Monthly Reads - January 2014

Sigh, I haven't written one of these for months!! And then, the first one I have to write, I'm days, weeks late! But I'm not giving up :) So let's see how this post turns out...


1) The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin: B


2) How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper: C-


3) The Last Guy She Should Call by Joss Wood: B+


4) River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz: B


5) Her Secret Fling by Sarah Mayberry: B


6) Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett: C+


7) The Spider by Jennifer Estep: C


8) Hope Flames by Jaci Burton: C


9) Rush Me by Allison Parr: C
Upcoming Review.


10) The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram: A
Upcoming Review.


11) Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill: C+
Upcoming Review.

12) Castaway Cove by JoAnn Ross: C+

It's been a while since I last read Ms Ross. I somewhat find it unfortunate that she stepped away from romantic suspense and jumped on the bandwagon of small town contemporary romance, even though she still features ex-military characters. Anyway, Castaway Cove is the 6th book in the Shelter Bay series, but I think it stands alone quite well. The story is about Mac Culhane, a radio DJ who went to the world's most dangerous war zones to bring the soldiers some comfort from home with his voice. His last stint in Afghanistan didn't go so well as he was injured... and when he got home, his wife walked out on him, leaving him in charge of his six years old daughter, Emma. At crossroads, Mac decides to move to Shelter Bay to be close to his father and grandfather who is suffering from Alzheimer disease. There, he meets Annie Shepard who is new to Shelter Bay and had opened a scrap-booking store, wanting a fresh start after a painful divorce. Upon their first meeting, Mac and Annie can feel the sizzling attraction between them... but are they ready for a new relationship?

I really like Mac's side of the story - his struggles being a single-father, accepting his grandfather's disease and trying to spend the most time with him. In contrast, I didn't really care about Annie's backstory. I think it's mostly because I didn't understand that Annie - why she would get married to the man she did, etc. She seemed so different from the current Annie that it seemed like two complete different women. Also, truth be told, her backstory just wasn't as interesting as Mac's. Emma and Charlie - Mac's grandfather - were also two interesting and very likable secondary characters and I enjoyed their bond. Finally, Mac and Annie's relationship worked for me. Yes, it was a bit draggy at times - just get together! However, what I liked is that when they did, they both knew they were embarking into something more than just a fling.

While Castaway Cove didn't shake things up for me, it was a very nice read with some interesting elements :)


13) Dirty Secrets by Karen Rose: B-
Upcoming Review.

***

Genres

Category romance - 2
     --> (Contemporary - 2)
Contemporary romance - 3
Historical romance - 1
New Adult - 1
Paranormal romance - 1
Romantic Suspense - 1
Urban Fantasy - 3
Young Adult - 1

***

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how 2014 started :) 13 books is a good number and what I'm most proud is the number of books I reviewed :P Made this post so much easier to write! LOL. Now, hopefully, I'll be able to keep up in February... but I doubt it ^_^; As for the books read, well there's really one that stood out for me, The Avery Shaw Experiment. That one, I will be reviewing very soon :) For the rest, it's not that it wasn't good - there were some very enjoyable and nice reads; however, I found the majority simply felt too familiar, nothing really new or refreshing. Perhaps I need a change in genre or something... Then again, there were no blockbuster books coming out in January, so perhaps it was to be expected. It'll be interesting to see what a reading year 2014 will turn out...

So what about you? How was your start of 2014?

Monthly Reads - April 2013

Hey everyone! How have you been? Sigh, sorry for the lack of posts and reviews! I just don't know where time goes ^_^; It feels like I've been running the whole week: doctor appointment, garage appointment, haircut appointment... Even at work, doing this and that, catching up on things. Bleh... and of course, I cut myself again :( Same thumb, but not the nail this time... so I guess that's something ^_^;

Anyway, I'm so far behind in reviews and so on, but I'm still trying to catch up :) And that's why you get my April recap... in September! Enjoy! :P


1) The Wanderer by Robyn Carr: B


2) The Rising by Kelley Armstrong: B+


3) What She Wants by Sheila Roberts: B-

The blurb of this book caught my attention because it mentions a bunch of guys reading romance novels and their poker night transforming into a bookclub night... LOL, you have to agree it's a little bit intriguing right? :) And the blurb is pretty close to the real story. Our hero, Johnathan Templar, is the resident geek squad of Icicle Falls. He's been in love with Lissa Castle forever, but she never noticed him. Their high school reunion is coming up soon and Johnathan believes it to be his last chance to make an impression... but how? He then stumbles over his sister's romance novels... Why do women read them? The next thing Johnathan knows, he's devouring them one after another and getting ideas. When his poker buddies find the books, they laugh at him at first... but soon, they too need advice as Adam just got kicked out by his wife who thought he took her for granted and Kyle cannot make an impression on the lady of his choice.

I thought What She Wants was a cute book. I mean, it has men reading romance novels for advice and ideas LOL. Personally, I do not know to what extent romance novels could help a guy in real life, but it's still nice to imagine :) What made this book for me was Johnathan. He was such a nice guy and the efforts he put in to catch Lissa's attention was adorable. Also I like that Ms Roberts didn't turn Johnathan into a comedic cliché. What I mean is that he didn't read one novel, get a good idea and immediately tried it out and have it failed on him. Instead, it was more like a study and a long progress. In any case, it was just cute and Lissa is a really lucky gal... Not sure she totally deserves him though. I also liked Adam's storyline because it showed him not to take his wife for granted. I think it's a lesson that everyone has to learn in a marriage. I liked that she had the guts to kick him out, to make him understand where their marriage was heading. Out of the three story, Kyle was the least interesting... I think it's because to a certain extent, he was so superficial, only caring about looks. He overlooked Mindy who was interested in him because she wasn't as hot as his crush, although she was smarter and nicer.

In any case, a cute book... although I think it's more fiction (women's fiction even though it's guys ^_^;) than contemporary romance as there aren't that many interaction between Johnathan and Lissa. It's more focused on Johnathan and his evolution than the romance itself.

4) Lush by Lauren Dane: B

Mary Whaley is a successful and busy caterer who also run a supper club. Through her celebrity friends, she meets Damien Hurley who is part of a really popular band that he started with his brothers out of high school. The two meet, are attracted to each other and try to figure out how to make this relationship work.

Lush was a pretty good book. I really enjoyed Mary and Damien's relationship and liked how their romance evolved, how they took it "slow" and how Damien gave Mary her space and proved himself to be a good bet. I liked that the romance wasn't about the age difference or Damien's celebrity status... They had to figure things out because they were two adults living in different cities with extremely busy schedule, but they made compromises like two mature persons.

What held this book back in my opinion were the secondary characters and the lack of conflict. I found Mary's best friends to be annoying, because I thought they had too much input and were too quick to distrust Damien. One of them said she just wanted Mary to be as happy as she was and to find the man she deserved and that just put me on the edge... It just sounded so condescending in my opinion. It's good to be protective of your friends, to care, but at the same time, you need to be supportive. Sometimes, your friend needs to make her own mistakes and the last thing she wants is you standing by, ready to say "I told you so." What annoyed me as well is that all she had to based herself on was the gossips from the rag sheets. Ugh. The other issue was the lack of conflict. I actually didn't mind the lack of conflict... but because of it, one little issue turned into a huge thing, just so Ms Dane could wrap up the story and give the H/H their happy ending. Based on the rest of the story, I felt this conflict was very forced because Damien had proven himself to Mary and she should have trust him instead of the gossips. For her to react the way she did, it just went against character it seems... and that's too bad because it lessened the enjoyment of the book a bit.


5) Assassin's Gambit by Amy Raby: C-


6) Wrecked by Shiloh Walker: C

Ugh... I don't know how to summarize the story of this book. Okay, basically, you have Abigale Applegate and Zach Barnes who were child stars on a very popular sitcom when they were teens, but that was years ago. Both of them willingly walked away from Hollywood lifestyle and are happier for it. They have remained best friends throughout the years, although the truth is Zach has been in love with Abby forever. When she gets dumped by her boyfriend because he thinks she's wasting her time not acting, Abby decides she needs an affair. Not a relationship, just sex... and when Zach finds out through the "Wreck" journal he gave her, he volunteers himself - he's not about to let another man get the chance and he hopes that finally, Abby realizes that he's in love with her.

The truth is that Wrecked started out really promisingly. Who doesn't like the best friends to lovers theme? Especially when the set up is great, the premise has potential and best of all, the best friends have tons of chemistry! I really believed in Zach and Abby's friendship, really felt his unrequited feelings for her and had no problem imagining them together... And perhaps that was the issue. Because once Abby and Zach started having sex together, it became boring for me... It was just too obvious that the two should be together and everything that stood in the way was just frustrating ^_^; I was annoyed at Abby for being so oblivious to Zach feelings all this years - I mean, everyone knew! It got even worst when she realized she was in love with him and wondered how it would affect their relationship!! I was also annoyed at Zach for not stepping up, not pushing to the next level. It took forever for him to get Abby to notice him in a different way and now he's going to wait again till she comes around? Right... and instead of sharing his feelings with Abby, he resorted to growling at everyone :( It's just too bad because as I mentioned, the premise was really promising, but it failed to keep me engaged.


7) Love Irresistibly by Julie James: B+


8) The Chocolate Rose by Laura Florand: C+


9) Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts: B-


10) The Good, the Bad and the Witchy by Heather Blake: B-
Upcoming Review.

11) Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan: B

I'm always in the mood for a good romantic suspense; however, nowadays, it's hard to come across RS books that fit the type I want to read... Anyway, I read Ms Brennan before but never really got into her, but I thought I'd give her another chance with this series because it involved the FBI. Our heroine, Lucy Kincaid, went through something horrific 6 years ago, but she survived it... and now, she wants to become a FBI agent. While she's waiting to see if she is accepted, she's volunteering with a victim's rights group and works undercover online to lure sex offenders so they can be caught. Everything is going well... till they don't. One of her attackers was recently released from prison and not long after, found dead. She wasn't aware of the plea bargain and so, her trust is shaken... It doesn't help she's a suspect and the last sex offender she tried to lure didn't show up to her meeting, but did end up dead as well. Not knowing where to go, she turns to Sean Rogan, one of her brother's partners for a security firm.

I've been in the mood for romantic suspense that features investigative work, preferably with cops or FBI agents... and while Love Me to Death didn't totally fit my criteria, it was definitively a good book. The mystery was solid and interesting although at times, it felt like there were too many storylines going on. Personally, I think the one about Lucy's stalker was superfluous. It served to misdirect, but at the end of the day, didn't bring that much to the table. Still, Ms Brennan did a great job at tying everything up together in the end. I liked that Lucy didn't fall in love with the person in charge of the investigation - it's refreshing LOL. And I thought that Sean was an interesting love interest for Lucy. In a way, he's a bit of her opposite, not being afraid to break the rules to get what he wants and ironically, that seems to complement Lucy :P He at least knows how to be normal around her which is what she needs. As for Lucy, she was definitively a solid character. After what she went through, she put back her life together, went to college and is pursuing her vocation - a true survivor. Unfortunately, while I admire her for being a survivor, I also had a lot of difficulty relating to her because of what and how much she went through. It just seems so out there, so unbelievable that I kind of feel disconnected to her tragedy :(

Something else that lessened my enjoyment of Love Me to Death is that I'm not sure I could qualify this book as the "first" book in a series. It was clear to me while reading Love Me to Death that there was a book somewhere that I haven't read and indeed, after some research, I found out that Love Me to Death was a spin-off continuation of Fear No Evil. Ms Brennan tried to sum it up; however, there were too many undercurrents in the book and I knew I was missing some of Lucy and other secondary characters' backstories. Quite frankly, it sucked :(

***

Balance
Books bought: +12
Books read: -11
TBR pile: +1


Genres
Contemporary Romance - 6
Romantic Suspense/Mystery - 1
Cozy Mystery - 1
Young Adult - 1
Fantasy romance - 1
Women's Fiction - 1

***

Wow, first month of the year that I've "added" books to my TBR pile... but then again, April was such a good release month! I'm actually surprised that I haven't read more books LOL. However, as long as my number of reads hits double digits, I'm happy :)

I think April really showed this year's trend of what I've been reading. For some reasons, I'm really into contemporary romance this year... and when I don't have any contemporary romance books to read, I kind of look for something to read ^_^; I hope I get out of this mood soon.

Overall, April was a good month, although nothing really stood out...

How was yours? Do you even remember? LOL.

Monthly Reads - November 2009

One more month to the year. Really, how time flies!!

This month was not bad, I was able to read about 15 books. I say about, because one of them was a Harlequin and another, a novella. It's crazy how 3 more books on my read list makes me feel so much better, LOL. I just checked and last year, I read 207 books. I don't think I'll be able to repeat it again this year, but I shouldn't be too far. We'll find out quite soon I guess.

At the moment, I'm having quite a dilemma... I'm a romance reader... my favorite genre is contemporary romance... Yet lately, all I feel like reading is urban fantasy and fantasy... Even reading historical romance comes more easily to me. I sure hope it does not mean that I've burned out on romance T_T It'd be very, very sad. So yeah, lately, I have a nagging feeling and I worry. Stupid no?

Anyway, here is my list of reads for the month of December...


1) Greywalker by Kat Richardson: B-/B

I actually saw this book when it first came out in trade-size a few years back. At that time, I was not willing to pay for it, so I put it back on the shelf and kind of forgot about it. Till I visited Renee's blog.

Greywalker was okay. I felt the world building was missing something, especially since Harper was as clueless as readers, having just discovered her powers. I like Harper... she's strong, but not in a kick-ass way. The case was interesting also. However, you know this is a first book - lots of information dumped, characters introduced. The pacing was a bit slow and I had a hard time focusing on the book.

I have the two next books in my TBR pile. Renee says it gets better... but so far, I haven't had the urge to pick up the next book.


2) Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh: B+

Review to come (I hope). Anyway, I liked this book. Enjoyed the H/H, although I don't know, I felt Dev's character was perhaps a wee inconsistent. Otherwise, really enjoyed the book... especially since I like self-sacrificing relationships :P


3) Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb: A-

4) England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch: B

5) The Duke by Gaelen Foley: B

I picked up this book while I was at Kristie's. I think this is her favorite Gaelen Foley. I can see why she liked it. The storyline is quite original/refreshing and unexpected. It definitively stands out.

Best part I would say was Robert Knight - the fact that he was so honorable. I liked the fact that he wasn't a rake and he took love very seriously. He was a bit hard-headed at the end though... Belinda was brave. Overall, quite an interesting story... although I felt the second half of the book was a bit draggy.


6) HaveMercy by Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett: C

Another book that Renee enjoyed... However, this one didn't really work for me. I didn't mind the 4 1st person POVs, but I felt that the story was a bit boring. I definitively expected more action, but everything was more internal. The story simply didn't grab me...

My favorite narrator was Hal. I enjoyed his relationship with Royston... My only issue is I would have liked the authors to precise his age earlier... I mean, he was introduced as a young man and for some reason, I thought he was 15 or 16 years old ^_^; However, turns out he was 20... which is a bit difference when you're in a relationship with a 35 y.o. man.


7) Soulless by Gail Carringer: B

Cute little paranormal romance story. The world is interesting, a mix of Victorian era and steampunk. The author's take on vampires, werewolves and preternatural is quite refreshing. I enjoyed the H/H and will be seeking the second book.


8) Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell: B

Picked this book up because Ames enjoyed it so much. I thought it was cute and different from most historical that I read. I liked Mike and Timmy's relationship and interactions. I also liked the fact that Mike could walk away from his corrupted job... However, there were parts that were a bit unbelievable... and the "intrigue," meh.


9) This Time For Keeps by Kathleen Kane: C

Hmmm, this book reminded me a lot of When There is Hope by Jane Goodger and Once in Every Life by Kristin Hannah. The plot is a bit the same, as in the heroine dies in modern time and is sent back in time for a second chance for life. I enjoyed When There is Hope and Once in Every Life a bit more... mainly because the heroines accepted their situation and adapted. In This Time For Keeps, Nellie was too stubborn for my tastes, she clung to her ways a bit too much... even though they wouldn't be accepted. Also, she was a bit too materialistic to my taste... and I didn't really believe her love for Seth :( The whole past lives stories were interesting though, but distracting to the main storyline.


10) Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle: C

Review to come.


11) Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells: B

Review to come.


12) Holding Out for a Hero by Helen Kay Dimon: B-

Picked this one up because of Rosie. I'm glad I did even though the book didn't wow me. I enjoyed Ms Dimon's writing. The story was definitively interesting and different. I liked that Ms Dimon took risks with the storyline. The problem though was Holding Out for a Hero was too short and therefore, I didn't believe in the love between Josh and Deana. One minute they hated each other, the next they lusted after each other and oh, they're in love with each other. Even if they were attracted to one another before, the changes were too fast... especially for two persons that didn't understand each other that well and didn't trust each other.


13) Under the Boss's Mistletoe by Jessica Hart: B-

A cute book that I picked up thanks to Wendy. I liked the fact that the book too place in modern England. That was a nice change :) The book is quite simple, but sweet and enjoyable. Hmm, I do wish there was more scene from Jake's POV, his thoughts on his relationship with Jake. The POV scenes were quite even till halfway... then, it shifted to Cassie. While I liked Cassie's character, I felt that she cared too much about what other people thought. Like when she was fantasizing that everyone would envy her job and stuff. I don't know, I felt that she was a bit superficial at those times.


14) Missing in Deah by J.D. Robb: B

This is the novella in the anthology The Lost. Since it's a novella, the story is mainly focused on the case, which was interesting. There was definitively lots of shades of gray in this book and it was interesting to see Eve deals with them. My only problem though is that it didn't feel very believable... The entire novella centers around a device... and I just don't get how it would work or accept the existence of something like that. If it wasn't for that device, I would have given the novella a higher grade... even think that a full-length book wouldn't be a bad idea.

15) King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner: A+


So there you have it, my month of November in review. Mostly Bs... I do think that my mood has something to do with my grading. Ah well. I also realized that I haven't reviewed much in the past month. I have been blogging... but not reviewing. Hopefully, this will improve this month :)

Monthly Reads - October 2009

*Sobs* T_T

October was a very pitiful month for me... 12 "books" read *gasp* How sad is that? I know, for some it's a lot, but for me, it's kind of low... Especially considering that 2 were novellas and not full-length T_T I could say it's my trip to L.A. that put a cramp in my reading... but it's the third month in a row I don't make it to 15 or over.

So let see what I actually read:

1) On the Edge by Ilona Andrews: B

I guess I was just expecting to be wow-ed... and I wasn't really. Oh, it is a good and enjoyable read, quite solid. However, it took me almost a week to read it. Never got entranced... Perhaps if I've read it in one sitting, the grade would have been higher. I think that Ilona Andrews's strength in her novels is really the characters. Enjoyed Rose, Declan, Jack and Georges and William. The world building though, I have more difficulty. It's weaved better than the Kate Daniels books in my opinion, Ilona Andrews definitively took greater care of it. But I still have difficulty with it. Loved the twist with Declan's identity at the end LOL :) For now, I'm looking forward to William's book... although I have to admit, Kate Daniels' more :P


2) Sliding Home by Kate Angell: B

This was a book that I was looking forward to. Took a while to get my hand on it, but I finally did :D It was a light, fluffy and enjoyable read :) I enjoyed it quite a bit and it seems Ms Angell finally took my comment to heart - she focused a lot on the main H/H in this book :) So that was great. Fun, but not ground-breaking.


3) Under the Christmas Tree by Robyn Carr: B

This was a novella in That Holiday Feeling. It was a cute novella. Grade would probably have been higher if the book has been a full-length, although I guess the plot wouldn't have worked as well. Anyway, I really liked Annie and Nathaniel and how their relationship develop :) It was also good that the story didn't take place right in the middle of Virgin River. It allowed some characters to appear, without over-shadowing the whole story. Looking forward to the next trilogy! :D


4) Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran: C+

Lots of buzz for this book on blogland and in a way, I do get why. The writing/prose is indeed very good. Ms Duran definitively has a way with words. I'd like to say flowery, but it's not... However, the main problem I had with this book was I had difficulty connecting with the H/H... Especially Lydia. I hated how her character was holier than thou. She was also very quick to jump to assumptions, making judgments on other characters. I mean, it's okay when your gut is usually right, but not in her case. At one point, I think she tells Sanburne that he doesn't know her, that's he assuming stuff... but she's doing the same!! So yeah, didn't like her much... the storyline was okay. Some people really like the exotic stuff in historicals, but I'm meh about them. Finally, the last thing that bother me was the mention of Toronto and Canada LOL :) The date isn't indicated in the novel, but given the fact that Lydia was a scholar and kind of had a job, it was probably in the late 1800's which means that Canada would have existed... so I guess it's okay... and I bet the names Canada and Toronto were used even before the country was founded. However, it's soooo rare to read those two words in a historical romance... it kept bothering me ^_^;


5) The Spellmans Files by Lisa Lutz: B-

Buddy review to come at Breezing Through


6) Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs: C-

I'd almost like to say this is my last Susan Wiggs in this series, but I know myself... I'm most likely going to cave at the next release, especially if it's Daisy's book. Or perhaps I could just skim to know who she chose. Anyway, the series definitively has lost a lot of momentum. It used to focus on the Bellamy family and not anymore. We're introduced to new characters, and they feel meh. I even think there's a new police chief in Lakeshore Christmas, so my question: what happened to Rourke McKnight, the hero in The Winter Lodge?

Okay, back to Lakeshore Christmas. I think the main problem was there was too much going on. Also, I know it's a holiday book, but the ending? Totally didn't buy it. How can you save a library's future with donations? I mean, a full year of budget? I don't think that's possible, unless they get very little books ^_^; As for the characters, Ethan and Maureen, they were actually quite well developed, but just not interesting ^_^;

It wasn't a bad book, but it just lost its charm.


7) Untouchable by Kresley Cole: B

I've been looking forward to Murdoch's story and was a bit disappointed to find out that it was a novella. Luckily though, Untouchable is almost 300 pages, so it was actually long enough to be satisfying :)

The first half of the story was great in my opinion. Loved Murdoch and Danii together. They literally lit up the pages LOL. Also, Ms Kenyon, this is how you incorporate previous scenes into a storyline :) I didn't feel bored re-reading some of the scenes and I think that the whole storyline actually flowed really well, connecting all the storylines together. I thought it was interesting to see Murdoch deal with the fact that he couldn't touch Danii. I think he had every right to be pissed off. I mean, you wait hundred of years to meet your mate and you can't touch her?!?!

Unfortunately, it went downhill with the second half. It just wasn't as intense as the first half. Everything was resolved way too easily... and Danii abdicating? It was quite anti-climatic. That's basically why Untouchable doesn't get a higher grade. Great beginning, just too bad Ms Cole couldn't keep it up.


8) Hot on Her Heels by Susan Mallery: B+

9) Naked in Death by J.D. Robb: B+/A-

10) Reunion in Death by J.D. Robb: A-

11) Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb: B

12) Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts: B/B+

Buddy review to come at Breezing Through


Okay, I'd like to say that these books were graded with my current reading mood... so it is possible I've been a bit tougher than I usually am. See, lately, I start reading a book and it takes so bloody long. Most of the time, I really enjoy the first half, but the second half feels meh. So it is highly possible it's me and not the book. Of course, usually the second half is where conflict arises and is resolved... so it could be the book... or a combination of me and the book ^_^;

Ah well, I only hope that this month, I'll be reading more! :D