Monthly Reads: November 2010

Do you ever wonder why it's so hard to catch up once you fall behind? Or why is it so easy to fall behind? LOL. Or more accurately, ugh ^_^; So here I am, trying to wrap up 2010 - reading/blogging-wise... and I'm determined to do it :) Okay, so ideally, I should have done it during my time off... but seems my brain really needed a break. Now that it is rested, I'm back in the game!! Woohoo!!

So here is what I read back in November - seems so far away already ^_^;

1) His Sinful Secret by Emma Wildes: B+


2) Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts: B
Upcoming review.


3) Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath: A

4) Rules of Engagement by Suzanne Enoch: C

Bradshaw Carroway is growing restless on land and can't wait to receive his next assignment. Before he leaves, the Duke of Sommerset asks Bradshaw a favor: to return a token to a friend in Tahiti before a certain date or else, a curse might be invoked. In exchange, the duke will offer a safe haven - the Adventurers' Club - to Bradshaw once he returns. Of course, Bradshaw accepts... Eleven months later, Bradshaw is very close to the deadline; unfortunately, Bradshaw is not in commend of his destination. He is supposed to accompany Sir Joseph Ponsley, a famous botanist, and his daughter, Miss Zephyr Ponsley, in his quest for new botanical and zoological discoveries... and of course, adding to Bradshaw's headache is a bunch of aristocratic tourists aboard his boat...

Lately, Ms Enoch's books have been a bit of a miss for me. I enjoy her writing; however, the stories and characters have failed to grab me... So much that I didn't even realized that she had a new release coming out till Lori mentioned it, and you know how out of character that is for me LOL. However, once I learned about this book, I knew I was getting it because it was loosely connected to England's Perfect Hero.

I was glad to read Bradshaw's book; however, Rules of Engagement was not really what I expected. First and foremost was the fact that the storyline took place out on the sea, in Bradshaw's ship. When I read historicals, I expect them to take place in London or in England... I'm actually not a fan of historicals taking place in other countries or during travels or at least, I like to know it beforehand so I can re-program my brain LOL. Something else that bothered me was the timeline of the story. Rules of Engagement actually takes place one or two years before the other books in this series, The Adventurers' Club... They're not real problems, but stuff that the mind has to re-adjust to in order to enjoy the book in my opinion.

Overall though, I had the same problem with Rules of Engagement that I had with the last two books... The adventure aspect of the story didn't really appeal to me and I wasn't drawn to the characters much. The internal conflicts of Bradshaw and Zephyr had potential, both being tired of all the travels and considering settling down... but it was not developed enough to be interesting ^_^; Plus, the romance took time to develop. It remained lust for too long and the chemistry was really just so-so. In the end, I pretty much just skimmed through Rules of Engagement ^_^; I just wished the story would have taken place in London and would have loved to see Bradshaw interact more with his brothers.

5) Our Little Secret by Starr Ambrose: C

When Lauren Sutherland learns of her twin's marriage to the aging, handsome and playboy Senator Creighton, she rushes to Washington to talk some sense into her sister... Only to be mistaken for Megan by the Senator none-too-happy, very-grown-up's son, Drew, and to discover that her twin and her new husband are missing. However, Drew is not the only one to mistake Lauren for Megan and soon, Lauren and Drew find themselves enlisted to solve a blackmail scheme...

I bought Our Little Secret last year, because I enjoyed Ms Ambrose's debut novel, Lie to Me. Then, I thought it'd be a good thing to read the book before her new release, Thieves Like Us, came out. In that regard, mission accomplished LOL. Also, what I realized after reading Our Little Secret is that I know myself and my reading tastes well and so, should trust my instinct more... What I mean is that I knew this book would probably not work too well for me because I don't like politicians in my romance, but yet I still bought it... just because maybe, I'd be wrong. Unfortunately, I wasn't or not too far off. Oh, Our Little Secret isn't too bad, because neither Lauren or Drew is a politician, but the storyline definitively takes place in the politic ring.

Actually, to be fair, the blackmail scheme was rather interesting... except that it took place in the political circle of Washington, where it is expected. That's the problem with the political scene - corruption, secret, scandal, bribery... You know it's there and you know where it's going to lead. Also, I didn't really get why Senator Creighton and Meg felt the need to disappear. It didn't really make sense to me, since they were the ones to volunteer... and instead of working it out with the agents, they just disappeared. As for the characters, I wished Drew was a bit more developed. I would have wanted to know and understand him better. Lauren on the other hand was a bit too much of a stereotype. The good girl, the one who thinks of her career, do everything right and gets engaged to the guy that seemed perfect but who turns out to be boring and not very open-minded. I think the problem is because she was such a stereotype, her character was not really engaging and as a result, I wasn't really drawn to her. As for the romance, there was tension between Lauren and Drew, but unfortunately, no real chemistry. That could be due to the disastrous first encounter they had or perhaps the fact that theoretically, Lauren is Drew's new step-aunt. Yeah, not really cool ^_^; In the end though, I guess I just wished the book has been funnier and there'd be more banter - the reasons I thought this book would overcome my aversion to politics.

6) Untraceable by Laura Griffin: C

Alex Lowell is a PI which usually consists of investigations for insurance claims and background checks... However, once in a while, she'll also help a client drop off the radar and start a new life. When one such client does not get back to Alex, she starts to worry that something happened... and seek the help of Austin PD detective, Nathan Deveraux. However, no body means no case and Nathan can't do much, even if he's willing to help... and Alex is definitively unwilling to give up. Then, there's Alex and Nathan's relationship... when the two first met, there was definitively a spark between Alex and Nathan... but ever since Alex was attacked in connection to one of Nathan's case, he's been blaming himself... and thus, the spark is hanging between them and their relationship is in limbo...

Okay, I thought the story started out well - it was intriguing, suspenseful and interesting... but it started losing steam when Ms Griffin incorporated the romance for me. Part of the reasons I think is that I haven't read Whisper of Warning in which Nathan and Alex met and obviously, there was something between the two. So I felt like I was thrown into their relationship and it really took a while in my opinion for the author to clarify what's been going on. I think that threw off the romance part for me a little and then, there was the lack of intensity. For most of the book, Nathan and Alex didn't seem to be a couple for me. Instead, they were more like two persons trying to figure out their relationship... which is fine in some books, but not in this one. I didn't feel like they work it out or actually talked about it and yet, they somehow are together at the end? Also, there was this disconnection between the characters and me. I don't know if it's because they were introduced in the previous book and so I was missing something about their personality, but I wasn't engaged by their personality... I didn't even understand them. For example, Alex isn't the settling type and some obscure reason was given, but it was never developed, never really integrated in who Alex was. I guess what I mean is that there was a lot of "empty words." There were facts about the characters, romance and storyline that I read, but never seem to be reflected or impact... it was as if it was fact just to fill the pages ^_^;

Finally, I think what saves this book was the intrigue/suspense aspect. I didn't expect the people involved and really, corruption is always interesting in the police force... interesting and scary ^_^; Also, there was the introduction for the Tracers... which is an expert unit/system that tries to accelerate procedures and analysis and who are not really the law. While I think the subject was expanded on a lot, it did set-up the future books well.


7) Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman by Lorraine Heath: B+


8) Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb: B-

9) Waiting for Nick by Nora Roberts: B

Frederica Kimball has been in love with Nicholas LeBeck ever since Nick's stepbrother married Freddie's aunt and brought Nick into the family's folds some 10 years ago. At 24, Freddie decides it's time for Nick to realize she's grown into a woman. First she moves to New York City and then, convinces him she's the lyricist he needs for his music. However, it'll take some more efforts to convince Nick that she's the perfect person to share his life...

Ugh, I'm really bad with synopsis today ^_^; Anyway, Waiting for Nick is part of la Nora's Stanislaski series and one of her earlier category romances. What I like about picking up a Nora Roberts to read is you know exactly what you'll get :) Great writing and a solid romance. Seriously, I was in the mood for a contemporary romance and nothing would do... but once I picked up this book, it was perfect. It's her writing style, there's just something about it that hits the right spot :)

Okay, more about the book itself. I read this because Monroe convinced Ames to read it and Ames enjoyed it so much. It's a friends to lovers theme and very well done. First, the characters are very likable and easy to relate. Freddie is a fun girl and radiates her joie de vivre. She's confident and that comes from this huge family of hers and knowing that she is loved. At 24, she's flying out of the nest, making her way in life and she knows that she wants Nick. What I like about her is that she's self-assured, but without being cocky about it. She's simply comfortable in her skin :) As for Nick, he was a nice hero. It was fun to see him realized that his Freddie has grown up and to realize his feelings. He's a guy, guy - grumpy when he wakes up, happy when he's fed, frustrated when he's stuck in his work, charming when he's at the bar... and his past give him the depth necessary to be more :) And then, these two characters come together and you get a very satisfying romance. I also loved all the family interactions and seeing the O'Hurleys :P

10) Considering Kate by Nora Roberts: B+

Kate Stanislaski Kimball had a great and satisfying career as a ballerina, but has decided to move on. She's returned home and has purchased the building she's always dreamed about to open a dance school. However, it requires some work before it can be ready and that's where Brody O'Connell comes in. Brody is a single father and has moved back to his hometown so his parents could help him with Jack who is 6... Soon, Brody finds himself attracted to Kate, but reluctant to start a new relationship because his priority is Jack, but also because Kate comes from a wealthy family, like his deceased wife. While he loved his wife, they did have their share of difficulties and he's not sure he can go through them again with Kate. As for Kate, she is known to go after what she wants and in this case, it's Brody and Jack.

To my biggest surprise - and I don't know why - I ended up enjoying Considering Kate even more than Waiting for Nick. Both books share a lot of common elements: the great writing, the perfect narrative tone, lovable characters, engaging romance and fun interactions, especially when Kate's family is in the picture. Still, I was able to narrow what makes this book stand out and it's Jack :) First, Jack was the adorable but realistic 6 years old boy and I simply loved seeing Brody and Kate interact with him. Even more, I liked how he was an integral part of the romance. I also enjoyed the relationship between Brody and Kate; I liked the fact that the relationship was gradual and there was no real conflict between the two. Yes, Brody was hesitant to start something with Kate, but that was it and seriously, it was indicative of how good a father he was. I really enjoyed the glimpse of Kate's old life and the fact that she had no regrets starting a new one. I also admire Kate a lot; she was confident, very determined and who is always looking forward. I liked how she knew what she wanted and went after it... As for Brody, he was just such a sweetheart. Determined in his own way, stubborn and nice :P So yes, Considering Kate was definitively a book I enjoyed a lot :)

11) The Fiercest Heart by Sharon Sala: B+

Haley and Mack were high school sweethearts, despite the feud going on between their families, who had their whole life in front of them. Unfortunately, on Haley's graduation night, Haley and Mack got into a car accident involving Haley's older brother and resulting into his death. Then, due to some misunderstandings, Haley and Mack each went their own way. Ten years later, Haley learns of her father's death and decides to attend his funeral... and meets with Mack again. The spark and chemistry are still there and soon, Haley and Mack are together again... against someone's will...

 I love Ms Sala's writing and really, The Fiercest Heart is a testament to her talent. I mean, this was a very short story, about a 100 pages, but it packed quite a punch, so much that I shed some tears while reading it...and I was at the bookstore!! LOL. Not only was it an emotional read, but it also had a very convoluted story! All I can say is I really enjoyed this story and even if Haley and Mack got back together really quick, I was fine with it because it just seems natural. Haley and Mack had such chemistry and clearly, they were meant to be together... and so it's just heart-warming to see them grab this second chance and make the best of it. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but notice two errors... one that I actually forgot about, so I guess it wasn't so annoying... but the other has to do with blood types. Basically, someone had a particular blood type and given the parents blood types, it was impossible. I also noticed that Ms Sala did a similar error in When You Call My Name - universal donor and universal recipient. Anyway, it's not something major, but since it's kind of in my field, it did pop up bigger than it was and it did bother me ^_^; Otherwise, The Fiercest Heart is one of the best short stories I've read :)

12) Hallowed Circle by Linda Robertson: C+

Okay, skipping the synopsis, because I don't think I can do the book justice. Basically, Persephone has to participate in a contest to select the next High Priestess of the Cleveland, Ohio, coven. Persephone is definitively not interested in the position, especially since she has a hand in the previous High Priestess' disappearance... at the same time, she does not think that the strongest candidate, Hunter Hopewell, has the right personality to assume the position. Of course, other stuff are going on... such as the fey targeting Persephone and her beloved - her grandmother and foster daughter... her complicated relationship with Johnny the werewolf and lead singer of a popular band, her bond with vampire Menessos and the fact that she's The Lustrata - something to do with Lady of Justice.

So yeah, this series is not really shaping up like I'd like it to. Basically, I picked up this series because I wanted to read something with witches and sorcery... and in the end, there's just too much stuff going on. My favorite part of the book was Persephone competing for the position of High Priestess and really, I would have loved for this part to be more, to be the only plot of Hallowed Circle. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I didn't mind the growing relationship between Persephone and Johnny - I actually like Johnny. But I feel like it's coming along really slowly and that Persephone is really confused. She doesn't know her mind and is wavering from one side to another and I don't know, I just don't feel like there's real chemistry or connection between the two, although I'm still rooting for Johnny and glad that at the end, she does accept him. One relationship that I'm liking is Persephone and her grandmother, the growing understanding between them. That's nice and rewarding.

What I didn't like is the part involving Menessos. Part of it is I skimmed a bit through Vicious Circle and obviously, missed some stuff... another part is I'm just not interested in it ^_^; I do feel like this is the weakest part of the series so far. Then, there's Persephone being the Lustrata... At this point, I'm still not sure what is the Lustrata and I'm not sure Persephone knows more. So I feel that aspect is dragging a little bit... My last problem would be the writing style. I really have a hard time getting into Ms Robertson's books and I think it's because her writing is just not engaging me. Not the right voice for me :(

13) Water Bound by Christine Feehan: --

Okay, for a synopsis, I'm going to refer you to Holly's review and Kristie's review - they're the ones who convinced me to buy the book :) Once again, this was a book I had a lot of difficulty getting into and quite frankly, at this point, I wasn't really sure if it was the book or my reading mood ^_^; I think part of it was my expectations, especially of Rikki's autism. She certainly had her quirks and they were endearing, but I guess I thought her autism would be more severe... The romance was so-so.

Quite frankly, I really don't know what to say about this book. I read it two months ago and truthfully, skimmed through most of it. I just wasn't engaged and perhaps it was my reading mood as I mentioned earlier or perhaps it's just that I'm not clicking with Ms Feehan's writing, which quite frankly, I'm not surprised ^_^; At this point, I don't remember much of the storyline and as such, I don't feel comfortable grading this book.


14) Our Wicked Mistake by Emma Wildes: B

15) Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey: B

Keri Daniels and Joe Kowalski were high school sweethearts, but life took them in different direction and when Keri left, Joe took it really hard. Years later, Joe has become a bestseller author who really values his privacy while Keri is an editor in LA for a magazine. In order to keep her job, Keri needs to shine a light on Joe's life... and Joe is willing to give Keri the interview she needs, but in exchange, she has to accompany the Kowalski on their annual camping trip.

This was really a cute and fun story. There was a lot going on in addition to the romance between Keri and Joe, such as his twin sister and brother marital problems, but overall it was very well balanced. The Kowalski clan is a big and noisy family who are not afraid to get down and dirty and know how to enjoy themselves. I like the whole family and their interactions, it was a great backdrop for the story to take place. Add in the camping and it was just fun. When I first start Exclusively Yours, I wasn't sure how I would like Keri, because I don't like reporters, but Keri turned out fine. I like how realistic the relationship between Keri and Joe was, when they were high school sweethearts but also in the present. Yes, it's unfortunate that their couple didn't last when they were younger, but it was just a matter of two people wanting different things... and there's nothing wrong about that. If they had compromised, they would not be the person they are now. The obvious attraction between them did bother me a little... I just wished they've gotten to know the new "them" without being distracted by lust. Still, I enjoyed this book a lot and am looking forward to reading more of Ms Stacey's in the future :)


16) The Accidental Wedding by Anne Gracie: B+
Upcoming review.


17) Changes by Jim Butcher: B
Upcoming review.


18) A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh: B
Upcoming review.

19) The Husband List by Victoria Alexander: B-

Lady Gillian Marley is a widow. While she loved her husband dearly and it devastated her when he passed away, the reality is that he died before inheriting his title; therefore she was left with nothing and has become the "poor" relation of her her family, the Effingtons. Lady Gillian yearns for independence which is within reach when her great-uncle from America makes her the sole heiress of his will. Unfortunately, in order to inherit, Gillian must marry by her next birthday, which leaves her only 2 months. Deciding on a marriage of convenience, Gillian asks her two best friends to write a list of eligible bachelors... but only one name among the list seems suitable: Richard Shelton, Earl of Shelbrooke. The Earl of Shelbrooke is in a financial bind, his art an inconsistent source of income and thus, marriage to Lady Gillian would be the perfect solution to his problem... However, Richard quickly realizes that he wants more than a marriage of convenience with Gillian...

Ms Alexander is a comfort author and I'm slowly reading through her backlist :) The Husband List was not her best work, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. I liked the characters and their maturity. I liked that Gillian thought long and hard before considering a marriage of convenience and that ultimately, the lure of independence was irresistible. It's no secret that it was hard to be a woman in those time and therefore wanting to be independent is totally understandable. As for Richard, I liked how he figured so quickly that he wanted a real marriage with Gillian. I also admire Richard a lot for the way he stepped up after his father's death, dealing with the debts, his four younger sisters... I liked that he thought outside the box and worked, even though anonymously, to come up with income. Something else I enjoyed was Richard's friendship with Gillian's brother and Gillian's friendship with her two childhood friends. It's just fun to see characters interact with their friends :P

I thought the romance was okay. I enjoyed it, but hoped for more. I think it's unfortunate that Ms Alexander had to resort to a "secret identity" to move the romance along. I just wished the characters would have interacted more as themselves and work through their issues. However, like I said, an enjoyable read :)

Books bought: +18
Books read: -19
TBR pile: -1


Wooohooo!!! I'm finally done writing my minis, which now that I'm looking at them, are not really minis ^_^; I know, I know, I just can't seem to keep it short. Never have been able to and I don't think it will ever happen ^_^; See, that's why I was dreading writing this post LOL. Hallelujah that I did wait though, because I did end up reviewing a few of them in December. Phew!! Otherwise, it'd probably take me another day to write this post... as it is, it took me two days... Okay, enough complaining LOL.

Wooohooo!!! There's a negative in my TBR pile! LOL, how rare is that?!? :) I'm cheating a bit though because really, The Fiercest Heart should really count for 0.5, not 1... but shhhh LOL. November was my most productive month of 2010 with 19 books read :) It's really no surprise though when you consider the fact that my boss was gone the whole month :P Overall, I'm really happy with my reads... a lot of Cs, but that's because I'm trying to be tougher LOL. I usually give away a lot of Bs when the books are really Cs for me...

Okay, that's it for this post... time to go to sleep :P

Monthly Reads: June 2010

No Hauling Sunday this week, because I have no new books. Shocking, isn't it? LOL, but it happens... not often though, but it does from time to time :) Instead, I'm going to try to put up my Monthly Reads post for June ^_^; Sigh. I've been putting off writing this post, because I'm really behind in my reviews ^_^; Which means I have to write more mini-reviews/impressions in this post... and well, I can't seem to keep it short, LOL. As a result, I'm really late with my Monthly Reads post, but at least, it's done!

Aside from that, nothing really new with life. It's been quiet. Although I'm heading in a reading slump :( Haven't picked up anything since Wednesday. That's a bad sign... so I've pulled out the big artillery - The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger. Oh, and I'm having a relapse in my addiction to Bejeweled Blitz ^_^;



1) Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn: C


2) Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson: B

Persephone Alcmedi is a witch, a columnist and a sympathizer for werewolves. After her best friend was turned into a werewolf back in college, Persephone decided to become a newspapers reporter instead of a lawyer, because she'd be able to impact the world and people's views more than a lawyer. In this world, werewolves are considered as animals, even if most of them didn't become werewolves willingly. They are cut off of the system and have little rights. When one of her closest friend dies, Persephone knows the police won't lift a finger to investigate as soon as they find out she's a werewolf. Therefore it's up to Persephone to find out the killer - in order to see justice, but also to give closure to the girl left behind...

This is the first book in the Persephone Alcmedi series. I picked it up, because lately, I've been into urban fantasy featuring witches, wizards and sorcerers. So far, I like Persephone's character.  Her charm lays in the fact that she is normal. She might be a witch, but it still means she has to work, meet deadline, is driven crazy by her grandmother. She also has not come to term with her mother's abandonment... and so far, as I can see, she's an average witch. What I mean is she doesn't seem to be weaker or more powerful than normal (although that might change). I like her loyalty to her friends, how much she cares and even though she's idealist, she doesn't go overboard with it. She's a good friend and very loyal. Oh and I'm really looking toward the relationship with Johnny!

As for the plot, it was interesting and easy to follow. It was quite perfect for the first book - not too complex, but not without twist. It allowed Ms Robertson to develop the characters and introduce her world. I think Ms Robertson did a good job at not overwhelming the readers with world building details. All in all, there was a good balance with the world building, the characters introduction and the actual plot.At times, I wanted to know more, but I'm sure everything will fill out as the series goes on. My only issue really was the fact that in the end, I'm not sure what a witch does. What does it mean to be a witch in this world, what are her powers, the extent of it? I think that was pretty important given that the main character is a witch and it would have given more insight.

3) Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase: C

Merry McKenzie is a 25 years old nurse who is leaving the nest in order to experience the real world in Boston. She moves in Jason Falconer's - a star baseball player - apartment building that he's just recently purchased. Jason and Merry quickly become an item, but Jason has some secrets of his own and doesn't know how Merry will react to them. Add in the vampire that lives in the basement, the shapeshifters on the first and second floor, the sex operators witches and oh, the ghost on the third; there's never a down-time.... but the biggest problem is actually Jason's noisy aunt Dottie!

I got this book because of the buzz in blogland and it looked and sounded very cute. However, I ended up a bit disappointing. I guess I was expecting something like a sport romance, but it definitively wasn't. Jason's career as a professional athlete was very much glossed over, supposedly because it was the off season. Still, I expect him to train a bit more, have some meetings, anything to do with baseball. As for the romance, everything went very quickly. There was no sexual tension to speak off: Jason and Merry were attracted and the next thing you knew, were an item. The relationship conflict was that Jason was a shapeshifter, but again, that was taken care of pretty fast. On the whole, I think Ms Chase spent too much time introducing developing the secondary characters, i.e. the tenants. Yes, they were a colorful and fun lot... but I felt they took away too much of spotlight, especially given the storyline concerning the noisy and annoying aunt Dottie. Also, it felt a bit too much like setting up for the next books in the series. All in all, it sounded good, but it didn't live up to it.

4) His At Night by Sherry Thomas: B

Elissande Edgerton's uncle is an abusive man, a true nightmare who enjoys tormenting his wife, who has taken to laudanum to escape him, and his niece. Elissande sees no way to get out from under his thumb, especially not when she has to take care of her aunt, until Lady Kingsley knocks at her door. Lady Kingsley is a new neighbor who was hosting a small party when her house was infested by rats and therefore, seeks refuge at Elissande's house. Elissande sees a glimmer of hope; her uncle is away and this is an opportunity for her to meet a man and marry him and does escape from her uncle. Elissande sets her cap on Lord Frederick and  decides to seduce him and get compromised, but unfortunately, his niais brother Lord Vere is always in the way...What Elissande does not realize is that Lady Kingsley and Lord Vere are government agents and the rats were only an excuse to have access to Elissande's house and investigate her uncle.

Kristie devoured this book when we were at RT and that's why I decided to give it a try. I have Ms Thomas debut novel in my TBR pile, but what I realized quickly is that Ms Thomas does not write usual historical romances. Her plots, settings and H/H are always pretty daring and different and they are not the type that suits me :( However, I thought that His At Night's blurb sounded more like something I would enjoy... and I did to a certain extent :)

Elissande was a very strong heroine, she must have been to endure her uncle's abuse. I understand her motive for trying to seduce Lord Frederick and the idea wasn't without merit... the problem though is I didn't think she was very likable. There was a feeling of detachment to Elissande, which probably helped her to survive, but because of it, I failed to warm up to her :( Lord Vere I liked better. He is highly intelligent, but decides to act stupid in order to spy for the government. As a lord, he has more access and people are unsuspecting around him. I liked his back story and loved the love between him and his younger brother. I enjoyed how Elissande and Vere danced around each other :P Each realized that the other was more than what they appear very quickly and the rest of the book was about out-maneuvering the other. It was fun and clever. Unfortunately, when it came down to their relationship and romance, it didn't work out as well. First, there was Lord Vere's resentment, which is understandable. Nobody likes to be trapped. However, he is highly intelligent and must have understood why Elissande did it. He is attracted to her, so why not try to make it work? I guess I wanted more loving moments between them. The plot though, I thought was quite clever with some nice twists. As for the writing, well I understand why so many enjoy her books :)

5) A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch: C

Colonel Bartholomew James was the sole survivor of a Thuggee attack - a group of Indian robbers who always kill their targets. He's come back to England with a survivor guilt and a screwed knee and has taken refuge at the Duke of Sommerset's Adventurers' Club. Except his family has returned to London and the Duke had made it clear to Bartholomew that he does not want them to be beating down his doors in search of the colonel. Thus, Tolly returns home to put in an apparition and meets Theresa Weller, his brother's new wife's cousin. Theresa is the author of A Lady's Guide to Proper Behavior and believes in everything she's written... and is appalled at Tolly's behavior and manners, especially since he was unpleasant purposely. Thus, she challenges him and to her surprise, he responds! Soon, the two are smitten, but unfortunately, some unpleasant rumors about Bartholomew and the Thuggee start to circulate...

Hmmm, I don't know. Originally, I wasn't going to get this book, because the series topic "adventurer" does not really appeal to me. I've read The Care and Taming of a Rogue, the first book, and thought it was okay. Then, Lori read and reviewed A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior and I thought I should give it a try since I usually enjoy Ms Enoch's books :) Conclusion? LOL, the "adventurer" type still doesn't appeal to me. One of the biggest issues I had with this book was simply that it was too similar to England's Perfect Hero. The hero comes back to England, changed by the events he's just gone through, sullen and reclusive... and is then drawn out by the heroine. Technically, I should love this kind of plot, but it just didn't do it to me. I thought Tolly "healed" to easily and I absolutely hate the fact that his words were doubted. I mean, here is a man that went to do his patriotic duty and he comes back home so damaged and have seen so much horrors and everyone treats him like dirt and a liar. Ugh!! So frustrating. As for Theresa, she was okay. I liked the fact that she had good suitors and prospects. At times, her attitude grated though, but it's understandable given her background. There were some good moments, but as a whole, I don't think this was Ms Enoch's best effort.


6) Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep: B+


7) Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas: C
Buddy review coming up with Ames at Breezing Through


8) Destiny's Star by Elizabeth Vaughan: B+
Upcoming review.

9) Oh-So-Sensible Secretary by Jessica Hart: B

Summer Curtis is a straight-lace executive personal assistant, the kind that is always well-put together and scary efficient. She's been transferred to work for Phin Gibson, the CEO little brother. He is outgoing, a daredevil and reality tv star with a lot of charisma, but Summer is determined to not fall under his spell. After all, he's totally not her type. Or is he?

Wendy made me discovered Ms Hart earlier this year and enjoyed Oh-So-Sensible Secretary. I thought it was a cute little category romance. I love the setting - London. That's what makes it stand out for me and the writing is really strong. As for the story itself, it's pretty typical. Summer is Phin's PA and he draws her out a little from her shell. Add in that she has an ex-boyfriend she can't get over, Phin proposes that they fake dating to make him jealous and realize how Summer is attractive... and it works. I mean, it's a light fun read, but to me, it doesn't stand out that much.


10) This Can't Be Love by Kasey Michaels: B

11) Desires of a Perfect Lady by Victoria Alexander: C

There was a time, Olivia and Sterling Harrington, Earl of Wyldewood, thought they would grow old together happily. Then, everything went wrong. Olivia was forced to marry Lord Rathbourne to save her father's reputation. Meanwhile, Sterling was lied to and he married someone else to appease his dying father. Ten years have gone by and Olivia and Sterling are both widow/widower... Olivia's father, worried about Olivia's safety since Rathbourne was murdered, finally reveals the truth of Olivia's marriage and sends Sterling to inquire about Olivia. However, Olivia does not welcome him, the man who has turned his back in her moment of greatest needs. All she knows is that her cruel husband is gone and she is now a free woman. That is, until her husband's will is read... then she realizes that she does need Sterling's help... but nothing more, except a night in his bed.

I usually enjoy Ms Alexander's historical a lot, there is just something about them... However, this trilogy does not appeal to me. I guess it's the whole "adventurer" thing again... Definitively not my type ^_^; Olivia and Sterling were torn apart due to some circumstances and have not spoken to each other for almost ten years. I understand Olivia's pain and resentment towards both her father and Sterling. Both of them were supposed to protect her, but one practically sold her and the other abandoned her. She survived though by steeling herself and now that she is free, she intends to do whatever she wants. As for Sterling, well he went on with life, shouldering his burden and responsibilities, but seems to have lost his joie de vivre. So when Olivia's husband will sends her on a wild chase, Sterling proposes his help and his mother does her best to throw the two together. So technically, I think my problem with this book is the martyr quality to Olivia. It's a bit the same thing as with Elissande in His At Night by Sherry Thomas. Both heroines have gone through a lot of suffering and they survive... but the likable quality of such characters is gone. I guess it's just not the kind of heroines that I enjoy and I should learn to stay away from them ^_^; Personally, I didn't care much about Sterling and Olivia's relationship. It was tedious, always having the same thing argued over. I did enjoy the traveling the characters made. They went to Egypt and Venise. LOL, the bits where the mother accompanies them to Egypt to meet an old flame - that was so funny. Also, Sterling's fear of snake :P So again, some very nice moments and highlights, but nothing standing out really - not the plot, the relationship or the characters :( I might just skip the next book of the trilogy and wait for when Ms Alexander starts a new series.


12) Chimera by Rob Thurman: B+
Buddy review coming up with Leslie at Breezing Through

13) In For a Penny by Rose Lerner: B

Lord Nevinstroke has been living the high life so far, getting drunk, carousing and having a lot of fun with his friends and his mistress. Then, Nev gets a wake up call when his father dies. Nev not only does inherits the title, but also a pile of debts that he cannot repay. Then he comes up with a solution: marry Penny Brown, daughter of a very rich brewer. Penny has no interest in a titled gentleman. She already has someone she wants to marry... but then, Nev appears and proposes and there is just something about this man that makes her heart flutters...

I got this book at RT and was very happy, because I've read some very encouraging reviews here and here. So I was really looking forward to it and now, I understand the appeal of it. I think what makes this book stands out is the characters and their relationship. Nev is sweet and charming. He might not be the most mature man out there, but he is trying to change for Penny, to become a better man and a good husband and that is very touching. As for Penny, she tries her best to be a good wife as well. They both know that Nev married her for her dowry, still they are trying to make it work, to have a real marriage. They are both strangers that somehow got together and they are trying to get to know each other, get the best out of it. I really liked the fact that Nev tried his hardest. It was funny because everyone was outraged that Penny asked Nev not to keep a mistress. Everyone was like: "That little bitch, she gets a title...and she wants to keep you from having fun?" and Nev was like: "She's not like that." He couldn't put it into words, but from the start, there is something undeniable between them. I liked the fact that there was no subterfuge to the marriage, they both knew what they were getting into.  I was so sad when Nev gave up his friends because he thought that's what he had to do to become respectable. Sigh. If only he had talked to Penny about it, he would have found out. Ah well. So I feel that Penny and Nev definitively made the book and I enjoyed them tremendously :) What didn't work so well for me was the rest of the story. The fact that the tenants were about the rebel, the storyline concerning Nev' sister and Percy, etc. I think it was too much and it just dragged out the book. Finally, there is something about the writing. The narration seems to be distant, I as a reader, didn't feel like I was as involved with the characters, but it worked :)


14) Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson: A-
Upcoming review.

15) In Pursuit of a Scandalous Lady by Gayle Callen: C+

It all starts with the gentleman's club's newly acquired nude portrait of a lady and the rumors that said lady is from the ton. While Julian Delane, Earl of Parkhust is not interested by the lady's identity, he is interested by the red heart-shape diamond jewel - the Scandalous Lady - the model is wearing. Especially since the jewel was stolen from his family and led to his father's death and he has seen it around the neck of Lady Rebecca Leland... Then, when Julian and his two friends catch three young ladies who has come to the club to steal the painting, he quickly realizes that one of them is the model and thus, has the jewel in her possession. Julian and his friends make a wager to uncover the identity of the model... but what really interests him is the Scandalous Lady. What Rebecca learns is that Julian is not the only one interested by the diamond - which she thought was paste, by the way - and not everyone is peaceful about getting it... which forces her to flee London so her family is not in danger.

Hmmm, it seems that Avon's releases have not agreed with me this month ^_^; I picked up this book after reading Lori's review, what can I say, I was curious :P As Lori said, this is pretty much a road trip story and to me, that made this book stands out. By the way, we're not talking about comfort road trip, since Rebecca is running for her life. I did have to throw some disbelief at Julian and Rebecca finding themselves together and traveling, but once I did, it was pretty entertaining ;) Rebecca used to be a sickly child and as a result, she is now trying to enjoy her life at the fullest. Posing for the portrait was liberating and exciting, except that it was never intended to be found in London. Still, Rebecca has no regret and that I liked :D As for Julian's character, well he's a bit typical. He inherited the title at 18 years old and so, he worked hard to make it afloat  and is burdened by his responsibilities and family. He is obsessed by the Scandalous Lady, especially since he believes that his father committed suicide because of it. I didn't think his character stood out too much, but he was still okay. What didn't work for me in this book was the whole mystery surrounding the Scandalous Lady. It wasn't very well-executed and was hard to believe. Also, I felt a bit lost without reading Never Marry a Stranger.


16) Kiss Me if You Can by Carly Phillips: B-

17) The Iron King by Julie Kagawa: B-

Meghan Chase is about to turn 16 years old. Life is not easy when your stepfather owns a pig farm, but luckily, her good friend Rob Goodfellow is there for her. Then one day, her younger half-brother, four years old Ethan, is kidnapped and a changeling is left in his place. Meghan's world turns upside down when she discovers that Rob is not who he appears... He is actually a fey that was sent to keep an eye on Meghan so she never sees the fey world... but Meghan is determined to save Ethan and therefore, they set off for the fey world full of dangers and dangerous creatures. But the shocks keep coming to Meghan since it turns out that she is the Summer Sidhe princess...

Okay, that is a pretty gross summary. I'm sorry, starting to be tired ^_^;  For a better summary and review, you can go to Leslie :) I don't usually enjoy fey and fairies, but Leslie liked it so much that I thought I'd give it a try. The book wasn't bad at all and the fairy didn't bother me too much. I thought the whole thing was quite clever and enjoyed the writing. What bothered me is that there is no sense of companionship in this book. Meghan embarks in a very dangerous journey and as such, there are usually friendships that form and etc. However, I thought The Iron King was lacking that. First, there's Rob who turns out to be Puck... and Meghan is not too sure what he is really. She knows he is on her side, but he is quickly out of the picture. Then, there's Ash, the Winter Prince. Winter and Summer feys are technically enemies... however, Ash seems to have feeling for Meghan. I totally didn't buy it though ^_^; There was nothing to indicate their love, nothing of Ash part at least. Yes, Meghan found him handsome, but I need more! Then, there's Grim... which dunno. So yeah, that definitively lesser my enjoyment of the book. Meanwhile, Ms Kagawa introduces a lot of creatures and very few are likable ^_^; In any case, I don't think I'm going to continue this series.


18) Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas: A-
Buddy review coming up with Ames at Breezing Through


19) Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh: B- (re-read)


Books bought: +31
Books read: -19
TBR pile: + 12


Ouf, I'm done! Okay, I guess I didn't keep it short, but I can't do miracle. I'm pretty happy with 19 reads :D I wished I'd have squeezed in one more though... but perhaps this month :) I bought a lot of books lately, you only have to see my Hauling Sundays post to figure it out... but what can I say? It was all Chapters/Indigo's fault for running promotions!

TBR Day: England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch

All right, I know, I'm kind of last minute, but I absolutely want to put this up... especially since the last TBR Day I managed to do was back in July (ugh)... and guess what, it was another Suzanne Enoch! LOL :)

Hmm, I haven't realized I've missed so many ^_^; But not this month!! Actually, this month, I had a few candidates up for review... of course, none fit the monthly theme, but shhhh. I'm just happy I'm reading books from my TBR pile :) At last, I chose the one that I enjoyed most to review today, England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch.

However, I'm a bit rusty... been awhile I actually wrote a review ^_^; So you'll have to forgive me if it's not coherent...


England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch
published by Avon in February 2004

Lucinda Barrett's best friends ended up married to the men to whom they delivered their 'lessons in love'. So Lucinda decides to choose someone who definitely needs lessons, but someone who will not complicate her life. And that person is definitely not Robert Carroway.

Robert is nothing if not complicated, and though he is the brother of a viscount, he rarely goes about society, and finds the weather and hat fashions ludicrous subjects for discussion. Robert is attracted to Lucinda's unpretentious ways, her serenity and her kindness. When she chooses someone for her love lessons, Robert offers to help her deliver her lessons, but sets out to convince the woman he has fallen for to take a chance on love ... and on him.

Genre: historical romance
Series: Lessons in Love, Book #3

The Story: Lucinda and her two best friends - Georgiana and Evelyn - wrote tips about how a gentlemen should act and then, decided that each would choose a man they know and give him the lesson. As Georgiana and Evelyn ended up marrying the men they chose for lesson, Lucinda hopes the same will happen to her and she sets her caps on Lord Geoffrey, known as the "Adonis," 4th son of a duke and with an army officer. She wishes to marry a man who will not complicate her life and who will understand her devotion to her father, a general.

Robert Carroway was wounded during the war against the French... however, nobody knows the real circumstances of his injuries and he'd rather keep it that way. Still haunted by the events, Robert has become estranged from the Ton. However, there is just something about Lucinda that draws him out... However, his re-admittance among the peers and friendship with Lucinda are jeopardized when rumors that he is a traitor surface and important papers disappear from the House of Guards.

My Opinion: Ugh, okay, my synopsis sucked ^_^; But like I said, it's been a while.

I bought and read this book because of Lori and her entry for the Re-Read challenge. It sounded good and it was, I enjoyed it :)

I love the Carroways, awesome family really. Love the bonds between the brothers, how they cared for each other... How nobody gave up on Bit (Robert), tried their best to care for him but not smother and did not give up on him. Of course, they were worried about him and they can't help but ask him it he's fine... but that's understandable... and Robert tries his best also. He understands why his brothers are so concerned. You know, sometimes, the hero has problem and become all sourly when people cares.

One of my favorite scenes is when Robert's leg hurt after an evening of dancing and cannot walk. His youngest brother Edward comes in and offers to help him, but he's too short. So Edward shouts out that Robert needs help and his leg is hurt and all the older brothers come rushing. :) Very sweet.

I also enjoyed the friendship between the ladies. I liked that Georgiana and Evelyn played a big part in this book. Sometimes, you only see past heroines and all they do is talk about their happiness and pregnancy... but not in this one. In this one, the girls were still there for Lucinda.

Speaking of Lucinda, I liked her character. She is very strong and independent. She did not let anyone dictates her action - not even her father... When Roberts is under suspicions of being a traitor, she does not avoid him. She goes against her father's wishes and still acts as a friend, even if the situation is difficult. I like her devotion to her father and I liked that she's smart. She's not a dupe and realized quickly that Lord Geoffrey is not only courting her only for her charms. She's also very practical and not very frilly, which is a nice change for a historical heroine :)

I liked Robert as well. I think someone should have snapped him out way before this and also, he should have talked about his imprisonment to his superiors earlier. Wouldn't that make sense? Anyway, it would have saved us from the "mystery." It was great to see him making efforts to get back to his old self or at least, to be functional again. It's a pity that in those times, people didn't understand PTSD. And I liked seeing his progression throughout the book. PTSD did not simply disappear... he still had panic attacks, but at least, he learned to deal with it.

Individually, I liked the H/H. Together... I would have liked a bit more romantic scenes. I did like their honesty between each other. That was quite refreshing. I saw the attraction between them grow, but at the end, love? I'm not too sure, it seems to go a bit too fast.

However, I have bigger issues than the romance. First, the mystery plot. It was a bit too obvious. I mean, there weren't that many characters introduced, so by process of elimination, it was quite obvious who the culprit was, right? I do think that romance authors try to hard to incorporate mysteries. Seriously, you don't always need to. Sometimes, it takes away from the whole book.

Finally, I thought that the ending was quite rushed. I think that Ms Enoch could have spared a few pages to wrap not only the book, but also the trilogy up. I don't need to see an epilogue with all three women nauseously happy, surrounded with children... but perhaps a wedding scene or something that had to do with the lessons. By the way, the lessons stopped being a plot device about half-way through the plot and it was completely forgotten. Kind of sad, since it's the theme of the trilogy. So yes, I thought the ending was a bit too rushed and a let-down.

My grade: B. Overall, the book was quite enjoyable. I like Ms Enoch's writing and she did a great job at characterization. There were a few funny scenes that made me laugh. Loved the relationships between the characters as well as the interactions between the H/H. But the book wasn't without weaknesses.

TBR Day: After The Kiss by Suzanne Enoch

Ugh, I have a confession... I've been extremely lazy lately ^_^; Yes, I know, it's not a big surprise... still, I'm hoping that by confessing, it'll change. (Not that it helped with admitting I was addicted to Bejeweled... seriously, it sucks all my time away!! Like a black hole!) So yep, I'm lazy... I'm just not getting things done. It's not as if I don't know what I have to do... I knew TBR Day was coming up, but I didn't get ready for it - lucky, I did read some oldies this month... Of course, none of them fit this month theme, but when do my reads ever?

My dad is turning 60 y.o. this Friday!! Wooohooo... Only problem - need to go buy a gift!! Any suggestion? It's usually so hard, but this year, it's even harder now that he stays home ^_^; Then, my aunt and cousin are organizing my uncle 50th birthday surprise party - another milestone, another gift!! I keep telling myself I have time, I have time... well now, I'm running out of time!! I know, I'm a bad girl, sigh.

Then, I have a couple of buddy reviews waiting to be put together for Breezing Through! Ugh, I love discussing books, but when it comes to put the reviews together ^_^; So sorry Ames, Jill and Cindy!! I will get to them!! Eventually... at least one this week! Hopefully ^_^;

So let's get TBR Day out of the way first :D Let's get un-lazy!!


After The Kiss by Suzanne Enoch
published by Avon in July 2008

A Notorious Gentleman...

Sullivan Waring wants only two things: his rightful inheritance, and revenge against the man who stole it from him. By day, Sullivan is the most respected horse breeder in England; by night, he plunders the ton's most opulent homes to reclaim his late mother's beautiful paintings. His quest is going swimmingly... until the night he's discovered by Lady Isabel Chalsey. Clad only in a revealing nightdress, she's an entrancingly different kind of plunder, and how can a thief resist stealing a kiss?

A Curious Lady...

Surprised by a masked man in her own home, Isabel should be quaking with fear. Instead the sight of the sinfully handsome Sullivan makes her tremble with excitement. Who is this man, and why is he so set on this reckless pursuit? Lady Isabel loves a challenge, and she'll dare anything to uncover Sullivan's secret-but she may instead convince him that she is the greatest prize of all.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: The Notorious Gentlemen, Book #1

The Story: Sullivan James Waring was fighting against the French in Spain when he got wound in the shoulder. When it happened a second time, his good friend, Lord Bramwell Johns, decided it was time to go home. However, a very bad surprise awaited Sullivan at home: all the paintings from his mother - his rightful inheritance - has been taken away... by none other than Sullivan's father, Lord Dunston - the man who won't acknowledge Sullivan as his son.

Determined to get back his legacy, Sullivan has been robbing the homes to whom Lord Dunston has given the paintings. Dubbed as the Mayfair Marauder, Sullivan takes great pleasure at secretly shaming his father... that is, until he gets caught by Lady Isabel Chalsey. To escape with as little fuss as possible, Sullivan distracts her with a kiss... but she is not the only one distracted and as a result, Sully loses his mask, exposing his face. It wouldn't be too bad if he never saw her again... but of course, Sullivan and Lady Isabel cross path when she accompanies her brother to buy a hourse from Sullivan... She then blackmails him into working for her...

All Isabel wants is to keep an eye on the Mayfair Marauder till she decides what to do. Hand him over to Bow Street? The only problem is that Isabel is curious and wants to solve the mystery... Clearly, Sullivan Waring has a great reputation as being the best horse breeder, he doesn't lack funds... So why is her burglarizing Mayfair homes? Then, there is the kiss...

... and things only get more complicated when she realizes that the man courting her this Season is none other than Sullivan's half-brother - the rightful heir.

My Opinion: Two reasons why I picked up this book... well actually, three. The first is that Rowena enjoyed it and I didn't know what to read... So when I found it at the UBS, I picked it up. Then, for the Re-Read Challenge, Lori reviewed Ms Enoch's England's Perfect Hero and it sounds really good. Now, I've read Ms Enoch before and thought her books were okay to good. So I wanted to read After The Kiss before ordering England's Perfect Hero...

What really caught my attention was the opening scene where we see Sullivan along with his two friends, Phinneas and Bramwell (heroes of book #2 and #3 in the serise) fight the French. That scene was great! It was exciting and everything I expected from a battle. It showed the great friendship between the three men and I simply loved it. Too bad there wasn't more of it ^_^;

I thought that Sullivan Waring was a great hero. I'm actually surprised that there wasn't much emphasis on his career as a soldier.... but I guess when you're the finest horse breeder in London... people tend to forget about his career as a soldier. Anyway, I really like Sullivan. He was quite an ambiguous character. First, people don't know how to treat him because he's in limbo. He's not a commoner, because his father is after all a marquis... but at the same time, he's not nobility, because he hasn't been acknowledged. I don't think that is a fun position to hold, but he deals with it. At the same time, he's the best horse breeder and men would kill for the opportuniy of buying a mount from him... but then, he has a choice... He can decide not to do business with you. He's smart, determined, courageous and loyal... he can hold a grudge and he's also very stubborn. A very interesting man in my opinion ;)

Unfortunately, I didn't like the heroine as much. In my opinion, Lady Isabel is spoiled... Many times, I disliked the way she spoke to Sullivan, especially in the beginning where she keeps reminding him their positions, as in she's nobility and he's nothing, the fact that he works for her and she's the one who gives the order. I know it's a fact, but to keep harping the point was unpleasant... it just rubbed me the wrong way. I thought she could have been nicer... Of course, she's young and she's led a pretty sheltered life... However, she does redeem herself at the end. I liked the fact that she realized she didn't know much about real life... When she discovers that Sullivan is Lord Dunston's by-blow. That the life she knows, the things she knows from others are mostly a facade and superficial. I also admire her at the end, because of her loyalty. Helping Sullivan by sending for his best friend, hiding evidences... and willing to follow him wherever, not caring about circumstances and other people's view. It's a little bit naive, but at the same time... She's very passionnate and loyal and those are good quality. I also enjoyed her interactions with her family very much. Actually, her family was very well developed... I liked seeing the different relationships, the camaraderie and sibling affection between Isabel and her two brothers. How her father likes to indulge her... How her parents worried about the growing affection between Isabel and Sullivan. They were a real loving and caring family... It was well-done, not the stereotypicial families that most see in historicals (either too loving or too uncaring). I especially liked the scene where they realized that some bad gossips about Isabel were being spread during a soiree. My only question is, how come her older brother is the earl and not her father? Can the father pass down the title before his death?

The plot was quite interesting as well. Loved the scenes between Bramwell and Sullivan and I'm most definitively curious about Bramwell's character. I thought the first half of the book was stronger, especially with Sullivan and Isabel's banter. I kind of lost interest in the couple though once they became lovers. However, the Mayfair Marauder's storyline got really interesting at the end, so it saved the second half. I liked how that storyline ended, it was clever and interesting. I would rather Lord Dunston didn't acknowledge Sullivan at the end though, because seriously, I didn't believe it at all. After all that happened? He decides that he's proud of Sullivan? yeah, I think not. I felt like Ms Enoch wanted to wrap things a bit too nicely.

My Grade: B. Overall, I enjoyed After the Kiss. It was a good read with a solid storyline. If the heroine would have been more likable, the grade would have been higher... As it is, I'm definitively going to try to get my hand on England's Perfect Hero...

Review: A Touch of Minx by Suzanne Enoch

Finally, I get to write some reviews :) Let me start with this one:


A Touch of Minx by Suzanne Enoch
published by Avon Romance in October 2007

Samantha Jellicoe and Rick Addison have been together for a year and Rick is ready to propose to Sam, but fears she's not ready to commit and run off instead of saying yes. Meanwhile, Sam - who is bored of installing security cameras and systems - is looking for a several hundred years old samurai armor. See, this is a museum-lost-item retrieval job and if she gets it done, she'll get many more jobs which will give her the thrill and adrenalin that have been missing ever since she stopped her career as cat burglar.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: Sam and Rick, Book #4

Why I got this book: Because I read the first 3 books and I like cat burglar storyline. In addition, Casee's review at Book Binge made it sound better.

My first impressions? Many have in the past compared this series with the In Death series. Samantha and Rick are like Eve and Roarke in reverse... Rick and Roarke are both incredibly handsome, rich and speak with an accent. The difference is that Samantha is the one who has a criminal past instead. Anyway, I have to say that between this series and the In Death one, the In Death is better. See, the problem with this book was that Sam and Rick are still at the starting line... basically, I thought this book was boring.

The Characters: For those who haven't read the series so far, basically Sam was a cat burglar on the verge of retiring. She met Rick during one of her adventure, fell in love and completely retired... However, she misses the adrenalin and thrill of her previous job and this worries Rick. Also, many situations in the previous books had made it impossible for Sam to completely severe the ties with her past, to Rick's chagrin. Anyway, both are still working out their relationship. My problem is I don't really see a difference between the Sam from this book to book 1 and ditto with Rick. Sure, all their compromises are talked about, but seriously, when you really look at it, it feels empty. Deep down, Sam still wants to B&E, even if it's not to steal, just for thrill... and Rick gets angry as soon as she threatens to leave... and dang, he's never happy with whatever she decided to do. On the outside, they both look good and attractive, but on the inside, they're empty... and their chemistry is not great... it especially pales in comparison to Eve and Roarke. I know I shouldn't compare both series, since they're quite different, but it's quite hard not to... and I think most ppl would agree with me.

The Story: This book was busy... On one hand, you have Rick who wants to propose, but is afraid of how Sam will react. On the other, you have Sam trying to investigate the whereabouts of the samurai armor... and also, an anatomical man - requests from Rick's niece. I thought there were a lot blabla that could have been cut short. It just made the book seems so long. Overall, the plot wasn't bad... but it's the way it was written, made it sound long... and made it tedious to read.

One of the thing that annoyed me was Sam and Stoney, her fence, relationship. Stoney is like a surrogate father to Sam and when she retired, he retired too... the problem is that he doesn't enjoy his life, he doesn't like to work in the security business. Sam doesn't seem to care and I find she takes him for granted. Also, Rick doesn't like Stoney and can't stop making disapproving sounds. I find both Rick and Sam a bit too selfish. I mean, Stoney did give up his lifestyle in order to stay with Sam... at least, Rick and Sam could be more understanding.

Grade: C

I'm not sure about this series anymore. I haven't enjoyed the last couple of books, so I'm considering stopping it. Even if in the end, Sam agreed to marry Rick, I feel like their relationship is still going nowhere. I also have difficulties to read Suzanne Enoch's books... I don't know if it's her style or the font, but most book, I found it long to read and end up skipping a couple of pages, not even skimming... just skip.

Oh, and the cover, not very nice in my opinion. The pair of hands? Also, why the bracelet?

Howdy?

Hey everyone :D

Wassup? My day didn't start really well: 1) the weather is crap, 2) my sis stayed in my room till 4.30am this morning to work on her project, so I didn't get good sleep, 3) she needed my helped this morning with her poster, so I ended up late and jammed in traffic, 4) I wanted to be smart and skip work so I could stay home and work on my project - yeah, presentation is at the end of the month, and since I didn't have that much work, I thought, well why not? Why not? Because my father took the day off to go to a doctor appointment and he's like: no way, you can't stay home because you don't have much work at work... only if you're sick... (he was pretty angry, cos he thinks I'm lazy - I didn't tell him about the presentation, cos he'd be even more on my back... Then, 5 minutes later, he came back to me and he was like: Did you get lay off? Answer: Of course no!) 5) Spent an hour in traffic, came to work and guess what... yep, I don't have any compounds to screen... even worse, I have less. Urgh.

by the way, love my dad :D He's the sweetest guy on Earth, but sometimes, he worries too much :P and even sweet guy can hit a nerve sometimes.

so that's my life ^^; and it seems that I'm slowly catching the reading slump (pls someone, save me!)...

anyway, here are what I've been reading for the past 3 days...

Hot Toy by Jennifer Crusie: 3.25/5

So I thought that I was catching the reading slump-syndrome and to avoid it, I bought this anthology, thinking that a Jennifer Crusie is what I needed.

On Christmas Eve, Trudy Maxwell is stucked in a toy store looking for an action figure, sorreh, can't remember the name, that is able to spit toxic waste :) Unfortunately, the action figure has been sold out since Thanksgiving, but Trudy is not giving up. She absolutely needs to find one for her nephew, Leroy, because his bastard father has not kept his promise and Trudy and Leroy's mother, Courtney, don't want Leroy to be disappointed. So she starts looking in other aisle for the action figure. Unlucky for her, Nolan Mitchell shows up... Nolan is a chinese literature professor and has stood up Trudy a few months ago. Still angry at him, Trudy tries to ignore him and lucky her, she finds the action figure that she was looking for, only the previous generation... But what's weird is that suddenly, everyone is after her action figure...

Okay, so this is a novella and it's short. I knew that, but still I find it disappointing, cos well, it was too short. By the way, did Trudy Maxwell ever showed up in Crusie's previous books? The name doesn't ring a well, so I wonder, but it seems like I was supposed to know her. Anyway, I like Trudy and Nolan :D The only thing is that well, the story is a bit far-fetched... but I guess that's okay :) It wasn't hilarious, but still pretty fun (as in, I did laugh out a couple of times)... Anyway, I'm still waiting for a full Jennifer Crusie book (and her only, no co-writing)... It's been 2 years since Bet Me.

Winterset by Candace Camp: 2.75/5

Reed Moreland had a dream where Anna Holcomb seemed to be in danger. Although it's only a dream and even if Anna has turned him down, Reed sets out for his Winterset estate to make sure that the love of his life is all right. Ever since turning down Reed's proposal, Anna knew that she'd never be happy, but she could at least be content with her life. However, Reed's return is making it difficult to be content... At the same time, the Beast, who've been responsible for murders decades ago is back.

I thought the book was long. The beginning was quite entertaining, but near the middle, it started to seriously drag. Anna, if you cannot marry, then stay away from Reed. I know, if they stayed away from each other, there wouldn't be a story... but after the third eps. of Anna and Reed kissing or starting to get intimate and then, Anna stepping back and saying that she can't and running away, I was seriously bored. Anna and Reed were all right characters... I guess that I would consider Reed as a beta male... as for the reason why Anna couldn't marry Reed, I thought she should have told him, not just drive him away. Anyway, characters were all right, story was okay, but a bit draggy.

Billionaires Prefer Blondes by Suzanne Enoch: 4/5

The best book I've read since the week-end... This is part of a series, after Flirting with Danger and Don't Look Down. Although the last book bored me, I still decide to give the series another go and I think this one is the best so far.

Samantha Jellicoe is an ex-cat burgler... Yep, she's retired after hooking up with British billionaire Rick Addison. Now, she owns a security company... but troubles still follow her. It starts with the reapparence of her father, who supposedly died 3 years ago, followed by the robbery of Rick's latest art acquisitions... then, Sam is in more trouble than she'd wished for. Stuck between Martin, her father, and Rick, her lover, Sam is in an impasse... but she has to make a choice.

Lots of ppl have compared this series with the In Death series by J.D. Robb where basically, Sam is the equivalent of Roarke (seedy past) with Rick/Eve as the moral compasse. Although I don't think that this seires come close to the In Death, it is still rather enjoyable. I like Sam's character... she's bold, sassy and sexy and she knows her stuff when it comes to burglary. Rick is well, the richissism guy that's found his soulmate, you know, he's a bit cliched, but what can you do? Those are the ones readers swoon for. I guess what this series lack is good secondary characters. Anyway, I think that the three books happening on a timeline of 5 months is also a bit exaggerated... It would have been better if the story would've been spaced out a bit. The storyline was quite good, the action continued... the story flowed well and the pace was good. The characters were in-characters and still entertaining. So no major complaints except for the fac that the characters kept thinking: it's been 5 months we've been together and I'm still in lust and combust automatically. Hello, so what if it's been 5 months? 5 months is nothing... Of course, if you've changed months for years, than yeah, I would have understood why the characters were surprised... but again, 5 months, *insert roll eyes* that's nothing. So why keep repeating it? Also, I've always been a sucker for father-daughter happy reunion, but this one wasn't, so I was kind of bumped out. But definitively worth reading if you enjoy the previous 2 books.