Recent Reads - the OK's and the Goods

I’m so far behind on the books I’ve read lately, and I’ve read a lot, I’m going to just do some quick mini reviews.

The Irish Devil by Diane Whiteside
This one is OK.
Viola Ross has landed herself in trouble. She’s penniless and needs a way to earn some money. She approaches William Donavan, a local businessman and offers to be his mistress for 3 months. William has had the hots for Viola for a while now and after a token resistance, takes her up on her offer.
What I liked: It’s a western and I love Westerns. And I really like the cover.

What I didn’t like: I found it a bit unbelievable that Viola would “take” to the role so quickly. One thing that drove me nuts was when he kept calling her a ‘filly”. It might be just me but I wouldn’t be really taking it as a compliment to be constantly referred to as a horse. Also I didn’t really connect to either the hero or the heroine

Conclusion: This book is hotter than my normal read and it took a bit of getting used to. This falls into the OK category and since I think it might be Ms. Whiteside’s first book I’m more than willing to give her another try. I just happen to have The River Devil (thanks to Renee) so I’m looking forward to reading it and seeing how it reads
Grade 3 out of 5


Angel in my Bed by Melody Thomas
This one is OK
From Amazon: On one final mission for the Crown, David Donally is hunting for a missing treasure. His only clue is a dazzling, gem-encrusted earring, and it is leading him to the most desirable woman he has ever known...an enchanting thief he once seduced and betrayed in the name of duty...an exquisite lover he'd believed was dead...his wife!
Meg Faraday thought her former life was behind her -- until the night the treacherous husband she'd eluded suddenly appeared. By rights she should despise the handsome spy who had captured her heart, then shattered it. But the fire between them still burns, and what was once an irresistible passion has now become a dangerous game of betrayal...

What I liked: I really liked Meg. I thought she made a great heroine. I admired how, after she “died” she really changed her life around and made herself a better person. And Ms. Thomas didn’t make her too nicey, nice.

What I didn’t like: I did not like David. At all. Well, I liked his name. I can’t admire a hero who deliberately misleads the heroine (the same problem I had with the hero in Hide in Plain Sight). While he eventually comes around, still I don’t think he ever really “got” what he did to Meg. I thought he was deliberately cruel to her a number of times. And it's a dreadful cover.

Conclusion: I don’t think I liked this one as much as Where’s My Hero (sorry). I don’t know if it would have made a difference if I had read the previous two in the series like she said I should or not. I’ll try Ms Thomas again if I see her books in a UBS, but I don’t think I’ll seek her out.
Grade 3 out of 5



The Dark One by Ronda Thompson
This one is good
This is the first in the Wild Wulfs of London. Rosalind Rutherford seeks out the mysterious Armond Wulf in order to have him destroy her reputation so she won’t be forced into marriage with the repulsive gentleman her step brother has chosen for her. But Armond won’t go along with her plan.

What I liked: I thought Armond made a very good hero. Shunned by society for the mysterious deaths of his parents and suspected of murdering a young prostitute, he is an honourable man. I liked the werewolf spin on this one. The Wulfs are cursed but it doesn’t take effect until they fall in love. Unlike some other werewolf stories, Armond resists the animal in him. I’ve said before – and I know it’s weird – that while I don’t really like vampire romance, I like a good werewolf story. And this is a good one. And I like the cover.

What I didn’t like: Rosalind ventured into TSTL territory a few times starting with her ‘done to death’ plan to ruin herself. I’m more heroine-centric but a better than normal hero can offset that. That’s how I felt about this one. Armond made this book. Also the villains were a bit too over the top.

Conclusion: This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I already have the next book in the series and I think I’ll be reading it very soon. Also she has a pretty descent backlist and I’ve already ordered one of them. I think I’m going to like this author
Grade: 4 out of 5

More book reviews to follow

‘til later