"Wicked Intentions" - Book 1 of the Maiden Lane series

Disclaimer: The version reviewed was a personal purchase.

Time and Setting: London, 1737

Characters:

The hero, Lazarus Huntington's (Lord Caire) description immediately brought to mind a mental picture of Lucius Malfoy as depicted by Jason Isaacs in the Harry Potter films.  I thought the actor looked intriguing and very sexy and (to use the author's own words when referring to the hero a couple of times, "exotic").  And of course, Jason Isaacs in his natural form is very handsome to begin with.  I just couldn't help picturing Lazarus with those features, even down to the cape and the cane. *sigh*  Anyway, he's an Alpha hero, sometimes an outright jerk, and full of hidden depths.  I fell in love with him the second I started reading about him.

The heroine, Temperance Dews, is a woman with even more hidden depths.  She has been punishing herself for years (not going to spoil so don't worry).  However, even when the hero refers to her as his "martyr", I didn't really think of her as such.  She comes across as strong and brave, at least to me.  I liked her a lot, and felt for her, and I even related a bit to her.  I think she provided a good balance for Lazarus.

There is a secondary cast of characters as well, which of course include the heroine of the next book in this series, Lady Hero, and likely the hero as well, though I am just guessing at this point, as there is a rather mysterious character whose identity was not revealed (I have two "candidates" for that role though).


Plot:

You can find the blurb here.  I find it's quite accurate, so you can rely on it to have an idea of what the story is about.

Though I don't want to gush, fact is that this book turned out to be a fantastic read.  I consider Elizabeth Hoyt one of my favorite authors, but a couple of her stories didn't hit the mark with me, which is pretty much why I usually try not to over-hype myself when I get my hands on one of her books.  However, this one is now among my top 3 favorite stories penned by her, and I would dare say, among my top 10 favorite historical romances read in 2010.

The first thing that hit the mark with me, were the main characters. And since to me it is all about the characters, this book was a winner from the very beginning. If the author manages to "hook" me with her characters from the very beginning, chances are that I will consider the book a good read.


This historical romance is one of the most sensual books I have ever read.  Take it from someone who discovered romance when she started reading erotic romance.  The sensuality and eroticism is so palpable that I was squirming on my chair.  Now mind you, the book is not much more explicit than other mainstream sensual historical romances out there, but the manner in which the author chose to build the sensual tension was nothing short of masterful.  It literally arouses the senses, and the book isn't an erotic romance at all.

I do have to mention that some things are off-the-wall unbelievable, and there definitely is historical "license" involved, particularly with the use of certain words.  However, none of this took from my enjoyment of the story.  I admit that I tend to be very forgiving because to me, a historical romance is something I tend to read as if I were reading a fairy tale.  I am too aware that what I am reading is fiction and frankly, I like things that way, so I am not a stickler for linguistic accuracy or historical detail.

2010 - A year full of changes for me

2010 turned out to be an eventful year for me.  Early on (January 26th to be precise) I was let go from the job that I had over the past 11 years.  It was my very first job in New York.  I started in that firm less than two months after I moved in with my now husband, back in 1999.  Although it was a bit of a shock as, for some reason, I deluded myself into thinking that there is such a thing as job "security", I had stopped being happy there for quite a long time, I would even dare say years.  However, I was "comfortable" and as I said, felt "secure", so why mess with things.  Fate had a different idea, it seems.

Though I spent two months and a half looking for a new job (a short period of time compared to what a lot of others are going through trying to find a job), I think I was lucky... and also have the very strong feeling that my guardian angel felt that I needed the kick on the ass for me to take action, and finally get out of a job situation I was unhappy with.  Though I am earning a bit less, my quality of life has substantially improved, and since I don't have to pay hundreds of dollars a month in transportation (railroad, subway, and gas), it all evens out and my take home salary is pretty much the same.   I also  have made some new friends among my new co-workers, which is a blessing as well.  I pretty much only had one true friend in my former job, and I have made it a point to keep in touch with her.  Finding her has been a blessing to me.

Later in the year, I also made the decision of leaving Just Erotic Romance Reviews.  My time to leave was long overdue, as I had stopped enjoying my role there a long long time ago and it felt more like a chore than something I was doing because it brought me satisfaction.  However, for some weird reason, I just kept hanging on because of a sense of responsibility.  I then realized that it was not going to be the end of the world if I left, that things would continue normally, so I finally let go.  I confess I enjoyed the first few years I spent there and it was an incredible experience, but my stay lasted more than it should have.

The closing of the year turned out to be on the crappy side though.  My husband spent most of December and a portion of this month dealing with pneumonia and I got a bout of bronchitis (the joys of coughing fits in tandem...).  Suffice it to say, I am hoping that is not an omen of things to come (keeping my fingers crossed).  Over the past 3 years we both seem to be getting some sort of major health issue at the beginning of the year, specifically around the Martin Luther King weekend.  Looks like this winter we got it earlier though. :P

In terms of reading, I found myself reading substantially more historical romance than paranormals, and it does look like the trend will continue on 2011.  I tend to avoid contemporary romance as well as romantic suspense, so I do not have anything to say on those two sub-genres.  I am happy to say that I discovered some new and new-to-me historical romance authors, and as to that respect, my list of auto-buy authors has increased.

As I decided to start this blog a few months ago, my one and only resolution for 2011 is to keep track of what I read.  I bought a gorgeous planner with that purpose in mind.  Hopefully I'll keep motivating myself to jot down what I read.  I only include date in which I started reading a book, the date in which I finish, and some notes as to if I liked it or not.  I read a lot but I truly have no clue how many books do I go through every month.

Let's see what this year will bring.  Hopefully a LOT of good reading material...

"Rakes and Radishes" by Susanna Ives

Disclaimer: The review version I read was an ARC obtained via NetGalley.

Contrary to what some may believe, writing a review is not an easy task.  It entails much more than just saying "I hated this book" or "I loved this book".  Writing a review is further complicated if the person writing the review does not exactly know what to make of her reading experience of a particular book.  I am facing such a quandary as it pertains to "Rakes and Radishes".  You see, the book is well written, it definitely is historical romance in the classic sense of the word.  However, when I started reading the book I had a certain expectation.  I thought that the book was going to be, if not an outright comedy, that at least, it would have strong elements of, at the very least, light humor.  Frankly, what little I found of humor in it (and please bear in mind humor is an extraordinarily subjective element), disappointed me, because the conflict and the angst I found through at least one third of the book pretty much annulled any attempt at levity I may have found.  Frankly, at this point, I am having a hard time remembering if there was anything in the book that actually did make me smile (aside from the happy ending).

I do have to say that I finished the book rather upset, because I felt (and still feel) that the title is misguiding.  It has taken me over a month to write these words because I thought it would not be right to write a review that could turn out to be rather unfair to the author due to my own expectations about the story.  My review is going to be rather short for this reason.  The last thing I want is to end up being unfair, as I am fully aware that my own expectations colored my reading experience.

The story involves a young woman, Henrietta, who fancies herself in love with her cousin.  When her cousin gets engaged to another woman, she decides that she has to win him back.  To do so, she comes up with a scheme and convinces her childhood friend, the Earl of Kesseley (Kesseley) to help her.  Pretty much she wants Kesseley to seduce her cousin's fiance, so that she can then show her cousin that it is her whom he really loves.


Overall, the heroine, Henrietta, was not particularly appealing.  It was not until about two thirds into the story that she became a sympathetic character in my eyes.  She did suffer for her own selfish behavior.  Kesseley, on the other hand, started as a very sympathetic hero, but when he decided that he was fed up, he went to the the extreme opposite of the spectrum.  He turns into such a jerk that frankly, even when the heroine was not exactly perfect herself, I was wondering why in blazes did she take him when he came back to her.

I did have issues throughout the book.  I felt there was a bit too much angst and drama for my taste, particularly since, as I indicated above, I was expecting something entirely different to what I actually encountered.

Frankly, though I didn't think the book was bad and I was able to finish it, truth of the matter is that, well, I can't say I enjoyed it either, though I did read the whole story.

I will pay a bit more attention the next time I actually request a review copy of any book.

I feel kinda duped

Here's the deal:  I was looking at the books available at NetGalley and this historical romance called my name.  Just judging by the title, I honestly felt that if it wasn't an outright comedy, at least, it would have a strong humorous element.  To make the story short, it didn't have a strong humorous element.  As a matter of fact, more than 2/3s of it involved the conflict between the main characters, and it wasn't a "fun" type of conflict, if you know what I mean.  Mind you, in romance a book is supposed to have a conflict, so that is not what I am complaining about either, but as I said, I was expecting something entirely different and suffice it to say, though I finished reading the book, I can't say I liked it... and I think that feeling is mostly because I did feel disappointed,  The book reminded me more of Brenda Joyce's style, whose work I read when I am in the mood for it because, well, I find her style a bit dramatic, for lack of a better word. 

Anyway, now I am sitting here, typing this, and trying to figure out how to write that review.  *sigh*

"Eternal Prey" - Book 3 of the Gods of the Night series by Nina Bangs

Disclaimer: The review version was an ARC obtained via NetGalley.

Time and Setting: Portland, Oregon, present day

Characters: 

Utah Endeka thinks about one thing and one thing only: to avenge the death of his pack mate, Rap, at the hands of vampires.  He hates vampires with a passion and now that is pretty much all he lives for.

Lia, born human, is used to work harder and push herself to the limit.  As the daughter of a vampire queen of sorts, she was largely ignored by her mother, which motivated her to spend most of her life pushing herself to be tougher and to use her brains to compensate for being a weakling human.  She wishes to become a vampire, but her father, who is human, has convinced her to wait a little bit longer.  However, much bigger forces are at play.

Fin assigns Lia to work as Utah's "human", which does create certain issues due to Utah's hatred of all things vampire, and Lia's determination to become a vampire in the near future because of her heritage.  However, neither one can deny the very strong attraction that develops instantly between them.

Although both characters are quite sympathetic to the reader, I have to admit that this time around the main characters didn't engage me as much as the main characters in the previous two books in the series did.  I can't exactly pinpoint why.  I think that it has to do with the very quick pacing of the book, the different plot points that were included, and the further development of the universe the author is building in the series, all of which really didn't give a lot of room for lots of character development.  Though the relationship is definitely the central point, I'd dare say it was slightly more plot driven, or at least, that was the case as I perceived it.

Plot:

This time around the hunt for Zero's minion, Seven, takes place in Portland, Oregon.  Apparently, there is a rogue vampire wreaking havoc, believed to be related to Seven, and as a result, Fin (leader of the Eleven), establishes an alliance of sorts with the vampire leader, Adam.  Utah, who has been on a vampire killing rampage, is sent over as a token lackey for Adam.  Lia is the human assigned to accompany Utah at all times (humans in the vicinity of the Eleven helps keep them "concealed" from non-humans), this provides an advantage, though, as she knows everything about vampires, their hierarchy, rules, strengths and also their weaknesses.  Utah isn't exactly happy about having a "babysitter"... and much less a vampire lover type...

Ms. Bangs further develops the universe that she started in the first book, allowing the readers further glimpses into Fin, the origins of the Eleven, and the existence of other supernaturals, not just shifters or vampires.  I find all this fascinating.  However, anyone new to the series, will be better served by starting the series from book 1 and continuing in the intended order of the series.  By now, there is a lot going on in terms of the background story arc involving Fin, Zero and the Eleven, and it can get fairly confusing for some, particularly if they are new to the series.  The sex scenes are hot, which is standard for Ms. Bangs.  They do not distract from the story and they can even be outright skipped without affecting the reader's enjoyment of the story. 

Overall, if I gave ratings (which I don't) this book would be the equivalent of a round B in my personal opinion.  The story moved quickly and as fans have come to expect from this series, it didn't drag at any point. The characters were not, in my personal opinion, outstanding, but they were appealing.  This is a book that I would definitely recommend, even to those not familiar with Nina Bangs' work, but who enjoy paranormal romance.  On a side note, Ms. Bangs writes delightful lighthearted paranormal romances, however, this series is not lighthearted by any stretch of the imagination.


Author's website: http://www.ninabangs.com
Publisher's website: http://www.harpercollins.com

Dissatisfied with the current state of romance

I've been reading romance in one form another since I was 16 years old. My first real romance was The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss - can you say "bodice ripper". There was Rebecca Brandewyne, Roberta Gellis and a few others who I have either lost track of or outgrown. Then I discovered Nora Roberts - she was the first author I read whose stories and characters seduced me. They flirted, they laughed and danced and when they fell in love, so did I. I never wanted to leave their world. From Nora I progressed to Elizabeth Lowell, Linda Howard and Jayne Ann Krentz who started at Harlequin and Silhouette. I've followed them through the years from publisher to publisher and genre to genre. These women, along with Jenny Crusie, are a chosen few, whose books I will rush out to buy to this day. I've followed them from paperback to hardcover without a qualm. I've added and subtracted authors from my list of must reads, want to reads and might reads.

I immersed myself in Erotic romance, when it first started and over the years I have watched it morph into an entity that I think has gotten out of control and lost it's way. I've read traditional, historical, fantasy, shapeshifters, aliens, elves and ghosts. I've delved into anime, yaoi, m/m (male/male), multiple partners and even some (f/f). I hate chick-lit. As far as I am concerned, it's a string of pages of whining, selfish drek, written about self-absorbed, spoiled brats. I could care less if they couldn't buy that pair of designer shoes, or take that trip to Europe because their rich, equally whiny, self-absorbed boyfriend/husband/girlfriend, found someone else with an original thought in their heads. And I'm at a loss. There is so much out there that is awesome, some that is mediocre and, unfortunately, a whole lot that's just garbage.

I am thinking of taking a break from all of it. Well, I was thinking about it, but I am a voracious reader. I can't go a day without opening a book and at least reading a few pages. How do you just stop reading? How do you abandon something that has seen you through love, heartbreak, grief, happiness and the everyday blahs. A book to me is a friend, who doesn't care if you gain a few pounds, cry on their shoulder, yell at them or think their insane. A book doesn't judge you, it doesn't hate you. It's always there when you need it and hopefully always satisfies you.

I read romance to escape and reaffirm my belief that love is real, it's possible that someday my prince/sheik/billionaire/cowboy/pilot/space warrior/navy seal will come, sweep me off of my feet and we will live happily ever after.

Can I give all of that up? I don't know...who knows, tomorrow I might discover a new author who will re-awaken my love for the genre that I fell in love with.

Now how to write those reviews...

Now that I am "officially" reviewing again, I am finding myself with a quandary of sorts: do I read the whole book first and then write the review (that's what I did with my first review posted to the blog) or do I take notes as I go along.  I am inclined to just read the whole book first and then write the review.  For someone that wrote reviews for quite a few years, this sounds ass-backwards, but the thing is that way back when, my reviews were short as that was a requirement from the websites/publication I wrote reviews for.  Now that I am writing the reviews for my own entertainment, I do want to give a bit more detail and make them different to what I was used to.

The many ways in which I like to complicate my life and make something that should be simple, a headache... yay me  ;)