Ah, the slump is over

I’ve been reading up a storm lately. No sooner do I say I’m in a slump, than it seems to be over (thank heavens). I finished He Loves Lucy. While this wasn’t a bad book and I will certainly continue to read Susan Donavan, ultimately this one didn’t work for me. Her dramatic weight loss was glossed over. There were huge chunks of time in this book that went unaccounted for and we really didn’t see Lucy struggling. Just massive amounts of weight loss seemingly very easily done (I wish). I read a review on Amazon where the reviewer thought the first six pages were hilarious. I didn’t, I thought they were sad. And I didn’t really warm up to Theo. He just struck me as a very bland hero although I did like his relationship with his younger brother.
2 ½ out of 5

The next book I read fared much better. Josie Day is Coming Home by Lisa Plumley was delightful. I love it when I pick up a book not expecting much and the book surprises me with how good it is. That’s what happened with this book. Josie Day is a Las Vegas show girl who ran away from home when she was young and her family and the town didn’t understand what made her tick. She’s recently become restless as a showgirl but doesn’t really know what it is she wants. When she saves the life of the older lady who owns the casino where she works, she is given ownership of an old run-down mansion back in her home town. There she runs into Luke Donavan the ‘handyman’. She decides to open a dance school in the old mansion and enlists Luke to help her fix the place up. I loved Josie. I thought she was a wonderful heroine; determined despite the obstacles the townspeople give her, always optimistic and willing to do what it takes to make her dreams come true. Also wonderful is the hero Luke. He falls quickly for Josie’s charms and is one of the few people in her life who thinks she’s wonderful the way she is. There is a wickedly funny scene between Luke and his friend TJ when TJ discovers Luke’s feeling for Lucy are running deep. What I reaaly liked about it was their shere goofiness. I highly recommend this book for those looking for a smile and some corny knock knock jokes.
4 out of 5

And then the final book, The Veil of Night by Lydia Joyce. Wow. I haven’t quite finished it yet but what a rich, decadent book this is, like dark rich chocolate. Victoria travels to the country home of Byron, Lord Raeburn, when her brother is heavily in his debt. No, this isn’t one of those books Mrs. Giggles pillories so deliciously where the innocent young heroine sacrifices herself to save her undeserving family. On the contrary, Victoria agrees to stay the week and be whatever Byron wants to help herself only. And thankfully she is no naive young miss. Instead she is a woman with needs and desires of her own and looks to Byron to fill them. They are both deep, emotional people with many layers and it’s a joy to watch them uncovered.
Although I’m not done, so far this book gets a 4 ½ out of 5.
As the Meatloaf song goes “two out of three ain’t bad”.