2014 – Book #65

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Guinevere Jones series, Romantic suspense by rebeccabook17

The sixty-fifth book I read in 2014 was The Desperate Game by Jayne Castle. This is the first book in the Guinevere Jones series by this author. I finished this book on 8/2/14. I rated this book 3.75 stars out of a scale of 5. This book introduces us to Guinevere Jones, the owner of a small-business temp agency. While covering one of her assignments, she encounters a man named Zac Justis, who she discovers has been looking for her.

Zac has been hired to get to the bottom of some equipment shipment thefts that were discovered due to a new inventory computer program. Starr Enterprises is Zac’s first big client of his brand new investigation/consulting firm and he wants to make sure this customer walks away happy. He decides to use Gwen to infiltrate the computer programming division of Starr Enterprises and find out who is behind the thefts.

Gwen’s not thrilled about being blackmailed into helping Zac, but what forms as a result is an unlikely alliance. But after Zac begins to doubt whether Gwen is actually involved in the thefts. Gwen is hurt by Zac’s accusations and sets out to prove him wrong.

This was a really a very good story. It was well-paced and the plot was interesting. I very much liked the heroine, but i did find the hero to be a little heavy-handed. Since this story was originally published in 1986, the alpha-male character is a little different than those of today. For instance, at one point in the story the hero knocks the heroine over the back of the head (thinking she is someone else) and the heroine never brings this up later on and the hero never even apologizes. I found this to be an issue. Other than that though I did enjoy the book!

Link to author website: http://jayneannkrentz.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Desperate-Game-Guinevere-Jones-Book-ebook/dp/B007P7HZFE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407032368&sr=8-1&keywords=the+desperate+game

30Jul2014

2014 – Book #63

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Fairy Tales series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

The sixty-third book I read in 2014 was the novella Storming the Castle by Eloisa James. This novella is book 1.5 in the Fairy Tales series by this author. I finished this book on 7/29/14. I rated this book 3.5 stars out of a scale of 5. This book tells the story of Jonas Berwick (illegitimate brother of Prince Gabriel from book #1 in the series A Kiss at Midnight) and Miss Philippa Damson.

Phillipa is betrothed to a man that she realizes is just awful. Fleeing the confines of her betrothal, she finds freedom at Pomeroy Castle where she becomes a nursemaid to Princess Kate’s newborn son, little Jonas. The baby cries and cries and looks so sickly that everyone in the castle is worried he will soon die. Phillipa recognizes these symptoms to be from colic due to the knowledge she gained while helping her uncle. Phillipa helps Kate and Gabriel bring their son back to good health, all the while becoming more and more infatuated with the castle’s majordomo, Wick.

Jonas Berwick has always been treated as part of the royal family even though he is really only the bastard son of Gabriel’s father. Now that he is living in England and has become a servant to his brother (by choice) he can not offer for Miss Phillipa’s hand in marriage without bringing her down to the level of a servant as well. So he must formulate a way to be more than just a servant so he can spend the rest of his life with her.

Overall this novella was ok. I was very interested in hearing Wick’s story after being introduced to his character in the first book in the series and it was a quick read. It only ended up being about 125 pages and was well-paced for the length. While some of the plot was a bit choppy to accomodate a faster paced, it was a sweet story and a good addition to the series.

Link to other novels in the Fairy Tales series: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/fairy-tales-series/

Link to author website: http://eloisajames.com/index.php

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Storming-Castle-Original-Short-Content-ebook/dp/B00486UF6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406749186&sr=8-1&keywords=storming+the+castle

29Jul2014

2014 – Book #62

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Full series, Romantic suspense by rebeccabook17

The sixty-second book I read in 2014 was Full Bloom by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes. This is the fifth book in their “Full” series. I finished this book on 7/29/14 (partly due to the parking lot that was Highway 84 W traffic this morning). I rated this book 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5. This book is about small-town B&B homeowner Annie Fortenberry. Annie is extremely stressed out due to the high-profile upcoming wedding being held at the eccentric B&B she inherited from her grandmother. The last thing she needs to add to her to do list is clear herself of murder charges!

Wes Parker shows up at Annie’s B&B to try and find out what happened to Annie’s missing husband. And it takes Wes all of 5 minutes to realize that Annie couldn’t have murdered anybody. After the gardener finds Annie’s husband’s body buried out by the carriage house though, the police turn they’re eyes towards Annie. Wes has to figure out who actually murdered Charles before Annie gets put away for a crime she didn’t commit.

Overall this was an ok book. It was funny, witty, and a quick read but I thought that the ending could’ve been better. There wasn’t really a villain in the end, the killer turned out to be someone we already knew and honestly liked. I felt like it would’ve been better with a real villain in the end. And whatever happened to all the side characters? Many of their stories were left open, like Norm and Donna Schaefer’s. And I thought it was a little weird that Wes got there so fast after Annie called him. So while I thought the ending could’ve gone a little better, the book overall was a quick and entertaining read.

Link to author website: http://www.evanovich.com/

Link to “Full” series page: http://www.evanovich.com/novels/romance-novels/co-authored-romance-novels/charlotte-hughes/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Full-Bloom-Janet-Evanovich/dp/0312934300/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1406652406&sr=8-1

28Jul2014

2014 – Book #61

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Fairy Tales series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

The sixty-first book I read in 2014 was A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James. This is the first book in the Fairy Tales series by this author. I finished this book on 7/28/14 (just past midnight). I rated this book 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5. This book tells the story of a girl named Katherine Daltry. Kate has lived practically as a servant in her own household ever since her father died and left her step-mother as her legal guardian. Kate has been managing multiple pieces of her father’s estate on her own for the last few years, as her step-mother has a tendency to fire most of the servants on the estate.

Prince Gabriel bundled up all the people who were thrown out of his country by his over-zealous religious brother and brought them all to his castle in England. The only problem with this is that now he has to find a way to pay and support this horde of family and friends. While the income from the estate will fund the castle’s needs in future years, the estate won’t make any income for the first year. Therefore the prince decides he must wed a wealthy heiress in order to care for the people living under his roof. When Kate arrives at the castle for the ball that is to be held in a few days time, Gabriel has a princess on her way from Russia with a significant dowry.

Kate ends up taking her sister’s place at the Prince’s betrothal ball through a twist of Fate, but she must attend while posing to be her step-sister Victoria, along with Victoria’s fiancee Algie. The whole thing reminded me slightly of a comedy of errors and it was very entertaining and funny. Once the prince figures out that Kate is.. well Kate and not Victoria, he begins to pursue her in earnest even though he is betrothed to a Russian princess.

Overall I thought this was a great book and I look forward to reading more books in this series. As Kate goes through the story she realizes she has many people she can consider family who support her. The story was very sweet and also was interesting.

Link to author website: http://www.eloisajames.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-at-Midnight-Eloisa-James/dp/0062232568/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1406561491&sr=8-1

25Jul2014

2014 – Book #60

Posted in Book reviews, Contemporary romance by rebeccabook17

The past couple days have been a very difficult time for me. I find most that when I am working my way through a difficult time, I tend to turn to the escape of fiction more than I might at other times. There has been something inherently soothing today and yesterday about reading beside my grandfather’s bed as I struggle to say goodbye to him. And while this may not have been the best book I’ve ever read, I am profoundly grateful that for a few moments of time I can escape to a place where there is no pain, no sadness, and only happy endings. And as this was the book that I am meeting my goal with for the year, I can’t think of a better person to share this with than my Pop-pop. So I hereby dedicate the following blog post and my accomplishment of meeting my 60 book goal for 2014 to a man who watched over and cared for me my whole life, Henry Barnum.

The sixtieth book I read in 2014 was Black Ties and Lullabies by Jane Graves. I finished this book on 7/25/14. I rated this book 3.0 stars out of a scale of 5. This book was about Bernadette Hogan, body-guard extraordinaire, and her current employer, multimillionaire Jeremy Bridges. Jeremy grew up in the slums and now that he is successful he allows himself every comfort and luxury possible. Bernadette on the other hand scrimps and saves to be able to take care of her aging mother. As his bodyguard, Bernie watches for years as Jeremy works his way through all the blonde starlets and models that life has to offer.

But on one evening Bernie decides she has had enough of trying to protect Jeremy’s life and quits. The argument and the flaring passion that ensue are unexpected and unplanned, as is the pregnancy that follows. At first Bernie decides she wants Jeremy to have nothing to do with their child, but as the weeks progress and Jeremy shows her how much this child and her both mean to him, she begins to think that maybe she was wrong about Jeremy after all.

Overall I didn’t love this book. I have liked the other books I have read by this author but this one I just couldn’t connect with. A millionaire sweeps in and says he’s just going to take away all your problems? How often does that actually happen?? And while it might be more realistic, both of the main characters had some serious insecurities that they needed to work on. That being said, it was a fairly good story and I was interested the whole time in how the book would play out. And the ending was sweet, if unbelievable.

Link to author website: http://www.janegraves.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lullabies-Central-Publishing-Contemporary-Romance/dp/0446568473/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1406318148&sr=8-1

23Jul2014

2014 – Book #59

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Cynster family series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

The fifty-ninth book I read in 2014 was The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 7/22/14. This is the second book in the Cynster Duo and the twentieth book in the Cynster family series. The Cynster Duo is actually a sub-series within the Cynster family series. I have read other books in the Cynster series and have many other blog posts on them (see link below). I rated this book 3.5 stars out of a scale of 5. This book tells the story of Mary Cynster and Ryder Cavanaugh.

Mary Cynster is the last unwed Cynster of her generation and as such is a great catch. The last available Cynster of her generation, she pretty much has her pick of who she’d like to marry. And her pick is not Ryder Cavanuagh, who annoys her and who she believes would be a dictator-like husband. The hilarious twists of fate though bring them together and Mary realizes that her and Ryder would actually suit, their strong personalities melding to form a powerful force.

Ryder has been looking for a woman to share his life with, a woman who will bring the broken pieces of his family together. And he knows that Mary Cynster, with her extended family and their obvious familial bond, is just the woman to help him accomplish that. But when an unknown villain starts threatening Mary’s life, Ryder knows he must do whatever it takes to save the woman he is falling in love with.

Overall this book was good and was an interesting addition to the series. Honestly as this point it is starting to get hard to get all the branches and members of the family straight because there are just so many of them. This book ends with all the Cynsters and connections gathering for a summer family picnic and the author spends like 3 pages alone just listing out all the children and who belongs to who and what not. It just gets to be a bit long. Otherwise is a good book and I look forward to hopefully seeing more books about the “Next Generation” of Cynsters from this author. Currently only one on the drawing board per her website is an in between book about the tutors of 2 of the Cynster Next Generation. I want to see Lucilla’s (future Lady of the Vale’s) story though.

Link to other reviews in the Cynster family series: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-family-series/

Link to author website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taming-Ryder-Cavanaugh-Cynster-Sisters/dp/0062068652/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1406125599&sr=8-1

5Jul2014

2014 – Book #57

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Cynster family series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Current cover of And Then She Fell

The fifty-seventh book I read in 2014 was And Then She Fell by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 7/5/14. This is the first book in the Cynster Duo and the nineteenth book in the Cynster family series. The Cynster Duo is actually a sub-series within the Cynster family series. I have read other books in the Cynster series and have many other blog posts on them (see link below). I rated this book 3.75 stars out of a scale of 5. This book tells the story of Henrietta Cynster and James Glossup.

After Henrietta, known to polite society as “the Matchbreaker” for her part over the years in breaking up various matches that would not suit in the long run, finds herself in a difficult position when she ends one of her brother Simon’s friend’s possible courtship. James is furious when Henrietta involves herself in his situation but when the girl he has been courting rebuffs him, he knows he needs to do something quickly. As part of his aunt’s will, he must marry within a year after her death to keep his inheritance. And with so many staff depending on him for their livelihoods, he has to find a wife and soon.

After explaining his situation to Henrietta, she starts to feel guilty for her part in his problems. She offers to help him find a suitable new bride. As they spend time together in their search though, they realize how much they care for each other and how attracted they are to each other. But when Henrietta starts being threatened by a mysterious gentleman, James begins to realize he may have to fight in order to hold on to her for long.

Overall this was not my favorite book in the Cynster series. I found it really hard to stay interested in the story. The hero and heroine were likable I just couldn’t get involved in the plot.

Link to other reviews in the Cynster family series: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-family-series/

Link to author website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/And-Then-Fell-Cynster-Sisters/dp/0062068644/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1404582969&sr=1-1

23Jun2014

2014 – Book #55

Posted in Book series, Cynster family series, Cynster Sisters trilogy, For the love of books, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

The fifty-fifth book I read in 2014 was The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 6/22/14. This is the 18th book in the Cynster family series and the 3rd book in the Cynster Sisters trilogy. The Cynster Sisters trilogy is actually a sub-series within the Cynster family series. I have read other books in the Cynster series and have many other blog posts on them (see link below). This book was actually a re-read for me since I’ve read it before. This time I rated it 4.5 stars out of a scale of 5. This book tells the story of Angelica Cynster and Dominic, the Earl of Glencrae.

In the last book in the Cynster Sisters trilogy, the man behind the kidnappings of both Heather and Eliza Cynster was last seen by Eliza and Jeremy while he was falling to his death. Because of this, the Cynsters all believe the threat to Angelica has been eliminated, which Angelica is grateful for since she no longer has to worry about being kept under the collective Cynster males’ thumbs. And when she sees a devastatingly handsome man at a ball, she knows that he is her hero.

Dominic, the Earl of Glencrae, was hoping that he would not have to stoop so low as to kidnap a Cynster girl himself and thereby wound his own honor. After his associates failed to hold onto either Heather or Eliza though, Angelica is now his last hope and he can not afford any mishaps. Especially with his meeting with the bankers coming up in a few short weeks and his mother still refusing to tell him where the goblet is that he should be handing over to said bankers. Dominic never imagined that Angelica would make the kidnapping so easy by asking him to go for a private walk on the terrace. Then this Scottish laird convinces Angelica to help him save his clan and they set off together to his home near Inverness. I don’t know what it is but I love the books about highlanders, there’s something so romantic about them.

This book is personally one of my favorites in the series. I love the great tension and emotions that flow so easily between the hero and heroine, and I love that this book finally solves the mystery of the past 2 books in the Cynster Sisters trilogy about why Dominic’s mom is so mean. One of the things I didn’t necessarily love about the book though was that the ending kind of came out of nowhere. The villain from the end of the book isn’t included in the story up until he becomes the villain and honestly his name isn’t even mentioned at all until the climatic end scene. So at first you feel a little lost trying to figure out who he is and what the back story with him is. Another thing I probably would have changed is that I wish there had been more interaction between Angelica and the boys. Not that it was necessary to make the book a good book but I thought it would’ve rounded out the story better.

One of the things I think is really interesting is following my characters’ progress on their journey to Dominic’s highland home. They take a mail coach from London to Edinburgh, passing through York. And then from Edinburgh they head to Inverness by way of Perth. I can’t find the exact island where I think Dominic’s home was but that piece of it could be fictional. I also love the descriptions of how beautiful the highlands of Scotland are, they make me desperately want to go there myself someday to witness the landscapes. The photo below is of Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness in Scotland.

Link to other reviews in the Cynster Sisters trilogy: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-sisters-trilogy/

Link to other reviews in the Cynster family series: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-family-series/

Link to author website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Capture-Glencrae-Cynster-Sisters-Trilogy/dp/0062068628/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1403554774&sr=8-1-spell

20Jun2014

2014 – Book #54

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Contemporary romance, Rainbow Valley, Texas by rebeccabook17

The fifty-fourth book I read in 2014 was Cowboy Take Me Away by Jane Graves. This is the first book in her Rainbow Valley series, the second book just came out in May 2014. I finished this book on 6/19/14. I rated this book 4.5 stars out of a scale of 5. This book is about Shannon North and Luke Dawson. As teens they fell in love, but Luke was from the wrong side of the tracks and Shannon didn’t yet have the age and confidence to stand up to her mother. Luke decides that he’ll never be good enough for this town and takes off during the night after Shannon breaks his heart.

Fast forward to eleven years later, Shannon left her cushy CPA job in Houston to come home and run Rainbow Valley’s animal shelter. Between a pony that bites and spitting llamas and too many dogs and cats to count, she’s having trouble keeping her head above water at the shelter financially. Meanwhile in the past eleven years Luke has become a very well known bull rider. Through a twist of fate he ends up back in Rainbow Valley with a knee healing from surgery that he needs back at top condition for the championship bull ride competition in 3 months as well as an empty bank account after paying for the surgery out of pocket. When he sees the ad in the paper for a live in caretaker at the animal shelter, he decides to apply for the job.

As Luke becomes more involved in taking care of the animals at the shelter he realizes that they aren’t the only ones who need his care. Shannon cares so deeply for these animals that she’s on the edge of breaking and Luke realizes someone should be watching out for her as well. As their friendship once again develops into something more, Luke can’t seem to get past the town’s stigma that he’s just like his drunk no-good father. And once he reveals to Shannon how horrible his childhood actually was, is there even a chance she could love him then?

This was just such a great book. This book is just so perfectly heart-wrenching, between Luke’s childhood insecurities and all the animals at the shelter, you have to be a cold-hearted son of a gun to avoid tearing up multiple times during this story. I just absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Link to author website: http://www.janegraves.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Take-Away-Rainbow-Valley/dp/1455515191/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1403270495&sr=8-2&keywords=cowboy+take+me+away

Link to Rainbow Valley, TX (not quite sure if it is a real place or if this is a Jane Graves website): http://www.rainbowvalleytexas.com/

Link to other blog reviews on Jane Graves books: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/tag/jane-graves/

18Jun2014

2014 – Book #53

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Cynster family series, Cynster Sisters trilogy, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

The fifty-third book I read in 2014 was In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 6/17/14. This is the 17th book in the Cynster family series and the 2nd book in the Cynster Sisters trilogy. The Cynster Sisters trilogy is actually a sub-series within the Cynster family series. I have read other books in the Cynster series and have many other blog posts on them. This book was actually a re-read for me since I’ve read it before. This time I rated it 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5. This book tells the story of Eliza Cynster and Jeremy Carling.

Eliza has been kept under lock and key by the males in her family ever since her sister Heather was rescued from her kidnappers by Viscount Breckenridge. For some reason unbeknownst to the Cynster family, a villain is out there trying to kidnap one of their girls. The family lets down their guard though at Heather’s engagement ball, thinking that Eliza and Angelica (the youngest sister) are safe in the company of so many family members and friends. What they don’t know though, is that their villain was counting on this vulnerability. He has hired a new set of kidnappers to come fetch Eliza for him, and they are able to do just that. The kidnapper, Scrope, proves himself to be more of a villain than Heather’s set of kidnappers, keeping Eliza drugged for days. Scrope also has a vested interest in handing Eliza over to the laird since he specializes in this type of business and having it known that he kidnapped Eliza Cynster from beneath the other Cynsters’ noses will make him infamous in his sphere.

Scrope keeps Eliza drugged along the way to Edinburgh for three days after the kidnapping. Following that though, Eliza is kept lucid and tries to think of a way to escape. When she sees a curricle going in the opposite direction as them, she happens to recognize the driver and reaches out to him for help. Jeremy recognized the girl who shouted to him for help inside the carriage but it takes him a minute to place a name to the face. Once he does, he turns around and follows Eliza’s coach to Edinburgh where some friends help him plan to rescue her from her kidnappers. Once she is out of Scrope’s clutches, Jeremy tries to spirit her away to the closest safe destination, but nothing goes according to plan. Along their journey to safety, while they are being pursued by both Scrope and the laird for different reasons, both Jeremy and Eliza discover sides of themselves and things about themselves that they never knew.

Overall I really liked this book. I thought is was a little dry/repetitive towards the middle, they seem to keep getting thwarted at every turn when they start making any kind of headway, which I’m sure was just so the hero and heroine could spend as much time alone together as possible plot-wise. But other than that, this is a very sweet story about two people stuck in an unlikely situation who fall in love. I also really liked how they made the original villain (the laird) come out to be a hero in the end of this book. Not to spoil the surprise for the next book in the series, but the change in his character along with Angelica’s piece in the last few pages of this book are both good leads into the next book.

Link to other reviews in the Cynster Sisters trilogy: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-sisters-trilogy/

Link to other reviews in the Cynster family series: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/cynster-family-series/

Link to author website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Pursuit-Eliza-Cynster-Sisters/dp/006206861X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403093615&sr=8-1&keywords=in+pursuit+of+eliza+cynster