Reviews & Odd's n End's

Isn't it Romantic by Ronda Thompson

Back Cover Blurb

They've never met, but Katrine Summervile and Trey Westmoreland are sworn enemies. Katrine is a romance writer, who after being abandoned at the age of five, and widowed and pregnant at eighteen, doesn't believe in happily-ever-after.
Trey is a hard-nosed newspaper literary review columnist who carries the bitter taste of a failed marriage around with him along with a resentment toward romance novels, which he believes give women a warped expectation of love.
A case of mistaken identity, a night of ill-fated attraction, and their steamy moment captured on film catapults them into four weeks of nationally publicized Hell.

I was curious about this one when I saw the excellent review that Renee gave it a little while ago. I was ordering some books and added this one to top off the free shipping limit. And wowzers - what an excellent thing that turned out to be. I loved this book. I didn't realize until I actually got the book that it's the same Ronda Thompson who has written the Wild Wulfs of London series I've been really enjoying.
This one is totally different but just as enjoyable. Trey, the hero gets conned into a series of dates with Katrine. He is supposed to write about the dates from his angle and Katrine is supposed to write about how romantic they are. And boy does he make it difficult. These 'dates' are hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud a number of times over the dates he deliberatly sabatoges. Let's see, there was the midget woman mud wrestler, the 'romantic' dinner where he 'talks' and 'eats' like one of Katrine's *heroes* from the medieval days. There is the date where he brings along his ex-wife. Along the way and while fighting it for all he's worth, he's falling for Katrine. This book is wickedly funny. I found myself sitting outside at work last week - when it was so cold out - just so I could get in some good quality reading time by myself where I could laugh out loud without anyone bugging me.
Although Ronda Thompson seems to be writing paranormal werewolf stories at the moment - and not that there is anything wrong with that - I'm liking those too, but I hope someday she goes back and writes another contemporary like this one. I would line up for that one!! Thanks Renee!
Grade 4 1/2 out of 5



Megan's Mark by Lora Leigh
Back cover blurb:

Cursed with the etraordinary power to feel other people's emotions, Megan Fields has tucked away in a remote corner of New Mexico, working as a small-town deputy. She finds solace in the silence and heat of the desert. But when Breeds begin dying on her watch, Megan realizes that the secrets from her past can't stay buried forever. Somone is out for blood - her blood.
An arrogant Feline Breed, Braden Arness broods with feral intensity. His mission to solve the mysterious murders brings him to Megan, a woman who accosts his senses like no other. Only with him can she let down her guard - and surrender to the insatiable hunger that wracks her body. But as they team up to hunt the elusive killers, Braden and Megan find themselves becoming the prey....

I'm afraid this one didn't fair as well as the Isn't it Romantic. This is my first Lora Leigh book and I have to say I had a few problems with it. At the beginning of the blurb it says the first book in her erotic new series. Well, considering this is the first book for a different publisher, she sure didn't give much of an explanation really as to who the Breeds were. Oh - I got that they were a genetically engineered race that were created to be killers, but other than that, not much information was given. Who were they trained to kill? What time period is this supposed to be in, the present or the future? - OK - I just checked and it's supposed to be set in the year 2023. But other than that which I just noticed, there really isn't much of a description given. I think it probably would have made a lot more sense if I had read some of her previous Breed books that were published by Ellora's Cave. But even had I done that, I still would have had a few issues with this one. This is one of those where the heroine is constantly thinking "I lust after you, I want you, I'm so hot for you but I hate you and it's never going to happen" books. And the hero, instead of just talking to the heroine is one of those "I lust after you, I want you, I'm so hot for you and yes it is going to happen baby" books. Then, out of the blue, the heroine capitulates and she and the hero are totally and completely in love. I find this kind of heroine annoying and while I love a good alpha hero, this particular kind just gets on my nerves.
I also had trouble following the book and why they were doing the things they were doing. I found myself shaking my head and going "huh?" a few times.
On the plus side, it is nice and hot and once we get past the animosity coming mostly from Megan, the book starts to get better. And the writing although a bit confusing in places is pretty good. I have the next one in the series, Harmony's Way, and I enjoyed this one enough to give the next one a read
Grade: 3 out of 5

And in other news. I finally switched to the new google version of Blogger. I didn't plan to do that but when I tried signing on at Lisa's, it somehow seemed to make me do it. Time will tell as to what I think of the new version. I did manage to get two pictures in and not right next to each other, so that's a good thing. I like that idea!! I'll have to take some time and explore around and see what other nifty things there are about it.

And in still more news, Robin has her column up at Access Romance.

And last but not least - I was going to do a whole post titled

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow (isn't that catchy?)

about my new hair cut - but I'm still in a bit of a state of shock. I've had my hair short for quite a few years now, but I decided a few months ago to try and grow it long. It used to be and it looked pretty good. But I gave up the effort when I had two straight weeks of really Bad Hair Days. So I made a last minute decision on Friday to get it all chopped off. And I loved it. Then on Saturday, I washed that gray right out of my hair with Preference by L'Oreal # 249 (or something like that). Whatever - it's dark auburn red. Then I decided to be a real hipster granny without the grandkids and get it streaked after work tonight. The streaks are a bright copper colour and they look incredible!!! I LOVE them. And it's a good thing I do! Because they weren't cheap let me tell you! I didn't think to ask beforehand and was kind of thinking around $60. Well - it was quite a bit more than that! I just about died when she told me how much it would be. Now if only I could freeze my hair at this length and this colour.

'til later