The end of another month! Wow, 2008 is almost over folks!! Excited or not? I think that I'm ready to start a new year :P
November was a so-so month. I had a mini-slump and didn't read that much... well, yes, I did read... but not as enthusiastically as usual... and if it wasn't for this week-end, my month would only be average.
I was going to start my book journal this month, but ended up being lazy. Which in a way, is a great thing because I found the perfect little book journal at the bookstore. The only inconvenient is that it's small... it has maybe 60 pages? Going to have to stock up on them LOL :)
So here we go, the list of books I've read:
1) Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen: C
2) Love with the Proper Gentleman by Victoria Alexander: B-
3) Risking Her Heart by Liz Allison and Wendy Etherington: B
4) Have You Seen Her? by Karen Rose: B
5) Clockheart Work by Dru Pagliasotti: C+
6) Talk of the Town by Karen Hawkins: B
7) Let it be Love by Victoria Alexander: C
8) Really Something by Shirley Jump: B-
9) The Seduction of His Wife by Janet Chapman: B+
10) Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy: B+
11) The Pearls by Deborah Chester: D
12) Shadows of the Moon by Serrilyn Kenyon (anthology Dead After Dark): B
13) Catch a Shadow by Patricia Potter: B-
14) Behind the Shadows by Patricia Potter: B
15) To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt: B
16) The Bluebird Winter by Linda Howard (anthology Under the Mistletoe): C-
17) Marry Christmas by Jane Goodger*: B
*I read Marry Christmas at the beginning of the month, but can't remember the exact date ^_^;
So that's about it :) Not bad... a few books that stand out, but otherwise, a meh month. I've also re-read a couple of books... What a Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander, An Enchanted Season by Marilyn Pappano... and a few others, but not entirely... so I won't list them. I might have read some other books, but forgot to list them ^_^; Seriously, I can't wait to be keeping another book journal!
Review-wise though, this month was quite poor. Going to be working on that next month :D At least, Talk of the Town's review is in the work and it will be a buddy review with Lori for Breezing Through :) Should be up this week, so look forward to it.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
More booking adventures...
Most of you probably remember that 2 weeks ago, I bought an insanely big amount of books because it was the Customer Appreciation Day... well the evil, evil bookstores were distributing Twice as Nice cards... they still are actually.
So what's a Twice as Nice cards? Basically those are mystery cards that usually give you 5$ off... You could win more (10, 20, 100...) up to 2,500$ apparently... but of course, you have to be extremely lucky in order to win that much. If you look at the details on the back of the card, it's in fact almost impossible. Anyway, what's special about the Twice as Nice card is that you get to use it twice and the second time around, you get to save minimum 10$ instead of 5$. The catch, because there's always a catch? You have to purchase for a minimum of 50$.
So guess what? I got 2 of these cards... and I know it's stupid, because what are the chances that I win more than 5 or 10$ right? but there's always the what if chance. Long story short, I've been visiting the bookstores lately ^_^;
Quite frankly, I've been buying so much books lately that there's not many more books that I want. Worse is, December has very little releases that I'm looking forward to. However, I had a plan :) I've already used my Twice as Nice card once... so only 3 more times to go right? I was going to buy the new releases for December (as well as some others) and then, order books at a kiosk. See, although I can't use the card online, if I buy from a kiosk, it's okay... and there's been a couple of books that I was going to order online... So goodie :D
Thursday morning, I went to work late. Primary reason was my sister, she had to finish a paper. Then, that day, I was planning to go to the bookstore and figured it'd be better in the morning since I had the lab Christmas party in the evening (yes, weird... it was sooo early!). Here are the five books I was looking for more or less:
1) The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
2) Under the Mistletoe - anthology (it has the Bluebird Winter short story by Linda Howard)
3) Dead After Dark - anthology
4) Behind the Shadows by Patricia Potter
5) Simply the Best by Shirley Jump
There were two bookstores in downtown that was supposed to have them all (or almost). So I went to Coles first, because I figured it'd be easier to find the newest releases (no. 3, 4 and 5 are not supposed to be out yet)... So guess what? I found 1, 2 and 3... but not the two last ones. Ugh yeah, that's unfortunately not 50$... So I head to Indigo and crossed my fingers. I should have known better ^_^; Basically, it was chaos at Indigo! There were so many carts on which the books seemed to have been thrown on carelessly. Then, there were boxes in EVERY CORNER of the store!! I found 2 and 4 and that was it. You're read that right. I couldn't even find The Pagan Stone by the Queen of Romance!!! How wrong is that? When I asked for The Pagan Stone to the clerks - one said that she saw it in a box... but couldn't remember where the box was and was already busy with another customer. The other checked on the computer (there was >150+ copies of The Pagon Stone in the store, >800+ copies in Montreal. The clerk - an older man - was like: I didn't know there was that much people who read in Montreal... which would have been funny, if I wasn't so pissed), then on the shelves - as if I don't know how to do that. Basically, I was so annoyed and frustrated that I left. What pissed me off so much is that if I was able to combine what I've found in one store and the other, I would have reached the 50$ goal (well, I was still missing no. 5, but I could have easily replaced it with something else... Plus, Indigo has these very cute little book journal "What I read" which I think I'm going to stock up on)... and I didn't have the patience to order my books at the kiosk :(
Seriously, you know something is wrong with a bookstore when they don't put NR up as soon as they get it... and it was Thursday. The book officially came out Tuesday!!! I just couldn't believe. I really, really love the Indigo store. I like how big it is and the color schemes and the atmosphere... but please, oh please, hire more people!!! It's really sad when there's always boxes and carts full of books laying around :(
So what did I do in the end? I went to work, fumed a bit and re-designed a game plan. I went to Chapters, the third and last bookstore in downtown Montreal. I didn't go there in the first place, because I knew that didn't have Dead After Dark in-store yet. However, I was able to find 1, 2, 4 and 5!! Wowzer!!! That's the closest I came to 50$ in the whole day! Still, it wasn't enough... still had to
find one or two books... and I thought, why not the new Eloisa James? I mean, I haven't read her books yet, but I have a couple at home and apparently, her newest is really, really good... Take a guess... Of course, Chapters didn't have When the Duke Returns in store! Seriously, I'm really starting to think that I'm cursed... and again, it was so frustrating, because I've seen When the Duke Returns both at Coles and Indigo! In the end, I found a book and add a book journal to my purchase to make it... then, I rushed to Coles before the Christmas party to get Dead After Dark, because I just couldn't wait to read Fury's story.
And that, my friends, is another of my booking adventures :P
My friend S thinks that I'm obsessed... and at this point, I think I agree with him ^_^;
So what's a Twice as Nice cards? Basically those are mystery cards that usually give you 5$ off... You could win more (10, 20, 100...) up to 2,500$ apparently... but of course, you have to be extremely lucky in order to win that much. If you look at the details on the back of the card, it's in fact almost impossible. Anyway, what's special about the Twice as Nice card is that you get to use it twice and the second time around, you get to save minimum 10$ instead of 5$. The catch, because there's always a catch? You have to purchase for a minimum of 50$.
So guess what? I got 2 of these cards... and I know it's stupid, because what are the chances that I win more than 5 or 10$ right? but there's always the what if chance. Long story short, I've been visiting the bookstores lately ^_^;
Quite frankly, I've been buying so much books lately that there's not many more books that I want. Worse is, December has very little releases that I'm looking forward to. However, I had a plan :) I've already used my Twice as Nice card once... so only 3 more times to go right? I was going to buy the new releases for December (as well as some others) and then, order books at a kiosk. See, although I can't use the card online, if I buy from a kiosk, it's okay... and there's been a couple of books that I was going to order online... So goodie :D
Thursday morning, I went to work late. Primary reason was my sister, she had to finish a paper. Then, that day, I was planning to go to the bookstore and figured it'd be better in the morning since I had the lab Christmas party in the evening (yes, weird... it was sooo early!). Here are the five books I was looking for more or less:
1) The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts2) Under the Mistletoe - anthology (it has the Bluebird Winter short story by Linda Howard)
3) Dead After Dark - anthology
4) Behind the Shadows by Patricia Potter
5) Simply the Best by Shirley Jump
There were two bookstores in downtown that was supposed to have them all (or almost). So I went to Coles first, because I figured it'd be easier to find the newest releases (no. 3, 4 and 5 are not supposed to be out yet)... So guess what? I found 1, 2 and 3... but not the two last ones. Ugh yeah, that's unfortunately not 50$... So I head to Indigo and crossed my fingers. I should have known better ^_^; Basically, it was chaos at Indigo! There were so many carts on which the books seemed to have been thrown on carelessly. Then, there were boxes in EVERY CORNER of the store!! I found 2 and 4 and that was it. You're read that right. I couldn't even find The Pagan Stone by the Queen of Romance!!! How wrong is that? When I asked for The Pagan Stone to the clerks - one said that she saw it in a box... but couldn't remember where the box was and was already busy with another customer. The other checked on the computer (there was >150+ copies of The Pagon Stone in the store, >800+ copies in Montreal. The clerk - an older man - was like: I didn't know there was that much people who read in Montreal... which would have been funny, if I wasn't so pissed), then on the shelves - as if I don't know how to do that. Basically, I was so annoyed and frustrated that I left. What pissed me off so much is that if I was able to combine what I've found in one store and the other, I would have reached the 50$ goal (well, I was still missing no. 5, but I could have easily replaced it with something else... Plus, Indigo has these very cute little book journal "What I read" which I think I'm going to stock up on)... and I didn't have the patience to order my books at the kiosk :(
Seriously, you know something is wrong with a bookstore when they don't put NR up as soon as they get it... and it was Thursday. The book officially came out Tuesday!!! I just couldn't believe. I really, really love the Indigo store. I like how big it is and the color schemes and the atmosphere... but please, oh please, hire more people!!! It's really sad when there's always boxes and carts full of books laying around :(
So what did I do in the end? I went to work, fumed a bit and re-designed a game plan. I went to Chapters, the third and last bookstore in downtown Montreal. I didn't go there in the first place, because I knew that didn't have Dead After Dark in-store yet. However, I was able to find 1, 2, 4 and 5!! Wowzer!!! That's the closest I came to 50$ in the whole day! Still, it wasn't enough... still had to
find one or two books... and I thought, why not the new Eloisa James? I mean, I haven't read her books yet, but I have a couple at home and apparently, her newest is really, really good... Take a guess... Of course, Chapters didn't have When the Duke Returns in store! Seriously, I'm really starting to think that I'm cursed... and again, it was so frustrating, because I've seen When the Duke Returns both at Coles and Indigo! In the end, I found a book and add a book journal to my purchase to make it... then, I rushed to Coles before the Christmas party to get Dead After Dark, because I just couldn't wait to read Fury's story.And that, my friends, is another of my booking adventures :P
My friend S thinks that I'm obsessed... and at this point, I think I agree with him ^_^;
Friday, November 28, 2008
Review: Shadows of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Quite frankly, I think I've given up on Sherrilyn Kenyon's dark-hunters and dream-hunters series. I mean, when I hear of her upcoming books, I just can't sum up any excitement. Sadly, Acheron is still sitting on the shelf and it seems less likely that I'll ever read it... However, it's an entirely different story when it comes to the were-hunters. Especially, the ones that she has already introduced. Ever since the release of Night Play 4 years ago, I've been waiting for Fury and Fang's stories... separately if possible :P
Well I got my wish, because Fury's story came out or actually, will come out this week in the anthology Dead After Dark. Booooo because it's only a short story :( And apparently, Fang and Aimée's story will be her next full-length were-hunter book... I think. So yesterday, got my hand on the anthology and quickly devoured Fury's story. Here's what I thought...
Shadows of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon
published by St. Martin's Press in December 2008
Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Dark-Hunters/Were-Hunters, book #?
The Story: Ugh!! I've just read the back blurb now and that is bull!!! This is probably the worst synopsis I've ever-read... So misleading and untrue!!! Seriously, did the person writing the blurb even read the story? So here is the actual story...
Fury is at the Sanctuary doing a favor to Fang (helping to smuggle a note to Aimée - awww) when he learns of a Katagari were-lion who was attacked and shot by a tessera of Arcadian were-hunters. The problem is that the Arcadian were-hunters are using a new weapon and once shot, the Katagari were is stuck into his based form (animal) and no longer able to use its magick.
Fury offers his help to track down the attackers and is sniffing the lion for scents when he catches one that is very familiar to him... a wolfswan that he's been trying to forget for centuries. At the same moment, Dare (Fury's brother) and Angelia - the wolfswan - appear at the Sanctuary. Fight ensues and long story short, Fury is "kidnapped" and tortured for information. Angelia is unable to withstand the view of Fury being tortured and "saves" him. Fury then turns on her and brings her back to Vane's house.
My Opinion: I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I totally loved it for Fury. He's such a great character :D Still as sarcastic as usual and tough... he mouth is quick to deliver insults and his attitude... just priceless. He was a great hero. He is still getting used to having a family and people that will stand by him no matter what. Loved the interactions between the three brothers: Vane, Fang and Fury. His interaction with Bride and his nephew Trace were as cute LOL :) Uncle Furry!! That was definitively priceless!!
What I liked less? Angelia. She's an okay heroine, but I'm not sure she deserves Fury. She made some very bad decisions in her life... and I thought she was a bit selfish. She put herself first - in the past and even in this story... However, what annoyed me most is that she found excuses... well to excuse herself. To justify why she did what she did and seriously, I thought she was stupid. Worst is that a lot of it was due to ignorance and it was kind of appalling. She tried to be this tough chick, but in the end, Bride was tougher and smarter. Also, I don't like how she got out free from the whole tessera thingie. She was part of the tessera, she should have been punished. No discussion. Personally, I don't care if she didn't shoot. She was part of them, helping them do whatever they were doing. Of course, in the end, it's Fury that saved her derriere... my problem is that I don't think she felt much remorse... and not being punished for her actions, well it feels like there was no regret on her part.
Another thing that annoyed me is when Ms Kenyon writes about the Katagaria and Arcadian's behaviors. I think that she got it right when she describes what's animal behavior and what's human... The problem is that she will say that animals don't do this because they're animals and it's actually a human trait. Then, two lines later, the animals will be doing exactly what she said they didn't do and rationalize it a different way. Example is that it is said that Katagria don't attack or kill for revenge... Then, you had the whole situation between Fury and Dare where Dare told everyone that Fury was a wolf as soon as he found out and then, they brutalized Fury and almost killed him. Fury is still very bitter about that and he'd like to give it back to Dare ten-fold. Ugh, sorry, but that sounds like revenge to me? Or the lions are out for blood and are tracking down the Arcadians that killed one of theirs and injured another... I'm sorry, but even if you say it's in order to protect their families, well it still sounds like revenge for me. So Ms Kenyon walks a very fine line and again, tries to rationalize some actions... but it just ring false.
What about the love story between Fury and Angelia? I think it was kind of sweet... Fury and Angelia grew up together and you can tell that Fury was smitten by Angelia... but then, she turned on him when she discovered he was a wolf and although she has psychological reasons, Fury definitively has all the rights to be bitter. So they meet centuries later and it's pretty much tug and war between them, with Fury doing a lot of sweet things for Angelia... She keeps rejecting him till she falls in bed with him. Conclusion? I didn't buy it. I know that deep down, Angelia probably loved Fury as well, but I didn't buy that she could throw away all her beliefs after half a day, sleep with Fury and discover that they're supposed to be mates and not go bonkers... At least, feel something like denial or refusal for it.
Personally, I feel that if the book has been a full novel instead of a novella, there's no doubt that Ms Kenyon would have pulled it off. However, as a short story, the love story happened way too fast to be believable and satisfying. I think that Ms Kenyon had a great original idea and kudos for being able to develop the story as much as she did... however, it was just not enough. What definitively saves the story are all the scenes with Bride, Vane, their son Trace and Fang as well as Fury's personality.
For those who want to know who appear in the book... well we have the whole Peltiers family, Carson and his nurse, Sasha (Astrid's wolf companion), Zarek, Savitar, Paris Sebastien as well as almost the whole Kattalakis family. My question is when did Zarek becomes so close with Vane and his family? I am really happy that Fang and Aimee will finally have their story (hopefully, full-length novel)... and I'm very intrigued by Sasha. I would like to learn more about him as well :D
My Grade: This is a tough one to grade... For enjoyment, this is definitively a B. Love Fury after all :) Objectively though, the grade should be much lower... but who cares about objectively, right? In the end, it's how much did you enjoy it :P
PS. For those who wonder, no I'm not planning to read the rest of the anthology.
Well I got my wish, because Fury's story came out or actually, will come out this week in the anthology Dead After Dark. Booooo because it's only a short story :( And apparently, Fang and Aimée's story will be her next full-length were-hunter book... I think. So yesterday, got my hand on the anthology and quickly devoured Fury's story. Here's what I thought...
Shadows of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon
published by St. Martin's Press in December 2008
Angelia has fought her entire life to make herself strong. Now, with her patria under fire, she has to protect her people from Fury and his werewolf clan. Vowing to bring him to justice, Angelia sets out alone…until the hunter becomes the hunted, and the only way for her to survive is to trust the very wolf she’s sworn to kill.
Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Dark-Hunters/Were-Hunters, book #?
The Story: Ugh!! I've just read the back blurb now and that is bull!!! This is probably the worst synopsis I've ever-read... So misleading and untrue!!! Seriously, did the person writing the blurb even read the story? So here is the actual story...
Fury is at the Sanctuary doing a favor to Fang (helping to smuggle a note to Aimée - awww) when he learns of a Katagari were-lion who was attacked and shot by a tessera of Arcadian were-hunters. The problem is that the Arcadian were-hunters are using a new weapon and once shot, the Katagari were is stuck into his based form (animal) and no longer able to use its magick.
Fury offers his help to track down the attackers and is sniffing the lion for scents when he catches one that is very familiar to him... a wolfswan that he's been trying to forget for centuries. At the same moment, Dare (Fury's brother) and Angelia - the wolfswan - appear at the Sanctuary. Fight ensues and long story short, Fury is "kidnapped" and tortured for information. Angelia is unable to withstand the view of Fury being tortured and "saves" him. Fury then turns on her and brings her back to Vane's house.
My Opinion: I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I totally loved it for Fury. He's such a great character :D Still as sarcastic as usual and tough... he mouth is quick to deliver insults and his attitude... just priceless. He was a great hero. He is still getting used to having a family and people that will stand by him no matter what. Loved the interactions between the three brothers: Vane, Fang and Fury. His interaction with Bride and his nephew Trace were as cute LOL :) Uncle Furry!! That was definitively priceless!!
What I liked less? Angelia. She's an okay heroine, but I'm not sure she deserves Fury. She made some very bad decisions in her life... and I thought she was a bit selfish. She put herself first - in the past and even in this story... However, what annoyed me most is that she found excuses... well to excuse herself. To justify why she did what she did and seriously, I thought she was stupid. Worst is that a lot of it was due to ignorance and it was kind of appalling. She tried to be this tough chick, but in the end, Bride was tougher and smarter. Also, I don't like how she got out free from the whole tessera thingie. She was part of the tessera, she should have been punished. No discussion. Personally, I don't care if she didn't shoot. She was part of them, helping them do whatever they were doing. Of course, in the end, it's Fury that saved her derriere... my problem is that I don't think she felt much remorse... and not being punished for her actions, well it feels like there was no regret on her part.
Another thing that annoyed me is when Ms Kenyon writes about the Katagaria and Arcadian's behaviors. I think that she got it right when she describes what's animal behavior and what's human... The problem is that she will say that animals don't do this because they're animals and it's actually a human trait. Then, two lines later, the animals will be doing exactly what she said they didn't do and rationalize it a different way. Example is that it is said that Katagria don't attack or kill for revenge... Then, you had the whole situation between Fury and Dare where Dare told everyone that Fury was a wolf as soon as he found out and then, they brutalized Fury and almost killed him. Fury is still very bitter about that and he'd like to give it back to Dare ten-fold. Ugh, sorry, but that sounds like revenge to me? Or the lions are out for blood and are tracking down the Arcadians that killed one of theirs and injured another... I'm sorry, but even if you say it's in order to protect their families, well it still sounds like revenge for me. So Ms Kenyon walks a very fine line and again, tries to rationalize some actions... but it just ring false.
What about the love story between Fury and Angelia? I think it was kind of sweet... Fury and Angelia grew up together and you can tell that Fury was smitten by Angelia... but then, she turned on him when she discovered he was a wolf and although she has psychological reasons, Fury definitively has all the rights to be bitter. So they meet centuries later and it's pretty much tug and war between them, with Fury doing a lot of sweet things for Angelia... She keeps rejecting him till she falls in bed with him. Conclusion? I didn't buy it. I know that deep down, Angelia probably loved Fury as well, but I didn't buy that she could throw away all her beliefs after half a day, sleep with Fury and discover that they're supposed to be mates and not go bonkers... At least, feel something like denial or refusal for it.
Personally, I feel that if the book has been a full novel instead of a novella, there's no doubt that Ms Kenyon would have pulled it off. However, as a short story, the love story happened way too fast to be believable and satisfying. I think that Ms Kenyon had a great original idea and kudos for being able to develop the story as much as she did... however, it was just not enough. What definitively saves the story are all the scenes with Bride, Vane, their son Trace and Fang as well as Fury's personality.
For those who want to know who appear in the book... well we have the whole Peltiers family, Carson and his nurse, Sasha (Astrid's wolf companion), Zarek, Savitar, Paris Sebastien as well as almost the whole Kattalakis family. My question is when did Zarek becomes so close with Vane and his family? I am really happy that Fang and Aimee will finally have their story (hopefully, full-length novel)... and I'm very intrigued by Sasha. I would like to learn more about him as well :D
My Grade: This is a tough one to grade... For enjoyment, this is definitively a B. Love Fury after all :) Objectively though, the grade should be much lower... but who cares about objectively, right? In the end, it's how much did you enjoy it :P
PS. For those who wonder, no I'm not planning to read the rest of the anthology.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A Re-read challenge for 2009?
Hmmm, perhaps I should wait for asking fellow bloggers opinions since half of you are going to disappear this week-end to eat turkey, but LOL :) I had this idea this morning and well, am too impatient to wait anyway.
Okay, so I've been buying lots of books lately... however, surprisingly, instead of reaching for these new releases... I've been grabbing oldies that I've already read... and as a result, yesterday, I've re-read Love Songs by Katherine Stone... Actually, I've realized that it's been a while since I've re-read any of my keepers... and it made me realized that I missed them ^_^;
So long story short, I've been wondering if anyone would be interested in a Re-read Challenge starting probably in January 2009. I mean, there is a lot of challenges out there where the goal is to purge the TBR pile... but most of us have a huge collection of keepers. How long has it been since you've picked up one of your dear keepers? Wouldn't it be interesting to see what you think of them now? Don't you want to share them with your fellow bloggers?
I was thinking of a format similar to Keishon's TBR Day... what do you think? Would you join?
Okay, so I've been buying lots of books lately... however, surprisingly, instead of reaching for these new releases... I've been grabbing oldies that I've already read... and as a result, yesterday, I've re-read Love Songs by Katherine Stone... Actually, I've realized that it's been a while since I've re-read any of my keepers... and it made me realized that I missed them ^_^;
So long story short, I've been wondering if anyone would be interested in a Re-read Challenge starting probably in January 2009. I mean, there is a lot of challenges out there where the goal is to purge the TBR pile... but most of us have a huge collection of keepers. How long has it been since you've picked up one of your dear keepers? Wouldn't it be interesting to see what you think of them now? Don't you want to share them with your fellow bloggers?
I was thinking of a format similar to Keishon's TBR Day... what do you think? Would you join?
Monday, November 24, 2008
Review: What a Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander
Sorry for not updating! I was really exhausted last Friday. Again, work is kicking my butt :( Seriously, week-ends are way too short... and almost T_T this morning... didn't want to come to work. The good news though is this week will definitively be a bit more relaxing! Yay!
So I was a bit in a reading slump last week... however, my reading picked up again :) Last week, I read Let it be Love by Victoria Alexander... and I realized that for some reasons, I'm attracted to Victoria Alexander's historicals. 1) I don't like historicals all that much and 2) Victoria Alexander's are not the best... but I'm still attracted to them. Weird. Anyway, Let it be Love is like the prequel to the Last Man Standing series that she has... and it made me want to pick up What a Lady Wants which is my favorite of the series. Since I haven't reviewed that one, I thought it'd be nice to do it today :)
What a Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander
published by Avon in January 2007
Genre: historical romance
Series: Last Man Standing, book #1
The Story: It is the start of a new season and having spent the last season abroad, Lady Felicity Melville, 23 years old, is determined to find a husband this year. While wishing to the stars, she hears dogs barking, a pistol shot and sees a man climbing down the window from the neighbor's house and climbing over to her house. Not knowing whether he's a scoundrel or a thief, Felicity is intrigued... Later, when she discovers that the man is the Honorable Sir Nigel Cavendish, she believes that the stars were answering her request and decides that it's fate.
Nigel Cavendish is definitively intrigued with Felicity Melville. Especially after discovering she is not a girl like he thought, but a young woman. Still, Nigel is not interested in virgins and marriage. He prefers married women and widows; however, he can't get Felicity out of his mind. It doesn't help that wherever he goes... she turns up.
With the help of Nigel's twin sister, Felicity comes up with a plan to make Nigel falls in love with her... however, all goes wrong when they are caught in a compromising situation and Nigel is forced to marry her.
My Opinion: I really enjoyed this book, mainly due to the characters. I really enjoyed Felicity and Nigel. They were not very original or outstanding, but they had chemistry and were well-matched.
I love Felicity. She's smart, clever, witty and she knows what she wants and is not afraid to fight for it. She wants to marry Nigel, but does not want to force him. She wants him to take notice of her and to fall in love with her. I also like that she was not weak or shy. I liked her honesty and how bold she was. First, going to see Nigel's sister to get her help and then, even admitting to Nigel that she wanted to marry him. Although determined, she didn't exaggerate or go overboard. She's able to take decision and move on... Overall, a very interesting heroine :) As for Nigel, he's not bad. Actually, he's quite a nice hero... Quite charming and a bit stubborn. I definitively can believe that he was afraid of growing up, of assuming responsibilities. I really liked how Ms Alexander wrote his character. She didn't exaggerate, made him bad or better than he really is. It made him really humane. I mean, how many men out there are afraid to grow up? To commit? Tons! I also think that he came around quite nicely and not too fast.
What I like about Ms Alexander's books is that the stories are usually centered on the H/H. It was even more so in What the Lady Wants. There was no big secrets, no dark pasts, no killers to find out. It was just the story of two persons in the process of falling in love, but getting married prematurely. I could understand Nigel's reaction to the marriage; however, at the same time, he should have realized that Felicity did not trap him. However, I agree with everyone that Felicity was the perfect wife for Nigel. LOL :) One of the funniest scene is when Nigel announces to his parents that he was caught in a compromising situation with Felicity and thus, has to marry her. Then, he's surprised that his parents are not angry and his mother goes on telling that Nigel is lucky and she thinks that Felicity could actually have done better, LOL :) That was very funny.
The whole storyline seems to happen at a normal pace. It wasn't hurried or slowed. I really could believe what was happening. I liked the interaction with the others characters. Sinclair and Norcroft were quite entertaining and there wasn't baiting for their own books. It was nice to see the camaraderie between the men. The wager between Nigel and Felicity was very well done and it was really funny and quite clever from Felicity. I liked how Felicity's parents were more than what they appeared to be... and seriously, I'm quite curious about them. I wonder if they have their own book... it'd probably be really interesting :D
Overall, I really enjoyed this book :)
My Grade: A-. Sometimes, you just connect with the characters and that's how it was for me with this book. I originally gave it a B+... but upon re-reading it, it's definitively a keeper for me :D
So I was a bit in a reading slump last week... however, my reading picked up again :) Last week, I read Let it be Love by Victoria Alexander... and I realized that for some reasons, I'm attracted to Victoria Alexander's historicals. 1) I don't like historicals all that much and 2) Victoria Alexander's are not the best... but I'm still attracted to them. Weird. Anyway, Let it be Love is like the prequel to the Last Man Standing series that she has... and it made me want to pick up What a Lady Wants which is my favorite of the series. Since I haven't reviewed that one, I thought it'd be nice to do it today :)
What a Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander
published by Avon in January 2007
One bachelor down... three more to go. Four most desirable gentlemen have wagered one shilling apiece and a bottle of cognac that will go to the last unmarried man standing...
Nigel Cavendish knows he'll marry one day, but hopefully that day is many years — and many women — in the future! Until then, the handsome, unrepentant rake intends to enjoy life's pleasures to the fullest!
From the moment Lady Felicity Melville spies the adventurous scoundrel climbing from a neighbor's window — with his comely conquest's husband in hot pursuit — she knows Nigel is the answer to her prayers... with a little reformation, of course! Felicity craves excitement and who in all of London is more exciting than the infamous Mr. Cavendish? So what's a girl to do but hatch a scheme to win what she so fervently desires. But her plan works too well when a game of chance and an errant pistol shot abruptly make them husband and wife—but in a way neither wanted.
Now Felicity has to prove to her wayward husband that she's the only woman he could ever want... or need!
Genre: historical romance
Series: Last Man Standing, book #1
The Story: It is the start of a new season and having spent the last season abroad, Lady Felicity Melville, 23 years old, is determined to find a husband this year. While wishing to the stars, she hears dogs barking, a pistol shot and sees a man climbing down the window from the neighbor's house and climbing over to her house. Not knowing whether he's a scoundrel or a thief, Felicity is intrigued... Later, when she discovers that the man is the Honorable Sir Nigel Cavendish, she believes that the stars were answering her request and decides that it's fate.
Nigel Cavendish is definitively intrigued with Felicity Melville. Especially after discovering she is not a girl like he thought, but a young woman. Still, Nigel is not interested in virgins and marriage. He prefers married women and widows; however, he can't get Felicity out of his mind. It doesn't help that wherever he goes... she turns up.
With the help of Nigel's twin sister, Felicity comes up with a plan to make Nigel falls in love with her... however, all goes wrong when they are caught in a compromising situation and Nigel is forced to marry her.
My Opinion: I really enjoyed this book, mainly due to the characters. I really enjoyed Felicity and Nigel. They were not very original or outstanding, but they had chemistry and were well-matched.
I love Felicity. She's smart, clever, witty and she knows what she wants and is not afraid to fight for it. She wants to marry Nigel, but does not want to force him. She wants him to take notice of her and to fall in love with her. I also like that she was not weak or shy. I liked her honesty and how bold she was. First, going to see Nigel's sister to get her help and then, even admitting to Nigel that she wanted to marry him. Although determined, she didn't exaggerate or go overboard. She's able to take decision and move on... Overall, a very interesting heroine :) As for Nigel, he's not bad. Actually, he's quite a nice hero... Quite charming and a bit stubborn. I definitively can believe that he was afraid of growing up, of assuming responsibilities. I really liked how Ms Alexander wrote his character. She didn't exaggerate, made him bad or better than he really is. It made him really humane. I mean, how many men out there are afraid to grow up? To commit? Tons! I also think that he came around quite nicely and not too fast.
What I like about Ms Alexander's books is that the stories are usually centered on the H/H. It was even more so in What the Lady Wants. There was no big secrets, no dark pasts, no killers to find out. It was just the story of two persons in the process of falling in love, but getting married prematurely. I could understand Nigel's reaction to the marriage; however, at the same time, he should have realized that Felicity did not trap him. However, I agree with everyone that Felicity was the perfect wife for Nigel. LOL :) One of the funniest scene is when Nigel announces to his parents that he was caught in a compromising situation with Felicity and thus, has to marry her. Then, he's surprised that his parents are not angry and his mother goes on telling that Nigel is lucky and she thinks that Felicity could actually have done better, LOL :) That was very funny.
The whole storyline seems to happen at a normal pace. It wasn't hurried or slowed. I really could believe what was happening. I liked the interaction with the others characters. Sinclair and Norcroft were quite entertaining and there wasn't baiting for their own books. It was nice to see the camaraderie between the men. The wager between Nigel and Felicity was very well done and it was really funny and quite clever from Felicity. I liked how Felicity's parents were more than what they appeared to be... and seriously, I'm quite curious about them. I wonder if they have their own book... it'd probably be really interesting :D
Overall, I really enjoyed this book :)
My Grade: A-. Sometimes, you just connect with the characters and that's how it was for me with this book. I originally gave it a B+... but upon re-reading it, it's definitively a keeper for me :D
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Twilight movie...
As some of you know already, I went to see the Twilight movie yesterday night. First, I've never read this series before. I know many bloggers that love the series and raved about it... but I was never attracted to it. I wasn't even considering going to see the movie, but then my friend won some free tickets to the avant-premiere... So I went to spend time with her and she went, because it was free. (She hasn't read the book either)
To tell the truth, I didn't know much about it before going... All I knew were:
- Bella is a bit TSTL heroine
- Bella kissed Jacob, which Rowena thought was soooo wrong ( I tend to agree with her)
- Breaking Dawn was a disappointment to many.
So yes, I did read all the spoilers concerning Breaking Dawn though... but I had no idea what was happening in Twilight.
My thoughts? Twilight was an okay movie. It didn't suck, but it didn't wow me either. I'd have preferred to go without the 95% teenage girls who were screaming at the top of their lungs. I can't remember ever being such a fan girl of something ^_^;
Overall, I think the cast was well chosen and everyone did a good acting job. I didn't find Bella annoying at all... I think it helps not being privvy to all her thoughts as she narrates the books. Yes, she voiced out some of her thoughts, but not all of them. I thought Kristen Stewart did a good job at Bella and I think she seems to fit the role.
Hmmm, Robert Pattinson as Edward. My issue with Robert Pattinson is that he looks
awkward sometimes. I don't know if it's the thick brows or the eyes... but he just doesn't look right in some shots. Others, he looks really good... So I really can't decide if he's good-looking or not LOL. Otherwise, sure, I bought his interpretation of Edward... and I get why he has so many fan girls ;)I do admit I find Bella and Edward's relationship developped really fast. I'm not sure I'm buying the whole devotion thing. From Edward, perhaps, since he lived a long time and probably wasn't sure he'd ever find someone to share his forever... but Bella? Nope. I can see how she was intrigued by Edward and how she was attracted... but something was missing for me to believe.
I really love the Cullens :) They are not what I was expecting. I probably would read the books just for Edward and his family... There's an air of mystery surrounding them and you just want to know more. In addition, I think they did a great job casting the family members... Especially Esme. Enjoyed their interactions and my favorite scenes are probably the baseball game and when they were in the kitchen preparing a meal for Bella. However, the whole vampire attack mode - the in your face position, hissing with the nails out. Hmmmm... Not how I imagined them :P
I liked that Bella made friends and it wasn't the typical loser or miscast group. Instead, they were just normal kids... not the super popular, but not the weird ppl either. That was nice :) The only person I thought was miscast in this movie was Jacob. Please, the poor kid actor... Taylor Lautner... He looks horrible with long hair!! and he looks very, very young. *Shudders* at the thought that in the next movie, he's going to kiss Bella. His acting was so-so, for those who wonders... Didn't have a big role in this movie, so it's hard to say how good he is.
The scenery was gorgeous and I liked the blue hue feeling that you get when watching the movie. The special effects were okay. Some of it looked really cool, others looked off.
By the way, I know we read romance and all :) and I love it... but don't you think that sometimes, it can get corny? and I don't know about you, but reading something corny isn't as bad as hearing it out loud. I mean, it's really embarrassing sometimes... For example, when Edward shows Bella his true nature - that he glows in the sunlight - and he's all like: I'm a monster... and Bella is: No, you're beautiful. Well, it was kind of corny... and instead of inspiring awwwws and ahhhs, people actually chuckled and laughed out loud. Some stuff can just not be transitioned very well.
Finally, one thing that bothered me was the flow... It was very choppy. Especially at the beginning, when Bella and Edward meet. I don't know if it was the same in the book... but it was in their dialogues... There'd be awkward silence and then, when they talked... I thought it transpired the teenage angst really well to the audience... but it was annoying. It's like my heart was beating at the same pace and it was all irregular.
I can totally see how the book has enthralled the teenage girls and I can see the appeal. After warching it, I was really curious about Edward and the Cullens. Didn't care much about Bella and Edward really though.
Overall, I'd give this a B.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
TBR Day: Have You Seen Her? by Karen Rose
We've almost completed Keishon's TBR challenge!! After today, one more month to go!! Fellow challengers, don't give up :) and fellow readers, well, enjoy :P
It's no secret that one of my favorite author is Karen Rose. I've always enjoyed her romantic suspense books... they are thrilling, scary, a bit gory and the romance is always satisfying. I had most of her backlist already, having enjoyed Don't Tell, I've been keeping my eye out :) So Have You Seen Her? has been sitting on my shelves for a couple of years... and to tell the truth, I've completely forgot about it... till the other day when I was talking with Kris.
Have You Seen Her? by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing in February 2004
Series: Loosely connected to Don't Tell
The Story: The back blurb does a good job at summarizing the book. Basically, Special Agent Steven Thatcher is assigned a case of missing girls that are found murdered and mutilated. Steven has a lot on his plate lately and being a widower is not easy. His youngest son still suffers from being kidnapped a few months ago and therefore, doesn't sleep through the night and surely not in a bed. His oldest son, Brad, is now rebelling against him and his aunt is trying to match him with eligible women... only his middle son seems normal. The last thing Steven wants nor expects is to find a woman whom he is attracted to... which is exactly what happens once he meets Brad's teacher, Jenna Marshall.
Jenna Marshall's life is no piece of pie either. Her fiancé died two years ago of testicular cancer and moving on proves to be hard, especially since his family holds commemoration supper in his honor. She's just suspended the star quarterback from playing because he's failing her class and thus, is being harassed by students and parents... and her ace student is now failing. The last thing she needs is a man in her life... however, that's exactly what she gets.
However, a relationship with Steven isn't easy. What with his job, her ghost, his shadows and the current investigation... and then, it's a race to the finish when Steven realizes that Jenna is the ultimate target.
My Opinion: I enjoyed this book. It's not my favorite of her books, but it's not the worst either. I thought the case was really interesting and quite frankly, I didn't see it coming.
Personally, I enjoyed Steven and Jenna's relationship and chemistry. I think they went well together. I can understand how some readers would be annoyed at Steven. Yes, he was very suspicious, jealous and protective... However, I can understand wher he comes from. His wife really did a number on him. What I liked is that Jenna stood up to him. She called his BS every time and made him explain his behavior and his actions. She did not just continue their relationship because Steven apologized prettily. I also really loved how at the end, she decided to slow down their relationship and have a proper courting. Going out on dates and so on.
Ms Rose did a great job, developing Jenna and Steven's characters. I enjoyed seeing them with their family and friends. Seeing how they interact with others. I think that in many books, the H/H are often restricted to each other only... however, Ms Rose really did have a big cast in this book, but she balanced it well. I'd have like to know a bit more about Steven's past though, I think... LOL, the fact that he wanted to become a priest :P
As usual, the case was great. I don't think that Ms Rose ever had a boring case in all of her books. They are always complex and intriguing. I'm not super fond of the Seattle cop, but it worked. Personally, I really enjoyed Steven's team... the forensic guy and Steven's partner and I hope Ms Rose decides to re-visit them.
I have to admit though, what I really liked in this book was Steven's three sons :) Authors have a tendency to write very cute children or too-old-for-their-age children or complete brats... However, very often, they don't feel real... However, in Have You Seen Her? I thought Steven's three sons were very realistic and great fun as well. Brad's anger, Nicky's solemness and Matt's hungriness :)
So yes, I enjoyed the book and its characters a lot; however, I didn't really connect with the case and Steven. Although I understood why Steven reacted the way he did, at certain times, I thought he should move on... As for the case, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happened next or guessing who it was. However, I was more interested in the relationships and the romance.
My Grade: As a result, I'm giving this book a B for the reason stated above. Like I said, not my favorite book, but not the worst either :) If you're in the mood for a good romantic suspense, this is it :)
It's no secret that one of my favorite author is Karen Rose. I've always enjoyed her romantic suspense books... they are thrilling, scary, a bit gory and the romance is always satisfying. I had most of her backlist already, having enjoyed Don't Tell, I've been keeping my eye out :) So Have You Seen Her? has been sitting on my shelves for a couple of years... and to tell the truth, I've completely forgot about it... till the other day when I was talking with Kris.
Have You Seen Her? by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing in February 2004
DO YOU LOVE HER?Genre: romantic suspense
One by one, the girls disappear from their beds at night. Each one is pretty, with long, dark hair. And each one is found brutally murdered.
DO YOU MISS HER?
Special Agent Steven Thatcher has sworn to find the serial killer preying on this small town. As the investigation pulls him one way, his family pulls him in another. A widower haunted by loss, he now worries about his son Brad slipping away. But there's a bright light in his life; his son's teacher, Jenna Marshall, has reached out to help. She's beautiful, kind, and considerate— and slowly, tentatively, she and Steven are starting to fall in love. But both have been hurt before— badly. And as the two try to find the courage to bare their souls, a murderer who has slain many looks for the real treasure he craves. He sets his traps. And waits. For Jenna . . .
HAVE YOU SEEN HER?
Series: Loosely connected to Don't Tell
The Story: The back blurb does a good job at summarizing the book. Basically, Special Agent Steven Thatcher is assigned a case of missing girls that are found murdered and mutilated. Steven has a lot on his plate lately and being a widower is not easy. His youngest son still suffers from being kidnapped a few months ago and therefore, doesn't sleep through the night and surely not in a bed. His oldest son, Brad, is now rebelling against him and his aunt is trying to match him with eligible women... only his middle son seems normal. The last thing Steven wants nor expects is to find a woman whom he is attracted to... which is exactly what happens once he meets Brad's teacher, Jenna Marshall.
Jenna Marshall's life is no piece of pie either. Her fiancé died two years ago of testicular cancer and moving on proves to be hard, especially since his family holds commemoration supper in his honor. She's just suspended the star quarterback from playing because he's failing her class and thus, is being harassed by students and parents... and her ace student is now failing. The last thing she needs is a man in her life... however, that's exactly what she gets.
However, a relationship with Steven isn't easy. What with his job, her ghost, his shadows and the current investigation... and then, it's a race to the finish when Steven realizes that Jenna is the ultimate target.
My Opinion: I enjoyed this book. It's not my favorite of her books, but it's not the worst either. I thought the case was really interesting and quite frankly, I didn't see it coming.
Personally, I enjoyed Steven and Jenna's relationship and chemistry. I think they went well together. I can understand how some readers would be annoyed at Steven. Yes, he was very suspicious, jealous and protective... However, I can understand wher he comes from. His wife really did a number on him. What I liked is that Jenna stood up to him. She called his BS every time and made him explain his behavior and his actions. She did not just continue their relationship because Steven apologized prettily. I also really loved how at the end, she decided to slow down their relationship and have a proper courting. Going out on dates and so on.
Ms Rose did a great job, developing Jenna and Steven's characters. I enjoyed seeing them with their family and friends. Seeing how they interact with others. I think that in many books, the H/H are often restricted to each other only... however, Ms Rose really did have a big cast in this book, but she balanced it well. I'd have like to know a bit more about Steven's past though, I think... LOL, the fact that he wanted to become a priest :P
As usual, the case was great. I don't think that Ms Rose ever had a boring case in all of her books. They are always complex and intriguing. I'm not super fond of the Seattle cop, but it worked. Personally, I really enjoyed Steven's team... the forensic guy and Steven's partner and I hope Ms Rose decides to re-visit them.
I have to admit though, what I really liked in this book was Steven's three sons :) Authors have a tendency to write very cute children or too-old-for-their-age children or complete brats... However, very often, they don't feel real... However, in Have You Seen Her? I thought Steven's three sons were very realistic and great fun as well. Brad's anger, Nicky's solemness and Matt's hungriness :)
So yes, I enjoyed the book and its characters a lot; however, I didn't really connect with the case and Steven. Although I understood why Steven reacted the way he did, at certain times, I thought he should move on... As for the case, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happened next or guessing who it was. However, I was more interested in the relationships and the romance.
My Grade: As a result, I'm giving this book a B for the reason stated above. Like I said, not my favorite book, but not the worst either :) If you're in the mood for a good romantic suspense, this is it :)
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