Sometimes I get the most interesting ideas from reading message boards. I was reading one today where a reader was looking for books with plus size heroines and that got me thinking. This is just me mind you, but I suppose I might, perhaps, maybe fall under that category. But the very last thing I want to do is read about something that hits close to home. I don't necessarily want to read about waif-like heroines but I certainly don't want to read about plus size ones. That's why I was hesitant to read He Loves Lucy - with good reason it turned out. I know many people liked this one, but I disliked it intensely. I’ve liked all her other books which is why I decided to give this one a try. I’ve read a few of them and have to say I haven’t liked any of them. Wishes by Jude Deveraux is a book that seems to be a favourite – at least by a lot of readers at Amazon, but I loathed that book.
Maybe it’s because there is an unwritten prejudice towards larger sized people, women in particular, that really bothers me and since I fall into that category some might say, the last thing I want to do is read about it. And I wonder how many authors really “get” what it’s like. I read romance to escape real life, not to identify with it.
Age falls into this category too. Although the young innocent 18 year olds no longer hold any real interest for me, I also don’t particularly want to read about older heroines either. Forty-five is about tops for me, and even that is really pushing my envelope with the exception being of course if the hero is younger. Now that I can get into easier. On the whole though, my heroine age preference is late 20’s to mid 30’s in contemporaries and heroines in their 20’s for historicals.
Anyway, that’s my deep thought for the day.
‘til later
Monday, October 31, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Why it's not a good thing
This is why it might not be a good thing to go to the bookstore when you're borderline depressed:
(1)
I have no idea why I bought this one. I've never read her books before and like I really need another book abut a member of the British Peerage. I think I must have about 27 of them TBR
(1)
I have no idea why I bought this one. I've never read her books before and like I really need another book abut a member of the British Peerage. I think I must have about 27 of them TBR
(2)
I've barely even heard of this author before let alone read any of her books.
(3)
See (1). Not only that - but it's published by Avon. I can only say because the hero is a Welsh Gypsy who spells his name Daffyd. I shall try and resist thinking daffodil.
(4)
Now THIS one makes sense. I'm one of the few I think who really enjoyed Crazy Hot. This is the book I was looking for but didn't think would be there.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Series can indeed sometimes be a very good thing
I just love discovering new authors and I hit the jackpot with Wendy Lindstrom. Not to long ago I mentioned how utterly charmed I was with Lips that Touch Mine. In fact, I was so taken with it, I had to read her backlist and enlisted the help of fellow romance readers to help me find them. Thankfully they came through and I got my hands on copies of her first two books. This brings us to the fourth book – Kissing in the Dark. Do you ever read a series and when you come to the final book you almost don’t want to read the last chapter because then you know that will be it? Well, that’s what it was like reading this book. I didn’t want it to end since this is the story of Duke, the fourth brother and the last one of the family.
All four of the Grayson brothers are wonderfully interwoven through out the stories and so we have already gotten to know Duke a bit. He is the third oldest out of four and although the other three brothers, Radford (Shades of Honor), Kyle (The Longing) and Boyd (Lips that Touch Mine) all work for the family lumber mill, Duke is the sheriff for the town of Fredonia and the surrounding area. He does still help out his brothers a bit, but his main focus is on the law. As the sheriff, he catches a very young man stealing something and escorts him home. There he meets Faith, a widow, her young daughter Cora and her aunts who have all just moved to Fredonia to start what we would call a wellness clinic today. He is instantly smitten with both Faith and Cora and begins courting the young and beautiful widow. He knows there is more than meets the eye with Faith; why is there no similarity between all the aunts for example, what is Faith hiding and why does she seem so sad, but add in a heavy case of lust and the yearning to have a wife and family like all his other brothers and he overlooks his concerns. Faith, for her part has many secrets and to say anything would be giving too much away.
This is another wonderful book by a writer with a real flair for writing exactly the kind of books I love to read. Both Faith and Duke are wonderful characters. Duke has always lived in a world of rules and laws. He sees things in black and white and when he uncovers Faith’s secrets, his whole world is turned upside down when he realizes there are a lot of shades of gray in life. Faith, by accepting Duke’s courtship, knows she is wrong in not telling him everything, but feels she has no choice. I could see both their sides when the truth comes out. I can’t possibly write this book without mentioning a secondary character who just leaps off the pages. Adam, the younger brother of Faith is probably one of the best secondary characters I’ve read since Cat in the Windflower. As a young man he is desperately looking for someone too look up too and he finds that role model in Duke. My heart hurt for him in his suffering and longing. I’m not sure whether the author has a book for him somewhere down the road or not, part of me hopes fervently so but by the end of the book Adam has found his peace and I don’t want to see him suffer anymore.
Grade: 5 out of 5
I have adored this series. I have my favourite – Lips That Touch Mine and the one which didn’t touch me as much as the others, The Longing, but taken as a whole, reading about these four brothers has been a wonderful experience. If I had to come up with a word to describe it best, it would be a decency they all have about them. They have their problems come up between them; problems that could split them apart but they overcome them. After making a major life change, Duke describes it best:
I love the setting, a small town in New York not too long after the civil war. I love the covers, the first two don’t have people on them and the second two do – but hero/heroine in a good way. I wasn’t afraid to plunk down money for either. I just loved the books! The last two are in the stores and the first two are worth tracking down. I just wish there were more books written outside of regency England like these ones.
For the whole series – an A and a hearty thumbs up.
This is the first one and is Radford's story. After the war in which he suffered torment, Radford returns home with his little daughter. He rediscovers and begins to fall in love with Evelyn, his brother's fiance.
This is Kyle's story. Because he blames himself for the death of her father and they are caught in a compromising position, Kyle offers to marry Amelia, the daughter of an old friend. But he's discovers she's not exactly what he thought.
This is my favourite of the four and the first book of hers I read. Her is what I had to say about it earlier. Rats! I couldn't link it - but it's April 22 and I gave it a 5 out of 5
And finally there is Kissing in the Dark.
**********
In one of those very odd coincidences, just as I was finishing KITD – reluctantly because I didn’t want it to end, and figuring out in my head what I wanted to say about the book and about the series, I received an email from the author. When I saw who it was from and before I opened it, I thought this is just too weird. In a very kind and thoughtful way she was responding to my post on author websites and how important it can be that authors keep them updated. She told me she agreed and in light of that, had decided not to use a webmaster any longer but to learn how to design it herself. As one who has struggled along with just a regular old blog, I admire that!
So check it out. I’m might impressed.
http://www.wendylindstrom.com/
All four of the Grayson brothers are wonderfully interwoven through out the stories and so we have already gotten to know Duke a bit. He is the third oldest out of four and although the other three brothers, Radford (Shades of Honor), Kyle (The Longing) and Boyd (Lips that Touch Mine) all work for the family lumber mill, Duke is the sheriff for the town of Fredonia and the surrounding area. He does still help out his brothers a bit, but his main focus is on the law. As the sheriff, he catches a very young man stealing something and escorts him home. There he meets Faith, a widow, her young daughter Cora and her aunts who have all just moved to Fredonia to start what we would call a wellness clinic today. He is instantly smitten with both Faith and Cora and begins courting the young and beautiful widow. He knows there is more than meets the eye with Faith; why is there no similarity between all the aunts for example, what is Faith hiding and why does she seem so sad, but add in a heavy case of lust and the yearning to have a wife and family like all his other brothers and he overlooks his concerns. Faith, for her part has many secrets and to say anything would be giving too much away.
This is another wonderful book by a writer with a real flair for writing exactly the kind of books I love to read. Both Faith and Duke are wonderful characters. Duke has always lived in a world of rules and laws. He sees things in black and white and when he uncovers Faith’s secrets, his whole world is turned upside down when he realizes there are a lot of shades of gray in life. Faith, by accepting Duke’s courtship, knows she is wrong in not telling him everything, but feels she has no choice. I could see both their sides when the truth comes out. I can’t possibly write this book without mentioning a secondary character who just leaps off the pages. Adam, the younger brother of Faith is probably one of the best secondary characters I’ve read since Cat in the Windflower. As a young man he is desperately looking for someone too look up too and he finds that role model in Duke. My heart hurt for him in his suffering and longing. I’m not sure whether the author has a book for him somewhere down the road or not, part of me hopes fervently so but by the end of the book Adam has found his peace and I don’t want to see him suffer anymore.
Grade: 5 out of 5
I have adored this series. I have my favourite – Lips That Touch Mine and the one which didn’t touch me as much as the others, The Longing, but taken as a whole, reading about these four brothers has been a wonderful experience. If I had to come up with a word to describe it best, it would be a decency they all have about them. They have their problems come up between them; problems that could split them apart but they overcome them. After making a major life change, Duke describes it best:
Radford had tried being a soldeir. Kyle had
once wanted to be a lawyer. Boyd had been a bar owner. Duke spent
years as a sherriff. But those occupations had only defined a small part
of who they were as men. They were brothers, sons, fathers, and
husbands. They would defend their families as fiercely as they would
defend their country. They would disagree at times, but they would always
stand united when it counted.
I love the setting, a small town in New York not too long after the civil war. I love the covers, the first two don’t have people on them and the second two do – but hero/heroine in a good way. I wasn’t afraid to plunk down money for either. I just loved the books! The last two are in the stores and the first two are worth tracking down. I just wish there were more books written outside of regency England like these ones.
For the whole series – an A and a hearty thumbs up.
This is the first one and is Radford's story. After the war in which he suffered torment, Radford returns home with his little daughter. He rediscovers and begins to fall in love with Evelyn, his brother's fiance.
This is Kyle's story. Because he blames himself for the death of her father and they are caught in a compromising position, Kyle offers to marry Amelia, the daughter of an old friend. But he's discovers she's not exactly what he thought.
This is my favourite of the four and the first book of hers I read. Her is what I had to say about it earlier. Rats! I couldn't link it - but it's April 22 and I gave it a 5 out of 5
And finally there is Kissing in the Dark.**********
In one of those very odd coincidences, just as I was finishing KITD – reluctantly because I didn’t want it to end, and figuring out in my head what I wanted to say about the book and about the series, I received an email from the author. When I saw who it was from and before I opened it, I thought this is just too weird. In a very kind and thoughtful way she was responding to my post on author websites and how important it can be that authors keep them updated. She told me she agreed and in light of that, had decided not to use a webmaster any longer but to learn how to design it herself. As one who has struggled along with just a regular old blog, I admire that!
So check it out. I’m might impressed.
http://www.wendylindstrom.com/
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Recent Reads - Part 2
As I said, I've been reading quite a bit lately. This is the second batch though- which is really the first batch since I read them first.
The Power of Two by Patti O’Shea
Even though I’ve read this one before, I’m going to cheat a little and consider it part of the Keishon’s paranormal challenge for October. This is the third book in the 2176 series started by Susan Grant with The Legend of Banzai McGuire. Cai and Jake, both members of a special forces team, have a special relationship. Something to do with her being a receptor and having nanodes in both their brains and advising him on missions. I didn’t really understand it but I just went with it anyway. Jake thinks all along he has been mind talking to a computer but when Cai gets information on her parents mysterious disappearance, she goes to Jake to ask him for his help. He is stunned to realize all along that rather than a computer, his closest friend is a young woman. He manages to get over it and together along with the rest of the team, they travel to the raft cities to locate Banzai McGuire and her lover, UCE Commander, and Navy SEAL, Tyler Armstrong. She is also hoping to find her parents as she has reason to suspect they are being held against their will be a megalomaniac billionaire.
Obviously, since this is a reread, I quite enjoyed the book. I love both the characters of Jake and Cai. Even though Jake feels betrayed when he first realizes who Cai is, he get’s over it and becomes very protective of her. The sexual tension is great as they are both attracted to the other, but both fighting it. I really enjoyed this whole series and this was a great entry.
Grade: 4 out of 5
Mac’s Law by Sarah McCarty
This one was my first foray into romantica and while I had some issues with parts of it, this won’t be my last. Now – to discuss those issues without getting spammed is a challenge and just for the heck of it, I decided to give it a whirl. As I expected, there is sex and a lot of it in this book. However, one aspect was new to me and that was the amount of alternate entry – um – usage. I’d never read this before and decided very quickly that nope, no sir, never tried it, never will. And that’s probably even TMI. I had a bit of a head scratching while I was reading this book as to whether I was reading something cutting edge or I was just a dirty old lady. If I was 10 to 15 years younger there wouldn't have been any question. Anyway, on to the story. Mac Hollister is local law as well as a rancher. He has advertised for a cook and Jessie or J.C. Sterns is the one who has accepted the job. Mac has been thinking J.C. to be a guy and now way, now how, is he going to take on a woman for the job. Well, she finally talks him into letting her stay on a trial basis and before long they give in to their mutual attraction – again and again and again. In addition to the..um… alternate entry scenes, there was also some laying on of the hand to the lower portion of the heroine which is located behind her, which is also something I’d never read before. And a third party viewing scene which was also new to me. It looks like they are smaller that printed books too which doesn’t leave as much time for character development – but then the same can be said for Harlequins and anthologies. I think I would have liked this one better without some of the alternate scenes, but overall I liked it – I think
Grade: 31/2 out of 5
Master of the Moon by Angela Knight
This was another paranormal for Keishon’s challenge. Unfortunately this was a DNF. I loved Jane’s Warlord and if she ever goes back and revisits that universe, I’m there. But this one creeped me out with its evil elves and satanic theme. I don’t mind violence – as I liked Jane’s Warlord – but this really wasn’t for me.
Dark Lover by JR Ward
I decided to read this one based on Sybil’s DIK review and the fact that this is one the books that everyone else is reading and I didn’t want to miss the reading party. Normally, as I’ve said before, I don’t do vampire books, but decided to make an exception. And I must confess I’m quite glad I did. I like this one. A lot. As most everyone has either read or is planning on reading this one, reviews are all over the place so I don’t need to really add my 2 cents – other than to say everyone is right. This is a good book and I will again break my vampire ban when the next one comes out.
Grade 41/2 out of 5
The Power of Two by Patti O’Shea
Even though I’ve read this one before, I’m going to cheat a little and consider it part of the Keishon’s paranormal challenge for October. This is the third book in the 2176 series started by Susan Grant with The Legend of Banzai McGuire. Cai and Jake, both members of a special forces team, have a special relationship. Something to do with her being a receptor and having nanodes in both their brains and advising him on missions. I didn’t really understand it but I just went with it anyway. Jake thinks all along he has been mind talking to a computer but when Cai gets information on her parents mysterious disappearance, she goes to Jake to ask him for his help. He is stunned to realize all along that rather than a computer, his closest friend is a young woman. He manages to get over it and together along with the rest of the team, they travel to the raft cities to locate Banzai McGuire and her lover, UCE Commander, and Navy SEAL, Tyler Armstrong. She is also hoping to find her parents as she has reason to suspect they are being held against their will be a megalomaniac billionaire.
Obviously, since this is a reread, I quite enjoyed the book. I love both the characters of Jake and Cai. Even though Jake feels betrayed when he first realizes who Cai is, he get’s over it and becomes very protective of her. The sexual tension is great as they are both attracted to the other, but both fighting it. I really enjoyed this whole series and this was a great entry.
Grade: 4 out of 5
Mac’s Law by Sarah McCarty
This one was my first foray into romantica and while I had some issues with parts of it, this won’t be my last. Now – to discuss those issues without getting spammed is a challenge and just for the heck of it, I decided to give it a whirl. As I expected, there is sex and a lot of it in this book. However, one aspect was new to me and that was the amount of alternate entry – um – usage. I’d never read this before and decided very quickly that nope, no sir, never tried it, never will. And that’s probably even TMI. I had a bit of a head scratching while I was reading this book as to whether I was reading something cutting edge or I was just a dirty old lady. If I was 10 to 15 years younger there wouldn't have been any question. Anyway, on to the story. Mac Hollister is local law as well as a rancher. He has advertised for a cook and Jessie or J.C. Sterns is the one who has accepted the job. Mac has been thinking J.C. to be a guy and now way, now how, is he going to take on a woman for the job. Well, she finally talks him into letting her stay on a trial basis and before long they give in to their mutual attraction – again and again and again. In addition to the..um… alternate entry scenes, there was also some laying on of the hand to the lower portion of the heroine which is located behind her, which is also something I’d never read before. And a third party viewing scene which was also new to me. It looks like they are smaller that printed books too which doesn’t leave as much time for character development – but then the same can be said for Harlequins and anthologies. I think I would have liked this one better without some of the alternate scenes, but overall I liked it – I think
Grade: 31/2 out of 5
Master of the Moon by Angela Knight
This was another paranormal for Keishon’s challenge. Unfortunately this was a DNF. I loved Jane’s Warlord and if she ever goes back and revisits that universe, I’m there. But this one creeped me out with its evil elves and satanic theme. I don’t mind violence – as I liked Jane’s Warlord – but this really wasn’t for me.
Dark Lover by JR Ward
I decided to read this one based on Sybil’s DIK review and the fact that this is one the books that everyone else is reading and I didn’t want to miss the reading party. Normally, as I’ve said before, I don’t do vampire books, but decided to make an exception. And I must confess I’m quite glad I did. I like this one. A lot. As most everyone has either read or is planning on reading this one, reviews are all over the place so I don’t need to really add my 2 cents – other than to say everyone is right. This is a good book and I will again break my vampire ban when the next one comes out.
Grade 41/2 out of 5
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
It appears I've been tagged
I have been tagged by Megan - see, I read your blog - to come up with the word "joy". Well, I learned how to do something new. I learned how to do a search.
I've only actually used the word once. This was in one of the quirkier blogs where I likened myself to a flower. I was blogging about how much fun it is going to the UBS's again to search for books.
Then of course too, there is the absolute joy in getting a book that was on my quest list. Found. Success. Mission Accomplished
So I shall tag Alyssa, Suisan, Wendy, Jay & Keishon
I've only actually used the word once. This was in one of the quirkier blogs where I likened myself to a flower. I was blogging about how much fun it is going to the UBS's again to search for books.
Then of course too, there is the absolute joy in getting a book that was on my quest list. Found. Success. Mission Accomplished
So I shall tag Alyssa, Suisan, Wendy, Jay & Keishon
We interrupt the book reviews to discuss this important topic
Baby food
I was chatting on line yesterday with a friend, and we were discussing something and I described it as pablum. Much to my astonishment, she had no idea what I meant and said it must be a Canadian thing. I thought for a moment that she was pulling my leg and then I looked it up at Wikipedia and sure enough, it IS a Canadian thing. I did not know that. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I just assumed all mothers and even non-mothers, all over the world would instantly know what I meant. So for those who don’t know what pablum is – just ‘cause I know everyone is curious now (heh heh) it’s a cereal you give to babies starting between the ages of 3 and 6 months when they are hungry and milk just isn’t enough. You start out making it pretty weak and as the babies get older, you make it thicker. I guess it would be kind of like oatmeal only much blander and comes in flavours of wheat, rice, or oats.
Well, since I now know this is just a Canadian thing – like the word “eh” and back bacon, it got me to thinking – the brain just never lets me rest. What do mothers across the border and all over the rest of the world feed babies during the transistion stage between just milk and regular baby food? It’s just such a staple here – at least it was when my sons were kidlets, I can’t imagine what else babies would eat? Would it be strained carrotts or peas? But *yuch *, I don’t think as a baby, I would like that for breakfast. Would it be fruit? That makes a bit more sense, but I still can’t imagine what they would eat that’s better then a nice hearty bowl of baby cereal for breakfast.
Even more astonishing, I learned through the wonders of Wikipedia that they stopped making it sometime earlier this year.
I must say – as odd as this sounds – my world was rocked!
Now in case anyone is wondering why on earth I was discussing baby food, there is a another use for the word pablum.
We really were discussing romance books.
So, being on the bitchy side, can anyone think of a pablum book?
'til later
I was chatting on line yesterday with a friend, and we were discussing something and I described it as pablum. Much to my astonishment, she had no idea what I meant and said it must be a Canadian thing. I thought for a moment that she was pulling my leg and then I looked it up at Wikipedia and sure enough, it IS a Canadian thing. I did not know that. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I just assumed all mothers and even non-mothers, all over the world would instantly know what I meant. So for those who don’t know what pablum is – just ‘cause I know everyone is curious now (heh heh) it’s a cereal you give to babies starting between the ages of 3 and 6 months when they are hungry and milk just isn’t enough. You start out making it pretty weak and as the babies get older, you make it thicker. I guess it would be kind of like oatmeal only much blander and comes in flavours of wheat, rice, or oats.
Well, since I now know this is just a Canadian thing – like the word “eh” and back bacon, it got me to thinking – the brain just never lets me rest. What do mothers across the border and all over the rest of the world feed babies during the transistion stage between just milk and regular baby food? It’s just such a staple here – at least it was when my sons were kidlets, I can’t imagine what else babies would eat? Would it be strained carrotts or peas? But *yuch *, I don’t think as a baby, I would like that for breakfast. Would it be fruit? That makes a bit more sense, but I still can’t imagine what they would eat that’s better then a nice hearty bowl of baby cereal for breakfast.
Even more astonishing, I learned through the wonders of Wikipedia that they stopped making it sometime earlier this year.
I must say – as odd as this sounds – my world was rocked!
Now in case anyone is wondering why on earth I was discussing baby food, there is a another use for the word pablum.
In lower case, the word pablum is often used to indicate anything bland or
oversimplified, especially a work of literature or speech.
We really were discussing romance books.
So, being on the bitchy side, can anyone think of a pablum book?
'til later
Monday, October 17, 2005
Recent Reads - Part 1
'tis been a while since I've written about the books I've read recently so I have a number to go through. I've just had a wee bit of a minivacation - on which I did a lot of reading so here goes.
Just Perfect by Julie Ortolon
A while ago I raved about the first book in this series, Almost Perfect. Well, I'm most pleased to say I'm raving about this next book too. As a reminder, this is a series about 3 friends who each make a commitment to do something they have always been afraid to do. This is Christine's story and she, while an excellent skier, has been terrified of getting up the mountain on the ski lift. Her challenge is to get past her fear of the ski-lift and beat her brother in a downhill race. Since she hasn't skied in over 7 years, she hires a ski instructor to help her. Instead of a regular ski instructor, she gets Alec Hunter.
This is absolutely charming story. Christine is an overacheiving trauma surgeon in an emergency ward who comes from a real dysfunctional family. All her life she has been trying to please her rigid and disapproving father, so far without success. I can't say too much about Alec without giving away spoilers - other than to say he's a delighful hero and he's much more than what Christine first believes him to be. This also is an older woman/younger man story - one of my favourite types. However in this version, Christine has what I consider a healthy, and much preferred outlook on their age difference:
Many times the second book in a series can be weaker. I'm happy to say this one isn't. Another point in it's favour is both Christine and Alec are completely different characters from Maggie and Joe in the first book. And the third one is out in November. Cool.
Grade 41/2 out of 5
Practice to Deceive by Patricia Veryan
This is the first book in her Golden Chronicle series. I've probably said enough about the author, but I haven't really said much about her books and why I find them so special. Talking about them recently made me want to reread them again. If you follow the link, the reviewer does a good job in explaining this book. I just have to add that Ms. Veryan has a way of writing that really draws you into the stories she is writing about. While reading Penelope and Quentin's adventures, it was like I was right along beside them, feeling the adventure with them. She does a wonderful job in describing events and it's always an emotional read. I'm looking forward over the next little while to a reread of all the books in this wonderful series. This books was published in 1985 and it's just as exciting now as it was 20 years ago.
Grade 5 out of 5
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
To me, Dreaming of You is a classic and THE perfect historical romance. I’ve been reading everything she has written since then hopping for a repeat. Although none have quite come up the standard of DOY, some have come pretty close and some not nearly as much. This is one that has come close. This is a series (boy we are in series mode aren’t we) of four friends that have named themselves The Wallflowers due to their lack of popularity in the ton. This is the second installment and is the story of older sister Lillian, a young woman from America who has come to England to land herself a titled hero. I really enjoyed the character of Lillian. She is open and honest and says what she thinks and does what she wants – sometimes a little to much for those around her. Marcus, Lord Westcliff is one of those who finds her much to bold and lacking in the social graces. They had already met in Secrets of a Summer Night and rubbed each other the wrong way then. This continues as the Bowman family is invited to a month long house party at the estate of Marcus. Even though he completely disapproves of her, Marcus is still very attracted to her much to his dismay. And this attraction and feeling of dismay is reciprocated by Lillian. Their bickering is fun to read and I quite enjoyed both characters. Before I started reading it, I wasn’t sure I would warm up to Marcus. He has made appearances in a few books by Ms. Kleypas now and I wasn’t impressed. But this one is fun watching a stuffy, arrogant lord get such a comeuppance and act so far out of character. I liked the first book and I liked this one even better. Now it seems such a long wait for the next book in the series The Devil in Winter. There has been some discussion on the character of Sebastian – but I for one can hardly wait. I understand these were originally supposed to be released much closer together, but Avon decided against this. I really wish they had stuck to the original plan. I want to read the next one - NOW!
Grade 41/2 out of 5
Part 2 coming shortly
'til later
Just Perfect by Julie Ortolon
A while ago I raved about the first book in this series, Almost Perfect. Well, I'm most pleased to say I'm raving about this next book too. As a reminder, this is a series about 3 friends who each make a commitment to do something they have always been afraid to do. This is Christine's story and she, while an excellent skier, has been terrified of getting up the mountain on the ski lift. Her challenge is to get past her fear of the ski-lift and beat her brother in a downhill race. Since she hasn't skied in over 7 years, she hires a ski instructor to help her. Instead of a regular ski instructor, she gets Alec Hunter.
This is absolutely charming story. Christine is an overacheiving trauma surgeon in an emergency ward who comes from a real dysfunctional family. All her life she has been trying to please her rigid and disapproving father, so far without success. I can't say too much about Alec without giving away spoilers - other than to say he's a delighful hero and he's much more than what Christine first believes him to be. This also is an older woman/younger man story - one of my favourite types. However in this version, Christine has what I consider a healthy, and much preferred outlook on their age difference:
"How old are you"?What starts out to be a vacation flirtation, of course, develops into something much deeper.
He sighed. "It's the face, isn't it? Do you know I still get
carded, which the guys think is flippin' hilarious."
"You don't look that young. I mean, you aren't are you?"
"I'm twenty-nine."
She sagged in relief. "That's only four years' difference. I
can live with that." Which left no reason why she couldn't spend every
minute of the next two weeks with Alec. Grinning, she crooked a
finger at him. "Come here."
His eyes lit with understanding. Ripping off his seat belt, he leaned
over, moving in for a kiss. Before his lips met her, though, he pulled
back. "Wait a sec. You're only twenty-five? How'd you get to
be a doctor so young?"
She laughed. "No. Four years the other way. I'm thirty
three.' She traced his jaw with her fingertip. "But you win major
points for thinking the opposite."
"An older woman." He smiled slowly. "Cool."
Many times the second book in a series can be weaker. I'm happy to say this one isn't. Another point in it's favour is both Christine and Alec are completely different characters from Maggie and Joe in the first book. And the third one is out in November. Cool.
Grade 41/2 out of 5
Practice to Deceive by Patricia Veryan
This is the first book in her Golden Chronicle series. I've probably said enough about the author, but I haven't really said much about her books and why I find them so special. Talking about them recently made me want to reread them again. If you follow the link, the reviewer does a good job in explaining this book. I just have to add that Ms. Veryan has a way of writing that really draws you into the stories she is writing about. While reading Penelope and Quentin's adventures, it was like I was right along beside them, feeling the adventure with them. She does a wonderful job in describing events and it's always an emotional read. I'm looking forward over the next little while to a reread of all the books in this wonderful series. This books was published in 1985 and it's just as exciting now as it was 20 years ago.
Grade 5 out of 5
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
To me, Dreaming of You is a classic and THE perfect historical romance. I’ve been reading everything she has written since then hopping for a repeat. Although none have quite come up the standard of DOY, some have come pretty close and some not nearly as much. This is one that has come close. This is a series (boy we are in series mode aren’t we) of four friends that have named themselves The Wallflowers due to their lack of popularity in the ton. This is the second installment and is the story of older sister Lillian, a young woman from America who has come to England to land herself a titled hero. I really enjoyed the character of Lillian. She is open and honest and says what she thinks and does what she wants – sometimes a little to much for those around her. Marcus, Lord Westcliff is one of those who finds her much to bold and lacking in the social graces. They had already met in Secrets of a Summer Night and rubbed each other the wrong way then. This continues as the Bowman family is invited to a month long house party at the estate of Marcus. Even though he completely disapproves of her, Marcus is still very attracted to her much to his dismay. And this attraction and feeling of dismay is reciprocated by Lillian. Their bickering is fun to read and I quite enjoyed both characters. Before I started reading it, I wasn’t sure I would warm up to Marcus. He has made appearances in a few books by Ms. Kleypas now and I wasn’t impressed. But this one is fun watching a stuffy, arrogant lord get such a comeuppance and act so far out of character. I liked the first book and I liked this one even better. Now it seems such a long wait for the next book in the series The Devil in Winter. There has been some discussion on the character of Sebastian – but I for one can hardly wait. I understand these were originally supposed to be released much closer together, but Avon decided against this. I really wish they had stuck to the original plan. I want to read the next one - NOW!
Grade 41/2 out of 5
Part 2 coming shortly
'til later
Friday, October 14, 2005
How do YOU decide?
It's sometimes a very tough decision how to decide what book to read. I often find myself going in a totally different direction and picking a completely different book than the one I'm planning to read.
For example. I have been waiting for simply ages to read Tara Janzen's book, Crazy Hot. She used to be Glenna McReynolds and ever since I closed the cover on River of Eden way back in 2002 (was it really that long ago?) I've been waiting for her next book but she seemed to disappear. Finally we learned that she was going to have a series of books come out under the name Tara Janzen. The original publishing date though was pushed back a few times. The cover was changed. So you would think that after that long a wait, when I finally found and bought the book, I would be starting it that night. I didn't.
Today I found a couple of more books I've been real anxious to get, two of the ones listed at the side - Just Perfect by Julie Ortolon and Kissing in the Dark by Wendy Lindstrom. Now if I didn't start Crazy Hot, you would think I would start either one of these two. But nope, they aren't the ones that are drawing me right now.
I got into a bit of a discussion about a couple of Patricia Veryan books at a message board - which led me to posting her book covers on the previous blog. Now I have this overwhelming urge to read her books next. So overwhelming that although I have so many books to read, I HAVE to read a book that wasn't even on my radar a couple of days ago. Why is this? I've read these books before - more than once. But for some inexplicable reason, nothing else appeals to me at the moment - even a book I've waited 3 years to read.
Does this every happen to anyone else? What makes us pick up a particular book to read? This happens to me a lot. To the point I'm willing to dig through boxes in the furthest part of our basement, slugging boxes around - my plastic boxes are quite heavy when loaded down with books- to get to one particular book that I've read before. That one book I know will haunt me if I don't. I just hope I'm not alone.
It's something I've never been able to figure out.
For example. I have been waiting for simply ages to read Tara Janzen's book, Crazy Hot. She used to be Glenna McReynolds and ever since I closed the cover on River of Eden way back in 2002 (was it really that long ago?) I've been waiting for her next book but she seemed to disappear. Finally we learned that she was going to have a series of books come out under the name Tara Janzen. The original publishing date though was pushed back a few times. The cover was changed. So you would think that after that long a wait, when I finally found and bought the book, I would be starting it that night. I didn't.
Today I found a couple of more books I've been real anxious to get, two of the ones listed at the side - Just Perfect by Julie Ortolon and Kissing in the Dark by Wendy Lindstrom. Now if I didn't start Crazy Hot, you would think I would start either one of these two. But nope, they aren't the ones that are drawing me right now.
I got into a bit of a discussion about a couple of Patricia Veryan books at a message board - which led me to posting her book covers on the previous blog. Now I have this overwhelming urge to read her books next. So overwhelming that although I have so many books to read, I HAVE to read a book that wasn't even on my radar a couple of days ago. Why is this? I've read these books before - more than once. But for some inexplicable reason, nothing else appeals to me at the moment - even a book I've waited 3 years to read.
Does this every happen to anyone else? What makes us pick up a particular book to read? This happens to me a lot. To the point I'm willing to dig through boxes in the furthest part of our basement, slugging boxes around - my plastic boxes are quite heavy when loaded down with books- to get to one particular book that I've read before. That one book I know will haunt me if I don't. I just hope I'm not alone.
It's something I've never been able to figure out.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Beautiful Covers
Since it's been a while since I did pictures and I need to keep practicing - and I'm killing time before Lost, I thought I would share some of the gorgeous covers of the author who brought me back to romance.
This is what historical romance covers should look like
Although even she had her clunker covers
And after Lost I shall practice adjusting the sizes so they match
Thanks to Jay who is helping me while away the time.
Well, Lost is over for the week - and another most excellent episode and I've practiced and they still won't change sizes. I worried about it and then realized it wasn't me - no, it was the pictures fault.
'til later
This is what historical romance covers should look like
Although even she had her clunker covers
And after Lost I shall practice adjusting the sizes so they match
Thanks to Jay who is helping me while away the time.
Well, Lost is over for the week - and another most excellent episode and I've practiced and they still won't change sizes. I worried about it and then realized it wasn't me - no, it was the pictures fault.
'til later
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Miscellaneous etceterra
I'm afraid I don't have anything to profound to say this time - not that what I ever say is profound. I worked a 10 hour day today and the creative juices have stopped flowing. A lot of times at work, I'm left with not a whole lot to do and I pass the time thinking up what to say in a blog. Happily, because it makes the day go by much faster, that has changed in the past week. It seems to be either famine or feast. I'm in a feast right now. I actually feel like I've earned a paycheck lately.
By the end of the day though, my brain is tired.
A couple of things though.
I need to change my "eagerly anticipating" to "annoyed and more than eagerly anticipating". It used to be I could find the next month's releases on the shelves a couple of days early. Here we are on October 11, and I still haven't seen what I'm really looking for. After I stopped at the gas station on the way home, paid $35 to fill up my car - and it still wasn't full - I stopped at the book store right next to it. I found the Tara Janzen book - but that was the only one so far. I was not a happy camper. What is happening lately? I've noticed this for the past 3 months now. I think I got spoiled - but still, the release date for the ones I want was October 4 and they STILL aren't there. Sorry Megan - I am looking.
We just had our Thanksgiving weekend here. I was off and on the internet - more off than on. I miss a lot of things in cyberspace when that happens.
My son gave me the Trivia Pursuit CD Rom off of his box of Honey Nut Cheerios. I've been rather humbled playing it. I always thought of myself as a Trivia Guru, but this has me beat. I find it rather amusing though that the history questions are mainly events that took place in the 1980's and 1990's. I think I would do much better if they took place in the 1880's and 1890's. Now THAT would be history.
I see in a rather bizarre news story that Unicef has killed off Smurfette in an anti-war campaign. As one who used to sit and watch The Smurfs with my sons when they were small every Saturday morning, I found this quite disquieting. I don't have any political comment on it - but still - The Smurfs????
'til later
By the end of the day though, my brain is tired.
A couple of things though.
I need to change my "eagerly anticipating" to "annoyed and more than eagerly anticipating". It used to be I could find the next month's releases on the shelves a couple of days early. Here we are on October 11, and I still haven't seen what I'm really looking for. After I stopped at the gas station on the way home, paid $35 to fill up my car - and it still wasn't full - I stopped at the book store right next to it. I found the Tara Janzen book - but that was the only one so far. I was not a happy camper. What is happening lately? I've noticed this for the past 3 months now. I think I got spoiled - but still, the release date for the ones I want was October 4 and they STILL aren't there. Sorry Megan - I am looking.
We just had our Thanksgiving weekend here. I was off and on the internet - more off than on. I miss a lot of things in cyberspace when that happens.
My son gave me the Trivia Pursuit CD Rom off of his box of Honey Nut Cheerios. I've been rather humbled playing it. I always thought of myself as a Trivia Guru, but this has me beat. I find it rather amusing though that the history questions are mainly events that took place in the 1980's and 1990's. I think I would do much better if they took place in the 1880's and 1890's. Now THAT would be history.
I see in a rather bizarre news story that Unicef has killed off Smurfette in an anti-war campaign. As one who used to sit and watch The Smurfs with my sons when they were small every Saturday morning, I found this quite disquieting. I don't have any political comment on it - but still - The Smurfs????
'til later
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Something interesting
I saw this at Bam's blog. I thought it was fun.
.:Neptune:.
"You are a very passionate person, however,
this passion often remains hidden below the
surface. You have a great deal of compassion
for others and are always willing to help those
in need. You have a great generosity, sometimes
so great that you neglect yourself while giving
to others. You also have a stubborn side,
though, which serves to protect you from being
taken advantage of by those you help."
. : : Which Astrological Planet are You? : : . [10 Gorgeous Pics!]
brought to you by Quizilla
.:Neptune:.
"You are a very passionate person, however,
this passion often remains hidden below the
surface. You have a great deal of compassion
for others and are always willing to help those
in need. You have a great generosity, sometimes
so great that you neglect yourself while giving
to others. You also have a stubborn side,
though, which serves to protect you from being
taken advantage of by those you help."
. : : Which Astrological Planet are You? : : . [10 Gorgeous Pics!]
brought to you by Quizilla
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Is it a double standard?
I mentioned in the last blog how much I like older heroine/younger hero stories. Some of my all time favourites include the recently mentioned Fallen from Grace, One Summer, and Hard Lovin’ Man. A couple of historicals I particularly like are Suddenly You and Sleeping Beauty. I didn’t care though for Leaving Normal and Family Blessings. In both of these the heroines freaked at the age difference and broke up with the hero because of it. Of course romance being romance, they eventually got over it and reconciled with the hero but by that time it was too late for me for both these books.
I personally don’t see the problem with an older heroine/younger hero. Practically, it even makes more sense. Think about it. Although I think this gap has started closing, women tend to live longer than men. So if the heroine is a few years older than the hero and since this is romance land and they will live happily ever after, they will be together those extra few years. Another factor in favour of the younger hero is that I’ve read that women hit their peak sexually so to speak, much later than men do. According to what I’ve read and I don’t know how true it really is – men’s peak years are between 17 and 20 and women’s are between 31 and 34. Why such a gap, I don’t know – it doesn’t seem quite fair – but that’s what I read. So wouldn’t they be more on the same wave length if the hero was say 5 years younger rather than five years older than the heroine?
Then we have the issue of maturity. Women mature quicker than men – for the most part. But in romance land, the hero has usually suffered from a tragic or tortured background, thus speeding up the maturity level. Johnny Harris from One Summer spent 10 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. That was bound to make him grow up faster. Jack from Hard Lovin’ Man was left to fend for himself at a very early age and then spent years in the army. In Suddenly You, Jack had gone through a horrid childhood spent in a nightmare of a boarding school and gained the maturity to establish a very successful publishing business.
Another issue that can seem to be a problem is children. In most books I’ve read, the heroine is still able to have children so this really isn’t an issue that wouldn’t be any greater than if the hero is the same age or older. In Family Blessings, Lee is too old for children but Chris; the hero makes it very clear he has no interest in having any. And in Leaving Normal, the main issue seems to be more with the fact that Natalie doesn’t think she is able to have any – not that she doesn’t want them. So the children issue really isn’t age related.
So taking all those into consideration, why do some readers find the older woman/younger man a bit of a hot button that keeps them from fully enjoying a book. Why is it such a bugaboo? It seems there may be a bit of a double standard going on. If a hero is 5 years older than the hero, why chances are it’s not even mentioned, yet if the reverse is true, it can become a serious issue. Putting myself in the place of a romance heroine for just a very brief moment, if I had some younger gorgeous (because they are always gorgeous in romance land) guy falling in love with me, I would briefly have second thoughts I’ll admit, but I would get over it pretty darn quick. I don’t think it would take me long to figure out that if some young wonderful hero thought I was the bees knees who would I be to argue with him? I certainly wouldn’t break up the relationship and put us both through agony because I had an issue with being older.
Mind you, I’m not talking about a real young hero. The Mary Lou Latourneaux case icked me out as much as anyone – he was a boy! I’m referring to a hero that has reached a certain level of maturity and KNOWS who he wants.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts on this kind of storyline. I think there’s something very sexy about a younger man who is secure enough to choose an older woman – Ashton Kutcher aside – that I find very compelling.
And if anyone has any they want to recommend, I would to read them.
‘til later
I personally don’t see the problem with an older heroine/younger hero. Practically, it even makes more sense. Think about it. Although I think this gap has started closing, women tend to live longer than men. So if the heroine is a few years older than the hero and since this is romance land and they will live happily ever after, they will be together those extra few years. Another factor in favour of the younger hero is that I’ve read that women hit their peak sexually so to speak, much later than men do. According to what I’ve read and I don’t know how true it really is – men’s peak years are between 17 and 20 and women’s are between 31 and 34. Why such a gap, I don’t know – it doesn’t seem quite fair – but that’s what I read. So wouldn’t they be more on the same wave length if the hero was say 5 years younger rather than five years older than the heroine?
Then we have the issue of maturity. Women mature quicker than men – for the most part. But in romance land, the hero has usually suffered from a tragic or tortured background, thus speeding up the maturity level. Johnny Harris from One Summer spent 10 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. That was bound to make him grow up faster. Jack from Hard Lovin’ Man was left to fend for himself at a very early age and then spent years in the army. In Suddenly You, Jack had gone through a horrid childhood spent in a nightmare of a boarding school and gained the maturity to establish a very successful publishing business.
Another issue that can seem to be a problem is children. In most books I’ve read, the heroine is still able to have children so this really isn’t an issue that wouldn’t be any greater than if the hero is the same age or older. In Family Blessings, Lee is too old for children but Chris; the hero makes it very clear he has no interest in having any. And in Leaving Normal, the main issue seems to be more with the fact that Natalie doesn’t think she is able to have any – not that she doesn’t want them. So the children issue really isn’t age related.
So taking all those into consideration, why do some readers find the older woman/younger man a bit of a hot button that keeps them from fully enjoying a book. Why is it such a bugaboo? It seems there may be a bit of a double standard going on. If a hero is 5 years older than the hero, why chances are it’s not even mentioned, yet if the reverse is true, it can become a serious issue. Putting myself in the place of a romance heroine for just a very brief moment, if I had some younger gorgeous (because they are always gorgeous in romance land) guy falling in love with me, I would briefly have second thoughts I’ll admit, but I would get over it pretty darn quick. I don’t think it would take me long to figure out that if some young wonderful hero thought I was the bees knees who would I be to argue with him? I certainly wouldn’t break up the relationship and put us both through agony because I had an issue with being older.
Mind you, I’m not talking about a real young hero. The Mary Lou Latourneaux case icked me out as much as anyone – he was a boy! I’m referring to a hero that has reached a certain level of maturity and KNOWS who he wants.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts on this kind of storyline. I think there’s something very sexy about a younger man who is secure enough to choose an older woman – Ashton Kutcher aside – that I find very compelling.
And if anyone has any they want to recommend, I would to read them.
‘til later
Monday, October 03, 2005
What I read this weekend
One of my favourite themes in books is the older woman, younger man. Now I’m not talking Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher kind of age difference. That’s a little too much for me – or maybe it’s just because I don’t really care for either of them, I’m not sure.
With that being said, I read two of them over the weekend, one a wonderful reread and the other a DNF.
Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone is a wonderful love story between writer Sara Diamond and Ryan Kinsmore, a young male prostitute. I’m not going to review this one really. I think just about everyone has heard of it and a lot of people have read it. If you haven’t read it, I urge you to give a try.
The other one I read was the new release by Stef Ann Holm, Leaving Normal. Natalie Goodwin is a divorced woman who just opened her own flower shop. She is attracted to her younger sexy neighbour firefighter Tony Cruz. I found this book – well – boring. At the start of the story, Tony is married but his marriage is in trouble. Time goes by. Natalie’s father shops at Target. Time goes by. It’s thanksgiving and Tony’s wife doesn’t come to the fire station. Time goes by. His wife cheats on him. They get divorced. Time goes by. He runs into his neighbour Natalie. He gives her flowers he bought at her shop. Time goes by. Natalie’s daughter comes home from college and brings her boyfriend whom Natalie doesn’t like. Time goes by. The firefighters save some kittens. Time goes by. Tony asks Natalie out. Time goes by etc. etc. etc. Time went by when I read this book. Time I could have been reading an interesting book. Finally enough time went by – wasted time – and I gave up on this one. I wanted to like it – I really, really did. The writing in this book wasn’t bad. I’ve read quite a few of her books and quite enjoyed them. She used to write Westerns and Americana type books and then moved on to contemporaries. The subject matter – younger man/older woman is something I could really get into and I was so disappointed in this one. I didn’t enjoy her contemporaries as much as her previous books but still stayed with her but after this one, sadly, she is getting pretty close to being off my list. I hate when this happens. One other silly thing that really bothered me about this one was the name of the flower shop that Natalie owns. The Hat and Garden. Every time I read this – and it was quite often, I couldn’t help thinking “I don’t get it. What a dumb name”
With that being said, I read two of them over the weekend, one a wonderful reread and the other a DNF.
Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone is a wonderful love story between writer Sara Diamond and Ryan Kinsmore, a young male prostitute. I’m not going to review this one really. I think just about everyone has heard of it and a lot of people have read it. If you haven’t read it, I urge you to give a try.
The other one I read was the new release by Stef Ann Holm, Leaving Normal. Natalie Goodwin is a divorced woman who just opened her own flower shop. She is attracted to her younger sexy neighbour firefighter Tony Cruz. I found this book – well – boring. At the start of the story, Tony is married but his marriage is in trouble. Time goes by. Natalie’s father shops at Target. Time goes by. It’s thanksgiving and Tony’s wife doesn’t come to the fire station. Time goes by. His wife cheats on him. They get divorced. Time goes by. He runs into his neighbour Natalie. He gives her flowers he bought at her shop. Time goes by. Natalie’s daughter comes home from college and brings her boyfriend whom Natalie doesn’t like. Time goes by. The firefighters save some kittens. Time goes by. Tony asks Natalie out. Time goes by etc. etc. etc. Time went by when I read this book. Time I could have been reading an interesting book. Finally enough time went by – wasted time – and I gave up on this one. I wanted to like it – I really, really did. The writing in this book wasn’t bad. I’ve read quite a few of her books and quite enjoyed them. She used to write Westerns and Americana type books and then moved on to contemporaries. The subject matter – younger man/older woman is something I could really get into and I was so disappointed in this one. I didn’t enjoy her contemporaries as much as her previous books but still stayed with her but after this one, sadly, she is getting pretty close to being off my list. I hate when this happens. One other silly thing that really bothered me about this one was the name of the flower shop that Natalie owns. The Hat and Garden. Every time I read this – and it was quite often, I couldn’t help thinking “I don’t get it. What a dumb name”
Sunday, October 02, 2005
A Reminder - 1 day left
All About Romance is raising money for Hurricane Katrina and has some most excellen books up for auction. The final group bid ends tomorrow night
I've been tagged
by Nicole - I'm late I know but here goes
1. Delve into your blog archive.2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...
"The first time I drove, cars were whizzing past me and I thought "my they drive fast here"
That particular blog was about a news item I read that starting in a few years, we would have to have passports to get into the States and after growing up in a Canada/US border town what a really bad/sad idea I thought that was. The sentence in particular was my first experience driving in the US and not remembering the difference between miles and kilometers.
I tag (if I'm not too late)
Renee, Erica, CW, Sybil, Tara Marie
1. Delve into your blog archive.2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...
"The first time I drove, cars were whizzing past me and I thought "my they drive fast here"
That particular blog was about a news item I read that starting in a few years, we would have to have passports to get into the States and after growing up in a Canada/US border town what a really bad/sad idea I thought that was. The sentence in particular was my first experience driving in the US and not remembering the difference between miles and kilometers.
I tag (if I'm not too late)
Renee, Erica, CW, Sybil, Tara Marie
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