Friday, June 16, 2006

June's Challenge - Part 1


Title: Hope’s Captive

Author: Kate Lyon

Year published: 2005

Why did you get this book: It was one that Wendy really liked. I probably would have gotten it anyway as it meets my requirements
New or mid list author – check
Different Setting – check
But when Wendy liked it so much that sealed the deal

Did you like the cover: *wring hands * do I have to answer this one??? Oh please don’t make me! Oh all right – there is a small part of me that did kind of like it- but don’t tell anyone I said that because normally the answer would be a resounding HELL NO!

Did you enjoy the Book? Yes, yes I did very much. I loved the heroine Caroline Whitley. She was so tortured (literally) yet she didn’t let it get her down. We often see a tortured hero but not so much a tortured heroine so that was a change. I also loved the hero Zach McCallister. He saw past the outside and admired and loved the inner beauty of the heroine.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? Yes she was and I already checked to see if she has a back list. I see she has 2 of them but one doesn’t look orderable for some reason but yes I plan on getting her other one

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Oh - I’m keeping this one.

Anything Else: I was impressed that the author really did her homework. She used real life characters and did an excellent job of merging the truth with her work. Those looking for something new and different in a romance should check this one out. I will certainly be keeping it in mind when it comes to best road romance of the year!




Title: A Hunger Like No Other

Author: Kresley Cole

Year published: 2006

Why did you get this book? Since this month it’s reading a book that was recommended, I got this one because both Cindy and Alyssa liked it so much. Since Cindy read one I rec’d, turn about is fair play

Do you like the cover? Ah – no. I mean really – who has hair like that?

Did you enjoy the book? It was OK. I didn’t like it nearly as much as either Cindy or Alyssa. I found Emmaline annoying. Lachlain was just way too much at the beginning. Yes – I know – he had issues. He did settle down though and I liked him much better later

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? It was the first book I’ve read of hers although I’m pretty sure I have at least on more earlier one in my TBR pile so I’ll certainly give them a read if and when I find them. I’ll probably try the next one too.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Since I have trouble letting go, I’ll keep if for now.

Anything else? Besides finding the heroine annoying, the problem I had with this one was there were just too many characters and not enough explanation as too who they were. It read like a series that had a number of previous books but as far as I know this is the first one. Also there were just too many otherworldly characters; vampires, furies, werewolves, witches, valkries, lions and tigers and bears oh my. I would prefer not quite as many different types of creatures.

5 comments:

Mailyn said...

OMG!!! OMG!!!

When I first saw that book cover I was laughing my ass off!!! I totally read:

Whore's Captive!!!

Bahahaha!!!!!!

CindyS said...

Awwww, I'm sorry Kresley Cole didn't work for you but I totally know where you are coming from with the world building. There is an assumption that the reader knows all these creatures exist and I'm still not sure what the hell a ghoul is.

I wasn't all that enamored of the heroine either until she grew a backbone but learning that she grew up in a house that *hates* half of what she is kinda made it work for me. Yeah, I'm all baited breathe for the next one ;)

Oh, another thing. If there were truly all these creatures, then I'm not liking that 'the humans' have no clue they exist. I mean, c'mon! Let's quit slapping 'stupid' on human's foreheads and let them have at least an inkling. That's what I liked about LKH many, many moons ago. The humans knew.

CindyS

dancechica said...

Only you Mailyn...only you...LOL!

As for Kresley Cole, I didn't really enjoy this novel all that much either. The characters just didn't do it for me but I thought Cole had an interesting premise...I think it was just the characters that fell short for me. And there was just so much going on that I wasn't sure I understood everything. I hate when authors write as if the reader already knows about the characters and the world they inhabit.

Wendy said...

See, Wendy is always right. Who knew?

Glad you enjoyed Hope's Captive. At this point it's the best 2006 romance I've read so far this year. Period.

Kristie (J) said...

LOL Mailyn - the title does look a bit like that doesn't? I didn't notice til you pointed it out.

Cindy: not to worry - OK is good. It's when I don't finish a book I'm disappointed. And like I said, I'll probably give the next one a read. It wasn't the writing - it was just too many characters with not enough explanation

Dancechica: I think we agree on the same thing - she defintely has possiblities. It's just too many too soon.

Keishon: The thing that got me was I wanted to know more about the vampire and the aunt and how they came to be (if you've read that far). I read it and thought huh????. Now THAT would have been a better place to start - maybe that's the story in the novella.

Wendy: I loved your review on this one. It was spot on!!! I can't quite figure out though if it's a 2005 or 2006 book. At first I had in 06, then I saw the publishing date of Dec 05. I hope it's 06 though 'cause then I can vote for it in a number of categories since it's one of the better ones I've read this year.