Say Goodbye Review

I have always been a big fan of murder mysteries. I am addicted to such television shows like CSI and Law and Order and enjoy reading murder suspense authors like James Patterson, Kay Hooper and Elizabeth Lowell. Another great author who feeds my appetite for these types of stories is Lisa Gardner. The first book I ever read by Lisa was The Next Accident, which was published in 2001. The Next Accident is about FBI profiler, Pierce Quincy who was being targeted by a deranged killer. There is also a bit of a love story between Pierce and a much younger woman, ex-cop Rainie Conner, who is very damaged and afraid of intimacy. Since then I have read almost every single book by Gardner and I love the fact how some of her books will alternate with Pierce and Rainie, and then next will be about Pierce’s daughter, Kimberly, who has followed her father’s footstep and has become an FBI agent herself.

Say Goodbye is possibly one of the best books I have read by Lisa, other than The Next Accident, which introduced me to the author’s world of serial killers, police procedurals and crimes so horrendous that there is no possible way they will ever find the killer. Lisa can sure write some great twists and turns and will not leave you disappointed, because like most of those police shows we watch on television, the good guys always get their man.

FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy is married to another FBI Agent and happens to be four months pregnant. Being pregnant does not slow her down and she is still hard at work solving murders and bringing those killers of the innocent to justice. Her husband Mac wants her to cut back for the good of their unborn child, which Kimberly is seriously thinking about doing, when a young prostitute by the name of Delilah Rose asks for her help. There is a new serial killer on the loose who calls himself Dinchara. He is murdering prostitutes, and before he murders them, he tortures them with his special collection of spiders. Just use your imagination when it comes to his special pets. *shudder* Delilah is afraid she will be another one of his victims and only remains alive because he has made her a pawn in his twisted games. Delilah also happens to be pregnant and will only tell Kimberly what she knows to track this elusive killer. Kimberly knows Delilah is not placing all her cards on the table, but since she is sympathetic, mainly because of Delilah’s pregnancy, Kimberly will take on this case even though she is placing herself in a lot of danger, not counting the health risks to her unborn child.

Dinchara likes to play games and he specifically picks Kimberly to play along with him. Not only is this monster a killer, but he is also a pedophile. Through flashbacks, we see how he was kidnapped by a man who stole him from his bedroom and sexually tortured him for years. He in turn continues the cycle of violence and kidnaps another young boy and abuses him, hoping to mold him into a killer, like himself. The boy he stole, along with Delilah, are very much his victims, but at least he keeps them alive. They are like the spiders he takes care of. There is only one way they can escape him and no longer be his unwilling pupils to his crimes. And to accomplish this, they must give the FBI and Kimberly a run for their money. The final outcome could possibly be Kimberly’s death.

Say Goodbye really tugged at my heart, including such feelings of anger because of Dinchara, a horrible man who enjoys raping little boys, killing prostitutes and using spiders in inhumane ways. It has been a long time since I have read such a villain who sent chills down my spine, and Lisa has done it here with her latest killer. Lisa has written another stellar story with Say Goodbye. I was hooked from beginning to end, waiting for Kimberly to figure out all the clues so she can save lives, even including those of Delilah and the young abused boy who must do Kimberly harm just so they can escape the man who has so much power over them. But, Kimberly is not alone since she has many to back her up, which includes her father Pierce, and step-mother Rainie, who come to help her. It is always a treat to see these two and to finally see them so happy after many years of living under very harsh and unhappy circumstances.

Lisa keeps raising the bar for herself with this on-going series about the Quincy clan. This is not your typical run of the mill serial killer crime. What was really unique, is instead of Gardner just focusing on Kimberly, the main protagonist, the reader sees many points of views that include the serial killer, Dinchara himself and how he became what he is. Also included is the young boy he molested for years and even that of a new victim he has kidnapped. Getting into each of these characters minds brings out some heavy emotions and your heart will really tear up for all of them. You may even feel a bit of pity for Dinchara himself because he is just as much as a victim as those he stalks.

If you have an intense fear of spiders, Say Goodbye may not be the book for you. But for those are a bit stronger and don’t mind those creatures and their master who uses them to create havoc and death, I urge you to try Say Goodbye and the world of Lisa Gardner. You will have some chills and thrills you will not soon forget.

4 stars out of 5

Katiebabs (KB)

Guess That Book

Day 2 - Clue 2

He's a no-nonsense police lieutenant.

****~~**UPDATE**~~****

The book has been guessed! Jessica is this versions lucky winner. It is indeed To Die For by Linda Howard. I love this book and I've read it a number of times now. Readers seem to either love or hate Blair - but I'm in the love her camp.
Other clues would have been:

• Someone is trying to kill this heroine and her inner beach bunny
• He nearly broke her heart years ago
• She is a love or hate type heroine
• This is a rare first person book written by this prolific author
• There is a sequel to this one where someone again is trying to kill this former cheerleader
  

Blogger Spotlight

I mentioned a couple of posts back how I enjoy finding new reader blogs. When I first started almost 3 1/2 years ago, there weren't nearly as many as today. And sadly, some of those blogging when I started just aren't anymore - and I miss them.

But, while new bloggers don't replace them, I do so love finding new romance blogs. Here are some I've discovered lately. They are either new bloggers or new to me bloggers. Hopefully I don't forget any. I bookmark them and then when I remember, add them to the sidebar since I don't use a feed - I do it the old fashioned way. So if I do miss you this post - hopefully I'll catch you next time.

Cindy W of Cindy Reads Romance. I get the feeling she's really looking forward to the new Twilight movie *g*.

Alice from A Book Lover. And she does love her books. (She's with me on To Taste Temptation)

LorieLong from Everyone Needs a Spare - And she's also a Crusader!!

Anna from Anna's Book Blog - a True Blood/Stephanie Meyer fan too.

Amy from Amy's Corner of the World. She needs help with what to read next. That will make 3 Amy's when I add her blog!

Leslie from Leslie's Psyche - and didn't she just review a good book!!

And I don't think I've mentioned Naida from The Bookworm. She reads romance - plus a lot more besides!

AnimeJune of Gossamer Obsession - A brand new one I just found today

Hello to you all and I'm glad I found you!!

Hump Day Wednesday Cover Fun!

It is Wednesday, hump day. I am not a big fan of hump day because I am always wishing it was Friday. But for those who are fans, let's give a cheer because I have proclaimed today to be the best, and the "WTF?!" in hump day book covers!

I just had to start with one of my most anticipated books for 2009:
Hope's Folly by Linnea Sinclair (Bantam, Feb 24, 2009) *This is Philip's story*



Does any one think of Batman? The huge bat looks like the bat sky symbol.


Nothing says romance like a slicked oiled chest, a hawk and a tiger.


Now, where did I put my car keys? Or, I have to go to the bathroom but it is so far away!


How you doin? I tend to bulge in places I shouldn't because of the tumor on my left side.

Excuse me miss, but can I borrow this blue nightie?


Is he servicing himself??


Katiebabs (KB)

Guess That Book

Yep - time for another book giveaway. This time the book up for grabs is a signed copy of I'm In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson. DA just recently had a post about the dearth of contemporaries - well, here is a good one.







Again we've begun - here's Clue Number One

She is a successful business owner

Edward Cullen, the True Stalker Hero?

Over at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, there is quite a discussion going on about Edward Cullen, the vampire boyfriend of Bella Swan from Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Sarah finally decided to read Twilight, and eventually reviewed the book and gave it a D+ grade, which I disagree with, but hey, not every book can be agreed upon equally. :D From there, Sarah wondered what is the deal with Edward? What makes all the teenage girls and some adult women become a bit swoony about him?

The great post, What Is It About Edward, raised some interesting things about this character, from him being an alpha hero stalker because he can’t stop watching over Bella. He sleeps in her bed with her every night, awake, trying to hold back his urges for her blood, along with having some major issues mainly because he is a one-hundred plus year old virgin. (This comment about Edward being a virgin is from the actor, Robert Pattinson who will play Edward in the movie Twilight). Apparently Robert didn’t have warm fuzzy feelings for Edward. And the comment he made about Edward being a virgin makes me roll my eyes.

From my point of view, I really don’t see Edward as a stalker in any way. There have been many other heroes from romances past that could be considered more of an alpha stalker than Edward. Take Christine Feehan’s heroes for instance. I can’t help but compare one trait of Feehan’s heroes with Edward for the soul purpose that Edward and Feehan’s heroes have no feelings until they meet their one true love. Other than that, the comparison ends there because, whereas Edward is willing to tell let go of Bella or tell her to stay away from him for her own safety, Feehan’s heroes are alpha jerks, who once they meet their woman, who brings the light and color back into their lives, won’t take no for an answer. They even resort to some type of forced seduction on their part to make the heroine succumb to their way of thinking. They dazzle her with their powers and in the midst of being dazzled, the hero attacks, binding them both for all eternity, just because it is meant to be, or so says the alpha hero.

I have also come to the conclusion that Rainier vel'En Daris Feyreisen from C.L. Wilson’s Fading Lands series is another perfect example of an alpha stalker obsessed male. I am in the midst of reading King of Sword and Sky and I have to admit that Rain fits this profile perfectly. When he is first introduced in Lord of the Fading Lands, he is some sort of raging, killing cat beast who, when he sees his mate, practically scares her into submission where she must accept him. If she doesn’t, he will go insane and kill many and perhaps even die a horrible death himself. Can we a manipulative and crazed SOB? And of course when the heroine, Ellie refuses him, he is much like those Feehan heroes who won’t take no for an answer. Again, is this really what people think Edward Cullen is like?

To me, an alpha stalker hero will do their very best to make the heroine obey them with no consequences to her feelings. In the case of Edward, he may be a little creepy in the sense he can’t help but watch Bella and follow her wherever she goes, but I have to give the poor guy a break. In Meyer’s world, vampires don’t sleep during the day, or even sleep at all. Unless they meet their mate, they are bound to walk the Earth for eternity with no feelings, just the basic one, where the must feed on blood. The deal with Edward and his feelings for Bella, and visa-versa, is the moment they meet. They both have that soul mate moment. Edward begins to feel everything he felt when he was human. Now his urges are raging ten fold and unfortunately Bella is the victim of these feelings.

Many readers think Bella is one-dimensional and has no personality. When we are first introduced to Bella, she is much like Edward. Her life is boring, very ho-hum. She doesn’t care to make friends or where she lives. She is going through the every day motions expected of her. But when she meets Edward, it is like an electric shock, she in turn becomes alive because of Edward.

I can’t help but compare Edward and Bella’s romance to a fairy tale. Theirs is like The Beauty and The Beast tale. I think there is a great deal of comparison with that story and what Edward and Bella have. At first Bella is a bit wary of Edward, but soon she accepted him, warts and all, and even though she knows he may want to kill her, she is brave enough to say to him, I trust you not to hurt me. And because Edward loves Bella, he tries his best not to give in to those beastly urges and kill her.

What about those so horrible “urges” of Edward? In vampire mythology, the drinking of blood is very much a sexual thing, a euphemism for sex. What Meyer does here is give the readers both, the lust for blood and sex, something we have read many times before. Edward’s impulses first and foremost are for Bella’s blood. Bella’s, is for intimacy and sex. What I liked about Edward and Bella’s relationship is the slow build up of this intimacy and combating the desire they have for one another. We see things begin slowly between these two with simple kisses and holding hands. As thing continue to progress between them, into New Moon and Eclipse, their relationship has begun a very sexual one where at one point we see Bella straddling a shirtless Edward and there is some heavy kissing going on, and I assume heavy petting between the two, but the heavy petting is off screen so to speak. Edward still has not given into his urges for Bella even though his craving for other things like the intimacy Bella wants to share with him is stronger. Finally in Breaking Dawn we see the final outcome, which is marriage, and that is where Edward finally gives Bella what she wants. I was so amazed by how well Meyer handled their wedding night and honeymoon. Edward still must sacrifice his most essential hunger for Bella, but these two consummate their relationship that is very satisfying, at least from Bella’s point of view. Bella’s experience is one ultimate fantasy where I expected to see fireworks and stars before her eyes because it was exactly what she always dreamed it to be. As for Edward, his experience was a bit more uncomfortable because he thought he hurt Bella because of his superior strength. Of course Bella didn’t see it like this at all and soon after, Edward and she continued their honeymoon with very happy results.

With this in mind, is Edward really the alpha stalker hero some have made him out to be? He saves Bella from dangerous situations (even though she must be one of the most accident prone heroines in the history of literature), watches over her and protects her when she is vulnerable, especially in sleep, and introduces her to a world of unparallel delight. He gives her wonderful gifts, makes sure she is comfortable and sacrifices himself, allowing the hunger he has for her to remain inside even though, each day he longs to let it break free. He denies himself of her love and punishes himself because he thinks he is not worthy. He wants Bella to have a life filled with joy and happiness and knows that if he continues to be in her life, she may not have that, but still because she wants him, he gives her what she wants most, himself, damaged in some ways even though he may seem to be the perfect package on the outside.

Is this truly an example of an alpha stalker? So, what’s your example of a stalker hero? Does Edward really fit the profile? Can you think of any other heroes in romance that tend to be on the alpha stalker side?

Katiebabs (KB)

What I read on my summer vacation - Part 2

See - I told you I was busy reading. These are the other 2 books I read while on my summer vacation at the cottage.

How to Loose and Extraterrestrial in 10 days by Susan Grant

Why This One: Susan Grant is an autobuy author for me - has been for ages

Steam Level: Oh this one is nice and steamy

Author Website Blurb:

Question: Where's the best place to hide an interstellar fugitive? Answer: Suburbia

His internal computers are offline, his former employers want him dead and the Men in Black are after him. Without his cyberpowers, Reef is as weak as a lowly Earthling. He's tried to kill every human he's met--so why on Earth would they help him?

Evie Holloway needs a bodyguard! Her fledgling chocolate business is mistaken as a money-laundering scheme for the mob and the bullets have started flying. But does the suburban soccer mom really want to shelter the alien hit man who almost offed her future brother-in-law?

She is desperate, and Reef is incredibly sexy. "Ten Days," she tells him--but it turns out that ten days just might be long enough to spark a love that's truly out of this world.

My Thoughts: As I said, Ms. Grant has been an autobuy author for a while now and I have her entire back list except for her anthologies. This is the third book in a series. Number one is Your Planet or Mine. Number two is My Favourite Earthling.

I hate to be less than positive about this book - I really do - but it's not really my favourite. There's no question it has a lot going for it. I adored Reef. He was stolen from his family on a rather primitive planet and had his memory wiped and turned into a ruthless, souless part cyborg assassin. When he is cut off from his internal computers, he is like a lost soul who has to start almost all over again. And he suffers great stress as he slowly recovers his humanity. And being as he has been a cyborg assassin for most of his his life, he's one of those yummy virgin heroes so many of us like.

So Reef gets a BIG thumbs up, 5 star marks from me in hero material. The not so good part comes in the form of the heroine. I found Evie to be a bit on the whiny, indecisive TSTL side . Her family is high up in government circles but she has always shunned this aspect of the family, deciding instead to try and live a normal life. She's a divorced woman with the proverbial jerk of an ex. Try as I might, I couldn't really relate to her issues or really warm up to her. I couldn't help thinking Reef deserved someone with more backbone then Evie who was willing to give up her dreams for rather wishy washy reasons.

I don't know if the other issues I have will make any sense or not - probably not. But when I read SciFi or Futuristic romance, I prefer to have them take place in other worlds or galaxies. There is this whole Rah, Rah, isn't Earth great tone to a number of the stories that take place here and to be honest, when compared to some of the planets and worlds in this genre, Earth isn't that great a place. Because Earth is involved, it's harder to enjoy the escapism that is this genre and taking world politics into consideration, this is one fucked up planet. If I were an alien world, looking down at all the crap that goes on, I'd steer far away and look for a better, less screwed up place to visit. I find the whole patriotism thing for Earth annoying.

Does that make sense to anyone? *sigh* probably not.

All that makes this one a hard one to grade. The writing is good. The hero is EXCELLENT. The heroine isn't so good. And I had problems with the setting and the whole nationalism thing.

Grade: I'll give this one a 3.5 out of 5.

Killer Charms by Marianne Stillings

Why this one: I adored the previous two in the series

Steam Level: Nice and hot!

Author Website Blurb:

If he could really see the future, he’d know that Andie Darling always gets her man.

Logan Sinclair is nothing but a fraud - or at least that’s what Inspector Andie Darling, undercover detective on the streets of San Francisco, is determined to prove. Sure, the sexy Scotsman may claim to be clairvoyant, but Andie’s never believed in second sight (or love at first sight, for that matter). So why does his sweet talk turn her into a lovestruck fool?

Getting the goods on the elusive con man would get Andie out of boring Vice and into Homicide, yet all she can think about is getting into Logan’s arms. But juggling her job and her heart leaves her with little time to protect herself from a killer hot on her heels, or deal with the hypnotic dreams she’s been having of a time long past.

Logan would love to help Andie solve both mysteries, but charm and clairvoyance might not be enough to save her now . . .

My Thoughts: This is the third book and is Andie's story. She is the sister of the heroes in Arousing Suspicions and Satisfaction. While I enjoyed it, I didn't find it quite as charming and quirky as I did the first two books. Neither the hero or heroine seemed to come quite as alive as those in the previous books. When Andie was put on the case, there didn't seem to be any real good reason for going after Logan. And without a believable premise to start with, there was something just a tad off about the whole book. Later on in the story she allows herself to be blackmailed and rather than going to her brothers to help her, she goes along with the blackmailer. I never have sympathy with characters who allow this to happen so I found that a bit bothersome.

And Logan seemed to be rather underdeveloped as a hero. I know that it was done purposely because he had secrets that he needed to keep. But that kept us from really knowing him as a character. And the trademark funny moments that Ms. Stillings has in her books weren't as apparent in this one. I think I've mentioned that I read her first book and while it had a lot of potential, it didn't really work for me. When I read Arousing Suspicions and Satisfaction she seemed to have reached that potential I saw. Sadly, for me, Killer Charms is a slight step back. Despite that though, I do look forward to her next book and hope she's back on top again.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Here's a bit of trivia you did not know about me

Also could be titled

Playing on YouTube again

This song was playing on the radio when I got my first French Kiss. I would have been around 17 and I've loved the song ever since.
(And the kiss was a gooooooood one.)

Second Chance for a good book!!

Jessica of Racy Romance Reviews - a great new blog I recently discovered (I love when that happens) is giving away her copy of Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves.

As I loved this one myself, here's another chance to get a copy!!

Another Recent Read

I'm just churning them out aren't I?

Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh

Why this one: I’ve read and really enjoyed to one degree or another her previous Pys/Changeling series

Steam Level: Woah – better be careful – this one can burn you

Author Web site Blurb: Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy--cool, calm, emotionless...at least on the surface. Inside, she's fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper's embrace.

DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard's rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian's agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules...

My Thoughts: As I said up above, I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series – some more than others. I gotta say that so far this one is my favourite. It is REALLY good!

So – what makes it so good you ask?

Well first off the hero Dorian is great. Although a sentinel in the Cat Clan, he has never been able to ‘change’. Although this is hard for him to accept, he has and in doing so, has made himself better in all other areas. He is still reeling from the loss of his beloved sister and is horrified that he is strongly attracted to a Psy – and not only a Psy – but one who has been a member of the hated Council. At first he is almost cruel to Ashaya after he saves her and is made her guardian, but Ms. Singh writes his character so well, that we don’t really blame him for his treatment of her. He still manages to be charming with her at times. He makes for a wonderful wounded hero who is really thrown for a loop. But once he accepts his feeling for her, he is all alpha protective of both her and her son.

Secondly Ashaya is a great heroine. She never really fell victim to The Silence – something that all Psy’s are forced to partake of in their youth. She is a very complicated character and Ms. Singh unveils all her fascinating layers slowly until we see the vulnerable, strong rebel underneath – the woman who has had to hide her basic nature all her life. She is very loyal to those she loves including her psychotic and truly frightening twin sister.

The suspense with it’s twists and turns in this book build upon themselves and it got to the point where I could hardly bare to put it down as Ashaya is torn between her growing and passionate love for Dorian and her loyalty to her sister, twisted and broken as her sister is. As we progress in this series, we see that there is so much going on in this fascinating world that Nalini Singh has created.

If you haven't tried this series or this book, you really must. While I'm still a bit confused about the Psy Net, as long as I don't struggle too hard to understand it, this is a wonderful series. It gets a hearty Thumbs Up from this reader!!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

What I read on my summer vacation - Part 1

I'm late getting around to this but better late than never.

These are just three of the books I read while up at the cottage.

Trial by Fire by Jo Davis

Why this one: I read a couple of good reviews and it sounded interesting.

Steam Level: This one is going to burn you but good!!

Amazon Blurb: Lieutenant Howard “Six- Pack” Paxton loves three things: being a firefighter, riding his Harley, and his bachelorhood. That is, until the curvaceous Kat McKenna falls into his arms at the scene of a fire—and melts the six-foot-six tower of bronze muscle… But just as passion ignites between them—and they explore new heights of ecstasy—a ruthless arsonist with a deadly secret and a thirst for vengeance becomes their worst nightmare.

My Thoughts: This one has gotten good reviews from other bloggers. I'm glad of this because alas it's not going to get a glowing one from me.
First off, the shallow me can just not accept a hero with the name Howard - now way, no how. I know, I know, I can be shallow. But for me the name Howard is not a good name for a romance hero.
Second, the introduction between Howard and Kat seemed a bit off to me. They met while his fire team responded to a fire at her parents neighbours home, but is seemed that they spent more time flirting with each other then being concerned about the fire and what else was there. There was a body discovered but that fact almost seemed brushed off.
Then later in the story, it turns out that Howard was being targeted by some villain and through him, Kat was also in danger. So his solution was to have her stay with him. That just struck me as crazy - let's bring our heroine right into the circle of harm.
And I couldn't quite figure Howard out. At times he seemed pretty Alpha, then switched to Beta. I'm not sure if there is a combo of both or not but if there is, he would fall into it.
Howard had a tragic childhood and it really affected him in adulthood. I couldn't help but think that he probably need counseling - and a lot of it.
Now for the good news. The love scenes. Smokin' hawt. Although there was one back door scene that made me somewhat uncomfortable but then that's me.
Howard was a fairly well written hero except for the above mentioned quirks. And Kat - she was a great heroine. She wasn't pencil thin and she was just fine with that. Excersicing and dieting were hot on the top of her priority list and that was quite refeshing.
On a final note, these are a bunch of messed up firefighters - head wise - but I'm more than willing to read the next one in the series. I think she is a new author so I'm willing to gamble on her again. She has a lot of potential and besides, Stacy, Kate and Kaitlin all love this book.

Grade: 3 out of 5


Flashback by Jill Shalvis

Why this one: I've really enjoyed 99% of her books and since I was looking to read a few books while I was off, this one suited just fine.

Steam Level: Not enough to start a fire, but good enough for me

Amazon Blurb: Firefighter Aidan Donnelly has always battled the flames with trademark icy calm. That is, until a blazing old flame returns—in the shape of sizzling soap star Mackenzie Stafford! Aidan wants to pour water over the unquenchable heat between them. But that just creates more steam….Kenzie is not the delicate, fragile female she looks like. She has one clear objective, and nothing will stand in the way of her goal—well, nothing but the red-hot touch of a certain dangerously sexy fireman, that is!

My thoughts: It seems I went on a mini firefighter kick doesn't it? Two in one week. This is the second in a series and I meant to bring the first one since I have both but picked up the wrong one by mistake. It's a good thing I don't mind reading out of order.
I liked this one much better than Trial by Fire. Aidan (a much better name than Howard) and Kenzie had a past. She was the younger sister of a good friend of his and they had one night of passion and then she never heard from him again.
Again, as in TBF, they run into each other when he is responding to a call. He saves her from being destroyed by a bomb on a boat owned by her presumed dead brother who was accused of being an arsonist. She has come back to town to find the real truth about her brother. Aidan was quite convincing when he apologized and said how bad he felt for hurting Kenzie – which made him quite acceptable. Now I have to go through my tons of books and look up the first one in this series.

I really enjoy her books and look forward to the 3 or 4 I have by her in the TBR pile

Grade: 4 out of 5



Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery

Why this one: She is an up and down author for me. When she is up she is really good -but when she isn't - sigh - it's not pretty

Steam Level: To be honest, I don't really remember

Amazon Blurb: Is there anything sweeter than a first love?
Don't ask Claire Keyes. The twenty-eight-year-old piano prodigy has never had a regular boyfriend, much less a real romance. Her music career has left little room for friends or family—which is just part of the reason she hasn't seen the family bakery or her two sisters in years.
But now Nicole is sick, and Jesse is AWOL. Despite the fact that Claire can't boil water, she's determined to play caretaker. Connecting with her sisters tops her to-do list…along with falling in love, or at least in lust, for the first time.Ruggedly sexy Wyatt just might fit the bill. Although he keeps saying that he and Claire come from entirely different worlds, he lights up hotter than a bakery oven whenever Claire is near. If this keeps up, she just might sweet—talk him into her bed…and her life.

My Thoughts: Gads I hate saying this about a book, but for me, this one was just plain bad. And what was bad about it you ask? Um…. Everything.
Claire was one of those doormat type heroines who just scream ‘beat me!’ She’d been taken from her family when she was very young as she was a young piano protégé. When her youngest sister calls to ask her to come back to help her other sister she can’t seem to get there fast enough – only to be treated like dirt by her sister and her good buddy Wyatt. Yet sweet, ‘beat me’ Claire keeps coming back for more abuse by the two of them. And if that weren’t enough, she suffers abuse at the hands of Nicole’s employees. I just couldn’t understand her reasoning at all.
And Wyatt – what a prize her was. Not. He was a grade A asshole. At first he’s just as nasty to ‘beat me’ Claire as Nicole. Then he decides he wants to snog her. And once he does, he’s ready to let her go onto someone else. What a prince. Then of course he decides almost out of the blue that he loves her. I don’t know why Claire cared about either her mean spirited sister or Mr. Jerk Wyatt.
Claire is the definite stereotyp 'virgin' herione we all love to hate. I rolled my eyes a number of places at her unbelievable naiveté.
I have the next book in this series and hopefully it will be a better one. I'm not sure when I'll get around to reading it since this one was such a disappointment. It's a shame because some of my favourite books are written by this author

Grade: 2.5 out of 5

~~~~****~~~~

And in other news........... Kate emailed me yesterday with some awesome news!! It seems Ramblings on Romance, etc. has been nominated for one of the "Most Chatty" blogs for the Book Blogger Appreciation Week run by My Friend Amy!!! What a thrill I got when she told me that!!
A BIG THANKS to whoever it was who nominated us - and thanks to whoever votes for us *big grin*
Since I tend to ramble - it broke me up that we were nominated in that category.

Sweetheart Book Review

When Chelsea Cain arrived on the scene last year with her serial killer suspense novel, Heartsick, I was fascinated because many were comparing Cain to Thomas Harris, mainly because of her character, Gretchen Lowell, a.k.a. The Beauty Killer. Just like Harris’s Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Gretchen is an amoral killer with no motivation, but has the sparkling personality that make most fall under her spell. In the case of Lecter, he fell for FBI agent, Clarice Starling, and she in turn, for his superior genius mind. Gretchen is fixated on Portland, Oregon detective, Archie Sheridan because he survived ten days of truly horrific torture by her hand. Gretchen made Archie drink drain cleaner and gutted him among other things. She expected him to die, but he didn't. Because of what Archie went though, he can’t get her out of his head to the point that his sick fascination with Gretchen is more than just a major case of Stockholm Syndrome.

Archie and Gretchen’s relationship is disturbing and morbid, and Cain pushes it up a notch in the sequel, Sweetheart. Trying to figure out why these two are so stuck on each other is the fun in reading. They are each other nemesis, the ultimate good and evil battling over each other souls. They know each other, oh so well, much like lovers, which in a way they very much are, at least in their minds. They are each other’s poison as well as breathing life into one another. You know those people who cut themselves and get off watching them bleed? That is the closest comparison I can say about what Gretchen is to Archie. She is his knife that delivers both immense pain along with such incredible pleasure. Sick right? And even though this is not a romance in any sense of the word, both Archie and Gretchen’s relationship is one of the most captivating ones I have read in recent memory, even bypassing Lecter and Starling’s.

In Sweetheart, Archie is trying to recover from his wounds, but he can't stop the medication, drinking and his obsessive thinking about Gretchen, who is safely locked away in prison for the rest of her life. Archie is trying very hard to regain his life by moving back home with his ex-wife and children, along with going to therapy to get the help he deserves. But Archie has a dirty little secret- Gretchen is always on his mind. There is another case that Archie is called upon to investigate. A dead body of a woman is found, mangled beyond belief. As Archie works to find the killer, there is more to this case that meets the eye, and again, it may have to do with Gretchen. Archie can’t help it, but he needs to see Gretchen. He can hardly survive the constant pain he is in and his friends and family no longer know who he is. His wife is at her wits end and Archie’s partner and co-workers think he is going off the deep end. And then the unthinkable happens; Gretchen escapes from prison. You would think Archie would high tail it out of Dodge with his family, but no. Archie now feels more alive than he has in a very long time because he knows Gretchen is out there, waiting for him. He prays that Gretchen will find him so he will be given a chance to try and break free from this madness he feels for her.

Can I say how much I hated Gretchen? She is lethal and beautiful and is so manipulative. And because of this, Cain must have had a ball writing a character such as her. She is so deranged, and we have no clue why, because we don’t know what made her into this type of killer. And that makes her even more baffling. Does she really care for Archie or is she acting, waiting for the right moment to finish Archie off, because he is the only person to ever get away from her? Gretchen still has a hold over Archie and because of that, she has actually has won. She owns Archie in every sense. There is also a major, “OMG, how could Cain write that?” event that takes place between the two. Cain takes things between these two one step further, and you will not believe the other major revelation that comes out of left field. You get two for the price of one here! I did feel it was a bit of a slap in the face to the readers because it changes the dynamics of what Gretchen and Archie have together. I also think it is a set up of things to come in the third novel, which is slated to be released late next year. This twist may change your sympathetic feelings for Archie and make you want to take out Gretchen yourself. But, this showdown between Archie and Gretchen is eminent and one that you will not one to miss.

Sweetheart gave me some shocks, along with being appalled as well as being thrown for a few loops. Keep in mind that Sweetheart is not the type of book for everyone because it is very, very disturbing especially what goes on between Gretchen and Archie. If Sweetheart was a horror movie, I would be covering my eyes, peeking in between my fingers afraid to see what happens next. But, I would sit there hungry for more trying not to cover my eyes and scream. (St. Martins, September 2008)

3 ½ stars out of 5 stars

Katiebabs (KB)

His Captive Lady Winners!

I have the three winners who were lucky to win a copy of Anne Gracie's September release, His Captive Lady!

Ann M
Kat
Maered

Congrats on winning this awesome book! Just send me your mailing address to my email at:
KatiebabsgATgmailDOTcom

Katiebabs (KB) :D

My Guest Review at Tracy's Place!

Stop over at Tracy's Place where I have a guest review posted of Susan Johnson's Hot Property. Remember that book I mentioned where the hero strangles and tries to kill the heroine during sex? That's the one! Want to see what I had to say?
*Insert evil laugh here*

Katiebabs (KB)

Guess That Book

It's me - Clue #3

He invites her to stay with him on his property while she does research for her latest book.

~~*******UPDATE*******~~

I just checked me email and this is what I saw

Dear Kristie,

I don't know if it's allowed to enter via email but my internet refuses to cooperate and let me post a comment directly. I think it's all the hurricanes over my head, LOL!

So if I can submit through here: In the midnight rain by Ruth Wind. One of my keepers! I just feel like that's it.

Arielle, crossing fingers (and toes and eyes)

And guess what?



Ding Ding Ding Ding!!!! Arielle got it right!!
It is indeed In The Midnight Rain by Ruth Wind

Looking For The Past...

Ellie Connor is a biographer with a special talent for piecing together fragments of the past.Her latest project, though, promises to be her most challenging--and personal.Not only is she researching the life of a blues singer who disappeared mysteriously forty years ago, but Ellie is also trying to find the truth about the parents she never knew.The love child of a restless woman who died young and an anonymous father, Ellie has little to go on but a faded postcard her mother sent from a small East Texas town--the hometown of her latest subject.

Could Mean Finding Her Future

It is there that Ellie meets Blue Reynard, a man with deep roots and wide connections who may help her find answers.With a piercing gaze and cool grin, Blue is as sultry and seductive as the Southern night air.Beneath his charming surface, however, lies a soul damaged by loss.Despite her better judgment, Ellie finds herself irresistibly drawn to Blue’s passion--and his pain.But Ellie’s been lured by sweet talk and hot kisses before.How can she possibly stay with blue when every instinct tells her to run?

This is also one of my all time favourite romances and most definitely a keeper. If you haven't read, I HIGHLY recommend it!

And just 'cause I already thought them up, here are the rest of the clues.

• She is visiting his town to write a biography on a blues singer that was last heard from in over 40 years ago.
• He falls for the heroine but is afraid because of what he's already lost
• The author also writes for Harlequin and still writes single title books but under a different name.
• She wrote some excellent historicals in the 90's under the name Barbara Samuel

If we got to the last clue I figured someone would have guessed for sure *g*

Congratulations Arielle. Email me with your address.

Old age and loss of memory

I've started getting more and more impatient for new releases the past couple of months so I've been ordering on line lately. There seems to be a problem with this however. It seems I've been forgetting what I ordered and ordered it again. In the past few weeks with them starting to come in, I've found my self with:

3 copies of The Price of Desire by Jo Goodman. Two I ordered online and one I bought in the store. D'oh



2 copies of The Storm by Jean Johnson. Then a little elf sent me a copy so I have 3.



2 copies of Sweet Spot by Susan Mallery



2 copies of The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter




Now after discovering all these duplicates, I had a bit of a quandry - what should I do with them? I thought I could give them away - but then there is a limit to what I'll give away (and speaking of which - not to worry - I still have quite a few I got in SF).
I'm not really good at sending things back in the mail. I had an outstanding parking ticket I got back in April that I didn't get around to mailing. And it's a pain in the neck going down to pay it in person.
But then I was checking into the Chapters online site and they said I could return it to the store itself as long as I had the receipt.

SCORE!!!!! Being a pack rat, I keep all kinds of stuff and I still have the boxes not even opened yet. And I don't even care if they don't give me money back but a credit instead. 'Cause you have to know I'm going to be spending more money there.

And speaking of being forgetful, I kind of forgot to renew my license stickers too. I was supposed to have them on the car by August 11, but between going to San Francisco, being sick, being super busy at work and then going on another vacation, it kind of slipped my mind. Then of course I panicked - not an unusual reaction for me. I couldn't find my liability slip, I couldn't find the emissions test I had done (at least I had that done in May!).
Luckily all the stars aligned though. I managed to find the emissions slip. I called my insurance broker and she emailed me a copy of the liability slip - I tell you even though it scares the heck out of me, you gotta love technology. And best of all, there was a Ministry of Transportation outlet only a couple of blocks from where I work. So I went over at lunch to get it taken care of. I went for the option of a two year license sticker and I had to pay off that outstanding parking ticket so it was a bit more than if I did things normally. But still it was kind of nice feeling as I drove back to work knowing I got myself out of a jam of my own creation.
But I wonder sometimes if I'm the only one who forgets things like books they already had and got duplicates(or triplicates).
Does anyone else forget the routine kind of thing you do once a year or once a month or whatever?

Things I ponder on a hot summer night.

Guess That Book

For you - Clue #2

The hero and heroine had an online relationship before they met in person.

Tempted by the Night and His Captive Lady Reviews **CONTEST**

Elizabeth Boyle's latest historical, Tempted by the Night is a bit deceiving, especially by the cover. You would think this is a straight up historical romance. That is not the case. This is a historical paranormal romance and the next book in her Marlowe series about a very eccentric family who barely has any money and a mother who makes her children’s lives a bit crazy. Tempted by the Night is about Hermione Marlowe, the sister of Sebastian, who was the hero in His Mistress by Morning. If you read His Mistress by Morning, then you know about a magic ring that is being tossed around. Anyone who wears the ring and makes a wish, that wish will come true. Hermione is the lucky girl this time to be in possession of the ring. Herimone or Minny as she is called by her friends and family has it bad for Thomas, the Earl of Rockhurst. He doesn’t even know she is alive and Herimone is so far gone over the man she can hardly speak when she sees him. All she can do is moon over the handsome Earl and say, “Jiminy!” too many times to count. Yup, she is one of those heroines that has an annoying catch phrase.

Herimone wishes she was an invisible phantom from sunset to sunrise so she could follow Rockhurst around and find out all of his secrets. And guess what happens? Her wish comes true. Now poor Minny is invisible the moment the sun sets. This gives her the perfect reason to stalk Rochurst. And as she watches Rockhurst, who has a habit of going out late at night, she expects him to drink and whore the night away like most of the gentlemen of his ilk. Instead Rockhurst is on a special mission. He is known as the Paratus, a title passed down from his family from generation to generation. He must defeat the evil specter that is called Melaphor, who comes from another dimension and is killing people. Rockhurst, a.k.a. the Paratus must try and stop Melaphor from his reign of terror and either kill him or force him back to where he came from. But these two are equal in their abilities to stop one another and can never defeat the other. That is until, Rockhurst realizes he has a shadow, an invisible woman who tries to defend him.

This is where the story gets a little strange. Rockhurst is fine with some invisible London miss following him wherever he goes even though she won’t say who she is. Herimone is afraid that if Rockhurst finds out who she is, he will run the other way and be disgusted with her. These two have actual conversations while Herimone is invisible. And the kicker? Rockhurst proceeds to have sex with Herimone many times while she is invisible and nameless, only calling her his Shadow. Some have raised the all important question whether Rockhurst can aim or see certain parts of his involved in the actual act since Herimone is invisible during it. Boyle solves this dilemma by having Rockhurst close his eyes. Apparently his skills go beyond just fighting forces of evil. He is quite skilled at having sex with an invisible partner.

If you can put all that aside, Tempted by the Night is actually a fun read, mainly because of the antics of the invisible super girl that is Herimone. For laughs and some interesting invisible action, try Tempted by the Night. (Avon, September 2008)

3 stars out of 5 stars

Anne Gracie’s His Captive Lady was such a wonderful read! I adore all of Anne’s books and she is one of my favorite historical romance authors. Her latest may not have an invisible women running around causing problems, but there is a young woman who must find her missing baby stolen by her father. Helen Freymore reminded me so much of Tess Durbeyfield from the Thomas Hardy classic, Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Poor Helen has been through so much. Not only was she raped by a former associate of her father’s, but her infant daughter, who she loves more than her own life, is taken away from the one person she always looked up to. Now with her father dead and gone and her home auctioned away because of his debt, Helen has a choice to either give into despair or rise above it all, find work and continue looking for her missing daughter.

The first time Harry Morant notices Helen, he thinks of her as a, “drowning Madonna” because Helen is stuck in the rain looking up at the sky in awe. From the moment on, Harry decides to help Helen in any way he can even though she doesn’t want his help. Harry falls hard for the somewhat naïve yet tenacious Helen. Harry wants to marry her, to take care of her and make sure there is no more sadness or tears in her eyes. For some reason that Harry cannot understand, Helen won’t let him help her. She thinks she is not good enough for Harry because of what has happened to her. Why would a man like Harry want a damaged woman with an illegitimate daughter like herself when he can have any woman he wants?

Harry is able to bring Helen around to his way of thinking, mainly by kissing her into submission. And when Helen finally tells Harry what she has been through, Harry rises in my opinion as one of my favorite heroes this year. Harry is a simple man, with simple needs. When he sees Helen, he can’t get her out of his mind. She may not be, “beautiful, nor voluptuously built, and she certainly employs no arts to attract. But he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.” I love when the hero falls for the heroine just because he finds something special about her to him. She is not a raving beauty or is intelligent to the point she can give the hero a good argument. Helen is the complete opposite of most heroines I have read lately. When first introduced to Helen I found her a bit off, perhaps a bit slow in her thinking. But instead, I see her as a fragile little bird, much like a sparrow who may not survive in the worst of situations but is still strong enough not to succumb to defeat. Helen certainly doesn’t succumb to the odds against her and once Harry is in her corner, things begin to look up.

Anne Gracie builds up sexual tension quite well between this couple, because sex is not a quick answer, especially because of what has happened to Helen. Harry is understanding and so very noble. He is a tad tortured in his thinking because he doesn’t think he deserves love, but when Helen admits her love for him without one word from him in return, those love scenes almost brought a tear to my eye. His Captive Lady is sweet, endearing and an overall lovely read. If there is one historical romance you read this fall season, it should be His Captive Lady (Berkley, September 2008).

4 stars out of 5 stars

Haven't had the chance to read an Anne Gracie novel? Well here is your chance! I am giving away 3 copies of His Captive Lady. In order to have your chance to win, just comment here about either Tempted By the Night or His Captive Lady. You have till Thursday to win!

Katiebabs (KB)

Guess That Book!

After a brief hiatus where I enjoyed reading for a week but no internet, then came back and had to work the long weekend, Guess That Book is back again.

This book giveaway, Hot Wheels and High Heels by Jane Graves, is one I really enjoyed. When I was in San Francisco I asked the author if she would mind if I gave it away and she was delighted when I asked her and gave me this one as well as her newest release which will be another give away.
I'd love for more readers to discover this author and what better way then to get a freebie.


Now it's time to Guess That Book

We've now begun - Clue Number one

She's a writer of biographies

Hot Cover Alert! **Keri Arthur**

Are you a fan of Keri Arthur? NEW BOOK ALERT!

Coming October 28th:

Destiny Kills (Myth and Magic Series #1)

"When Destiny McCree wakes up beside a dead man on an Oregon beach, she knows only this: she has to keep moving, keep searching, and keep one step ahead of the forces that have been pursuing her from the heart of Scotland to this isolated spot. Why? The death of her lover has left her alone, with little memory of her past. A glimmering serpent-shaped ring is the one clue she has—and a bargaining chip in a most dangerous game…Enter Trae Wilson, a master thief with a sexy, knowing grin and a secret agenda of his own. Destiny and Trae both have powers far beyond the human—and both are running for their lives. Together they’re riding a tide of danger, magic and lust…but with killers stalking their every move, they must use any means necessary, even each other, to survive—until the shocking secret of one woman’s destiny finally unravels…"

Katiebabs (KB)