Thursday, July 13, 2006

Recent Reads - with more to come

The Marcelli Bride – Susan Mallery

This one is alright. This is the fourth book in a series about four sisters and a brother whose family makes wine. This one is the brother’s story. Joe was put up for adoption when he was born. Years later, his parents, who remained together, tracked him down, wanting him to take his place in the family. He is less than enthused. His home is the navy. Darcy Jensen is the younger, less popular daughter of the president. When there is a kidnapping attempt on her, she is whisked away to the Marcelli home with Joe as her protector. There he is forced to deal with his family and their attempts to get him to join the family/

What I liked: I thought both Joe and Darcy were fairly good characters.

What I didn’t like: I don’t like books where the hero/heroine of fictional famous real people. When I first heard the outline of this one, I thought “daughter of the president of the United States – give me a break”. That position is much too well known for me to buy it. If it was a senator or something less well known, it would have worked better. It just took too much suspension of belief. I found the whole Marcelli family a bit annoying also.

Conclusion: I enjoyed her other recent book Delicious so much better than this one but this was the fourth in a series so I thought I’d read it. There is one more but since it’s about the youngest daughter and a prince, I’ll pass on the next one in this series and look forward to when Chapters finally gets Irresistible in stock. This is why I have a four book in a series and that’s it rule. I think Ms. Mallery is a good writer and I’ve enjoyed most of her single title releases, but this particular one didn’t work as well as others.
Grade: 3 out of 5


The Comeback Kiss – Diane Lani Rich

This one is very good. From Amazon - Tessa Scuderi's life changed on one night 10 years ago when her best friend, Finn, took off with her beloved VW bug and her heart. It was also the night her mother died while fleeing a fire in her craft shop. Now Finn is back. While he was gone, Tessa has been raising her little sister, Izzy, and worrying that any false move will put her sister into the state's hands. So she's not ready to welcome back Finn and his connection to her troublemaking teenage days. Sparks fly though--literally and figuratively. On Finn's first day in town, he saves a burning pet shop and shares a passionate kiss with Tessa, and that's only the beginning.

What I liked: I really enjoyed the snappy dialogue between Finn and Tessa. I love the childhood sweetheart storyline. As well as enjoying both Finn and Tessa, I really enjoyed the character of Izzy, Tessa’s younger sister. Even they mystery is a hoot.

What I didn’t like: Well, ther's not much I didn't like. This one is very good. About the only thing I might have changed is the hero’s hair colour. It’s red. I don’t mind any other hair colour for the hero, blond, black, brwon, anything – except red. So I just replaced it with Dark Mahoganny 421 (which just happens to be mine at the moment) whenever I read red.

Conclusion: I was part way through this book when I realized that Finn was a secondary character in another book. At that point I had to decide whether to stop reading The Comeback Kiss and start reading Maybe Baby, the previous book, or to keep going with this one. I was enjoying it so much I didn’t want to stop, so I figured I’d keep going, then read the first one, then go back and read this one again. Yeah! That works. Question for anyone who’s read it. Would it be considered chick-lit? Because if it is, then I’ve been reading and enjoying one without knowing it.
Grade 4 out of 5

More book opinions on their way.

'til later

6 comments:

sybil said...

HEY! nothing wrong with red hair...

Tara Marie said...

I read TMB a while ago, it was good, but not great, I had huge issues with the Grandfather being so insistant over Joe joining the family when it was his fault he wasn't raised as part of the family to start with. Normally, I'm a suck it up and get over it kind of girl, but I'm not sure I'd have forgiven the old man, not nice of me I know.

I've been hemming and hawing over TCK, now I'll have to add it to my next book order, or try to get it used.

Anonymous said...

I dont consider it chick lit at all. It was a nice contemporary romance to me. I hadn't read Maybe Baby before I read TCK either, but I didn't have any problems following along. The red hair didn't bother me, but I tend to gloss over details like that anyway.

~ames~ said...

Dark Mahoganny 421

LMAO! What if that's how it was actually written? LOL Now that would rip me out of the book. Did you really think that everytime they mentioned his hair colour? hehehe

Kristie (J) said...

Ames: heh heh - no, I just pictured the colour on the side of the box. It really is a very nice dark red.

Jay: I didn't have problems following either. But I think I would have appreciated his character even more if I'd 'met' him before. But I will and then I can.

Tara: TCK really is an enjoyable book. And I know what you mean about not forgiving the old man. It was like Joe was just supposed to forgive and forget and I don't think I could have either.

Sybil: I'm thinking you're a red head??? LOL - it's just on guys it bother me. To much Bozo the clown and Ronald MacDonald I guess when I was a kid and forming what I thought was attractive in a guy. I did the same thing when I read Outlander and Jamie was described as having red hair. Only I'm sure it was Dark Burgandy 283 back then :)

Jennie said...

I liked The Comeback Kiss too--I wouldn't call it chicklit though. I've got Maybe Baby on my tbr.

You're too funny with the red hair!! See, I'm kind of the opposite. I always wanted red hair. I dyed mine once but I'm way too lazy to keep it up. I like red-haired men. Plus if I married one, I'd have little red-headed babies. :)