Familiar by Michelle Rowen

www.michellerowen.com (buy the story at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59524)

First off, let me say that some of the very first adult paranormal romance books I read were by Michelle Rowen, and I loved them (I believe it was her series about Thierry and Sarah Dearly). Her young adult short story, Familiar, captures some of her signature spunk that I love – though I really did wish it was longer. It had a lot of potential that simply wasn’t fulfilled in the 10,000 word limit.

The short story is about a young witch-in-training, Brenda, going to pick out her familiar. She chooses a runty little kitten – only to find out that this kitten is actually a shape-shifter named Owen. Brenda and Owen, in their little two-day adventure, run into quite a bit of trouble with werewolves and a really nasty older brother named Jeremy (Gr!!!). They help one another explore their situations and fears (albeit, rather hurriedly – this is a short story). A little bit of love blossoms, a happy ending occurs.

What does Ms. Rowen do well? She captures the essence of teenage uncertainty, desire to belong, and desire to please. She also writes the completely illogical nature of teenage logic (i.e. I don't want to disappoint my mother by being bad at magic, so instead I won't even try) really well. Any teenager would be able to easily relate, and all of us who have been teenagers once recall those feelings with clarity. If the story had been a little bit longer she could’ve done a better job developing the story and the characters and added more of her signature witty flair. As it was, it wasn’t bad – in fact it was pretty good for a story of its length. If you’re looking for a quick, fast-paced, light read, this is a book to pick up.

Favorite quote:

“Um, Owen? Do you want some breakfast or something?”

A smile stretched across his face, making him better looking, if that was even possible. “Breakfast sounds really good. Almost as good as ‘or something.’”

 “Sexy”ness rating: It’s Young Adult, so it’s totally PG with very sweet, chaste kisses 

(note – this book is graded on a Young Adult, Short Story scale. Do not compare its grade to those of full length, adult novels) Overall Rating:

B

Bottom Line: Perfect for an hour/two hour wait when you want to read an uncomplicated, fast-paced, young adult love story.

Pages: 10,000 words
Published: May 13, 2011
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Lost in Your Arms by Christina Dodd

Book 5 in the Governess Bride Series

www.christinadodd.com 

Enid MacLean, our heroine, is admirable – but not in a remarkable way. She didn’t stand out from the other hordes of romance heroines, which is partly why this book is barely better than average. She started out beautifully – strong-willed and a wonderful caretaker, but rapidly progressed into a mostly vapid and uninspiring heroine with the same internal battles every heroine has – but really with little cause. Our hero, MacLean, was strong, inspiring and almost picture-perfect but for the really mean, cruel words he said towards the middle (that may have smacked a little of verbal abuse or MacLean’s bruised pride. At least Enid’s not the victim type).

The story begins with Enid working as a caretaker for an invalid, older woman – when she is called away to a man’s estate to care for her husband, who has been severely injured in an explosion. While most wives would be fluttering with concern, Enid is unhappy with her husband’s intrusion into her life – after all, it’ll be the first time she’s even seen Stephen MacLean in eight years. Reluctantly she goes and cares for him – and the love story progresses from there as MacLean begins to heal and improve. Soon, MacLean wakes and finds himself without his memory – no knowledge of who he is or why he was in the Crimea, where the explosion occurred. Long and short, after some love-making and a fire (a real one, not the combustion of their passion) he and Enid set off for his home in Scotland where the conclusion of the drama, the discovery of the villains trying to kill MacLean, and the rest of the love story occurs.

The characters were witty, even if sometimes annoying and not true to themselves. The repertoire was amusing (if a little confusing at times when the reader doesn’t quite know what’s going on yet). Why on earth, you ask, should this book get such an average rating? Why, Rose May, Why?  

First, *****BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG SPOILER ALERT: READ AT OWN PERIL***** I strongly dislike those stories where the woman has sex with her ‘husband/former lover’ and decides she loves him despite all his past problems – and then discovers he’s actually the brother/twin and not the husband/former lover. And then marries the brother/twin. This is what occurs in this story, when Enid finds out that her ‘husband’ that she’s caring for is not actually her honey-bunches-of-oats but his cousin, Laird Kiernan. I dislike these stories because they reek of the notion that people are all bad or all good. Usually, the former lover was a disaster and a mean-spirited alcoholic gambler and the replacement is a moral, strong, sexy beast. I dislike this because it squawks of the idea that change is impossible in a human being – because it can’t REALLY be the former lover lying in the sick bed because he’d be a rat. I also dislike these stories because… well… it’s weird to marry the family of your former husband/lover. I mean, for some people it would be less weird or not weird at all. But these stories freak me out – like do you need to have sex with all the manny-pants in the family to decide which one you’ll marry? I know, I know, that’s not the point of the story. Just my opinion, dear blog readers. *****END OF BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG SPOILER ALERT*****.

Second, the plot line was, in its essence, unrealistic. Which is annoying, because I like to live vicariously through the heroines - or at least escape into an alternate reality - and I can't do that if I'm constantly being thrown by how silly the plot or drama is. For being thrown into unexpected situations, MacLean is surprisingly prepared at all times (maybe he was a Scottish boy scout?) even when he really shouldn't be. Also, some of the plot twists don’t make sense – why would the villain, who had access to the cottage in which MacLean was staying the entire time, wait till the end to kill him or steal his stuff? The book was fun to flit through as long as you didn’t look too closely – which I tried not to do.

Favorite quotes: 

“There is nothing worse than a female who has logic.” (MacLean)

“Unless it’s a male who has none.” (Enid)

“The fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” (MacLean)

“The fastest way to a man’s heart is through his chest. With a dagger.” (Enid) 

“Of course we [the males] understand. She’s having a babe. It’s a natural occurrence.” (MacLean)

“That is what men don’t understand.” Celeste shook her head sadly. “They say it is a natural function. They even think they have something to do with it.”
“We... Something to do with it? Yes, we do,” MacLean spluttered. “I’d like to see you do it on your own!”

 “Sexy”ness rating: Sexy – really, pretty gosh-durned sexy. J

Overall Rating: C+

Bottom Line: If this is a kind of plot line you like, then you’ll most likely love this story. She writes this well, the characters are sorta great-ish, and the plot is slightly unrealistic but still suspenseful and fun. All in all, its average but perfect for a light read where you don't want to delve too deep or make things too complex.

Pages: 384

Published: May 11, 2004
Genre: Historical

Sinful Surrender by Beverley Kendall

Book 1 in the Elusive Lords Series

www.beverleykendall.com 

     Wow. Lord James Rutherford was a sexy, hot mess. He knows, at least, that he’s sexy. It was hard to determine if he knew he was a mess until the very end and then, trust me, he knew. Lady Missy (Milicent) Armstrong is our gracious heroine, who loves James with all her heart despite his nastiness when he tries to drive her away. It was sad to see that love cool a little bit towards the end – Kendall did a great job showing James’s growing love but did a bad job showing Missy had retained her love for James despite his antics.  

     Throughout the second half of the book I was worried Missy didn’t truly love him anymore, what with her frequent denials to his proposals. Normally such scenes are accompanied by deep introspection or crying scenes – which only happened once (the other times she didn't seem affected at all). Thus, when they do finally get together, I was much less satisfied than I should have been. Missy’s behavior was mostly consistent but on occasion I wondered where she was coming from because she no longer sounded like herself.

     As usual with Kendall’s books, the characters are very well developed. The main characters are fleshed out nearly to perfection, the secondary characters don’t overwhelm or intrude in any of the scenes and act quite human. Thomas Armstrong and Alex Cartwright (James's best friends who each get their own story) are wonderful, humorous, and I can't wait to read their stories. The secondary characters don’t show up only for scenes where the main characters need prodding in their relationship and then disappear. They consistently amuse us and entertain us as we watch the protagonists struggle with their feelings and relationship. The plot was also well-developed, again nothing too overwhelming to distract us from the romance. It could have used a little more excitement, but overall it was a pretty decent story.

Favorite quotes:

“This thing with my sister. You keeping your distance until she finds a husband.” (Thomas Armstrong)

“Ah yes, the brilliant plan. It’s been a smashing success wouldn’t you agree?” (Alex) 

Divine, the past week, was le mot du jour and one Sarah had been using ad nauseam. If she ate cake she liked, it was divine; a reticule she saw through a storefront window, divine. Everything she took a fancy to was divine and driving Missy divinely batty.

“How can I possibly leave you? We are not together.” (Missy) 

 “Sexy”ness rating: *faints* It can’t get much hotter than this, folks

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: Excellent read - this book has a sexy hero, a sweet, strong heroine and an explosion of passion when their worlds collide.

Pages: 344

Published: December 8, 2009
Genre: Historical

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean

Book 3 in the Love by Numbers Series

http://macleanspace.com/romance/elevenscandals/

Miss Juliana Fiori may be one of my all-time favorite heroines. She was fun, flirty, bold, brazen and impulsive. She was absolutely adorable and I could really feel the depth of her passion for love and for life. She could be silly or sweet or fierce or haughty, though her haughtiness was really only skin-deep. She was gorgeous, inside and out, and I loved her. I really could extol her wonderful nature for the rest of this review – but of course I’m sure the other characters and the plot also deserve some notice.

The ‘Duke of Disdain’ also known as the Duke of Leighton, Simon Pearson was truly a delightful, proper ass when first met. He was intriguing, sarcastic, and true to his title – disdainful. His witty banter with our heroine is just the beginning of a very acerbic, sardonic friendship in which the reader feels the love blossoming through the cutting words. It was gorgeously fun to watch him struggle with his desire for passion and his contemptuous upbringing. I loved seeing how Juliana brought out the best in him again and again. It was really sweet and totally romantic. Their bickering was even romantic.

The obstacles thrown in their way didn’t detract from the love story, which was excellent. There were plenty of romantic scenes (like the riding in the park. Loved it) and lots of beautiful introspection. Juliana’s antics meant the story was never lacking for excitement or emotion. And the drama that did occur was taken care of in a very natural fashion, nothing unreasonable or idiotic. Finally, a story with a human plot line! The supporting characters were never obtrusive and didn’t distract us from the blossoming romance and truly played a very minor role in the story. This was all about our Duke and his girl. All in all, it was a magnificent read and a valuable addition to my shelf.

Favorite quotes:

“Leave it to the English to fabricate a lake.” (Juliana)

“And leave it to the Italians to fall into it!” (Simon)

“I have developed a fondness for apple tarts, but I do not want to marry one.” (Juliana) 

“First, it’s excellent bacon, and I’m not thrilled I had to stop eating it.” (Nick) 

 “Sexy”ness rating: Hot!

Overall Rating: A- 

Bottom Line: A wonderful read with a gloriously fun heroine, a witty hero, and plenty of romance! 

Pages: 384

Published: April 6, 2011

Genre: Historical

Other books in the series (click the link to check out the review):
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord

The Bargain by Mary Jo Putney

The Bargain by Mary Jo Putney (revised from The Would-be Widow)

www.maryjoputney.com

I guess, you guess, she guesses… this book was a guessing game (and not the fun kind) for our hero, heroine and the reader. The heroine spends half the book guessing – its actually noticeable the number of things she discerns just by guessing. Where is the meaningful conversation? The reader, meanwhile, spends most of the book guessing at the heroine’s vast mood swings and temper tantrums (which she claims she doesn’t have often – clearly someone’s been lying to the poor chit).

Lady Jocelyn Kendal marries Major David Lancaster, a man on his deathbed and wasting away, having been seriously injured in the war. Their marriage is clearly one of convenience, each with a very good reason. Jocelyn’s father put a stipend in his will that Jocelyn must marry before her twenty-fifth birthday to continue to receive her vast inheritance. David is worried about who will take care of his governess sister Sally once he kicks the can. Jocelyn promises 500 pounds a year to his sister in exchange for his marriage to her to satisfy the will. She is planning to become the Duke of Candover’s mistress after David dies – since she believes herself in love with him (or not? It was hard to tell) and he won’t offer marriage. David, however, makes a miraculous recovery after the marriage. Oh she-bang, what to do? I’m sure you can imagine.

This book had a lot of potential to be fun – man-and-wife love stories are really fun. However this book was so bungled up with Jocelyn’s strange, erratic, nonsensical behavior that the love couldn’t really blossom. I felt a lot of love on David’s part, and at one point I almost got lost in the story until Jocelyn pulled me back out of it again with yet another one of her antics. David was a really sweet guy even if he, for some reason, fell in love with Jocelyn (poor taste, man). He was loveable, sensitive, and soulful and a very unique hero in that Putney didn’t make a huge deal over his masculinity (especially since he starts the book as an invalid). However Jocelyn’s spoiled, bratty, impulsive attitude really ruined the book for me and with no substantial plot to make up for it, this book sunk lower and lower in my esteem. There were a few redeeming male characters like Richard or Ian, but all the females were irrational and flat which was very irritating.

Finally, Putney does one of the things I most hate in romance novels *****SPOILER ALERT*****- reinforces the idea that money and title are necessary for a happy ending. Partway through the book, David inherits and becomes Lord Presteyne after his three older, evil half-brothers all die. Why is it that the man must be titled for the story to end  satisfactorily? Why was David as a war hero, as a Major, not enough? Oh, woe is me. This is one of my biggest buttons and historical writers push it frequently, and with glee. *****END OF SPOILER ALERT*****

Favorite quotes:

“Whoever claimed females were the weaker sex didn’t know you. All a poor male can do is agree quickly and hope to escape unscathed.” (David) 

“but I think you’d make a better husband for her than a man whose greatest challenge has been the cut of his coat.” (Richard to David)

“When you’re dead, its devious or nothing.” (David)

 “Sexy”ness rating: Mildly hot, lacking the spice of passion, but the wang does make an appearance.

Overall Rating: D+

Bottom Line: Boring, flat characters, an uninteresting storyline and a hysterical heroine make this book really not worth your while.

Pages: 352 Pages

Published: March 23, 2011

Genre: Historical (Regency)