is attempting a third startup, but his bad boy reputation has been turning away investors. Not wanting to be labeled as a choker for the rest of his life, Duke needs this startup to succeed and believes that an engagement to someone as composed as Jane will help.

But what happens when you want a lie to become reality?

My Opinion: As mentioned above, The Bad Boy Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement is the contemporary version of The Wicked Wallflower and is released as a somewhat serial. I thought the idea was a good one, so that's why I picked it up, hoping for a good read. Unfortunately, while I'm pretty sure it's a case of "more me than the book," The Bad Boy Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement really didn't work for me :(

Sorry if this will read more as a rant than a review, but that's the only way for me to express why I didn't enjoy The Bad Boy Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement. Basically, it has everything to do with the heroine, Jane. I'm so tired of heroines like her who seem to have no spine, who cannot accept the end of a relationship and pine away for their ex. The harsh truth is that their attitude is pathetic ^_^; Do you really want to be with someone who dumped you? Who deemed that you weren't "enough" for them and threw you aside? I know, I know, I can't fully understand because I've never been in a relationship myself... but it's hard to read about characters that cling to a rosy past, remembering only the good stuff and magically erasing the bad times, and not attempting to move on. In the case of Jane, I tried being more understanding and  patient because after all, it was a twelve years relationship... but the problem is that it wasn't about only losing Sam. In fact, a large part of why she could not accept the break-up, why she longed to get back with Sam had nothing to do with him and everything to do with people's perceptions of her. The fact that she wasn't single, as if being single makes you a loser... and it is, but only if you believe that. Is a relationship, a marriage the only measure of one's success in life? So yeah, that's pretty much why The Bad Boy Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement didn't work for me and I guess that's specifically linked to my mood. It seems to me that half the romance books I pick up lately are about heroines similar to Jane ^_^;

Aside from that, well I was expecting this contemporary twist to be more fun... but the truth is, the story was not original at all. There was nothing new to it, no twist :( And it might have worked better if the book hadn't been released as a serial... However, having read only the first part, I feel like everything went a bit too fast: how they met, how the fake engagement happened, them faking it and later having sex. I didn't buy in the chemistry between Jane and Duke or the progress of their relationship from being fake to something that wasn't.

My Grade: D. I usually enjoy Ms Rodale's writing which is why I keep picking up her books... but in the case of The Bad Boy's Billionaire's Wicked Arrangement, the writing wasn't enough. I just felt that in all the other aspects, the book didn't work for me :(

Week-End's Minis XXVII: Starlight by Carrie Lofty

Starlight by Carrie Lofty

published by Simon & Schuster (Pocket) in June 2012

An esteemed astronomer, Alex Christie, the eldest and most steadfast of the Christie siblings, has never possessed his late father’s ruthless business drive. But to protect his frail infant son from his cruel father-in-law’s bid for custody, the young widower must undertake Sir William Christie’s posthumous million-dollar challenge: to make a Glasgow cotton mill profitable. At sea in an industrial world of sabotage and union agitation, Alex meets Polly Gowan, daughter of a famed union leader, who hopes to seize a mysterious saboteur without involving the police. Because a sympathetic mill master would aid her cause, Polly becomes Alex’s guide to urban Scotland. From soccer games to pub brawls, Alex sees another side of life, and feels free for the first time to reveal the man—vital and strong—behind his intellectual exterior. Polly is utterly seduced. Their ambitions, however, remain at odds: Alex vows to earn the mill bonus to save his child, while Polly fights for the needs of her people. Is there strength enough in their sparkling passion to bind them together in their quests— and in a lasting love that conquers all?

Genre: Historical romance
Series: The Christies, Book #2

What do you need to know? Well the story goes pretty much as the blurb says. Alexander Christie is content with his position as an astronomy professor at the university and doesn't care whether he inherits his father's fortune or not. That is until his father-in-law - a sick, cruel and sick man - makes a move to gain custody of Edmund, Alex' frail baby son. Alex married his wife, Mamie, so she could escape her father's abuse and perversion and there's no way he'll let his son fall into the man's clutches. That means he'll do anything, even travel to Scotland, learn the business and make the Glasgow cotton mill profitable in order to gain his inheritance. However, this story happens at a time when the industrial world is in turmoil with the unions... and that means standing in Alex' way is Polly Gowan, daughter of a famed union leader and his successor.

Why this book? I read and enjoyed the first book in this series, Flawless. Also, the author is Ms Lofty :) She has a reputation for writing different historical romances and that's why I've been wanting to read more of her books.

What did I like? Okay, so this book really didn't work out for me and you'll find out why in a few seconds. However, two thumbs up to Ms Lofty for the risk she took, the solid writing, the research done and the complex characters.

What didn't work? It's very ironic because above, I mentioned I wanted to read more of Ms Lofty's books because her historical romances are different, mainly thanks to the settings and time periods Ms Lofty chooses. However, in the case of Starlight, those elements really didn't work out for me ^_^; I like my historical romances more on the light and fun, fluffy side and Starlight was too dark and gritty for my taste. I really didn't like the whole union aspect of the book, how those workers are suppressed and taken advantage of and how union leaders like Polly are framed, etc. It's just not something I enjoyed reading and unfortunately for me, it was a huge part of the book ^_^;

As for the romance, it also didn't work for me. Basically, it's the same complaint that I've had for many other romance books recently: the H/H got together too fast. It's another case of instant attraction and lust as soon as they meet and quickly leads to marriage. Given Alex and Polly's respective positions,  I actually expected a lot more obstacles to their relationship. In addition, given Alex' situation, I expected his character to be a lot more reserved. I admire how he wanted to learn the business and how he wanted to be fair and hear both sides of the story, but I admit, I was surprised at how easily he mingled with the workers. So that's why I just didn't believe in this instant connection between Alex and Polly. Perhaps if there's been a slower development to their relationship or less of the union politics aspect, it would have felt more believable... But as it is, the romance felt off to me. The chemistry was there, but from their interactions, they needed more time. I also thought that Alex' marriage to Mamie was a sappy story and served as an convenient excuse for readers and perhaps even Alex to accept he has fallen in love so soon after the death of his wife. Like how Alex loved and cared for Mamie... but more as a friend than as a lover. Then he meets Polly and discovers passion. And finally, I didn't really like the circumstances under which Polly and Alex married ^_^;

My Grade? D. I did not enjoy Starlight, but the reasons have more to do with personal tastes than execution. As such, I will definitively give the next book in this series a try.

Week-End's Minis XIII: Eon - Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

As promised, this week's WEM features Eon: Dragoneye Reborn! I hope you guys enjoy my honesty! Oh, do not forget to cast your vote for next week's WEM!


Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

published by Firebird (Penguin) in June 2009

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured. When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Eon/Eona duology, Book #1

What do you need to know? Eon takes place in a world that is very similar to China or at least has very strong Asian influences and which is also made of magic. The basis is Chinese astrology - each year is associated with a zodiac sign which is in turn associated with a particular dragon, in a cycle of 12 years. These dragons are elemental beings that are able to manipulate the natural energy of the world "Hua." Only certain persons called Dragoneye, chosen by the dragons themselves, can access this enormous power to help or break humanity. These persons are chosen through a rigorous process and then, a ceremony. Every New Year, 12 boys who were born on the year of the ascending dragon are presented to the dragon and one is chosen. For 12 years, that boy will be an apprentice, learning under the supervision of the Dragoneye. Once it's the zodiac year of the boy again, i.e. 12 years later, he will become Dragoneye and master, while his own master retires. For example, in the book, the zodiac year is the Rat and therefore, the ascending dragon is the Rat Dragon. Eon, the main character, is a candidate hoping to be chosen to become the apprentice to the Rat Dragon's Dragoneye. During this year, the Rat Dragon's power is at its strongest, meaning that the Rat Dragoneye will be the most powerful. However, things don't go as planned, because Eon is not chosen by the Rat Dragon... instead, he is chosen by the most powerful Dragon of all, the Mirror Dragon (technically, it's the Dragon of the year of the Dragon so I guess that's why they call it Mirror Dragon), who has disappeared for hundreds of years!

His reappearance and his choice of Eon, who's a boy with an handicap (lame leg), is surprising to say the least. None knows what should be done and the Emperor decides that Eon will be co-ascending Dragoneye along with Lord Ido, the Rat Dragoneye. What Eon learns later on is this is also a tactical move from the Emperor... Indeed, he is growing old and sickly and rumors of a coup by his own brother, General Sethon, are brewing... Especially that Lord Ido seems to have sworn allegiance to General Sethon.

However, Eon has problems of his own... or should we say, her own. Yes, Eon is a girl and technically, girls are not allowed as candidates and even less, Dragoneyes! Nobody expected Eon to be chosen by the Mirror Dragoneye and be thrusted in the spotlight. If Eon's identity is found, she as well as her master and their household will be accused of treason and that is punishable by death. In addition, while Eon has been chosen by the Mirror Dragon, her bond with the Dragon seems precarious and she has no access to its power... With Lord Ido trying to vie for power, it puts Eon in a very dangerous position and she has to figure things out... before everything is too late.

Why this book? I heard a lot of good about Eon: Dragoneye Reborn; however, I was always hesitant about it, because of the strong Asian influences on the world. I used to read a lot in Vietnamese when I was younger and from experience, I know some of the stuff just doesn't translate well in English. The language and culture are so different that some words just don't exist in English and therefore, it is not fluid. It's the same reason I have yet to read Jeannie Lin, despite the good buzz this author is getting.  In the end though, I broke down because both Mariana and Christine absolutely adore this book. Also, I do love the cross-dressing trope :P

What I liked? Overall, I can see why Mariana and Christine loved this book so much and why it is a winner for so many on Goodreads. The world building and story are both very complex and interesting. For my part,  I especially liked the secondary characters such as Lady Dela, Ryko, Prince Kygo and Rilla. How everyone gathered around Eon and supported her. Also, the writing style is good and made Eon very readable...

Also, Eona reminded me a bit of Katniss - the way both of them became the face of resistance without wanting to. I thought it was an interesting parallel, especially since Eona was playing a game as dangerous as Katniss in the end.

Unfortunately, that was pretty it for me ^_^;

Any issues? Sigh. As I said earlier in the review, I came in with some apprehension and most probably, it really influenced my reading of Eon: Dragoneye Rebon. I wished I'd been able to let go and enjoy the book as it should, but I couldn't.

First, I do think there was a lack of fluidity; however, it was subtle. I was probably over-sensitive to it, but I just can't help it. However, as I said, it was still very readable and I attribute this to Ms Goodman's talent. Also, for me, the whole palace setting, royalty and Chinese astrology was all very familiar to me. Felt some parts were very predictable.

I was also a bit disappointed with the lack of humor. I think one of the reasons I enjoy reading cross-dressing heroines so much it's because there are always some funny situations arising from it... but it definitively wasn't the case with Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. The tone is very solemn throughout the book. Also, while Eon/Eona was a very complex and interesting character, I didn't find her very likable and never really connected with her. I know her life is at stake and the circumstances are not all of her doing, but she was so focused on her, her fate... it bothered me. At this point, she has to realize that she's part of something bigger and have to act consequently. Also, because Eon/Eona had so many personal concerns and worries, it translated in many monologues and it made for a slow pacing.

This brings me to the storyline... I couldn't help but wonder how Eon and her master thought she could have spent 24 years disguised as a man?!? Even if people believed "he" was castrated, that didn't make sense for me. How complicated the logistic would be... and I felt both of them played a really dangerous game. Wouldn't it have been easier for her master to find a boy instead? Even if Eon/Eona had great potential. Also, at the end of the day, was Eona only chosen because she was female? Would any girl would have done or was Eona really chosen because she was female and had potential? Also, if I understood it correctly, the boys that are introduced as candidates have to be born in the same year of the dragon they are wooing. Therefore, they should have been 12 years old right? Then, how could Eona who is 16 years old, technically stand a chance? That was a puzzle for me as well. I felt there was a lot of holes in the concept... I know things had to be changed because Eona was a girl, but I don't understand how Eona and her master thought she stood a chance in that case.

Finally, I just didn't feel this book. I never got engrossed in it :( I know I have to shoulder part of the fault, but that's the reality at the end of the day.

My Grade? D. I originally gave it a C+ in Goodreads, but after writing this review, I wasn't honest with  myself. The truth is Eon: Dragoneye Reborn was simply not for me. I read this book with apprehension and I never felt once that I was wrong, that I should kick myself for letting my apprehension take over and make me read this book only now. Instead, reading Eon: Dragoneye Reborn only confirmed my apprehension was correct. At the end of the day, I just didn't feel it when it came to Eon: Dragoneye Reborn and unfortunately, I won't be reading the sequel.

Review: Baby, Drive South by Stephanie Bond

Disclaimer: I've received Baby, Drive South as an eARC from NetGalley


Baby, Drive South by Stephanie Bond

published by Mira (Harlequin) in May 2011

The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They've got the means, they've got the manpower... what they need are women! So they place an ad in a northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to answer their call...

Porter, the youngest Armstrong, is all for importing women. Still, he's so blown away by the sheer numbers, he falls off the water tower. Luckily there's a doctor among the newcomers—sweet and sexy Dr. Nikki Salinger.

And Porter has every intention of checking out her bedside manner...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Southern Roads, Book #1

The Story: The three Armstrong brothers: Marcus, Kendall and Porter, are retired from the military and their goal is to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown, Sweetness. They are on a tight schedule and must meet some requirements if they want to keep this project alive. Then, the men start to complain about the lack of female company... If it was Marcus, he'd keep it that way, but can't have disgruntled workers and so they come up with the idea of advertising Sweetness as a new beginning, a second chance place.

Dr. Nikki Salinger's engagement came to an end when she found out her fiancé cheated on her with a stripper. All she wants to do is forget all that happened and start fresh which is why she joined the "caravan" to Sweetness. However, the conditions in Sweetness are rougher and more rustic than she ever could have imagined. Added to it the men aren't thrilled to get a female doctor. Nikki can't help but reconsider her decision.

Porter is Nikki's first patient and let just say they started off on the wrong foot. Nikki might not be Porter's type; however, the community needs a doctor and if Nikki leaves, all the women will too. Thus, Nikki has to stay no matter what and it's all up to Porter.

My Opinion: I think I've read one book by Ms Bond in the past... and it didn't leave a deep impression. Still, I picked up Baby, Drive South because the premises sound interesting and original, it's contemporary romance and published by Mira.

What really worked for me in this book was the concept of the trilogy; I thought it was original and fun. Take something that really happened in the past and modernize it, give it a twist. So the premises definitively have potential. At the same time, I wonder why there wasn't more females involved in the project to begin with. I mean, in this day and age, there are women in the military, there are women involved in construction and engineering. As a result, I'm just surprised that there weren't more women to start with.

Frankly, the rest of the book was okay for me. The real big problem is that I wasn't engaged by the storyline or the characters. I found Porter to be quite immature. He did have his moments, but most of the time he was impulsive and didn't think stuff through. As for Nikki, it really took a long time for me to warm up to her. Actually, not even sure that by the end, I did ^_^; It's logical that once she arrives to Sweetness and sees the conditions and after few days there, she doesn't want to stay. To settle in Sweetness will definitively be hard work, but this is fiction. I didn't feel any real enthusiasm coming from Nikki for Sweetness, for trying, for really getting her new start. Almost immediately, she wanted to back and I thought that was unfortunate. Understandable, but then in that case, it's hard for me as a reader to feel good about Sweetness, no? I also didn't think that Porter and Nikki had any chemistry, sigh, and their romance felt flat for me.

In Baby, Drive South, readers are also introduced to some secondary characters. There are of course Porter's brothers, Kendall and Marcus, but also Rachel which seems to be the women's leader. My first impression of Rachel wasn't very good, but as the story progressed, she showed some maturity... so I don't know, she might turn out to be quite a complex and interesting character.

I think for me, everything in Baby, Drive South was a bit too forced and overall, this was just an okay book for me. Something to pass time, but not something that really reached me. Right now, as it is, I'm not really inclined to read the second book, Baby, Come Home.

My Grade: D+. I still think the book and trilogy have a lot of potential, unfortunately this book just didn't work for me ^_^;

Review: Marrying Daisy Bellamy by Susan Wiggs

No Hauling Sunday this week :) So instead, I have a review :)


Disclaimer: I've received Marrying Daisy Bellamy as an eARC from NetGalley

*Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk*


Marrying Daisy Bellamy by Susan Wiggs
published by Mira (Harlequin) in January 2011

There are days on Willow Lake...
Daisy Bellamy has struggled for years to choose between two men - one honorable and steady, one wild and untethered. And then, one fateful day, the decision is made for her.

When the wind is so still and the water so calm...
Now busy with a thriving business on Willow Lake, Daisy knows she should be happy with the life she's chosen for herself and her son. But she still aches for the one thing she can't have.

You can almost hear your heart beat...
Until the man once lost to her reappears, resurrected by a promise of love. And now the choice Daisy thought was behind her is the hardest one she'll ever face...

Genre: Contemporary romance, Women's fiction
Series: Lakeshore Chronicles, Book #8

The Story: Daisy Bellamy's story has been ongoing since book #1 of the series. Daisy was a teenager when she got pregnant and chose to keep the baby and be a single mother. It's also at that time that she met Julian Gastineaux, her cousin's brother-in-law and also a thrill-seeker who enrolled in the Army to become a pilot one day. There was a definite connection between the two, but something they never explore beyond friendship because of circumstances. Add in Logan O'Donnell, the baby's father who sobered up and who's been a great father to Charlie, and Daisy found herself in a love triangle. As they've all grown and matured, this love triangle intensified and now is time for Daisy to make a choice... Julian.

Unfortunately, few weeks after Daisy and Julian get engaged, Julian is deployed, reported missing... and ultimately, dead. Shocked, dazed and heart-broken, Daisy accepts Logan's proposal - to become a real family. She needs an anchor and must think of Charlie's future.

However, Julian is not dead... and returns for Daisy... Only, Daisy is a married woman to another man who is on the verge of celebrating her one-year anniversary. What is she to do?

My Opinion: I'm really not a fan of love triangles, especially not those where a party comes back from the dead ^_^; So to be honest, this probably affected my opinion of the book greatly. In truth, the only reason why I did pick up this book was because I've been looking forward to Daisy's story for a long time and even knowing I'd probably not enjoy it very much, I wanted to read it.

For me, this book was okay. I wished Ms Wiggs had not utilized this plot trope to resolve the love triangle. I mean, it was clear who Daisy loved, but I guess it needed to be more dramatic. I admired Daisy, because she wanted to keep her wedding vows. She married Logan and the three of them had finally become a family and it would be unfair for Logan if she went back to Julian. I also understood Logan's anxiety and at the same time, I pitied Julian. I felt the strongest about Julian, because he lost Daisy and couldn't do a thing to win her back. So you have three characters who are trying to continue life as it was, but the problem is that everything has changed. You cannot ignore Julian's return, nobody can... Perhaps if he'd return 5 years or 10 years later, yes... but his disappearance wasn't long enough for Daisy and Logan's relationship to really survive... especially when both are not passionate about each other. I mean, after Julian's disappearance, it's clear why Daisy accepted Logan's proposal. It was for their family to be together and yes, she loved him...but I don't think it was wildly as her husband, but more as the father of her son. She settled and under the circumstances, I'm not blaming her, but still, she settled.

So you have the love triangle again and in the end, it is once again resolved - same way as the first time. I liked the fact that Daisy and Logan were very civilized about it. I think to be fair with everyone, this was the logical choice. However, I did expect the whole thing - Julian's return, Daisy's confusion, Logan's anxieties - to be more angsty and it wasn't for me ^_^; and I think it has to do with the writing. Ms Wigg's writing style has changed over the course of this series or even before. It has become something between contemporary romance and women's fiction and her narrative style has become more passive. I don't think the strong emotions came across well in Marrying Daisy Bellamy. We all saw how each character coped and their mistakes and thoughts, but at the end, it didn't grip me. I didn't feel torn for Daisy.

My Grade: Overall, this book is a D for me. I really wished I've enjoyed this book more and if it had reached me, if I had been emotionally involved, I'm sure I would have... but I wasn't. Perhaps it's the writing style or just my aversion to love triangles, I don't know. However, I'm sure that many don't have the same aversion as me and will enjoy this book.

Review: Tempted at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro

Hello everyone :)

A quick post to let you know that I have a review up at Book Binge :) This time, I'm reviewing Tempted at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro. Follow the link to find out what I thought of the last installment of the Mayhem in Mayfair series...

Lady Emily Stapleford never dreamed that the burden of saving her family from financial ruin would rest on her lovely, resourceful shoulders. Since she’s only willing to marry for love, and not money, Emily pens a story she hopes will bring her fortune — only to have it rejected by every major publisher. After all, what respectable reader would dare embrace a vampire heroine?

Not to be dissuaded, Emily generates publicity by attracting attention with a vampire masquerade. Overnight London is abuzz with the sightings. With renewed interest in Emily’s book, she’s guaranteed success — if it wasn’t for the mysterious American, Logan Jennsen. He’s on to Emily’s duplicity and he has every intention of using it to his advantage. If only he wasn’t falling in love with this unabashedly creative hothouse flower. And if only he didn’t have a scandalous secret of his own — one that’s putting both their lives in danger...

What sets me apart...

So how's everyone's holidays going? Mine is all right... Perhaps not very festive, but I'm resting, reading and eating. What more can I ask? Although I'm at work right now at the moment... but then, lots of incubation times, so I'm not working very hard... hehe. Also having fun watching the Top Gear special in Vietnam :D

Anyway, so guess what I'm going to review today? Two books...

Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockmann and Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

LOL, I can feel some of the disbelief the bloggers who know me well feel :P LOL... Okay, so here's the deal... Most of the time, I agree with blogland and enjoy the same authors that everyone loves... Robyn Carr, Jennifer Crusie, Nora Roberts and etc. However, there are a few authors that are really hugely popular with long-standing series whose books I just don't enjoy... Among them, Suzanne Brockmann and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I tried and tried, but just don't seem to enjoy them as much as my fellow bloggers.

So why try again? Well two of my favorite bloggers have recently reviewed Into the Fire - Ames and Jill. So when I saw it at the library, I picked it up... As for Heaven, Texas... Again, Jill has reviewed it not too long ago and she got quite a lot of comments from bloggers who all seem to enjoy it immensely, so I picked it up at the library as well. See, my library is not totally hopeless... ^_^;

So here is what I thought of both books...


Into the Fire by Suzanne Brockmann
published by Random House in July 2008 (HC)

Vinh Murphy–ex-Marine and onetime operative for the elite security firm Troubleshooters Incorporated–has been MIA ever since his wife, Angelina, was caught in a crossfire and killed during what should have been a routine bodyguard assignment. Overcome with grief, Murphy blames the neo-Nazi group known as the Freedom Network for her death. Now, years later, Freedom Network leader Tim Ebersole has been murdered–and the FBI suspects Murphy may have pulled the trigger. To prevent further bloodshed, Murphy’s friends at Troubleshooters scramble to find him and convince him to surrender peacefully.

Murphy himself can’t be sure what he did or didn’t do during the years he spent mourning and lost in an alcohol-induced fog. He does know he occasionally sought solace from Hannah Whitfield, a former police officer and the very friend who’d introduced him to his beloved late wife.

But Hannah, still grappling with the deafness that resulted from an injury sustained while on duty, was fighting her own battles. For years Hannah had feelings for Murphy, and one painful night their suffering brought them together in a way neither expected–and both regretted.

Murphy is ready to rejoin the living. As always, he finds himself knocking on Hannah’s door, and as always, his longtime friend welcomes him back into her home. Yet even as Murphy slowly rebuilds his splintered life, he continues to fight his growing feelings for Hannah.

Then he learns of Ebersole’s murder and comes to believe that the Freedom Network has targeted him–and Hannah–to avenge their leader’s death to violence. Now Murphy must face the terrifying prospect of losing another woman he loves.

As the Troubleshooters desperately search for him, Murphy races toward a deadly confrontation with the Freedom Network and ultimate choice: surrender his life in hopes that Hannah will be spared, or risk everything to salvage whatever future they may have together.

Genre: romantic suspense, army/Navy
Series: Troubleshooters, book #13

I won't go too much into the story, because 1) it's really a complex story and 2) the back blurb probably does a better job than I would.

My Opinion: So what did I think of Into the Fire? Quite frankly, I had difficulty following everything that happened. I have read a few books in the series, here and there, the last one being Into the Storm, and I was a bit confused. Lots of the early characters are mentioned but don't appear and then, there's this whole new cast... It feels like I was reading Troubleshooters - the New Generation, LOL :)

Again, Ms Brockmann continues to have many plot lines at the same time... however, it didn't annoy me as much as the other books. I was most interested in Murphy and Hannah's romance and to some degree, Izzy. Didn't care much about the Troubleshooters/ex-CIA agents business.

I liked Murphy and Hannah. What happened to them was quite tragic - Murphy losing his wife and Hannah's car accident which affected her life greatly. The fact that both were in love with each other years ago, but never moved toward each other, letting life lead them in other directions... that was quite sad. I'm glad they had a second chance. Although I liked both characters, I felt like we didn't have enough background on either, especially Hannah. Where were her parents? Why was she raised by her uncle? In addition, I felt like their relationship was quite rushed due to the other plot lines. It was also stupid from Murphy not to admit his feelings for Hannah... after all they went through. What if he never had the chances to talk to her afterwards? What if she died before he could tell her that he loved her and that he lied previously? He would have felt guilty the rest of his life and regret it so much. Finally, I thought that Ms Brockmann didn't handle the pacing quite well. As I said, Murphy and Hannah's relationship felt rushed... I felt they didn't spend enough time together really talking... there weren't many sweet moments either. I think that would help.

As for Izzy... he was a great character and I have to agree with Ames and Jill... He deserves better than 18 y.o. Eden. I mean, perhaps if Eden was more mature then their relationship and interaction would have work better.... However, that's not the case. Eden's life is screwed up... and Izzy is left picking up the pieces and trying to put them together. It felt more like he was baby-sitting Eden than "having a relationship" with her.

All in all, the book was okay. I didn't dislike it as much as the previous books I've read, but I didn't fall in love with the series. I'm not going to grade this book though, because I think it would be unfair. Me coming in the middle of the series where it's obvious that I should have read some other books beforehand to enjoy it more.


Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
published by Avon in April 1995

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star -- and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can't get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat.

But nothing's more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel's heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion -- and a match that can only be made in Heaven.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: Chicago Stars, Book #2

Again, I'm going to skip the story summary. I don't feel like I could do a good job.

My Opinion: Okay, I'm going to admit, I did skip a bit of this book. I skip the part where Grace went to Bobby Tom's house during a party and was mistaken for a strip-teaser... then, I did skip bits here and there, but I don't think it affected my understanding of the book... and the reason I skip parts? Bobby Tom.

For the life of me, I just couldn't stand Bobby Tom. I thought he was immature, arrogant and condescending. Yes, he did have some layers to him, but not enough for me to like him. Gosh, I know he was a jock, but seriously!! I couldn't find anything in him to like. The last scene where he screams at Grace after she's refused his proposal... that was just ugly and hurtful. I don't get why Grace didn't make him grovel more... (well, okay, he did break out of jail, but I still think she forgave him way too easily).

The rest of the book didn't have much of an impact on me. I felt meh reading this. I didn't relate to Grace, didn't find the subplot about Bobby Tom's mother and the bad guy in town very interesting either.

Overall, didn't really like this book and again, I won't be rushing to read the rest of the series :(

My Grade: Better than a DNF, but meh... didn't like it much... so, hmmm, D. Of course, that's just me and there's tons of people out there who loved this book :)

Review: Upon The Midnight Clear & Dream Chaser

In the past week, like everyone else, I'm sure, I've been assaulted with promotional e-mails for the release of Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The leader of the Dark Hunters is finally getting his own book on August 4. Although I lost interest in the series, I still feel like reading Ash's story... and so I thought it'd be nice to catch up a little...


Upon the Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon
published by St. Martin's Press in October 2007

Ever think Scrooge had it right before the ghosts ruined his life? Meet Aidan O’Conner.

At one time he was a world-renowned celebrity who gave freely of himself and his money without wanting anything in return...until those around him took without asking. Now Aidan wants nothing of the world—or anyone who’s a part of it.

When a stranger appears at his doorstep, Aidan knows he’s seen her before…in his dreams.

Born on Olympus as a goddess, Leta knows nothing of the human world. But a ruthless enemy has driven her from the world of dreams and into the home of the only man who can help her: Aidan. Her immortal powers are derived from human emotions—and his anger is just the fuel she needs to defend herself…

One cold winter’s night will change their lives forever…

Trapped together in a brutal winter storm, Aidan and Leta must turn to the only power capable of saving them—or destroying them both: trust.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Dream Hunter, book #2

The Story: Aidan O'Conner was once the Brad Pitt of our world, but after being betrayed by all his friends, family and lover, he became a reclusive Scrooge who hides from everyone. Unfortunately for him, his brother Donnie who is in prison for trying to murder Aidan, somehow got access to an artifact and was able to summon Dolor, god of Pain.

Leta is a Oneroi, a dream hunter. Centuries ago, she fought Dolor and was able to send him away. She put herself in stasis, to be awakened only when Dolor is released. Knowing that Aidan is his prey, Leta gets close to Aidan in order to use him to fight Dolor.

My Opinion: Okay, I'll be blunt... I think this book should never had been published. There's so many things that are wrong with this book... I'll start with the most obvious: the format of the book. The first thing that hits you when you open Upon The Midnight Clear is the size of the font. Double what it is usually! Most time, I don't really care about stuff like this, but seriously, when it's so big? It was bothersome. Also, the length of the story... Was this a joke or what?!? I've just read on Ms Kenyon's website, minutes ago, that this book was 'longer than a novella but not quite as long as a book.' Well no kidding! It also says on her website that this story was very dear to Ms Kenyon and that she's been wanting to tell it for a while... which makes me feels bad, but at the same time, that's not written anywhere besides her website! I think that Ms Kenyon should have work on it a bit more, flesh it out to turn it into a decent, regular novel. If not, she should have published a book of anthologies or something... Simply put, as it is, Upon the Midnight Clear feels like a rip-off to me...

Okay, onto the actual story and characters. Not much to say, except that the story and characters were not very well developed. The story was too short, not many twists as we're accustomed with Ms Kenyon's novels. It was quite straightforward, not very original and I think that her ending concerning the heroine has been overused. In most novellas, because of the shortness of the story, you often don't connect with the characters. That's what happened here. I couldn't connect with either Aidan and Leta. Yes, poor Aidan... betrayed by everyone... what I didn't really understand is why? I needed more than 'I hate you!! I've always hated you' from Donnie... but even if I was ready to accept that reason, what about Aidan's best friend? Leta was meh... Her lines just came out corny and phony to me.

Another problem is the number of secondary characters Ms Kenyon added. There were just so many... Also, Robert, Richard, Ronald?!? Granted, those weren't very important characters, but couldn't their names be a bit more different? It was just confusing! Not to forget a couple more Gods were introduced. I just felt overwhelmed by everything... the characters, the story and even the ending.

My Grade: D. One word to sum it all up, bad.


Dream Chaser by Sherrilyn Kenyon
published by St. Martin's Press in February 2008

Hades doesn’t often give second chances...

Xypher has one month on Earth to redeem himself through one good deed or be condemned to eternal torture in Tarturus. But redemption means little to a demigod who only wants vengeance on the one who caused his downfall.

Until one day in a cemetery...

Simone Dubois is a medical examiner with a real knack for the job. Those who are wrongfully killed appear to her and help her find the evidence the police need to convict their killers. But when a man appears and tells her that she’s more than just a psychic, she’s convinced he’s insane.

Now the fate of the world hangs in her hands...

It was bad enough when just the dead relied on her. Now’s there’s the seductive Dream-Hunter Xypher who needs Simone’s help in opening a portal to the Atlantean hell realm to fight insatiable demons. The future of mankind is at stake—and so is her life. The only question now is: Who is the bigger threat: the demons out to kill her, or the man who has left her forever changed?

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Dream Hunter, book #3

The Story: Xypher is half demon, half dream hunter (read god) who's gone stoki and tortured by Hades the past couple of centuries. After helping out Katra and Sin in Devil May Cry, he bought himself a month on Earth where he has a chance to redeem himself through good deeds. Instead, all Xypher has on his mind is revenge on Satara, Stryker's sister, who addicted him to feelings and turned him stoki.

Satara knows that Xypher is after her and is finding ways to eliminate him. She comes up with these Atlantenean cuffs... if one of the two persons handcuff dies, the other does as well. In addition, they cannot leave be more than 20 feet apart or they'll both die as well. Simone Dubois is the unlucky recipient... lucky for Xyper however is that she is used to 'paranormal.'

My Opinion: I picked Dream Chaser right after Upon the Midnight Clear. My thinking was if I don't pick up it right away, I might never... It was definitively better than Upon the Midnight Clear, but that wasn't hard to do. You definitively feel Ms Kenyon's writing in this one and it follows like most of the Dark Hunter books in the series.

Xypher follows the mold of all the previous heroes in past book and Simone, of all the heroines... but it has been a winning recipe and it still works. Some of the banter between the two were entertaining... One of my problem though is some of the feelings that Xypher felt, such as longing and loneliness, came off as phony to me. It's just hard to describe, but in simple words... I just didn't feel or believe it. I think Ms Kenyon is trying tos hard to make her characters flawed with tragic past... After 10+ books, it is just too redundant... but then, at this point, you don't really read the books for the characters; more for the story.

Speaking of story, it was okay, nothing ground-breaking. You have the handcuffs part that reminds me of Night Pleasures (Kyrian and Amanda) and actually, Xypher and Simone are very similar to Valerius and Tabitha. Overall, the story was entertaining with lots of guest appearances from previous books: Ash, Simi, Julian, Katra, Carson and so on.

I have to admit, I'm getting tired of this series... the freshness is gone. Another problem is how Ms Kenyon keeps introducing elements to make this series complex. At this point, I feel like she should be resolving some of the storylines, not introducing more. We continue from Devil May Cry with the introduction of the gallu and dimme demons... and this time, you add in half-demons, Charontes in liberty, cross-breeding between the races and Jaden, the mysterious lord of demons... it's just too much.

My favorite parts? Jesse, Simone's ghost companion. He was cute and fun to read, especially his interactions with Simone and some of the stuff he would say to Xypher :)

My Grade: C... I think that's it for me. I'm going to read Acheron and voilà. By the way, next book is One Silent Night and it's Stryker story!!! Who wants to read about Stryker?!? (with the introduction of another villain). Thanks but no thanks.

Review: Grimpspace from Ann Aguirre

Lots of buzz about this book, which is why I got it... I had a feeling though about that book and turns out I was right. Sometimes, I should just trust my feeling ^_^; There's also been a lot of mixed reviews, so here I am, adding my two cents :)


Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
published by Berkley in March 2008

By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…

As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom—for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel—and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing—grimspace—and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

Genre: romantic sci-fi
Series: The Jax Series, book #1

The Story: The book blurb is a good summary.

My Opinion: This book didn't work for me. I had two problems with it: the heroine and the world building.

Let's start with the lesser problem. The world building. I found that the readers were just propelled in the world and given information as we read; however, it wasn't enough. The world in this book is very complex... it's not just the spaceship/planets, but also lots of different races and the politics... and I felt lost. I was trying to figure it out, imagine it and I just couldn't. Same thing about background information. For example, the hero, March... what is he? Is there more like him? What's all his motives? I find we were given just the strict minimum. Perhaps it's because this story is a series and those issues will be addressed later...

Biggest problem for me? The heroine, Sirantha Jax. Sorry, but I didn't like her. My favorite kind of characters are the ones that are selfless, that will sacrifice themselves for others. It wasn't the case with Jax. I'm not saying that she's selfish... but she's not selfless either. Some thought it made her more human and real, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't like how she was sleeping with her pilots when she's still married. Okay, she's not in love with her husband anymore and it's been years she hasn't seen him. How hard is it then to just ask for a divorce or something? I didn't like that there was little camaraderie and loyalty between her and the rest of the crew. I understand why... it's not like they wanted her on board, but still... little efforts were made. I didn't like how she thought of abandoning March. Least you can do is check whether he really is dead or not. I know that she has her own demons and she just lost her pilot and etc. Still, the way she acted, I wouldn't want to have her own my team.

Aside from that, *sigh* the romance didn't work too well for me. I can't see when they'd feel attracted or could fall in love with each other. As for the story, it was okay... except for the last part. I thought the bounty hunter was unnecessary and the hostage situation, ridiculous. Especially the way it ended. I'm wondering whether or not there'll be repercussions on March. I sure hope so, because otherwise, it doesn't make any sense.

Any positive? Lots of action. The 1st POV didn't bother me, neither did the present tense. Writing style is okay. The whole storyline, it was okay, but a bit cliche...

My Grade: D. I originally graded it as a C+, but now that I'm writing the review... I see little that I liked ^_^; so I'm down-grading it.

Review: The McKettricks by Linda Lael Miller

I've been having the reading blues lately, but it seems that my reading mojo is slowly coming back. Now, if I could only find a great book to read, it would really cheer me up :D I bought the McKettricks books at the end of April, because I was bored... I was waiting for all my books to come from my online order and well, I've been seeing them everywhere... and I wanted to read a bit about ranchers...

so basically, the plot is you have 3 McKettricks cousin: Jesse, Rance and Keegan and the three books (McKettrick's Luck, McKettrick's Pride and McKettrick's Heart) show how they fell in love and their life became better ^^;

McKettrick's Luck: DNF
published by Mira in February 2007

Cheyenne Bridges left Indian Rocks with no intention of coming back; however, now she must face the man who she had a crush on when she was younger and convince him to sell her his lands. Jesse McKettrick is the laid-back McKettricks... instead of working at McKettrickCo, he enjoys his dividend checks, fool around, seduce women and play pocker.

Review: For this book, that's all I can say. Obviously, it was a DNF. I didn't connect with the characters and what annoyed me was the plot... He's a McKettricks from Indian Rocks... she's a Bridges from nowhere. Pluuuhse. Over-used plot! Cheyenne was annoying, because although she wanted to appear all independant, she didn't have that much confidence in herself. Add in a flimsy, forever optomistic mother, and a paraplegic teenager brother and Cheyenne is playing the martyr. I basically stopped reading after Cheyenne blew off Jesse for whatever reason, but immediately went to ask him if he would still take her and her family to a gathering, because her family was so looking forward it. Euh, yeah... could you show some backbone? Or at least, think before acting? So yeah, definitively not my favorite.


McKettrick's Pride: 1.75/5

published by Mira in March 2007

Rance McKettrick is a widower as well as an workalcoholic... most of the time, he'll be across the globe, making deals with foreign countries for expansion, while leaving his two daughters to his mother-in-law, Cora. The thing is, he still haven't let go of his "love" for his deceased wife and finds it hard to look at his daughters when they remind so much of her. Then, enters Echo Wells, new bookstore owner, right next to Cora's shop. Attraction flares up between them, but Echo has been burnt once already...

Review: this one was a bit better... but I thought there was a lot of unnecessary plotlines that didn't interest me... The dog and the break-in to steal the dog? Euh, a bit far-fetched in my opinion. I liked Echo well enough, but Rance didn't impress me, especially not as a father figure.

McKettrick's Heart: 2/5
published by Mira in April 2007

Psyche Ryans is a widow and is terminally ill. She invites Molly Shields, her deceased husband's mistress, to Indian Rocks and gives Molly the opportunity to adopt Lucas, Molly's baby with Psyche's husband. All Molly was waiting for was a second chance at being a mother to Lucas and readily accepts all the conditions... although she's not keen at the idea of marrying Keegan McKettrick - Psyche's high school sweetheart who obviously is still sweet on Psyche, even if she's dying. Keegan is not fond of Molly either; however, he wants to have rights on Lucas and so, doesn't have a choice. At the same time, Keegan is having a lot of troubles in his own life: McKettrickCo is about to go public and his ex-wife is determined to go live in Paris with their daughter... unless Keegan is ready to pay the right price.

Review: This book gets point for a somewhat original plotline. The dying wife calling the mistress to take care of her son, which turns out to be the mistress' biological child is interesting... Too bad Ms Miller can't keep up with good idea... My problem with this book is I didn't believe the love between Molly and Keegan... You have Psyche who keeps saying: I should have married you, Keegan... and Keegan saying: let's consider Lucas like the baby we had together... urgh. Also, Keegan was very harsh with Molly. i know, I know... Molly is the mistress (well, she didn't know the guy was married) and she hurt Psyche (although I don't think that the husband was a great loss)... but did he have to turn the knife everytimes he saw Molly? Seriously, before saying that Molly was after the money that Lucas would inherited, did he think of checking Molly's background? As in Molly was also rich?!? So yeah, I found it really unbelievable that Molly and Keegan fell in love and so fast... is Molly a glutton for punishment? Also, I found it exaggerated that Psyche makes it a condition that Molly and Keegan have to marry each other in order to adopt Lucas... anyway... Book start out okay, and then, went downhill.

The Writing Style - this was my first time reading Linda Lael Miller. I thought I did once, several years ago, but turns out it was LaViryle Spencer... not the same person ^^; although both names start with "L." Anyway, what I wanted to say was that I felt that all three books were incomplete. Ms Miller leaves out details - she either starts off something and doesn't finish it, or doesn't give the background necessary to understand. Some of the events really come out of the blue for readers... If the plots would have been better constructed, i think it'd had been better. Also, I thought I was going to read about ranchers... but turns out they're businessmen! well except for Jesse, who's a gambler. So yeah, I thought her writing was incomplete and evasive :( Oh and by the end, I was starting to get annoyed at the "They're McKettricks! You will be a McKettrick!" They were a bit too into their own lineage story - it's great, but it was overdone.

Am I keeping these books? Probably not.

Anything else? It's funny... I kept getting their names wrong... I wrote an email to Ames and I swear, it went: The McTricks, McMavericks, McRettricks, McKattricks... LOL :D it just wouldn't stick in my mind!

Review: Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan

I bought Speak No Evil at a grocery store while I was looking for Susan Wiggs 2nd installment of her Lakeside Chronicles. Seriously, it's pretty amazing how you can now buy books at the grocery store for cheap! Anyway, I saw this book and read the blurb and it sounded good...

Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan: 2.25/5
published by Ballantine Books in January 2007

Eighteen years old Angie Vance was repetitively raped and then murdered through suffocation in a garbage bag - her mouth sealed with glue and an obscenity scrawled across her skin. Detective Carina Kinkaid, a very dedicated cop, is primary on the case and suspects Steve Thomas, a 40 y.o. man who still attend college part-time and ex-boyfriend of the victim. To protect himself, Steve calls his younger brother, Sheriff Nick Thomas, who've just escaped a recent confrontation with a serial killer from which he is still scarred and unsteady.

Series: Book 1 of Evil trilogy
Genre: contemporary, romantic suspense

Review: Hmmm... There is a number of reasons why I didn't like this book, but mainly, it was Carina Kinkaid and how easy it was in the end to solve the case.

The Characters - I usually don't enjoy the characters who've become cops because murders have changed their life, because inevitably, it's going to impact the story. When Carina was still a teenager, she was baby-sitting her nephew. While she fell asleep, her nephew was kidnapped and then murdered. This event impacted the whole family - Carina became a cop, her brother who just finished medical school became a psychiatrist/profiler and Nelia, the mother, left San Diego and went to live away from her family. In addition, from that day, Carina was never left alone with her younger sister, Lucy, who was the same age as her nephew. Of course, Carina blames herself for what happened. What annoyed me was that everything always came back to Carina - it made her appears selfish and I couldn't sympathize with her at all. She's only been detective for over a year, but she acts as if she has tons of experience, she knows better. Also, everything went way too easy for her in this investigation: whatever she wants, she gets. It just isn't realist to me. However, what annoyed me the most is that at the beginning, she focused only on Steve Thomas as a suspect. Granted, he did look suspicious, but a good cop would have looked beyond the ex-bf a little bit.

Nick was okay and he had his own problems as well... maybe too much. Overall, I thought the characters were not developed enough and there was no chemistry between Nick and Carina - it was hard to believe that they fell in love, at least, enough that they would both be willing to abandon their life and career, esp. given the time they knew each other.

Story & Writing - The writing was all right, the story... The MO of the murders were interesting, but not enough to carry the whole book. As I said also, Carina had it way easy - autopsy would be done right away, when she wanted Nick on the team as consultant, she got immediately, her ex-bf would do the DNA tests and analysis, brother, the profile and other brother, the informatics stuff. There wasn't even that much suspense and really, how they figured out who was the killer - sheer luck.

The Cover - it was attractive enough for me to pick up the book and buy it.

Am I keeping it? Nope - anyone wants it? The cover is a bit teared up tho ^^;

Anything else? This is the first book of a trilogy. Book 2 will be about about one of Carina's brother, the PI who was mentionned, but not seen. Book 3 is about Dillon Kinkaid, the psychiatrist. I'll probably going to try another of Allison Brennan books in the future, but I'm not touching this series.

Last reviews of 2006

So, year 2006 will be officially over in a couple of hours... I guess it's fun and sad, both at the same time. I'm a bit glad. This year have been crazy and I'm hoping that the coming year will be a bit more relaxing. Although I have to say, time passes way too rapidly. It really flies by too fast.

anyway, hopefully, there'll be plenty of awesome books coming out in 2007 :)

So, I've been reading quite a lot lately and here are the last reviews for 2006. But first, I'd like to share with you the books I bought (yes, bought...) in the last week. I'm not going to list them, because, well there's too much and I'm too lazy. So, pictures = 1000 words anyway :D

The first picture is what i bought from the UBS store and the second, I bought at bookstore ^^; I know, I really went crazy... I hope they're all there. Ah well, onto the reviews now :D

Take a Chance on Me by Susan Donovan: 4/5

All right, I bought this one after it got a lot of praise over at Ames' blog :D

Hairy is a Chinese Crested dog; bald, small and pretty ugly. Not only that, his owner, Slick, was murdered in front of his eyes and now, Hairy can't stop shaking and peeing. Worst, he ends up in the care of Thomas Tobin, an attorney/amateur rugby player that does uncover work and poses as a killer-for-hire. Thomas has seen and heard all about the worse side of human nature and in result, he's been isolating himself, erecting walls around him. As the new owner of Hairy, Thomas brings the dog to see Emma Jenkins, a pet behaviorist in the hope that Hairy could stop shaking and peeing...

Hmmm, another bad synopsis. Maybe I should really do the next few ones in point form. Anyway, Thomas brings Hairy to Emma and immediately, he is attracted to her. It takes a while for Thomas and Emma to start a relationship, especially since Emma just divorced her crook of a husband. In addition to that, Emma is now in charge of LeeLee, her best friend's daughter. Also, in the course of everything, they realized that Hairy must have witnessed Slick's murder and therefore, try to get some clues from Hairy.

Okay, I've never been that much of a fan of Susan Donovan's novels, but I really enjoyed the story quite a lot :D Emma is quite the typical woman tho; recently divorced, trying to go through it + keep her business, in short struggling. As for Thomas, well I thought he had a really dark secret, but he didn't... and well, I thought his self-imposed isolation wasn't that necessary, but I guess if he didn't do it, he wouldn't be the same guy. Anyway, the love story was all right and the intrigue was too, although perhaps a bit far-fetched at the end. What I liked was actually the humour and I hoped Hairy would have "thought" more often, cos that was quite hilarious. In fact, if it hadn't been for Hairy, this book would have been lumped in the "okay, typical, not original" book.

Hidden Secrets by Cait London: 2/5

Let see if I can find the good words this time...

Spence has recently lost his sister, brother-in-law and nephew in a car accident and his mother, in another accident at home. He blames himself for not being there, not being able to protect them, not preventing their deaths and so, he has left his banker job in Seattle to move back to their little town. He now plays guide, organizes camping trips and search for the remains of his nephew for closure.

Then, there's Marlo Malone who's a psychic, but refuses to acknowledge her gifts. She and Spence have a past, but she's put it behind. She's also gone through a painful marriage and divorce and now, takes refure in her work. All she wants is peace and normalcy... However, lately, everytimes she sees the color red through glass, it makes her think of Cody, Spence's nephew, along with a feeling of anger that frightens her... She also believes that the accidents that took away Spence's sister and mother's lives weren't accidents...

Okay, I thought this book could have been way better, but instead, no. First, I got annoyed at Marlo. She's psychics... perhaps acknowledging her gifts would have helped her feel better. It also makes me mad that she can sense things, know things, but decides to remain passive. I mean, perhaps she could have prevented those events from happening and that would have save her some guilt trips. But no... then, there's this relationship between her and Spence. Oh man, annoying. It completely lost me. Spence and Marlo have a painful past together and I guess that the only person who truly knows Marlo is Spence... he can edge her, get a reaction out of her... he wasn't by her side in the past and so he thinks that he's worthless now and tries to keep away from her, but at the same time, he always, always comes back, edging her more. Like I say, completely annoying. Hey, if you love her, you have two choices: woo her or go away and let her have a better life if you think that's what she'll have. Instead, he comes over and over and just ruins everything. The intrigue wasn't so enjoyable either. Instead, I just kept getting mixed up... the timeline and flow of the story were difficult to follow in my opinion. One minute, this was happening, the other minute, something totally unrelated and it kept going and going. So yeah, didn't enjoy it.

Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson: 3.75/5

So finally, a book where the heroine is not "damaged." Well maybe a little, but not more than any other romance book.

Samantha Harrigan is a horse breeder and trainer with her own ranch. When she was younger, she married Steve Fisher, someone who was only after her money. But that's over, she's divorced him over a year ago and he's out of her life. Now enters Tucker Coulter, who've she met at this rodeo meet where she went against a drunk who was beating a horse. Both were arrested, but freed shortly after. Samantha has no intention to see Tucker again, but she needs a vet when two of her horses are poisoned... Soon, she's the prime suspect for insurance fraud...

So let see, this is the last of the Coulter siblings and I have to admit that the story was a bit different, but still enjoyable. For once, as I said, the heroine is not "damaged." Her ego and pride might be a bit bruised, but she's all right. Anyway, Tucker has never been my favorite sibling among the Coulter family, but he seemed to be portrayed quite differently in this book, seems to me he was gentler. Also, it seemed that the author, Ms. Anderson, was quite undecided about Tucker's faith... at the end of Sunshine, it was hinted that his mother would play matchmaker and she had a woman in mind, who knew how to stand her ground having grown up with 4 brothers. Then, at the end of the last book, he was heading for Colorado and I think the author intended to write the story there... then she came back to Samantha, who indeed has four brothers. *shrug* I guess it isn't that important.

So yeah, I did enjoy Sun Kissed. I guess I always enjoy Ms. Anderson's books. This one is just a plain, old romance with a little intrigue behind. The story went smoothly, but I have to say, the intrigue was way too easy to figure out. I mean, after reading the synopsis and page one, I knew who it was... now, that's way too easy. On the other hand, I actually quite liked Samantha - unlike the other heroines, she was quite confident. I mean, she knows what she's doing and she's proud of the results and that's something. She'd like to be more independent though, which is totally understandable. I think that her family might be a tad too protective. I mean, I usually like protective brothers with their big brother act, but Clint's answer was to beat out the crap out of anyone who hurt Samantha. Hmmm, no cute. Anyway, onto other matters, I also liked how Tucker was portrayed in this one. As I said, gentler and less jaded. Actually, he's quite like Isaiah, only sharper. Unfortunately, there wasn't that many romantic scenes though and it was quite understanble given the circumstances... but it still work. My only complaints are 1) we didn't get to see that many Coulters in the books... as the last Coulter's books, I'd have liked for an update for closure, but nope. 2) I bet Ms. Anderson was setting the characters for her new family series... I mean, Samantha has 4 brothers to marry now.

So although I enjoyed Sun Kissed, it didn't bring closure to the series. I also think I'm going to stay away from the new family series, because how much ranchers story can you write without it becoming too repetitive? Hah, I say that, but I'm probably going to crack. So not a bad book, not an oustanding book but an enjoyable one ;D

So that's it for 2006. I'm reading Demon Angel by Maljean Brook, but I doubted I'd be able to finish it before midnight :D

Review: My favorite witch by Annette Blair

Hmmm, so I got My Favorite Witch last Thursday and read it yesterday. I knew it was part of a series, but I didn't get the first book Kitchen Witch, altho I was tempted. Anyway, here's what I thought...

My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair: 2/5

Okay, I admit it, I got the book because of its cover and probably because it's soon Halloween. And yeah, the blurb on the back sounded promising. So what happened?

Jason Pickering Goddard is a goalie in the NHL, but he's out at the moment due to an injury. While resting, his grandmother who raised him enlisted him to be the Director of Special Events at the Pickering Foundations. Basically, the Pickering Foundations own a couple of mansions with historic value and is in charge of St. Anthony's, a boy orphanage. To help him, Bessie (the grandmother) hired Kira Fitzgerald. So both work together, they're quite attracted to each other... however, Kira just got out of a painful relationship and has swore off men while Jason's main priority is to rest and go back to play hockey.

Lots of things happened in this book. Actually, too much. It seemed to me that the story was all over the place. One minute they were doing something, the next they were kissing, then the other minute, they were talking about Harvey (Jason's hockey stick - both literally and figuratively) and so on. I really had a lot of difficulty to follow the storyline and at some point, I was like, huh? So what they kept talking about were mansions?

In the blurb, it mentioned that Kira "was a sexy witch cursed by a cheating ex-fiance"... I kept waiting the curse, but I guess I read the sentence wrong, cos there really was no mention of a curse. Oh by the way, for those who wonder, Kira's not really a witch... more like a Wiccan, so she plays a bit with good/white magic, but it's not really important and so, if the author took out that part, it wouldn't really change the story. Kira and Jason were both okay characters, but nothing that made them memorable... and the storyline couldn't save the book. So pretty disappointing.

By the way, it seems that the author tried to drag on the story near the end, cos it really didn't make sense to me. 1) the majority of Jason's doctors said that he wouldn't be able to play hockey anymore... and although it is mentioned once that he has some rehab, it seems quite out of nowhere to me that he could play hockey again... and so fast... It was supposed to take 6 months, but the book doesn't span a six months period. 2) I don't understand why Jason didn't make it clear where he stood with Kira. I mean, he rushes back to hockey and Kira is sure that he won't be back. Then, he comes back to her to have sex and he's gone again for another match and meanwhile, Kira is like pinning... it's over... I'm like, this could have been so avoided if both said something like: so what about our relationship in the future? 3) the orphanage. I actually liked the little boys (but they weren't mentioned enough in my opinion)... and I understand why Jason and Kira adopted the twins, but I'm like, isn't that a bit unfair to the rest of the boys? See, Jason and Kira become coaches for the hockey team so they get to interact with all the boys on the hockey team and I'm like, that's just unfair for the rest. But that's probably just me.

anyway, final opinion: I won't be buying the first or the last book of the series.

Review: The Protector by Gennita Low

Where do I start with this book? Oh yeah... I'll start by saying this: I read books for pleasure, for enjoyment... that's probably why I never enjoyed the books we were assigned in school. I read fiction, because I think it's light and fun, because they are stories. I particularly like romance, because what's better than seeing two persons fall in love and get together? I don't care what other ppl think of romance, I don't care that some of my friends laugh at my choices of reading... I read to have fun and that's it. I have enough work, stress and other stuff to worry about. I don't want to read anything too deep, to heavy... I don't even like reading classics (even if they are romance)... I find them too much for me... too serious. So you'll never catch me reading books about philosophy, sciences, religion or even biography... Do you think less of me? Well I hope not, but if you do, that's your problem, not mine... and your loss too.

So why start by saying this? Because it's explain why I didn't enjoy The Protector.

The Protector by Gennita Low: 2/5

Here's the blurb of the book:

When the best of intentions gets Jazz arrested overseas, he couldn’t be more surprised to find Vivi Verreau ready to spring him out of jail. Obviously more than the civilian she claims to be, he’s sure Vivi is hiding an agenda... and he’s determined to stick by her side until he uncovers all her secrets.

A covert agent who shrouds herself in disguises, and who fearlessly jumps into dangerous situations without thoughts for her own safety, Vivi has no need for a protector. But if she is to have any hope of completing her most important mission, she’ll have no choice but to recruit Jazz and his men.

Huh? That blurb is complete BS and it really doesn't give a clue of what's going to happen in the book. I had so much trouble getting into the book and so much trouble with the book... I'm going to try to be coherent, but I'm not even sure I completely understood the book. So Jazz, real name Zola Zelingue, is overseas... somewhere in Asia, if I got that right - I'm not even sure... He's a SEAL and is enjoying some time in a bar after a mission. He sees a woman being harrassed by two other soldiers and come to her rescue... Jazz is not your hard heart man... he's mellow. So he gives the girl some $$, hoping that she won't have to prostitute herself for a couple of day and for some reasons, they end up in a room... and Jazz gets arrested by Interpol (?!?) because they think Jazz is buying the girl for sex...

Vivi Verreau is from GEM (unknown acronym), acting as the liaison between Interpol and an organization, I think it's something like the Third World, who's goal is to stop American military to buy the favors of young girls that are forced into prostitution by their family because of their poverty. That organization is trying to get funds from the UN, so every soldier that pay a woman counts. Anyway, Vivi is trying to "save" the girls from their faith, altho she knows she can't do much. So Vivi ends up helping Jazz out, because she needs him and his team for some mission: arresting an internation pimp and extracting the girls the pimp intend to sell.

Okay... as I say, I read for my enjoyment. I usually have no problem when my books contain murders and crimes. I actually like when the goal of the characters is to catch some very very bad guy... you know, the characters achieve something and at the end, they're all happy because they've done something good and readers are also happy, because well the story ends well... you know that what was the problem is over... but poverty and prostitution in a third world country?!?! How in the world do you end that? I mean, at the end of the book, poverty and prostitution still going to happen... I guess the author want to sensibilize her readers to real issues: prostitution, poverty and we're not talking about industrialized countries poverty... we're talking about a poverty where the ppl are doomed and probably won't ever be able to get out of... and also, military abusing their powers and status overseas... Very serious issues... that I don't want to know about. Maybe I'm heartless, but after reading a book like The Protector, I feel as powerless as Vivi and I feel guilty because I'm living a good life. Yes, I'm aware of those problems, but it is NOT my cause.. I'm sad when I hear about it, shake my head and wish someone could do something... I'll probably donate money for the causes, but will I actively get involved... no. Am I a bad person? Dunno.

So yeah, didn't get my "high", great feeling after reading this book. As for the love story, because after all, this is a romantic suspense book... I didn't see the chemistry between Jazz and Vivi... at all. I actually thought Vivi was quite annoying. I'm not sure I enjoy the GEM agency either. I have no problem with women in the army or any agency, but hey, you're still women. don't start acting like guys please.

So this is a book I'll definitively be passing on... Now, my dilemma is that I still have 2 other books by this author. Do I skip completely or give her another opportunity?