Review: 'Twas the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries

Phew, I made it!! I really wanted to have this review up this week :) It's really been fun to review Christmas-themed novels, really put me in the mood for the holidays. However, there's one week left before Christmas, and I've run out of books to review... Does anyone has a suggestion for next week's review? :)

I've been quiet this week and I'm really sorry about that. Life has been really busy the past week and I realized I haven't been very chatty about what's been going on in my life lately and that some of you are wondering... so here's a quick update :) First, my health. So the dizziness has gotten a lot better in the sense that it's not constant anymore. I do still get spells from time to time, so it's not completely gone... but it's a lot more manageable and I can function a lot better. I think given enough time, it'll really go away. *knocking on wood* I bumped my knee pretty hard earlier on Monday and have a major bump on it. Sigh, since I started playing curling, I don't recognize my right knee anymore LOL. I've put a knee pad on my Christmas wishlist, hoping that it will solve this issue :) And ugh, my latest bother is my left heel. This time, it's not curling related... I've been getting twinges in my left heel if I stretch my foot a certain way or walk a certain way. It's not painful or anything, but it pulls... I have no idea why... It started on Tuesday and I think it was my boot or something. Sigh. Once again, I'm ready to move on to the new year, health-wise LOL.

Second, work. Work has been really busy. As you know, the lab is closing at the end of the year... but what me and my co-worker just found out is that my boss is going away on vacation next Wednesday. Yes, next Wednesday!! The good news is that I won't have to work between Christmas and New Year, but the bad one is... He's gone next Wednesday! There's some stuff to take care of and so we're trying to do that before next Wednesday. Ugh. And that's pretty much why I haven't had time to blog this week. By the way, for those wondering about my job prospects... There's a really big chance that I'll be working in another lab in the same department. There's two positions that just opened... so I'm just waiting for confirmation. I'm supposed to get news before Christmas, i.e. next week. As soon as I know, I'll share :) If I don't get anything here, then I'll start looking after New Year... but in either case, there's a high possibility I'm going back to school...

However, at the moment, my biggest issue is that I'm in a reading slump T_T I have not read a single book this week, sad :( So if you have any suggestions, they are really welcome!! Especially with lots of free time coming up. I've been meaning to get reacquaint with my TBR pile, but I've had no time ^_^; Seriously, I totally blame the publishers and their release schedule LOL.

Anyway, enough about me. Here's the review, enjoy it!


'Twas the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries

published by Simon & Schuster in October 2012

Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged from his mother for most of his life. When his mother’s new companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart, writes to tell him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home. But when he learns that the lovely widow tricked him in order to effect a holiday reconciliation, he refuses to stay—unless she meets his “terms.” Somewhere between trying to seduce the beautiful Camilla and struggling with the cruel memories of his childhood Christmases, Pierce discovers that not only does forgiveness go two ways, but that love can blossom even in the coldest of winters.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book #6

The Story: The blurb for the book is quite accurate, but here is my version :)

Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged with his parents for most of his life, but without Pierce knowing why. The only thing he knows for certain is that from the age of 8 years old, he never got to spend time with his parents when he was on break from school during the holidays or the summer. Instead, he was sent to his cousin's, Mr. Titus Waverly, home. When he reached his majority, Pierce returned to the family estate, wanting to learn how to manage his estates, and was kicked out by his father... And when his mother didn't offer any explanations for their abandonment after his father died, Pierce decided to continue on with the estrangement and cut her out of his life. Thus, he ignored all the letters she sent and whenever he returned home to Montcliff, he made sure to avoid the dowager house so their path wouldn't cross.

Mrs. Camilla Stuart is Lady Devonmont's new companion and is quite outraged at the Earl of Devonmont's attitude towards his mother. Seeing how Lady Devonmont dotes her son, Jasper, and how often she reminisces about Pierce, Camilla decides to give what her employer wants most for Christmas: her son's presence. Therefore she pens an express to Pierce telling him how seriously ill Lady Devonmont is. However, Camilla never expected the events her note has instigated...

My Opinion: When I first found out that Pierce Waverly was the hero of 'Twas the Night After Christmas, I wasn't very happy. Not because I had anything against the character from his brief appearances in To Wed a Wild Lord and A Lady Never Surrenders - a rake who doesn't commit; if I did, I would not have many historical romance books to read! LOL. It's simply that after A Lady Never Surrenders, I thought the Hellions of Halstead Hall series was over and was looking forward to Ms Jeffries' new release... Honestly, I felt the whole series had been a bit underwhelming and therefore, would have welcome a new premise. Instead, the series seemed to have been extended and with the main storyline wrapped up, I wasn't sure what to expect from 'Twas the Night After Christmas. I actually wasn't going to pick it up... but you know me and new releases, LOL, I'm just drawn to them. So in the end, I gave 'Twas the Night After Christmas a go and guess what? I ended up being pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the book a lot more than I expected!

While 'Twas the Night After Christmas is branded as the 6th book in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series, in reality, for all intends and purposes, the book is actually a stand-alone and I think that is why the story worked out so well. Yes, some of the previous characters showed up, but Ms Jeffries limited their appearances. As for Pierce, his link to the Sharpes was tenuous and he really had nothing to do with the overarching storyline. As such, Ms Jeffries didn't have to recap previous events or re-introduce characters. In fact, as a stand alone, she didn't even have to set the scene up for subsequent books nor worry about sequel baiting... Which means she had all the time of the world to focus on the characters, story and romance of 'Twas the Night After Christmas and she did. I truly believed this focus was key and made the difference, because frankly, the story of 'Twas the Night After Christmas wasn't ground-breaking, but Ms Jeffries was able to deliver something solid and enjoyable :)

Overall, I enjoyed the holiday themed of 'Twas the Night After Christmas. It worked for me. The story wasn't overly sweet, but there was just enough Christmas traditions incorporated to put you in the mood of the holidays. Also, I think in such books, it's always nice to have a kid, because they're the ones who believe in magic :) And in this case, Jasper was cute and acted like a 6 years old boy. LOL, I loved his first encounter with Pierce, it was so funny. By the way, I also liked the grown-up characters. My heart broke for Pierce in the prologue when his parents did not come to pick him up for the holidays... and he didn't understand why. I find his behavior towards his mother - the resentment, bitterness and anger - justifiable. There was a lot of misunderstandings and assumptions on Pierce's part, but what can you expect when you abandon a boy and he grows up with gossips? Plus, he gave his mother the opportunities to explain, to tell him the truth: when he reached 21 years old and when his father passed away, but she never did. So you can't expect that when she's finally ready to move on, he's going to listen. I also believed that all Pierce wanted was an explanation or the truth from his mother, even if it shattered his hopes... to live with the unknown, that's hard. In the end, it all worked out and the reason why I'm satisfied with the resolution in 'Twas the Night After Christmas, it that contrarily to A Fool's Gold Christmas, despite everything, Pierce still loved his mother, still cared for her. He cherished the memories he had from his early childhood. In addition, to a certain degree, what Pierce's mother did was for his well-being and future. So all in all, the circumstances were better. I do wish that his mother had explained the whole situation to Pierce earlier.  As for Camilla, I did like her as well. She did overstep a little bit when she wrote that letter to Pierce, not knowing the whole story... but it was done with good intentions. What I liked about Camilla is that she never lost sight of what mattered: her son, Jasper. She refused to become Pierce's mistress, even though she was attracted to him, because of Jasper. I think that deep down, that is something Pierce admired because his mother couldn't do the same.

As for the romance, this is where it becomes a bit trickier. I thought that Pierce and Camilla had good chemistry and they balanced each other well. I liked that they spent time together, got to know each other. What I did not like though is how the whole thing began. As soon as Pierce found out the letter was a lie, he intended to leave... but in the end, he stayed, but that was conditional to Camilla spending time with him. Part of it was because he was attracted to her, that I'm sure of... but another part, it was to strike back at his mother and well, I found that part a bit despicable on Pierce's part and it colors the romance a little bit ^_^; It's one thing if you don't want to marry, have no heir and therefore, your mother doesn't get grandchildren... That's your business, your decision... but it's another when you involve someone else.

My Grade: B. Life can be so ironic at times :) At first, I wasn't planning to read 'Twas the Night After Christmas because I thought it was the continuation of  the Hellions of Halstead Hall series which I felt had run its course... but in the end, it turned out to be the best book of the series in my opinion! :) It was a nice Christmas-themed book and I felt Ms Jeffries focused on what mattered the most: the characters and the romance. I'm really glad I picked up 'Twas the Night After Christmas because I had a good time reading it and I hope you do as well! :)

WEM V: To Wed a Wild Lord and A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries

Yay, I made it! :) LOL, I usually write the Week-End's Minis post on Saturday  morning... but today I'm a bit short on time because I'm going to the sugar shack with my friends and I'm the driver :) But it's now moot because I did it! :)

I've read a lot this past week, but it's mostly books I want to write a full review for. So instead, I went back to books I've been planning to review and hadn't gotten to it... and came up with the two last books of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series by Sabrina Jeffries :) Enjoy!!

Oh and the poll is back on :) I haven't gotten much feedback about it, so I don't know if you guys like it or not, but the one comment I got was for it... so back it goes :) So don't forget to vote!!


To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

published by Simon & Schuster in November 2011

Drowning in guilt over his best friend's death seven years ago, Lord Gabriel Sharpe, the Angel of Death, knows his only hope at redemption is a race against a shocking opponent.

Shrouded in darkness for the past seven years, the infamous racer Lord Gabriel Sharpe is known to accept every challenge to race thrown at him. When his next challenge comes in the form of his late best friend's sister, Virginia Waverly, Gabe is shocked. Yet she presents just the opportunity Gabe needs--marriage to fulfill his grandmother's ultimatum and ensure his inheritance. What he didn't count on was needing her love.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Hellions of Halstead Hall series, Book #4

What do you need to know? I find the blurb a bit misleading. Among the 5 Sharpes children, Gabriel and his younger sister, Celia, are the ones still unmarried. Gabriel knows that if he remains single, Celia will keep holding out as well in the hopes that their grandmother rescind the ultimatum... and Gabriel doesn't want to be the reason why Celia doesn't marry. As a result, he has decided to take a bride... and has chosen Virginia Waverly, figuring that he owns her because of his part in her brother's death seven years ago. However, she won't hear of the courtship as she is too focused on avenging her brother's honor... Thus, Gabriel agrees to a wager. They will race and if Virginia wins, they will race at Turnham Green, the course that has killed her brother. On the other hand, if Gabriel wins, she'll let him court her.

Why this book? I like Ms Jeffries' writing and have been enjoying this series :) So logic dictated that I pick up To Wed a Wild Lord.

So my thoughts? Overall, I enjoyed To Wed a Wild Lord. I thought the storyline was interesting and engaging. Gabriel definitively had a challenge on his hands, trying to convince Virginia to let him court her and eventually, marry him. The race part was a nice touch to settle things and it fit with the characters :) I also really liked the twist about Virginia's older brother, Roger, death and Gabriel role in it. No wonder he's been so tortured about it and has taken so many risks. Oh and the overall storyarc about the Sharpes' parents murders progressed well.

Unfortunately, I never really warmed up to Virginia in To Wed a Wild Lord and by extension, the romance. I  understand that she idolized her older brother and that her grandfather's hatred for Gabriel only added fuel to it... but one part of me thought she was too hung up on it and the other part of me thought she forgot about it a bit too fast when she fell in love with Gabriel. I know, very contradictory of me ^_^; But it seemed such an obsession... and once she fell for Gabriel, she was determined to find out who had instigated the race, so she could be with Gabriel without guild. I felt it was such a conditional love. Could she be with him, would she have married Gabriel if the answer hadn't been the one she hoped for?

I thought the fact that Virginia was Roger's sister was too much baggage for the book. That's the only things I would have changed in To Wed a Wild Lord.

My Grade? B-.


A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries
published by Simon & Schuster in January 2012

When the youngest Sharpe sister hatches a plan to gain marriage offers, the straight-laced Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter knows he'll do whatever it takes to ruin her scheme...

With two months left to find a husband to fulfill her grandmother’s ultimatum, Lady Celia Sharpe sets her sights on three eligible bachelors. Becoming betrothed to one of these wealthy, high-ranking men will surely prove her capable of getting married, so hopefully the wedding itself won’t be necessary for Celia and her siblings to receive their inheritance. Step two of her audacious plan is hiring the dangerously compelling Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter to investigate the three men she’s chosen. But with Lady Celia bedeviling Jackson’s days and nights, the last thing he wants is to help her find a husband. And when she recalls shadowed memories that lead his investigation into her parents’ mysterious deaths in a new direction—putting her in danger—Jackson realizes the only man he wants Celia to marry is himself!

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Hellions in Halstead Hall series, Book #5

What do you need to know? Now, Lady Celia is the only one left unmarried and she wants to remain so, for now. Therefore she has hatched a plan: she only needs to get one of three eligible bachelors - a duke, an earl and a baron - she has set her caps to propose. Once her grandmother see Celia is able to secure a husband if she desires to, she will change her mind about the ultimatum.

Thus, she asks Pinter to investigate her marriage prospects. Pinter and Celia are attracted to each other, but neither will admit it. Plus they believe they have profound disdain for each other, so it doesn't help matter. All Pinter wants is to elucidate the previous marquess and machioness' murders. If he does so, Lord Stoneville will support him in his dream of becoming magistrate... and to become a magistrate, he cannot be associate to any scandal.

Why this book? This is the final book of the series :)

So my thoughts? Unfortunately, I never got into A Lady Never Surrenders, but I think it was more a case of me and my mood than the book itself. Still, I think A Lady Never Surrenders was definitively not the best book in the series and was a bit weak considering it was the final installment. One of the reasons is because I felt the book was too predictable. Ms Jeffries has been building up Pinter and Celia's romance since the first book, The Truth about Lord Stoneville. So when the story finally focused on them, some of the excitement was gone and there wasn't that much sparks for me. Plus, Celia never had been one of my favorite characters... she's been rubbing me the wrong way from the start and it didn't get better in A Lady Never Surrenders.

Also, Grandmother Hettie's schemes really got on my nerves in this book :( Her first ultimatum was one thing, but in this book, she didn't do what was best for her granddaughter. She thought she did, but she never really considered what Celia wanted. The worst is that she's done the same mistake with her own daughter... You'd think a woman as smart as Hettie would have figured it out :(

While I didn't like Celia much, I enjoyed getting to know Jackson Pinter more. I guess because he was the new element in the book and Ms Jeffries did a good job as his characterization... Except for his fear of scandal. Sigh, what is it with characters that cannot attach themselves to scandal? Luckily, Pinter wasn't maniac about it. Another aspect of the book I enjoyed was finally finding out the culprit of the murder. Although I have to say, once again, this followed a pattern. In every book, the featured Sharpe sibling would "remember" something from that dreadful party. See what I meant by predictable? In the end though, I thought it was well resolved.

My Grade? After careful consideration and factoring in my mood, A Lady Never Surrenders was a C read for me.

Monthly Reads: January 2011

First monthly reads post of the year!! Woohoo! February kind of crept up on me. I mean, I was expecting it.... but it still took me by surprise. I'm so behind in my reviews, mainly because I took too much time wrapping up my posts for 2010 ^_^; As a result, there are many books in this post that I was planning to write full reviews, but had to take the executive decision not to. Luckily, for most of them, there are plenty of reviews in blogland :P Hopefully, that way, I'll catch up a little and won't run in the same problem next month :)


1) Wedding of the Season by Laura Lee Guhrke: B
 Upcoming Review.

2) How to Marry a Duke by Vicky Dreiling: D

Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne, is looking for a wife and after meeting Miss Tessa Mansfield who is known as a matchmaker, decides to hire her service. Tessa is a bit miffed about the way Tristan wants to select a wife and therefore, puts together an elaborate plan in which Tristan will be courting 24 young ladies...

From the reviews, How to Marry a Duke sounded like a historical version of The Bachelor. Thinking back, I don't know why I was so interested since I've never been a fan of the tv series. Probably thought it sounded fun ^_^;... and it could have been, but instead How to Marry a Duke turned out to be an okay book. The biggest problem with this book was that Tristan hired Tessa to find himself a wife, while being attracted to her. Imagine the tv series where in the end, The Bachelor chooses the hostess ^_^; Awkward. The hero falling with the matchmaker probably would have worked better if Tessa hadn't lined up 24 young ladies and kept pushing them at Tristan. That really hindered the romance :( Then, there was also the whole plot about why Tessa didn't want to marry ever. I think that the book could have used a comedic or fluffy element. As it was, I just wasn't engaged and simply wished to be done with the book. The fact that I don't remember much of the book also speaks of my enjoyment of it :(

3) Marry Me by Jo Goodman: B+

Dr Cole Monroe finds himself practicing medicine in Reidsville, a small town in Colorado, thanks to his 16 years old sister, Whitley's meddlings. During one of his medical visits on the outskirt of Reidsville, Cole and Will Beatty stumbled over Rhyne Abbott who is clearly sick. Fearing for Rhyne's safety and recovery, Cole welcomes her into his home... and falls under her charms. However, will he be able to convince Rhyne to marry him as their pasts and upbringings don't matter?

I've read a few books by Ms Goodman; however, didn't enjoy them very much because I was blind-sided by the dark direction some of the story threads took. As a result, I hesitated a long time before picking up this book, but then, caved under the good reviews LOL. Yeah, I'm weak, I know. However, this time, I was ready for it and ended up really enjoying this book :) What stood out the most for me were the characters and I think Ms Goodman did a great job with them :) I loved Rhyne because she was so unusual, so different. Her strength and will were admirable and her upbringing definitively made her unique. I thought the confusion at times and how she's slipped into her Runt persona were realistic. I also liked Cole a lot - kind of a beta hero who show his alpha sides from time to time :) His patience and dedication, his love for Whitley... this is a doctor I would like to have. The romance was perfectly, exactly the way it should have happened :)

Secondary characters were interesting and the setting, nice. It's a small town that is building up, with all the colorful characters and dynamics needed. This is the kind of Western I like to read when I pick one up :) I'm definitively going to go back and read Never Love a Lawman and pick up any other book of this series - really hoping that Whitley will have her own :) Also, one of my favorite part of the book was Cole and his research. I thought it was very interesting and LOL, reached me :P It was also interesting to see Cole treating patients and practicing medicine; how it was done in those times with the limited equipment and knowledge.

By the way, I'd like to add how I'm amazed that the "darker" side of the storyline hasn't been spoiled in blogland. I was really surprised, but at the same time, I really enjoyed the twist :)

4) Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan: D+

Nick is recovering from a broken heart when he sees his ex coming towards him from across the club. Panicked, he asks the girl next to him if she'd agree to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes. What Nick doesn't know is that Norah and Tris, the ex, are frenemies, and that Norah already "knows" Nick. What ensues is a night out in New York full of confusion, realization and joy.

I read and really enjoyed Dash & Lily's Book of Dares back in December and wanted to read more books by these two authors. It's then that I found out that they were the authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist... So I went on a quest: got the DVD, watched the movie and then read the book :) So perhaps my enjoyment of the book was marred a little bit by the movie ^_^;

Overall, I thought Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - the book - was okay, hence the grade. What I liked about the book is that we got to know Nick and Norah much better as their characters were better developed and fleshed out. There is much more layers and depths to the book while the movie is more a comedy, something to pass time. I also liked the fact that Tris, the ex-girlfriend, was more complex - her friendship with Norah, the reasons why she broke up with Nick, etc. She was more real and escaped the bad ex-girlfriend stereotype and that was good.

What brings down the whole book for me is that it left me confused. It's hard to follow the thought process of a young adult, let alone two!!! It also bothered me greatly that the two would just not communicate in full sentences, that they'd guess - and guess wrong - what the other was feeling or thinking. That really frustrated me... Finally, I just thought this book would be funnier and instead, it was quite serious and almost dark in tone ^_^;

5) Time After Time by Kay Hooper: C+

Noah Thorne is a photographer who just both himself a building as a second income. He plans to rent out the renovated lofts/condos while taking care and managing the building. His first renter is Alex Bennet, a pixie, vibrant woman who is also the decorator Noah hired. Don't let appearance tricks you however as Alex has a colorful past having been a lion tamer in a circus. Noah and Alex are inexorably attracted to each other, but Alex has a big secret and is thus reluctant to start a relationship... and it doesn't help that both are haunted by the same dreams...

This is an old category romance by Ms Hooper which was recently re-printed. Ms Hooper has a definite style that you enjoy or not. In order to enjoy, I think you have to like the mystic, but also be reading to suspend disbelief a little. As with most Ms Hooper's books, I liked this one. I enjoyed the relationship between Noah and Alex, how it started and progressed and the clear affection between them. What's more, I loved the fact that Noah supported Alex with her secret. Speaking of the secret, at first, I thought it was stretching it a bit too much ^_^; Then, I remembered Christian the Lion and I realized that it was indeed possible :P

As for the mystical element, in Time After Time, Ms Hooper tackles reincarnation. I like the twist she put in, but I think it could have been a bigger part of the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book for the characters, relationship and animals (so cute!), but I think that it was a bit draggy in the middle and everything could have come together better. Still, I liked it :)


6) Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg: B
Upcoming review.


7) In Serena's Web by Kay Hooper: C+
Upcoming review.

8) How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries: C+

As a ploy to extract herself from her grandmother's ultimatum (all siblings have to marry or they'll all be disinherited) Lady Minerva Sharpe has put an announcement in a ladies magazine convoking all eligible men for interviews. Unfortunately for Minerva, Giles Masters has no intention to let her interview any other man than himself. Years ago, Giles broke Minerva's heart... but he knows that Minerva still cares for him; otherwise, why else would he be the villain in her gothic novels. Having re-kindled their attraction, Giles wants to marry Minerva. On the other hand, Minerva is not about to lose her heart to Giles again, but agrees to a fake engagement, believing that her grandmother and brothers will never approve of him and thus, tweak her grandmother's plan. Who will have the upper hand?

I had high hopes for this book and was really looking forward to it because I liked the blurb, although I was a bit wary about the whole "agent" thing. In the end, I liked How to Woo a Reluctant Lady, but not as much as I hoped. The pitfall of Ms Jeffries' newest is that there were too many things going on, in my opinion. It was clear that Ms Jeffries was laying the ground for the last two books of the series, giving readers insight of who will be the love interests and the obstacles in the romance. However, put that aside and even between Minerva and Giles, there was too much. I didn't like that Giles used the excuses that he wanted Minerva to stop writing about him in fear that she would reveal his secrets to pursue Minerva. It was annoying and I thought he hid himself behind that facade for too long. I also thought that the whole story about a figure in Giles' past threatening his career and prospect was superfluous, especially given the way it was resolved. I guess I wished that the book focused more on Minerva and Giles and I thought the rest, detracted from them. I just want to get into the romance and I never really had the chance to. However, I did like the twist concerning the murder of the Sharpes' parents, it made it more suspenseful and I'm looking forward to see how it is resolved and who is the real culprit.

Overall, How to Woo a Reluctant Lady was an enjoyable book, but could have been better. It is especially disappointing as I liked the characters. Minerva was a smart, independent woman. She knew what she wanted and was going for it. I felt for Giles who was so misunderstood - of course, part of it was due to his job. Still, it's hard to have people judging you who really doesn't know you :(  As a result, I especially liked the scene where we got to see Giles at work. Despite everything, I'm still going to pick up the next book :P I'm really curious about Gabriel now... so the baiting did indeed work LOL.


9) You Belong to Me by Karen Rose: A-
Upcoming Review.


10) Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr: B++


11) Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke: B+
Upcoming Review.


12) The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander: C-

13) Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis: C

Brady Miller, ex-military, is a successful pilot-for-hire who spent the past couple of years flying in hot zones. Shuffled in the foster system when he was a kid, Brady doesn't stay in one place for long. His only ties are to his two foster brothers, Dell and Adam, who have finally convinced him to come back to Sunshine, Idaho. There, he meets Lilah Young, the co-owner of the town's only kennel. Juggling animals and studies, Lilah is feeling lonely and is looking for a short-term relationship. Knowing that Brady will not settle, he seems to be the perfect solution for a no-string attached fling...

This book had everything to be a successful contemporary romance and yet... it wasn't for me. What was my problem? The same as Jaclyn from Dear Author, the heroine. Lilah felt too "young" in my opinion. I don't think her age was ever mentioned in the book, but from what I gathered, I'd put her at around 23 to 25 years old... There's nothing wrong with a young heroine, but in this case, I don't think it fit the storyline or at least the hero. I think I know what Ms Shalvis was going for with the heroine, but she missed the mark. With her responsibilities and what she's been through in the past, I think Lilah should have attained a certain level of maturity... Instead, it just seemed like she was over-stretched - running the kennel and studying at night, often falling asleep in her books, perpetually running to catch up with things. The vibes that she gave off screamed "young" and I just didn't see what Brady found so attractive (except the physical), that made him want more and change his whole way. If at least, there's been some growth in Lilah's character, perhaps it would have been better, leveled things out a little, but there wasn't. At the end, Lilah is still the same person, the one who gets too attached and who's scared to try and live her life again. It also didn't help that I saw a lot of similarities between the characters of Animal Magnetism and Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr: heroes are pilots and not staying long - check and heroines grew up poor and raised by their (great-)grandmother who took all sorts of work to make ends meet - check. However, I must preferred the characters and romance of Wild Man Creek.

Ultimately, Lilah's character failed to engage me... but also it felt like both the H/H were going through the motion of the romance. There was no extra feelings for me :( As, Brady's character... he was hard to figure out. He was a little too stoic and reserved in his feelings, words and thoughts. Also, I would have liked to see a bit more camaraderie between Brady, Dell and Adam. Oh, Dell tried and to a certain extent, Adam as well... but I don't feel like Brady did at all. They are the link in this series... and it's a weak link ^_^;

Still, the book had its moments. For me, I think the best were between Brady and Twinkles, LOL. I loved seeing Brady growing attached to that dog, it was just so sweet and cute. I'm also intrigued by the set-up for the next books: Dell and Jade, Adam and Holly. I'm starting to wonder if I'm trying too hard to love Ms Shalvis?


Books bought: +21
Books read: -13
TBR pile: +8

So 13 books read this month... I'll take it :) Given how chaotic life has been lately and the fact that I don't have that much time to read, I'm happy :) I hope though February will be better and that my TBR pile will show a negative number. Crossing my fingers LOL.

This is so sad... I so want this post to go up tonight that some books that I was planning to write full reviews and then changed my mind to write a mini-review have been switched back to full reviews LOL. Seriously, I need to learn how to keep it short!

Monthly Reads: May 2010

Phew, what a day today. It was my sister's convocation today :) She's finally getting her diploma for her bachelor!! Woohoo!! The ceremony started at 10am, but the students had to show up approximately one hour early to get ready...We left home at 7.20am and usually, that's plenty of time to make it... but the traffic was horrible!!! I only got on the island 10 minutes before 10am and I dropped her on the campus on the dot. All this because the road work they were doing ran late and they didn't put those stupid metal sheets over the holes ^_^; During the whole drive, my sister and I were: "Why today of all day?!?" Luckily, we didn't miss anything. Phew.

Okay, onto my monthly reads list now :) May was a good month, but somehow, I still wished I've read more...

1) The Truth about Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries: B

Years ago, Oliver Sharpe's parents died under mysterious circumstances that gave rise to a scandal. Ever since, Oliver and his 4 siblings have been defying Society's rules without regards. Their maternal grandmother has had enough of their behaviors and wants grandchildren. Thus, she decrees that all 5 have to be married within the year or she'll disinherit them all. In an attempt to thwart his grandmother's plan, Oliver makes a deal with Maria Butterfield, an American semi-heiress (her father has died, but she has yet inherited the money because of the conditions). She'll pose as his totally improper fiancée and in exchange, he'll look for her "real" fiancé.

I picked up this book to read because of the reading Ms Jeffries did during the Regency Bingo session she hosted at the RT. The excerpt she read was really great, unfortunately, I don't think the rest of the book lived up to it :( However, it was still an enjoyable read :)  While the writing and characters were solid, I felt the story was a tad predictable. I didn't buy the whole relationship and chemistry between Mary and Oliver.

I did like all the characters though from Freddy, Mary's cousin, to Oliver's multitude of siblings. They were fun and added a nice touch to the story. I also liked Oliver's characterization and bought his motives and the reasons he didn't want marriage.

All in all, I enjoyed The Truth about Lord Stoneville enough to look forward to the second book in the series, A Hellion in Her Bed, coming out in September. I do think Ms Jeffries has a good premises for the series. Plus, the blurb sounds pretty good :)


2) Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson: C+



3) Something About You by Julie James: B+
Upcoming review.

4) Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery: C+

Charity Jones has always wanted to put down roots and that's what she expects to accomplish when she accepts the position of city planner in Fool's Gold, a scenic small Californian town. Her job is to bring more business - and men - into town. Indeed, for some mysterious reasons, women far out-number the men... And in order to do so, Charity will have to work with Fool's Gold dearest son, Josh Golden, a former world-class cyclist who retired for reasons unknown.

Loved the small town, the situation and everything... but couldn't stand the H/H. The characters were actually okay, perhaps a bit on the dull side. The biggest issues was that Charity and Josh had no chemistry whatsoever. Worst, they didn't even understand each other. Take out the physical attraction and I don't get what they liked from each other. Also, I really dislike it when the H/H just assume things about each other... about their personality, their life, but also about how they will react. Communication is important, but also listening to what the other have to say.

In addition, I think Ms Mallery has to be careful about her plots... This is the third trilogies where you get an unplanned pregnancy in the first book. I think it's best when authors don't develop patterns in their trilogies - if not, they become way too predictable.


5) The Wish List by Gabi Stevens: B-
Upcoming review.

6) A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison: C

Elizabeth Steven, a baker, is turning 35 and instead of a birthday cake, she is baking a wedding cake for her ex-husband. During the last year, Elizabeth has been unable to move on and has become a bit bitter. To help her out, her grandmother gives her the family "gift" - magic. Elizabeth quickly discovers that she is able to put spells onto the food she bakes and uses her new gift to help herself and the people around her... But magic never really turns out the way we want...

A Taste of Magic is a book I've been wanting to read for a while, but I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it. I finally decided to give it a try, because I wanted a funny, light romance. It didn't turn out to be what I expected and I'm not totally sure if it was the book or the mood I was in when I read it. I ended up thinking the book was meh.

Somehow, I feel A Taste of Magic is more Elizabeth's journey of re-discovering herself with the help of magic than a romance story. I wished there would have been more interactions between Elizabeth and Nate... I didn't like it when Elizabeth was in limbo, kind of dating Nate and her trainer at the same time. When you're not sure of your situation, the best way to clear things is to ask. Communication, folks!! Also, I'm tired of assumptions and characters jumping to conclusions. They always think the worst, they are so many characters out there who are the "half-empty glass" type... it's getting tiring.

It was also a book that I had difficulty to get into, as a result, I was never fully engaged by the characters or the storyline :( I have Book #2 and #3... we'll see if it gets better.

7) To Sin with a Scoundrel by Cara Elliot: C

Life has been hard for Lady Ciara Sheffield since her husband's death. Not that she misses the brutal drunk, but she could do without the rumors that she poisoned him... or the investigation that her in-laws have instigated to take her out of the picture. As her in-laws continue to spread nasty lies about her, Ciara risks losing custody of her son. As a result, she needs to leave her hermit ways behind and step back into Society... and be accepted. The best way is of course to fake an engagement... but is Lucas Bingham, the Earl of Hadley, a rakehell rogue notorious for his devil-may-care antics, the best choice?

This is Ms Elliot's debut novel and I was lucky to pick it up at the RT's goodies room. I was looking forward to this book, because the H/H are so different from each other. Our heroine is a scientist, so very logical and methodical, and our hero is a rogue... I thought it'd be opposite attracts each other and it was, to some extent. I just don't feel Ms Elliot exploited her characters to the maximum. Ms Elliot had a lot going on plot-wise and I think it was too much and it detracted from the focus. I liked Lucas' changes, but I'm not sure it was real growth... that it had to do with Ciara. Again, I think there was a lack of chemistry... especially since I felt Ciara was a bit snobby. She's a scientist and I feel that in many instances, she looked down on Lucas or just didn't believe he was smart enough. It was as if she was surprised that Lucas had some strengths whatsoever ^_^;

Also, a group of women referring themselves as "Sinners" because they are scientists, that's really cheesy. I mean, it is cheesy for men, but it's worst for women. I know that at that time, people considered that women and sciences should not mix together, but that was a bit too much.


8) Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews: A
Buddy review coming up with Tabitha at Breezing Through


9) Silent Scream by Karen Rose: B+/A-
Upcoming review.

10) Blown Away by Sharon Sala: C-

While out walking, Cari North comes across her ex-fiancé, Lance Morgan, burying a body. She rushes home to call the authorities, but before she can do so, a tornado destroys her house, kills her parents and cousin and leaves Cari with a blow to the head. After regaining consciousness,  Cari knows that Lance is not stupid and will have move the body. With no proof, it will be her words against Lance's and people are not likely to believe her because of her head injury and how their relationship ended. Thus, Cari decides to take her cousin's identity, flee Bordelaise and run to Baton Rouge... but she is determined to come back to unravel the mystery... with the help of Michael Boudreaux, her cousin's boss, who has taken her under his wing.

Hmmm, I usually love Ms Sala's work, but Blown Away simply didn't work for me. Once again, I'm not totally sure if it was me or the book... probably a bit of both. The idea/premise actually wasn't bad if you can suspend disbelief, which I can :) and I do think it could have worked out. I actually thought Ms Sala had a good villain... the kind of man that never assumes responsibilities, whose mistakes were always corrected or taken care by his family. A spoiled man  that didn't learn to control himself, indulges and let his emotions run loose. Not evil to the core, which is pretty interesting.

Unfortunately, I felt there was no depth to the characters and the story, that Ms Sala only scratched the surface. There was no layers, no reading in-between the lines... This is what happened, this is what he/she though and said, etc. This made for a dull read. Plus, it felt a bit like Ms Sala was trying a little bit too hard. For example, some of Cari's actions/reactions were supposed to show how brave and strong she was, but because it was so implausible, it didn't come across. It just made the whole thing a bit too cheesy, especially since the hero was so in awe with her courage.

There were also a couple of other little issues such as timeline... I think I picked up one or two mistakes. Plus, Mike kept saying "Cher" to Cari... which I don't mind, but it's "Chère" given she's a woman. One or two times, I can overlook it... but when it's said over and over again, it just becomes increasingly annoying ^_^;

So Blown Away was definitively not Ms Sala's best work... the good news though is that the books in the Storm trilogy are individual stories, so I will be looking for Torn Apart, the second book... and we'll see from there :)


11) Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery: B+
Upcoming review. (Book obtained from Net Galley)


12) Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas: B/B+
Upcoming review.


Re-read: Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose: B

Hmmm, it's actually 12.75 books read, LOL. I read Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong while coming back from Columbus. Tales of the Otherworld is the second compilation of her online novellas. I've actually already read all of the stories in it, except for the new Eve and Kristoff story, which I loved!! So in the end, I did re-read most of it, except for The Case of El Chupacabra... For some reasons, I've never been able to get into it. So that accounts for 0.25... and my other 0.5 is that I skimmed through Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber. Bought the book on Kobo website and didn't realize it was the format to read on the computer, not the epub for the Kobo e-reader ^_^; Hannah's List has about 4 POV and I read the one that interested me... so 0.5 :P

Books bought: +12
Books read: -12.75
TBR pile: -0.75

Well it's a negative number, so I'm happy, especially given the number of new releases last week! However, it seems like the reading has not been fluid this year. I haven't been able to read continuously... There's always a few days where I just can't seem to read and it annoys me :(  Hopefully, that won't be a problem this summer :)