Re-Read: The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz

Last day of the month of September! It's hard to tell whether the month has gone by quickly or slowly LOL. It seems just a few days since it was Labor Day week-end. At the same time, the weeks without new releases have gone by oh-so slowly! Anyway, it's useless to complain about it, LOL. All I can say with certainty is that fall is here... and seriously, it shows - at least, over here. Temperatures have dropped a lot and we've been getting lots of rain. The only nice touch is that the leaves have started changing colors as well - was it earlier than the previous year?

Good news, bad news for this month's re-read challenge. The good news is I did re-read a book. The bad news? Not the one that I planned... but does it really matter? LOL. I guess not. I was planning to read Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, but I just never got around to it. I've been kind of in a slump at some point this month... nothing was appealing to read ^_^; Then, I had a friend who was purging her books. She was getting rid of many Jayne Ann Krentz and while going through my own stash of JAK books to see which ones I've read and which ones I haven't, I came across The Golden Chance... and just felt like re-reading it :) So The Golden Chance it is this month :)

The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz
published by Simon & Schuster in December 1997

When she gains control of his family fortune, it's love at first fight.

Stunning, stubborn, and independent, Philadelphia Fox lost her best friend because of the fabulously rich and powerful Lightfoot family of Washington state. Now she's got her friend's controlling shares in Lightfoot Industries - an inheritance that brings Nick, the family's prodigal and supremely attractive son, knocking at her door.

An unexpected and irrepressible spark between them blazes into extraordinary passion, and Phila - historically unlucky in love - finds the deepest satisfaction she has ever known. But behind Nick's gray eyes lurks a disturbing enigma? and Phila must make the choice of her life. Trusting Nick may come with quite a price - but giving in to his strong, sensual seduction is a golden chance that may never come again.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: none

You can read my previous review of The Golden Chance here. Since there's already a review, I'm not going to summarize the plot again :P

My Opinion: I cannot believe it's been already more than a year since I went on my Jayne Ann Krentz binge! Seems like yesterday, really.

Okay, so I read this book till 3am in the morning, that must tell you something about my enjoyment, right? :P This is pretty much a classic JAK book - hero is a businessman with a hidden agenda and heroine is someone a bit eccentric, a lot unique :) They meet, they are attracted and they try to navigate all the obstacles - usually involved family and business. It might be classic and in some way, predictable; however, it's well written and I liked it :)

I like Phila's determination and loyalty and the fact that she tries to understand the situation and the people she has to deal with. She's not ruthless, but at the same time, she doesn't let people run over her. She stands by her own beliefs and values and that's what make her such an admirable character... and I can totally see why Nick finds her so attractive. As for Nick, I think he's a great match for her. Not as direct as her, but I do think he believes in the same thing as her... Simply, it comes off differently because they were raised in different environments. LOL, is it me or reading this time, it seems that Nick is a bit nerd-ish. Totally missed that :P In any case, I think he complements Phila well and I like that he wants to take care of her. Not simply because he wants her, but because that's who he is. Also, he's not above being sneaky or harsh to get what he wants... in this case, I think that's manly or typically male. As in, it's too much bother explaining his motives and reasoning, I'll just do it and you can think whatever you want. LOL, typically male ^_^;

One aspect of this book that I enjoyed is the whole family. Everyone fighting to protect or advance their own interest. It's a bit saga-ish and I like that style of story. I also think it's a good kind of plot when you want to focus on relationship, but have something else. I mean, you can make it as complex or uncomplicated as you want, so it will match with other elements of your storyline... and Ms Krentz knows how to take advantage of this kind of plotline.

I cannot really pinpoint what makes me enjoy this book so much. Could be the relationship between Nick and Phila, could be the story, the writing. I simply do LOL. I know, not very helpful as a review, but The Golden Chance has become somehow a comfort read.

My Grade: B+

Review: Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber

Nothing really to say. Life is quiet and work is busy. I thought the week-end was too short LOL. I mean, I really like doing nothing :P And I definitively cannot believe the end of the month is so soon! Where has time gone really? Hopefully, I'm going to be able to blog all I want to blog about in a timely fashion :P

Oh, guess what? I'm not done cleaning my room - that is always a WIP ^_^; However, I was able to find my copy of Deeply, Desperately! :P


Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber
published by St. Martin's Press in August 2010

Lucy wants to breathe new life into her family's Boston-based matchmaking company. But how? Even though she comes from a long line of ancestors blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, a freak accident left Lucy with only one special skill: finding things. Car keys, socks in the dryer, needles in haystacks...and now, in a stroke of professional genius, lost loves!

It's not long before Lucy's on a winning streak, helping old flames reunite and create new sparks. Business is booming. But when Lucy finds herself involved in a possible case of murder, she realizes she's in too deep. Enter Sean Donahue. Lucy's handsome fire-fighter turned private-eye neighbor, Sean is just the man she needs to help her on the job. Could he also be the man she's been looking for all along? When it comes to Valentine, Inc., falling in love is always serious business.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: Lucy Valentine, Book #2

The Story: With Christmas fast approaching, it's normal that Lucy is busy... however, a lot more is going on than just the holidays. First, Lucy has a case with Lost Loves, Valentine, Inc.'s new branch, where a widower is looking for his first love. While Lucy loves her new job and is very interested in the case, she's less than happy about reporter Preston Baily shadowing her, looking for her meal ticket to bigger newspapers. There's also Preston's questioning about siblings and family that are weirding Lucy out. Then, there's Lucy's best friend, Marisol, who is planning an intervention to stop Emma, the third musketeer, from marrying a jerk. As if all that is not enough, Sean's ex-girlfriend is back in the picture and needs his help and support. Seriously, all this is enough to drive a woman crazy :P

My Opinion: I really enjoyed Truly, Madly, the first book in the series. I thought it was cute and fluffy and Deeply, Desperately pretty much continues in the same vein. A lot is happening in Deeply, Desperately and you'd think it'd be overwhelming, but it wasn't. Everything - the relationships, the romance and the mystery - blended and balanced out each other well, providing us, the readers, with a fun and enjoyable book :)

I think the success of this series so far is its heroine, Lucy Valentine. The best word that could describe her is normal :P Really, she might be a psychic with the ability to find objects and persons, but what she wants makes her a regular person. She wants a relationship with Sean, she wants to succeed at her job, she wants her friends to be happy and her family to live in peace and harmony. All of this makes her extremely easy to relate to and thus, likable. Same goes with Sean. He's a very nice guy, caring, responsible and trustworthy. And because Ms Webber has two solid main characters, she can go crazy with the secondary characters :) I mean, Lucy's family members are definitively a hoot, especially together LOL and while she loves them, she's not blind to their flaws. And her friends? Makes me envious to see such strong friendships :) All in all, I have to say I truly enjoyed Lucy's interaction with everyone.

The romance between Lucy and Sean is progressing well. While Lucy still worries about the Cupid curse, she tries hard to make her relationship with Sean work. Actually, it was heart-warming to see Lucy and Sean together, because you have two persons that are not afraid of commitments and really want this to work out. Ms Webber throws in some conflict by bringing back Sean's ex-girlfriend. For once, I thought it worked out well, I really liked seeing Lucy fight for Sean :)

Once again, I think Ms Webber did a good job with the mystery thread in this book. The series so far has been pretty light and fluffy, but the cases are well thought out, developed and satisfying. I mean, this after all is contemporary romance, not romantic suspense, so don't go out expecting a gory murder case or for them to be the focus of the story. Still, they are worked into the storyline well and add to the book's entertainment value :)

My Grade: B+. To me, Deeply, Desperately is another winner. There was nothing that bothered me. I read it in one sitting with a huge smile on my face. It simply was fun and fluffy and I'm really looking forward to the third book, Absolutely, Positively :)

How do you review?

I'm cleaning my room at the moment... which in other words mean that I'm picking up a lot of books LOL. It's actually a good thing, because I'm looking for my copy of Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber to write my review, but so far no luck :(  The good news though is that I started thinking.. and you know me, I'm full of curiosity... so I thought up of a discussion topic which is the following:

How do you review your books?

Throughout the years, while I was conversing with other bloggers or reading their posts, I've learned of some people's habits. Some jot down notes as they read, marking pages and passages. Others have to write a review immediately after they've finished the book.

Me? I don't have a time limit when it comes to reviewing a book... I can do it the same day I've finished it or two, three months later. I don't take notes or write down page numbers or stick a post-it or a bookmark to mark passages or quotes. I simply sit in front of my computer, hands on the keyboard and type away... or stare at the screen and play games till I'm done writing. Ideally, I would finish a review in one sitting, but lately, it's rarely been the case. Finally, when I'm done, I'll usually read the review once to be sure that it makes sense and if I'm lucky, I'll catch a mistake or two and then I publish. I pretty much go with the flow which is probably why I have difficulty planning a schedule and save up some reviews for the future. I do have one quirk though and that is I need to have the book I'm reviewing next to me - it's like a security blanket. I like to have it so I can check the characters names, the spelling of the town or a particular scene I want to mention. I want to be sure that if I refer to a part of the book, I get it right... which is why I'm looking for my copy of Deeply, Desperately :P

So what about you? Any habits?

Hauling Sunday XII

Ugh, I just spent several hours this morning fighting with my computer. It seems like it's acting up again, grrr. I so don't want to re-format it, especially since it's only been a few months since I've done it. Seriously, I'm considering buying a new one if it gives me headaches again. Sigh.

Aside from that though, I've been feeling much better reading-wise and book-wise. My reading has definitively picked up this week, as I read the whole Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher - that is 6 books! Plus, there are some good new releases coming up :) Yes, feeling pretty good :)

Here is what I got this week:

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews - I really fell in love with Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series. The last few books have been excellent. This is Ms Andrews other series, The Edge series. I thought On The Edge was okay... but I have high hopes for Bayou Moon, especially after Leslie's review :)

Venom by Jennifer Estep - Venom is the third book in the An Elemental Assassins series, which I thought at the beginning of the year had a lot of potential to become best new series of the year. So, are you wondering why I got this? :P

And that's it for this week. Amazing right? So far, I've only bought 7 books this month... Seven only! Of course, the month is not over yet and I could go crazy... but I don't think it's going to happen. I guess we'll find out next week :)

What about you guys? Got anything good this week? :P

Review: Money Honey by Susan Sey

The week-end is almost here!! Woohoo! I can't wait for it... although no idea what I'm going to do during it. Okay, I know. The usual - read, eat and sleep... and procrastinate on cleaning my room. Isn't it great to have a routine? :P

Anyone has ever had a car's coolant leak? What are the signs or what should I look for? I've just received a warranty extension notice for engine overheats or leaks coolant... and I'm worried because I'm planning a road trip in a couple of weeks. I mean, I've seen my car leaking water when I put the cool air on for the feet, but I thought it was condensation or something. I use the cool air instead of AC. If it was a coolant leak, I guess I should see a gradual loss no? I know, I know. I probably worry for nothing, but... Ugh, why did I have to receive this letter?!?

Onto another subject, I was doing so well on reviews. What happened?!? Hopefully, I can back into the rhythm...


Money Honey by Susan Sey

published by Berkley in July 2010

WHEN A LAWMAKER...

FBI Agent Elizabeth Brynn has dedicated her life to her job, having earned her position through hard work and a firm belief in law and order. She played strictly by the book until she recruited a notorious jewel thief as an informant-a professional criminal who used his wicked ways to tempt her into something more personal...

BETS ON A HEARTBREAKER...

Patrick O'Connor assisted the Feds for three years before going legit. Now a successful crime novelist, he wheels and deals his way around Hollywood, getting anything and everything he desires-except a certain federal agent who remained immune to his charms...

THERE'S MORE AT STAKE THAN JUST THE MONEY, HONEY.

Cop and robber are unexpectedly reunited when Patrick agrees to go undercover to help bust a counterfeiter-but his true motive is to get Liz under the covers, and she's not sure she can keep her hands to herself this time...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Money series, Book #1

The Story: Patrick O'Connor used to be a jewel thief, till he gave it all up to save his little sister, Mara. In order to keep her out of jail, he agreed to become FBI Special Agent Elizabeth Brynn's snitch and worked for her for three years. He then went to Los Angeles to turn a new leaf and became a successful bestseller author... that doesn't mean he cut all his ties to his old world or doesn't have any more contacts...

Liz is working on a counterfeit case and suspect that someone is trying to launder the money through Brightwater's Casino which is own by Mara's husband. Then, Patrick suddenly re-appears and Liz doesn't know what to make of it. Can she trust him?

My Opinion: This is Ms Sey's debut novel and I thought she did a good job of it. I was first attracted to this book because of its cover - it looked fun - and then, the blurb sealed the deal :P What can I say? I love jewel thief characters! There's something about them that is so cool. It's hard to pinpoint, but it's a combination of their nonchalance, their aloofness, their wits... and you know what? Patrick O'Connor had it all! :)

So you probably figured out that I really liked Patrick O'Connor. He definitively made the book for me - of course, keep in mind that I love jewel thief :P Think Roarke, that whom he reminded me of. I liked his nonchalance and his aloofness and his wits, but even more, I liked his loyalty and his love for his sister. No matter how you look at it, he gave it all up for her. He appears vain, but it's just a facade. He's been raised in an environment where he couldn't show his true feelings and after all those years, he doesn't know how... and he's afraid of getting attached... but I thought he was so genuine. I loved, loved the scene where Patrick had to interact with his family, especially his toddler niece, Evie :)

On the other hand, I thought Liz was just okay. A bit too stuffy, a bit too stubborn to my tastes, the worst though was the wishy-washy attitude. She didn't know if she could trust him or not, if she should have sex with him or not... and I understand her situations, but at one point, please, stop thinking and just choose! Aside from that though, Liz wasn't too bad. It's just that she leads a very structured life and has difficulty stepping out of them. In that sense, I thought Ms Sey did a good job with the unusual background stories, it fit and really explained why Liz and Patrick were the way they are.

The romance worked well. There was a lot of sexual tension between Liz and Patrick, you know that both wanted each other, but were unsure. I liked that they didn't have sex at the first opportunity they could... that Patrick wanted her to really be sure and wanted her to really want him and not regret it. Liz lack of decisiveness did bother me at time and I would say, it cramped their chemistry, but overall, the romance was satisfying.

As for the rest of the book, well as Holly mentioned in her review, I did feel like I was missing something. Perhaps the book could have started with a "Six years ago" prologue, that would have definitively helped. Even better would have been Mara's own story - I would have liked to read that one. The story itself was quite interesting and I liked the idea. However, it was far from perfect and I think a lot had to do with the pacing. Patrick's motives, the villain's motives were revealed either too soon or too late. I think there should always be something a bit mysterious about jewel thief... and while Liz didn't know, the readers knew so that threw it off a little. Plus, the investigation process was a bit off. Still, like I said, it was an interesting case. It wouldn't work for romantic suspense, but for a contemporary romance, it did :)

My Grade: B. Money Honey was definitively a good first effort from Ms Sey. There were some flaws to it, but the good definitively overpowered it and made for an enjoyable. I think Ms Sey showed great potential with Money Honey and I will read her next book, Money Shot.

Review: A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

Life is pretty quiet in my corner of the world. I'm trying to get back into a review rhythm again ^_^; My muse just comes and goes. I was so motivated this morning and then, I simply got busy and there it went... Muse was gone ^_^; Let's hope she stays long enough for me to complete this review :P


A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh
published by Vanguard Press in December 2009

Reginald Mason is wealthy, refined, and, by all accounts, a gentleman. However, he is not a gentleman by title, a factor that pains him and his father within the Regency society that upholds station over all else. That is, until an opportunity for social advancement arises, namely, Lady Annabelle Ashton. Daughter of the Earl of Havercroft, a neighbor and enemy of the Mason family, Annabelle finds herself disgraced by a scandal, one that has left her branded as damaged goods. Besmirched by shame, the earl is only too happy to marry Annabelle off to anyone willing to have her.

Though Reginald Mason, Senior, wishes to use Annabelle to propel his family up the social ladder, his son does not wish to marry her, preferring instead to live the wild, single life he is accustomed to. With this, Reginald Senior serves his son an ultimatum: marry Annabelle, or make do without family funds. Having no choice, Reginald consents, and enters into a hostile engagement in which the prospective bride and groom are openly antagonistic, each one resenting the other for their current state of affairs while their respective fathers revel in their suffering.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: None

My Story: I'm not going to summarize this book, because LOL, I don't think I can do better than the blurb and there's also a twist that I don't want to give away :P

My Opinion: I've read Ms Balogh before and while I don't dislike her style, I don't love it either. I'm pretty neutral towards her and as a result, I don't actively seek her books. However, A Matter of Class was an exception. A Matter of Class got excellent reviews from Hilcia, Leslie and Christine and thus, I was very curious about it... Wouldn't you be?

A Matter of Class is about two persons who meet and learn to know each other, each encounter building up the relationship. The story is simple, but does contain a little interesting twist. I think Ms Balogh did a good job at foreshadowing it and while readers are not totally surprised at the end; I thought it was very clever. Annabelle and Reggie are two likable characters. I think the best way to describe them would be mature and that is a nice change for once LOL. Actually, I think what made them stand out the most is that despite their wealth and rank, or lack of rank, Annabelle and Reggie were two regular persons who found themselves in a difficult situation and tried their best to work it out... and not only for themselves, but also for the harmony and peace of their families. And that's where the charm of this book lies in - the characters. There were no martyrs, no angst, no dark secrets, no tomboy-ish heroines, no rake-ish heroes... Simply two persons with strong minds and resolve and I thought they were inspiring. I also really liked how they cared about their families and you could see that their family happiness was important, but not at the expense of their own. Both tried their hardest to get things right. Everything is then backed up by Ms Balogh's writing and voice. In fact, its simplicity complements the storyline and characters very well. I think it defined the mood for the readers, pulled them in the story.

My only complaint is that A Matter of Class was too short. I would have loved to read more about Annabelle and Reggie :P

Grade: B+. Short review for a short book, but don't be mistaken. A Matter of Class was a very enjoyable read and definitively lived up to its buzz :)

Hauling Sunday XI

Hi everyone :) How are you doing all? Things are quiet in my little corner of the world and it's going to get lonely as I have many friends going away on trips :( Too bad I have to save money for RWA, otherwise, I'd be going with them to China for two weeks...

That said, my saving is not working very well. Been spending way too much on food lately... Definitively going to have to cut back on that :( Good news is that there are so little new releases that at least, I'm saving on books... Actually, I don't know if it's a good thing or not ^_^; It depresses me that there are so little releases. I did my list for the rest of the year, October to December, and OMG. I don't know how I'm going to go through it. November is the only month that is bountiful and I have nothing, NOTHING for December!!!

Okay, let's not think of it now. This week, I was quite a good girl and only bought two books. Yes, only two. Hey, it's better than last week with zero :P

Warrior by Zoe Archer - I finally broke down and bought it. First, because Wendy enjoyed it :) and second, if I enjoy it, that means I have something to buy for the next 3 months! Not bad, right? LOL.

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie - It finally made it in Canada. No idea what was the delay, but it doesn't matter. People have enjoyed it and I hope I will too :)

And that's it for my Hauling Sunday this week :) You have to admit that I'm being a good girl... and I have been reading from my TBR pile. I guess there are pros for few new releases....