Category Archives: Book reviews

2014 – Book #18

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Historical Romance, Lost Lords series by

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The eighteenth book I finished in 2014 was Sometimes A Rogue by Mary Jo Putney. I finished this book on 3/23/14. It is the fifth book in the Lost Lord series by this author (the third and fourth were discussed in earlier posts this year – 2014 Book #3 and #8).  I rated this book 4 stars out of a scale of 5. The book is about Miss Sarah Clarke-Townsend (sister of Mariah from Book #1 of the Lost Lords series) and Bow Street Runner Rob Carmichael.

Sarah and Mariah are twins separated at birth who very recently reunited. When Sarah discovers a group of men have arrived to kidnap Mariah, Sarah bravely takes her place in an effort to protect her very pregnant twin sister. Rob Carmichael arrives at the Ashton residence not long after and is dispatched to rescue Sarah from the kidnappers (Free Erie, a political radical group trying to rid Ireland of English rule). What follows is an exciting and never dull tale full of adventure and intrigue. As Rob and Sarah fight their way back to England, and eventually fight for each other, they fall deeper and deeper in love with each other.

I absolutely loved the pace of this book, at no point did I find it too slow or dry. However, be prepared for a lot of plot twists including an earldom, a surprise child, and the return of a previous villain. The ending of the book was a little rough as with Rob visiting his other estates, Sarah has to defend the house from villains on her own and in the process kills two of them. She surprisingly does not go into hysterics, which I find a little unrealistic for a gently-bred lady but more power to her.

Overall this was a very good book, one of my favorite from the series. I would definitely recommend it.

Link to author website: http://www.maryjoputney.com/index.html

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6BFTXY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00C6BFTXY&linkCode=as2&tag=wordwenches0b-20

2014 – Book #17

Posted in Book reviews, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense by

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The seventeenth book I finished in 2014 was The Haunting of Josie by Kay Hooper. I finished this book on 3/17/14. I rated this book 2.75 stars out of a scale of 5. This was the first book I’ve read by this author.

Overall this was a cute story and a quick read. Since it was so quick though I thought it went a bit too fast and the plot/characters were a little underdeveloped for my tastes. This story is about Josie Douglas who retreats to a quiet country house to complete her research in trying to vindicate her father. She becomes infatuated with her landlord, much to her dismay, and also becomes involved in the mystery of the ghost who wanders the house she’s staying in.

I love it when a book ties everything out in the end. I think that’s one of the things I found frustrating in this book, there was discussion of a villain who set hotels on fire but the question was never addressed and she never cleared her father’s name before the end of the book. I just found this disappointing as I felt like there should have been more resolution there.

Overall it was an ok book though and was a quick read at only 212 pages so if you’re looking for a quick and interesting suspense then this would be a good one. Be prepared to feel unresolved at the end though. I have heard that this is a good author so I will likely try another of her books but I wouldn’t return to this one I don’t think.

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

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Haunting-Josie-Kay-Hooper/dp/0553590472/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395152100&sr=8-1&keywords=the+haunting+of+josie

2014 – Book #16

Posted in Book reviews, Paranormal romance by

ImageThe sixteenth book I finished in 2014 was Werewolf in Las Vegas by Vicki Lewis Thompson. I finished this book on 3/15/14. I rated this book 3.5 stars out of a scale of 5. This book is part of Thompson’s Werewolf series, some of which I have read previously to 2014.

This book is about Giselle Landry, a werewolf from San Fransisco who comes to Vegas in search of her runaway older brother who is next in line to become the alpha of their family pack. During the course of looking for her brother she discovers that he is currently involved with a human, the little sister of Luke Dalton. She decides to team up with Luke to try and find both of their siblings. While they look though a steamy romance develops and even though Giselle is against Were-Human mating, she can’t seem to resist Luke. The result is definitely a steamy read.

I really tend to enjoy paranormal romance novels. The creativity that goes into them to create an entirely different world is astounding to me sometimes. Overall I have enjoyed Thompson’s novels and her Werewolf series as a whole. This story specifically was a very sweet story, though I found the ending a little too neat and tidy considering all the problems that Giselle and Luke will have to face as a Were-human couple.

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

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Werewolf-Las-Vegas-About-Novel/dp/045141568X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395145358&sr=8-1&keywords=werewolf+in+las+vegas

2014 – Book #15

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Contemporary romance, Tumble Creek series by

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The fifteenth book I finished in 2014 was Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl. I finished this book on 3/13/14 (only by a technicality since I finished it at 12:09AM). I rated this book 2.75 stars out of a scale of 5. This is the third book in the Tumble Creek series by this author, I read the first two previously (See 2014-Book #5 for discussion of the 2nd book in the series, the first in the series I read in 2013).

This story is about prim and proper secretary Jane Morgan (Jane is secretary to architect Quinn Jennings who was the hero in book #2 of the series, Start Me Up). Jane is trying to hide from her shady past and has completely change her appearance and personality so that no one who sees her would recognize the angry and wild girl she once was. And Chase is exactly the kind of guy she’s trying to avoid, a bad boy with tattoos and a disarmingly charming grin. But as Jane has to face a serious family crisis, she finds herself relying more and more on Chase despite her efforts not to.

This was a very steamy novel, to warn readers its actually a steamy series I should say. And to be honest (and I had this same issue with the second book in the series) the heroine in this story is awfully mean to the hero. The heroine has so many personal issues with herself and who she is and she basically makes the hero feel like trash and uses him for sex. While the story had a sweet ending and I find it admirable that the hero stuck around through all that and was obviously devoted to the heroine, I hate thinking that you can treat someone you supposedly love that badly and hurt them that much. That was disheartening for me and I think biased my opinion over the rest of the story.

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

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lead-Me-On-Victoria-Dahl-ebook/dp/B009NEERG2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1394725034&sr=8-5&keywords=lead+me+on

2014 – Book #14

Posted in Book reviews, Contemporary romance by

ImageThe fourteenth book I finished in 2014 was Heartstrings and Diamond Rings by Jane Graves. I finished this book on 3/11/14. I rated this book 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5. This was the first book I’ve read by this author.

This novel is about a woman who has been extremely unlucky in love and decides to try using a matchmaker. Her biological clock is ticking loudly and she’s in a rush to find her perfect mate and get to the altar before its too late (hey that rhymed!). When she goes to have a meeting with her new matchmaker, she encounters a man to her utter shock. Despite her initial panic she decides to give him a chance and what ensues is a fantastic romantic comedy.

I enjoyed reading this novel and found it to be of similar humor to Kristan Higgins, one of my favorite authors from a previous post. Also similarly, this story made me laugh out loud as well as brought me to tears, a telltale mark of an enjoyable book for me. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

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

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heartstrings-Diamond-Rings-Jane-Graves/dp/0446568481/ref=la_B001H9VXT0_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394554583&sr=1-8

2014 – Book #13

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

ImageThe thirteenth book I finished in 2014 was The Truth About Love by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 3/9/14. This is the 12th book in the Cynster family series which I’ve discussed in previous blog posts. I rated this book 4 stars out of a scale of 5.

This story is about Gerrard Debbington (brother of Patience from the 2nd book in the Cynster family series). One of the things that I love about the Cynster family series is that characters can be introduced far before they star in their own novel. When we were first introduced to Gerrard (in A Rake’s Vow, the story of Vane and Patience), Gerrard assisted Vane in discovering who was stealing items from his aunt’s house party guests. Gerrard was charming and still then a boy and it was hard not to see his devotion to his sister Patience. Now starring in his own novel, Gerrard is a well-respected painter and the uncle to Patience and Vane’s 4 children. Gerrard is commissioned to paint a  portrait of Lord Tregonning’s daughter. At first he refuses, but Tregonning’s promise to give him access to his famous gardens are too tempting an offer for his painter’s soul to refuse.

Upon arriving at Hellebore Hall however, he discovers that this is not to be any ordinary portrait. Lord Tregonning’s daughter, Jacqueline, has been accused of murdering her mother and the portrait has been commissioned in the hope that in it her father would see the truth of either her guilt or innocence. As Gerrard gets to know Jacqueline, at first in order to portray her accurately and then because he can not resist her, he realizes that the real murderer is still among them. He enlists the help of his friend, Barnaby Adair (a character discussed in my earlier blog post “2014 – Book #10”) to help him solve the mystery.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about this novel was the gardens of Hellebore Hall. The gardens are well known and are extensive. There are multiple sections to the gardens, each one portraying a different Greek or Roman god. The description of the gardens was riveting, I would have loved to see such a garden in real life. The author drew up a rough sketch of the garden’s outline so reader’s can easily follow the discussions of the gardens throughout the book.

ImageThe plot was very well-paced and I was riveted throughout. Overall this was an excellent book and I would recommend to any reader!

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

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Love-Cynster-Novels/dp/0060505761/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394403365&sr=8-3&keywords=the+truth+about+love

2014 – Book #12

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

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The twelfth book I finished in 2014 was The Ideal Bride by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 3/6/14. This is the 11th book in the Cynster family series which I’ve discussed in previous blog posts. I rated this book 3.75 stars out of 5.

This story is about Michael Anstruther-Wetherby (brother of the Duchess of St. Ives, Honoria, from the 1st book in the Cynster family series). Michael has political aspirations and has been told in order to be promoted he should look for a suitable bride. He sets his sights on a young woman, the daughter of one of his neighbors, whom he thought was his ideal bride. The young woman’s aunt (Caro, short for Caroline) decides to intervene and prevent her niece from the same fate that she had been dealt, a loveless political marriage. While steering Michael away from her niece, Caro fails to realize until it is too late that Michael has already realized he and the niece would not suit and instead has turned his full attentions on Caro.

Another thing that Caro doesn’t realize until its almost too late is that something is trying to harm her. Repeated attempts on her life have convinced Michael that someone is trying to kill her, but to Caro they all seem to be accidents.

This book was very well written, as many of Laurens’ books are, and the characters are well-developed and draw emotion from the reader. While I didn’t find this story to be quite as touching as some of her other novels, it was still an excellent read and a great addition to the series. I would recommend!

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

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ideal-Bride-Cynster-Novels/dp/0060505745/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394131987&sr=8-1&keywords=the+ideal+bride

2014 – Book #11

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by

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The eleventh book I finished in 2014 was A Gentleman Says “I Do” by Amelia Grey. I finished this book on 3/2/14. I rated this book 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5. This was the first book I had read by Amelia Grey.

This story is about a man (Iverson) who is trying to find the author of some poetry that has landed his family in the “scandal sheets.” When he arrives at the author’s house to try and scare some sense into him however, he finds not the author but the man’s daughter (Catalina). Her quick wit and seemingly unending strength draw Iverson to her and make it impossible for him to stop thinking about her. As Catalina searches for her father, she finds herself falling in love with Iverson. As the two become closer, they try to overcome their differences and the secrets Catalina is keeping in order to see what could become of their future.

One of my favorite aspects of this story was the way that the hero cherished the heroine so devoutly and protected her from harm. The heroine has been going through life always taking care of her family, and the book ends with the hero taking care of her and making it so that she would not have any serious worries in her future. While unrealistic, this is one of the things that I find I like most about romance novels. Men protecting women and cherishing them as if they were precious, priceless items.

While this wasn’t one of my all time favorites, it was a sweet and interesting love story and I would recommend it. I will read more by this author as well.

Link to author website: http://www.ameliagrey.com/main.html

Link to Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/A-Gentleman-Says-I-Do/dp/1402239769/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393814057&sr=8-1&keywords=a+gentleman+says+i+do

2014 – Book #10

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

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The tenth book I finished in 2014 was Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens. I finished this book on 2/22/14 (today). This book actually is the link between 2 series of books by Laurens. The first is discussed in a couple of my earlier posts, the Cynster family series. And the second is the series chronicling the detective cases of a Mr. Barnaby Adair (the hero in Where the Heart Leads). This is the first in the series of the Casebooks of Barnaby Adair. I rated this book 4 stars out of a scale of 5.

This book is about Penelope Ashford and Barnaby Adair. Penelope runs the Foundling House, which is a schoolhouse for orphans from the poorer areas of London. Some of her charges have disappeared and she enlists Adair’s help to try and recover them. Penelope’s sharp intelligence in this story makes it hard not to fall in love with her, and for a man like Barnaby Adair, Penelope’s unconventional nature makes her the perfect match for the son of an earl who solves mysteries in his spare time. The issue, however, is that Penelope has declared herself never to be married as she believes it would mean giving up all sense of her independence. As the two fall deeper and deeper in love with each other though, Penelope comes to see that marriage to the right man doesn’t mean a loss of independence but the gaining of love and support from a partner who can share in your happiness, your trials, and everything in between.

The mystery involved in the story was very good as well. Barnaby and Penelope work together with a police detective (Stokes) and a milliner’s shopkeeper (Griselda) to solve the mystery of the missing boys. In the process the four of them become good friends despite the difference in their stations. For those of you who don’t know, a milliner is a term for a hatmaker. This is obviously very popular in England as the English just lover their fancy hats:

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To learn more about millinery, you can read about it on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatmaking

So anyways, Griselda and Stokes are actually a cute sub-story included in this novel as they are the stars of their own budding romance.The combination of the main love story, the substory, and the mystery kept any piece of the story from being too slow or dry. Was a great historical romance! Overall this was a very good story and kept the reader interested throughout. I would highly recommend!

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

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Where-Heart-Leads-Casebook-Barnaby/dp/0061243388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393084573&sr=8-1&keywords=where+the+heart+leads

2014 – Book #9

Posted in Book reviews, Contemporary romance by

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The ninth book I finished in 2014 was Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins. I finished this book on 2/8/14. I rated this book 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Higgins’ books are those rare kind of stories that are able to make you laugh out loud and cry your eyes out. Her stories draw emotions so easily from the reader and its impossible not to get swept up in the tension and the heartaches of the characters. This novel definitely didn’t disappoint as I found myself lost in the characters and the journey of our heroine as she falls in love with her hero.
And in this story hero is the right word for it as our lead male character, and most of the other male characters in the book come to think of it, are firefighters. Chastity is the only girl in a family of 5 siblings, who falls in love with a family friend, Trevor Meade. The only thing that bugged me about this story was that if they could’ve just communicated better they probably could’ve gotten together a long time ago. Of course, realistically men and women don’t communicate well at all so it probably makes more sense than if the guy could magically know what the girl was thinking all the time.

The family in this story reminded me a lot of my family. Chastity had 4 brothers who were all married with small children and many times in the story it talks about her interacting with the little kids. And while I am an only child, my family is very close and I see my cousins, who are all married with small children, quite often. The way Chastity described her family dinners at her mother’s house reminded me a lot of family dinners at my grandfather’s house, kids running around screaming and what-not. What the author was describing was a house full of love and it made the story all the more wonderful to read.

Overall this was a very sweet and touching love story and I would highly recommend. As I said in my earlier post on another of Higgins’ books, if you’re looking for steamy you’re not in the right place. But if you’re looking for a reminder of what being vulnerable to love and what real love is, you’ll find it.

Link to author site: http://www.kristanhiggins.com/

Link to Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Just-One-Guys-Kristan-Higgins/dp/0373777035/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393023904&sr=8-2&keywords=just+one+of+the+guys