*I received this book via the publisher as an ARC*
I was lucky enough to get this book ahead of time. The first reading was a true romp; fun and lighthearted. Then it came time to do my review & I couldn't find my review copy, so I bought the book and read it in one night. And I shouldn't have done that.
Lessons in French is the story of Callista & Trevelyn, childhood friends who haven't seen each other in years. Trev's been in France & Callie is a spinster. Trev's mother is dying and Trev comes home to see her.
That's just the beginning. This story is full of adventures; too many adventures. This book is LONG...very, very long. I think if the story had been half the length it would have been better.
The Good:
Trev: He was such a fun hero. And when he realizes how he feels about Callie, it's a sweet scene
Trev's Mother: She's a hoot. Very French and very...sneaky.
The Bad:
Callie: She got on my nerves in a very short amount of time. She went from being a spinster to being a bit ridiculous. I had a hard time empathizing with her, which makes it hard to root for someone when you don't really care for them. *sigh*
The Plot(s): As I stated above, this story is long and full of basic overall nonsense. Schemes and romances and broken hearts and...well, it got to the point where I just wanted it to end already.
Is the story bad? No, it's actually not bad at all. I liked it overall, I just wish it had been shorter. If the story had focused a bit more on Callie & Trev, it would have been a lot better. The love scenes weren't very erotic and were over quite quickly. The most erotic scene has to do with a pair of stockings, of all things.
All in all, it wasn't a bad story, just not as good the second time around. I will definitely not be rereading it.
Overall Grade: B-
Showing posts with label b- rating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label b- rating. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview: A Review, An Overview and a Giveaway!
*disclaimer....I received this book from Sourcebooks as a Review Copy*
Back Blurb: When Caroline Bingley collapses to the floor and sobs at Mr. Darcy's weeding, imaginer her humiliation to discover that a stranger has witnessed her emotional display. Miss Bingley, understandably, resents this unknown gentleman very much, even if he is Mr. Darcy's American cousin.
Mr. Robert Darcy is as charming as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is proud, and he is stunned to find a beautiful young woman weeping broken-heartedly at his cousin's wedding. Such depth of love, he thinks, is rare and precious. For him, it's love at first sight. Alas, regaining her good graces seems an impossible mission, and he is left to hope that someday their paths will cross again...
My thoughts on The Other Mr. Darcy...hmm...I admit it's a bit of a conundrum for me. I hated Caroline Bingley in Pride & Predjudice. Hated her with a passion. I thought she was an obnoxious spoiled brat and that Mr. Darcy was lucky to have escaped her clutches. So, I'm surprised that Ms. Fairview not only got me to sympathize with her, but to actually kind of like her.
Not to say that she's a completely different person in this book. Oh, not at all. She's still an obnoxious, spoiled brat. However, she's humanized in this book in a way that she wasn't in P&P.
After Fitzwilliam & Lizzy marry, Caroline runs to the privacy of another room and bursts into hysterical tears. She knows her chances with Mr. Darcy are dead and gone, devastating her to her core. What she doesn't realize is that her hysterics are witnessed by someone else. Of course, when she finds out that he's in the room with her, she freaks out and basically makes an idiot of herself.
And thus begins the courtship of Caroline Bingley & Robert Darcy. To say that this book was easy to read would be a lie. Caroline really did bother me throughout 99% of the book. It seemed like her bratty behavior was going to ruin something that would be the best thing for her. It wasn't until the very end that she got her comeuppance and realized just what she would be missing in her life.
The book was well-written, pretty entertaining and more of a historical-romantic view of the P&P world. All in all, I truly did enjoy it. If you liked Caroline Bingley, this is definitely the book for you. If you like the idea of Caroline Bingley getting her comeuppance AND falling in love...this is also the book for you. :)
Overall Grade: B-
Below is a piece written by the author, as well as her picture. You can win a copy of The Other Mr. Darcy (US & Canada only...)
Monica Fairview Guest Blog, author of The Other Mr. Darcy
Picture a young teen who is enamored of Pride and Prejudice. Not just Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet, but of the Bennets, Mr Collins, Lady Catherine, and the Bingleys. Picture this teen growing up and reading and rereading Pride and Prejudice, and, like many people, trying to imagine what happens beyond that quiet affirmation of love at the end. Then finally, a story takes shape, one that isn’t about Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet, but about one of the characters that has been consigned to the corner. Lo and behold, The Other Mr. Darcy is born.
In some ways, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is part of me. I’ve known it for so long it feels like part of my growing up. Though I should say I’m definitely the odd person out, because I don’t think Jane Austen’s success in Pride and Prejudice is only about the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Darcy & Elizabeth part of the novel. But I also love the other parts. I can hear Mrs Bennet’s histrionic fits in my head. I can see Mr Bennet smiling sardonically (In fact, I have an uncle that is quite a bit like him). I love the chaos and disorder the Bennets bring to the well-regulated society around them. I love their sheer unconventionality (for that time), and I think, despite Elizabeth’s typical teen embarrassment about her family, Elizabeth could never have grown to be who she is without them.
Picture a young teen who is enamored of Pride and Prejudice. Not just Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet, but of the Bennets, Mr Collins, Lady Catherine, and the Bingleys. Picture this teen growing up and reading and rereading Pride and Prejudice, and, like many people, trying to imagine what happens beyond that quiet affirmation of love at the end. Then finally, a story takes shape, one that isn’t about Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet, but about one of the characters that has been consigned to the corner. Lo and behold, The Other Mr. Darcy is born.
In some ways, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is part of me. I’ve known it for so long it feels like part of my growing up. Though I should say I’m definitely the odd person out, because I don’t think Jane Austen’s success in Pride and Prejudice is only about the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Darcy & Elizabeth part of the novel. But I also love the other parts. I can hear Mrs Bennet’s histrionic fits in my head. I can see Mr Bennet smiling sardonically (In fact, I have an uncle that is quite a bit like him). I love the chaos and disorder the Bennets bring to the well-regulated society around them. I love their sheer unconventionality (for that time), and I think, despite Elizabeth’s typical teen embarrassment about her family, Elizabeth could never have grown to be who she is without them.
So when I came to write my Austenesque sequel, I knew it wasn’t simply going to be about Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy are in there, but it’s not their story. It’s the story of a character who is (in my view of things) unfairly represented in the novel. I feel that everyone takes her at face value, and very few people notice that even Elizabeth gives her a break later in the novel. In Chapter 45 Elizabeth knows she is intruding on Caroline at Pemberley, and she is able to put herself in her rival’s situation: “Convinced as Elizabeth now was that Miss Bingley’s dislike of her had originated in jealousy, she could not help feeling how very unwelcome her appearance at Pemberley must be to (Caroline).” Elizabeth recognizes here that she has been unfair to Caroline. Which is really my starting point, because if Caroline’s behaviour wasn’t really typical, and has been motivated by jealousy, then I want to know more about what she is really like when she doesn’t feel threatened. Who hasn’t behaved badly in a fit of jealousy?
I was aware, of course, that I was treading new ground even thinking that way. And then, by introducing an American Darcy who is quite patriotic in his way, despite having roots in England. But I wasn’t trying to depart from Austen. I was trying to introduce new factors and a new angle into her familiar world and see what would happen.
I couldn’t wait to see how the Bennets were going to react to the new situations they were encountering, especially Mrs Bennet and Lydia. I carefully studied the novel before I started, looking at their speech patterns so I could follow the way they talked as closely as possible, while at the same time using my own language. Of course, they couldn’t say the things they already said, not unless they were stuck in a loop. But I tried my best not to let them say anything that was out of character. I asked myself throughout the process of writing The Other Mr. Darcy: what would they typically say in such a situation?
But because the situation is new, even if the characters are doing what they typically would be doing, they are bound to change. After all, I didn’t want them to be simply people from someone else’s novel. I wanted to bring them to life, to move them on, to live up to the new experiences they are dealing with. Elizabeth and Darcy have to respond to Miss Bingley in a different way now, and Darcy’s response is, I think, typical in that his family pride kicks in when faced with an uncomfortable situation. Mrs Bennet’s reactions in a crisis are typical, too, but we see a slightly different side of her that perhaps was unexpected. And of course, Caroline undergoes a long journey, both physically and psychologically, before she can become the new person she’s destined to be.
It’s a fine line, because one can easily go too far and make the people of Pride and Prejudice unrecognizable in the new novel. Writing an Austen-inspired novel is like walking a tightrope. You’re in the middle of the rope. Behind you, you have Pride and Prejudice, with its brilliant characters, its exquisitely polished style, and its sharp wit. In front of you, at the other end of the tightrope, you have your unfinished novel. It’s a thin line to cross, but you’ve got to do it if you want to get to the end.
Above all, I think, it’s about not setting yourself up to rival Pride & Prejudice, because you can’t, of course, not even in your wildest dreams. To think so would be arrogance of the worst type, the type Mr Darcy was guilty of at the beginning of the novel. The Other Mr. Darcy is simply some kind of continuation, some kind of tribute to a writer who has brought me so much joy. In more than one sense, it is ultimately about love.
The Other Mr. Darcy—in stores October 2009!
Did you know that Mr. Darcy had an American cousin?!
In this highly original Pride and Prejudice sequel by British author Monica Fairview, Caroline Bingley is our heroine. Caroline is sincerely broken-hearted when Mr. Darcy marries Lizzy Bennet— that is, until she meets his charming and sympathetic American cousin...
Mr. Robert Darcy is as charming as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is proud, and he is stunned to find the beautiful Caroline weeping at his cousin's wedding. Such depth of love, he thinks, is rare and precious. For him, it's nearly love at first sight. But these British can be so haughty and off-putting. How can he let the young lady, who was understandably mortified to be discovered in such a vulnerable moment, know how much he feels for and sympathizes with her?
About the Author
As a literature professor, Monica Fairview enjoyed teaching students to love reading. But after years of postponing the urge, she finally realized what she really wanted was to write books herself. She lived in Illinois, Los Angeles, Seattle, Texas, Colorado, Oregon and Boston as a student and professor, and now lives in London. To find out more, please visit http://www.monicafairview.co.uk/
Monday, September 14, 2009
My Cousin Caroline by Rebecca Ann Collins
I’ve been on a bit of a Pride & Prejudice kick over this past year or so. I finally read all of Jane Austen’s books last year and when given the opportunity to read “sequels” for P&P, I can’t seem to turn them down.
My Cousin Caroline is the story of Caroline Gardiner and Colonel Fitzwilliam. When I first started reading the book, I admit to being a bit uncomfortable. Why? It’s all due to the significant age difference between Caroline and the Colonel.
However, once I got into the story, I was able to overlook this, mostly due to the fact that I know this wasn’t unheard of back in that time period. Much older men married MUCH younger women and it worked out fine. And what I liked is that the Colonel fought his attraction until…well, until it got too hard not to finally admit his feelings. Still, the age difference was still hanging over it all.
The thing I appreciated the most about this book was that it was number 6 in an ongoing series and yet you didn’t feel like you were floundering. I hate reading series and getting lost because I can’t figure out what happened in the previous books. Sourcebooks was nice enough to send along a “cheat” sheet of the previous books to help me keep track of who was who.
On to my thoughts…I actually really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed Caroline’s strength and maturity, even though she was so very young when the book started. The Colonel surprised me. He was such a secondary character in P&P (even though he was the catalyst at a certain point) and it was nice to see him fleshed out.
I really liked how the author really made you feel like you were reading the recorded history of these people. She made them seem real. To say that the book was perfect would be a fallacy, unfortunately. It was more a history lesson than a romance. I never could understand exactly how Caroline and the Colonel fell in love. Instead of showing the natural progression of their relationship AND them falling in love, it basically was vignettes of their lives.
There was no consistency. The years jumped. It was difficult to keep track of time, especially later in the book when we get to them being old and looking back at their life together.
Still, the book was greatly enjoyable. I've got book 7. Now I wish I could get books 1-5. lol
My Overall Rating: B-
You can buy the book here.
My Cousin Caroline is the story of Caroline Gardiner and Colonel Fitzwilliam. When I first started reading the book, I admit to being a bit uncomfortable. Why? It’s all due to the significant age difference between Caroline and the Colonel.
However, once I got into the story, I was able to overlook this, mostly due to the fact that I know this wasn’t unheard of back in that time period. Much older men married MUCH younger women and it worked out fine. And what I liked is that the Colonel fought his attraction until…well, until it got too hard not to finally admit his feelings. Still, the age difference was still hanging over it all.
The thing I appreciated the most about this book was that it was number 6 in an ongoing series and yet you didn’t feel like you were floundering. I hate reading series and getting lost because I can’t figure out what happened in the previous books. Sourcebooks was nice enough to send along a “cheat” sheet of the previous books to help me keep track of who was who.
On to my thoughts…I actually really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed Caroline’s strength and maturity, even though she was so very young when the book started. The Colonel surprised me. He was such a secondary character in P&P (even though he was the catalyst at a certain point) and it was nice to see him fleshed out.
I really liked how the author really made you feel like you were reading the recorded history of these people. She made them seem real. To say that the book was perfect would be a fallacy, unfortunately. It was more a history lesson than a romance. I never could understand exactly how Caroline and the Colonel fell in love. Instead of showing the natural progression of their relationship AND them falling in love, it basically was vignettes of their lives.
There was no consistency. The years jumped. It was difficult to keep track of time, especially later in the book when we get to them being old and looking back at their life together.
Still, the book was greatly enjoyable. I've got book 7. Now I wish I could get books 1-5. lol
My Overall Rating: B-
You can buy the book here.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken down her fair share of bad guys. She's armed, dangerous, and ready to kill first and ask questions later. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust...
Dru Anderson has been "strange" for as long as she can remember, traveling from town to town with her father to hung the things that go bump in the night. It's a weird live, but a good one--until it all explodes in an icy, broken down Dakota town, when a hungry zombie bursts through her door. Alone, frightened, and trapped, Dru's going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. The monsters have decided to hunt back--and this time, Dru's on their menu. Chance of survival? Slim to none.
If she can't last until sunup, it's game over.
For the last week and going on until the latter part of this one, the Book Smuggler's are holding their first ever YA appreciation month. I've seen some great reviews for some interesting books. I'm kind of surprised this one wasn't on there.
Boy, how to describe this book? To be honest, I think the back blurb is extremely misleading. It makes it sound like Dru is stuck in her house fighting off zombies for one night and that's not what this story is about at all. This book is about a young woman's struggle to decipher what her past was really all about. And let me tell you, it's definitely a bumpy ride.
Dru is your typical, angry, annoyed, smart-mouthy teenage girl with a giant chip on her shoulder. She's never lived in the same town for longer than a month or two ever since her mom died when she was a little girl. She is her father's back-up, the one who makes sure his house is clean, the laundry's washed and his guns are loaded. Dru is a hunter. Not just any hunter; but one who hunts those things that no one else can see.
After the events described on the back blurb happen, she is truly alone. Nobody to back her up and no way of being able to decide who to trust...or not. After a particularly disastrous day at school, she meets Graves, a Goth boy with a brain. Graves will become much more than she ever bargained for. A best friend when she needs him the most.
For those of you who've read Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, you will notice certain similarities between Drew and Rose. Both of them speak first and don't allow their brains to catch up until...well, until disaster strikes.
No, Graves is not a 6'7" hottie like Dimitri, but he's got his own potential. He really cares for Dru and that is obvious, especially after some events that would've driven most guys away.
Was it perfect? No. There were a couple of things that bugged the living daylights out of me, the biggie being the limited amount of history that Dru gets, especially about her mother. There's a LOT going on that's never really put on the page. You have to kind of figure it all out on your own, which is kind of annoying.
However, book 2 comes out in November and I'm hoping more will show up as the storyline goes along. If this had been a one-book deal, I would be seriously annoyed right now. *sigh*
If you like sick and twisted books with strong characters, then I recommend Strange Angels. It's definitely a trip.
Overall Rating: B-
Dru Anderson has been "strange" for as long as she can remember, traveling from town to town with her father to hung the things that go bump in the night. It's a weird live, but a good one--until it all explodes in an icy, broken down Dakota town, when a hungry zombie bursts through her door. Alone, frightened, and trapped, Dru's going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. The monsters have decided to hunt back--and this time, Dru's on their menu. Chance of survival? Slim to none.
If she can't last until sunup, it's game over.
For the last week and going on until the latter part of this one, the Book Smuggler's are holding their first ever YA appreciation month. I've seen some great reviews for some interesting books. I'm kind of surprised this one wasn't on there.
Boy, how to describe this book? To be honest, I think the back blurb is extremely misleading. It makes it sound like Dru is stuck in her house fighting off zombies for one night and that's not what this story is about at all. This book is about a young woman's struggle to decipher what her past was really all about. And let me tell you, it's definitely a bumpy ride.
Dru is your typical, angry, annoyed, smart-mouthy teenage girl with a giant chip on her shoulder. She's never lived in the same town for longer than a month or two ever since her mom died when she was a little girl. She is her father's back-up, the one who makes sure his house is clean, the laundry's washed and his guns are loaded. Dru is a hunter. Not just any hunter; but one who hunts those things that no one else can see.
After the events described on the back blurb happen, she is truly alone. Nobody to back her up and no way of being able to decide who to trust...or not. After a particularly disastrous day at school, she meets Graves, a Goth boy with a brain. Graves will become much more than she ever bargained for. A best friend when she needs him the most.
For those of you who've read Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, you will notice certain similarities between Drew and Rose. Both of them speak first and don't allow their brains to catch up until...well, until disaster strikes.
No, Graves is not a 6'7" hottie like Dimitri, but he's got his own potential. He really cares for Dru and that is obvious, especially after some events that would've driven most guys away.
Was it perfect? No. There were a couple of things that bugged the living daylights out of me, the biggie being the limited amount of history that Dru gets, especially about her mother. There's a LOT going on that's never really put on the page. You have to kind of figure it all out on your own, which is kind of annoying.
However, book 2 comes out in November and I'm hoping more will show up as the storyline goes along. If this had been a one-book deal, I would be seriously annoyed right now. *sigh*
If you like sick and twisted books with strong characters, then I recommend Strange Angels. It's definitely a trip.
Overall Rating: B-
Monday, June 1, 2009
Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham
Dear Holly,
Are you sure you know what you're getting into...?
It's Holly Denham's first day as a receptionist at a busy corporate bank, and frankly, it's obvious she can't quite keep up.
Take a peek at her email and you'll see why: what her crazy friends, dysfunctional family, and gossipy coworkers, Holly's inbox is a daily source of drama. Laughter, friendship, and romantic interludes keep her going, until one day, Holly's secret past begins to catch up with her...
Written entirely in emails, this compulsively readable UK smash hit will keep you laughing and turning the pages all the way to its surprising and deeply satisfying ending.
When my contact Danielle first mentioned this book and the history behind it, I admit I was intrigued. A book, written entirely in email format, from a woman's POV written by a man. Yes, that's right, folks. Holly Denham is actually Bill Surie. I know! Shocking! :)
I actually interviewed Bill first since Sourcebooks didn't have copies of this book handy immediately and I got to ask questions without any knowledge of the books. Yeah, that was a bit odd.
Anyhoodles, my thoughts on Holly's Inbox (for one lucky commenter...US & CANADA ONLY...I will be giving away a copy of this book). Holly's Inbox is about Holly Denham, a young woman who has just started a job at a pretty prestigious bank. It's quite entertaining to read the beginning emails between her and Patricia (or Trish), the other receptionist. You can see that Holly really has no experience as a receptionist and reading her emails to her friends about her lack of abilities is actually quite funny.
Her friendship w/ Jason Granger is the predominate force through 99% of the books. He is her best friend and he helps her out when she's in trouble.
There's Aisha her slutty best girlfriend who doesn't seem to understand the concept of keeping her legs together.
There's her sister who asks her to bring odd things on her visit (the dead mice for their snake is the biggy).
The relationship that begins and ends with James, the hunky VP who begins flirting with her almost immediately.
Her relationship with her mother which is very much up & down.
And just her basic, overall Holly-ness.
Due to the fact that I knew Holly wasn't actually a woman (or real), it was still fascinating to read this story. It felt real. I could actually see these things happening and I found it very intriguing. I also found it to be LOL funny as well.
Watching as Holly maneuvers her way through a rivalry with a fellow coworker, her issues w/ someone who ends up being not who she thought, and her budding friendship with Trish was great.
That being said, I do have a couple of quibbles.
One being that there's something brought up about Trish near the end that's never resolved. I found it to be an odd addition and wasn't really necessary...unless another book is written, which might happen.
The romance-it came across rather abruptly and didn't seem quite as realistic as the rest (I'm talking the end of the book...won't go into further details than that). If you read the book, you'll know what I mean.
All in all though, I found I really enjoyed it. If I hadn't known that Holly was actually Bill, I would have thought it was a woman. That's saying something. :)
My Rating: B-
Are you sure you know what you're getting into...?
It's Holly Denham's first day as a receptionist at a busy corporate bank, and frankly, it's obvious she can't quite keep up.
Take a peek at her email and you'll see why: what her crazy friends, dysfunctional family, and gossipy coworkers, Holly's inbox is a daily source of drama. Laughter, friendship, and romantic interludes keep her going, until one day, Holly's secret past begins to catch up with her...
Written entirely in emails, this compulsively readable UK smash hit will keep you laughing and turning the pages all the way to its surprising and deeply satisfying ending.
When my contact Danielle first mentioned this book and the history behind it, I admit I was intrigued. A book, written entirely in email format, from a woman's POV written by a man. Yes, that's right, folks. Holly Denham is actually Bill Surie. I know! Shocking! :)
I actually interviewed Bill first since Sourcebooks didn't have copies of this book handy immediately and I got to ask questions without any knowledge of the books. Yeah, that was a bit odd.
Anyhoodles, my thoughts on Holly's Inbox (for one lucky commenter...US & CANADA ONLY...I will be giving away a copy of this book). Holly's Inbox is about Holly Denham, a young woman who has just started a job at a pretty prestigious bank. It's quite entertaining to read the beginning emails between her and Patricia (or Trish), the other receptionist. You can see that Holly really has no experience as a receptionist and reading her emails to her friends about her lack of abilities is actually quite funny.
Her friendship w/ Jason Granger is the predominate force through 99% of the books. He is her best friend and he helps her out when she's in trouble.
There's Aisha her slutty best girlfriend who doesn't seem to understand the concept of keeping her legs together.
There's her sister who asks her to bring odd things on her visit (the dead mice for their snake is the biggy).
The relationship that begins and ends with James, the hunky VP who begins flirting with her almost immediately.
Her relationship with her mother which is very much up & down.
And just her basic, overall Holly-ness.
Due to the fact that I knew Holly wasn't actually a woman (or real), it was still fascinating to read this story. It felt real. I could actually see these things happening and I found it very intriguing. I also found it to be LOL funny as well.
Watching as Holly maneuvers her way through a rivalry with a fellow coworker, her issues w/ someone who ends up being not who she thought, and her budding friendship with Trish was great.
That being said, I do have a couple of quibbles.
One being that there's something brought up about Trish near the end that's never resolved. I found it to be an odd addition and wasn't really necessary...unless another book is written, which might happen.
The romance-it came across rather abruptly and didn't seem quite as realistic as the rest (I'm talking the end of the book...won't go into further details than that). If you read the book, you'll know what I mean.
All in all though, I found I really enjoyed it. If I hadn't known that Holly was actually Bill, I would have thought it was a woman. That's saying something. :)
My Rating: B-
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Lover Avenged by JR Ward
*sigh* Reviewing a JR Ward book is always tricky. For one thing, it's almost impossible to review w/o giving away spoilers. For another, trying to decide if I liked it or not.
I will say upfront that I liked it MUCH better than Lover Enshrined. I still say LE was a waste of space. Phury & Cormia were not my idea of an ideal couple. *sigh*
So, what did I think of Lover Avenged? I have very mixed feelings about it & I'm going to say right up front that *THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE SOME SPOILERS (MAYBE MAJOR ONES...SORRY) IN THIS REVIEW!!!!!!!*
I'm going to say right up front that if you're expecting LA to be full of romance...you'll be sorely disappointed. Again Ms. Ward does the usual and throws everything but the kitchen sink into this story, completely overshadowing the "romance" between Rehv & Ehlena. So for me, the romance was completely & totally a waste of time.
I wish she would figure out if she was writing Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance and stick with one or the other instead of trying to force them to coexist. I think that is what takes away from the overall appreciation for the books. For romance fans, the romance is pretty much a flyby kind of thing and the Urban Fantasy lovers are stuck with a romance that's really not fleshed out.
A couple of my friends & I were talking about LA over on Twitter. One of them brought up an excellent point. Ms. Ward is a big fan of name-dropping and product placement. In the first chapter alone we're subjected to a long list of clothing, drink and food manufacturers. In the first chapter! This continues quite heavy-handed throughout the book. Usually with clothes. *sigh* I don't care what name brand your character is wearing. All you have to say is "Charcoal-grey suit" and I'm perfectly happy. I don't need to know the name of each designer of each article of clothing you are wearing down to your underwear. And it's always the guys, not the women. Anyone else notice that? :(
On to the main players in LA. There was Rehv & Ehlena, JM & Xhex, Wrath, Lash, some other Lessers and Mary, Beth & Bella played minimal parts. There were also sympaths and some other characters introduced. Oy.
And I'm going to go into, not a good & bad list, but a breakdown of each character & what their roll was in this book. I'm sorry. It's the only way I can think of giving a relatively cohesive book review.
Rehv & Ehlena: Hmm...well, yes, they did have a "romance" in this book, but I have to admit I was extremely disappointed in it. As we all know, Rehv is half sympath & half vampire. His sister is Bella who is mated to Zsadist who has issues. *ahem* Rehv takes dopamine to keep himself from feeling, thus allowing him to exist in the human world w/o his sympath side taking over. As revealed back in LE, he has an "interesting" relationship w/ a fellow sympath.
Ehlena is a nurse who works for Havers, Marissa's brother and the doctor of the vampires. Ehlena's father is sick and instead of being part of the vampire elite, she has had to sell off all of their belongings to take care of her father.
She works on Rehv one day and that's when everything changes. All right, I admit, watching Rehv try to woo her was actually pretty sweet. However, as is always with a JR Ward book, the "LOVE" kind of happens off-page and the next thing you know it's all, "I love you," "No, I love you," "No, I love you" without any real showing of the development between the two characters. It's extremely annoying.
Wrath-Wrath played a huge part in this book that was pretty much a waste of space. If what happens had been hinted at (as in his fighting & such), it wouldn't have come across as so out of character. Also, the blindness? Not a shock and actually kind of ridiculous. It threw away all of the romance built between him & Beth and almost ruined their relationship at the beginning. I thought Beth was cool though in the sense that she didn't let him walk all over her as so many of the other women are complete and total doormats.
JM & Xhex: Talk about a storyline that annoyed me from the beginning, of this book anyway. We know Xhex is a sympath. It's been out there since almost the very beginning. Watching her treat JM the way she did, I felt nothing but sympathy for her. You KNOW why she did what she did. As for JM? I just wanted to smack him upside the head. Yes, he should have been annoyed at what she did to him and I can understand that up to a point, however, his complete and total personality change really made me want to throttle him. By the end of the book I had no sympathy for him whatsoever. Knowing the next book is probably theirs? Not sure if I'm willing to pay HC price for it.
Lash: Still annoying as always, but plays a key roll at end of the book. I won't go into any details, but I have a feeling the BDB will be feeling the ramifications for a LONG time.
The Other Lessers: Eh...boring as usual.
The Scribe Virgin: Since when did she go and get a lobotomy? Just curious.
The Sympaths: What a waste of space and a couple of gag-inducing moments they were. If you're expecting to know more about the sympaths, be prepared to be disappointed. We still don't know anything about them. *sigh* Which really bugs me because the character development that would have given Rehv would have been HUGE!
The Rest of the Book: *sigh* I don't know. Yes, there were some good aspects to it. No Omega, not much of the Lessers, and a lot of action. But, there were also a ton of disappointments. The story development was curtailed by quite a bit of changes to the history that Ms. Ward had firmly established back in book one. I HATE it when authors do that. You should NOT be allowed to change the basic integrity of the world you've created because A. it's lazy writing & B. it drives your readers crazy. We're not stupid. We can clearly remember who, what, when & where. You changing that later on in a series does not a happy reader base make.
What is my overall feeling? Disappointment and annoyance mixed with happy. I know my review comes across like I hated it, but I didn't. As I said at the beginning. I have very mixed feelings. But, since I said I liked it better than LE and gave LE a C+...
Overall Grade: B-
I will say upfront that I liked it MUCH better than Lover Enshrined. I still say LE was a waste of space. Phury & Cormia were not my idea of an ideal couple. *sigh*
So, what did I think of Lover Avenged? I have very mixed feelings about it & I'm going to say right up front that *THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE SOME SPOILERS (MAYBE MAJOR ONES...SORRY) IN THIS REVIEW!!!!!!!*
I'm going to say right up front that if you're expecting LA to be full of romance...you'll be sorely disappointed. Again Ms. Ward does the usual and throws everything but the kitchen sink into this story, completely overshadowing the "romance" between Rehv & Ehlena. So for me, the romance was completely & totally a waste of time.
I wish she would figure out if she was writing Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance and stick with one or the other instead of trying to force them to coexist. I think that is what takes away from the overall appreciation for the books. For romance fans, the romance is pretty much a flyby kind of thing and the Urban Fantasy lovers are stuck with a romance that's really not fleshed out.
A couple of my friends & I were talking about LA over on Twitter. One of them brought up an excellent point. Ms. Ward is a big fan of name-dropping and product placement. In the first chapter alone we're subjected to a long list of clothing, drink and food manufacturers. In the first chapter! This continues quite heavy-handed throughout the book. Usually with clothes. *sigh* I don't care what name brand your character is wearing. All you have to say is "Charcoal-grey suit" and I'm perfectly happy. I don't need to know the name of each designer of each article of clothing you are wearing down to your underwear. And it's always the guys, not the women. Anyone else notice that? :(
On to the main players in LA. There was Rehv & Ehlena, JM & Xhex, Wrath, Lash, some other Lessers and Mary, Beth & Bella played minimal parts. There were also sympaths and some other characters introduced. Oy.
And I'm going to go into, not a good & bad list, but a breakdown of each character & what their roll was in this book. I'm sorry. It's the only way I can think of giving a relatively cohesive book review.
Rehv & Ehlena: Hmm...well, yes, they did have a "romance" in this book, but I have to admit I was extremely disappointed in it. As we all know, Rehv is half sympath & half vampire. His sister is Bella who is mated to Zsadist who has issues. *ahem* Rehv takes dopamine to keep himself from feeling, thus allowing him to exist in the human world w/o his sympath side taking over. As revealed back in LE, he has an "interesting" relationship w/ a fellow sympath.
Ehlena is a nurse who works for Havers, Marissa's brother and the doctor of the vampires. Ehlena's father is sick and instead of being part of the vampire elite, she has had to sell off all of their belongings to take care of her father.
She works on Rehv one day and that's when everything changes. All right, I admit, watching Rehv try to woo her was actually pretty sweet. However, as is always with a JR Ward book, the "LOVE" kind of happens off-page and the next thing you know it's all, "I love you," "No, I love you," "No, I love you" without any real showing of the development between the two characters. It's extremely annoying.
Wrath-Wrath played a huge part in this book that was pretty much a waste of space. If what happens had been hinted at (as in his fighting & such), it wouldn't have come across as so out of character. Also, the blindness? Not a shock and actually kind of ridiculous. It threw away all of the romance built between him & Beth and almost ruined their relationship at the beginning. I thought Beth was cool though in the sense that she didn't let him walk all over her as so many of the other women are complete and total doormats.
JM & Xhex: Talk about a storyline that annoyed me from the beginning, of this book anyway. We know Xhex is a sympath. It's been out there since almost the very beginning. Watching her treat JM the way she did, I felt nothing but sympathy for her. You KNOW why she did what she did. As for JM? I just wanted to smack him upside the head. Yes, he should have been annoyed at what she did to him and I can understand that up to a point, however, his complete and total personality change really made me want to throttle him. By the end of the book I had no sympathy for him whatsoever. Knowing the next book is probably theirs? Not sure if I'm willing to pay HC price for it.
Lash: Still annoying as always, but plays a key roll at end of the book. I won't go into any details, but I have a feeling the BDB will be feeling the ramifications for a LONG time.
The Other Lessers: Eh...boring as usual.
The Scribe Virgin: Since when did she go and get a lobotomy? Just curious.
The Sympaths: What a waste of space and a couple of gag-inducing moments they were. If you're expecting to know more about the sympaths, be prepared to be disappointed. We still don't know anything about them. *sigh* Which really bugs me because the character development that would have given Rehv would have been HUGE!
The Rest of the Book: *sigh* I don't know. Yes, there were some good aspects to it. No Omega, not much of the Lessers, and a lot of action. But, there were also a ton of disappointments. The story development was curtailed by quite a bit of changes to the history that Ms. Ward had firmly established back in book one. I HATE it when authors do that. You should NOT be allowed to change the basic integrity of the world you've created because A. it's lazy writing & B. it drives your readers crazy. We're not stupid. We can clearly remember who, what, when & where. You changing that later on in a series does not a happy reader base make.
What is my overall feeling? Disappointment and annoyance mixed with happy. I know my review comes across like I hated it, but I didn't. As I said at the beginning. I have very mixed feelings. But, since I said I liked it better than LE and gave LE a C+...
Overall Grade: B-
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Enchanted by Anna J. Evans
I recently had a major buying spree over at Ellora's Cave and received my order this morning. Enchanted is one of the books I received.
Back Blurb:
Princess Wren is the queen of one-night stands. She's survived centuries of enchantment by taking her pleasure where she can get it and keeping her wounded heart under lock and key. It hasn't been easy, but Wren knows that falling in love would be insanely foolish. Cursed to forever be the "other woman", she can think of nothing worse than losing her hear to a man who would be with her for only one night.
Austin Taylor is nursing a wounded heart of his onw, and has a crush on his next-door neighbor that is quickly becoming an obsession. How can he resist a night of passion with the only woman who has ever tempted him to abandon his hard won control and succumb to all his secret desires?
With the help of a penitent witch, these two soul mates are getting ready to learn what it means to find the love--and lover--of a lifetime.
I bought this book specifically because of the preview. It read as something I might be interested and I thought the premise was interesting. Cursed to have nothing but one-night stands, Wren has learned that love doesn't exist...at least not for her.
Attracted to her neighbor, but knowing what will happen if they ever have sex, she's resigned to the fact that she's going to continue having meaningless sex with each man she chooses.
Austin also has his sights set on her, but due to something in his past (of course) he's afraid to push for anything. He's hot for her, but knows that he can't do anything about it. It's not until a confrontation with another neighbor that they start actually talking.
One thing leads to another, but due to the curse, Wren is positive he will leave her before the night is through. Aw shucks. *sniffle*
My Thoughts: I actually really did enjoy this story. I thought it was a different twist on the cursed soul mate book. The sex was unbelievably smokin' hot and had a lot of emotion behind it, if that makes sense. So often with romantica you get a lot of sex, but the emotion seems to be lacking. With this book, the emotion is potent and raw.
Was it perfect? No. The Big Misunderstanding was ridiculous, but I can understand why Wren thought was she did. After all these years...well, it made sense in her eyes.
All in all, it was enjoyable and when I put the book down, I did with a happy sigh. I'm thinking that can't be a bad thing. :)
My Rating: B-
Back Blurb:
Princess Wren is the queen of one-night stands. She's survived centuries of enchantment by taking her pleasure where she can get it and keeping her wounded heart under lock and key. It hasn't been easy, but Wren knows that falling in love would be insanely foolish. Cursed to forever be the "other woman", she can think of nothing worse than losing her hear to a man who would be with her for only one night.
Austin Taylor is nursing a wounded heart of his onw, and has a crush on his next-door neighbor that is quickly becoming an obsession. How can he resist a night of passion with the only woman who has ever tempted him to abandon his hard won control and succumb to all his secret desires?
With the help of a penitent witch, these two soul mates are getting ready to learn what it means to find the love--and lover--of a lifetime.
I bought this book specifically because of the preview. It read as something I might be interested and I thought the premise was interesting. Cursed to have nothing but one-night stands, Wren has learned that love doesn't exist...at least not for her.
Attracted to her neighbor, but knowing what will happen if they ever have sex, she's resigned to the fact that she's going to continue having meaningless sex with each man she chooses.
Austin also has his sights set on her, but due to something in his past (of course) he's afraid to push for anything. He's hot for her, but knows that he can't do anything about it. It's not until a confrontation with another neighbor that they start actually talking.
One thing leads to another, but due to the curse, Wren is positive he will leave her before the night is through. Aw shucks. *sniffle*
My Thoughts: I actually really did enjoy this story. I thought it was a different twist on the cursed soul mate book. The sex was unbelievably smokin' hot and had a lot of emotion behind it, if that makes sense. So often with romantica you get a lot of sex, but the emotion seems to be lacking. With this book, the emotion is potent and raw.
Was it perfect? No. The Big Misunderstanding was ridiculous, but I can understand why Wren thought was she did. After all these years...well, it made sense in her eyes.
All in all, it was enjoyable and when I put the book down, I did with a happy sigh. I'm thinking that can't be a bad thing. :)
My Rating: B-
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