Review: Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

Yes, finally, a review!! :)

But it's not here, it's over at Breezing Through :) Monroe, Ames, Chantal and I all get together to review Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts! You can click here for the review :)

Hope you all enjoy it!


Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
published by Berkley in October 2009

As little girls MacKensie, Emma, Laurel, and Parker spent hours acting out their perfect make believe "I do" moments. Years later their fantasies become reality when they start their own wedding planning company to make every woman's dream day come true. With perfect flowers, delicious desserts, and joyful moments captured on film, Nora Roberts's Bride Quartet shares each woman's emotionally magical journey to romance.

In Bed of Roses, florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn't found Mr. Right. And the last place she's looking is right under her nose.

But that's just where Jack Cooke is. He's so close to the women of Vows that he's practically family, but the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. When Emma returns his passion-kiss for blistering kiss-they must trust in their history...and in their hearts.

New corner shelf

Still no review, but some exciting news :D

First, guess what? Yes, I registered for the RT convention yesterday morning!! It's official ladies, I'm going!! Wooohoooo :D I'm definitively looking forward to it. It's exciting and scary all at once, LOL.

Also went to the bookstore yesterday and bought a few books. Didn't go crazy, so that's good news... but the real good news is for Canadian bloggers: it's customer day at Chapters/Indigo/Coles this week-end (November 14 and 15)!! :) Okay, so they have renamed it Family & Friends Day, but who cares what it's called :) What matter is that you get 25% off on books and products in-store if you're an irewards member (15% off if you're not). You have to show the coupon, but I'm sure they'll just give it to you in-store on those days anyway. That's good news, right? So I'll probably stop by the bookstores again this week-end :)

Finally... I think I did mention a while ago that I won a corner bookshelf over at Anna's Book Blog, courtesy of CSN office furniture. Well, I've finally received it yesterday!! Yay!

So this is how the bookshelf was supposed to look:


However, what I didn't realize is that it would need to be screwed onto the wall for it to stand ^_^; Yes, I know, I know - DUH! LOL. How did I think it'd stand on it's own? To tell the truth though, I didn't really want to screw it onto the wall, especially since the corner it's going to sit in is one wall and a bookshelf. So I thought it'd modify the design a little... and now, it looks like this:

It looks a little more like a nightstand or a coffee table, but hey, it'll still serve it's purpose! :) And yes, my room is pretty dusty and disgusting ^_^; I didn't realize we'd see all the dust in the pic ^_^;

I put some books in it to see how it'll look:

I think it's quite pretty. So far, I put most of my trade-size books in it. I'm not sure though if it'll stay that way. I think I'm going to have some fun with my books this week-end ;)

So what do you think? Not bad, right? :P

Monthly Reads - October 2009

*Sobs* T_T

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

So let see what I actually read:

1) On the Edge by Ilona Andrews: B

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


2) Sliding Home by Kate Angell: B

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


3) Under the Christmas Tree by Robyn Carr: B

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


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

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


5) The Spellmans Files by Lisa Lutz: B-

Buddy review to come at Breezing Through


6) Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs: C-

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

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

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


7) Untouchable by Kresley Cole: B

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

Buddy review to come at Breezing Through


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

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

Workplace and more misc

Yay!! I'm finally blogging!! Woohoo!!!

My sister has hijacked my computer over the week-end. So I didn't have access to it the whole week-end plus Monday and Tuesday nights. Then, at work, it's been really busy ^_^; Like I said earlier, I usually use my spare time at the lab to blog and blog-hop... but haven't had time :( As a result, I'm behind on my blogging and it really sucks. I've tried my best to catch up on blogging and commenting, but I still feel I'm behind. Hopefully, by the end of this week, I'll be all caught up :D

So wassup with me?

I've been really annoyed in the past few days... A little at my sister because her spending so much time in my room, she's kind of invaded my bubble. Then, I still haven't gotten my hands on Kindred in Death. UGH!! However, tomorrow for sure. I've been kind in a slump lately. Don't know what to read, anything I pick up, I read a few pages and meh. I'm hoping Kindred in Death will restore my reading mojo.

In grand news, it's 99.999% sure that I'm going to go to RT convention in Columbus next spring!! Yay me!! I was planning to go to the RWA, but Jill and Kristie convinced me otherwise :D I say 99.999% because LOL, I still haven't registered... and till you haven't registered, it's not 100% sure. But I'll do it soon. Probably this week-end :D Already, I can't wait! and I'm trying to convince Ames to join us! :) Then, it'll be party time! :)

By the way, for those who wonder, the McGill bookfair this year was so-so. I bought only 10 books for 23$. Not bad considering 3 were hardcovers, 3 were trade-sizes and 4, paperbacks. The selection was kind of meh... Nothing that made me jump and squee. There was another booksale at a church yesterday. Went, but didn't find anything interesting.

And my confession du jour: I'm now addicted to Starbuck Green Tea Frappucino. All because it kind of taste like green tea ice cream. However, gotta stop the addiction to save money LOL :P

To finish this post, I thought I'd post some pictures of my lab. Ames has been asking for them and I finally did it this morning :) So you guys get to see where I work! :D It's kind of small, but quite clean compared to others - mostly because we're a new lab. It's okay when we're 2, but I have to admit, lately, it's been feeling quite crowded :( Ah well, it'll only be for a short while...

So let see, first picture is the view of the lab from the door. In the second picture, you see my lab bench where I do my experiments... third picture is my computer where I hanged out when I don't do experiments.

In the 4th picture, you see the machines that are behind my lab bench. In pictures 5 and 6, you see both ends of the lab - more instruments... and the dreaded sink. I say dreaded because I don't like washing the dishes... so you can imagine what I think of lab glasswares ^_^; I usually let it pile up and do it only when I don't have a choice.

Oh and the last picture, that's the end of my bench... You can see pipets, tubes, the labshaker for microcentrifuge tubes... and the gel apparatus.

So yeah, that's pretty much it, my lab :D

And I think that's all I have to say for now... Unto my monthly reads list now! :D

Re-Read Challenge: October Winner :)

All right, so this month, only 5 persons completed the Re-Read challenge :)

I think that all 5 entries were very interesting and varied. We have romantic suspense, historical, paranormal romance and contemporary romance... so a bit of everything, right :D The most noticeable this month is me and Kristie, re-reading the same books of the In Death series by J.D. Robb. I mean, out of 30something books, the odds that we picked up the same books LOL :) Of course, if it was 3/3 or 4/4, it'd have even been weirder, right? :) For now though, let's just say coincidence :)

Aside from me, the 4 bloggers who completed the challenge this month are also winners for the previous months: Isabel for April, Kristie for May, Tracy for June and most recently, Ames for August. So let see out of these four ladies whose luck is good :D

And the winner this month is....

ISABEL!!!

Congrats Isabel! :D LOL, you know what to do right? :)


ps - for those who I own an email, I'll get to you very soon! My sister has been hi-jacking my computer at home for her lab report and I've been a bit too busy at work :( But I'll get back to you! Haven't forgotten!

As for monthly reads list, it is coming soon :D

Re-Read Challenge: October!!

***Sticky post! Scroll down for new posts!***

Happy Halloween everyone!

Wow, can you believe it, we're done with October already? The year is almost over!! and it went by in a blur!

Blogland has been quiet lately (Yes, I seem to be saying that every time, but this time, it's particularly true). Let see what's the turn out going to be LOL :) You have till Monday, November 2nd to post your review. Do not forget to put a link in the comment section and you'll be eligible to the 10$ gift certificate draw :D

So what have you re-read this month?

Isabel: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Tracy: The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
Kris: Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Kristie: Naked in Death, Portrait in Death, Survivor in Death and Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb
Nath: Naked in Death, Reunion in Death and Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb
Ames: Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
Leslie: The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne

Re-Read: Naked, Reunion and Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

Here is my re-read challenge entry :D

When I saw Kristie's comment on the Re-Read Challenge post, I was all surprised and wondered which 4 books she read! I mean, 4 re-reads and she reviewed them all! Then, I followed the link and found out which books she re-read... and all I could do was grinned because we basically did the same thing this month! :D Granted, I read 3 instead of 4 In Death books, but really... Also, what are the odds that out of 30-somethings books, we would read the same ones?!? :D

So here we go:


Naked in Death
published by Berkley in July 1995

Writing as J.D. Robb, Nora Roberts has won new fans with her futuristic series of romantic crime novels. New York police lieutenant Eve Dallas gets involved with Roarke, a suspect in her latest murder case. But passion and seduction have rules all their own...

Genre: Romantic Suspense/futuristic
Series: In Death, Book #1

The Story: In Naked in Death, readers are introduced to Eve Dallas, a female lieutenant in the NYPD. She's dedicated to her job, serving and protecting as well as elucidating homicides and her work is her life. After 10 years on the force, she knows that you cannot save them all - that all you can do is your best... but sometimes, your best is not enough and you can't help but feel the loss and grief.

After a brutal case that ends up with termination, Eve is supposed to go through Testing. Instead, she catches a high profile case - the murder of a senator's granddaughter who also happened to be a licensed companion. However, what's worrisome is the note that comes with the body: One of Six.

During the course of her investigation, one name that keeps turning up is Roarke, the mysterious magnate. Even though she still hasn't cleared him from her suspect list and despite knowing better, Eve can't fight the compelling attraction and ends up getting involved with him...

My Opinion: Like Kristie said, this is the book that started it all. Unless you're new to the community, you must have heard about the In Death series. It's impossible not to. The only question is have you caved and tried it or not?

I've read all of the books and I have to admit that coming back to the beginning is... wow. LOL :) You can see how far the series has gone. Some things have not changed, but Eve's entourage has for sure. It is bizarre to see only a few characters... As fans of the series, you're so used to seeing Peabody, McNab and a slew of secondary characters... but in Naked in Death, it's all kept to a minimum. I have to wonder though if Ms Roberts always intended Charles Monroe to become a recurring character... or he was supposed to be a one-time shot. I mean, kind of weird that Charles would be introduced before Peabody no? :D

Naked in Death is a great book and a great start to the series. I think Ms Roberts did a great job balancing everything: the characters, the world building, the case and the action. You can help but fall under Roarke's charm :) To see such a powerful figure be smitten and besotted, LOL, it's cute :D Also, you can't help but feel respect for Eve. She's the woman you want on your side, in your clan. To her, all that matters is you. Not your past, not the authority, nothing. She'll fight for you even though you've been in the wrong. Definitively someone that deserves respect and admiration and in a way, it's evident why Roarke fell for her.

The case was very interesting and quite provoking I think. It was also perfect to introduce this new world in my opinion and was cleverly used to impart world-building information to the readers. As a result, the world building was done seamlessly... Very clever by Ms Roberts and proof of good writing.

If I have a complaint, it'd be that I did think that the case wrapped up very quickly at the end. There was a catalyst event and then, it snow-balled and everything happened very fast. Although I don't think it took away from the impact of the book.

I don't exactly remember how I felt the first time I read it, but hey, I did go on and read the other books right? So must have been a good feeling :D

My Grade: I'd say B+/A-. It's hard to be objective, knowing what comes next. I think this was a very solid book, a great first book to open the series. Was it my favorite? No. But do I think it's special? Yes, because it'll always be the first book :D


Reunion in Death
published by Berkley in March 2002

At exactly 7:30 P.M., Walter Pettibone arrived home to find more than a hundred friends and family shouting, "Surprise!" It was his birthday. Although he had known about the planned event for weeks, the real surprise was yet to come. At 8:45 P.M., a woman with emerald eyes and red hair handed him a glass of champagne. One sip of birthday bubbly, and he was dead.

The woman's name is Julie Dockport. No one at the party knew who she was. But Detective Eve Dallas remembers her all too well. Eve was personally responsible for Julie's incarceration nearly ten years ago. And now, let out on good behavior, she still has nothing but bad intentions. It appears she wants to meet Dallas again - in a reunion neither will forget...

Genre: Romantic suspense/futuristic
Series: In Death, Book #16 (counting novellas in anthologies)

The Story: In Reunion in Death, Eve is pitted against an old enemy, Julianna Dunn - a woman Eve helped arrest almost 10 years ago. Julianna was released on good behavior and has revived her old M.O. - killing rich, middle-aged man with a drink peppered with cyanide. However, she's no longer after the money... This time, it's a game of wit against Eve Dallas, the female cop who put her behind bars... and the ultimate prize is to take away the life of Eve's husband.

My Opinion: Quite frankly, Reunion in Death will forever hold a special place for me, because it was the first In Death book I've read in English! Ah the joy!! See, I originally discovered the In Death books in French... and in French, they don't bother putting Ms Roberts' pseudonym, J.D. Robb, on the cover. So I kept looking for Ms Roberts In Death books in the romance section under Nora Roberts and just couldn't find them!! No, I never thought of looking in the mystery section - hey, I was still a newbie at the time! Then, one day, I was in a convenience store and stumbled across Reunion in Death. Read the synopsis, thought it sounded a bit familiar and finally realized what it was! Hallelujah! LOL :)

Reunion in Death is definitively an interesting read. I think it showcases very well why Ms Roberts is such a popular author. It's not just the story and the writing, but mainly, it's all about her characters and their dynamics. It's just fun to see Eve's interaction with her entourage. The way she reacts every times Peabody alludes to her sex life with McNab, LOL :) Or how she's uncomfortable meeting Peabody's parents. Eve's entourage is larger now, but it doesn't mean she's become a people's person. She still the socially inept cop we met at the beginning. Of course, some of her priorities have shifted and her life has changed, but at the core, I'd say Eve Dallas is still the same woman, the same cop than at the beginning. The woman might have matured and grown, but her values and personality haven't.

Seeing Eve and Roarke celebrate their one-year marriage anniversary was sweet. It's also rewarding, because we see Eve and Roarke working so hard at marriage. It's no like most romance where we see the H/H fall in love, get their HEA. No, in the In Death series, we get to witness Eve and Roarke WIP marriage :D One of the best moment is when Roarke gives her two gift and she's all like: "Two gifts? Shit, I only have one! Nobody told me it's two gifts!" LOL.

The case itself is interesting. It didn't take long for Eve to realize who the murderer was... but figuring out the motives and catching up to her did... and I think that's one of the most interesting part in the In Death series. The work these people do seems very real. Legwork, interviewing witnesses, knocking on neighbors' doors. It seems to me all this normal work is often forgone in regular romantic suspense... because we don't have time for it. Authors are too busy developing their characters and relationships to focus on it. Also seeing Eve's mind figure things out is really a beautiful process :P

I'd say this one is worth a re-read. It's a great bland of everything that makes this series a success: an interesting case, good humor and good relationship.

My Grade: A-.


Portrait in Death
published by Berkley in March 2003

After a tip from a reporter, Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Dumpster on Delancey Street. Just hours before, the news station had mysteriously received a portfolio of professional portraits of the woman. The photos seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary for any pretty young woman starting a modeling career. Except she asn,t a model. And the photos were taken after she had been murdered.

Now Eve i on the trail of a killer who's a perfectionist and an artist. He carefully observes and records his victim's every move. And he has a mission: to own every beautiful young woman's innocence, to capture their youth and vitality - in one fateful shot...

Genre: Romantic Suspense/futuristic
Series: In Death, Book #18 (including novellas in anthologies)

The Story: The blurb is a bit misleading in my opinion. It's not women only, but men as well. Those who seem to shine, have a vitality around them.

So this time, Eve is pitted against a killer that murders students to take picture of them, to capture their light eternally. While Eve is chasing the murderer, Roarke makes a discovery about his past that rocks his world... and for the first time in their marriage, pushes Eve away.

My Opinion: Many readers like this one because of what happens to Roarke... for the first time, we get a shaken Roarke - not just from his discovery but also Summerset's accident. Me, I completely forgot that Roarke's discovery about his mother happened in this book ^_^; LOL. The reason why I picked Portrait in Death was because of the ending and Trueheart. I heart Trueheart!! He's sooo cute and I do wish we'll get more of him in the future book! LOL :)

In Reunion in Death, I talked about the dynamics and characters' interactions... While that is a strength of the series, another factor that contributes in making this series so strong is the cases... Or actually, the different types of cases Eve gets. Ms Roberts really play with them - sometimes we know who the villain is from the start, sometimes, it's a serial killer other time, it's one murder... I think that this line really says it all when it comes to this book's case:

Sometimes, you do the job, you close the case, but the door just doesn't shut for you. I guess this is going to be one of those. Roarke was right. He's just pathetic. It's easier when they're vicious or greedy or just downright evil. Pathetic leaves the door open a crack.

Different shades of grey. The villain is so often evil in romantic suspense novels. However, in life...

So yes, I enjoyed this one because Ms Roberts mixed it up when it came to the case. It was also a heart-breaking case, all that youth gone to waste. The ending was very exciting. However, the resolution of the case was a bit fast, in my opinion. Not as tidy as it could be... Also, the case was overshadowed by the personal conflict of the characters in this one.

I loved Eve taking care of Roarke, slipping him something. Eve and Summerset actually ganging up to take care of their beloved :D Also, I think that we got a more personal glimpse of Summerset and Roarke's relationship and that is so rare.

My Grade: B. Good and solid, but not my favorite.


It's hard for me to remember my feelings the first time I've read these books. Especially if I haven't reviewed them. Mainly, because it's been so long ago, they are so many and they kind of blur into another. Mostly though, I enjoyed them all... Each time, Ms Roberts delivers a very solid installment with solid writing, great characters and interesting cases. Some books are more interesting than others, true... but overall, they're all quite enjoyable.

For those who hesitate to try the series because of the huge backlist, I'd say give it a try, seriously. They're very easy to read and very compelling. I mean, I planned on re-reading one and ended up reading 3 in 2 days... I'm sure it was the same for Kristie. Once you start reading them, they're hard to put down :D