Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Hi everyone!

So how was the long week-end? Hope you enjoyed it! I had a really nice time reading, blogging and watching TV. Really my kind of week-end :) I did go out on Monday to buy a wedge pillow. I've been having vertigo again since last Thursday and I figured it was time for me to invest in such a pillow. See, previously, the doctor has told me I shouldn't sleep flat anymore. As a result, I've been trying to achieve 45 degrees sleeping by piling up my pillows, but it was really uncomfortable for my neck, shoulders and back. I'd wake up several times a night to re-situate myself... and I developed the habit of sleeping on my stomach. So instead of 45 degree, it was more like 90 degrees ^_^; I figured there was something out there that should be able to help me and ended up with a wedge pillow. So far so good, had two great nights of sleep and when I wake up, I feel okay :) I think it will really help with the vertigo... just hope this spell doesn't last too long.

Okay, enough about me and my pillow :) Instead, let's talk books! I finally got into a reading rhythm over the week-end. Lately, I've been reading steadily... but also very slowly ^_^; Dunno why. I've been averaging 2 books a week? Maybe it was because of TV and curling, hmmmm. In any case, I read 4 books in the past 4 days, yay! Now, I just need to keep the rhythm and still do everything else LOL. So to start things off, a review :)

Last week, I reviewed Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas. I told you I wanted to have my review up because Ames and I wanted to buddy review Rainshadow Road. Well guess what? Yep, it's up over at Breezing Through! You can read it here and find out how much we enjoyed the book :)

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas
published by St. Martin's Press in February 2012

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington, with a boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a magical side - a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking glasswork she creates - and she struggles to keep it contained. But when Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none other than Lucy's own sister. Lucy's bitterness over this devastation is multiplied buy the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life.

Meanwhile, facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on the San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy so that she can more easily move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them, Lucy must ask herself if she can easily risk her heart again.

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life - even after are being broken - can be re-made into something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Friday Harbor series, Book #2

Hauling Sunday LXXV

Happy Easter Sunday!

Are all of you going to have family dinners tonight? LOL, I regret not going to the grocery yesterday and stock up on food ^_^; Ah well, we'll see what I can dig up for lunch :) In the meantime, I'm watching the finale of the men world curling championship. It's Canada vs Scotland... Go Canada! LOL.

So this week was pretty quiet, book-wise. Well no surprise, given I got most of the new releases last week :) But my lone purchase was a very good one, one that I was really looking forward to!

Just Down the Road by Jodi Thomas - I was so happy when I learned we were getting a Harmony novel this spring! I was already resigned to wait till next November, but this way is much better LOL. I'm really enjoying this series and Just Down the Road is a great addition :) Oh and the more I look at the cover, the more in love with it I am... It's pretty and so serene. Fits the series :)

What about you? Any new books? What are you reading?

WEM IX: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley and The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers

I hope everyone is enjoying the Easter week-end :) It was so great to have the day off yesterday and still know I had 3 days ahead of me!

I went to see The Hunger Games with some friends and actually enjoyed the movie a lot more than I expected :) The weather was also gorgeous so all in all, I had a great time with friends. Good way to start the long week-end. Now, I'm planning to relax, enjoy some books and watch some curling :) Oh and if I can convince my sister, enjoy some sweets :P

As promised, here is my mini-review of The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley. I was reminded of how much I liked Cameron and Ainsley :) Also the timing seems perfect since I have The Duke's Perfect Wife in my TBR pile. I also give you The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers since it won the poll :)

Enjoy and have a nice week-end!


The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

published by Berkley in August 2011

He is a man of simple tastes - and complex pleasures...

Cameron Mackenzie is a man who loves only horses and women - in that order - or so his mistresses say.

Ainsley Douglas is a woman with a strong sense of justice and the desire to help others - even if that means sneaking around a rakish man's bedchamber.

Which is exactly where Cam finds her - six years after he caught her the first time. Only then, she convinced Cam she was seeking a liaison, but couldn't go through with it because of her husband. Now a widow, she's on a mission to retrieve letters that could prove embarrassing to the queen. Cam has no interest in Ainsley's subterfuge, but he vows to finish what they started those many years ago. One game, one kiss at a time, he plans to seduce her. And what starts out as a lusty diversion may break Cam's own rules - and heal the scars of a dark and damaging past...

Genre: Historical romance
Series: The Highland Pleasures series, Book #3

What do you need to know? Ainsley Douglas is one of the Queen's favorites and was sent to the Mackenzie's country party to retrieve a compromising letter which was stolen by another companion of Her Majesty who has fallen from favor. As a result, Ainsley is found by Lord Cameron Mackenzie in his bedchamber, a scene reminiscent of 6 years ago. Back then, Ainsley was trying to help a friend, but it turned out she was manipulated. Six years ago, Ainsley was married and tempted into an affair with Cameron, but could not betray her husband whom she respected and who saved her from scandal. Now a widow, Cameron considers all bets are off and he'll even help her retrieve the letter...

Eventually, Cameron and Ainsley become lovers and for the first time in her life, Ainsley learns what is true passion. However, when Cameron asks her to accompany him to Paris, she is torn between her duty to the Queen, her gratitude to her family and her feelings for Cameron. As for Cameron, he is frightened by his feelings for Ainsley. He also knows that if she agrees to accompany him to Paris, they will have to marry... And given Cameron's first marriage, Cameron has no idea how to be a husband. Actually, he has no idea of what marriage is and panic and fear are in fact understandable.

Why this book? I read and enjoyed The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. One of the character I was the most curious about was Cameron :) I've been looking forward to his book ever since and was glad that it was finally released :)

My thoughts? I actually really enjoyed The Many Sins of Lord Cameron. It was a very good book with great characters, a nice storyline and solid writing. Both Cameron and Ainsley's characters were likable and I loved their romance. I felt their relationship was a lot more than attraction... There was understanding and caring and I loved how Ainsley saw through Cameron's persona. Beneath the brash and strong exterior of Cameron, you have an hero who's been deeply hurt by his first wife - not just emotionally, but physically as well - and it understandably left him scarred. And Ainsley thought him what true love really is. I thought Cameron and Ainsley were perfectly matched. I also thought Ms Ashley did a great job with the sexual tension and the attraction; it was really palpable.

I also liked Ainsley's story, when it came to pursuing happiness. I just felt if someone deserved it, it was Ainsley. Despite her mistake in her youth, she was very considerate of her family, her husband and Her Majesty. However, it really felt like Her Majesty was taking advantage of Ainsley, keeping her so close, stifling the life out of Ainsley.

Something else that I liked about The Many Sins of Lord Cameron was the secondary characters. I liked that we got to see previous characters and that their presences were justified, served a purpose. I also think that Ms Ashley did a great job with Daniel's character, Cameron's son. There's was a strong bond between father and son... and the fact that Daniel wanted to see Cameron settled and happy before he could on with his own life. I find it was rewarding to see. For someone who didn't know how to be a good father and a good husband, Cameron did great by instinct :) All he needed was a bit more confidence in himself and Daniel and Ainsley gave it to him :)

My Grade? B+. I originally graded this book with a B... but writing this review, I realized I really enjoyed The Many Sins of Lord Cameron and it deserved a better grade, because there was little I did not like. Not only did I love the characters, but thought the storyline was refreshing as well :)


The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers
published by Carina Press in December 2011

London, 1810

Former actress Georgiana Knight always believed she and her brother were illegitimate—until they learn their parents were married, making them heirs to a great estate. To prove their claim, Georgy needs to find evidence of their union by infiltrating a ton house party as valet to Lord Nathaniel Harland. Though masquerading as a boy is a challenge, it pales in comparison to sharing such intimate quarters with the handsome, beguiling nobleman.

Nathan is also unsettled by Georgy's presence. First intrigued by his unusual valet, he's even more captivated when he discovers Georgy's charade. The desire the marriage-shy earl feels for his enigmatic employee has him hoping for much more than a master-servant relationship...

But will Nathan still want Georgy when he learns who she truly is? Or will their future be destroyed by someone who would do anything to prevent Georgy from uncovering the truth?

Genre: Historical romance
Series: None

What do you need to know? The blurb has it right :) I'm just going to add a few details... If they could find proof of their parents' marriage, Georgiana's brother, Harry, would actually become the new Earl of Dunsmore, instead of their cousin. Georgy and Harry actually suspect that their cousin and his mother know the truth and it is why they had their mother murdered...

Why this book? I picked up this book for several reasons. The first one is that Hilcia really enjoyed this book. The second is that Ms Chambers is actually a long-time romance blogger, Tumperkin, so I wanted to give her my support. And last, but not least, I love stories where heroines pose as men LOL.

My thoughts? I thought The Lady's Secret was a cute read and a good, solid debut novel for Ms Chambers. I enjoyed seeing Georgy masquerading as a man and thought she did a good job :) What made it work was that she had the background for it. Georgy would have been an incredible actress, if it wasn't for stage fright... and so instead of being on stage, she's been working behind the scene on costumes and decors. So she has the acting skills to pull it off, but also know men clothing to become a valet and know how to make herself appear manly through clothes. In that sense, I think it was very well thought by Ms Chambers.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book when Lord Nathaniel didn't know that Georgy was a woman. His growing interest in George, his confusion, the sexual tension between the two were great and fun :) However, I felt that once Lord Nathaniel found out that Georgy was a woman, the story started losing steam. Basically, because we reverted back to a "typical" romance. The excitement and spicing up that were present in the first half were no longer present. Instead, it was about Lord Nathaniel seducing Georgy, Georgy succumbing and
it became predictable.

As for the intrigue, it was also a bit predictable. I mean, we all knew that somehow, Georgy or Harry would find proof. What I don't get is why Georgy's aunt showed her the secret compartment of the tea trolley if she suspected Georgy's identity. It seemed kind of too obvious and easy. Although I have to say, I was glad that their cousin wasn't involved int he plotting... and the twist concerning him was interesting.

My Grade? B-. Overall, The Lady's Secret was an enjoyable read and a good debut novel. I liked Ms Chambers' writing style and would definitively pick her up again, given a good premise :)

Review: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

How's everyone? Seems to me the week and blogland have been quiet. Is everyone getting ready for the long week-end? I'm one of those who gets both Friday and Monday off, so this will be an extra long week-end :) I'm planning to relax and rest. I started having vertigo again yesterday... Hopefully, it'll pass soon. By the way, guess what I'm doing tomorrow with friends? Going to watch The Hunger Games! Crossing my fingers that I'll enjoy it :)

Ames recently reviewed Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor and urged me to read the Friday Harbor series. And because it was Ames, I did :) We're now planning a buddy review of Rainshadow Road for next week over at Breezing Through. As a result, I really wanted to review Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor beforehand... and yay, I did it! Enjoy :)


Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas
published by St. Martin's Press in December 2010

One little girl needs a family
One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

One single man needs a wife
The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

Sometimes it takes a little magic...
Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

...to make dreams come true
Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Friday Harbor series, Book #1

The Story: The blurb is pretty accurate. Basically, Holly's mother died and Mark, the oldest Nolan brother, was named as guardian. He never anticipated this situation, never expected to have his own family and has no knowledge of children. Actually, given their experience, he doesn't believe that any Nolan should marry... However, there's no way he'll let Holly end up in foster care and so Mark is determined to do his best. His first move is to move in with his brother Sam, so he'll have support. To their surprise, Mark and Sam fall in love with Holly and she gains their instant devotion. As such, they are concerned that she hasn't spoken a word in six months since her mother's death... That is until she steps into Maggie Conroy's toy store in Friday Harbor.

When Mark finds out Holly's Christmas wish is to have a new mother, he intends to make her wish come true by taking the next step with his girlfriend, Shelby... but despite his best intentions, he finds himself attracted to Maggie. And while Maggie is also attracted to Mark, she has no intention to embark into another relationship. A widow of two years, Maggie lost her husband to cancer... and she never wants to love and feel as much again.

My Opinion: Hmmm, I was quite hesitant to read Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor. One reason is I didn't know what to expect and another was the length of the novel; it is quite short. However, after reading Ames' review, I decided to give it a try... and I'm really glad I did.

Basically, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor was a very cute and touching contemporary romance with nice characters. I simply loved Holly! She was such a great kid. Once she started talking again, she was very sweet and happy... and I loved how Mark and Sam fell under her charm and how she brought them together. I have the feeling that this 6 years old girl made them better persons :) Their interactions were very cute, warmed my heart and left me smiling. Especially the scene where Holly says her first word in 6 months to Sam! (p34)

Leaning down, Mark murmured to Holly, "Go ask him what's for dinner."
The child obeyed, going to Sam's side and putting her mouth close to his ear. She whispered something and retreated a few steps.
Mark saw Sam go very still.
"You're talking," Sam said, turning slowly to look at the little girl. A questioning note had tipped his husky voice.
Holly shook her head, looking grave.
"Yes, you are, you just said something."
"No I didn't." A titter escaped her as she saw Sam's expression.
"You did it again, by God! Say my name. Say it."
"Uncle Herbert."
Sam let out a breathless laugh and grabbed her, pulling her against his chest. "Herbert? Oh now it's going t to be chicken lips and lizard feet for dinner."

Isn't it sweet? And what I loved best was that Holly teased Sam! I think it shows how well she has adapted, how comfortable she was with her uncles... to be able to tease them, even when it's the first time she talks to him. And Mark and Sam were doing an awesome job :)

Overall, I thought all the characters were quite nice and likable. I wished we'd have a bit more background information on the Nolan brothers, especially Mark. He kept saying stuff about how bad a father and husband he'd be, how they didn't know how to be a family, etc. It obviously alluded to their childhood/experience and their parents, but no details were given and therefore, it was hard to understand his fears and worries, to believe his certitude. I also liked Maggie. She was a very nice and caring woman.Although her behavior and decisions were understandable given the circumstances, I still found her wishy-washy attitude tiresome at times and I thought it was a bit cowardly of her to use Shelby as a shield, a reason why she couldn't be with Mark ^_^; I wished she'd have been more honest to herself. Lucky for her, Mark didn't take no for an answer. Plus, given all her reticence, I thought the timeline of their courtship at the end was very fast! Although with the pacing of the story, it didn't feel that fast...

Finally, I'm going to say that I'm really glad I got Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor as an e-book for 2.99$. The reality is that Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is a novella, not a full-length novel. Had I paid full-price for this book when it came out in hardcover, I would be fuming at the mouth ^_^; And it would definitively have ruined my enjoyment of this book. As it is, I was surprised when the book ended, because I was expecting more and it turned out to be the excerpt ^_^;

My Grade: B-. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor was not a perfect novella, but it left me feeling good and smiling :)

Review: About That Night by Julie James

How was everyone's week-end? I spent almost the whole week-end switching the pictures of my blog... and I'm still not done ^_^; Can you imagine?!? I have about another 6 months to go. I can't imagine how much I used to blog back then! The good thing is I added those books to my Goodreads as well and even cross-posted some of the reviews :) Oh and there was a moment of panic when I thought the lightbox image viewing didn't work on my blog. If you're wondering what is the lightbox imagine viewing, it's when you click on a picture and it appears on a grey/black overlay over the content of your browser window. While trying to figure out the problem, I read that sometimes, it was due to the customization of template, etc. So I tried to figure out the html codes, but couldn't... In the end, turns out I simply didn't give my blog enough time to load ^_^; Oups. Anyway, after this week-end, I think I'll be doing next year's Bloggiesta :)

All right, I won't hold you up any longer. I go some comments on my last Hauling Sunday post about how people were looking forward to About That Night :) Since I've already finished it, I thought I'd review it :) Here you go, enjoy!


About That Night by Julie James

published by Berkley in April 2012

He's playing games

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again. So when she finds herself face to face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she’s stunned. More troubling to the beautiful Assistant U.S. Attorney is that she’s still wildly attracted to him.

But she's making the rules

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn’t thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case — but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can’t say no to. Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. But Kyle won’t give up on something he wants — and what he wants is the one woman he’s never forgotten...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: FBI series, Book #3

The Story: Nine years ago, Rylann Pierce was celebrating the end of her first year as a law student at the University of Illinois when she met Kyles Rhodes in a bar. Sparks flew between the two and they arranged a date to see where it would lead them. Unfortunately, due to some extenuating circumstances, Kyle never picked up Rylann... and the two of them went their separate ways.

Now, Rylann is an assistant U.S. attorney (AUSA) who is looking for a fresh start from a relationship gone awry by moving back to Chicago. Her first case at the Office of Chicago is an agreed motion involving none other than Kyle Rhodes, the Twitter Terrorist.

To their surprise, sparks are still flying between them. However, a relationship between them would not be easy. Especially when Rylann gets a new case about an inmate being killed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, engineered by a prison guard, and Kyle is her only potential key witness.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed Ms James' previous release, A Lot Like Love, and therefore, like many, About That Night was one of my most anticipated read this month. And as soon as I got my copy, I proceeded to devour it :) Overall, I think Ms James has delivered another solid book; however, there was something that bugged me a little and as a result, I did not enjoy this book as much as its predecessor :(

First, let's talk about what worked for me in About That Night: Kyle. I loved, loved Kyle! LOL. He was such a great hero and made the book for me :) I'm trying to think of words to describe him and actually, I think Ms James did it best: (p248)

Twitter Terrorist, billionaire heir, ex-con, computer geek, bad boy - none of those terms came close to describing Kyle Rhodes. He was, simply, a good person, and a confident, intelligent man to boot, and she found that combination absolutely irresistible.

Just like Rylann realized, I loved Kyle because he was such a good guy. Not only that, he was also very genuine. Even though he was a billionaire heir, there was no arrogance in him. Confidence - yes, but no arrogance. You have to give credit to his parents for Kyle's upbringing :) No one could accuse him from being spoiled. He worked to be at the top and he never expected to get his way simple because who he was. I also liked that he was honest with himself, knowing what he did was stupid, but also admitting the reason behind: male pride. I felt that in the 5 months since the whole debacle started, it made him more mature and humble and taken all together, he simply was a great hero.

Something else that I really enjoyed was the interactions between the characters, especially the twin connection. I enjoyed all the scenes with Kyle and Jordo together :P They were just so fun. Their bond was really strong and it was also great for Kyle to know that he could always count on Jordo, that she'd always have his back. It also made me smiled that Jordan had her way with all the men in her life and that Kyle and Nick had to have a bonding session :) I also liked how close-knitted the Rhodes were. I think this is the first time we really see family interactions in one of Ms James' books and she definitively needs to add more if they are going to be this good. And as usual, Ms James added some friendships in the mix and they work well :)

Oh and before I forget, something else that worked for me is Ms James writing style :) Or more accurately, how "current" her books feel. Last year at RWA, I attended a workshop where she was a speaker and Ms James said she liked adding current elements in her stories, even if later, it would date them in the future. In this case, there was a mention of The Hunger Games movie and the whole Twitter aspect. A lot of contemporary romances now take place in small towns or if it's in big cities, it's a bit nondescript. So I find all these little additions very fun and I think it really gives her books an edge.

When it comes to the storyline of About That Night, I think it falls in the middle. I wouldn't say I loved the story, because I think something was missing... perhaps a little action, especially compared to the first two installments of this series. At the same time, I didn't dislike it. If anything, I thought it was interesting. Hmmm, in a way, I'd say it was more akin to Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect in the sense that there was a lot of lawyer-ish stuff and minimal involvement of the FBI. In About That Night, Ms James introduces us to the life of an AUSA and that's what I found interesting. I have to say, before reading this book, I had no idea what was an agreed motion or what was the processes to get an indictment. Also, it was a clever way to bring Rylann and Kyle back together, because I don't think otherwise, they would have gone after each other. However, I have to say when I read Kyle was a witness, I was expecting something a bit more exciting. I thought at the end, the resolution for the indictment was a bit anti-climatic... but Ms James made up for the lack of action and excitement with sexual tension :)

Now, onto what bugged me in About That Night. Basically, it has to do with Rylann. As a character, I didn't have an issue with her. She's the type of person who's very career-orientated and who has a tendency to have plans - 6-years plan for her career, 6-months plan for forgetting her ex, etc. I admit that I have a bit of difficulty connecting with Rylann, but overall, she was a good character. What bothered me though is the way she treated Kyle and her relationship with him. Even in the flashback, she was attracted to Kyle, but didn't want to... and it felt like she was deliberately trying to find faults in him, think the worst of him. That bothered me a little. And then, in the present, she starts this relationship with Kyle. At first, they were simply "hooking up," but even then, she was worried about the consequences of their relationship in her career because Kyle was not only an ex-con, but one that her office prosecuted zealously. And at one point, it just felt like she was "ashamed" of their relationship and that really rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, why would you be ashamed of such a great guy?!? Like Jayne in her review for Dear Author, it wasn't such a big deal for a non-lawyer person like me and therefore, the fact that she was "hiding" the truth, skirting the comments of her co-workers when it came to Kyle bothered me greatly. And seriously, if her boss wasn't happy because Rylann was dating the "Twitter Terrorist," well she'd only have her own office to blame. That's another sore point for me, the whole Twitter Terrorist. I thought it was a bit overkill ^_^; I understand the context where they wanted to make an example out of Kyle... but being called a terrorist for shutting down Twitter for two days? Overboard :( In A Lot Like Love, I already thought it was absurd, but hey, it was quite funny. In About That Night, from Kyle POV, not so funny anymore. While thinking of this review, I kept wondering about Kyle's prosecution. I couldn't help but think that his 5 lawyers must have been really bad not to get him a better deal considering the motives behind Kyle's action. Couldn't he have purged the sentence at home with an anklet? A la Martha Stewart? And it's because of these two issues that I find I didn't enjoy About That Night as much as I wanted, despite a great hero like Kyle :(

My Grade: B. As I said earlier, About That Night was a solid book with a great hero. Overall, I did enjoy it, but could have enjoyed it more if it wasn't for a few issues.

Hauling Sunday LXXIV

Okay, okay, Leslie was right not to believe me in my last Hauling Sunday post. I did buy more books LOL. In my defense though, most of these books are coming out on Tuesday, which means April. Plus, we're really close to April, so I almost made it LOL.

On my first trip to the bookstore - yes, I went more than once...

About that Night by Julie James - I've really been looking forward to this book. I enjoyed the last one, A Lot Like Love, and hope to enjoy About that Night as much :)

I want Candy by Susan Donovan - I've been in the mood for contemporary romance, so I'm stocking up :) I tried buying I Want Candy at the beginning of March, but they couldn't find the book. Good thing because I got a coupon for an extra 15% off. Yay! Anyway, I enjoyed Cheri on Top and I hope I Want Candy will be a winner as well :)

***

I was actually planning to wait till Tuesday to return to the bookstore since Just Down the Road is on strict release date... but I went out for dinner with some friends and the restaurant was right in front! Who can resist? So on my second trip:

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire - So I've been looking for new UF series and this is an author that Li has really enjoyed :) The only problem is her other series, Toby Dayes, is about fae and faeries and I'm not into that stuff. So I thought I'd give this one a try :) It sounds quite interesting!

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley - It wasn't on the shelf the day before! I want to know what went on between Eleanor and Hart! Hopefully, it'll be good stuff :)

***

As you can see, I got a good haul, especially since most books are new releases. Speaking of new releases, Ames, Monroe and I have our monthly post up at Breezing Through! Take a look at what other books we'll be getting :)

WEM VIII: Flawless by Carrie Lofty

So I'm up this morning at 8am to watch curling. Am I addicted? I'm starting to think yes LOL. Then again, this is the last event of the year, so I better enjoy it when I can! Plus, it won't get as extensive a coverage than the other championships have received, because the Men's World is taking place in Switzerland and therefore, there's the time difference. So instead of 2 matches a day, I'll only get one :(

The good news is that I'm up early, so my week-end will be longer. Technically, LOL. By the way, this week-end is Bloggiesta. While I did not sign up, I read many participants' posts and it had inspired me :) I think I'm going to tinker around with the blog a little bit.  Cross-post some reviews into Goodreads, check that all the images are still working and the right sizes and perhaps, label every post :P We'll see :)

First though, let's get down to business :) For the second week in a row, there was a tie for the Week-End's Minis feature. Both Flawless by Carrie Lofty and The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley got three votes. I actually planned to write both mini-reviews... but when it came time to write The Many Sins of Lord Cameron's, I realized I didn't remember enough of the story ^_^; So I think I'll use this week to refresh my memory and it'll be one of the mini-review for next week's WEM :) For now, enjoy Flawless by Carrie Lofty!


Flawless by Carrie Lofty
published by Simon & Schuster in September 2011

A passion this seductive is more precious than diamonds...

Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies' man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire...and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.

Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne's dilemma: She must earn her father's inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa.

Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward?

Genre: Historical romance
Series: The Christies series, Book #1

What do you need to know? Lots of details were left out of the blurb, so if you don't want to be spoiled, better not continue on! You've been warned :)

So Vivienne is the biological daughter of Sir William Christie, but she is also a bastard. Sir William found out about her when she was 6 or 7 years old (in France), took her home (in America) and told the world she was his adopted daughter. All her life, Vivienne has been grateful to her parents for taking her in and accepting her. As a result, she tried to be the perfect daughter and later on, when she married Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft, the perfect wife... Basically, Vivienne strives for respectability because she never forgot that she was a bastard and her biological mother was French actress/courtesan. However, Miles is a debauched rake of the first order and doesn't care about respectability. But worst, he awakens Vivienne's passionate nature. Around Miles, Viv seems to lose control... Scared, Viv leaves him and moves to New York.

As for Miles, he married Viv for money... but somewhere along the way, he fell in love with her. When she hightailed it to America, his pride took a hit. With Sir William's death, it gives him an excuse to go after Viv. And when he learns of Sir William's will: one million dollars if Viv can turn around a failing diamond brokerage house in South Africa within a year, he's determined to have both.

Why this book? I heard a lot of good about Ms Lofty's writing and I've been meaning to give it a try. I'm not much into medieval romances, so I was looking at her historical books which have the added bonus of taking place in unusual setting. The problem is her last few releases have been in e-book format only and that made me drag my feet ^_^; So as soon as Flawless was released, I jumped on it :)

My thoughts? I'm happy I've finally read a book by Ms Lofty! You can be sure it won't be the last :) Really, Flawless measured up to the expectations of being an unusual historical romance. Ms Lofty did a great job with the setting, being South Africa. It wasn't just a location, it was another character as it came to life in front of our eyes. The culture and the lifestyle, those were elements that set the tone, the feel of Flawless... and it was really well done :)

The other plus for me in this book was Miles. I really loved his character and his growth. Miles lived his life as everyone expected it from him being an aristocrat: he drank, he gambled and he enjoyed women. Later on, he married Vivienne for her money and continued on his path. Although I think he did cut back on women. Anyway, I kind of liked the fact that he was unrepentant about his behavior. Yes, he was a bit of a jerk, but what do you expect from a man who grew up being entitled to things, right? And then, when he got to South Africa, he started changing. It was as if being South Africa, he was suddenly freed, no longer under close scrutiny. Yes, he was still a titled man, but it meant less. He started working, took a closer interest in business and people would not comment as much because it wasn't as disdainful as it was in London. Plus, coming to South Africa, he had purposes: to seduce and win back his wife as well as turn around the business so they could inherit the money. So he channeled his energy into achieving these goals, became more focused and turned out to be a good man, someone you could really admire :) He made the book for me :)

On the other hand, there was Vivienne. I think once again, Ms Lofty did a good job with her characterization.  I thought Vivienne had a lot of depth and her need for respectability and safety were understandable. Unfortunately, I really had a hard time connecting with her :( The problem is that she came across as a bit standoff-ish, even with Miles. Also, I felt she should have open herself to Miles a bit more... He was her husband after all. I know that theirs was a marriage of convenience, but there was chemistry and attraction between them. Miles was a jerk, but he wasn't a monster or a bad man... If she had explained to him why she needed respectability, safety, I'm sure Miles would have understood and perhaps be more considerate. Even in a marriage of convenience, you need a bit more communication. Also, it annoyed me a bit that she fell in love with Miles and her reaction was to run away...

My Grade? B. Had I warmed up to Viv, I would have given Flawless a higher grade. Still, there's no doubt in my mind that Flawless was a strong and solid book. I'll definitively be reading the next installment :)