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| 0373441320
| 9780373441327
| 0373441320
| 3.77
| 22
| Dec 01, 2001
| Dec 01, 2001
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews A Snowball's Chance by Nikki Rivers - Normally, I'm a big fan of romance heroes and heroines being stranded together, but Reviewed for THC Reviews A Snowball's Chance by Nikki Rivers - Normally, I'm a big fan of romance heroes and heroines being stranded together, but in A Snowball's Chance, this theme just didn't work well for me. Unfortunately, the story became a prime example of why I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with the contemporary romance genre. It had at its center one of those insta-lust/love plots that I rarely find believable, and in this case, it was even more implausible than most. The hero and heroine fall immediately in lust with one another right from the moment she accidentally falls into his lap on the airplane during heavy turbulence. Then they both begin thinking how they've fallen in love after having sex one time approximately twelve hours later, and declaring that love within the day. I just found this scenario too far-fetched to buy into, and can't help wondering whatever happened to good old-fashioned relationship building. It also bugged me that they did not engage in any sort of safe sex or even mention birth control which is a huge pet peeve of mine, especially in contemporary romance where the protagonists are virtual strangers. As to Rory and Sunshine themselves, I never really related very well to either one of them. Rory is a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners, high-powered real estate developer who is trying to get back to Chicago to close a deal on a building that will allow him to keep a promise he made to the grandmother who raised him before she died. The fact that Rory was attempting to fulfill that oath was one thing I liked about him, but of course he's going about it all wrong until Sunny comes into the picture and sets him straight. Rory was also an arrogant alpha who acts like a bit of a caveman when he insists that Sunny call off her non-existent nuptials after their sexcapades. I also had a hard time respecting Rory, because even though Sunny wasn't actually going to marry another man, he didn't know that at that time and essentially, in my mind, became a "cheater" when he made love to her. I guess he mostly redeemed himself though, when he risked his business deal to make sure that Sunny made it to the wedding. Sunshine is an interior designer who is every bit as exuberant as her name might suggest. I liked her positive attitude but sometimes she didn't entirely seem to be living in reality and was a bit too perky for my taste. She is rather tall for a woman and somewhat Rubenesque in her figure with a healthy appetite to match, which I'm sure some readers will find relatable. Sunny is trying to get back to Chicago in time for her parent's wedding, and a misunderstanding between her and Rory leads him to believe she's going to miss her own wedding. I thought that Sunny's reasons for continuing to allow Rory to believe that fallacy were rather weak, and of course, when the truth came out, it led to some silly bickering. Sunny is also one of those girls who can wrap almost any man around her little finger and get him to do anything she wants without hardly even trying, which made me wonder if Rory wasn't just one of those men who happened to fall for her charms. Overall, Rory and Sunny weren't exactly dislikable, but neither did they stand out to me, and I just wasn't able to buy into them having any sort of genuine, lasting feelings for one another in such a short time. The entire narrative of A Snowball's Chance takes place in a mere 24 hours. One might think that this would make the pace pretty snappy, but I thought it was rather slow and plodding at times. I think this was owing to Rory and Sunny constantly being delayed, which made it seem like they would never reach their destination or that I would ever reach the end of the story. Admittedly, a string of ridiculous scenarios kept happening to them which I believe were meant to add humor and interest to the story, but once again, I had a hard time buying the idea that the same two people could have that much bad luck in just one day. I'm sure that some readers would find it quite funny, but absurdist humor isn't one of my favorite types. There were a few mildly amusing moments that made me smile, but nothing funny enough to really make me laugh out loud. In fact, having everything be so silly, made me feel like I was watching a B-comedy movie. In my opinion, the overall plotline was a bit lacking too. I could see how Rory might have a deadline on a business deal, but Sunny's parent's wedding seemed like a rather small affair that they might have been able to postpone until she arrived. After all, one would think that they would want to keep their promise to her, not to mention it was a little odd to still be having the wedding outdoors the day after a huge blizzard. I also felt that there was perhaps too much dialog and too little description. It was sufficient enough for me to generally imagine things, but the settings and the hero and heroine's feelings, among other things, were sometimes rendered in a very simplistic way, when I think richer prose would have enhanced the story. As a side note, and contrary to what the book cover might suggest, A Snowball's Chance is not a Christmas-themed tale, just a cold-weather story that takes place in April during a freak snowstorm. A Snowball's Chance was my first read by Nikki Rivers, and overall, it wasn't terrible, but it didn't exactly float my boat either, which makes me undecided as to whether I will try anything else by her in the future. Star Rating: **1/2 A Christmas Carol by Kathleen O'Reilly - A Christmas Carol was a sweet, sexy, friends-to-lovers romance that really tickled my funny bone and warmed my heart all at the same time. I had previously read just one other book by Kathleen O'Reilly, her only historical, Touched by Fire. Although that book had some humor in it, I never would have guessed that she could be so LOL funny. One of my favorite scenes is when Carol is trying to seduce Mike by reciting some of the worst purple prose ever to be penned, from crib notes scribbled on her hands no less. It made me nearly die laughing. Carol is also a list-making fiend, and when she invited Mike over with the intention of having a night of "scheduled seduction," it turns into a riotous disaster with Mike repeatedly asking her if she's drunk. I loved the double-date that had Carol with her high society airhead boyfriend, and Mike with one of Carol's equally ditzy co-workers which ended with each of them secretly setting up their dim-bulb companions with each other. I could completely relate to Mike and Carol tiring of the lack of brains between their date's ears and deep down wanting to be with each other. Carol's elderly Aunt Eleanor is an absolute hoot with her not-so-subtle matchmaking and her Viagra-laced nursing home boyfriend. I haven't yet had the opportunity to read Sandra Hill's Cajun series, but from what I've heard about Tante Lulu, she and Aunt Eleanor would probably get along quite well. I also enjoyed the spoofy rewrite of The Twelve Days of Christmas that began each chapter. There were just so many funny moments in this story, I probably had a goofy grin on my face nearly the whole time I was reading it. That's not to say that it was completely lacking in seriousness, because Carol does have some issues to overcome. Part of why I think I liked the book so much is because it deftly blends the humor with touching emotion. Carol is a smart career woman who has made a niche for herself in the marketing world, but lacks the self-confidence to break free from her controlling, meddlesome mother. Carol's mom is one of those perfect June Cleaver types who actually cooks and goes shopping in her high heels and pearls, and has a schedule constantly filled with society functions and token charitable endeavors. She wants Carol to be just like her, the perfect Texas society belle, and is always trying to fix Carol up with her rich friends' sons. Carol consciously thinks this is the life she wants, but somehow deep down, knows that she doesn't fit into that world. It takes her a while to realize that these things aren't her and the best thing for her is Mike, even if her mother hates him. Although there were times I wished Carol would have stood up to her mother sooner, I could still sympathize and relate to her feelings and fears. It was all about her growth process and her coming to terms with not needing to please anyone else but herself and the idea that she and Mike could have a romantic relationship without loosing their treasured friendship. By the end, she had made a dramatic turnaround as well as a bold statement that had me cheering for her. Mike is pretty much my idea of the perfect hero with just the right combination of good looks and intelligence. He is a computer geek with a great butt that looks hot in jeans. (Um um good! In my book) Rather than being the shy, socially inept type of geek, he is more the goofball prankster, who gets along well with just about everyone except Carol's mom, who doesn't think he's good enough to run in their hoity-toity circles. Mike is just a really laid back, easy going guy, who wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth and is far more comfortable in Levi's and t-shirts than expensive suits. He and Carol have been best friends since the second grade, 18 years in all. They have always been there for each other, but their long-term attraction has been more of an unrealized, sub-conscious one until Aunt Eleanor's matchmaking awakens their dormant feelings and scares them both to death. I love that Mike put his fears to rest pretty quickly, and just decided to go for it. When Carol naively thinks that she can get Mike out of her system with a quick roll in the hay, Mike shows that he is a real relationship kind of guy by pursuing her and not letting her take the easy way out. He's always been supportive of Carol no matter what, but now the stakes are much higher, so he let's his alpha possessiveness out to play for a little while, by giving Carol an ultimatum that's for her own good. I absolutely loved Mike and Carol as a couple. Theirs reminds me in many little ways of my relationship with my own husband. I enjoyed their playfulness even in the heat of passion, their appreciation for each other's sense of humor, and most of all their comfortable trust in one another. They also make the pages sizzle with their steamy looks and tender touches. Kathleen O'Reilly is masterful at creating exquisite sexual tension that builds beautifully throughout the story, making the consummation very sweet and heartfelt. The other story in this Harlequin Duet may have left me feeling rather cold, but this one warmed me up in all the right places and really put me in the holiday spirit. Ms. O'Reilly has restored my confidence that some authors do know how to write a convincing and emotionally satisfying contemporary romance. This was her first published romance, and in my opinion it is an excellent debut. With two winners in a row, she has definitely earned a spot on my favorite authors list, and I can't wait to dive into the rest of her backlist. Star Rating: ***** ...more |
Notes are private!
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not set
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Dec 2009
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Nov 10, 2010
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 4.07
| 7,618
| Nov 01, 2002
| Nov 2002
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" A Dark-Hunter Christmas is the story of Gallagher, a relatively young Dark-Hunter (only about 100 years), who was Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" A Dark-Hunter Christmas is the story of Gallagher, a relatively young Dark-Hunter (only about 100 years), who was newly introduced for this tale. Readers will get to see yet another side of Acheron and Simi that adds a bit more depth to their characters, and also get a brief visit with a bunch of the Were-Hunters from Sanctuary as well as Tabitha (Seize the Night). I don't know if Gallagher will play a part in any future Dark-Hunter stories or if he might someday get his own, but I felt like I got to know him well enough to think that he would make a good hero. Overall, this was just a quick, heartwarming holiday-themed read that emphasizes the importance of family and how people don't necessarily have to be related by blood to consider themselves family. A Dark-Hunter Christmas is a short 16-page bonus novella that falls between Dance with the Devil and Kiss of the Night in the Dark-Hunter chronology. It can be found in the back of first editions of Dance with the Devil, and was later republished in The Dark-Hunter Companion. The novella can now be read in its entirety for free on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website. ...more |
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not set
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Jun 24, 2009
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Sep 21, 2010
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ebook
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| 0739438689
| 9780739438688
| 0739438689
| 4.17
| 12,148
| Nov 17, 2003
| 2003
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" I thoroughly enjoyed Phantom Lover. It had elements that were reminiscent of both Fantasy Lover and Dance with the Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" I thoroughly enjoyed Phantom Lover. It had elements that were reminiscent of both Fantasy Lover and Dance with the Devil, my two favorite Dark-Hunter novels to date, only with its own twists and turns. Phantom Lover was also an introduction of sorts to the Dream-Hunters, as it is the first story in the series to have these beings as main characters. I really liked the uniqueness of Erin and V'aidan's first meeting and early relationship development taking place inside Erin's dreams. The human mind is such a fascinating thing to me and also very powerful, especially in its subconscious state, so it gave their falling in love at first sight and making love at their first meeting more believability than most stories where this happens. I thought it also gave their interactions an enchantingly romantic quality. V'aidan is another of Sherrilyn Kenyon's tortured male leads. He is the hero who rescues Erin from her nightmares, but isn't all that he seems. I really liked V'aidan's almost childlike wonderment at everything in the human world, but most of all I was taken by his vulnerability and the amazement he exhibits at Erin's trust and love for him, things he has never known before. V'aidan also showed the kind, caring part of his soul by nurturing Erin's creativity which was something she had been neglecting. Erin was a very sweet, gentle heroine with an enormous capacity for forgiveness when she finds out the truth about V'aidan. Ultimately, Phantom Lover was very much about V'aidan's redemption, and when Erin went to him in his non-human form, offering her unconditional love, it brought a tear to my eye. Another thing I really appreciated about this novella is that the mythology seemed much more concise and easier to follow, and neither it nor the magical elements were overdone like I felt it was in some of the past Dark-Hunter books. In a series that has been rather hit-and-miss for me, this little novella was a definite hit. Perhaps there could have been a bit more character development, especially with V'Aidan's backstory and why he decided to protect Erin, but the emotional level was so sweetly satisfying, I can't help but give Phantom Lover keeper status. There wasn't really anything I disliked about this story, and with two winners in a row, my hope is that Sherrilyn Kenyon is back on track to giving me more good reads in the Dark-Hunter series. Phantom Lover is found in the Midnight Pleasures anthology. It falls between Night Embrace and Dance with the Devil in the Dark-Hunter chronology. I am not aware of any carry-over characters between this story and others in the series, but V'Aidan's brother, M'Ordant was mentioned by name in Dance with the Devil, and may play a part in future books. There are currently a total of 19 full-length novels in the Dark-Hunter series and quite a number of related novellas and graphic novels as well, with more still to come. A complete list of all the books and their recommended reading order can be found on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Jan 2009
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Sep 20, 2010
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Hardcover
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| 1420104322
| 9781420104325
| 1420104322
| 3.71
| 282
| Jan 01, 2008
| Jan 01, 2008
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews Full-length, Christmas-themed romance novels seem to be rather few and far between. In fact, The Christmas Countess was the fi Reviewed for THC Reviews Full-length, Christmas-themed romance novels seem to be rather few and far between. In fact, The Christmas Countess was the first one I read this holiday season, and for that reason alone, I commend the author for her efforts. I enjoyed reading about the celebrations in which the guests at Cameron's country estate participated. The festivities lasted for several weeks and included activities such as collecting greenery and mistletoe (complete with a few stolen kisses) to decorate the manor house, sledding, and putting on a nativity play, among other things. Everything sounded like great fun. I also thought that the overall premise of the story was a rather unique one, with the heroine giving birth to a baby out of wedlock six years before and believing that the baby was stillborn only to find out that she is alive and well and living as the daughter of a widowed Earl. Of course, the shared connection of their little girl, who Rebecca birthed and Cameron raised, provides the necessary impetus for them to meet and fall in love. I did like both Cameron and Rebecca, but I felt like their characterizations were rather one-dimensional and never progressed much beyond what the reader learns about them from the back cover blurb. Rebecca was a vicar's daughter who became pregnant by her fiancée. Before she even realized that a baby was on the way, he was tragically killed in a freak accident, leaving her in a very difficult predicament. She was sent to live with a great aunt who lied to her about the baby being stillborn and gave the little girl to Cameron and his wife to adopt, because they had been unable to have a child. Rebecca has never forgotten about her baby girl, and when she finds a letter which reveals the truth in her father's things after his death, she knows that she must meet the child. Cameron lost his wife three years ago and the only thing that really kept him going was his little girl, Lily. I thought that he was very generous in his sympathy toward Rebecca's plight and allowing her to spend the Christmas holidays with his family, so that she could get to know Lily. I liked that Cameron was so involved in his daughter's life, and that he seemed to truly enjoy playing, not only with her, but with all the children who were visiting. I also loved his choice to remain celibate since his wife's death. I think that it showed how much he really loved her. In fact, both Cameron and Rebecca were deeply in love with their partners, and I think it's a nice change of pace to not have the dead spouse/lover be villainized. Overall, Cameron and Rebecca were very pleasant characters, but I just never felt like I got to know them well enough for them to stand out to me. I also didn't really feel the romantic connection between Cameron and Rebecca. In addition to them still being in love with their former partners, they also had an extremely complicated relationship to overcome. It seemed that the majority of their interactions centered around Lily, both their individual relationships with her and how they both could fit into her life. Even when they were alone together, their conversations still tended to revolve around Lily, and only rarely delved into more personal territory. There is also a certain distance between them because Cameron is wary of Rebecca trying to overstep her bounds in dealing with Lily and/or possibly tell her the truth about her parentage, while Rebecca feels that Cameron has been overindulgent of Lily who behaves rudely sometimes. I felt that their sexual tension was a case of the author telling more than showing, and even in their passionate moments, they still didn't seem to be fully giving themselves to one another. I think perhaps this was because their relationship was rather ill-defined, leaving them and the reader rather uncertain about what they really are to each other. They mainly seemed to be acting out of a sense of loneliness instead of any sort of commitment or deep feelings for each other. Cameron and Rebecca may have dropped the romance ball for me, but a pair of secondary characters picked it up and ran with it, really added to my enjoyment of the story. There was a little side romance between Rebecca's brother, Daniel, and Cameron's sister, Charlotte, that I absolutely loved. I thought that Daniel was a great brother to support Rebecca and use his wealth to help her gain access to her daughter. He had spent a lot of time in the States and had become somewhat Americanized and disdainful of the English aristocracy. Daniel is just a really nice guy who is a perfect gentleman but tends to march to the beat of his own drum. Charlotte is a very sweet, intelligent woman who is quite plain and also has a birth defect which has left her with a very pronounced limp. Both things have made her quite shy and have caused her to avoid much social interaction. When Daniel takes notice of her, she simply blossoms, and I found a very honest vulnerability in their interactions. I loved that Daniel wasn't the least bit bothered by Charlotte's disability, and that he encouraged her to explore the part of herself that she had been neglecting due to her overprotective family. Even though their scenes take up only a small portion of the book, I felt that they connected on a very deep intimate level. Theirs was a tender love rooted in mutual respect, admiration, and friendship, a union of both the intellectual and spiritual. I adored these two from the moment they appeared within the pages of the story, and couldn't have been happier to see them with each other. In all honesty, Daniel and Charlotte's romance overshadowed Cameron and Rebecca's for me, and I couldn't hardly wait to get back to their scenes. In fact, I felt a tad bit cheated that I didn't get a wedding or consummation, but with them being supporting players, I suppose I can understand why. There were a couple of other secondary characters who stood out to me. Of course Lily plays a big part in the story. I typically love child characters, but I ended up having mixed feelings about her. Sometime, Lily acts pretty rude, spoiled and manipulative, but then other times, she is quick to apologize and behave sweetly again. She is an incredibly spirited child who tends to keep everyone on their toes. Lily has Cameron wrapped around her little finger, but considering that she was his lifeline after the death of his beloved wife, I could in some ways understand his overindulgence of her. Another stand-out character was Cameron's cousin, Marion. She is a free-spirited woman who could be rather bossy but in an endearing way. Having been lucky enough to find a loving husband and have a wonderful marriage of her own, she can't seem to resist doing a little matchmaking. Marion and her husband's relationship was another romance that was great fun to read, even though their scenes were even fewer than Daniel and Charlotte's and never from their own point of view. In my opinion, Ms. Basso's writing style could have used a bit more polish. I spotted several words and phrases that I believe were anachronistic. They just sounded far too modern to have been in use in the Victorian era and tended to make this more of a wallpaper historical. There were also some poor or incorrect word choices. All of these things occasionally pulled me out of the story, and should have been caught by a good editor. I also found the prose and the dialog to be a bit uneven with some passages being too poetic and wordy. There are only a couple of love scenes and although they were fairly steamy, I didn't feel that they had the sensuous flow of many other authors I've read. I'm certainly not looking for purple prose, but the blunt anatomical terms that were often used just didn't work well for me. Overall, I did mostly enjoy The Christmas Countess, in spite of any issues I might have had, but a lot of that was owing to the outstanding supporting cast. This was my first read by Adrienne Basso, and I found it to be likable enough, that I will likely try more of her works in the future. I'm thinking that perhaps her other full-length Christmas novel, The Christmas Heiress (which is not, to my knowledge, connected to The Christmas Countess), might be a good choice for the next holiday season. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Dec 28, 2009
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Dec 23, 2009
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Paperback
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| 3.33
| 421
| 2008
| 2008
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews Baby It's Cold Outside is a scorching little 12-page erotic “quickie.” It was super hot without being kinky, but definitely mo Reviewed for THC Reviews Baby It's Cold Outside is a scorching little 12-page erotic “quickie.” It was super hot without being kinky, but definitely mostly about the sex. I'm usually not a fan of hook-up-now, ask-questions-later romances, and even though Quinton and Heather had briefly met a few months before, they were still virtual strangers. I may not have been entirely comfortable with the set-up for the story, but I did find it to be surprisingly enjoyable in spite of that. It might have been the sizzling love scene combined with the stranded in a snowstorm theme which I typically like. I also think I gave the author a little bit of slack since this was such a short novella, whereas I would have expected a lot more from a full-length novel. Or perhaps I was just in the right mood for it at the right time. Whatever the reasons, it turned out to be a fun, steamy little read. This was my first story by Shelli Stevens, and it has certainly left me open to trying more of her works, which is good since I already have a couple of them on my TBR list. According to Ms. Stevens' website this is the third in her Seattle Steam series, which I didn't know until after reading it. I'm not sure if Quinton or Heather appeared in the earlier books, but Heather is the cousin of Christy from book #2, Tempting Adam. She and Adam make a brief appearance at the end of the story. Baby It's Cold Outside is available as a free download from Samhaim Publishing and the author's website. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Dec 18, 2009
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Dec 18, 2009
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ebook
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| 0385525982
| 9780385525985
| 0385525982
| 4.17
| 5,548
| 2008
| Nov 04, 2008
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it was amazing
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Reviewed for THC Reviews Sometimes it's nice to just kick back with an easy, uncomplicated story that doesn't have any major emotional turmoil, serious Reviewed for THC Reviews Sometimes it's nice to just kick back with an easy, uncomplicated story that doesn't have any major emotional turmoil, serious conflicts or evil villains to vanquish. In fact, the main purpose of A Dog Named Christmas seems to be that of providing the reader with a feel-good story that is sure to put one in the holiday spirit. A Dog Named Christmas is a simple, straightforward tale of looking for joy in the little things in life and about being of service to others (even if it's a dog) not just at Christmastime, but all year long. It is also a heartwarming story of the bond between a father and son and how they both grow and change through their shared experience of fostering a dog over the Christmas holiday. Although there are several secondary characters who appear in the story, this book is really about the McCray family, the dad, George, the mother, Mary Ann, and Todd, their developmentally challenged adult son who still lives with them. I really like that the McCray family is a loving and close-knit one who get along well and don't have any major family conflicts. Mary Ann is a feisty but fair woman who is the rock that keeps both George and Todd grounded. Todd is a sweet and endearing young man who reminds me a lot of Forrest Gump. He may be slow on the uptake about some things, but he also has a very perceptive nature and is high-functioning, making him able to do a lot of things that “normal” people can do. He also has an amazing talent with handling and caring for animals. It is Todd's plea to his parents that initially sets things in motion for them to offer a temporary foster home to Christmas, the dog, and it is also Todd's determination to see every dog have a place to spend the holidays which empties out the shelter in time for Christmas. Although he doesn't really seek to be the “star” of the story, in my opinion, the main character (besides Christmas of course) is really George McCray. A Dog Named Christmas is told in first-person from his perspective, and even though he plays a pivotal role in the adoption of all the dogs and is proud of the accomplishment, he tries to keep the spotlight on Todd. What ends up happening though, is that George has a transformative experience himself. After two “bad” (read heartbreaking) dog experiences as a young man, both of which occurred during his time in the Vietnam war, George is reluctant to ever have a dog in his life again. He has always used the excuse that he's a farmer who has plenty of animals to care for and doesn't need another. Todd can be very persuasive though, and eventually talks George into the temporary adoption. The two of them go to the shelter together to pick out Christmas, and bring him home to discover that he's the best dog ever. Throughout this whole process, George is seeking to teach his son a valuable life lesson about the importance of keeping his word. When all is said and done, Todd has surprised his father with a maturity that George didn't think he possessed, and George is the one who has learned a lesson about dealing with the past and moving forward to the future. I really enjoyed the way that the author painted Christmas as an independent dog who picked the McCray family every bit as much as they picked him. I strongly believe that animals can be quite perceptive and have always thought that our pets “chose” us too. When adopting them, I always looked for that special connection, and was blessed to find it, so I can really relate to the relationship between Christmas and the McCray's. There were several fun, light-hearted moments in the book that had me smiling, and overall, I found A Dog Named Christmas to be a pleasant, uplifting and heartwarming read, that has found a spot on my keeper shelf to be enjoyed again during future holidays seasons. A Dog Named Christmas is a very gentle story with no objectionable content which would make it a great book to share with the entire family as a holiday reading tradition. I highly recommend this book to all animal lovers or anyone looking for a short, relaxing read during this busy time of year, and it would make a wonderful holiday gift too. A Dog Named Christmas was also made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie that aired on television a few weeks ago. I recorded the program and am really looking forward to watching it. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Dec 13, 2009
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Dec 11, 2009
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Hardcover
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| 0312289510
| 9780312289515
| 0312289510
| 4.23
| 36,358
| 2001
| Nov 09, 2001
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it was amazing
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Reviewed for THC Reviews I had recently been lamenting the fact that I hadn't read a true tear-jerker yet this year. I have been know to get a bit mist Reviewed for THC Reviews I had recently been lamenting the fact that I hadn't read a true tear-jerker yet this year. I have been know to get a bit misty-eyed at certain scenes, but it is a rare book that makes me actually shed tears. The Christmas Shoes did exactly that and more. It made me cry buckets both while reading it and afterwards while merely thinking about it, and again while trying to write this review. There is a profound and beautiful message packed into this simple short story. It may have been difficult to read at times, evoking many deep and heartfelt emotions, but it was worth every moment. I have been left thinking about it long after turning the last page, which is what I hope for every time I pick up a book to read. My favorite movie at Christmastime is It's a Wonderful Life, and The Christmas Shoes reminded me of it in some ways. Both stories are about the serendipitous nature of life and how each of our lives are important, intertwined with the lives of others, and can affect anyone with whom we come in contact in unexpected ways. It may not seem like some small thing we've done even mattered, but it's possible that it was the thing that utterly changed another person's life, all by us merely being in the right place at the right time. The meeting between Robert and Nathan in The Christmas Shoes was very brief, but during that short encounter, Nathan gave Robert a much-needed wake-up call, while Robert opened his heart enough to fulfill Nathan's Christmas wish for his dying mother. It all makes me wonder in what mysterious and unknown ways I might have affected the life of someone with whom I've come in contact, over the forty years of my own life. I believe that The Christmas Shoes is the first book I've read that alternates between first and third person perspective. Robert's scenes are written in his first-person voice, while the rest of the book is written from the third-person point of view of various other characters. I didn't really have any difficulty following it, but it did take a little getting used to. Overall, I think this style worked well. Robert was the character whose life seemed to be the most affected, so it made sense to have his part be in first person. No matter what voice they were speaking in, all the characters were vividly brought to life in a touching and realistic way. In the beginning, Robert is difficult to like. He is a rather selfish workaholic attorney who has become very materialistic and cynical (think shades of Scrooge from A Christmas Carol). His life is about to fall apart with his wife asking for a divorce after Christmas, but he still can't seem to figure out what he truly wants in life or how to make it happen. He also isn't very nice to some of the other characters in the story, and never really spends any time with his family. Once I came to the realization that Robert is a man who has lost his way and doesn't comprehend what is truly important in life, I was able to feel more sympathetic toward him, but real change doesn't come for him until he meets up with an eight-year-old little boy while doing last minute Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. While Robert's lifestyle is one of wealth bereft of human connections, Nathan's family has lived very simply, barely making ends meet on his father's salary as a mechanic, yet they have a home that is brimming full of love. His mother, Maggie made it that way, but now she is dying of cancer. I thoroughly admired Maggie's strength and dignity in the face of death. She didn't complain or ask “Why me?”. She chose to live her final days giving as much as she was physically able to her family. Maggie and Jack had a tragic romance to be sure, but one that was filled with more love in the seemingly short time they had together than some couples experience in a lifetime. That love was obviously passed on to their children, especially Nathan who was thoughtful enough to want to give his mother a very special present for her last Christmas with them and in doing so opened the eyes of a man who was lost to help him rediscover his way in life. Death can be a very difficult topic for some people, and even I have to admit to being a former death phobic. I have slowly been challenged in my thinking on the subject, first by the death of both my parents more than ten years ago, and more recently by the death of two beloved pets who, through their final moments, taught me some very important lessons. It may seem strange to some, but I found a certain peace and beauty in these creature's passings and know that I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else but helping them to make that transition. I mention these things, because I absolutely loved the way Donna VanLiere handles death in The Christmas Shoes. She treats it not as something to be feared, but as something that can be very beautiful, a mere step into the afterlife. I also greatly admired the way that Maggie and Jack handled the subject of her impending death with Nathan. It is my fervent opinion that in cases like this, kids should be treated intelligently and allowed to make their own decisions, which can lead to a better sense of peace and closure for them. Even though The Christmas Shoes was printed by a mainstream publisher, I have seen the book categorized as Christian fiction, and I suppose in some ways it is. The author is a Christian, and the characters talk about God, heaven, and how Christmas is the celebration of the Christ child's birth. Still, I think that the messages about love, life, death and how the choices we make can affect others, are universal ones that can be appreciated by anyone. In my opinion, the story is never preachy, nor does it seek to advance any sort of religious agenda. It merely tells an inspiring tale, leaving it up to the individual reader to discern the deeper meaning contained within its pages, which to me is the best kind of story, Christian or otherwise. In fact, I lost count of all the characters who were behaving in, what to my way of thinking, was a truly “Christ-like” manner which was very impressive to me. Although several main characters were shining beacons of light too, I was particularly taken by the kindness of some of the secondary characters like Nathan's teacher, Mrs. Patterson, the hospice nurse, Sylvia, and the anonymous lady who merely washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen the day after Maggie's death. They became a humble and sometimes silent expression of the real spirit of Christmas by showing God's love in service to those in need. The Christmas Shoes is the first book in the Christmas Hope series. There are currently five books in the series, and the next one, The Christmas Blessing, follows Nathan as a young man dealing with new challenges in his grown-up life. I may not get a chance to read The Christmas Blessing this holiday season, but I will definitely be reading it at some point in the future. For anyone who isn't aware, The Christmas Shoes is based on the song of the same name recorded by the group NewSong. I've heard it on the radio at Christmastime a few times, and it always makes me cry just like the book did. There was also a made-for-TV movie adapted from the book which aired on television a few years ago and is now available on DVD. While recently shopping, I chanced to find a copy at Target even though I wasn't specifically searching for it, and I am now looking forward to watching it soon. Overall, The Christmas Shoes is an amazing book that made me cry like I don't think any other story ever has, but also left me with some very profound food for thought. Enjoy isn't quite the right word for such a heart-wrenching read, but it was a beautiful and utterly moving experience that has touched my heart and mind in inexplicable ways with its pure and simple expression of the true meaning of the holiday season. I highly recommend this book to all readers. Just be sure to have a box of tissues handy for the inevitable flood of tears. Note: This book has no objectionable content, so in my opinion, would be suitable for teen readers and possibly even pre-teens as long as they wouldn't be bothered by the highly emotional nature of the subject matter. ...more |
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Reviewed for THC Reviews Loving Devlin by Madeline Baker – Loving Devlin is a sequel to the novella, Loving Sarah, continuing the story of Devlin ( Reviewed for THC Reviews Loving Devlin by Madeline Baker – Loving Devlin is a sequel to the novella, Loving Sarah, continuing the story of Devlin (aka Toklanni) and Sarah Dennehy. Devlin and Sarah are basically the same characters that they were in Loving Sarah. Sarah showed a great deal of strength during her kidnapping by the Comanches and subsequently giving birth in the wilderness. My one complaint about her would be that a couple of times during the early stages of the kidnapping, her thoughts turned a bit overly melodramatic. Devlin had made a home for himself in the white world, but was still being pulled toward his Indian upbringing. When his old insecurities started coming back to haunt him, I thought perhaps more depth was being added to the character, but then his brooding just seemed to magically disappear. There were a couple of things that I thought could have been better. One was the author's use of historical and cultural details surrounding the Indians. As someone who has an interest in Native American culture, I already knew most of the details that were included in the story. While I understand that many readers might not know these things, I still felt that these passages seemed to slow things down and were only there as filler to bulk up a story that was a little short on plot. I was also rather disappointed in Ms. Baker's decision to kill off the Comanche warrior, Esatai. Although he was Sarah's kidnapper, Esatai had treated her respectfully while she was with him, and I thought that he deserved to either “ride off into the sunset” gracefully or at least have a better outcome. Again, this event seemed to act as more filler for the story. Also problematic for me was the easy turning of a breech presenting baby which I thought was unrealistic as written and could have benefited from a lot more intensity and details. Still, despite it's plot weaknesses, the story had an undeniable tender, heartwarming feel to it which I really liked. There were a few lovely romantic moments as well as the old west/frontier setting which I enjoyed, and I found the characters to be very likable. While not quite as good as it's predecessor, Loving Devlin was a generally worthwhile read. There are no explicit love scenes or other objectionable material, making this an appropriate story for any romance reader. While Loving Devlin contains enough back story to stand well on it's own, readers may find it more enjoyable to read the prequel, Loving Sarah first. It can be found in the anthology, A Frontier Christmas. Madeline Baker also writes paranormal romance as Amanda Ashley. Rating: *** The Fourth Gift by Elizabeth Chadwick – The Fourth Gift had a highly unusual gender bending storyline. Merrill, the heroine, had lost her mother at a very young age and had been raised by her father and uncle with no real female presence in her life, so she is basically a really feisty tomboy who doesn't know how to be feminine. She wears men's clothes, is small but well-muscled, and runs the sheep ranch her father left her as well, if not better, than any man could. Merrill is also highly intelligent with a photographic memory which is something I could appreciate. She learned four foreign languages just by being around people who spoke them, could do large figures in her head, and never forgot anything she learned, but still she is, much to her embarrassment, illiterate. Jonathan, the hero, is the antithesis of Merrill. He was city born and bred, but has been living the life of a wealthy adventurer-seeking writer which is what leads him to purchase half of Merrill's ranch from her uncle. Jonathan is a completely laid-back beta hero who ends up temporarily taking care of the domestic duties of the ranch after the housekeeper leaves in a huff, and since he had never run a sheep ranch before, he defers to Merrill when it comes to business. I had rather mixed feelings about this type of gender role reversal in a historical romance. I admit that it held a certain interest merely because of its uniqueness, but overall, I think I'm more of a traditionalist when it come to romantic relationships especially in a historical novel. There also wasn't enough sexual tension or emotional connection to suit me. A large part of the story is told from Merrill's point of view, in a very matter-of-fact kind of way, which fit the character, but didn't really foster the deep romance that I prefer. Also since there were so few scenes from Jonathan's perspective, I didn't feel like I got to know him as well as I would have liked. Most of the time I enjoy child characters, but when Jonathan's eleven-year-old niece came to live with them, I found her to be a bit too precocious and perky for my taste. She talked and acted more like a teenager in my opinion, and I was rather skeptical of a child that age being able to travel from New York to Arizona by herself without mishap. Overall, The Fourth Gift wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't entirely to my liking from a personal preference standpoint. It was my first read by Elizabeth Chadwick, but I may be open to trying something else by her in the future. Readers should note that this Elizabeth Chadwick should not be confused with the popular historical fiction writer of the same name. In this case, Elizabeth Chadwick is used as a pseudonym by author Nancy Herndon. Rating: ***1/2 Christmas Surprise by Norah Hess – Christmas Surprise was an OK read, but I thought that it had a few too many similarities with another Norah Hess Christmas novella that I read last year. Both had a sweet heroine who was living alone on the frontier, and was rescued by the hero from an attempted rape. He then stayed around to help with farm chores, causing some tongue wagging amongst the other settlers in the area. Both stories also featured faithless spouses and a major snowstorm. Thankfully, unlike the other novella, Christmas Surprise did not have a complicated love quadrangle, nor did the gossip reach the level of true nastiness. Luke and Jassy were both nice, likable characters, but unfortunately I found them to be rather bland. Luke is getting over being deceived by his beautiful ex-wife, and Jassy is hiding her beauty behind a false “mask” of plainness. This actually disappointed me, because I would have preferred that she simply be plain. The plot was perhaps a bit too simplistic, and I thought that Luke and Jassy spent way too much time wondering if the other one did, or ever could, love them, rather than just communicating. In my opinion, their “misunderstandings” of each other's feelings were all pretty silly and overblown, and could have been solved with a simple conversation, but all's well that ends well I suppose. Overall, Christmas Surprise was a decent read for a short story, but was a bit too predictable and clichéd, and didn't have quite enough of a romantic connection between Luke and Jassy to suit me. It was, however, non-explicit which should make it suitable for all romance readers. This is my second read by Norah Hess, and from what I've seen so far, her work seems to lack originality and just doesn't grab my attention like other authors I've read. I think for now I will be putting anything else I have by her on the back burner, and won't be in any hurry to read more. Rating: *** Christmas Star by Connie Mason – In my opinion, Christmas Star embodied an oversimplified plot and characterizations, that just didn't lend itself to my imagination being fully engaged while reading it. I sympathized with Jed being a scarred war hero who had been jilted by his fiancée because of his disfigurement, and I admired that he was raising an Indian daughter in spite of the scorn of the townspeople. Although Jed certainly had plenty of reasons to be bitter, he was so angry for the better part of the story, it was like a blustery winter wind followed him into every scene. When he softens up and makes his turn around it was just a little too quickly to suit me. Having been raised by an ultra-religious Quaker family after her parents' deaths, Charity was a heroine who was innocent in the extreme, to the point that she had absolutely no idea what happened in the marriage bed and even mistook her tingles of desire for Jed as fear. I did like that she was never bothered by Jed's limp and scars though. Charity also had a phobia of Indians which was understandable since she had witnessed the massacre of her parents at the hands of Indians, but even still I was a little uncomfortable with the way she treated Jed's daughter, Star, in the beginning. Although I admired Charity for facing her fears when it counted the most, she also changed a little too quickly, in my opinion. In general, all the conflicts in the story just magically melted away a bit too easily to be believable. I also didn't fully feel the love connection between Jed and Charity. It was clear that they were attracted to and desired one another, but I was never entirely sure when they fell in love or why, except that the author told me they did. There was also a lot of repetition, mainly in the form of Jed's self-loathing and constant assumptions that Charity is repulsed by his physical imperfections, although there were plenty of other words, phrases, and thoughts that were reiterated as well. This is another non-explicit read which should make it appropriate for romance readers of all ages. Overall, Christmas Star was a worthwhile read, albeit a super-easy one that doesn't take much thought, but that may be just what doctor ordered during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This is my second read by Connie Mason that was just OK, so it looks like she'll be another author that will be going on the back burner for now. Rating: *** ...more |
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Dec 22, 2009
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Dec 07, 2009
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 3.53
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| Dec 23, 2008
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Reviewed for THC Reviews "3.5 stars" A Christmas Miracle is a tender holiday story of a glowing Christmas angel, a ghostly apparition and a love that s Reviewed for THC Reviews "3.5 stars" A Christmas Miracle is a tender holiday story of a glowing Christmas angel, a ghostly apparition and a love that seems to transcend death, leading to the inexplicable. I've found a lot of magic in the legends and lore of Ireland, so having Aidan, the hero, be Irish somehow made the story seem more mystical. His beloved, Nicole, had been grieving since his death one year ago, but she still loves the Christmas season and doesn't let her sadness stop her from decorating for the holiday. There are a lot of twists and turns in the short eight pages of this novella, and readers are for the most part left to draw their own conclusions about the supernatural events which occur. Some readers may have a hard time with this, and even I admit to usually preferring that things be a bit more believable and clear-cut even in a paranormal story. Still, I tend to be accepting of the miraculous, especially at Christmastime, so it worked OK for me. A Christmas Miracle was my first read by Sky Purington, but it left me open to trying more, particularly since she has some other stories with Irish and Scottish characters which are usually favorites of mine. A Christmas Miracle is available as a free e-book download from The Wild Rose Press and the author's website. ...more |
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| 3.35
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| 2008
| 2008
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Reviewed for THC Reviews Stuffing: A Thanksgiving Tale is a six-page erotic e-book “quickie” and as one might expect with a sizzling story that is this Reviewed for THC Reviews Stuffing: A Thanksgiving Tale is a six-page erotic e-book “quickie” and as one might expect with a sizzling story that is this short, it was pretty much about the sex. At least the couple is married, so there is a prior connection, but the only emotion I really felt emanating off the page was Shell's anger at her husband. Granted she had a very good reason for being upset with him and he did soften her up by the end of the story, but when the female lead is mentally calling her husband every name in the book and entertaining fantasies of divorce and/or murder, it doesn't go a long way toward fostering romantic feelings. Depending on the reader's viewpoint though, one might find it quite funny rather than hostile. The love scene was pretty steamy, and I definitely have to say that I wouldn't mind being warmed up that way while cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but preferably not after my husband has done something TSTL like Steve did.;-) Admittedly, this little e-book is written in first-person perspective though, so I didn't get Steve's take on the situation, and he certainly redeemed himself by the end. I also noticed that the author had a tendency to write in run-on sentences, but maybe that was to emphasize Shell's feelings and make the first-person narration seem more conversational. I hope Ms. Dafoe doesn't write this way all the time or that would get pretty annoying to read. Stuffing was my first story by her, and it left me open to possibly trying more. Overall, it was a fairly pleasant way to spend a few minutes of reading time, and since it was a free download from Samhain Publishing I certainly can't complain.;-) Note: This story contains explicit language which some readers may find offensive. ...more |
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Nov 24, 2009
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Nov 24, 2009
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ebook
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| 0979432820
| 9780979432828
| 0979432820
| 3.82
| 447
| 2008
| May 01, 2008
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really liked it
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Kandide and the Secret of the Mists is the first full-length novel about fairies that I've read, and overall, it was a generally pleasant experience.
Kandide and the Secret of the Mists is the first full-length novel about fairies that I've read, and overall, it was a generally pleasant experience. The main focus of the book is a lovely theme about beauty being more than skin deep. While I agreed wholeheartedly with the message it conveyed, I thought that the author was perhaps a bit heavy-handed and over-simplistic in its delivery. Granted the story is aimed at tweens and younger teens, but I think that kids can be perceptive enough to “get it” without everything being spelled out in black and white. The story itself was quite nice, but mostly predictable, with no real surprises. I must say though that the artwork of Maxine Gadd is absolutely extraordinary, and I found myself going back to look at her beautiful illustrations many times. The main protagonist of the book, Kandide, was a very difficult character for me to like, therefore it was rather hard to fully immerse myself in what was essentially her story. She begins the novel extremely selfish and vain, never thinking of anyone but herself and completely obsessed with her own beauty. When a tragic accident nearly robs Kandide of her life and leaves her with a broken wing that is damaged beyond repair, she has a pretty characteristic self-pitying response. Since Imperfects, fairies who have a physical disability or abnormality, are not accepted by Fae society as a whole, Kandide's mother sends her away to a place where she can be safe with others like her. Once again, her reaction is one of prejudice and denial that she is anything like the other Imperfects she finds there. Of course, Kandide eventually comes around, but her newfound favorable opinion of the Imperfects was rendered a little to quickly without a lot of forethought or explanation. Even after setting aside her bias, she still on occasion acted egotistically. I was pretty disappointed that Kandide basically blackmailed the Council to bend them to her will instead of using diplomacy, but I guess, in all fairness, her father, one of the most well-respected Fae kings ever, had previously tried to be diplomatic without success. Overall, Kandide was an OK character who had moments of decency, and in the end, I suppose that having her remain true to her innate personality was probably more realistic than having her do a complete 180 degree turn-around, even though I might have wished it. What I enjoyed most about the story besides the message, were the secondary characters. Except for the evil Lady Aron, they were all nice and helped to offset Kandide's more annoying nature. Her sister Tara is very kind to everyone and loves animals, and her brother Teren is full of humor and mischief. I liked that her parents King Toeyad and Queen Tiyana shared a great love throughout many years of marriage, and they were both a driving force in Kandide's life even after Toeyad passed. I was particularly taken with the Imperfects that Kandide met behind the Veil, especially Selena, Leanne, and Jake. Although Kandide and Jake's romance was pretty much an afterthought with no real substance to it beyond a few innocent looks and touches and a mere admission that they were falling in love, I did end up liking Jake quite a bit. He is the one who really awakened Kandide to the reality of being an Imperfect, and never allowed her to walk all over him with her haughty attitude. Instead he threw out a few snappy comebacks and sarcastic, “Your Majesty” comments to counter her demands. The only real complaint I have about the cast of characters in general is that they could have used a little more depth and dimension. As written each one seemed to have a prescribed role from which they never really deviated. They simply didn't seem to grow or spread their wings and fly (no pun intended) beyond the boundaries of their individual characterizations, and as a consequence, the denouement of the plot was a bit too simplistic for my taste. Kandide and the Secret of the Mists is the first book in a planned trilogy titled The Calabiyau Chronicles with the next two books being Kandide and the Lady's Revenge and Kandide and the Flame is Fleeting. Although the core story of this book was resolved, there was a bit of a cliff-hanger ending, and I'm not sure when the next book will be published. The scanty information I can find seems to indicate that the second book was due to be released in late 2008 or early 2009, but it still does not appear to be available yet. In spite of some shortcomings, I enjoyed Kandide and the Secret of the Mists enough to read the rest of the trilogy whenever it is released, but the most positive thing about my reading experience is that it has sparked my interest in the myths of the Fae and has encouraged me to seek out other stories about them which I look forward to reading in the future. ...more |
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Nov 23, 2009
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Nov 19, 2009
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Paperback
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| 044640053X
| 3.77
| 9,496
| Sep 01, 2007
| Sep 01, 2007
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it was amazing
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Reviewed for THC Reviews The Serpent Prince was a fabulous wrap-up to an already wonderful series. It carried a lot of weight and depth that kept my mi Reviewed for THC Reviews The Serpent Prince was a fabulous wrap-up to an already wonderful series. It carried a lot of weight and depth that kept my mind engaged throughout. The story is a study in contrasts with a very potent mixture of light and dark, innocence and eroticism. Lucy is the lightness and sweetness to Simon's darkness and pain. Simon hasn't known anyone as virtuous and kind as Lucy since the death of his brother, and he subconsciously senses that his “angel” can bring the light of her goodness and decency into the black abyss of his soul to save him. It is also about the redemption of a man who was so consumed by the pain of the past and a thirst for vengeance that he felt he was beyond saving, and a gentle reminder of what it truly means to be patient and forgiving in the face of wrongdoing. The Serpent Prince is also a lovely story of two people discovering their true selves and in doing so, finding the one person who is perfect for them, that they can trust completely and to whom they can reveal that true self, warts and all. Overall, this was a beautifully written book that, in my opinion, went beyond mere romance into the realm of what it truly means to love someone unconditionally with all your heart and soul. In The Raven Prince, I fell in love with Edward's intelligence, earthiness and even his temperamental nature. In The Leopard Prince, I fell for Harry's calm, quiet, everyman persona. In both of their books, Simon is portrayed as a dandified peacock, and I have to admit some skepticism on whether I would like him as a hero. Now after reading his book, I can honestly say that in spite of his perfectly powdered wig, exquisitely embroidered waistcoats and gaudy red-heeled pumps, this dandy is one of the sexiest heroes I've had the pleasure of reading. I don't think I'll ever judge a book by its cover again.;-) Simon is an utterly charming rogue who seems to hide who he really is behind all the pomp and circumstance of his outer facade. He also has a tendency to babble a whole lot of nonsense for the same reason. Yet, Simon is thoroughly quick-witted and poetic but can be oh-so-naughty with words, skillfully weaving double entendres into his conversations and bantering like a pro. Underneath that devil-may-care facade though, lurks a deep, dark pain and a man who is utterly consumed by his plans for retribution against his brother's murderers. I thought that the author did an amazing job with conveying the toll that the revenge was taking on Simon, and how it was completely ravaging him, both physically and emotionally. In spite of the intensity of his anger toward those who wronged his family, Simon can still, at times, be a thoroughly vulnerable and broken man who has a heartbreaking need for Lucy's presence. It is like he is a drained and starving man who just soaks up her love and light and purity and wants to take it into himself to cleanse his bitter soul. Even though Simon deeply yearns for Lucy, there are times that he seems to be afraid of corrupting his perfect “angel” and is almost embarrassed by the intensity of his desire for her. For all his worldliness, occasionally he could even be brought to a blush by merely being around his lovely wife. I thought this was absolutely adorable and an ingenious way for the author to convey the goodness in him. All in all, Simon is a larger-than-life character who really stole the show in this book. Opposite an ostentatious and deeply wounded character like Simon, Lucy could have been a shrinking violet, but I thought she held her own pretty well. She is the plain country girl who stands out in stark contrast to the sophisticated ladies of the ton with whom Simon usually keeps company, but that is what makes her so perfect for him. Unlike Simon she has had a good life with fond memories of a gentle, loving mother, and although her father is a blustery former sea captain, it is obvious that he loves her dearly too. She draws on that background filled with affection to become a rock in Simon's life and keep him grounded through his trials. She is also an artist who can see beneath the surface disarmingly well which really frightens Simon but doesn't stop him from wanting to get closer to her. While Lucy's life has been nice, it has also been a bit dull, but she didn't realize how much so until Simon came into her life with his flamboyant charms and awakened her to what she had been missing. Lucy was always extremely generous toward the people in the village where she grew up, and she was equally unselfish with Simon right from the start, always willingly giving everything he needed without question. That's not to say that she is doormat though, because she does fight for what she believes is right and when Simon tried her patience one too many times with his unwillingness to change, she took drastic measures which become the wake-up call that he so desperately needed. There were many things to like about The Serpent Prince, including what I consider some very swoon-worthy romantic moments. Early on, Simon and Lucy exchanged some sweet, innocent looks and touches that conveyed so much meaning. Then the timing of Simon's marriage proposal was actually a surprise to me. Even though it ended up being one of his flurry of words that never quite got to the point, I thought it was very romantic nonetheless. It is also rather rare these days for a couple in any romance genre to wait until their wedding night to consummate their relationship, but Simon and Lucy did just that. Except for one moment of weakness, Simon behaved like a perfect gentleman refusing to even touch or kiss Lucy for fear of giving into temptation and despoiling his bride before the wedding. I thought this was really sweet because it showed that the anticipation of the act can build much better sexual tension that giving into lust in the heat of the moment. As I mentioned earlier, Simon seemed afraid of corrupting Lucy and this was quite evident in the sexual realm. Even after they were married, he sometimes played coy with her, but she was always completely responsive to his sexual overtures. This is where that combination of innocence and eroticism came in, creating a very beguiling and heady brew. The love scenes are an area in which Elizabeth Hoyt really excels in her writing. All of them, including a scene where Simon verbally relates his fantasies to Lucy, were thoroughly sensual and erotic without ever truly crossing that boundary. I also liked the inclusion of another fairy tale with the twist being that the hero got to tell it this time. Unlike the tales in the last two books, it was quite dark and dreary, but ended up suiting Simon and his personality perfectly. In fact, I thought that the overall darkness in tone gave the book a slightly Gothic flair. As to things I didn't like, there was virtually nothing. I might have liked to see the author explore Simon's childhood a bit more, but what was there explained his behavior quite a bit. The ending was perhaps a tad rushed. It might have been nice to draw it out a little longer or have an epilogue, but it was fine the way it was too. I thought that having it end on Christmas day was actually a nice touch. What better time of year for forgiveness and new beginnings? Overall, The Serpent Prince was a fabulous ending to the Princes Trilogy, that has earned its spot on my keeper shelf right next to its predecessors The Raven Prince and The Leopard Prince. I've noticed that Ms. Hoyt has been working on a short story sequel, The Ice Princess, which she has been adding a chapter at a time to her website and is free to her readers. Not being one who likes to torture myself, I will probably wait until it is complete before reading it, but I look forward to checking it out along with Ms. Hoyt's other works. ...more |
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Nov 18, 2009
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Nov 12, 2009
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 3.57
| 7
| 2008
| May 05, 2008
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" I ended up enjoying The Dragon Master even more than I thought I would. It was a really sweet, romantic tale of fo Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" I ended up enjoying The Dragon Master even more than I thought I would. It was a really sweet, romantic tale of forbidden love between a mage and a fairy. Lexie is the lovable good girl who is a little reluctant for fear of getting caught but just can't resist Gryffyd, and I don't blame her. He would have swept me off my feet too. Gryffyd is an irresistibly charming rogue with a Scottish accent, who rides a motorcycle, performs magic and has a family of dragons for pets. I fell head-over-heels for him in just five short pages. As with most of these little e-book quickies, my main complaint is that they aren't long enough. I would have liked to know more about both Gryffyd and Lexie, as well as why their love was forbidden in their society and more about Tuathmair itself, but I was so taken by the story (and the hero;-)), I couldn't help but love it anyway, especially the ending. The author says on her website that she is working on another story in The Tales of Tuathmair, and I will gladly read it whenever she finishes it. This was my first read by Mallary Mitchell, but while I'm waiting for that new tale, I'll be checking out her backlist. The Dragon Master is available as a free download from The Wild Rose Press. ...more |
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| 0312992416
| 4.22
| 44,734
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| Apr 19, 2004
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series has been rather hit and miss with me, and although I can't say that Kiss of the Night wa Reviewed for THC Reviews Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series has been rather hit and miss with me, and although I can't say that Kiss of the Night was the best book I've read in the series so far, it was pretty good overall. That's not to say that I didn't do quite a bit of eye-rolling during the first half of the story, because there were certainly some things that provoked my incredulity even for a fantasy world. There are things that happened which I felt stretched the bounds of credibility, even of what had previously been revealed about Dark-Hunter mythology. Ms. Kenyon seems to have a penchant for making things occur for the convenience of the plot that she then does not explain very well. I don't really care much for this as a story-telling style, because it seems too lazy to me. While it is readily apparent that Ms. Kenyon has a vivid imagination, I sometimes wish she would reign it in a little to give her world a bit more clarity. Normally, I avoid giving away major spoilers for the books I read, but I had serious issues with two of the main plot points in Kiss of the Night that I felt needed to be addressed, so if readers don't want to be spoiled, don't read this paragraph of my review. ************SPOILER ALERT************* First, Wulf apparently did not become a Dark-Hunter in the usual way (ie Artemis became the keeper of his soul upon his death, and he is given one act of vengeance and immortality in exchange for a lifetime of service to her). Instead Wulf apparently never died but made some kind of soul switch with a Dark-Huntress who he slept with all those centuries ago. This never made any sense to me at all, because Dark-Hunters don't have a soul to switch in the first place. Then it was stated that Wulf still had a soul which is why he wasn't bound to Artemis in the same way as other Dark-Hunters, but in the end Acheron said his soul was being held by the Norse god, Loki. All this was incredibly confusing to me, and I finally gave up trying to figure it all out. The second thing I took issue with is the first two love scenes of the book that resulted in Cassandra's subsequent pregnancy. Wulf and Cassandra's love-making was apparently completely engineered by Artemis and took place inside their dreams without them knowing that it was “for real.” Since neither of them was a consciously willing participant, this kind of weirded me out. The other thing that bothered me about all this was that Wulf was able to impregnate Cassandra in a dream (How on earth did that happen?). Also, Wulf believed himself sterile since all Dark-Hunters are supposed to be, but he conveniently had one of those loopholes I mentioned. The idea that he didn't know he was able to father children, and had likely had numerous unprotected sexual encounters for the last twelve centuries yet had never gotten a single woman pregnant really stretched the bounds of my ability to suspend disbelief. I was also a bit annoyed that early in the story Ms Kenyon's answer to Wulf's soul-switch was merely, “some things are inexplicable,” and as to Cassandra getting pregnant in a dream, she had a secondary character make a flippant comment about this being fantasy not reality. I began to wonder if the author was just poking fun, but I really need for things like this to make sense even in the fantasy realm and not just be left unexplained. ************END SPOILER ALERT************* By the second half of the book, there was less focus on the two above issues, so I was able to put them on the back burner and just enjoy the rest the story for what it was. There was quite a bit of excitement with Wulf and Cassandra going on the run from the evil Spathi Daimons, the occurrence of a blessed event, and the quest to find a “cure” for Cassandra's curse that would leave her dead on her next birthday which was only a matter of months away. I thought the action scenes improved a bit and weren't quite as B-movie cheesy as they had been earlier, and with Wulf and Cassandra's consciousnesses fully engaged, the love scenes were much better for me too. I loved how Ms. Kenyon brought back all the main Dark-Hunters from the previous books to help Wulf in his hour of need, but what I liked most about this half of the book is all the depth that was added to the Apollites and Daimons. Up to this point, they have been the mortal enemies of the Dark-Hunters, and somewhat demonized as the bad guys. With Cassandra being half-Apollite, readers get a whole new perspective on her race and are given a lot of food for thought about what constitutes true evil versus someone doing something that seems evil for the sake of survival. It made me wonder if this union between an Apollite and a Dark-Hunter may be the beginning of something bigger happening in the overarching plotline of the series. As for the hero and heroine, Wulf and Cassandra, I liked them, but I thought they needed a little something more to make them stand out. Wulf was a Viking warrior who has some regrets about certain choices he made before becoming immortal, and has had to bear the burden of watching all his brother's descendants (his only blood kin) die for the last twelve centuries until he now only has one relative left. Wulf also bears the curse that no one can remember him five minutes after he leaves the room except the Dark-Hunters and humans who are related to him by blood, so he has lived a pretty lonely existence. Once Cassandra was able to remember him (another one of those convenient loopholes), I felt like the author dropped the ball a bit on this, and it might have been interesting to see more of how this curse affected him. Although it was another of those things that was sketchy and confusing to me, apparently Cassandra is the last direct descendant of Apollo's bloodline and there is a prophecy that if she dies all Apollites and Daimons will be freed from their curse, hence why they are both hunting her. What they don't know though, is that if she dies, the world will end too. Cassandra has lived her entire life running from the Daimons, and has watched all her family members except her human father die at their hands. Now she is trying to find a way to extend her unnaturally short lifespan of a mere 27 years. Cassandra is also a brave warrior in her own right, and takes an admirable “glass-half-full” approach to life. Overall, Wulf and Cassandra's relationship was nice with some tender moments between them that I liked, but I still wasn't able to entirely buy into their love connection. I think things just happened too quickly in the beginning, and there weren't enough deeper relationship building scenes to really make their romance spark off the pages for me. As with all the Dark-Hunter books, there are tons of secondary characters both old and new. The characters from previous stories who appear in Kiss of the Night include: Acheron, Simi, Artemis, Talon (Night Embrace), Spawn (first seen in Dance with the Devil), Julian (Fantasy Lover), Kyrian (Night Pleasures), and Zarek (Dance with the Devil) who I was glad to see has not lost his anti-social nature and sardonic wit. Two new characters who become the heroes of future stories were introduced: Dante, a were-panther, whose story can be found in Winter Born (from the Stroke of Midnight anthology); and Stryker, the leader of the Spathi Daimons, whose story is One Silent Night, although he behaved so evilly in Kiss of the Night, it will be interesting to see how the author manages to redeem him. There were several other interesting supporting characters who made a first appearance. At this time they don't have their own stories, but I hope to perhaps see more of them through the course of the series: Urian, Stryker's son; D'Aria, the first female Dream-Hunter; and Kat, Cassandra's mysterious bodyguard whose real identity was left hanging. I reread the ending more than once, but it seemed that she simply disappeared not long after Ash had said something which put her true alliances into question. Last but not least was Chris, Wulf's squire and last living relative. I loved him because he's funny, geeky and totally irreverent toward Wulf, and since I adore geeks, I wouldn't have minded seeing an HEA for him too. In my opinion, Sherrilyn Kenyon has a tendency to introduce a lot of new characters and mythology instead of more effectively utilizing what she already has on the canvas, often making me feel like I need a Dark-Hunter encyclopedia to keep up. I can't say that I'm really getting used to it being this way, but I think I'm coming to expect it which may be making it a little easier to take. The plot of Kiss of the Night was a little thin especially during the first half making it a little slow-moving, but the second half held my attention well and made me warm up to the story and characters. I think this was meant to be something of a transition book with it's main purpose being the addition of details to the Apollite and Daimon mythology. I actually enjoyed this, because unlike some of Ms. Kenyon's other myth add-ons, I felt like this greatly expanded the character development of these races rather than just being there for the sake of the plot. Kiss of the Night is book #4 in the Dark-Hunter series, but it essentially takes place simultaneously with Night Embrace and Dance with the Devil and then expands upon that time frame. In fact, Kiss of the Night has a near word-for-word replay of the phone conversation between Wulf and Talon from the beginning of Night Embrace, as well as the mention of some of the major events from those two books. Even though I had some problems with Kiss of the Night, it was entertaining enough to be generally enjoyable, and I plan to continue with the series. In any case, I'll likely keep going at least until I reach Acheron, because I simply must know the mystery behind the enigma that is Ash. There are currently a total of 19 full-length novels in the Dark-Hunter series and quite a number of related novellas and graphic novels as well, with more still to come. A complete list of all the books and their recommended reading order can be found on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website. *Review updated 9/27/10 ...more |
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| 4.00
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Reviewed for THC Reviews When I read the synopsis for Dog People, I thought I would like it, and I wasn't the least bit disappointed. As with most e-bo Reviewed for THC Reviews When I read the synopsis for Dog People, I thought I would like it, and I wasn't the least bit disappointed. As with most e-book quickies like this, I wish they could last longer, but I still enjoyed it for what it was. Being an animal lover and having recently lost a pet myself, I could really relate to the main character, Rosie, and the story in general. I sometimes feel like most people I know don't understand my attachment to my animals either. I thought it was sweet what Mark did to lift Rosie's spirits and finally get a conversation going between them. In spite of the brevity of the story, I could see these two making a good match, and living happily ever after. Dog People was a heartwarming tale and a fun way to spend a few minutes of my reading time. It was written in first-person perspective, so readers who are bothered by that may want to skip it, but anyone else, especially animal lovers, should take a moment to download this little 4-page nugget from The Wild Rose Press. It's free, so there's really nothing to loose. Dog People was my first read by Ruby Bartek, but it certainly leaves me open to trying more of her work. ...more |
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Nov 06, 2009
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Nov 06, 2009
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| 1596431555
| 9781596431553
| 1596431555
| 3.60
| 73
| Apr 14, 2009
| Apr 14, 2009
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews As a lover of medieval history, I just had to pick up Come to the Castle when I saw it on the featured children's book rack at Reviewed for THC Reviews As a lover of medieval history, I just had to pick up Come to the Castle when I saw it on the featured children's book rack at the library. It turned out to be a cute little read. What I really liked about it was that the author managed to impart quite a few facts in the midst of a fictional story that is written in fun rhyming prose. I've always been a fan of Dr. Seuss, so whenever I run across other authors who employ rhymes in their writing style, it's usually a winner for me. I will warn squeamish kids and parents that Ms. Ashman doesn't gloss over the lack of proper cleanliness and hygiene in that era, so parts of the book may provoke some, “Ewwwwww!” responses. However, those who enjoy gross-out humor are probably equally as likely to be amused. Come to the Castle is a picture book that has a great read-aloud quality which makes it accessible to younger kids, but the more advanced vocabulary and factual information would probably appeal to kids as old as ten or so. The author also includes notes at the end with more extensive descriptions of the lives and jobs of the inhabitants of the castle. The illustrations were delightful as well, embodying an authentic medieval flair. Overall, this was a fun read that I would recommend to parents and children who are interested in or would like to learn more about life in a medieval castle. ...more |
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Oct 22, 2009
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Nov 01, 2009
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Hardcover
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| 0446618489
| 9780446618489
| 0446618489
| 3.86
| 11,085
| Apr 01, 2007
| Apr 01, 2007
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" With The Leopard Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt has authored another solid story in the Princes Trilogy, and has once agai Reviewed for THC Reviews "4.5 stars" With The Leopard Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt has authored another solid story in the Princes Trilogy, and has once again, shown her talent for creating unusual characters in a unique situation, as well as an ability to write a good mystery. Ms. Hoyt continues her “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” theme with two rather ordinary characters. Georgina is described as a plain woman who is certainly no beauty. She is a bit too tall for a woman, has untamable curly red hair, and is a firmly on the shelf spinster, although she has the good fortune of being not only a titled lady but also a land-owning, independent woman of means thanks to an inheritance from a feminist-type aunt. Harry seems to be fairly unexceptional too. He has striking green eyes, but aside from that, he is never characterized as being gorgeous or fawned over by the ladies. He's missing a finger, and he's not even particularly tall. He's just plain Harry, and a common land steward to boot, so not someone that most people, especially an aristocrat, would even take notice of. Yet George does and thinks that he's quite handsome, and Harry can't seem to help but think she is beautiful as well. I loved the “opposite sides of the track” theme too, except in this case, it was a sort of reverse Cinderella story, a real rarity in romance, and one that I appreciated even more because the author never did anything to make Harry a more palatable match. Harry and George just were what they were, and had to work things out in spite of their class differences. The mystery of the sheep poisonings was very well done too, with lots of twists and turns. I went back and forth between several different potential culprits, and as the field narrowed, I finally did guess correctly, but not until very close to the reveal. Overall, The Leopard Prince was a very well-rounded story that sucked me in right from the first few pages, and kept me engrossed throughout, making it very difficult to put down at times. Regardless of their differing social stations, I thought that Harry and George were perfect for each other. Harry is a very reserved man, but George has a pretty good knack for reading him in spite of his quietness and frequently guarded expressions. “Still waters run deep” is a phrase that seems to fit Harry well. He may be good at hiding his true feelings, but when he lets them be known, he is an incredibly passionate man. George is a woman with a fun sense of humor. She sometimes acts like a ninny, because it wasn't fashionable for a woman to be intelligent. When she's playing dumb though, she often says some funny and endearing things. George also talks a lot, which is in stark contrast to Harry's reticent nature, but she manages to draw him out enough for them to get to know each other on far more than just a superficial level. I thoroughly enjoyed the “dance” that Harry and George perform with him asking her what she wants and her at first, not quite knowing, and them when she figures it out, being a bit coy. These interactions as a whole built an absolutely exquisite sexual tension between them. George learned very quickly though that she needed to just be brave and tell Harry what she wanted, and once she did, the fireworks went off in a big way. Ms. Hoyt definitely knows how to write beautifully sensual love scenes in which the characters give of themselves in equal measure, creating some breathtaking love play. I was particularly impressed with the intimacy of one scene where Harry and George simply lie there after making love and share their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes it's the little things that really count. To sum it up, I just loved how George saw Harry as not merely a servant or a poor man, but a man worthy of her love, and I loved how Harry saw George as beautiful even though she's plain. The Leopard Prince has a pretty large cast of secondary characters. George has three brothers and one sister. At first it seemed that her sister, Violet, was going to be a troublemaker, but I figured out pretty quickly what her problem was. Other than Violet's one slip, George's siblings were surprisingly supportive of her and her relationship with Harry. Everything was out in the open and handled with honesty. Harry has some very complex family relationships which I can't say much about without giving things away, but suffice it to say that the ones who mattered the most were equally supportive of him. There was the evil Lord Granville who has a vendetta against Harry, and Granville's spineless son who would do almost anything to gain his father's approval but sadly receives nothing but loathing in return. A number of villagers, tenants, and servants also play a part as either confidants or purveyors of information on the sheep killings. Last but certainly not least, Edward (The Raven Prince) and Simon (The Serpent Prince) put in an appearance to assist their friend, Harry, in his hour of need. I'm still left wondering about their seemingly unlikely alliance and whether there might be more to it than a simple bonding over a shared passion for agriculture. Now that I'm starting to get a feel for Elizabeth Hoyt's writing style and how she has a tendency to reveal things later rather than sooner, I sense that there could be something else that she hasn't yet shared about these three men. There were a couple of other things of note which I really enjoyed about The Leopard Prince. First, it seems that Elizabeth Hoyt has an affinity for fairy tales, as do I, so I loved her inclusion of another one, also titled The Leopard Prince, in this book. George relates it to Harry in snippets throughout the story. It was rather humorous how Harry was always so incredulous about things that happened in the tale. I thought that Ms. Hoyt writing it this way was rather ingenious, because on the one hand, it may have been Harry just being a typical man who doesn't believe in such nonsense. On the other hand, it was pretty far-fetched sometimes, making it seem like George was just making it up as she went along, although she swore she wasn't. The other thing that I thought Ms. Hoyt did a good job with was bringing out all the angst, uncertainly and difficulties that would have been inherent in a servant/employer romance. In such a situation in that era, it would be natural for others to think that Harry was either after her money or merely her paid stud, but I liked that George never once thought that he was a gold-digger and more importantly, she never wavered in her belief of his innocence when he was accused of terrible crimes. It was equally understandable that Harry might feel rather emasculated to be married to a woman who had full control of the purse-strings, but even though the gesture was initially misunderstood, George went to great lengths to show her trust in Harry which was quite romantic. Overall, The Leopard Prince came very close to perfection for me, but there were two small things that kept it from a perfect 5-stars. One was how Harry and George kept running away from each other because of their differing social statuses. I had no problem with giving each of them a pass the first two times, because they were both filled with self-doubt and doubts about whether they could ever make their relationship work publicly. However, when George did it a third time, I got a little frustrated with her. I thought that she should have stayed and communicated with Harry about their troubles instead of leaving him, especially given the circumstances. I was also a little disappointed that there wasn't a more solid plan for dealing with their differences, merely an acquiescence on both their parts, but all's well that ends well I suppose. George's actions did give Harry the opportunity to show just how much he loved her, giving a satisfying HEA ending. The other bothersome thing was that I didn't feel the author gave a good enough explanation of why Harry ended up as the scapegoat in the poisonings, nor why Lord Granville hated him so much. The reasoning ended up being little more than vague, hazy notions that I thought could have been better clarified, but ultimately, neither of these things detracted too much from my enjoyment of the novel. All in all, The Leopard Prince was another engaging story from Elizabeth Hoyt that has earned a spot on my keeper shelf right next to its predecessor, The Raven Prince, and with two winners in a row, Ms. Hoyt now has a spot on my favorite authors list as well. I'm greatly looking forward to the final book in the Princes Trilogy, The Serpent Prince. Note: The depictions of the love scenes in The Leopard Prince are on par with most hotter mainstream romances, but some readers may be offended by a few explicit words which I rarely see used outside the erotic sub-genre. ...more |
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Oct 19, 2009
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Oct 12, 2009
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| 075820843X
| 9780758208439
| 075820843X
| 3.80
| 3,353
| Jan 01, 2005
| Jan 01, 2005
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Reviewed for THC Reviews "3.5 stars" Mouth to Mouth was a pretty good book, but wasn't as amazing as I was expecting it to be based on other readers' g Reviewed for THC Reviews "3.5 stars" Mouth to Mouth was a pretty good book, but wasn't as amazing as I was expecting it to be based on other readers' glowing reviews. Normally, I'm not overly influenced by reviews, because I have found books that others hated which I loved and vice versa. This time, I must have been influenced more than usual though, because I think I went into reading this one with somewhat high expectations, only to finish it feeling a little disappointed and oddly unsatisfied. Maybe if I hadn't been expecting so much from it, I would have felt differently, but I can certainly see why others did enjoy the book. It has two likeable main characters, lots of steamy love scenes, and other than the teen angst and rebellion of Russ's brother, Sean, which causes some friction between them, it is what I would characterize as an easy, fluff read. And therein may lie the problem. All of Erin McCarthy's stories that I've read so far have been pretty light, and I generally have a preference for ones that contain deeper, more meaningful relationship development. Like the last book I read by Ms. McCarthy, Mouth to Mouth has the hero and heroine falling into bed very early after only knowing each other for a matter of days, and both only intend for it to be a fling, but of course, it ends up turning into more than they bargained for. In my opinion, this plotline is way overused in contemporary romances, making it rather tiresome to me, and since I've never been into casual sexual encounters, it is one that doesn't really resonate with me on a personal level either. Granted the love scenes had an appealing spiciness to them, including one that involved the fun, creative use of candy buttons and pixy stix, but ultimately, having the wild sex type of beginning tends to diminish the emotional connection that I feel both for, and between, the characters, making it nothing more than merely hot sex for me. The overall premise of the story was pretty good, but the execution just felt very ordinary to me, like I'd read it many times before, only with different characters in a different setting. It simply seemed to lack the uniqueness and originality to suck me in and really engage my attention, which might seem strange for me to say since the heroine is deaf (only the second deaf heroine I can recall ever reading), but I'll address that shortly. I certainly didn't dislike Mouth to Mouth, but neither did I feel like I couldn't put it down or have any particular excitement about picking it back up either. The hero and heroine, Russ and Laurel, are both likeable characters, but I never felt like I truly understood what made either of them tick. Russ is a tough-guy cop, who lost his parents in an accident a year earlier and is struggling to raise his teenage brother who is acting out rebelliously because of the tragedy. I liked that Russ was caring and committed enough to take on the responsibility for his brother, even though Sean was being a pain in the butt. I also liked Russ's protective nature toward Laurel, but just like her, I thought that his protectiveness could be borderline overbearing at times and often came out like he was speaking to a child. Laurel is a wealthy deaf woman who has become the target of a con-man who is out to bilk rich ladies out of their money. She seems to be caught between the deaf and hearing worlds, and this is why I think she never stood out to me like I expected she would. Even though Laurel is deaf, she functions with virtually no problems at all in the hearing world, which on the one hand, showed that she was very capable and able to live a pretty normal life in spite of her disability, but on the other hand, I thought it took away some of the uniqueness of her character. Laurel was constantly trying to assert her independence with Russ, saying that she was never really allowed to do what she wanted to because of her disability, but to me it seemed like it was more herself that was holding her back than circumstances. Just like Russ and her mother, I too felt like she was a bit naïve and too trusting at times. Overall, Laurel was never a very well-defined character for me. In fact, I felt that both Russ and Laurel's backstories and personalities were ripe with depth that was waiting to be plumbed but sadly never was, which is why I ended up liking but not loving them. The”suspense” part of the plot was an interesting set-up, but very light and a couple of times I thought that it stretched the bounds of credibility just a bit. At least the revelation of the villain's secret identity was something that I didn't see coming. The surprise side romance of Russ and Laurel's best friends, Jerry and Cat, was rather amusing since they're complete opposites. There were a couple of family moments between Russ and Sean that I thought were pretty realistically rendered. I liked that at the heart of it all Sean seemed like a good kid who'd been dealt a bad hand, but in my opinion, he was a little too worldly for a thirteen year old. Laurel's overweight cat, Ferris, who is initially less than enthusiastic about Russ invading his space, was pretty funny. I also enjoyed the scene when Russ finally declares his love and thought it was quite romantic. Overall, Mouth to Mouth had some fairly entertaining moments that made it a worthwhile read. It just wasn't entirely to my liking from a personal preference standpoint, and I think the character's personalities were a little too different from my own and not explored fully enough for me to truly appreciate them. I think the book had great potential and I really wanted to love it, but in the end it just didn't quite reach that level for me. However, anyone who enjoys light, steamy stories, but isn't bothered by the hook-up-now, ask-questions-later approach to romance will probably enjoy it quite a bit. ...more |
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| 3.40
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Reviewed for THC Reviews "3.5 stars" At a scant 8 pages, The Wedding Auction is little more than a reading snack. With the story being so brief, there Reviewed for THC Reviews "3.5 stars" At a scant 8 pages, The Wedding Auction is little more than a reading snack. With the story being so brief, there wasn't really any room for character or relationship development, so I appreciated that the author established a prior connection between Colton and Marry Etta as friends and childhood sweethearts. On the outside, Mary Etta presents the picture of a tomboy, dressed in men's clothes and sporting a revolver on her hip, that is at odds with her small stature, sweet voice and romantic heart. Colton is an alpha cowboy and a man who isn't about to let a bunch of yahoos take away “his woman.” I thought that Mary Etta took a big chance putting herself up on the auction block, but I can't really fault her too much since it all worked out in the end. The story had a nice romantic HEA ending and just enough sexual tension to create an good connection between the characters, but it is a sweet romance with no objectionable content. The Wedding Auction gave me a nice sample of Celia Yeary's writing style that has left me open to reading more from her. Overall, not bad for a free quickie read, but not quite enough to fill me up either. The Wedding Auction is available as a free e-book download at The Wild Rose Press. ...more |
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Oct 07, 2009
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Oct 08, 2009
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| 0445406518
| 9780445406513
| 0445406518
| 4.00
| 75,430
| 1975
| Jan 1988
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really liked it
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Reviewed for THC Reviews It has been many years since I've read a mystery story, and I wasn't quite sure if I would still like them as much as I had in Reviewed for THC Reviews It has been many years since I've read a mystery story, and I wasn't quite sure if I would still like them as much as I had in my youth. Either I do, or I simply chose the right book with which to renew that genre interest, because I found Crocodile on the Sandbank to be an enjoyable read. It reminded me of a cross between Indiana Jones and a younger version of Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher (I loved Murder, She Wrote when I was a kid), or perhaps a more mature version of the Nancy Drew books that I was crazy about in my tweens/teens, only in a more exotic location. Crocodile on the Sandbank, and the entire Amelia Peabody series, fall into the cozy mystery genre as they are very gentle mysteries that aren't particularly frightening and don't have any objectionable elements. Even more mature content like Evelyn's affair is merely alluded to and never spelled out in so many words. This made for some fun, old-fashioned sleuthing that is, in my opinion, appropriate for mystery aficionados of all ages, although the advanced vocabulary and authenticity of the historical voice would probably be more suited for teen and adult readers. Elizabeth Peters began writing the Amelia Peabody series in the 1970s, and had I heard of it back then, I may have been reading them as a teen. Amelia was a fun character to read about. She is a firmly on-the-shelf spinster who has no intentions of marrying and an independent woman of means, so she decides to indulge her passion for history and her dream of traveling by going on a trip to Egypt. Amelia is an unflappable, no-nonsense woman with a plucky, adventurous spirit and a very straight-forward way of dealing with life. This forthright nature was very much in evidence in the first question that she asked Evelyn after her friend confessed to having had an affair. Somehow, it didn't really surprise me, but it did make me laugh nonetheless. Amelia is also a feminist who has little use for the traditional Victorian conventions, and sometimes wishes she had been born a man, so that she would be more respected. Even though Amelia is very much a thinker and a scholar, it is obvious that she has a very kind heart and a willingness to help others. She is quite skilled in medical matters and assists many people along the way who are sick or injured which always seems to help put her in their good graces. She is also the consummate matchmaker when she realizes that Evelyn has fallen in love. I found it interesting and amusing that Amelia immediately recognized Evelyn's love for Walter, but when she started falling for Emerson, she didn't initially discern it as the same emotion in herself. All in all, I really admired Amelia, and a part of me would love to be her, but in reality, I'm probably much closer in personality to Evelyn. Crocodile on the Sandbank is told in first-person perspective with Amelia, of course, as the narrator. It is written in a slightly different style than other first-person books that I have read, so it took me a little while to get used to it. For me, the reading of the book was rather like sitting down to tea with Amelia while listening as she related her story. It had a rather quaint, intimate feel to it. The book takes a “just-the-facts” approach and is a little light on descriptive details of the environment. In fact, early in the story, Amelia comments that she will not indulge in such descriptions so as not to bore the reader, and if the reader wants more detail, they should go read a travelogue. Normally, this would be a downside for me, because I tend to enjoy lush, vivid depictions of the setting, but for the most part, enough information was given to make me feel like I was in the hot sands of the Egyptian desert with Amelia. There are also not a lot of deep insights into the secondary characters. The reader really only gets to know them through Amelia's eyes. Even though I usually prefer to know the other characters' thoughts and feelings, I once again, for the most part, did not view this as a weakness as I normally would. I think this was owing in large part to the genre. Since the story is primarily about the mystery of a mummy stalker who appears to be trying to scare them away from their archaeological dig site, rather than the relationships, I didn't necessarily feel a burning need to get inside the other characters' heads like I would if it were a romance. As things were, I got to know the other characters well enough. I liked Amelia's friend, Evelyn. She is a sweet, and perhaps slightly naïve, young woman who allowed herself to be seduced by a scoundrel which ruined her relationship with her grandfather and left her destitute. Amelia rescues her off the street and hires her as a companion for her trip. On the outside, Evelyn seems very delicate, but on the inside she is made of much sterner stuff than one might think at first glance, and in spite of her indiscretion, she has a certain strength of character as well. I adored Evelyn's love interest, Walter, the more charming and amiable of the two Emerson brothers, a team of archaeologists who are working to unearth the history and treasures of Egypt. If he were one of my romance heroes, he'd be the sweet beta who gets all moony-eyed over his lady love, but can't quite bring himself to declare his feelings. Yet, when he finally does (at Amelia's prodding), it was in the most romantic way possible, giving me a major, “Awwwww!” moment. Then there is Emerson. Actually his name is Radcliffe, but Amelia never calls him by his first name. It's OK though, because he always call her Peabody instead of Amelia too. If Walter is the romantic beta, Emerson is the alpha. He's rude and abrasive, rarely having anything nice to say about anyone, and he gets under Amelia's skin in more ways than one right from the moment they meet. Although Emerson certainly tries his best, Amelia never allows him to run rough-shod over her, instead giving back as good as she gets whenever he let the insults fly which made for some fun bantering. Even though he could be a real bear sometimes, I liked that Emerson's heart was in the right place when it came to the preservation and proper study of the antiquities that were being treated with flippancy even by the government agency that was supposed to be protecting them. Other than the antiquities though, Emerson could seem pretty cold and indifferent at times, so it took me a while to really warm up to him. When he finally started to reveal his feelings, it was worth the wait. Aside from the colorful characters, Crocodile on the Sandbank had a fun plot. In fact, I waffled a bit on my star rating, and the only thing that really prevented it from earning keeper status from me was that the pacing is a little too slow in places. Especially during the first half of the book, there are several long passages of narration where there isn't much excitement or action. There are also a couple of passages where a secondary character goes off into what is essentially a soliloquy of narration. Preferring a more liberal mixture of narrative and dialog, I found these passages to be a bit too sluggish for my taste, leaving my mind occasionally wandering. Once the mystery portion of the story really got going, I thoroughly enjoyed the action, adventure and intrigue, as well as trying to figure out the answer to the puzzle. I did correctly discern the culprit and their motive (although not all the details of “how”) before it was revealed, but it didn't detract from the fun of getting there, as I ended up second guessing myself more than once. Overall, the narrative built very nicely to an exciting conclusion. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery/adventure yarn with a plucky heroine, an exotic setting and a dash of romance, should like this book. Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first of the Amelia Peabody series, and my first read by Elizabeth Peters. I found it to be a nice departure from my usual romance fare that has left me looking forward to trying the next book in the series when I'm, once again, in the mood for something different. There are currently 18 books in the Amelia Peabody series. A complete list of all the books and their recommended reading order can be found on the official Amelia Peabody website. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Oct 06, 2009
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Oct 03, 2009
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Mass Market Paperback
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my rating |
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| 3.77
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really liked it
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Dec 2009
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Nov 10, 2010
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| 4.07
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really liked it
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Jun 24, 2009
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Sep 21, 2010
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| 4.17
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really liked it
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Jan 2009
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Sep 20, 2010
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| 3.71
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really liked it
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Dec 28, 2009
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Dec 23, 2009
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| 3.33
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really liked it
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Dec 18, 2009
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Dec 18, 2009
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| 4.17
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it was amazing
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Dec 13, 2009
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Dec 11, 2009
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| 4.23
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it was amazing
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Dec 10, 2009
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Dec 09, 2009
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| 3.56
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liked it
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Dec 22, 2009
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Dec 07, 2009
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| 3.53
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liked it
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Dec 03, 2009
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Dec 07, 2009
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| 3.35
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liked it
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Nov 24, 2009
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Nov 24, 2009
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| 3.82
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really liked it
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Nov 23, 2009
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Nov 19, 2009
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| 3.77
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it was amazing
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Nov 18, 2009
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Nov 12, 2009
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| 3.57
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really liked it
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Nov 12, 2009
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Nov 12, 2009
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| 4.22
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really liked it
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Nov 11, 2009
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Nov 06, 2009
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| 4.00
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really liked it
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Nov 06, 2009
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Nov 06, 2009
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| 3.60
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really liked it
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Oct 22, 2009
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Nov 01, 2009
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| 3.86
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really liked it
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Oct 19, 2009
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Oct 12, 2009
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| 3.80
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liked it
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Oct 13, 2009
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Oct 08, 2009
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| 3.40
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liked it
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Oct 07, 2009
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Oct 08, 2009
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| 4.00
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really liked it
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Oct 06, 2009
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Oct 03, 2009
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