Monthly Reads: December 2011

Yes, I finally did it!! I have completed my Monthly Reads post for December 2011!!!! Finally, I can say that I am done with 2011!!!! Hip pip pip, hooray!!! LOL, okay, so we're in February, but still. I'm so happy, you guys cannot imagine. If you've been wondering why I've been so quiet, well it's because I've been working on this post since the week-end ^_^;

It is quite long and for that I'm sorry. I did consider splitting it into 2 parts, but that would have just delayed me and I just wanted to be done LOL. As usual, I couldn't be short and concise. I had to ramble and I wonder at times, if it makes sense... If it doesn't, well the only reason I can come up with is that I ran out of steam LOL.

So here we go!

1) Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews: C+

After the events of Bayou Moon, Kaldar Mar wants revenge against The Hand for the family members he lost and therefore became an agent of the Mirror. His latest mission is to retrieve a stolen item. His investigation leads him to Audrey Callahan. Audrey is from a family of grifters/cons and has a particular ability involving locks, but all she wants is to lead a normal life and be left alone by her family. Audrey has no intention to help Kaldar... but it quickly becomes evident she doesn't have a choice.

While I love and adore the Kate Daniels series, I can't say the same about the Edge series. Still, I had hopes and that's why I picked up Fate's Edge. I remember when I first started the Kate Daniels series, I wasn't won over by the first two books... it took Magic Strikes to ignite my love... and I was hoping the same would happen with Fate's Edge. Unfortunately, I'm still left undecided.

In my opinion, the strength of Fate's Edge were the characters. I really liked Kaldar :) He was the ultimate con artist in my opinion. Think Neil Caffey from White Collar, but rough and gritty instead of the sophistication :) His persona was also quite fascinating. He was humorous on the surface, but when you scratched the outside layers, you found someone very intense and loyal. The fact that he placed his family above all... In that aspect, Audrey is the complete opposite. She wanted to break away from her family and it was interesting to see that Kaldar didn't understand that. While I didn't like Audrey as much as Kaldar, mostly because she was a wary character and therefore her personality didn't engage me, she was well developed and layered. It's too bad that with two interesting characters, the romance was weak. I just didn't get the sparks between them. Although I have to admit it was funny when Kaldar proved to be a better con artist than Audrey. She clearly didn't expect it LOL.

Aside from Kaldar and Audrey, it was a joy to see the familiar faces of Georges, Jack and Gaston. I loved the interactions between the boys and Kaldar. Poor Kaldar, suddenly being saddled with them LOL. Luckily, he had experience with kids. I liked seeing Georges and his determination... but I found it sad that Jack hasn't matured after 4 years. I know he's a shapeshifter, but I don't think that excuses it. There's just something about his character...

Finally, the storyline was okay. There was plenty of action, but it didn't have me turning the pages as fast as I could. I think one reason for me is that the world building is still confusing, if not weak. There's just so much: the Broken, the Weird, the Edge, the Hand, the Mirror and so on... and all of it is still not well defined for me. The fact that we keep going back and forth between books doesn't help either :(

In the end, I still don't know where I stand with this series. I really don't have the urge to read more, but at the same time, there are some characters I'd be interested to read about such as Richard, Kaldar's older brother... But from what I understand, whether there is more books in this series is a really big if.

2) A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan: C-

John McCann is an ambitious man who has worked hard and is about to achieve his professional dreams. Unfortunately, he'll have to wait due to health issues. His doctor has advised him to change his lifestyle, go for something less stressful... and that's how John ends up the proud owner of Margins, an independent bookstore. While the bookstore is just a temporary situation, John intends to turn it around and that means implementing some changes... The first one would be not to let people linger the whole day, reading in the used books section - especially a homeless man. However, the homeless man, David, is a regular and also John's employee's friend. And as time goes by, a bond between John and David is forged... but David has a lot of baggage that might not fit well in John's plans.

I want to start by saying that A Note in the Margin was a poignant story, but unfortunately, not my type of books. It was just a bit too deep for me ^_^; It focused on the relationship between John and David and while I liked that part, I kept wondering why. Why would John change his life around for David. Okay, I know, he loves David... but why was he attracted to David in the first place? Also, why did David leave his family? Was he suffering from depression? Was he tired of living a life that wasn't his? I know that it happens, that some people just up and leave and sometimes, for no reasons... but I like to understand things and it didn't really happen here. Nonetheless, I liked the relationship between John and David, how they both really wanted and put the efforts into it, even though it wasn't easy. However, it wouldn't be a book I'd read again.


3) The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers: B
Upcoming Review.


4) Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep: C+
Upcoming Review.


5) Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder: B-


6) Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski: B
Upcoming Review.

7) The One that I Want by Jennifer Echols: D

I usually enjoy Ms Echols books, but this one really didn't work for me. The story is about Gemma who is trying out to be a majorette because she's being pressured by her "best friend" Addison. Gemma has always been good twirling her batons, but the issue is that she is chubby. So through the whole summer, she's been losing weight in preparation... and she makes it! So during camp, she meets Max' who is the star kicker for the opposite team and has a crush on him. Unfortunately, Max chooses to go out with Addison and Gemma is stuck with Max' best friend... or so she thinks.

Ugh, so The One that I Want was all about high school drama. I really disliked the fact that Gemma let Addison push her around. She knows that Addison is not a good friend and despite everything, remains friend with the girl. That simply baffled me. Sometimes, being alone is better than being with a back-stabber friend. Just saying. So in my opinion, Gemma should had ditched Addison a long time ago, especially since she couldn't be trusted. Then, knowing Addision, Gemma should have known that something was up with the pairing.

As for the rest, it felt like there were issues just to be issues. There was not much that I liked... Gemma was an okay heroine. At least she knew about Addison and was wary, which makes her smart in my book. Plus, I like her sense of individualism and independence. But some of her action really made me wonder. Like her making out with Max' best friend when she's not attracted to him? Why? As for Max, I liked the fact that he was Asian and playing football LOL... but otherwise, he didn't make a better impression than Gemma.

8) Only Us by Susan Mallery: C

Carina Fiore is a pet groomer who works in Dr. Cameron McKenzie's vet clinic. She also takes care of his daughter and their arrangement seems to suit them both. Except that Carina has been in love with Cameron for a while and she needs to either confess or let go. However, Cameron has been burned before and he's not sure it's a good idea to get involved with the woman who takes care of his daughter, even though she's great and attractive. Cameron wants everything to remain the same, but can they?

Okay, let's clear out one thing... It seems to me that once love is confessed, things can never go back to normal. Ideally, it should, but reality is different. There's always a bit of discomfort and embarrassment and I think in that case, distance and time are two good things... but do not let the ball drop. Anyway, I'm saying this because I feel that in the end, Cameron's reasons to turn down Carina was stupid. He doesn't want things to change, doesn't want to lose Carina. After her confession, you really think that she'll stay, watching you going out with other women?!? That's why he should have gone for her instead. In the end, it feels like he only accepted her because she threatened to leave. It puts a doubt on the sincerity of his feelings :(

Anyway. I did enjoy Carina and Cameron's daughter, Kaitlyn, relationship :) And as a whole, everyone was really good people.

9) Winning the Wallflower by Eloisa James: B-

Lady Lucy Towerton is engaged to Mr. Cyrus Ptolemy Ravensthorpe, a rich and dashing businessman. When Lucy suddenly inherited a fortune and becomes an heiress, she is urged by her mother to ditch Cyrus and set her cap for a title... but, Lucy is in love with Cyrus. However, after a frank discussion with Cyrus, she discovers that Cyrus only needed a wife with a good background, that he didn't really have feelings for her, and she therefore calls it off.

Cyrus is an ambitious man with plans. He wants to gain back his mother's status, the daughter of an aristocrat who caused a scandal by marrying the family solicitor. Already, he has attained great wealth and has acquired a country estate... The next step is a wife. He has chosen Lady Lucy because she was a wallflower and therefore had not much prospect, but also because she was easy on the eye. After Lucy calls it off, Cyrus realizes the treasure he had under his nose... and he intends to win it back.

Winning the Wallflower was a really cute and charming story :) I liked both the H/H, their personalities but also what drove them. I thought it was honorable from Cyrus to wants to regain his mother's status :) Although he did go to the extreme and perhaps was a bit too focused LOL. Also, I really liked how methodical and organized he was with the Plan! In the end, I think that Cyrus needed a wake-up call and got it when Lucy broke off the engagement. I did like that he went after her, not because of his bruised ego - although there was a bit of that - but because he realized she was a good woman :) As for Lucy, she was really the type of heroine you want to read about. I loved how she finally took control of her life and didn't settle for a pair of pretty eyes. She deserved more and she was not about to settle, even if it meant perhaps not getting married.

The romance was very sweet and enjoyable. Obviously, I wished the story had been a bit longer - isn't that always the case with good novellas? :) Although I do think the novella ended at an awkward moment...  and I'm a bit disappointed though that we never saw Lucy confront her mother.

10) It Happened One Christmas by Kaitlin O'Riley: C-

Ms O'Riley is an author I've had on my radar for a while. Finally I thought I should give her a try by picking up It Happened One Christmas as I was in the mood for a Christmas-themed book. It Happened One Christmas is the third book in the Hamilton series and is Lisette's story. Lisette has been waiting for Henry to be settled enough to propose... and he finally does - just when she meets another interesting man, Quinton Roxbory, a younger son of an earl and a rising architect. Unfortunately, Quinton is also an engaged man... and both wonder if they are engaged to the wrong person.

So It Happened One Christmas was a well-written book, but... it was also a tad boring ^_^; Nothing exciting happened, the tone was a bit monotonous. There wasn't really anything that stood out enough for me to be engaged. Actually, there was - I liked the street urchin's storyline, but in the end, I thought it was superfluous. It was like two parallel storylines that intersect near the end, but with no real connection. I think the problem was that the storyline was a bit too obvious. Yes, I know, this is a romance... but here we are, with our H/H who are each engaged to different person. They meet and there is a connection between them, a chemistry... and fate has it that they keep crossing path. Then you learn that Lisette's fiancée is a stable staid man and Quinton's fiancée, the spoiled daughter of a duke. Right away, you know there's no passionate love between the H/H and their respective betrothed and therefore, no real conflict to stop them from being together. Anything they come up with are simply excuses ^_^;

Another thing that bothered me - and this is me nick-picking - is the fact that people called Quinton Mr instead of Lord. Aren't younger sons and daughters of earl still called Lord? I know it's not something really important, but it seemed wrong. Of course, I might be wrong - in which case, please let me know!

All in all, I'd read more of Ms O'Riley, but perhaps not this series.

11) Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson: C+

Okay, I'm going to skip the synopsis for this one, because I don't really know what to say. Basically, Autumn and Sam met in Las Vegas years ago and a passionate week-end led them to a quickie marriage, a quickie divorce and a son, Connor. Autumn is now an event planner and Sam is a hockey star, playing for the Chinooks of Seattle. A wedding throws them back together and somehow, they start spending more time together and sparks are re-ignited. Only problem is Autumn doesn't know if she can trust Sam again. Guess in the end, I knew what to say LOL.

I've enjoyed Ms Gibson's books in the past, but I have to admit, The Chinooks Hockey team series is not working for me. I can't really pinpoint what is not working, but it goes beyond my dislike of hockey... because I usually enjoy sport romances. Perhaps it's because all of the heroes are pretty  much the same - jocks with inflated ego. Also, the sport aspect has been pretty weak in my opinion. Yet I still bought Any Man of Mine because it was a contemporary sport romances and they are rare these days. And then, it took me a couple of months before reading it, because the reviews have been so-so only.

Perhaps it was due to the low expectations, but I thought Any Man of Mine wasn't that bad. I liked that Sam actually had a relationship with Connor prior to the book. Sure, Sam wasn't going to win any Father of the Year award and wasn't 100% available, but he at least had contact with Connor which is so much more than some fathers. Then, once he realized how much he's hurt Connor by breaking their arrangements, he was genuinely sorry and he tried to do better. Not a perfect father, but a willing one at least and I think that counted for something.

The rest of the book was about Sam and Autumn reconnecting and I thought that was the weak part of the book.  I like second chances story, but I don't really get why Sam suddenly fell in love with Autumn again. Why he wanted to be with Autumn and be a family again. Also, I found it annoying that Autumn would jump back into bed with Sam, but not sure about the rest. I understand Autumn's reservation - she has to think of Connor and also, how Sam treated her the first time around... but in that case, don't start sleeping with him!! I think overall, Any Man of Mine lacked some depth. Had Ms Gibson expands on a few points and this book definitively would have been better.

12) Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare: B-

This is a novella part of Ms Dare's new series. Violet Winterbottom has been hiding in Spindle Cove after her heart has been broken. However, she's about to return to London and have another Season per her family's demands. There is a dance before the night she leaves and Violet attends... but the dance is interrupted when a man, wet and injured, barged in the ballroom and literally falls at Violet's feet. The man is not English and because Violet is the only one who seems to understand him, she is tasked to find out more about him while the militia prepares for an attack.

Okay, so my impression of Once Upon a Winter's Eve is it was better than the first book in the Spindle Cove series, A Night to Surrender. The storyline was more appealing and more exciting in my opinion - although a bit more far-fetched ^_^; I liked Violet, her story and her relationship with the hero.  As for the hero, what he did to Violet was unforgivable really, no matter the pain and grief he felt... but I guess he redeemed himself by risking his mission and reaching out for Violet. Overall, a nice novella.

13) A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton: B-

This was a freebie I got from Harlequin for Christmas. Wyatt Kent is still reeling from his divorce with his ex and it's been already two years. Then, he suddenly finds himself working in close proximity of his ex-sister-in-law Calliope... and Wyatt is attracted! However, no matter how different Calliope is, he's not ready to embark in another relationship... But Calliope intends to make him see reason!

I think having H/H who were ex-in-laws falling in love with each other is always a bit iffy and so authors have to thread carefully to make it work. In the case of A Rare Gift, Ms Burton was successful. I bought the attraction between Calliope and Wyatt and didn't mind that they were ex-in-laws. I do think that Callliope was a bit pushy at times. I agree with her that he needed a push when it came to starting the relationship... but once they did, I thought she could have backed off a little. Yes, it was time for Wyatt to move on, but at the same time to push him to meet with his ex... Was that really for his benefit or for your own? I did like that in the end, Calliope's sister wasn't such a bitch. She did come across as selfish, but I guess they just drifted away. Anyway, a nice novella, but not sure I'd re-read it.

14) The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde: C

There is a legend that "On Christmas Eve, if you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your one true love, he will be your destiny." And so that's why pudgy teenager Sarah Collier ran down the church aisle on Christmas Day in a jingle bell sweater and reindeer antlers, trying to stop Travis Walker from marrying someone else. Humiliating? Yes. That's why Sarah has not set foot back in Twilight ever since. Fast-forward to 8-9 years, Sarah is now a best-seller author for children known as Sadie Cool. She gets a letter asking her to return to Twilight for the sake of a little sick fangirl who turns out to be Travis' daughter. Unbesknownt to Sarah, the cookie club is trying to do a lot more than realize Jazzy's dream... they want to make the legend come true.

I got this book at RWA and figured it'd be a nice read for Christmas. However, I think by the time I read The First Love Cookie Club, I've already saturated on Christmas-themed book. All in all, The First Love Cookie Club was a nice book, but not really memorable. I think it felt a bit too forced, the fact that all those ladies were pushing Travis and Sarah into each other's arm. And when they finally decided to succumb, to throw in the mother? Especially because Raylene had called her back? I think that whole aspect bothered me most, although it did make sense to some extent. It's just, who are you to play with other people's life? I also have to say I didn't care much about Sarah. I just found her a bit too young and self-absorbed. So you've embarrassed yourself years ago. Just move on and live your life. Instead, it seems to me she's been hiding for years. And when it came time for her to be selfish, she wasn't!! Ugh. As for Travis, I just felt like he was a puppet that anyone could pull the strings. His priority was Jazzy, his focus was Jazzy, his life was Jazzy. The rest, people could do whatever he wanted. I think it'd really have been nice if Travis had a male friend, it would have balanced everything out a little bit. Anyway, the best part of this book was the devotion Travis had for his daughter - it was just heart-warming and in the spirit of Christmas.

15) Unlocked by Courtney Milan: B

Unlocked is a novella, therefore short, but it packs quite a punch! The story is about Lady Elaine Warren who after ten seasons has resigned herself to spinsterhood. All she wants is for the ton to stop making fun of her and her mother. However, her hopes are dashed when Evan Carlton, the Earl of Westfeld, returns... or so she thinks. Evan cannot believe that the nickname he's given to Lady Elaine - Lady Equine - because of her laugh is still whispered around after all this time. Now that he's back from his self-imposed exile, it is time for him to step up to the plate and right the wrong he's done.

I really liked this novella, because I felt Ms Milan has captured the human nature. The thoughtlessness of a young man and his cowardice... and the maturity and redemption of the grown man. The wariness of a woman, her strength, her courage and also her forgiveness. Ms Milan's characters were flawed and very real and it made this novella in my opinion. I loved that Evan had the courage to stand up and reveal the truth - I think that was one of the best declarations I've read in a romance. I loved that not all was forgotten when Evan declared himself just so Elaine would marry. That after all the hurt she's endured, she didn't do a complete 180 and fallen in love with him right away. Okay, it didn't take that much time, but hey this was a novella :) In any case, Ms Milan totally won me over with the characters, the depth and the writing. My only question is, where was Elaine's father? All these years, where was he? I'd think that after 3 or 4 seasons, he'd start to try finding out why his pretty daughter didn't have a suitor and arrange something. Luckily for me, it didn't detract too much from the story :)

16) A Taste of Nightlife by Sarah Zettel: C

Charlotte Caine is a chef and half-owner of Nightlife, a Greenwich Village restaurant that caters to humans and paranormals, especially vampires. Her evening starts well, especially when she gets news that the notorious food critic for the vampire community is among the customers. Charlotte intends to impress him with the food. Everything quickly goes downhill when a drunk mage stumbles in Nightlife, makes a scene which causes the fire sprinklers to go off, and is later found dead, drained of blood, in the dining room. When the police starts suspecting her vampire brother, Chet, Charlotte is determined to prove his innocence and finds herself noising around alongside with Anatole Severin, the vampire food critic and also elder in the community, and Brendan Maddox, the dead mage's cousin.

I picked this up because I came across the cover of Let Them Eat Stake and thought the book sounded very interesting. Since it was only coming out this April and it was the second book in the series, I decided to check out the first book, A Taste of Nightlife. What caught my attention was the idea of a human chef, Charlotte, trying to cater to a vampiric clientele - it sounded fun :)

While A Taste of Nightlife is a cozy mystery, it had one of the best paranormal world building I've come across in a while. It was simple, interesting and there was no information dump, instead it was well woven into the storyline. I really, really liked the world Ms Zettel has created, especially when you add in the heroine who is a chef and the restaurant atmosphere. I think I've mentioned it before, but I really like characters who are cooks/chefs because they have so much passion, but also personality :) I think just for the building alone, I would come back to this series! That's how much I liked it.

So the beginning was very strong, with the setting up, introduction of the characters and so on. Unfortunately, when it came to the mystery, it was very convoluted and there wasn't really any explanation... and that's where this book started losing me ^_^; It just started getting confusing as the mystery was a bit all over the place with too much going on. And finally, there was the dreaded love triangle ^_^; That just annoyed me, not only because I wanted it to focus on the mystery for once... but if you're going to introduce romantic elements, it doesn't have to be a love triangle!! Especially when you don't make it clear why these two awesome, charming and powerful men are interested in the girl! Don't get me wrong, I liked Charlotte... but I don't understand why two "pioneers" of their community are attracted to her at the same time. If you really need to do love triangles, then please try to be at least a little original.

In the end, I'm still looking for the perfect cozy mystery series for me and I'm left unsure whether I should pick up Let Them Eat Stake... I guess only time will tell.

17) When a Duke Says I Do by Jane Goodger: B

This book took me by surprise, because I didn't know that Ms Goodger had a release coming out in 2011 :) As soon as I found out, I decided to give this book a go, because it sounded really interesting :)

The story is about Miss Elsie Stanhope who's been betrothed to the future Duke of Kingston since she was a young girl. Her betrothed doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get married and that suits Elsie just fine as she's not ready to leave her father's household and her younger sister Mary behind. Also, the current Duke of Kingston is not an easy man to live with and she wants as little contact with the man as possible. For her next birthday ball, Elsie wants a mural painting in the ballroom and hired the most famous painter to perform the task. Said painter has brought with him his mute young assistant, Andre, and Elsie finds herself intrigued by the man. As Elsie has trouble sleeping in her bed, she has the habit of wandering in the house late at night and ends up keeping Andre company while he paints. One thing leads to another and very quickly, Elsie and Andre are in love with each other. Then, suddenly, the Duke of Kingston is pushing his son to honor the betrothal... There is only one way for Elsie and Andre to have a happy ending and it is for pathologically shy Andre whose real name is Alexander to step up and reveal his true identity.

This book started out strong for me. I really liked Andre/Alexander's character. He definitively was the strong and quiet type, emphasis on quiet... and his past, I can't imagine what he went through. Then again, I think if he had stayed with his family, his father would have broken him. It was better for him to be away and he was lucky that the doctor at the asylum really cared about his patients and noticed the truth about Alexander. I also thought it was admirable that for Elsie, he would renounced to anonymity. That he'd step up and reclaim his birthright. You can see how hard it was for him and yet... he did it. And therefore, it's a bit hard to resent him for his attitude towards Elsie after he stopped her wedding. I definitively think she should have more faith in Alexander, even when her father was pressuring her. Also, the whole thing was pretty ironic as a situation ^_^;

I also liked the story as I thought it was different, original. My problem with When a Duke Says I Do stemmed from Elsie. I actually liked her at first. Her background story was interesting and sad at the same time and it explained really well why she wouldn't sleep in her bed. However, as the story went on, I started caring less and less about her. It seemed to me Elsie should have known better than to spend that much time with Alexander. Sure, Alexander didn't turn her away, but she could have wandered anywhere in the house... Why go back to Alexander night after night? Especially when she knew she was falling in love with him and it couldn't happen. Also, Elsie was portrayed as a very sunny and happy person. She's been sheltered and therefore, a bit naïve in the way life really is... and that really bothered me to a certain degree, because in her mind, Alexander reclaiming his status was going to be easy. A walk in the park. And then when Alexander finally finds the courage to brave his demons, she doesn't have enough faith in him to wait :( Yes, there were evidences, but she threw in the towel too easily for me.

Lastly, I would have liked a little follow-up with the other characters at the end. For example, Elsie jilted fiancé, Oscar. I really would have liked to see his reaction. I would also have liked to have seen more of Alexander's mentor and his mother. In any case, these are small complaints. Overall, When a Duke Says I Do was a strong historical, but more importantly, refreshing :)


18) Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke
Upcoming Review.


19) Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr
Upcoming Review for Netgalley


20) Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews
Upcoming Review.

21) If I Stay by Gayle Forman: B

When Mia got in the car with her parents and younger brother for a fun, impromptu family outing, she never expected her life to change forever. In a blink of an eye, Mia went from dozing off to waking up, out of her body. After surgery, Mia's body slips into a coma... Surrounded by her family and friends, Mia has to decide if she can survive her parent's death, if she can stay.

This book first came to my attention when Mollie reviewed it. It sounded like a very deep, touching book... So when it was released in paperback, I picked it up :) However, because I've been expecting to bawl my eyes off, I have been putting it off ^_^; I was finally in the mood in December and I'm glad I've finally read it!

As expected, If I Stay was a very good read. It is a little bit unusual, because not much is happening. The book is a reflection on Mia's life. As she debates whether to stay or not, we get flashbacks of her important moments. How she got into music, how she met her boyfriend Adam, etc. In a way, it's very passive, but it works because of the characters and the writing. There is no doubt that If I Stay is well-written, the style very refreshing. The hospital scenes and the flashbacks really flow seamlessly. Also the author has done a great job selecting the flashbacks. But really, what stands out in this book is the characters. Mia is a great heroine, very well-adjusted in her life. You can feel her love for her parents and younger brother, her passion for the cello and classical music, her chemistry with Adam. Adam was a great boyfriend as well. I loved that the two were different, but that they shared a passion for music :) I loved the moments of selfishness they each had. It just felt so real. And oh, Mia's parents? They were so cool. Quirky and non-conventional, but the best parents I've seen in a YA novel as they did communicate with Mia and Teddy, did bond and have a relationship with them :) In a way, I think it's because they didn't put pressure on themselves or the kids and just lived the kind of life they want :) They did everything on their own terms and that made them great parents :)

There were definitively some good moments in If I Stay such as the scene where Mia's grandfather tells her it's okay if she doesn't stay. That scene was so touching, even thinking about it now makes the tears come T_T And as I said, the characters totally made the book. At the same time, it was a bit uneventful as a story. There was no big secret to uncover, no wrong to right... it was definitively character-centric, but at the same time, it's not as if the relationship could really move forward or develop. Also, in my case, when I read the book, well I was already aware of the ending since there's a sequel Where She Went. So it was a bit anti-climatic and I think it lessened the impact for me, because it didn't turn out to be as emotional as I expected it'd be... And that's why at the end, I'm giving it a B.

22) The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance: C

Bethany and her best friend, Moni, are geek girls. When Moni decides to participate to the cheerleaders try-out to prove that cheerleaders aren't special and even geek girls can become one, Bethany joins her for support. She never expected they would succeed! Now Bethany's life is busier than ever and she's stuck between two worlds. However, it might be worth it all when Jack, the basketball star and Bethany's long-time crush, finally makes a move.

I'll admit, this is not my type of book. However, I've really been interested and wanting to read this book because of the whole geek girl aspect :) I consider myself a bit of a geek and with shows like The Big Bang Theory and Chuck, I think geeks are on the rise! :) So I was looking forward to this book... Unfortunately, there was nothing really special in The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading to make it really stand out :(

Overall, I think Ms Tahmaseb and Ms Vance did a good job with the geek aspect. It wasn't too stereotypical and overwhelming. Most of it was quite subtle, like Moni's cap: QTπ (Cutie Pie)! I actually think there was room to be even more geeky :) I also liked that becoming a cheerleader didn't change Bethany's life. Sure there were some changes, but the things that really mattered? No.

The rest of the book was just regular high school drama... and the falling-out between Moni and Bethany was too predictable :( I did like Bethany's attitude throughout the book though. She was quite mature, level-headed and realistic. I also liked that Jack was genuinely attracted to Bethany. And that she didn't catch his eye only because she had become a cheerleader. However, I think that something was missing in this relationship. The romance wasn't very engaging and I loath bets! Even if the bet wasn't what Bethany thought it was, it's just a bad idea :( All in all, The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There was definitively some good stuff, but not enough to wow me.

23) Addition by Toni Jordan: D+

The story is about Grace who went through an emotional trauma when she was 8 years old and as a result, her world is now ruled with numbers. One day while grocery shopping, she realizes that she only has 9 bananas in her basket and she absolutely needs 10. Instead of going back to get her 10th banana, she notices that the guy behind her has one lone one in his basket... Who buys only 1 banana? Surely, he won't miss it right? And that's how she meets Sheamus.

I heard of Addition a couple of years ago already. The heroine has a certain type of OCD and I thought it'd be interesting to read about. Different. Unfortunately, I thought this book was so-so only. Perhaps it's my romance reader roots, but still.

The start was very promising. The grocery store scene was really funny and I liked the coffee shop scene as well. Grace's character was also very well-written. She has OCD, but you get the feeling that even though she didn't, she'd still be quirky. What didn't work for me was the Grace and Sheamus relationship. They were cute together, but everything went too fast. There basically was no courting, no trying to understand each other. I think that with someone like Grace who obviously has some baggage, the key is really communication and understanding. I get that Sheamus wanted to help Grace out, that his intentions were honorable. Still, you don't barge into someone's life and start changing things up. Also, it was bad from Grace to go along and never tell Sheamus the truth. So starting from that point, the book went downhill for me. Plus, Grace's fixation on her hero, some inventor that also had OCD, got old real fast. She would go off and off and that dragged the book :( I have to say though, I'm happy at the ending :)


Books bought: + 7
Books read: -23
TBR pile: -16

So I did finish the year 2011 with a bang. 23 books! I think that's the most I've read in a month in a long long time. It was partly due to the number of novellas I've read, but also because I wanted to reach 200 books and I did :) I also didn't realize how little books I've bought! I've been such a good girl! LOL. Now, I really feel like I'm due for a book shopping spree :)

Now that I'm done with 2011, I want to focus on catching up on full reviews :) Not just from 2011, but this past month as well. Then, I'll have to start working on my Monthly Reads post for January. I'm thinking though that I need to change something... I'm toying with the idea of doing Weekly Reads post like Ames instead... because recapping at the end of the month is really becoming a challenge. What do you think? Any suggestion?

Monthly Reads: December 2010

Okay, where did my week go?!? I didn't mean to neglect my blog this week; only it's been real busy and hectic. I haven't had much time to sit and type and so have been pushing back this post a day and another... and before I know it, it's already Friday!! Sigh. Ah well, it's life LOL. But the spirit is definitely here :)

Now, let's try to get my December reads list over with :P December was kind of a rough month for me. It started off really well and then, it just lost momentum. Part of it was the holidays and therefore, work parties and general busy-ness associated to it... but another reason was simply that I needed a vacation. As a result, I kind of fell from my bandwagon and didn't log in my reads and books bought ^_^; So this might be an incomplete list, as my memory lately is quite faulty. In any case, I'm going to try to keep it short LOL. However, you know me...

1) The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron: C

This new fantasy series features Eli Monpress as the main character, a charming, wizard-y thief. Eli's purpose in life is to make a name for himself and that means getting a bounty of 1,000,000 gold standards. In order to reach this goal, he and his gang - a talented swordsman and a demonseed - are wrecking havoc wherever they go. Eli's latest scheme is the kidnapping of the King of Mellinor. Everything just gets more exciting when Miranda Lyonette, a wizard part of the Spirit court whose job is to apprehend Eli. Of course, everything goes off plan when the king's brother show up to steal the throne...

I picked up The Spirit Thief because I was looking for a new fantasy series and I love, love, love thief characters. There's just something enigmatic about them that I find attractive... and Eli Monpress is all that. He's such a fun character - charming, witty and surprising. Another interesting aspect of Eli is his interactions with his companions, Josef the swordsman and Nico the demonseed. There is definitively friendship between the three, but at the same time, they are all pushed by individual ambitions. So it's really a balance of friendship and selfishness... and while Eli can appear very selfish and whiny at times, there are key moments where his true personality and deepness appear.

Another thing that attracted me to this book was the fact that Eli was a wizard. However, a wizard in this world doesn't wield magic through spells. Instead, wizards are able to communicate and control spirits and everything has a spirit. Wood, trees, grass, moss, water, wind and the list goes on. So you can imagine how that can be handy. Anyway, while the concept is interesting, I think I would have preferred regular magic :P

The plot of The Spirit Thief is not bad either. Actually, it's quite interesting. Then again, I enjoy court intrigue and so perhaps that's why. So I enjoyed Eli's scheme to kidnap the king and demand a ransom and all for the purpose of increasing his bounty. I also liked Miranda Lyonette and what she stood for... and really, Eli and Miranda are engaging in quite a dance :P So a lot of positive in this book. However, where I'm hitting a wall is the writing I think. Either the writing or the voice. There is just something about it that stops me from completely getting into the story. Or perhaps it's the pacing? I just know that I wasn't totally engaged by The Spirit Thief, even though I liked many of its elements :(

By the way, ditto for The Spirit Rebellion and The Spirit Eater. I skimmed through most of both books and I doubt if I'll go back and read it properly ^_^; So I guess your enjoyment of this book will depend on your enjoyment of the author's writing style.

Hmmm, I'm not really keeping this short, right?

2) His Captive Lady by Anne Gracie: B

Harry Morant is the by-blow of an earl who was mistreated by his stepfather as a child, but luckily saved by his great-aunt and later went to war with one of his half-brothers. However, war is now over and Harry decides it's time to settle down. He asks his aunt to find him a wife while he searches for the right property to start his horse business. However, one glance at Lady Nell Freymore and he knows she's the one... Except she refuses to marry him!

Nell Freymore doesn't believe anymore. Her father was always full of promises and hope... and he died in the middle of the road, leaving Nell practically destitute. But one glance at Harry and maybe, maybe he can change her mind. Unfortunately she doesn't have time to find out because Nell is on a mission and needs to return to London to continue her search...

In November, I read The Accidental Wedding by Anne Gracie and really enjoyed it, so looked for her backlist. One of the books I hoped to read was His Captive Lady as Harry and Nell make an appearance in The Accidental Wedding and Harry has quite an interesting past.

Basically, there was a lot I enjoyed in this book. First the characters for their quiet strength and perseverance. I liked their relationship too and their instant attraction for each other. It's not attraction in terms of lust, but more like they fell under the spell of each other. It was all very sweet and even more with Harry's understanding. The whole plot was engaging and I liked that the characters actions were natural, but also understandable. Like there was nothing out of character, just to make the story moves along. Everything flowed well and the intrigue was well incorporated into the the storyline. It was really a pleasant romance; I can't say fluffy, because there was some serious issues, but but it wasn't overbearing and this is kudos to Ms Gracie's writing. Overall, an excellent job. My only complaint is I wanted more interactions between the Renfrew brothers. They share a difficult relationship that stems from their parents and I don't really feel like it was resolved. Plus, Harry and his friends (Luke and Rafe) all went to war together and were known as the Devil Riders - the name of the series. While we do meet Luke and Rafe, I didn't feel their connection. Yes, there is friendship between them, but there is something more that link them, which is why they all went to war together (they didn't meet in war, they enlisted together) and I wanted to see that. I'm not saying that I want a subplot about something that happened to them during war like the Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens or the Legend of the Four Soldiers by Elizabeth Hoyt, because I don't. However, I feel there is something in this friendship and it could be expanded.


3) An Indecent Proposition by Emma Wildes: B
Upcoming Review.


4) Alien Tango by Gini Koch: B+
Upcoming Review.

5) The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie: C-

Prudence Merridow is the oldest of five girls who are living under the thumb of their tyrant grandfather. When the man sprained his ankle and is confined to bed for several weeks, Prudence plots their escape to London where they seek the help of their great-uncle. Prudence's hope is for her beautiful sisters to make their debut and potential marry so they could access their inheritance and never return to their grandfather. However, their great-uncle Oswald worry that the girls will overshadow plain Prudence and therefore decides that only Prudence can make her debut and the others will have to wait till Prudence's future is secured. Except, Prudence is already affianced, but has promised to keep the engagement a secret... and thus, she fakes being engaged to the reclusive duke... only to have him and his rake of a cousin show up and foil her plans...

I actually owned this Perfect series a few years ago and tried reading The Perfect Rake and it just didn't work for me. This is why I was so hesitant to buy The Accidental Wedding, but then, I ended up loving it. So I decided to give The Perfect Rake another go... and it turns out my initial impression of this book remains ^_^;

Actually, the book isn't bad at all and there is a lot to enjoy such as the sisters relationship, their love for each other. The plot is quite good and well thought out, although at times it might seem like a lot is going on. Plus, the writing is there. So what's my issue with The Perfect Rake then? The romance. It just didn't work for me, I didn't feel the connection between Prudence and Gideon (the duke's cousin) nor the chemistry. Prudence's engagement just got in the way and it stalled the whole romance. I also thought Gideon's reformation was a bit too quick... and the fact that we kept being reminded that Prudence wasn't as pretty as her sisters was annoying. Finally, the secondary romance involving Charity, the second sister, and Gideon's cousin, was a bit bland ^_^;

6) The Perfect Kiss by Anne Gracie: C

After reading The Perfect Rake, I jumped to the fourth book of the series, The Perfect Kiss, because out of the 5 sisters, I liked Grace the best :) Grace has grown into a lovely woman and has no intention to marry a fortune hunter. Instead, she plans to travel to Egypt and discover the world. Her plans are pushed aside temporarily though when her good friend Melly Pettifer is forced to marry Dominic Wolfe against her will.

Dominic Wolfe hated his father and intended to let the family estate go to ruins. However, once he shows up at the estate, he realizes he cannot let that happen for the sake of the tenants whom his father has neglected. Unfortunately, the only way Dominic is going to inherit is if he marries Melly... unless the Pettifers break the contract. Only Melly's father is dying and is adamant that Melly marry Dominic believing the man will fall in love with his daughter and Melly is too shy to stand for herself - that's where Grace comes in.

I chose to read The Perfect Rake, because I really liked Grace character in The Perfect Rake. She was only 12 years old, but full of spirits. While her sisters worried about balls and men, she was more down to earth, a real skeptic and overall, fun :) In The Perfect Kiss, Grace has grown up and I felt she was a bit more subdued. Oh, her strong personality was still there, but it was a bit overshadowed by her doubts about finding happiness like her sisters. As for Dominic, he was a good hero in the rough around the edge kind. He came across a bit at a hard man and I wouldn't say he was mellow inside, but reasonable and who understood what a hard life was.

Overall, I thought The Perfect Kiss was a good read. I liked how Dominic got attached to his estate and the people. I also thought his past was very interesting and would have liked it to be a bit more developed. Where I have a problem is the romance once again. Not the attraction or interactions between Dominic and Grace, but the conflict. The reason why Dominic and Grace could not be together despite their love was that Dominic would then lose the estate. At first, he didn't care... and then, when he was ready to give it up, Grace wouldn't let him. I understood the dilemma and that there were people dependent on the decision, but I felt the selflessness was out of character. Instead, I expected Dominic and Grace to fight and find a solution to allow them to be together. I thought our H/H gave up a bit too easily and the selflessness just dragged down the romance :( In the end, there was a solution and it was actually quite obvious ^_^;

7) Cold Midnight by Joyce Lamb: C-

At 17 years old, Kylie McKay was a tennis star on the rise; however, a vicious attack damaged her knee permanently, putting an end to her career. After the attack, as a way to cope, Kylie left Kendall Falls, Florida, and ran all over the way to California... leaving behind a broken-hearted Chase Manning.

Ten years later, Kylie finally returns to Kendall Falls intending to build a tennis center in the memory of her father. However, construction is delayed when a baseball bat covered in blood is found... Perhaps the bat that ended Kylie's career. Things get more complicated when Chase, now a police detective, is assigned to the investigation. It soon becomes that neither Kylie or Chase have let go of their feelings for each other...

I was looking for the upcoming new releases when I stumbled across Ms Lamb True Colors. I thought this was Ms Lamb's debut novel, but I was wrong. However, the surprise came when I found out that True Colors was going to be Ms Lamb's third release with Berkley... I like Berkley as a publisher and thus, am usually aware of the authors associated with it and somehow, not one, but two romance books by Ms Lamb with Berkley have slipped through my radar. Okay... So that's why I picked up Cold Midnight... plus, it sounded like a promising RS book.

Overall, I thought the premise was promising and the case, potential. Unfortunately, the romance got into the way ^_^; Or more specifically, Kylie and Chase's relationship. Is there a difference? So Kylie construction crew unearths the baseball bat that might have been used in Kylie's attack and Chase is assigned to the case. Already, there's a problem because Chase is too close to the case, he cannot remain impartial and detached. Then, he is so not over Kylie. While investigating, he's trying to figure out the new Kylie and is pissed all over again that she abandoned him. I don't know, I felt like he was spending too much time on Kylie instead of on the investigation. He also blamed Kylie for abandoning him behind, which she did. However, in a matter of 2 or 3 months after she left, Kylie realized that she made a mistake and planned to come back to Chase, only to find out that he was getting married and was going to be a father soon. In that situation, I don't think you can put all the blame on Kylie. Sure she did a mistake, but really, she couldn't come back to him... and yes, the situation arise because Kylie broke his heart, but seriously, it doesn't excuse drunk sex. However, I think what annoyed me most in the end was the fact that Chase arrested Quinn. Yes, the clues pointed to Quinn and he had motives, but there were no solid evidences! Chase knew Kylie's reaction to Quinn's arrest wouldn't be favorable to their relationship and yet, he still went ahead with the arrest with the reasoning being that he could build a case for trial... and then, he was angry at Kylie for shying from their relationship. Seriously?!?! You just arrested your girlfriend's half-brother whom she loves and believes is innocent for an attack that changed her life without real, solid evidence... and when she feels guilty about your relationship, you are angry that she's choosing her family over you. Wow.

So yeah, this is why the book didn't work for me. I think that instead of focusing so much on this insane relationship, Ms Lamb could have developed the secondary characters better and make use of her premises and settings better. All this would have made this book more thrilling in my opinion. I mean, the case overall was interesting, but it could have been much better by simply shifting the focus a little. Still, I'm going to try more of Ms Lamb because she definitively showed promise to me :)

8) Silver and Spice by Jennifer Greene: E

Anne Blake and Jake Rivard grew up in the same neighborhood, both raised by their grandparents, and friendship became love. However, all Anne wants is a normal and simple life, while Jake is always looking for the next adventure. Of course, this has never stopped Anne for falling into bed with Jake whenever he is back, although she knows there is no future for the two of them as they want different things out of life. Unknown to Anne though, Jake does not agree and this time is different. This time, Jake has come back with the intent of marrying Anne... He's given her ample time to settle down with someone, to make a life for herself and she hasn't and so they will together.

Silver and Spice was originally written by Ms Green as Jeanne Grant and has been picked up by Carina Press to be re-published. While I usually love free-spirit heroine thawing the stuffy hero theme, the reverse is not always true. I find that heroines can be more stubborn than heroes when it comes to adjusting their lifestyle.

Anyway, Silver and Spice was not totally what I expected it to be. First, from the blurb, I had no idea Anne and Jake knew each other. Then, I felt Anne was too unwilling to try, to simply listen to Jake and think about it. Playing hard to get is a ploy that can work sometimes, but in this case, that's not what was happening. Anne truly believed that she had no future with Jake because they were so different, although she loved him. She didn't even consider it and it was just annoying. Jake could be charming at times, but I didn't get him, I didn't understand him and thought he was a bit under-developed. I loved the fact though he came back to Anne. Overall, I just didn't hit it off with this book and ended up skimming through a lot of it :(

9) The Family Way by Jayne Ann Krentz: C

Prudence Kenyon agreed to embark in an affair with Case McCord even though he was very clear from the beginning that he was not interested in marriage because she believed he was the one... and perhaps she could have continued simply living with him as his lover. However, getting pregnant changed the rules. The last thing that Pru wanted was for Case to marry  her out of duty, she wanted him to marry her for love... and thus, gave him an ultimatum. Unfortunately, Case thought she was bluffing and Pru walked out.

This is a pretty classic old-school JAK with a hero who's a bit of a jerk and a heroine that loves him despite everything. I thought the book would focus more on the relationship between Pru and Case, him trying to woo her back. LOL, I don't know what I was thinking since it's so not JAK style ^_^; The romance between Case and Pru was resolved quite rapidly, although Case should have grovelled a lot more for Pru to come back. And instead, the story delved in Case's past and his relationship with his family. Overall, the story was good and interesting... but it would have been better if it didn't remind me so strongly of The Golden Chance. There were a lot of similarities between the two books - hero estranged with family, the pregnancy, heroine's belief that hero would have done what's right because of pregnancy, etc. So much that I believe The Family Way is the precursor of The Golden Chance and that dampened my enjoyment of the book a little bit. Also, in the end, The Family Way could not really compare to The Golden Chance given the difference in length and the way the book wrapped everything up a bit too neatly and abruptly.

10) Call it Destiny by Jayne Ann Krentz: D

As a teenager, Heather Strand just couldn't see eye to eye with her father, probably because the two were so similar. As a result, she left Texas at 18 years old and wounded up in California... where she learned all about the family business - hotels. Now that her father has retired, Heather has come back to Tucson to take over the rein of the family business. To this end, Heather proposes a marriage of convenience to Jake Lavender, the man  who's become her father's right-hand man. However, Jake is not interested in a marriage of convenience. Instead, he wants a real marriage and somewhere to belong.

Okay, a quick disclaimer. I picked this book up at around mid-December, exactly the time when I started growing restless and also knew that my vacation was coming up and this probably influenced the way I feel about this book. Anyway, I'm a sucker for marriage of convenience and thought it was interesting that for once, it's the man that wants more. I thought Call it Destiny started out really well and was very promising. However, it all went south when Heather found out that her father has already sold the business to Jake. I have to agree with Jake on this count that it was very arrogant of Heather to believe she could just come back and take the rein... Not knowing anything about the difficulties the resort has gone through while she was away. Plus, I don't know, spending so much time away, why would you come back for the family business that you didn't follow, pay attention to? Why not just start something of your own? At the same time, it was bad of Jake and Heather's father to keep the truth from her... I think they should have told Heather and then, Jake would have had more success just wooing her afterward. So anyway, Heather makes a mega scene at her wedding... and then proceed to run into her ex-boyfriend, the one she ran away with. That's where I started losing interest in the book. I personally think that Ms Krentz had enough conflict between the characters to focus on instead of bringing in a villain and external events. It just seems very superfluous... And when finally, Heather falls in love with Jake, it seems just too quick to be believable. Overall, Call it Destiny was just okay... but the last scene was cute :)

11) Test of Time by Jayne Ann Krentz: DNF

Okay, I'm cheating. The synopsis is from Goodreads LOL.

He had married for all the best reasons: They liked and respected each other; they had a lot in common and would be great together in business . . . and in bed; and marriage to Katy Randall would help make people forget just how rough Garrett Coltrane's past has been. But she had married for only one reason: love. And that was the one thing Garrett didn't want.

I think that part of the synopsis is wrong though. It's not that Garrett didn't want love, but he didn't consider it the best reason to get married. Garrett and Katy knew each other since Garrett used to be a stable hand in Katy's family. Then, he returned as a self-made man and Garrett and Katy went through a whirlwind courtship. However, after their wedding night, Katy realizes that Garrett doesn't love her and she wants to annul the marriage. Garrett convinces her to stay, see how things go and take a decision after a few months...

I picked this up because I didn't know what to read... but quite frankly, after xxx, I should have picked something else. I think I simply wasn't in the mood for this book and so ended up getting bored and not wanting to finish it ^_^; Sometimes, you need something familiar to get you through a slump... but it was not the case this time. That being said, I might pick up this book again in the future...

12) At the Duke's Pleasure by Tracy Anne Warren: D+

Edward Byron, Duke of Clybourne, and Lady Claire Marsden have been engaged ever since Claire has been a little baby, the marriage arranged by their fathers. Edward has ignored the engagement as long as possible, but it is now time for him to settle down. And why bother looking for a new bride when Claire, the daughter of an earl, has been raised all her life to be his duchess? However, Claire does not want to marry Edward... When she was a young girl of 16, Claire reached out to Edward, believing in their love... only to find him in the arms of another woman. At 21 years old, Claire is no longer deluded about their engagement... Unfortunately for Claire, her father doesn't want to hear about her refusal to marry. The only way she'll get out of this marriage is if Edward breaks the engagement...

At the end of 2010, I was on a historical romances binge. I read what is an unusual high number for me and enjoyed quite a few of them. When I picked up At the Duke's Pleasure, I thought it was going to be a perfect fit for me. I love arranged marriage and was looking forward to Edward and Claire getting to know each other which is what was hinted in the blurb. However, I was in for a few surprises. First, there was the fact that Edward was working as some kind of secret agent. I guess authors find this ploy handy to add some intrigue or mysterious element, but it's seriously being over-used and the problem is, authors are not coming up with any original idea. The secret agent is usually looking for a traitor or someone that did him/her wrong for revenge and being so secretive, it leads to misunderstand and ultimately, at the end, someone - usually, the loved one, is going to be in cross-fire/danger. So as soon as you learn about a secret agent, you know half the story already and it takes away from the book.

Then, I thought At the Duke's Pleasure would be about Edward and Claire getting to know each other. Instead, it's more about Claire getting into mischief, hoping it'll be scandalous enough to embarrass Edward and push him to break off the engagement. Unfortunately for Claire, Edward is used to scandal as his family is known to be "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" and therefore, he has a high threshold of tolerance. Instead of embarrassing him, she actually she intrigues him. The whole was supposed to be amusing, but it fell short for me because Claire seemed too childish. I mean, she is 21 years old and the oldest of three, so I expected a certain level of maturity and the way she handled the issue, it didn't show.

Overall, At the Duke's Pleasure was just an okay read for me, especially in comparison to "similar" storyline such as His Sinful Secret by Emma Wildes or Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath.

13) The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross: C+

Cheating again LOL. From Goodreads...

Former Navy SEAL Sax Douchett returns to his home town and is hailed as a local hero. But starting over is difficult when he unearths a long- buried secret that reunites him with a past he's never forgotten. She's Sheriff Kara Conway, a girl who's always held a special place in his heart. But as he cautiously reconnects with Kara and bonds with her young son, another long-held secret in Shelter Bar threatens their second chance at a life together...

I'm not really up-to-date on Ms Ross books, not having read her last few releases. However, The Homecoming had favorable reviews and a strong voucher, Holly :) This book turned out to be  a surprise for me, mainly because it is not quite what I expected. Ms Ross' latest releases have been mostly romantic suspense featuring SEALs and army men, a little a la Suzanne Brockmann. The Homecoming though was on the light side of RS and more of a small-town romance.

I really liked the pacing of The Homecoming. Perhaps because that's what I needed :P The relationship between Sax and Kara happened at its own pace and was well developed. I liked that they were attracted to each other, but took things slowly. They each had issues and things to figure out and were in no hurry to jump into a relationship. I also liked Sax' friendship with Kara's son, how Sax was considerate of the boy's feelings.

As for the suspense, it was light, but interesting... except the end when they arrested the villain. That was quite anti-climatic. However, I did like how everything was linked together as well as the balance with the romance. I'm not too sure how I feel about the whole case being made easier by Sax' contacts though... but oh well. Few things that didn't work too much for me. First, the side story involving Kara's mother and deputy. Not too interesting in my opinion. Second, Sax' ghosts - totally superfluous. Sax having ghosts is totally understandable considering what he went through, but have them being apparition? Perhaps if they did something... It felt like Ms Ross included them in the story because she had a plan in the beginning and then got side-tracked by something else and so the ghosts end up doing nothing ^_^;

Overall, The Homecoming was a very enjoyable read, especially if you enjoy small-town romances :)

14) A Christmas Waltz by Jane Goodger: D

Tired of waiting for her American fiancé to send for her, Lady Amelia Wellesley decides to surprise him, traveling all the way from England to Texas. Only when she arrives, she discovers that Carson Kitteridge is not the man she thought she knew. Even worst, he has no intention of marrying her and has only proposed in order to get under her skirts!! Unfortunately for Amelia, she cannot return to England unwed, as she would be ruined... luckily for her, Carson's older brother, Boone, is willing to marry her... However, can these two persons coming from such different and contrasting worlds find happiness together?

When I read a book by Ms Goodger, I expect something emotionally poignant. A story that will make my heart ache and my eyes tear. However, it didn't happen with A Christmas Waltz. It was missing that omphf factor, that little something that pull the readers into the story and make them care so much about the characters. Part of the problem is that it was very hard to sympathize with Amelia. Yes, it was unfortunate that she got sweet-talked by Carson and that she fell in love with a man that didn't exist. However, leaving England in pursuit of her fiancé was her decision and therefore, the situation was her own doing ^_^; Also, there was Amelia herself. To me, she came across as immature, spoiled and selfish. It didn't show too much in the beginning of the book, but when she was reunited with her brother and sister-in-law. Not wanting to assume the consequences of her action - the fact that she'd be ruined because of her decisions if she returned to England unmarried. Then, later when she did return to England with Boone, it felt like she didn't think of Boone. Didn't try to understand his discomfort with her obvious wealth or even help him adapt to his new surrounding. Not adjusting to her new situation either - wanting such a grand house, such a big staff, etc. It was a lot of "me, me, me" and that really got on my nerve... Mostly because despite her foolishness, she ended up with a great man. Really unfair. Luckily, what saved the book for me was Boone's character. He's pretty much Amelia's opposite, the strong and silent type, very observant, with a pure heart and so generous. He deserved a lot more than what he got in life. It was very heart-breaking, his childhood and his belief that he was not lovable :( I felt that Boone's character was well-developed and layered and his relationship with Carson was quite interesting.

 The rest was pretty decent. The storyline was okay, I liked the setting and the book did have its moments. One that comes to mind is when Carson comes to Amelia and tells her to take care of Boone, that he deserves to be loved. That was very touching. So really, the H/H is what made and broke A Christmas Waltz and while Boone was a great hero, he unfortunately cannot make up completely for Amelia :(


15) Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rache Cohn & David Levithan: B+
Upcoming Review.


16) The Lady Most Likely... by Julia Quinn, Connie Brockway and Eloisa James: B-
Upcoming Review.

Books bought: +24
Books read: -16
TBR pile: +8

So, still here? LOL. I think I still need to work on keeping things short ^_^; But there you have it, my December reads!! LOL, now I can finally move onto full reviews :) I hope that I'll be able to review all I want, but I wouldn't bet on it ^_^; If there's any books you really want me to review, feel free to let me know and I'll prioritize them :)

A quick look at my numbers. I read quite a few more books than I thought, 16. I'm really surprised at the number, because I remember having a few bad days. Days where I really didn't know what to read, picking up books just to put them right down... and while those bad days don't reflect in the number of books read, I think it shows in my grades. Yes, I did read, but nothing came across as awesome and part of the reason might have been my mood when I read those books. I also bought much more books than I thought ^_^; And I know that 24 is not the exact number. In fact, I should have a few more to that number, as I know there are a few category JAK that I did not include in my Hauling Sunday post... However, what is a few more going to change? LOL.

So this is done :) Hopefully, this week-end, I'll be able to wrap-up all the 2010 posts that I wanted to write :)

Have a nice week-end!!

Jane Goodger's contest winner...

Sorry it took so much time to choose a winner. Work has been killing me. The good news however is that I don't have to come this week-end! Yay! :)

Anyway, that's not what you want to hear... so the winner is...

MELISSA!!

Congrats Melissa!! Email me your snail addy at natuschan @ gmail . com (no space).

Contest alert: Marry Christmas by Jane Goodger!!

***This is a sticky post. Scroll down for new posts!!



Contest alert!! Ms Goodger has generously offered a signed copy of Marry Christmas for a give-away! You can read my review here.

All you have to do is comment on this post :) Easy no? The deadline is this Friday, November 14 at noon (eastern time). The winner will be announced later in the afternoon :)

Good luck!!

Author interview: Jane Goodger!

So today, I have something special... My very first author interview!! Okay, not my first author interview ever, but at this blog :)

When Jane Goodger commented on my blog and said she was going to send me a copy of Marry Christmas, I immediately asked her for an interview :) So here it is... Don't be surprised if the questions sound familiar ^_^;


Questions about the writing…

Q: First, what is your real name? :P Is it Goodger, Blackwood or …

They’re both my “real” name! Jane Goodger is my married name and Jane Blackwood is my maiden name. I go by Goodger for historicals and Blackwood for contemporaries.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your first sale? How did you celebrate it?

I was one of those lucky authors who sold their first book. I wrote it because I was bored at work. I was a journalist and was used to writing two to three stories a day. Then I got a job at a magazine where I was responsible for writing two to three articles every two weeks. Needless to say, I had a lot of down time because I write very quickly. At first, When There Was Hope was just something to pass the time, but when I was half way through, I realized I was writing something that was pretty good. Although I was thrilled to get “the call” I didn’t get to really celebrate because that was the very same day my sister was hospitalized for emergency open heart surgery (she’s ok now).

Q: Why and how did you start writing? Did you always dream to become an author?

When it came time to pick a major for college, I picked communications because it meant I could be a reporter. I had one talent as a kid and that was writing. I never thought I could actually make a living at it and never thought that one day I’d be an author. But one day, as a journalist, I interviewed a local romance author for an article and thought out loud, ‘I could do that.’ My co-worker said, ‘yeah, but are you?’ And so I did.

Q: Over the years, who or/and what have been some of your influences?

Judith McNaught and Kathleen Woodwiss were by far my biggest influences early on. They were the ONLY romance writers I’d read before I wrote my first book. I didn’t know the Romance Writers Association existed and had no idea at all that romance books were such a huge part of the mass market pie. I was clueless, which I think may be why my first book was published. I wrote it only for me. Since then, no one has read a word of my books until I send it to my editor. I know a lot of authors love their critique groups, but now it’s become a “thing” with me that no one can read it except my editor.
Q: What is a typical day like for Jane? Example, Nora Roberts considers writing her "job" so she writes from 8am-5pm. What about you?

I would certainly treat it like a job if I got paid like it’s a job. I can write two to three hours a day. But in my defense, I need to do very little editing. I can write ten to twenty good pages (pages that need little or no rewrite) a day. I wrote Marry Christmas in three months, in addition to substitute teaching two to three times a week.

Q: Do you use an outline or do you free write?

I free write. I do give my editor a basic (three paragraph) synopsis, but other than that, I just sit and write. When I get into my “zone” I’m not even aware what I’m writing, then I go back and edit, and think, “wow, that’s pretty good.”
Q: What do you do when you are faced with writer's block? How do you work through it?

I’d written seven historicals and my publisher dropped me. Just a few months earlier, they’d brought me to New York, bought me lunch at a posh restaurant, introduced me to all the big-wigs and called me the next “hottest” romance author. I was expecting to finally make some real money. Then, they dropped me. I was crushed. I can only say it was like being dumped by a guy you really liked. For a year, the stories that had always been buzzing around my head were gone. It was the scariest time of my life, because I’d always had characters and stories moving around my brain. When other people watched Oprah while they were folding clothes, I was thinking about scenes. Then it was gone. I tried to write during that time, but it was wasted effort. Nothing worked. And then, one day, I got over my little pity party and an idea began nagging at me. Funny thing was, it was a contemporary! That’s when I wrote Sexiest Dead Man Alive. My new agent had to sell me as if I were a new author (once someone gets dumped, it’s difficult to get published). Getting published again was a huge ego boost and my muse was back in force. I cannot stop the ideas tumbling about my head. Right now, I have two terrific historicals I simply cannot wait to write. It’s a great feeling!

Q: You started off as an historical romance writer. How did you branch out to contemporary romance and was the adaptation difficult?

My sales were terrible. I’ve had agents and editors blame covers, blurbs, timing, etc. But the truth is, even though my books got great reviews (I never got a bad review from Publishers Weekly---and they’re tough!), I was not connecting to readers. I firmly believe it was because I was writing books set in New England, which for some reason is a turn-off to readers. It was publish or perish for me, so I switched to contemporaries.

Q: Why did you change your pen name? Was it your decision or the editor/publishing house’s request?

Goodger’s sales were in the tank, so Kate Duffy at Kensington suggested another name. Goodger is no longer in the bookstores’ computer bank, so Goodger is back, baby!

Q: In the last few years, you’ve been focusing on contemporary romance. Why make a come back in historical romance?

Kate Duffy is one of the most respected editors in romance publishing and she happens to be my editor. She had faith in me and wants me to succeed. It was important to get my books out to as many readers as possible, and that meant getting me in WalMart. And WalMart wanted historicals. I was half way done writing my next contemporary, when Kate called and asked me if I could possibly write a historical. I nearly cried, I was so happy. I feel like I’ve come home and from the response I’ve been getting from Marry Christmas, I’m glad I did.

Q: What is your favorite thing about writing?

It’s the thought that someone is out there reading something I wrote and loving it. It’s such hoot.

Q: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

The day Kate Duffy bought my first contemporary. This time I fully appreciated how difficult it is to get published and I was so proud of myself for getting published in a different genre.

Q: If someone told you "the skies were falling" and you could only take three of your books along, which ones would you take and why?

When There Is Hope, Into the Wild Wind, Marry Christmas. When There Is Hope, because it was my first , Into the Wild Wind, because I absolutely adore my hero, and Marry Christmas, because I think it is my best-written and most sensual book.

Q: Do you believe the blogging community has affected your fan base at all?

I think it must have! I have received more fan e-mails for Marry Christmas than all of my 11 other books combined! I confess I sometimes Google myself to see what people are saying, and it’s very gratifying to see anyone reading one of my books.

Q: Do you read the blogs of people who have read your books? How do you react to favorable/unfavorable reviews?

I’ve read negative reviews and said, “Ok, you make some good points.” And it makes me try to be a better writer if they have legitimate complaints. I really do try to be objective about them. However, some of the nastier reviews do make me a bit, um, miffed. I know it’s subjective and not everyone likes the same thing, but if a book is well-written I see no reason to be nasty about it. I’ve read books where I appreciated the fine writing, but didn’t connect with the characters. We all have. I do think that some people relish writing negative reviews and don’t realize that their words can affect a person’s livelihood.

Q: Does interacting with your fan base via internet connection affect your creative process at all?

No, but I do like to hear from them. I can honestly say I’ve never had a nasty fan letter (although I do know other authors have). Since it’s all a love fest, it simply makes me think I must be doing something right.


Questions about the books…

Q: What was your inspiration for Marry Christmas?

Consuelo Vanderbilt. I live near Newport where her family used to summer and one day toured their summer “cottage.” I found her such an intriguing person. When she was 18, her mother forced her to marry the Duke of Marlborough. They disliked each other from the start and ended up getting divorced after producing the heir and spare. I guess I wanted to give Consuelo a happy ending, so I made up my own American girl and a much nicer duke.
Q: What are you planning on working on next?

I just finished the sequel to Marry Christmas and will start on Book 3 of this three-book series this month.

Q: Is Maggie going to get her own story?

Of course!

Q: What are the plans for the future? Are you going to write contemporary and historical romance alternatively or publish two books a year or…
For now, I’m going to concentrate on historicals. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they continue to do well. However, I do have a proposal floating around out there that, if it sells, will have me doing a series of paranormal contemporaries.


Questions about stuff other than writing…

Q: What are some of your hobbies? What do you do to relax?

I have two jobs and three kids. That’s your answer.

Q: Do you get much time to read?If yes, what genre do you find yourself reading the most?

I read romances almost exclusively and mostly historicals, unless a favorite contemporary author has a book out. I used to take a day to read a book, now it takes a week or more. Yes, cry for me.

Q: What are you reading right now?

I’m reading an historical by Jodi Thomas.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Connie Brockway (her historicals), Lisa Kleypas, Laura Lee Guhrke, Susan Elizabeth Philips, Rachel Gibson, Eloise James, Julia Quinn. I also love LaVyrle Spencer and Judith McNaught, of course. There are others, but I just can’t remember them at the moment.

Q: If someone told you "the skies were falling" and you could only take three books (any authors) along, which ones would you take and why?

Gosh, I don’t know if I’d take the time to read if “the skies were falling!” The Outsider by Penelope Williamson, Whitney, My Love (I adored this book), and Shanna, by Kathleen Woodiwiss, because it was the first romance I’ve ever read.
Q: What is your favorite color?

Yellow.

Q: What is your biggest weakness?

I cry way too easily. I cry when I see other people cry. I cry when I see someone happy. I cry when one of my kids does something particularly sweet. I also have a weakness for high quality dark chocolate.
Q: If you could be anywhere, where would you be?

Sorrento, Italy. I lived in Italy for two years and Sorrento was one of my favorite places.
Q: If there was one thing that you could do over again, what would it be?

I’m tempted to say “nothing,” but there really is something I’d do differently. My husband and I bought a sweet little (740 square foot) cottage on a cove for almost nothing about fifteen years ago. We couldn’t squeeze our growing family into it anymore, so we sold it and got a bigger house not on the water. I wish we had stuck it out and maybe expanded it. I miss that little place

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Wow, I knew the publishing business was hard... but to actually hear it from an author... Well I'm glad Jane Goodger is back in business :)

If you want more information on Jane Goodger/Jane Blackwood, you can go to her website here.

*Don't forget the contest for an opportunity to win a signed copy of Marry Christmas!! It ends tomorrow at noon (Eastern time).