Review: One Whisper Away by Emma Wildes

It seems I cannot find the right balance ^_^; Either I'm reading or reviewing... Either way, I'll take it LOL. I'm so happy to finally be reviewing a bit :) By the way, in case you didn't know, Ames, Monroe and I have our post for new releases up over at Breezing Through :)

Speaking of new releases... I was at the bookstore yesterday, looking for Basilisk by Rob Thurman. Jeez, it's been months since I went to that particular bookstore - lately, I've been going to James' bookstore (which is closing!! *sob*) or the one that's closest to home... and I've realized two things: 1) I've been spoiled and 2) I'm getting old LOL. I know that bookstore has gotten Basilisk since last week and yesterday was its official release date... and it wasn't on the shelves! Grrr. Looking around, there were few carts with tons of books on it... and I looked at those carts... Few  years ago, I would have been going through each one of them and looking for the book I wanted. Yesterday? I felt too lazy and walked away LOL. Okay, perhaps it's not getting old, but rather laziness... but I mean, it's telling, no? Now, I'll just wait for either James' bookstore to get it or the one closest to me... And that ladies (and gentlemen?) was my most recent book adventure... Sad no?

Okay, enough babbling from me. Here's my review of One Whisper Away by Emma Wildes. I'm so proud of myself for this one, because I was able to make myself wait till RWA to get my hands on it. Yep people, I waited a whole 2 months LOL. See, I'm not a lost cause LOL.


One Whisper Away by Emma Wildes

published by New American Library in May 2011

Lady Cecily Francis is resigned to become the wife of Lord Drury, the man she suspects her sister is pining for. But upon her first scandalous encounter with the exotic Earl of Augustine-the American whom everyone is whispering about- Cecily is intrigued by the possibility of a more exciting life. If only she could contrive some way to marry the unconventional earl instead....

Around town he's known as Earl Savage. Although he inherited his title legitimately-and, with it, responsibility for his three half sisters-Augustine is half American and part Iroquois. He can't wait to settle his father's estate, marry his sisters off, and return to his native soil. Until charming Lady Cecily has him considering a prolonged stay in England...

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Ladies in Waiting series, Book #1

The Story: Jonathan Bourne, Earl of Augustine, has come from America to England after his father's death to assume his title. Half-English, a quarter Native and a quarter French, Augustine is a man of two worlds, accustomed not to be accepted in polite society and quite frankly, he doesn't care. All he wants is to quickly marry off his three half-sisters whom he's never met, so he can return to America. This should be easy as his sisters are pretty and well-dowered... Only, this task turns out to be more difficult than he imagined when he finds out that the eldest, Lillian, was embroiled in a scandal years ago and is considered ruined. Worst, she is not even received in Society... Even with a title and a fortune, Augustine - with his looks, his faux pas towards Lady Cecily Francis and his illegitimate 5 years old daughter in tow - might not have enough cloud to restore her position in society.

Lady Cecily Francis is the daughter of the Duke of Eddington and is considered the belle of the season. All she wants is to go back to the country, but as it's been pointed to her, that's not where she'll find a husband. However, she fears that Viscount Drury who is a friend of her brother and very eligible bachelor is about to propose to her and her father will definitively encourage the match... and Cecily has no idea how to turn him down without revealing that her elder sister is in love with him... But what if she was already engaged? Not only she wouldn't have to reject him, but she could even steer Lord Drury towards her sister. And Cecily knows exactly who to ask to pose as her betrothed... as only one man has caught her attention...

My Opinion: I was really looking forward to One Whisper Away as Ms Wildes has become one of my favorite and auto-buy historical romance authors, but at the same time, when I found out that the hero was Native American, I was a little bit wary. I'm not super fond of Native American characters, especially not in historical, because it's always the same issues that come up - acceptance - and with Augustine being nicknamed Earl Savage, it didn't look very promising. In the end though, the hero being Native had almost no repercussion on the storyline so it was fine with me :)

Overall, I enjoyed One Whisper Away, but it wasn't Ms Wildes best. I think the the writing was solid as usual, but there was too much happening in the book and the characters weren't utilized to their fullest potential. Ms Wildes had two really interesting characters in Lady Cecily and Augustine - an aside: one thing that I enjoy so much of Ms Wildes' books is that although her heroines are young, they have a level of maturity that is quite refreshing - but instead of focusing on them and their romance, she gave too much of the spotlights to the secondary storylines. I really liked Cecily and Augustine and was expecting more conflicts in their romance... The beginning was quite promising with Cecily's father encouraging her to accept Lord Drury's proposal, Augustine barely being accepted in society. I expected Augustine to have to do a lot more to ingratiate himself to the ton... and perhaps it's a good thing he didn't have to. However, once Cecily came up with the fake engagement plan, almost immediately, Augustine decided that he wanted the real thing and let's forget his plans to go back to America and voila, Cecily and Augustine were in love with each other. I thought everything happened a bit too quickly when it came to our H/H and the story moved on. I was looking forward to more scenes between Augustine's daughter and Cecily, but that also was brushed aside quickly. In that aspect, I thought One Whisper Away was a bit of a disappointment.

I did however really enjoy the secondary storylines. I really loved how smart and considerate Cecily was. As I said, she might be young, but she has a level of maturity that a lot of heroines in other historical romance lack. I liked that she knew her sister Eleanor was in love with Lord Drury, I liked that she realized that she and Lord Drury might match, but it wasn't love and therefore had no intention of accepting. I like that she didn't give away her sister's secrets and instead, planned to bring them together somehow. So yes, that part, I really liked. I also enjoyed Augustine's sister, Lillian, storyline. I think that was a nice setting up for the next book... I liked the conflicting emotions Lillian had about her brother and would have liked Ms Wildes to develop this further. So yes, I really enjoyed these secondary storylines, but at the same time, I thought Ms Wildes spent too much time on them. For example, the revelation about Lillian's scandal should have been kept for her book instead. And seriously, the shooting at the end? Totally superfluous. Yes, it was foreshadowed - and not very well ^_^; But seriously, the book could have done without it and not suffer at all.

Of course, there were also some good moments in this book such as Augustine's meeting with Cecily's father LOL. And I really enjoyed the interactions between all the characters - Augustine with his cousin, the siblings relationship between all three Eddington's offsprings, etc. However, after I finished reading One Whisper Away, I simply wasn't wowed... It was a nice book, an enjoyable one, but it missed the mark a little... and I think it was because the romance between Augustine and Cecily was not deep enough.

My Grade: B. Not a wowzer, but still quite enjoyable with solid writing :) Now, I'm really looking forward to Twice Fallen (January 2012), not only for Lillian, but also for the hero, Damien Northfield which we met in Lessons from a Scarlet Lady.

Review: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Hey everyone!

How are you doing? Hope everything's good :) A bit quiet lately, but I guess that's summer for you! Although truth be told, I've also been quiet... My excuses are work and reading :) I've been reading a lot, yay! And most of it from my RWA loot :) However, I need to get back to blogging, otherwise, I'll lose my touch. It took me forever to put the words together for my review of Playing Dirty. It just wasn't coming together ^_^; Hopefully, it'll be more easy with Kiss of Snow... but I doubt ^_^;  It wasn't.

Can you believe it's been almost 2 months since I read Kiss of Snow?!? Where does time go?!? I intended to review Kiss of Snow earlier, but it slipped through the cracks with everything going on at that time... Perhaps it's a good thing though, as the craze has died down a little and it's given me more time to reflect on it... I guess we'll see :) Anyway, here I go!


Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
published by Berkley in May 2011

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules-and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight...

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home-and the alpha who is its heartbeat.

Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Psy/Changelings series, Book #10

The Story:  Okay, we all know what the story of Kiss of Snow is about: Hawke and Sienna finally getting together!! Woohoo! LOL. I think the blurb sums it up well, but I'll give it a try.

Hawke and Sienna have been attracted to each other ever since the Laurens family joined the SnowDancer Pack. However, Hawke never acted on the attraction for several reasons: 1) Sienna's age, 2) Hawke doesn't like Psy, 3) he lost his mate when he was a kid, 4) he's been warned off Sienna by many he cares and trusts, etc. Unfortunately, as Sienna matures from rebellious teenager to beautiful young woman, the attraction becomes harder and harder to fight off... and it has made Hawke very, very edgy. Not a good state of mind for the leader of the pack, especially since all signs indicate that they are heading to war against the Psy.

Finally, at the age of 19, Sienna feels that she is in control of her life. Sienna has always been worried about the people around her, afraid that she would hurt her with her power. However, it seems like she's gotten a grasp on her power and perhaps she'll beat the odd as fellow Psy with her designation, X, tend to die young of self-combustion. She wants Hawke to stop seeing her as a juvenile and see her as a woman... However, she won't settle for what he can give her, she wants everything of him.

But can she handle what she wants? And what happens when her control over her power starts to slip?

My Opinion: Okay, not quite a good summary ^_^; But at least, I tried LOL.

Like everyone else in blogland, I was really looking forward to Kiss of Snow. I mean, the romance between Hawke and Sienna has been hinted since the first book, Slave to Sensation, and only reinforced since... and I was just looking forward to see it unfolds. Strangely enough, I never thought of Kiss of Snow as a May-December romance... I mean, seriously, Hawke is in his prime, isn't he? LOL. Very different than most May-December romance out there... but since a May-December romance is about the age difference, then I guess Hawke and Sienna's relationship qualifies... and perhaps that's why the romance aspect did not work for me that well.

Oh don't get me wrong. I love Hawke and Sienna's characters and am so happy to finally see them get together. However, the romance? I don't know. Sure there was a lot of sexual tension and that is good. Also, Ms Singh addresses the logistic aspect of their relationship really well - Sienna's age, Hawke's alpha-ness and his position, what it would mean for Sienna to become Hawke's lover and etc - and did a great job at it... but as a whole, I wasn't invested in Hawke and Sienna's relationship as I thought I'd be. Mostly because their romance felt like a tug war. I mean, for books, Sienna wanted Hawke and when Hawke was finally ready, she backed away. It was like a well choreographed dance: one moves forward while the other steps back than vice versa instead of both characters meeting in the middle. I understand why the relationship was that way and it made sense, but personally I wanted them to get together and move on ^_^; I think the war setting didn't help either - everything around them was so precarious, time was running out especially once Sienna's power factored in... I felt Hawke and Sienna were a bit rushed, like it's now or never, so let makes this work. Perhaps as a whole, the romance would have work better for me if it wasn't for those circumstances... If Hawke and Sienna got to spend more time together and just be themselves... Like that scene where Sienna and Hawke dance together? Awwww. I admit that the scenes where Sienna and Hawke were able to steal a moment together, those were very sweet :) I just wished they had even more time to spend together and work it out. And as such, I'm a bit disappointed with the resolution of their romance... just because it's been the same with every Psy heroine in the series :( I love, love, love self-sacrificing heroines and I have to say, there is something about dying heroines... however, it has become so redundant in the series ^_^; It definitively took a little away in my opinion. I thought it would be different with Sienna, because she is different. She has such an unusual power, but in the end...

Speaking of power, that's another aspect of the book that didn't quite work for me. I've really been looking forward to see what was Sienna's power. It's been hinted in the series that the "X" designation is special... and  overall, I think that Ms Singh came up with something interesting. Unfortunately for me, it was really hard to visualize it... especially the final revelation. The whole resonance, the flames, the earthing, the valve, etc. I think Ms Singh lost me a little ^_^;

The rest of the book though? I adored :) Loved, loved, loved the secondary romance between Walker and Lara. For me, that romance totally eclipsed Hawke and Sienna's. The way they got to know each other and the depth of Walker's character. My heart broke for what Walker went through... and that scene where he's braiding Marly's hair? Awwwww. I couldn't get enough of Lara and Walker and wished they had gotten their own book... but I'll take this :)  I have to say, I'm really falling for the strong, silent type LOL. I was also very happy to see more of the Laurens family - Marly and Toby. I've been dying to see how Toby has grown up... and also seeing the dynamics between the family members and also, the bond that existed between Walker, Judd and their sister. I feel that prior Silence, most of the Psy families would have been like the Laurens. Loyal to each other, united, there for each other. I wished we'd have even more glimpses of their connection than what we've got.

Also kudos for Ms Singh for taking the storyline where she did. I didn't really believe we'd see war in the series. I thought they'd be able to avoid it, take care of things before it reached that point. It's hard as a reader to see their beloved characters entering such a precarious situation, but I can't believe how hard it is for author to write them. To decide who lives and who doesn't. So as I said, kudos to Ms Singh. Also, the storyline is as always so solid - loved it. I hope that the series won't end at the end of the war, that we'll see a bit of the aftermath - because that's always the critical part.

All in all, I really enjoyed Kiss of Snow. I think Ms Singh did a great job balancing the storyline, the romance, the serious parts with the light-hearted ones. Sascha giving birth? It gives hope :) This book could have been very dark, but it wasn't. It's just unfortunate that the romance between Sienna and Hawke did not work for me, especially since I enjoy their characters so much.

My Grade: B+.

Hauling Sunday LI

Okay, can someone tell me how another week has gone by?!? I really can't believe it's the end of July already!! RWA was a month ago! A month!! Time goes by too fast :(

Anyway, I'm really sorry I haven't been more on blogland these past few weeks. Work has been busy and instead of blogging, I've been reading :) Wait till you see my monthly recap!! :) Also, my sister has been spending a lot of time in my room, i.e. she's been hijacking my computer LOL. I'll try my best though to get back in the rhythm :)

In the meantime...

Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore - I've never read Ms Haymore's books before, mostly because her debut novel, A Hint of Wicked, was about a love triangle... and I don't like that story trope. However, when I read the blurb of Confessions of an Improper Bride, it sounded really interesting... and yes, I like twins storylines LOL.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher - I've really been looking forward to Ghost Story!! Dying to find out what happened to Harry and where the series is going from here on :) Now that Mr Butcher is done with with the Codex Alera series, I wonder if there'll be two Dresden Files books a year... but I doubt it. Does that mean, there'll be another series? What do you think?

Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong - Okay, so I haven't read Waking the Witch yet, but still went ahead with Spell Bound... it's Ms Armstrong and Women of the Otherworld series - what can I say? Or more like, what can I do? LOL. And as you can see, I've elected to go with the Canadian cover. It breaks the flow a little, but I really like the Canadian cover of Spell Bound :)

And that's it for the week :) Not bad, right?

Review: Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen

Disclaimer: I've received Playing Dirty as an eARC from Netgalley

Ouf, took me some time and efforts to write this review, but here it is :) Hope you enjoy!


Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen

published by HQN Books in July 2011

When old enemies are thrown together, all bets are off...

Way back in high school, golden boy Cade Gallari publicly revealed he'd slept with "fat girl" Ava Spencer to win a bet. Now a decade older and a head turner with her own concierge business, Ava isn't the gullible dreamer she once was— and she plans to prove it when Cade, hotter than ever, breezes back into town with an offer she can't refuse.

A documentary film producer, Cade is shooting a movie about the mysterious mansion Ava inherited. And he wants her as his personal concierge. She's certainly professional enough to be at his beck and call without giving him everything he wants. Like another shot at having her in his bed. But Ava doesn't count on Cade's determination. Because he's never gotten over her— and he's not above playing dirty to score a second chance at a red–hot future...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Sisterhood Diaries Book #3

The Story: There's nothing more hurtful or humiliating than losing her virginity as the fat girl in a bet... and that's why Ava Spencer has never forgiven Cade Gallari. For the past ten years, Ava has successfully maintained her weight and now a size 12, Ava is proud of her curves. However, some wounds take time to heal and at times, insecurity still flares up.

Cade Gallari knows what he did to Ava thirteen years ago was shitty... and he's been apologizing and trying to make amends ever since, but Ava keeps giving him the cold shoulder. Well this time, she doesn't have a choice to hear him out. A documentary film producer, Cade wants to make a movie about the Wolcott's mystery. To do so, he needs access to the Wolcott mansion which Ava and her two best friends have inherited. In addition, he'd like to hire Ava as the production company's concierge as she is the best in the business.

Ava would like nothing better than to send Cade on his way. Unfortunately in this economy, her business has suffered and the mansion is a big strain on all three women's finances that Cade's offer could alleviate. However, Ava is determined to be strictly and only professional with Cade... He's hurt her once and she's not about to let him do it again, no matter the sparks flying between them.

My Opinion: I am soooo happy that Ms Andersen got to write this book and we, readers, got to read it!! Playing Dirty was definitively an enjoyable read with great characters and totally worth the wait :)

The best part of Playing Dirty was definitively the H/H. Ms Andersen was able to come up with characters that were smart, likable and real :) I can't tell how much I enjoyed Ava. She's strong and determined, she knows how to deal with people, is good at her job and enjoys it and has great friends for support. She's also not afraid to confront her feelings, admits when she's made a mistake and take steps to rectify it. I mean, seriously, isn't she awesome? LOL. Oh sure, life is not perfect. At times, she still fears insecure about her weight and I think it's perfectly normal, especially since her mother keeps harping her about it. Also, she might come from money, but it does make up for absent parents. Still, she's happy and she's comfortable with who she is and her life... and that's really what stood out for me from Ava :)

As for Cade, well from the little appearance he had in Bending the Rules, I was expecting him to be a bit more cold, a bit more aloof, a bit more "I come from money." Surprisingly though, he turned out to be outgoing, quite a likable fellow and a very good hero. I liked his personality and his dedication to his work. And also his patience and determination. To keep apologizing and having his apology shoved into his face... well it's not easy. Sure, he deserved it, but not everyone would keep on apologizing. Another point in his favor is that Cade realized immediately the mistake he did, betraying Ava - how much he hurt her, but also hurt himself because he genuinely liked her... and strangely enough, I think it made him a better person. I also appreciated that he was not simply a stupid jock when he was in high school, but that there was circumstances to the bet. It doesn't excuse it, but at least, it explains it.

I think the romance in Playing Dirty was great. Given the circumstances, Ava and Cade had a lot to overcome in order to have a successful relationship and Ms Andersen handled it well. I think the secret to this story was balance. In order to make this romance work, there was three points in my opinion: 1) Cade had to grovel, 2) Ava had to forgive him and 3) Ava's insecurities about her weight. What I liked is that Cade did a good amount of groveling - perhaps it helped that the bad thing he did was prior to the book. Too often, heroines let the heroes go too easily in my opinion... but it was not the case with Cade. Another thing that works is that Ava wasn't too stubborn about Cade. She still harbored a lot of bad feelings towards Cade at the beginning of the book, but gradually, she changed her mind. She saw him, interacted with him and her opinion changed. She did cling to the bet from time to time, but that was mainly at the beginning of the story which was understandable. Later on, she was able to let go and move on and that was great. As for Ava's insecurities about her weight, I was glad that it wasn't mentioned at nausea. Yes, it was an important part of the book, but Ms Andersen didn't repeat it over and over again. See, like I said, balance :) There was just enough of everything for it to work for me :) Of course, it helped that Ava and Cade were such great characters with very good chemistry :) All in all, I really enjoyed the dynamic between the H/H... They gave as much as they got which made for a great romance :)

Other things that Ms Andersen did well in Playing Dirty was to show the friendship between Ava, Poppy and Jane. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the three women and Ms Andersen gave us just enough of it :) As in, Poppy and Jane did not steal the spotlight from Ava. Also, I really enjoyed seeing Ava works as a concierge, jack-of-all-trade indeed, as well as seeing some of the steps for the documentary. It gave the readers the opportunity to really understand the characters and see another side of them :)

Unfortunately, I also had a few issues with Playing Dirty. As with everyone, I find that the diamonds mystery was a bit superfluous. It would have been more interesting to have Ava and Cade try to solve it, instead of adding a villain. His presence broke the pacing of the book in my opinion, because having his point of view just felt out of place. Another issue is that I felt the last quarter of the book was a bit too rushed. I would have liked to have seen Cade and Ava develop their relationship a bit more before declaring their love. When Cade said "I love you" to Ava, I knew she was going to freak out. It definitively was too soon. It's true that from Cade's POV, he's always loved Ava... but she has just forgiven, you've just started "seeing" each other and already, you're saying the words... Nope. At least, Ava realized that she needed to grab onto Cade :) Also, there was the relationship between Ava and her mother. It was nice to see Ava's mother finally realizing what she's been doing all those years... but I thought it was a bit too perfect. Like Ms Andersen was trying to wrap up everything a bit too nicely. Perhaps if it was a bit more developed... LOL, I guess I just wanted the book to be longer LOL.

All in all, I think Harlequin was wise to come back on their decision and allow Ms Andersen to write this story. Also, big big kudos to Ms Andersen to deliver, because this was a book readers were looking forward to and it was really good :)

My Grade: B+ 

Hauling Sunday L

Hi everyone!!

Sorry I've been scarce on blogland this past week. Work has kept me busy ^_^; as well as reading!! :) The good news (aside that I'm reading) is I did a big experiment this week and it worked :) Yay! LOL. Hopefully, it means I'll have a bit more time to myself this week :)

Here are the books I bought this week :)

Hammered by Kevin Hearne - It's no real surprise I picked this one up. At this point, I have to admit, I do have a few doubts about the series, but the GoodReads rating for it is really good. So hopefully, it'll surprise me :)

Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen - I really enjoy Ms Andersen's writing and I'm really happy she got the chance to write this book!! By the way, this one doesn't count towards my TBR pile, as I've already read it :) If everything goes well, i.e. I'm inspired, then the review should be up tomorrow. Cross your fingers and knock on wood LOL.

And voilà my new books :) Not bad, right? :)  I'm looking forward to this week though as there are many good releases coming out :)

Monthly Reads: June 2011

I saw two Monthly Recaps on blogland yesterday, so I figured I'm not that late to the party LOL. June was an extremely, extremely busy month for me. First, there were the summer students in my lab to take care, then the clinic day on which we collected the samples. Ugh. We're still not done processing it. Whatever, LOL. And while RWA was a lot of fun and great time, I did not read a lot during. Well actually, I did not read at all LOL.

Given everything going on, I was still able to read 11 books... which wow, I didn't expect LOL. But hey, I'll take it! Here is the list:


1) Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh: B+
Upcoming Review.


2) Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews: A-

3) Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan: C

Love is the Higher Law is about three teenagers/young adults - Claire, Peter and Jasper - who live in New York City and their reaction to the events of 9/11. I find it really hard to summarize this book, because to some extent, it's quite philosophical and so I won't attempt it. Sorry ^_^;

I picked up this book because it was written by Mr Levithan whose writing I really enjoyed previously. I actually had no idea the book was about 9/11 ^_^; I don't regret picking it up, but I have to admit, this is much deeper than what I usually read and as a result, I didn't enjoy it that much. At times, it was very tedious because it's all about their feelings, but at the same time, they don't know how they feel. For example, Jasper knows how he should feel, but he's a bit numb and wonder if it's really wrong not to feel. Another aspect that didn't really work for me is the whole 9/11 event. It's going to sound a bit unfeeling, but the events on 9/11 didn't affect me as much because I'm not American. The newscasts, the patriotism, the aftermath and then, later on, the war. An event such as this one brings together a country... but not the neighboring country... It's like the Japan tsunami earlier this year. It's horrific and the first few days, it's on the news everywhere, but after that... it becomes a distant memory for those who are not involved, touched. It shouldn't, but it is... and 9/11 is the same for me  :( So I think this is another reason why Love is the Higher did not reach me as much.

What I did like about this book is reading about the aftermath of 9/11 - not in a bloodthirsty way. Just, how the characters felt in the few days after where everything was kind of in limbo. How it was, how the community got together, etc. It must have felt so unrealistic. All in all though, this book was not for me. I'm giving it a C for the feelings it brings up and the writing. However, if you want a story about characters, then not much happens :(


4) Hexed by Kevin Hearne: C+


5) Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey: B-

6) Unfinished Business by Nora Roberts: C

After 12 years of touring the world, Vanessa finally returns home - but it is under bittersweet circumstances. She has just lost her father, who's been her anchor throughout her career as a concert pianist, and as a result, wants answers from her estranged mother. Why did she let him take her away, why has she not contact Vanessa after she left? However, her mother is not the only person she will confront because to her surprise, Brady Tucker is also back in Hyattown. The rebellious boy who once held her heart when she was 16 has followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a doctor, and he's in Hyattown to stay...

Lately, I've really been in the mood for la Nora's writing and though I've been re-reading a lot of her books. I came across Perfect Harmony which is a compilation containing Unfinished Business and Local Hero and so bought it, because I have not read either story. While reading Unfinished Business, I couldn't help but think that it was the ancestor of Carnal Innocence as both heroines are world-famous concert musicians and have difficult relationship with their parents. Anyway, Unfinished Business was a typical Nora Roberts short romance: it has good writing, good dynamics between the characters and the storyline is solid. However, as a whole, the book is not memorable. The vibe Vanessa gives off is very standoffish, especially towards her mother. I can understand her resentment at her mother; however, at the same time, I thought that it went both ways. Why didn't Vanessa reach out to her mother? She wasn't a kid of a toddler when her father took her away. She could have come back way earlier, if she really wanted. Also, it was obvious that Vanessa's father was not innocent in the conflict. Redeeming factor of this book in my eyes were the hero and his father. Love the friendship between Vanessa and Brady's father, very nice... and I thought Brady was a good man. Conclusion? A nice book to read, but not one that will leave a long-lasting impression.

7) Local Hero by Nora Roberts: C-

Local Hero is about a single mother, Heather Wallace, moving in a new apartment building with her son, Radley. Radley quickly befriends their neighbor, Mitch Dempsey, who turns out to be the author of the popular comics "Commander Zark" and Rad's idol. Very quickly, Mitch is falling for the son and the mother.. but Heather's been burn in love before and is not ready to commit. After all, she can take care of her son all on her own.

Very short synopsis, but it pretty  much sums all the storyline. What I liked the most about Local Hero was the hero, Mitch. I liked his nonchalant attitude, the way he befriended Radley. It was really clear he enjoyed Radley's company and let the boy knows. On the outside, he looks irresponsible, but looks can be deceptive :) As opposed to Mitch, I didn't like Heather as much. She definitively was a great, loving mother... but as a woman. I don't know, a bit too suspicious of other people's motives, a bit too standoffish as well. Also, I thought Mitch fell in love with Heather a little too fast. I can understand his friendship to Radley, but his attraction to Heather? Still, I liked that the story was focused on the relationship and that Radley was a part of it :) So once again, solid but a bit bland.

8) The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade: C+

Will Killian is a necromancer who's working very hard at hiding what he is from the ghosts as well as the living and hoping that by the end of high school, he'll be free to leave town and start life afresh instead of being institutionalized. However, that's before one of the popular girl, Alona Dare, is run by a bus and becomes a ghost. Suddenly, he has all the ghosts in the neighborhood asking him to help them out, has to teach Alona how to be a ghost and guide her to the light. At the same time, something fishy is going on and Will kept being stalked by a dark cloud...

Okay, it says a lot that I don't really remember what went on in this book when it comes to the action/mystery part of it. Sigh. However, I do remember liking Will. It's hard to be a necromancer, especially when the power seems to be hereditary, and after his father has committed suicide because he couldn't do it anymore. Will's plan is to finish high school and just go away, some city big enough that the ghost density will be less and where his moves and conversations won't be under the scrutiny of a psychiatrist. It's a good plan, but a little lonely. I also liked that Will was a good son, that he cared about his mother's feeling. In contrast, I didn't really like Alona... Seems to be a theme this month ^_^; I know Ms Kade intentionally wrote Alona's character the way she did, but really. I felt Alona was spoiled and superficial. All she cared was being the in the popular clique and the people's perception of her. Of course, as you read the book, you realize that Alona has more depth and that her family is not picture perfect... However, it's really hard for me to overcome my first impression of Alona :(  And because I didn't like Alona all that much, it definitively affected my enjoyment of the book. Also, I have to admit, I'm not sure where this relationship between Will and Alona is going... I mean, yes, when Will touches Alona, she's solid because he's a necromancer... but can that really turn into a romance?

So not really sure I'll be picking up the next book, although it's been getting good reviews. I did like Ms Kade's writing, her voice. It was engaging and The Ghost and The Goth was a quick read. If she would write something else, I would definitively pick it up :)


9) More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh: B+
Upcoming Review.

10) Veil of Night by Linda Howard: D

Jaclyn Wilde is one of the best wedding planners there is and she's worked with a lot of brides... but none as demanding and unreasonable as Cassie Edwards. When Bridezilla slaps her, Jaclyn is just happy to walk away... but even dead, Cassie is causing Jaclyn problem when Jaclyn becomes a murder suspect. Also, the situation is dicey because the lead investigator turns out to be Detective Eric Wilder, whom Jaclyn just had an one-night stand with the night before...

Okay, since this is a Linda Howard book, it's been reviewed a lot on blogland and unfortunately, I won't be adding anything new. I didn't really have any problems with the H/H, they were okay and actually kind of well developed. However, I just didn't feel any connection to them. What bothers me a lot though is the fact that Jaclyn didn't understand that Eric was doing his job. She was so angry at him and it seemed to me since she did nothing wrong, she didn't have to worry about being questioned. He had to cover all his bases and okay, was a bit rude... but the guy was doing his job and later, explained himself. What more does she want? But I think what bothered me the most though is that she gave him the boot after their night together. Talk about mixed signals.

Another reason why Veil of Night is getting such a low grade is that there was no depth to the story. The case was pretty straightforward - no twist, no turn, and the H/H actually didn't spend that much time together or with other characters... so it was a lot of monologues and very little action. That's not a typical Linda Howard book for me. All and all, Veil of Night just didn't work that well for me.


11) The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh: B+
Upcoming Review.


Books bought: + a gazillion
Books read: -11
TBR pile: + (a gazillion - 11)


Okay, sorry, my mini-reviews this month suck ^_^; I think I need to write more reviews, get back into a rhythm. Unfortunately, it won't be happening tonight ^_^; Still, I think my writing reflects my impressions of the books so that's what matters :)

Also, I'm cheating here, because I'm not sure I want to know how many books I added to the TBR pile this month, LOL. I mean, do you count books that you got for free? Because technically, I'm counting the books I bought, right? Plus, some books I've already read... so they shouldn't count, right? Also, I came back in July, so do the books count for June or July? Yes, yes, I'm splitting hair here LOL. I know that before I left for NYC, I bought 5 books and that in the month of June, I read 11 books :) Good enough :) By the way, I'm really happy I made it into the double-digits in June. I didn't think so, the reading felt so slow last month... so all is good :)

So that's it for June! Very soon, I'll be working on July LOL. In the meantime, I should be able to squeeze out a few reviews, so stay tuned! :) By the way, any books in the past few months you'd like me to review?

Hauling Sunday XLIX

A new Hauling Sunday post. Shocker LOL. Yes, despite bringing back so many books from the US, I still went bought books... but not too many :) Hey, if I didn't, you'd wonder if I'm okay :)

Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett - A new urban fantasy series by Simon & Schuster featuring a witch. LOL, I think all the words in that sentence are key, except perhaps "a" and "featuring" LOL.

A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran - Gorgeous cover and sounds like my type of story as well :)

And that's it since I came back from RWA. You have to admit, two books - not bad right? What about you? What are your new precious?

Now, I need to catch up on my Monthly Reads post and reviews... Hopefully, that means you'll be hearing a lot from me in the next few weeks :) Yay!