More Reviews for Fall, 2013 - Part II

What a shock, two posts in two days!  An eclectic bunch in this posting, a few non-fiction audiobooks, continuing my fascination with presidential assassinations and a book on the Apollo 11 moon mission.  Unfortunately, a lot of these reads were just so-so for me - 3 1/2 is the common theme here.

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell

Book Description:
EYES OF SILVER, EYES OF GOLD is a story of romance and family conflicts set in Colorado in 1885.

Anne Wells has embarrassed her rigidly proper family since she was a child with occasional but grievous lapses from ladylike behavior. They blame those lapses for the disgraceful fact that she is a spinster at 28.

Cord Bennett, the son of his father's second marriage to a Cheyenne woman, is more than an embarrassment to his well-to-do family of ranchers and lawyers - they are ashamed and afraid of their black sheep.

When Anne and Cord are found alone together, her father's fury leads to violence. Cord's family accepts that the fault is his. Can Anne and Cord use the freedom of being condemned for sins they didn't commit to make a life together? Or will their disapproving, interfering families tear them apart?

Pursuing my new love of Westerns, I enjoyed this story about the struggles endured between Cord, a young half Native American man and Anne, the young woman he marries while under duress and trying circumstances in 1880's Colorado.  In dealing with prejudice and the everyday ups and downs of their new marriage, they manage to respect one another and fall in love, all while partnering together, training and breeding his horses. Good story but as much as I liked it there was a lack of real emotion when there should have been more. I felt at arm's-length with the two of them. Still it was very good and I will read more by this author.  One of those books I've heard of and finally got around to reading.

4/5

The Devil in Music by Kate Ross

Book Description:
The Regency dandy and amateur sleuth Julian Kestrel is back in his fourth mystery - and this time he confronts murder far from home in the sensuous, turbulent Italy of the 1820s.

Traveling on the Continent with his ex-pickpocket valet, Kestrel finds himself caught up in the mysterious and murderous world of the opera. Four years ago, the Italian marquis Ludovico Malvezzi was murdered, and Orfeo, the young English tenor he had been training for a career on the glittering operatic stage, disappeared.  As Kestral is irresistibly drawn into the baffling case, he encounters suspects at every turn: a runaway wife and her male soprano lover; a liberal nobleman at odds with Italy's Austrian overlords; a mocking Frenchman with perfect pitch; a beautiful, clever widow who haunts Kestrel's dreams; and the missing Orfeo, the penniless protege who just might be a political agent.  And when the killer strikes again, Kestrel's quest for answers spirals into a crescendo of passion, danger, and music as he risks becoming a ruthless murderer's next victim.
 
I had mixed feelings over this mystery, first off, it was very clever and I did not guess in a million years who Orfeo really was, so it had me there!  But, there were some areas of the book that dragged.  Julian doesn't even enter the scene until Part II, after the entire first part leading up to the murder of the marchese.  I did find myself getting a bit bogged down with all the Italian characters and wondering why this, why that, but by the end it all made sense.  About the end, well, I think about 25 pages could have been edited out .  The entire ending and wrap up just seemed to go on forever!  Once we knew the truth and all secrets revealed, she should have wrapped it up.  Still, I thought it was very good overall, and I'm sorry we lost such a fine author in the late Kate Ross.  This is a wonderful, thoughtful series for fans of historical mysteries.

3.5/5

Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (audio)

Book Description: 
Lady Georgiana Rannoch has once again been called into service by Her Majesty the Queen. This time she's sent to Nice on a secret assignment that's nothing to sneeze at-recover the Queen's stolen snuff box.

As much of an honor as it is to be trusted by Her Majesty, an even greater honor awaits Georgie in Nice-as Coco Chanel herself asks Georgie to model her latest fashion. But when a necklace belonging to the Queen is stolen on the catwalk, Georgie has to find two priceless items-and solve a murder.  How's a girl to find any time to go to the casino?

This time Georgie is at the French Riviera and as usual, wherever Georgie goes, murder and mayhem ensues. I enjoyed this on audio, Georgie hob nobs with Coco Chanel while modeling in a fashion show and loses a priceless necklace belonging to the Queen of England. Then she stumbles upon the dead body of a not very well liked millionaire in his pool! This one had it's moments, but not as humorous and the other books, plus Darcy's not in it much.  For the majority of the time, Georgie is angry and heartbroken over him, yet finds solace in the arms of a debonaire Frenchman. All in all, not my favorite in the series, but still I love Katherine Kellgren's narration which is tops!

3.5/5

To Love and to Cherish by Patricia Gaffney

Book Description:
Anne Verlaine's four year marriage to Geoffrey, Lord D'Aubrey, was a living hell. Her only comfort was her lovely new home--the village of Wyckerley in the heart of Devonshire. And even more irresistible was her attraction to Christian Morrell, "Christy," the vicar of All Saints Church. He looked like an archangel, his strength something palpable, his golden-haired handsomeness a source of light in her dark life.

Anne's husband had once been Christy's closest friend, but war and life had scarred Geoffrey inside and out.  Now he was going to leave her behind in Wyckerley, with the shocking truth of their marriage still hidden as deeply as his dangerous plans.  Anne had no right to want Christy to love her, and no choice but to need him, even though she risked his ruin...and her own.  But he was everything to her.  She would defy this world for him...and the next.

I'm not sure where I stand on this book.  In many ways it was a good, solid story with wonderful characterizations, and I wanted Anne and Christy to get together and live happily ever after.  You are rooting for them.  Of course, just as you think all will be well, the worst happens.  I was uncomfortable with what was going on, for I dreaded what was going to happen - and of course it did.  Fortunately it does end well, but it's a rocky road getting there and there's a lot of emotional hand wringing getting there.  Because of Anne's unhappy marriage, there's a pall over much of the book, Christy being the shining light with his golden mane of hair that is waiting for her - if she can only get to him!  Some of this book reminded me of a Lorraine Heath book, A Rogue in Texas, but I won't reveal why.  First for me by this author.

3.5/5

Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

Book Description:
Co-owner of the town's only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life.  Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through.  But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire.

It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more.

Sexy contemporary romance of Brady Miller, Alpha ex-military he-man who returns to Sunshine, Idaho where he grew up. A loner and not someone that sticks around in relationships, he has trouble coming to terms with the fact that he is falling in love with the irresistible 5'4 kennel owner who he can't keep his hands off of. Both are prepared to keep their affair light and temporary, but is it a realistic scenario after a month? Of course not, and that's the rub. I enjoyed reading about Brady and Lilah's courtship and ultimate HEA, but Lilah's back breaking work load and dedication to her job is a bit too saintly to swallow, but she makes up for it in bed. ;) Quick read and first by this author for me.  Will continue with series.

3.5/5

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries

Book Description:
When the youngest Sharpe sister hatches a plan to gain marriage offers, the straight-laced Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter knows he'll do whatever it takes to ruin her scheme...
Lady Celia Sharpe hopes that if she can garner offers of marriage from several eligible gentlemen and show her grandmother she is capable of gaining a husband, she can convince Gran to rescind the marriage ultimatum for her. And if that plan doesn't work, at least she'll have a husband lined up. But Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter seems determined to ruin her plans by disapproving of every suitor she asks him to investigate. It's only when she and Jackson work together to solve her parents' murders, plunging them both into danger, that she realizes why--because the only man he wants her to marry is himself!

I just couldn't finish this one, the two lead characters were so annoying, I had no desire to find out what happened to them. I wound up skimming all the way through to the end just to see what happens regarding the parents' murder mystery and who did it, since I did invest a lot of time in the series and wanted to find out at least who killed their parents.  Even that was a bit anti-climatic.  I'm afraid this is good-bye to this author for now.  I just wasn't thrilled by this Hellions of Halstead Hall series at all with the exception of one book, How to Woo A Reluctant Lady.

2.5/5

The Untamed Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
To redeem her family’s disgraced name, Lady Louisa Scranton has decided to acquire a proper husband. He needs to be a man of fortune and highly respectable in order to restore both her family's lost wealth and reputation. She enters the Marriage Mart with all flags flying, determined to find the right bachelor.

But Louisa’s hopes are dashed when the Bishop of Hargate drops dead at her feet—and she is shockingly accused of murder! Soon, Louisa’s so-called friends begin shunning her, because the company of a suspected killer is never desirable in polite society.

The problem comes to the ears of Detective Inspector Lloyd Fellows, by-blow of the decadent Scottish Mackenzie family and an inspector for Scotland Yard. He has shared two passionate kisses with Lady Louisa–and vows to clear her name. For not only does he know she’s innocent, he recognizes he’s falling for the lovely lady.

Fellows is Louisa's only hope of restoring her family's honor—and it is he alone who intrigues Louisa in a way that may be even more scandalous than murder…

A novella in the Highland Pleasures series, this is the story of Lloyd Fellows, the untamed Mackenzie (although he seems to be to be the tamest of them all! ) who falls for Lady Louisa, the sister of Mac's wife Isabella.  Louisa who is accused of murdering a bishop at a tea party of all places! Can he clear her name and win her hand at the same time? Entertaining but not as good as her full length novels. It's rare to find a good novella, often they are just too short and rushed.  Nice cover though. ;)

3.5/5

The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Book Description:
Daniel Mackenzie lives up to the reputation of the scandalous Mackenzie family—he has wealth, looks, and talent, and women love him. When he meets Violet Bastien—one of the most famous spiritual mediums in England—he immediately knows two things: that Miss Bastien is a fraud, and that he’s wildly attracted to her.

Violet knows she can’t really contact the other side, but she’s excellent at reading people. She discerns quickly that Daniel is intelligent and dangerous to her reputation, but she also finds him generous, handsome, and outrageously wicked. But spectres from Violet’s past threaten to destroy her, and she flees England, adopting yet another identity.

Daniel is determined to find the elusive Violet and pursue the passion he feels for her. And though Violet knows that her scandalous past will keep her from proper marriage, her attraction to Daniel is irresistible. It’s not until Daniel is the only one she can turn to that he proves he believes in something more than cold facts. He believes in love.

Daniel Mackenzie was always a likable promising young man and his story was pretty good, albeit it took a little getting used to Violet, a con artist.  I had to get past all of that and realize she really wasn't dishonest... well almost.  It wasn't easy, considering she hits him over the head with a vase and thinking he's dead, leaves him in the street in front of a doctor's house in London before she flees the country.  But, I digress... They have a whirlwind romance - amazingly - considering how she treated him and as usual, everything the Mackenzie's do is with a certain panache.  Daniel is no exception, he has a bit of all of his uncles and father in him - which makes him irresistible and fascinating.  He steals every scene he's in and Violet, I'm afraid, paled in comparison.  Despite that I enjoyed Ashley's latest installment in this Highland Pleasures series.

4/5

The Wolf Next Door by Lydia Dare

Book Description: 
Ever since their failed elopement years ago, Prisca Hawthorne has taunted, insulted, and in every way tried to push him away. If only her heart didn't break every time Lord William Westfield left her...

Lord William throws himself into drinking, gambling, and debauchery and pretends not to care about Prisca at all. But when he returns to find a rival werewolf vying for her hand, he'll stop at nothing to claim the woman who should have been his all along.

Can Prisca forgive the unforgivable, or are the moon-crossed lovers going to be forced into a battle of wills that could be fatal?

This was probably my least favorite of the first three books in this Westfield Wolves series, primarily because it took forever for Will and Prisca to consummate their marriage! All the teasing going on through the whole thing, the constant bickering and then all the delays drove me crazy! I didn't like the way he lied about what happened in the cabin between them either.  Then at the final ending when he claims her it seemed - eep - anticlimactic?  Overall though I still liked it, there is something about this series I enjoy and it's a quick read.

3.5/5

The Taming of the Wolf by Lydia Dare

Book Description:
Dashiel Thorpe, Earl of Brimsworth, has spent his life fighting the wolf within him. But when the full moon rises, Dash is helpless. A chance encounter with Caitrin Macleod on a moonlit night inadvertently binds the two together irrevocably, and Dash's impulsiveness plunges them both into a nightmare.

Caitrin Macleod is no quiet country lass, but a witch with remarkable abilities. But when it comes to Dashiel, she's as helpless to fight his true nature as he is. Her senses overwhelmed, she runs back to the safety and security of her native Scotland.

But Dashiel is determined to follow her—she's the only woman who can free him from a fate worse than death. And Caitrin will ultimately have to decide whether she's running from danger, or true love.

I'm surprised I liked this book as much as I did, for I wasn't overly fond of Caitrin in the last two books. She's still cranky, but not as much here. She and Dash (who we meet in the previous reviewed book) get together after he inadvertently claims her on the full moon by biting her neck. Little does she know the meaning of this  (she is now his mate for life) and only got angry at him for biting her. He is at a disadvantage because he doesn't know she is a witch, yet she knows he's a Lycan.   These crazy kids!  What a mess!  They journey from England to Edinburgh where he enlists the help of her father to get her to agree to marry him.   Most of the story is how he wins her over and he learns how to be a mannerly werewolf - oops, I mean Lycan.  Not bad, but not great either.  I think this series is losing it's oomph.

3.5/5

Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon by Craig Nelson (audio)

Book Description:
A richly detailed and dramatic account of one of the greatest achievements of humankind.  At 9:32 A.M. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 rocket launched in the presence of more than a million spectators who had gathered to witness a truly historic event. It carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins to the last frontier of human imagination: the moon. 

Rocket Men is the thrilling story of the moon mission, and it restores the mystery and majesty to an event that may have become too familiar for most people to realize what a stunning achievement it represented in planning, technology, and execution.

Through interviews, twenty-three thousand pages of NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA documents on the space race, Craig Nelson re-creates a vivid and detailed account of the Apollo 11 mission. From the quotidian to the scientific to the magical, readers are taken right into the cockpit with Aldrin and Armstrong and behind the scenes at Mission Control.

Rocket Men is the story of a twentieth-century pilgrimage; a voyage into the unknown motivated by politics, faith, science, and wonder that changed the course of history.

I hard a hard time at first with this on audio for it is VERY technical. Basically, it's the story of the space race and NASA leading up to Apollo 11, beginning at the end of WWII through the mission in 1969 and then about the lives of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins after the mission and what they did with their lives. The last hour of the book could have been pared down to 15 minutes easily and I could have done without the author's political leanings.

I can't help chuckling that the author's name is NELSON - as in Tony Nelson?  Ring a bell, anyone: Get it?  ;) 

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

Book Description:
Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savannah manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming-yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders-and dangers-of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for-and what she can no longer live without.

I've really enjoyed Raybourn's Lady Julia series, but found her one paranormal vampire book underwhelming.  Here, I found a nice surprise.  There were parts that I loved about this book, the descriptions of Africa and the wildness of it was great.  But... the actual storyline between Ryder and Delilah was lackluster, virtually no romance or tenderness, falling far short into that department.  They had what seemed to be a "non-courtship" which left me feeling short-changed.  I wanted more.  Still I loved their characters which were vividly drawn as were all the side characters, as well. mI only wish there had been more meat in the love story, but I love the cover!

3.5/5

Goddess of the Rose by P.C. Cast

Book Description:
When modern-day Mikki ends up in the strange Realm of the Rose, Hecate has been waiting for her. So too has her gorgeous guardian beast, who soon has Mikki swooning. But to save the realm, Mikki will have to sacrifice her life-giving blood.

I wasn't as into this storyline as much as some of the previous books in this Goddess series, but it was still pretty good. It gets off to a good start in which Mikki, a young single woman looking for love inadvertently finds herself in this other "world" in which she is a high priestess for the goddess Hecate and must tend these amazing roses. The guardian of the Realm of Roses is a man-beast like the Minotaur only he's kind of sexy and she is attracted to him for she had been dreaming of him before she came to this world.  Sounds bizarre, but it works... kind of.  Still, I was a bit bored with all the roses, roses, roses talk, but overall not bad.

3.5/5

Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly (audio)

Book Description:

A riveting historical narrative of the heart-stopping events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  The book recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased.

In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies' man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country's most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.

Knowing almost nothing about the Lincoln assassination I found much of this book interesting, though having listened to Killing Kennedy, I found I preferred that in comparison to Killing Lincoln. O'Reilly's narration is in his usual style, and whereas it was fine with Killing Kennedy, I found it grating at times here, not sure why, but it did.  Maybe he needed to get the bugs out with this one, and with Killing Kennedy he'd fixed some stylized mistakes and it was smoother and not as rushed and sensationalist sounding.  Still, I found the lead-up to the assassination amazing as well as the final days of the Civil War.

3.5/5

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December 2012 Quickie Reviews

Aaah, the end of the year, New Year's Eve.  I've been reading up a storm, mostly historical romances, and so without further ado are my reads for the month of December.  I will have a separate post for my 2012 recap of my favorites and worst, etc., but for now, here are my reviews to end the year.  Happy New Year Everyone!!

Goddess of Light by P.C. Cast

Book Description:
When hardworking Pamela Smythe whispers her wish for a god-like man, she never expects to find one--especially not in Vegas. But the goddess Artemis has dared her twin handsome brother Apollo to change all that.

I liked this story of pretty interior designer, Pamela Smythe who is on assignment in Las Vegas for a legendary fantasy author that wants to turn his house into a miniature Caesar's Palace.  While experiencing Vegas and trying to come up with something tasteful (not easy) for her client, she unknowingly meets the real god Apollo and his sister, Artemis.  At first she has no idea who he really is, except that he's amazingly handsome.  Apollo, naturally, sweeps her off her feet.  Coming off a bad marriage and a workaholic as well, this is just what Pamela needs, until she finds out who he and his sister Artemis really are.  Lots of ups and downs, and angsty moments when the god, Bacchus interferes and causes trouble for everyone.  Plus, I felt that Pamela took the fact she was dating a god a bit too much in stride, but it was still a good story, though the ending kind of fizzled for me.  Still, I do like this series that centers of average modern day women who fall in love with various mythological gods.

4/5

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries

Book Description: 
The third novel in Sabrina Jeffries's “Hellions of Halstead Hall” series, featuring the independent and talented Lady Minerva Sharpe.

When a charming rogue proposes she marry him to meet her grandmother's ultimatum, the Sharpe clan's strong-willed sister makes a tempting counter-offer that preserves her inheritance and ignites his imagination.

Lady Minerva Sharpe has the perfect plan to thwart her grandmother's demands: become engaged to a rogue! Surely Gran would rather release her inheritance than see her wed a scoundrel. And who better to play the part of Minerva's would-be husband than wild barrister Giles Masters, the very inspiration for the handsome spy in the popular Gothic novels she writes? The memory of his passionate kiss on her nineteenth birthday has lingered in Minerva's imagination, though she has no intention of really falling for such a rakehell, much less marrying him. Little does she know, he really is a covert government operative. When they team up to investigate the mystery behind her parents' deaths, their fake betrothal leads to red-hot desire. Then Minerva discovers Giles's secret double life, and he must use all the cunning tricks of his trade to find his way back into her heart.

This was a sensational book, one of the best Sabrina Jeffries romances I've read.  Minerva Sharpe fell in and out of love with Giles Masters, a rakish old friend of her brothers while at a masquerade nine years ago.  After breaking her heart, she writes him into her novels, portraying him as a roguish but thrilling French spy.  Little does she know how close to the truth she comes - nor how little she really knows about him!  I love, loved this book!  A forced marriage scenario, the continuing mystery of how Minerva's parents really died and a glimpse into what's in store for the next Hellion of Halstead Hall - a delightful read with great chemistry between the hero and heroine. I recommend it!

4.5/5

The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton by Miranda Neville

Book Description: 
Being kidnapped is teaching Miss Celia Seaton a few things about life:

Lesson One: Never disrobe in front of a gentleman...unless his request comes at gunpoint.

Lesson Two: If, when lost on the moors, you encounter Tarquin Compton, the leader of London society who ruined your marriage prospects, deny any previous acquaintance.

Lesson Three: If presented with an opportunity to get back at Mr. Compton, the bigger the lie, the better. A faux engagement should do nicely.

Lesson Four: Not all knowledge is found between the covers of a book. But an improper book may further your education in ways you never guessed.

And while an erotic novel may be entertaining, the real thing is even better.

I bought this book because it was on sale for next to nothing on kindle and I thought I'd give it a try, even though it is the 3rd book in The Burgundy Club series, of which I haven't read yet the first two.  This can easily be read as a standalone, though I surmise we do re-visit characters from the previous books.  This historical wasn't bad, but some areas were a bit disjointed and hard to follow.  It's a convoluted plotline, but overall  funny.  A sweet road trip story involving plain Celia Seaton, a nobody who is paired up with haughty London dandy, Tarquin Compton who has amnesia after being knocked on the head by someone who is trying to kidnap her.  She is no fan of his, and takes full advantage of the fact he has amnesia and makes up a doozy of a story telling him she is his fiancee and he is a vicar!  Despite his amnesia, he finds this scenario hard to swallow, yet they stick it out together, wandering around the English countryside and evading the cutthroats who are after her.  You see, someone is trying to kidnap her.  Their travails are compounded when they spend the night - an amorous night - together in a barn and he regains his memory at a very awkward moment!  His honor compels him to propose marriage, but Celia does not want to marry under such forced circumstances, even though she is falling in love with his amnesia persona.   I wasn't really crazy about Tarquin (his horrible name didn't help!)  He was too much of a dandy for me.  Much happens and it all ends happily, but it did take me a long time to finish this book.  I'm not sure if I'll bother to read the other books in the series or not.

4/5

A Marriage of Inconvenience by Susanna Fraser

Book Description:
Left orphaned and penniless as a young child, Lucy Jones learned to curb her temper, her passions, and even her sense of humor to placate the wealthy relatives who took her in. She became the perfect poor relation - meek, quiet, and self-effacing. She clings to her self-control because she can control nothing else.

James Wright-Gordon also lost his parents at a young age. But he became a wealthy viscount at fifteen and stepped into full control of his fortune and his birthright as a parliamentary power broker at twenty-one. At twenty-four, he is serenely confident in his ability to control everything in the world that matters to him.

At a house party in the summer of 1809, James quickly discerns Lucy’s carefully hidden spirit and wit and does his best to draw them out. After being caught in a compromising situation, they are obliged to marry. But can two people whose need for control has always been absolute learn to put love first?

I loved this story of poor relation, Lucy Jones, who is secretly engaged to her cousin Sebastian, who asks her to marry him all of a sudden and clear out of the blue.  But while staying at a castle for Sebastian's sister's wedding, she meets James Wright-Gordon who confuses her.  She is attracted to him, but she must be loyal to her secret fiance, Sebastian, who is acting strangely himself.  He seems to have taken a fancy for James' heiress sister, Anna (who we read about in the 2nd book in the series, which I loved) and asks her to marry him, dumping Lucy!  It all gets very confusing and - alarming, but I loved it!  Kind and wonderful James jumps to an awful conclusion about Lucy and acts like the biggest ass for a while, and it was rather angsty, but all ends well, despite the tears in my eyes.  This is a worthwhile series, despite the fact I read the first two books out of order, although I believe it helped in the long run in appreciating the characters and their plight.

4/5

Texas Splendor by Lorraine Heath

Book Description: 
The saga of the Leigh family continues.... After spending five long, hellish years in a Texas penitentiary, Austin Leigh is free to return home, only to find his sweetheart is now married. Despondent and alone, Austin sets out to clear his name of the crime he didn't commit. En route to the state capitol, he meets a young girl and her dog, the survivors of a mysterious tragedy. Together, the young couple will find redemption, forgiveness, and a true love greater than either could have imagined.

I loved this finale to the Leigh Brothers trilogy.  Austin, coming out of prison of five years, is out to find out who really killed the man he was imprisoned for killing.  He comes across a lone woman, Loree Grant, who is living alone in the woods near Austin, Texas.  She nurses him back to health after a stab wound and their is a gradual understanding that develops between the two.  Coincidentally, she has a secret that can greatly affect his life.  Her past story and the truth of what happened to her family is horrible, one of the worst I've come across in a romance.   Typical of this series, for Lorraine Heath is a master at drawing out emotion that comes from past tragedies.  Despite this, it is a beautiful poignant story of two lonely people that come together and find love in a forced marriage scenario.  It's a great story and an even greater series that is probably one of the best I've read.  It's filled with tons of emotion and heartache, but so worth it.  When the couples involved finally find what they need after the turmoil they've gone through to get there, it's so sweet.  Highly recommend.

4.5/5
5/5 Overall Series

The Dark Tower by Stephen King (audio)

Book Description:
The seventh and final installment of Stephen King's The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author's long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his ultimate goal.

Finally... the end.  For those of you that have not read this series, this review won't mean much to you.  But for those that do know the series, here are my thoughts:

A bit anticlimactic, considering I have been reading this series for about 20 years.  After all the time I put into this, I am left feeling perplexed and disappointed about the ending and especially about Mordred...  I worried so much about his presence and what he was going to do to the ka-tet.   Wow, what a let down.  Then I felt the whole ending was just really ... blah.  I loved the first part of this series, the first four books were worth while, but after Wizard and Glass it just didn't do anything for me.  I almost feel like King lost interest and then he had his accident, and it really changed the feel of the series and he began to insert himself into it (which was just too weird and hard to get a handle on).  I feel like he continued with it because he felt compelled to finish it because so many fans wanted him to, but his heart wasn't in it anymore.  The Dark Tower had it's moments though, very sad when our beloved characters start dropping off, and I had a hard time adjusting to the idea of what Susannah does as they get closer to the Tower.  And then the whole drawing and erasing thing - I kept thinking - that's the answer??  All I can say is I'm glad I finally finished it.  I began reading it in print but switched over to audiobooks with the last three books, maybe that had something to do with my ambivalence towards them, but something tells me they just were not up to the same caliber as the first four.  Despite all of this, the audiobook is well narrated, but I do feel that these books are probably better in print, for much is missed on audio.  It's hard to pay attention 100% of the time when listening on audio while doing other things at the same time.  This series needs total concentration.

3.5/5

Since the Surrender by Julia Anne Long

Book Description: 
Fearless. Loyal. Brilliant. Ruthless. Bold words are always used to describe English war hero Captain Chase Eversea, but another word unfortunately plays a role in every Eversea's destiny: trouble. And trouble for Chase arrives in the form of a mysterious message summoning him to a London rendezvous . . . where he encounters the memory of his most wicked indiscretion in the flesh: Rosalind March—the only woman he could never forget.

A Woman of Passion . . .

Five years ago, the reckless, charming beauty craved the formidable Captain's attention. But now Rosalind is a coolly self-possessed woman, and desire is the last thing on her mind: her sister has mysteriously disappeared and she needs Chase's help to find her. But as their search through London's darkest corners re-ignites long-smoldering passion and memories of old battles, Chase and Rosalind are challenged to surrender: to the depths of a wicked desire, and to the possibility of love.

This Pennyroyal Green series is getting better and better as we get further into it. Chase Eversea, a military man, comes face to face with his one indiscretion, Rosalind March, the wife of his former commanding officer.  Now it is five years later, Rosalind is now a widow and she needs a favor of Chase that leads to the uncovering of a prostitution ring while searching for her missing sister.  Together, the two must solve the mystery.  I really enjoyed this romance with a mystery built into it.  It reminded me of a Sebastian St. Cyr mystery.  Looking forward to the next.

4/5

I Kissed an Earl by Julie Anne Long

Book Description: 
Violet Redmond's family and fortune might be formidable and her beauty and wit matchless - but her infamous flare for mischief keeps all but the most lionhearted suitors at bay. Only Violet knows what will assuage her restlessness: a man who doesn't bore her to tears, and a clue to the fate of her missing brother. She never dreamed she'd find both with a man whose own pedigree is far from impeccable.

"Savage" is what the women of the ton whisper about the newly styled Earl of Ardmay - albeit with shivers of pleasure. Born an English bastard, raised on the high seas, he's on a mission to capture a notorious pirate for vengeance. But while Violet's belief in her brother's innocence maddens him, her courage awes him . . . and her sensuality finally undoes him. Now the man who once lost everything and the girl who has everything to lose are bound by a passion that could either end in betrayal . . . or become everything they ever dreamed.

Normally, I space books out when I'm reading series, but I wound up reading the next in the Pennyroyal Green Series purely by chance.  I enjoyed this addition, this time following the Redmond side, though it got off to a slow start.  Violet Redmond is no shrinking violet.  When she sets out to do something - she does it.  This time, in search of her brother Lyon who has been missing for two years, she follows up a hunch that he is now the notorious pirate Le Chat. Handsome Captain Flint - a new earl, has been commissioned to find and bring the pirate to justice.  What does Violet do?  She talks her way onto Flint's ship and stows away until it's too late for him to turn around and take her back to England.  Of course, tempers flare, and they can't stand each other at first but things change, as they always do in romance - especially shipboard romances - and they fall in lust love.  Yet, the fly in the ointment is - he's out to see her brother hang, and she's out to save him!  Quite the dilemma, which ended a bit anticlimactically, but overall, an entertaining read, particularly in the 2nd half of the book.

4/5

Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke

Book Description:
For prim and shy Daphne Wade, the sweetest guilty pleasure of all is secretly watching her employer, the Duke of Tremore, as he works the excavation site on his English estate. Anthony hired Daphne to restore the priceless treasures he has been digging up, but it's hard for a woman to keep her mind on her work when her devastatingly handsome employer keeps taking his shirt off. He doesn't know she's alive, but who could blame her for falling hopelessly in love with him anyway?

Anthony thinks that his capable employee knows all there is to know about antiquities, but when his sister decides to turn the plain young woman in gold-rimmed glasses into an enticing beauty, he declares the task to be impossible. Daphne is devastated when she overhears...and determined to prove him wrong. Now a vibrant and delectable Daphne has emerged from her shell, and the tables are turned. Will Anthony see that the woman of his dreams has been there all along?

I loved this story of plain Jane archeological assistant, Daphne Wade, who works for the handsome Duke of Tremore - and is secretly in love with him.  Alas, he doesn't notice her at all.  After overhearing some disparaging remarks he makes about her, she resigns and gives him a month's notice so she can pursue a season in London with his sister who wants to take her under her wing as a protege.  The duke, not used to not getting his way doesn't want to lose her for she is the best in her field.  After she tells him off, he begins to see her differently and so the courtship begins!  He is determined to prevent or at least delay her leaving and she develops a spirit to live and come into her own.  I simply loved this book and it made me feel good all over by the end!  Hurrah!

4.5/5

Double Cross: The True Story of the D-day Spies by Ben Macintyre (audio)


Book Description: 
On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and suffered an astonishingly low rate of casualties.  D-Day was a stunning military accomplishment, but it was also a masterpiece of trickery. Operation Fortitude, which protected and enabled the invasion, and the Double Cross system, which specialized in turning German spies into double agents, deceived the Nazis into believing that the Allies would attack at Calais and Norway rather than Normandy. It was the most sophisticated and successful deception operation ever carried out, ensuring that Hitler kept an entire army awaiting a fake invasion, saving thousands of lives, and securing an Allied victory at the most critical juncture in the war.
 
The story of D-Day has been told from the point of view of the soldiers who fought in it, the tacticians who planned it, and the generals who led it. But this epic event in world history has never before been told from the perspectives of the key individuals in the Double Cross System. These include its director (a brilliant, urbane intelligence officer), a colorful assortment of MI5 handlers (as well as their counterparts in Nazi intelligence), and the five spies who formed Double Cross’s nucleus: a dashing  Serbian playboy, a Polish fighter-pilot, a bisexual Peruvian party girl, a deeply eccentric Spaniard with a diploma in chicken farming and a volatile Frenchwoman, whose obsessive love for her pet dog very nearly wrecked the entire plan. The D-Day spies were, without question, one of the oddest military units ever assembled, and their success depended on the delicate, dubious relationship between spy and spymaster, both German and British. Their enterprise was saved from catastrophe by a shadowy sixth spy whose heroic sacrifice is revealed here for the first time.
 
With the same depth of research, eye for the absurd and masterful storytelling that have made Ben Macintyre an international bestseller,  Double Cross is a captivating narrative of the spies who wove a web so intricate it ensnared Hitler’s army and carried thousands of D-Day troops across the Channel in safety.

The story of the WWII spies and double agents that helped toward the success of D-Day at Normandy.  This was not as good as Macintyre's other WWII spy books that I've listened to, because there were so many different spies, you just didn't get a real in depth feel for any of them.  It was difficult to keep track of them all and their code names.  A slog on audio, but the narrator John Lee was excellent with the various British, German, Polish and Spanish accents.  Try Macintyre's other books that center on one particular spy or mission, much better!
 
3.5/5

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Goddess of the Sea by P.C. Cast

Book Description:

On the night of her twenty-fifth birthday, alone in her apartment, Air Force Sergeant Christine Canady wished for one thing: a little magic in her life. After drinking way too much champagne, she performed, of all crazy things, a goddess-summoning ritual, hoping that it would somehow make her life a little less ordinary...but she never believed the spell would actually work.

When her military plane crashes into the ocean, CC's mission overseas takes an unexpected turn. She awakens to find herself in a legendary time and place where magic rules the land—occupying the body of the mythic mermaid Undine. But there is danger in the waters and the goddess Gaea turns this modern, military gal into a beautiful damsel so that she can seek shelter on land.

CC is soon rescued (literally) by a knight in shining armor. She should he falling in love with this dream-come-true, but instead she aches for the sea and Dylan, the sexy merman who has stolen her heart.

Quickie Review:
This is the second novel in the Goddess Summoning Series that I've read, though this one is the first in the series.  Not as good as Goddess of Spring, but it wasn't half bad telling the story of a girl that becomes a mermaid and finds true love that cannot be.  The story is in three parts.  Part I sets us up introducing the reader to CC, a female air force sergeant who wants some magic in her life.  Heading out to the middle east, she embarks on the plane taking her there and meets a handsome and considerate air force pilot who catches her eye.  He changes seats with her because of her fear of flying and the next thing she knows the plain crashes over the Mediterranean, mortally wounding the nice pilot and CC nearly drowns herself by trying to retrieve his body.  She is stricken by what has happened to him because he changed seats with her.  In the nick of time, instead of drowning, she finds herself trading places with a mermaid princess Undine, who's fleeing the unwanted advances of her creepy merman half-brother.  

Part II is when we follow CC's journey as a mermaid and the deal she makes with her counterpart's mother, the goddess Gaea who agrees to let her be a woman on land if she can get someone to fall in love with her so she can permanantly remain a woman.  The catch is, CC must return to the water every two days or else... Wouldn't you know it, as soon as CC gets to dry land, she meets Dylan, a handsome merman whom she is intrinsically drawn to on her nights when she must return to the sea.  Her time with Dylan is special and she falls in love with him and he teaches her how mermaids and mermen make love (okay, it was a bit far-fetched, but this is a fantasy afterall and suspension of disbelief is needed.) CC's life becomes ever much more complicated.  Not only has she become a mermaid, but she has gone back in time as well to the 11th century, living a double life living in a Welsh abbey monastary as a guest, pretending she is a princess with amnesia.  But the misogynistic abbot is suspicious of her and the noble knight who "saved" her from drowning remains a puzzle to her.  His changing moods from gentleman to sex fiend cause her to realize he is possessed by the spirit of her evil merman half brother who is relentless in his desire to have her.  As CC and Dylan spend more and more time together, CC realizes she wants to remain a mermaid with him, but her brother is stronger than Dylan and when he finds out about their affair he will kill Dylan - what can they do?

Part III, as you might have guessed, deals with the aftermath of all that happens to CC when she is no longer a mermaid and she is back in the United States recovering from her plane crash.  Did she imagine everything?  What happened to Dylan?  What happened to the nice pilot who gave his life for her?  You'll have to read the book to find out.  Goddess of the Sea is a poignant tale and overall I enjoyed it, although some parts dragged at the monastery.  Keep in mind it's a fantasy romance/paranormal as well and much of the book takes place under water. :). Still, I liked it and I will continue with the rest of the series.

3.5/5

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Goddess of Spring by P.C. Cast

Book Description:
To save her failing bakery, Lina trades souls with Persephone, the Goddess of Spring-and starts falling for hunky Hades.

And what a hunk he is!  Trust me, this Hades is not the Hades from Disney's Hercules, believe me!

I really enjoyed this story that plays on the mythological story of Persephone and Hades.  Never having read anything by this author before, I had heard good things about this book, which is part of her Goddess Series.  This is book #2, which I had heard was the best of the series.

Catalina aka Lina is a modern day, middle aged forty something owner of a baker.  She's an attractive divorced woman who has made a great success of her bakery in Oklahoma.  But, thanks to her incompetent accountant, she owes a ton to the IRS and realizes she must branch out and start inventing something new in the bakery to bring in more business.  She finds some old cookbooks and an old recipe for pizza.  Part of the recipe calls for her to pray to the gods and do a little dance around a tree, etc. etc.  She has some wine, does her little dance and hopes for the best.  Little does she know...

At the same time, on Mt. Olympus, where the gods dwell, Demeter, goddess of the harvest and the seasons wants her beautiful daughter, the goddess Persephone to grow up and become a bit more serious about her role as Goddess of Spring.  (Persephone is a bit flighty.)  Demeter becomes aware of Lina from her little prayer dance.  She listens to Lina's prayer and comes to Earth to make her a deal.  It's quite a whopper!
She asks Lina to trade places with Persephone and go to "hell" (literally) and live there with Hades for six months.  While there, she wants Lina (as Persephone) to help Hades and be a goddess to the dead souls living in the Underworld that are in need of the Goddess of Light and Spring.  Lina is skeptical, naturally.  But, she agrees to do it.  While Lina is gone, Persephone will step into her place and make the bakery a success.

As outlandish as it all sounds, it wound up being a really good story!  Lina is suddenly thrust into the beautiful body of Persephone and is soon face to face with the god, Hades.  Demeter had given Lina the impression that Hades was a dour recluse with no interest in women.  She was partly right, but she left out the part that he looks like a god (he is a god after all).  Muscular, dark and handsome, he has a brooding virility about him that proves to be irresistible to Lina, yet he has a vulnerability too.  (Lina thinks of him as Batman - the Val Kilmer version.)  We follow Lina as she gets to know Hades better and learns what it's like to be a goddess at the same time.  Not a bad life!  The Underworld isn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be, it's actually quite nice! En route to the Underworld, she meets a young soul who has recently died, Eurydice, who becomes her hand maiden and takes care of her.  (Eurydice has her own little side story as well, remember the myth of Morpheus and Eurydice?)

As Lina (as Persephone) and Hades inevitably fall in love, she is torn because she knows she must return to her real life in Oklahoma in six months.  She's convinced Hades only loves her for her gorgeous persona as Persephone.  Once he finds out she's a middle aged nobody he'll turn from her.  Plus, he hates lying women!   She sees no possible happy outcome, thus she leaves Hades of her own accord before he can dump her.  Hades has a major chip on his shoulder because he is the god of the dead.  The other gods on Mt. Olympus look down on him and mock him, so he's sensitive and has shunned the gods and goddesses.  Yet, he is drawn to Lina.  She's so different compared to the other goddesses he's known.  She's a breath of fresh air.  He loves her completely, but is worried she won't want to stay with him in the Underworld.

I felt sorry for Hades when he finds out the truth.  Before Lina can leave, he finds out about her real persona from Demeter who callously tells him that she's really a mortal middle aged woman posing as Persephone.  Hurt and confused, he bitterly casts Lina off, telling himself she had only been toying with him.  He hardens himself against her because he can't stand the thought she'd been lying to him all along, and he's convinced she never really felt anything real for him.  Both are so wrong about each other, yet afraid to seek out the truth for fear of betrayal.  Lina is desolate when she returns to her bakery. 

How can Hades and Lina return to one another and be happy forever?  It seems impossible, yet the author comes up with a great solution which also fits in with the whole Persephone/Hades mythological story.

I found the whole premise of the story fun and different.  I love mythology, so this book was right up my alley.  I will definitely read more of this series!  The side characters were good too!  Lina has a few friends who work for her at the bakery, Hades' right hand man was good too, who forms an attachment to Eurydice.  Eurydice was a bit too sweet and cloying - always wanting to please.  Persephone's story working at the bakery is touched on, but not much, but we get a good idea of what's been happening on her end and she comes through for Lina to tie up all the loose strings and make a happy ending possible.

There's lots of other parts of the book that gave the story more depth as well.  The characterizations make the people realistic and there's some humor involved (the obligatory gay co-worker that seems to be in every contemporary I read nowadays) and the fact Lina has a way with animals - they all love her, including Hades' terrifying horses that become pussycats around Lina.

I recommend this romance, especially if mythology is your thing.  It's a contemporary romance with a fantasy element to it, plus I like the fact the heroine is a middle aged forty something woman!  I can relate to that!  She doesn't have a perfect body (except as Persephone) and in the end, we find out it's not her body Hades was in love with, it was her soul.  Some hot moments between Lina and Hades, but most of all, it was a heartwarming story that I found had some realistic elements to it, despite it's fantastical premise.

4/5

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