High Heeled Alibi - Sydney Ryan

** 1/2 - Bitsy is a feisty heroine (not synonymous with TSTL), but I couldn't figure out at all why she fell for Mick because he came across as a giant jerk. And I couldn't have cared less about the suspense storyline if I tried.

Halloween night found Bitsy Leigh working at the funeral home, but even on a night as eerie as this, she never expected one of her corpses to get up and start talking to her. Or that being his alibi for an assassination attempt would put her in danger of being assassinated herself. But secret agent Mick James is determined not to take the fall for this one - and to unveil the conspiracy behind it.

So - Mick is being framed as an assassin, and he has to keep Bitsy around (and unharmed by the copious henchmen that turn up) because she's his alibi. Personally, I'm not sure why people kept kidnapping her instead of just putting a bullet through her head, but I suppose that would make the plot more difficult. Anyway, since Bitsy has more sense than to hang around quietly with corpses that get up and start walking, she's a rather unwilling accomplice to all of his super-sleuth-dom - which mostly seems to involve car chases and treks through the woods rather than any form of intelligence-gathering. And because she's unwilling, he does an awful lot of holding-her-at-gunpoint. An unfortunate way to sustain a romantic relationship, and I just don't get why with all of the threatening to kill her, shoot her kneecaps and the general caveman hauling her about by the hair (which happens a LOT), she wants to do anything at all with him other than kick him in the balls.

So the romance part wasn't really doing it for me, despite Mick's golden hotness (which may have been diminished by body odor, sweat, dirt, blood and general caveman-ness). The suspense plot seemed vaguely Manchurian candidate, but there wasn't a lot of intelligence going on, so I'm not even entirely certain what was going down on that front. There were people in his own agency trying to set him up. They were constantly on the run. I couldn't even tell you the resolution to the suspense stuff except I'm pretty sure the bad guy gets shot.

So the one line summation? I liked her, thought he was a colossal jerk, and the plot is one long chase scene. Fine as an afternoon read if you like your heros alpha, but nothing memorable.

I couldn't help myself - the snarkiness in me will out, but I didn't want to clutter up this blog. If you're interested in the blow-by-blow of High-Heeled Alibi, check it out here

Waiting on Wednesday

Rapture of the Deep: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Soldier, Sailor, Mermaid, Spy is due out

September 28, 2009!!

On the very day that Jacky Faber is to wed her true love, she is kidnapped by British Naval Intelligence and forced to embark on yet another daring mission—this time to search for sunken Spanish gold. But when Jacky is involved, things don't always go as planned.

Jacky has survived battles on the high seas, the stifling propriety of a Boston finishing school, and even confinement in a dank French prison. But no adventure has quite matched her opportunistic street-urchin desires—until now.

Why I'm Waiting: Because I love Jacky and all the craziness she inevitably brings with her. I fell in love with her in the first of the series Bloody Jack which had all of my favorite things - cross-dressing, naval ships, just enough romance, an overly involved subtitle and plenty of gumption. And I've yet to outgrow her. She's constantly getting into trouble, but her quick wits always manage to get her back out. Really she reminds me of Huckleberry Finn in a lot of ways.

If you haven't gotten to know Jacky yet, I'd definitely recommend Bloody Jack - it's funny and full of adventure!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Drop in and say hello. What are you waiting for?

False Impression - Jeffrey Archer

*** 1/2 - I've apparently been on an art thriller kick lately (The Art Thief and Murder at the National Gallery).Not that this is surprising, given my fondness for art (and thrillers). As far as this one goes... there's not much art history to it beyond the occasional reference. But it's not about Caravaggio! Aren't you proud?

Anna Petrescu is the resident art expert for an unscrupulous bank which loans money at exorbitant interest rates in order to get their hands on various expensive artwork put up as collateral. She is also about to be fired for her recommendation that one of their clients sell her prized van Gogh to pay off her debt. Soon Anna finds herself involved in a string of murders, art thefts and double crosses as she attempts to sort out the mess - all with the FBI on her trail.

This is one of the few (the only?) novel I've read that is set during and amid the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11th. And to be honest, I'm not sure that was such a great choice - more importantly, I don't see WHY it needed to be set during Sept. 11th. A lot of people still feel very, very strongly about the 9/11 attacks. And although I thought Archer's description of the attacks was largely well-done (there were a few odd metaphors and blatant symbolism that struck me as a bit much), that entire episode really didn't tie into the rest of the plot for me. For one, Anna, our main character, was actually IN the North Tower when it was hit. But over the next two weeks, she travels merrily throughout the world with nary a nervous or emotional breakdown in sight... I mean, WOW. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to shake off a near-death experience that rocked the entire globe so lightly.

Once I got through the Sept. 11th section, things settled down to be more along the lines of a typical thriller. Anna is being trailed by a Romanian gymnast turned assassin and the ever-suspicious FBI (though I don't understand this so much as they don't have jurisdiction outside of the US). She hops through various cities always toting the bright-red case housing her stolen van Gogh:

She does a relatively decent job shaking her surveillance on occasion, but mostly she manages to evade both parties solely based on dumb luck. And she apparently has a ton of that... Unfortunately I didn't learn much here about art or art history, and I found the final showdown quite distasteful (couldn't she just have a knife held at her throat like a normal victim? *shudders*). There wasn't much new here, but it was a decent action thriller quite suitable as a fast-paced beach read (though I would avoid reading it on an airplane...).

Interested in other opinions?

Author's Website

Curled Up With a Good Book

Debra Hamel at The Book-Blog.com

Blog Critics.org

The Book of Fate - Brad Meltzer

*** - Mostly what was wrong with this book was the marketing. It's pushed as a thriller based on Freemason secrets, but there's not really any of that in the novel. There's a snippet of lore here and there, but nothing that really ties into the plot. As a straight up thriller, it was fine - fast-paced and interesting. An airplane read.

Wes Holloway was once an ambitious aide to the President of the United States. When an assassin's bullet permanently disfigures Wes and kills one of the President's closest friends Boyle, Wes is wracked with guilt. But when Boyle turns up, seemingly unscathed, eight years later, Wes is determined to uncover what really happened.

I like a good twisty airplane thriller just as much as the next person, and this novel had some incredibly interesting bits and pieces - a conspiracy between members of various intelligence agencies, a crazed assassin on the loose, a code hidden among doodles on a crossword puzzle. Added to that, I loved the fact that Wes was not one of your typical strong, cocky heroes. In fact, he's incredibly emotionally vulnerable after the incident, and his mental health is largely supported by his devotion to the former President. I loved watching him wrestle with the idea that his 'rock' could be involved in this kind of plot - and that he might be responsible for everything. Wes' vulnerability both increases the stakes and sets this apart from many thrillers.

On the other hand, there was a lot here that didn't really seem to fit. The entire Masonic undertones that the marketing played up were barely there - shuffled off in a monologue or two about the city plan of Washington, D.C. and then never mentioned again. Not that I needed a far-fetched conspiracy involving the Freemasons - but when that sort of thing features so prominently on the cover & jacket copy... well, WHERE are my Freemasons?

What it boils down to is, if you're looking for something Da Vinci Code-like with artifacts and secret societies, this isn't your book despite the marketing. If you want a thriller more along the lines of The Manchurian Candidate with presidential assassins and lots of betrayal? You should pick this one up. It's fast-paced and certainly an interesting read.

Interested in other opinions?

The Website (with book trailer)

Book Reporter's Author Q&A

Mostly NF

Duffbert's Random Musings

Magic Under Glass Contest!

Coming 12/22/09 from Bloomsbury...

Nimira is a music-hall girl used to dancing for pennies. So when wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing accompaniment to a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life. In Parry's world, long-buried secrets are about to stir. Unsettling rumors begin to swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement in a group of corrupt sorcerers for whom the rules of the living and dead are meant to be broken for greater power. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing fairy gentleman is trapped within the automaton, she is determined to break the curse. But even as the two fall into a love that seems hopeless, breaking the curse becomes a perilous race against time. Because it's not just the future of these star-crossed lovers that's at stake, but the fate of the entire magical world.

Want to win an ARC with original sketches from the author inside? See http://fabulousfrock.livejournal.com for details!


Doesn't that look incredible? I'm incredibly excited!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week Nomination!

Hi everybody!

I just wanted to thank everyone reading my blog. I just received an email from Amy (who is putting together Book Blogger Appreciation Week) and heard that one of you lovely people nominated me as Best Romance Blog. I'm super excited that anyone thought so highly of A Hoyden's Look at Literature, and so... well, I just wanted to say thanks (in between leaping up and down squealing).

Thank you so much!

For my posts, I've decided to do one in each of the major romance subgenres, and a snarky review just because...

Regency: Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan
Historical: Libertine Lord, Pickpocket Miss by Bronwyn Scott
Contemporary: Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl
Paranormal: Tiger Eye by Marjorie Liu
Snark: Lara by Bertrice Small

Eyes Like Stars - Lisa Mantchev

**** - Really liked this one. The premise is right up my alley (YA + Theater + Shakespeare characters) and the execution was a ton of fun. I was giggling so much!

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith grew up in the theater. And not just any theater, but the Theatre Illuminata - a magical theater that houses every play that was ever written. But Bertie's been a troublemaker for a long time (hanging out with the fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream will do that to you), and finally the Theater Manager has had enough. Unless Bertie can make an invaluable contribution to the theater, she will have to leave for good...

This is definitely a book to make all theater people happy - there's a Green Room that magically delivers food that corresponds to its mood. The scene changes are magical (and wonderful) - hungry? Cue a French bistro complete with warm gooey pastries. There's a giant prop room where the Chorus boys tend to sneak out the Caterpillar's hookah from Alice in Wonderland. It's just quirky, clever and full of theater disasters on a more magical scale. You try dealing with surly Hamlet at rehearsals...

My favorite parts were definitely those that involved the fairies. There's a hilarious bit involving jellybeans. I also liked the more romantic angle - Ariel was interesting, both dangerous and seductive. And Nate was just charming, though I'm growing tired of perpetual love triangles between the 'dangerous' boy and the 'sweet' boy. I enjoyed the trope of figuring things out by staging them as mini-plays, but I was disappointed in Bertie's plays for the most part - too simple or drab or something. They didn't hold the power that was suggested.

Also, I wasn't really impressed by Bertie's plan to re-stage Hamlet in ancient Egypt. It wasn't particularly original, nor were the bits that we were shown different or interesting. It seemed a bit ludicrous to me that such a basic reworking of the play (they weren't even going to change dialogue?) would result in anything even approaching a sold-out house. I mean, essentially all Shakespeare plays I've seen have been re-staged in a different time period...

While I had some quibbles with the plot, I really enjoyed the way Ms. Mantchev brought her characters to life (although I certainly could have done without Bertie's smoking...gross). Ariel, Ophelia, the irascible stage manager, the creepy sea witch. They were all distinctive and incredibly interesting, and the book certainly made me laugh! I would recommend this to Shakespeare aficionados and theater enthusiasts, and I'm excited to read Perchance to Dream!

The Theatre Illuminata website (complete with Behind the Scenes look at the Full Cast Audio production! and an excerpt!)

Interested in other opinions?

Presenting Lenore (with author interview)

The Compulsive Reader

Steph Su Reads

The Story Siren

Abby the Librarian

Never Jam Today

Tuesday Thingers - Groups

Tuesday Thingers is a weekly meme hosted by Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner.

Question: Have you recently browsed any of the groups? Are you actively participating in any groups? Do you have any favorites?

My Answer: I watch a bunch of groups, but most of them are pretty quiet. The ones I participate in fairly actively are Romance - from Historical to Contemporary and (when I can help) Name That Book!

As for my favorites - they've been very quiet of late, but I especially love Aboard the Jolly Roger (which, admittedly I co-founded) and Fairy Tales Retold!

What groups do you especially like?

Start Me Up - Victoria Dahl

*** 1/2 - Wow, Victoria Dahl sure knows how to write hot sex - even if it wasn't my style *fans self*. And at the same time, I thought the story was remarkably sweet (and the suspense subplot bothered me less in Start Me Up than in Talk Me Down).

Lori Love always dreamed of leaving her tiny hometown of Tumble Creek. But when a nasty accident left her father in desperate need of medical care, Lori put her plans of European travel on hold and became tiny Tumble Creek's new auto mechanic. Lately, though, with debts piling up and a new investigation into her father's death, Lori needs an escape from Tumble Creek and an adventurous new lover. And that's where absent-minded but talented architect Quinn Jennings comes in - he's terrible at relationships, but a man that Lori can trust to get her engine revving (sorry about the pun... I had to).

I really liked both of the main characters; Dahl has a way of writing people's unique characteristic way of expressing love that really works for me. In Talk Me Down, she had Ben take those beautiful photos. In Start Me Up, it's the way Quinn describes Lori as if she were a work of architecture. It's unique and fitting - I'll never mix that scene up with another love scene in another novel. It's just so true to the characters.

I was less enamored of Quinn's anger as a sign of his growing feelings toward Lori. I mean, there was a perfectly realistic and logical explanation for it. He tends to hide his feelings about most people, but he finds it difficult to control his emotions for Lori - especially when she puts herself in danger. But I didn't like it. I especially didn't like the portion near the end where he's insisting she 'live her dreams' rather than hide. I just hate people making decisions for someone else's 'own good'. Friend or lover NOT therapist. Thank you.

There were also some things that were difficult for me - like an insinuation that being jealous of someone's time when they're focused almost exclusively on work means that you 'just arent' the right person' because someone who truly loves you will understand that you forget dates with them, birthdays and similar. Umm, WRONG. But that's another issue I'm rather sensitive about.

Ok, now that I've gotten my rants out of the way, I need to emphasize that I did like Start Me Up quite a bit. Even though the fantasies Quinn and Lori act out weren't pushing my buttons, Dahl sure as heck knows how to write a spicy love scene. And, more importantly, she does it in a way that doesn't remove the romance - there's still emotion brimming in the story and in the characters' actions, which is important to me.

Plus, for the most part I found Quinn to be a real sweetheart - a charmingly intelligent and considerate sort of guy (when he remembered to be) - and a great example of a thoroughly lovable beta hero. And since I remember going through the awkward tomboy-to-'girly'-on-occasion phase, I love to read about them. Yay for Lori's dress shopping!

Bottom Line: I didn't like it as much as Talk Me Down, but Start Me Up was a fun read (with a better handle on its suspense plot).

Liked it? Read the others in the Tumble Creek series:

Book 1: Talk Me Down

Book 2: Start Me Up

Book 3: Lead Me On

Interested in other opinions?

Author's website (with excerpt)

Monkey Bear Reviews

Dear Author

Smart Bitches

The Romance Reader

Bloomsbury Prize Pack at Presenting Lenore!

Lenore of Presenting Lenore is hosting an amazing YA giveaway from Bloomsbury. The winner could win 8 shiny new YA books - and the prize books look truly fantastic (2 Shannon Hale books, Coffeehouse Angel, Sprout among others)! I definitely suggest wandering over and taking a look at Lenore's great comments and enter to win!

A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnelly

**** - I related to Mattie's love of words and stories as well as to her conflicting needs and desires. I thought this was a great complex story of dreams hidden, sought, and denied. A very relatable coming-of-age story.

At 16, Mattie Gokey is struggling to provide for her family after her mother's death. She also tries to indulge her love of words and stories. But Mattie is deeply conflicted between the needs of her family, her attraction to a local boy, and her desire to go away to college to study writing which no one at home seems to understand. To earn extra money, Mattie ends up working at the Glenmore hotel - and becomes the custodian of a set of secret letters that could reveal the identity of a murderer.

There was a lot about this book that I found very relatable and compelling - Mattie deep love of words, of sorting through them for just the right meaning; her worry that her friends are getting in over their heads (both Weaver and Minnie for different reasons), her conflict between doing what is best for her and doing what is best for her family. There's a lot of emotion hidden beneath the surface of this novel - and all of it is intense and raw coming-of-age. It's not always clear that Mattie will make the 'right' decision or even what the 'right' decision for Mattie is, and that adds immensely to the novel.

I found the back and forth, out-of-sequence narration intriguing rather than confusing especially since it allowed the author to weave in Grace Brown's storyline. I knew very little about Grace Brown's murder before reading this book, and I'm glad to have learned more about the tragic story. But considering how powerful an effect Grace Brown's letters had on both Mattie and on the author (as stated in her author's note), I didn't feel like I got the full effect of them. This may be a story or a space constraint, but I really wanted to get to know Grace more than I did.

But, at heart, this is Mattie's story - and Grace is more incidental, important for the effect that she has on Mattie. And really, Mattie is utterly fascinating. She's selfish enough to want to pursue her own dreams rather than settle down as a martyr figure, but she also has half a mind to stop fighting and take the 'easy' path that is expected of her. I loved watching her adapt to life at the hotel (much more fun) and seeing her struggle with her life at home (in a considerably less idyllic version of Little House). My main quibble would be (MINOR SPOILER= that I wish that Royal hadn't been just using her. If he had shown honest interest in her, it would have made her decision much harder, but also more realistic. /end spoiler).

A great period read and a great coming-of-age novel.

ETA: While I was running around commenting on others' reviews, I found myself telling a little story. Thought you might like to know, too! There's a section in A Northern Light where Mattie finally works up the courage to show her writing to her teacher. But her teacher tells her that the type of stories she writes are too depressing for a girl to write - that she should write about pretty things. And that really brought to mind a situation with my own creative writing professor in college.

I had finally worked up the guts to join a creative writing workshop (after a devastating experience in high school with a teacher who insisted on seeing my writing and then told me I used too many adverbs - I may be a bit thin-skinned). When we turned in our first assignment, for me the opening scene of a romance novel I was dying to write, the professor gave it back to me telling me that I couldn't write that in her class because it lacked substance. And 'fairy-tale romance' was NOT literary. Total sucker punch, and one I've been struggling to overcome ever since. I guess this is just a side note, but I really related to how difficult it can be to have faith in your writing, to take such a big step as going to college for it, when someone (anyone) has attacked not the style, but the voice of your writing like that.

The book site

Find out more about the crime at the TruTv Crime Library

Interested in other opinions?

Book Muncher

Valentina's Room

Reviewer X

Fyrefly's Book Blog

Leafing Through Life

History Rocks!

Anna at BookNerds.net

Waiting on Wednesday

A Pearl Among Princes - Coleen Murtagh Paratore (Sept 17, 2009)

Welcome to the island where princes learn to be charming.

Gracepearl Coal is the cook’s daughter on Miramore, the island all princes visit for their summer program in the Charming Arts. Each year, the princes-in-training arrive on gallant seacraft, guided by captains trained to navigate the island’s treacherous waters. Passage on one of these boats is the only method to leave the island—thus betrothal to a royal is the only way for Pearl to find her far-off destiny, the one that’s started haunting her dreams. Luckily, this year’s crop of princes include some promising prospects, but how will Pearl leave behind her ailing father or—hardest of all—marry a boy other than her long-time beloved, Mackree . . . who now finds it too painful to even speak to her?

Why I'm Waiting: There's an island where princes learn to be charming. Like Charming Summer Camp. I am DYING to see what kind of activities are involved - and to see the mishaps when typical teenaged boys try to be charming. It sounds like it could be absolutely hilarious. Plus, look at the cover. Do you see the sailing ship? There are ships! And treacherous waters! This sounds adventure-some. So we have: adventure, humor, and romance - what more need I say? I'm so excited for September!

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Harlequin Teen

So Harlequin is launching a new line of YA novels - and there's some doubts running around the blog-o-sphere about the wisdom of attaching the Harlequin 'brand-name' to these books - first off because they're not strictly romances, but 'typical' YA books with romantic elements, and second because people think that teens (and adults that read YA) are going to see the name 'Harlequin' and think "Oh, Fabio + bodice ripping = suck".

And maybe they would. But the format is different than 'typical' Harlequin romances as are the covers. And honestly, I doubt anyone is going to check the publisher if they see a cover and blurb that intrigues them. (And we won't even go into how irritated I am at the continued assumption that romance involves 'bodice-ripping'.)

As for me, I'm excited about a new source of quality YA books and several of the upcoming books look amazing (though I hope they don't all end up with a paranormal slant). I'm excited about Douglas Rees' Majix: Notes from a Serious Teen Witch; Allison van Diepen's The Oracle of Dating, and Maria Snyder's Inside Out!

But I have to admit I was hoping for a line similar to Simon Pulse's Romantic Comedies when I heard that Harlequin was going to launch a teen line. The romantic comedies were always my favorites from Harlequin, though the funny lines never seem to last (I miss you Flipside!). While Red Dress Ink looks funny, they definitely fall into a more chicklit category that often seems to be aimed above my age level. So, yeah, I was expecting high school/early college romantic funniness - but this is a whole new Harlequin. A Harlequin aimed at a broader teen market. And given the I sure can't say I'm disappointed.

Harlequin Teen site

The Blog Tour:

Starting an Imprint

Interview with the Editor Natashya Wilson

What Kind of Book Becomes a Harlequin Teen?

Banshees and Faeries and Harlequin TEEN, Oh MY!

The Monster of Florence - Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi

*** - A true crime story that ends up being far more about the problems the authors suffer at the hands of the Italian justice system than about the serial killer. It's nonetheless an interesting story, but the authors' theory is based on an awful lot of conjecture rather than hard facts.

The Murders: Over the course of over a decade, fourteen young lovers are brutally murdered while having sex in their cars in the beautiful countryside surrounding Florence. The bodies of the women are horribly mutilated - they are almost certainly the real targets of the killer's rage.

The Reporters: When Douglas Preston moved to Italy to research an art thriller, he never suspected that he would become entangled in a decades-old serial murder investigation. But shortly after his move, Preston discovered that his new home was right next to one of the crime scenes. He was intrigued by the series of brutal murders, and determined with his friend, journalist Mario Spezi, to attempt to uncover the man responsible. But Preston and Spezi both soon became the targets of an investigation by the Italian police.

My reaction: This book focused far more on the incompetence and corruption of the Italian judicial system than it did on the murders. What surprised me most of all was that the author never once compared the killings to the serial killings it seemed to me to resemble the most - the Son of Sam killings. While I'm sure there were a number of differences, both evidentiary and psychological, to me the comparison seemed inevitable - serial killers targeting lovers in cars and demonstrating particular rage towards the women. So I was disappointed that there was no mention at all.

Overall, I'm not sure I buy Preston's theory about who was responsible for the killings. Because the book wanders back and forth between the police investigations and Preston & Spezi's suspicions, I never got a very clear overview of the case against their suspect. In many ways, their presentation of the investigation was as jumbled as the Italian prosecution's theories themselves. I had trouble keeping characters (both prosecutors and suspects) straight

As a portrait of the corruption of aspects of the Italian criminal justice system, the book fares much better. Many of the prosecution's theories are essentially ludicrous - satanic cults, conspiracy theories involving switching of corpses, Preston & Spezi planting evidence and obstructing justice decades after the last murder occurred. And the methods of interrogation, intimidation and imprisonment are downright frightening, even reminiscent of Kafka's The Trial - and as can be seen in the recent trial of Amanda Knox (see the American Girl link below), these are hardly concerns of the past.

The entire situation is a sad, jumbled mess. It's terrifying to see the lengths the justice system will go to in order to get a conviction in a high-profile case (for similar observations on the American system, see Grisham's The Innocent Man). But at the same time, I did not find this book particularly captivating. It had interesting things to say, have no doubt about that, but ultimately I was left more confused than convinced of the authors' theory of the crime. And I'm still not sure who was investigating whom and what and when...

Interested in other opinions?

S Krishna's Books

The Bookworm

More about The Monster of Florence killer:

The Website

Crime Library at TruTV

American Girl, Italian Nightmare including Douglas Preston (aired on CBS April 11, 2009 because of links to a current American girl accused of murder in Italy by one of the same prosecutors)

The Seduction of a Duke - Donna MacMeans

*** 1/2 - Cover look familiar? That's probably from my Waiting on Wednesday post back in January. Thank goodness I finally managed to find and read this sequel to The Education of Mrs. Brimley! Although the marriage of convenience story isn't as close to my heart as the artist, The Seduction of a Duke managed to capture my heart with a heroine who loves fairy tales!

American heiress Francesca Winthrop was going to marry for love, but her domineering mother had social-climbing plans. So when English duke William Chambers showed up looking for a fortune to discharge his father's unpaid debts, a marriage of convenience is inevitable. But despite their initial attraction, Franny and William have a bumpy road ahead - he's convinced she is carrying another man's baby, and she's determined to get with child as soon as possible so that she can return home... trouble ensues...

I was wary of The Seduction of a Duke to begin with. After all William took some thoroughly unpleasant actions in The Education of Mrs. Brimley both in his advances toward Emma and the way he treated his brother's painting. So I admit that I was a hard sell on the idea that William should be granted a Happily Ever After. But despite all of that, I really liked the characters that Donna MacMeans gives us here. William's story really touched me as he suffered from being 'the responsible one' as a child always answerable to a cruel father, including for the mistakes of his wayward younger siblings. Then on top of that, he was betrayed by his first wife leaving him mistrustful of everyone - including himself.

Franny is a fascinating and multi-faceted character. She is terrified of crowds and being stared at in society, so much so that she closes herself off and becomes known as Frosty Fanny. Yet underneath her fear is a warm and intelligent woman who adores translating children's fairy tales. She yearns for her first love, who has left her to marry another woman, and she decides to take her fate into her own hands and ruin herself. Unfortunately for her, she ends up choosing her intended groom - and now she tries to tempt him into her bed with the help of a courtesan's diary and a very sexy corset.

See? The characters are lovely and deep. And once they stopped fighting one another, I truly believed that they could make it together. Unfortunately, they spent an awful lot of time embroiled in one Big Misunderstanding. William won't ask her if she's pregnant with someone else's child, nor will he believe her when she declares that she isn't. After all, a virgin couldn't know anything about what would turn a man on, now would she? And Franny isn't a whole lot better about actually talking to her husband about her troubles, which can be quite frustrating. Realistic - but frustrating.

There are several wonderful scenes in The Seduction of a Duke - the two sharing an intimate moment when she tells him a fairy tale, William helping her to overcome her fear of people, Franny conspiring with Nicholas to show William the error of his ways, the fan war (oh, I LOVED the fan war - it's about time a romance author used the not-so-secret language of fans in her plotline!)... but it takes some time for Franny and William both to actually talk to each other instead of jumping to instant conclusions. I'm glad I stuck it out in the end (I'm still in love with Nicholas, after all), but it's not the sort of plotline I usually enjoy much.

Interested in other opinions?

Interview with Writers at Play

The Romance Reader

Save the Contemporary!

So it's probably pretty obvious from my labels that Contemporary romances aren't really my read of choice. I prefer masquerade balls, carriages and men in tight breeches for the most part. But occasionally I just want a fun, witty contemporary (though I prefer to skip the angst and focus on the funny).

I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for in the categories I've read recently, but I have come across some very entertaining contemporaries. My favorites at present?

Hot Property - Carly Phillips (my review)

Talk Me Down - Victoria Dahl (my review)

Just the Sexiest Man Alive - Julie James

Category-wise, I've really liked

Snowbound - Janice Kay Johnson (available as a free download for Harlequin's 60th Anniversary)

Private Confessions - Lori Borrill

The Mighty Quinns: Declan - Kate Hoffmann

What are your favorite contemporaries?

Save the Contemporary: Celebrate the Category

It’s time for another Save the Contemporary campaign, with Dear Author, Smart Bitches, and prizes from Harlequin!

To encourage total indulgence, relaxation, and contemporary romance reading, Jane and Sarah have put together a multi-part contest with daily prizes this week only, plus a grand prize at the end.

First: at 9pm EST, 8pm CST, today (4 August) Jane and Sarah will select 10 winners from the comments to this entry on each of their sites. Those lucky winners will receive a copy of both Hot Under Pressure by Kathleen O’Reilly and The Magnate’s Make Believe Mistress by Bronwyn Jameson.

Second: every day this week at 9pm EST, two winners a day will be chosen from those who Twitter about the Save the Contemporary campaign (#stc) and from those who blog about or email the contest entry. To email, simply forward the details to a friend using the “Email This Page” link at Save the Contemporary.com , or email us at sbj.contests@gmail.com with a link to your blog entry. The more times you forward the details of this giveaway, the greater chance you have of winning. For the Tweet campaign, use the “Share This” and twitter the contest link, along with whatever you want to say about contemporary category romances—but don’t forget the #stc tag!

We’ll pick one winner a day at 9pm EST/8pm CST from those who blog/email, and one from that day’s #stc tweets. Each daily winner will receive:

- a Harlequin vintage cover art bag

- a copy of each book

- a Lush Bath Bomb for use while reading the books

Finally, on Friday at 9pm EST, we’ll pick our grand prize winner from all who entered. The grand prize winner will receive a Harlequin cover art bag, a copy of each book, and the LUSH True Romance gift set, which includes massage bar, bath bombs and other treats.

Jane and Sarah are all about the True Romance, after all.

PLUS, for the duration of the Save the Contemporary campaign this week only, Harlequin’s digital team is offering an additional 15% off the eBooks ateHarlequin.com, for a total of 25% off the digital list price. The coupon code isBLOGSPECIAL, and you can use it at checkout for purchases storewide at eHarlequin.com.

Special huge thanks to Harlequin for the books and the bags and the coupon-y goodness!

The Education of Mrs. Brimley - Donna MacMeans

**** - The Education of Mrs. Brimley was an instant favorite of mine when I first read it. I have an avowed soft spot for artists in my romances (oh, heck, in my stories really), and the scene where Emma 'becomes' a goddess while posing for Chambers made me want to read this over and over.

Emma Brimley has gotten herself into hot water. To escape her dreadful relatives, Emma obtained a job teaching at an out-of-the-way young ladies' academy by claiming to be a widow. Only now she's expected to prepare the girls for their marital duties - something she knows absolutely nothing about. She sees no other choice but to turn to the school's roguish neighbor Lord Nicholas 'Bedchambers' Chambers.

Chambers is an artist in desperate search for a model to inspire a painting good enough to be accepted into the London Academy. So he strikes an unorthodox bargain with Mrs. Brimley - one truthful answer to her questions per item of clothing she removes to pose for him. And Emma has a lot of questions. I really enjoyed this novel. I have a soft spot for artists - whether poets, sculptors, or painters. So the descriptions of Chambers' painting and how he is inspired by Emma's transformation into a goddess really worked for me. I love stories where the heroine is a muse for the hero - and that definitely happens here. It was beautiful to see her interactions with Chambers beginning to rebuild her fragile self-esteem and give her renewed strength and confidence.

There were a few hiccups for me in the story - there were nuances of power-struggle sex (which I don't care for). But I loved the premise, and I loved the way Chambers treated the painting of Emma once he was done. Plus, I really thought the emotions portrayed in The Education of Mrs. Brimley roiled and bubbled - I love to be caught up in the story like that.

Those emotions are really the reason I keep this one on my favorites shelf - that and the gorgeous scene where Chambers sees Emma as a goddess during their posing sessions. Because, be honest, what's sexier than being an artist's muse?

Liked it? Read the sequel The Seduction of a Duke

Interested in other opinions?

Excerpt!

Interview at History Hoydens

Interview at The Romance Reader (review)

Pink Heart Reviews

Better Read than Dead - Victoria Laurie

*** 1/2 - I enjoyed my second foray into Abby Cooper's psychic world. It was nice to see Abby working with the police again to solve a nasty crime (though it was a bit ironic to see her involved in pretty much the exact same way as last time). The only thing I really missed was seeing more of Dutch.

After the excitement in Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye, things have slowed down a bit for Abby. Her house renovation is almost finished, her relationship with Dutch has been put largely on hold while he attends FBI training camp at Quantico, and she has a line on some new clients. Unfortunately, her job once again gets her into trouble - one of her readings sparks the interest of the local mob boss (who won't take 'no' for an answer), and Milo hopes that she can help him solve a series of brutal rapes in the area. And just like that Abby is plunged right into the thick of things again.

Better Read than Dead had a lot of good points - I really enjoy tarot readings, and I relish those parts of these novels where Laurie describes Abby's psychic intuitions and messages. It just clicks in a (for me) utterly believable way, which I feel is the strong suit of the premise. Abby's psychic abilities do help her out in a lot of ways, but they don't just hand her the answers. She still has to figure out how to interpret them. And she makes mistakes - sometimes grievous ones.

I really enjoyed seeing Abby work with the police again; despite her former distrust of cops (and her continued problems with their skepticism), I like the way it makes the books seem more realistic. After all, outside the realm of cozy mysteries, people who always seem to be in the thick of murders tend to get themselves arrested. Plus the fact that Abby doesn't refuse to call in the cops keeps her from being TSTL on occasion (though the parking garage fiasco is a pretty close call). I prefer the actual investigation portions to the more adventure/thriller plotline involving the mob boss, though I enjoyed how the disparate plotlines ended up intertwining.

What keeps Better Read than Dead from being as strong as Psychic Eye, in my opinion, is that the characters I really loved from the first book make only small cameo appearances. Dave the handyman barely skirts around the edges, and Dutch is either away or undercover for most of the novel. While he and Abby still have some lovely scenes, and their relationship is a believable mixture of exasperation and affection, I just... missed seeing them together more.

Which means, of course, that I'll certainly be reaching for the next book in the series just as soon as I can figure out which box it's in.

Interested in other opinions?

Aneca's World

Wendy's Opinion on Books

The Mystery Reader Reviews

Victoria Laurie's website

Book 1: Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye

Book 2: Better Read Than Dead (excerpt)

The Hunter's Moon - O.R. Melling

**** - I liked the way this remained true to the traditional mythological characterization of faeries as otherworldly, mercurial, and devoid of compassion. But at the same time, Melling showed how their lives could be devastatingly attractive as well. It seemed very true to the story's Irish roots.

American teenager Gwen hoped to spend her summer with her Irish cousin Findabhair seeking out places famous for their faerie connection. She never expected to be on a wild hunt around Ireland hoping to rescue Finn before the next Hunter's Moon from a Faerie king desperate to make her his bride. Caught between the human world and Faerie, Gwen has to use all of her wit and all of her willpower to resist the charms of Faerie - or lose her cousin forever.

I loved the depiction of faeries in Melling's The Hunter's Moon - they're beautiful, charming, and dangerous; whimsical and pitiless. They're always up for another trick, another game, another dance. They're easy to anger, yet quick to be mollified - if they're in the right mood. They're the stuff of legends brought to life in a way that emphasizes their otherworldliness, their lack of humanity but while still making their attraction obvious. And that's a tough thing to do.

I was less impressed with the rest of the characters. At times the girls were frustrating, particularly Finn. It seemed like Gwen was just surrounded by allies - but it was still terrifying for me to watch her hitchhike alone along a lonely stretch of road. Sure, she ended up being picked up by someone friendly, but... eep! To be fair to Gwen, though, she really came into her own and learned to fend for herself in this novel. She was far from a damsel in distress (and nor were her female allies), instead she had a great reserve of determination. I was charmed by Dara's sweet strength, though I'm not sure I bought the romance angle. Plus I thought his grandmother was rather charmingly straight out of a fairy tale - the ubiquitous Wise Woman. This might seem cliche to some, but I was swept up in the truly shimmery magic of Melling's tale, so it was fine with me.

The descriptions of modern-day Ireland and mythical Eire flashing back and forth was an intriguing way to capture the very real sense that under all that progress there's still a vibrant magical other world - and one that is best never forgotten lest it sneak up on you. It certainly lit the wanderlust in me. I'd love to go see some of the sites mentioned in this novel.

I particularly liked the inclusion of bits and pieces of Irish (including poetry), but I really thank whoever was responsible for the pronunciation guide in the back. That was a great touch.

Did it blow-me-away? Not really, but I did think it was a great way to introduce readers to Irish mythology in a non-pedantic way. And I enjoyed every page enough to recommend it further, and to pick up the sequels!

O.R. Melling's website

Interested in other opinions?

Wands and Worlds

Once Upon a Bookshelf

Twisted Kingdom