Monday, May 27, 2013

Keeping the Peace by Hannah Hooton - 4 Stars

KEEPING THE PEACE by Hannah Hooton is a fun read filled with entertaining characters and dangerous cottage renovations. If you've ever dreamed of moving somewhere and starting over, this book is for you. I give it 4 stars, and will enjoy re-reading my favorite parts for a good laugh.

KEEPING THE PEACE tells the story of Pippa, a waitress and girlfriend of a self-centered aspiring actor, who inherits a horse, Peace Offering, and a cottage from her uncle, the black sheep of her family. She nearly sells the horse in order to fund the renovation of the cottage, but changes her mind at the last minute when she discovers that her crazy Uncle Dave dreamed of entering Peace Offering into a particular race.

She practically falls into a job at the horse training facility where Peace Offering is being stabled, and eventually falls in love with Peace Offering's trainer, Jack. Jack is a proponent of keeping work and romantic relationships separate though, and so the tension between Pippa and Jack builds for a long time until one of them makes a move.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The banter between Jack and Pippa is hilarious, and Pippa's newbie mistakes (in horse racing, clerical work, and home renovations) are infamous. The book is paced well, and the characters and plotline are absolutely believable. Between the kooky characters and rural setting, the book reminded me of a cross between the movies Bridget Jones' Diary and The Holiday. I laughed a great deal.

The romantic drama was well written and is a good depiction of how fears and insecurities can affect a relationship, both before and after consummation. The development of Pippa and Jack's relationship is also well-timed in that there is a clear description of how much time is passing.

On a technical note, some of the paragraph and sentence structuring could be revised to provide readers with a clearer understanding of the dialogue and narration. Other than that, though, I loved this book. I would highly recommend KEEPING THE PEACE to all adult readers, as the language and love scenes make it inappropriate for those under 18 years of age.



**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=9105

Cecilia and the Rake (Rowlands Sisters 3) by Catherine Dove - 2 Stars

CECILIA AND THE RAKE by Catherine Dove is about people finding love despite their faults. This third installment in the Rowland Sisters Trilogy picks up about six months after The Lazy Bachelor (book 2) ends, with the wedding of Lord Shipton and Miss Frances Armitage. As with the first two books, there are several plot lines and pairs of lovers, making the title a bit too narrow to adequately represent the whole story. Here, there are three couples who find their way to their significant other despite age, personality and past experiences.

At the outset, I must note that this book was written as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a worldwide event where participants strive to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I commend any person who undertakes this feat, but it appears that the book was not edited beyond the close of the event and before publishing. Many of my comments could easily be addressed with another round of editing, now that the NaNoWriMo event is over. I also should note that this book should be read after the preceding two books in order to understand and appreciate the story. To alleviate that issue, I would have liked to see, at the outset of the novella, a concise summary of the major events in the previous two books. This kind of recap would give the third book some context and make it less confusing.

In regards to writing style, there was quite a bit of narration in the book that could have been simplified or covered more directly with dialogue. Also, the narration and dialogue do not obviously move the plot forward in several places, and so seem redundant or perplexing. The first 23 single-spaced pages fall prey to this problem. Those pages are dedicated to addressing a lot of people at the wedding, while leaving the reader uncertain about who the characters are and what they have to do with the book. Then finally, on page 24, the Rake is introduced. It would have been easier to follow the story had the setting been described in the first paragraph – the wedding of Lord Shipton and Miss Frances Armitage – and the attendees described. Instead, this issue, along with some awkward sentence construction and blatant typographical errors, caused slowing in the pace of the book.

In regards to plotlines and character development, a large portion of the book is difficult to follow because of the priority given to the various characters and the amount of time spent with each. While I liked the development of Cecilia's and the Rake's relationship, Cecilia and her Rake do not have enough attention paid to them. Their relationship really should have taken precedence over all others. Instead, much more time is spent on scenes involving Miss Katherine ("Kitty") Clarke, both individually, and with Mr. Guy Dorne. Furthermore, when the characters are introduced, their descriptions need to be more accurate and streamlined. First names should be used to avoid confusion of the relationships among them; Mrs. Tyndall is Portia, and Mr. Tyndall is Perry, both major characters in book 2. Likewise, Mrs. Windborne is described well, but in describing her husband, Frederick Windborne, there should have been some mention of him being Mr. Harding's best friend to tie it all together. Then there is the blatant change in the name of Franny Armitage's younger sister – Eleanor in book 2, Harriet in book 3. These issues made reading the novella difficult.

The heat level is about a 2 out of 5, appropriate for readers 16 and older.

Overall, this book definitely has the potential to be a great novel, and after reading the trilogy in order, I understood the third book so much better than the first time I read it. I would recommend this book with the caveat that the trilogy should be read in order, but one more run through the editing process could make this a very enjoyable read.



**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=8250

The Lazy Bachelor (Rowland Sisters 2) by Catherine Dove - 5 Stars

THE LAZY BACHELOR by Catherine Dove is a fantastic and funny romantic comedy that should not be missed by any reader of romance novels. The beginning will intrigue you, and the ending will please you. Ms. Dove has turned out a fun read with this second book in the Rowland Sisters Trilogy, and I give it five stars.

Like the first book in the Rowland Sisters Trilogy, in THE LAZY BACHELOR, there are several characters that receive the attention due a leading character, but pay close attention, because the Rowland sister in this book is not the main focus. In this second installment of the series, the reader sees Lord Shipton (a rejected suitor of Mrs. Georgiana Harding, née Rowland, and stepson to Sir Henry's new wife, Lady Becknall née Shipton) fall in love. The reader is also privy to the initial stages of friendship between Miss Cecilia Rowland and Viscount Ravenshill, which is important background for the third book in the trilogy. The lazy bachelor in the book, though, is Lord Shipton's cousin, Mr. Peregrin Tyndall, whose unbelievable laziness has caused distress in the lives of his two wards, Miss Frances Armitage and her younger sister, Eleanor, who live with a woman who could rival Cinderella's wicked stepmother. The Misses Armitage descend upon the house party in progress at Lord Shipton's country estate, and the party soon turns out to be the most interesting party some of them have ever attended. It certainly made for a fun evening for me.

From the beginning, I was intrigued by Peregrin ("Perry") Tyndall's character. The narration and dialogue are well crafted, letting the reader know that something important is about to happen to Perry, while moving the plot along. The pace of the book continues at a good speed, and the dialogue and narration lead the way with spirit and wit.

I also enjoyed the wordplay immensely, especially the recurring banter about changeling children that made me laugh out loud. The characters engage in a brilliant and intricate web of schemes, and not all the schemes are typical of Regency romances. Here, Perry is so afraid of inheriting the title and all the attached responsibilities that when Lord Shipton injures his head in a fall from his horse, Perry sets out to find Lord Shipton a wife so that an heir can be born to cut him out of the line of the succession. Needless to say, Perry's matchmaking attempt is misguided, but all works out in the end.

The development of the romantic relationships in the book are well done, describing long-standing familial relationships and/or interactions that make the characters' emotions believable. The romance is sweet and clean, definitely meriting a rating of 1 out of 5, and is appropriate for teens and adults alike.

Overall, aside from the occasional glaring grammatical or typographic error, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to any romance reader.



**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=8106

Mr. Harding Proposes (The Rowland Sisters 1) by Catherine Dove - 3 Stars

MR. HARDING PROPOSES by Catherine Dove is a story about a pair of childhood friends whose relationship is altered by a proposal of marriage. Several proposals, in fact. Mr. Richard Harding can't quite seem to get his act together for most of the story, and only in the last couple chapters does he make his feelings and intentions known.

The story is about more than Mr. Harding and his proposals, though. It focuses on the upheaval in the lives of a widow, her children, and her brother when they go to London for the younger daughter's first Season. They live with their Uncle Henry at first until a few experiences with allegedly unsavory persons act as catalyst for the entire family. Ultimately, there are wedding bells.

The title of the story is a bit misleading. Yes, Mr. Harding proposes several times before he gets it right, but because there is so much more going on than just his proposing, a broader title that addresses the overall picture might have been more appealing.

As far as character development is concerned, I liked how Richard and Georgiana's characters were described through their interactions and dialogue. Not only are we entertained by their lively discussions, but the reader also sees the length and depth of their friendship in such a way that one can easily imagine the development of a romance. Likewise, their separation tugs at the heartstrings, and one can easily feel the fear and desolation Georgiana experiences after rejecting Mr. Harding. As for the heat level, the romantic scenes are virtually nonexistent, and those scenes that might be called love scenes are completely benign, giving this story a heat level of 1 out of 5 (sweet).

Unfortunately, it was difficult to get into the story because there was too much unnecessary dialogue in the beginning of the book. Much of the dialogue between the mother and Georgiana could have been handled with a paragraph of narration. The reader would have been able to understand how irritating and irrational the mother is without wanting to put the book down because the reader is tired of "hearing" her complain and carry on. Dialogue is meant to advance the plot, but instead, much of the early dialogue simply slows the pace of the book down to a glacial speed. Once the characters get to London, though, the pace of the book speeds up and the story is much more enjoyable.

Overall, I enjoyed the novella as any other run of the mill regency romance and give it a rating of 3 out of 5.



**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=8105

Beautiful Lie by Stephanie Sterling - 2 stars

A BEAUTIFUL LIE by Stephanie Sterling is an enjoyable book that has all the elements for a great book - a hero, a damsel in distress, a villain, and a plot to get revenge, but it needs another run through the editing process to get it right. I give the book 2 stars because the editing issues detract significantly from the storyline.

A BEAUTIFUL LIE tells the story about Lachlan MacRae and Muira Cameron, whose clans have been enemies for time immemorial. Lachlan is the MacRae tanist (second in command) who is sent to the Castle Cameron to determine interest in a peace treaty. On the way, he discovers Muira, who is betrothed to Tavish MacEantach. Muira is running away from Tavish because he is a brute and doesn't want to marry him, but she doesn't trust Lachlan enough to tell him the truth. So, Lachlan gives Muira a lift back to the Castle Cameron. By the time they arrive, Tavish has already discovered Muira's flight and tries to drag her off to his room to punish her/rape her. Lachlan saves her from that fate only to have Tavish accuse him of harming Muira. Ultimately, Lachlan is given the choice to marry Muira or die. He chooses marriage, and they have to deal with the fallout from both clans while trying to negotiate their own relationship.

I liked this story. If you are a fan of Scottish Historical Fiction, the basic plotline may seem familiar, but the twists make it interesting regardless. The dialogue between Lachlan and Muira and the development of their relationship are believable, for the most part. Towards the end, things get a bit cheesy, but by then you can easily get past it. I would rate the heat level as a 3 out of 5, and due to the thematic elements in the story, would recommend this only for those 17 and older.

There were quite a few editing errors, and the changes in tense, missing pronouns, mixed up character names, and errors in adverb/adjective and homonym usage detracted from the story. There were no actual chapters, just section breaks, which made it difficult to determine where you were in the story, and at times, the narration did not clearly signal whether the text was a flashback or the next scene.

Overall, I would have enjoyed the book much more had the editing issues not detracted from the storyline.



**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6856

Her Island Destiny by Annie Marshall - 4 Stars

HER ISLAND DESTINY by Annie Marshall has something for everyone - modern day and medieval warfare, supernatural beings, myths and legends, Scottish history, drafty castles, and best of all, love that spans centuries. If you have never thought of reading a time-travel romance novel, now is the time to take a chance. You won't be disappointed by going out on a limb for HER ISLAND DESTINY.

HER ISLAND DESTINY tells the story of Isla, a US Army helicopter pilot who crashes in Afghanistan and loses her entire crew. After physically recovering from the crash, her Army appointed shrink tells her to take a couple weeks of vacation and go someplace she's never been but always wanted to go. Isla's destination is Scotland, the Orkney Islands. While wading in the surf her first day there, she falls victim to the strong undertow, and is transported back in time to the tumultuous 13th Century - the days of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. She falls from the sky into the ocean right in front of Cian, a very tall and very powerful warrior and laird, and he is immediately smitten. While Isla struggles with her potentially imminent return to her real life and Cian's amorous advances, war is brewing. Will there be a happy ending for Cian and Isla or will they be separated by time and death?

This was my first time-travel romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plotline was well done - simple enough to follow, but filled with historical background and realistic battles to keep it interesting. The ending was unexpected and cleverly done, setting up an overarching plotline that lends itself to endless possibilities for a series. The dialogue was credible, and it wasn't overly narrated. The writing style is fluid and clear, making this an easy read, and in the note to readers, the author helps us out with pronunciation of the Gaelic terms and names used in the book. The editing was excellent.

The development of the romance was not only believable, but also poignant. Isla tries not to fall in love or even get romantically involved with Cian because she expects to go back to her time at any moment. Cian questions whether he is lovable at all because his last fiancée killed herself to avoid having to marry him, and Isla's 21st Century hyperbolic vocabulary feeds his insecurity. The heat level is about a 3 out of 5 - loves scenes are graphic and descriptive, but are timed well and appropriate in context.

The only thing that detracted from my reading experience was the cover art. The photograph of a well-built man in a kilt is so cliché and indicates to me that the quality of the writing is sub-par and that the author couldn't garner interest in the novel without the blatant sex lure. Nothing could be further from the truth, though; the quality of the writing in this novel was great, and the other aspects of the story depicted in the cover art are intriguing enough to make me pick up the book. The half-naked man on the cover is completely unnecessary and only detracts from the true merits of the book.

Overall, I really liked this book, and I look forward to reading more of Annie Marshall's work.



**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=7548

The Haunting of a Duke by Chasity Bowlin - 4 Stars

THE HAUNTING OF A DUKE by Chasity Bowlin haunted a full 12 hours of my life. The mystery and suspense gripped me from the first page, and I actually sacrificed a night of sleep because I could not put it down. If you like 19th Century historical romance and/or mystery novels, THE HAUNTING OF A DUKE is a must read. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

THE HAUNTING OF A DUKE tells the story of Rhys, the Duke of Briarleigh, who is mired in suspicion due to the untimely death of his wife, Elise. Miss Emma Walters, a young gentlewoman who is rumored to be a psychic, has been asked by the duke's mother to use her "psychic gifts" to determine whether the duke actually killed his wife. Emma's investigation is played out during a house party, to which the most notorious gossips in town have been invited specifically in hopes that when the duke's name is cleared, the news will reach the entirety of the ton with the greatest speed possible. Unfortunately, Emma's investigation results in a drama on multiple levels. Is Emma really a medium, or is she lying to further her social aspirations? Can Emma discover who really killed the late duchess before she herself falls prey to the villain? Will Emma and Rhys work out their issues before it's too late?

Right off the bat, the book hooks you with the mystery. The opening scene depicts a dirty, scraped up girl in her nightgown trying to find her way back to her room after sleepwalking in a strange mansion, and it is so well described that I cringed with empathetic pain when she slams her fingers in the dungeon door. Ouch! And the suspense is so well plotted that I could not predict the ending. There were so many possibilities that I was truly surprised by the big reveal in the end. There were a handful of glaring editing errors, but the content of the book was so good that I was able to get back into the scene without a problem. The pace was good, as evidenced by my reading the book in one sitting.

The romance between Emma and the Duke is fairly realistic. I appreciate that there is no agonizing back and forth, hemming and hawing about the relationship. The emotional aspect of their relationship was not beaten to death; the characters' thought and insecurities are described and mentioned in appropriate context, but the main theme of the story is the mystery of who killed the former duchess. Bonus points there. Otherwise, the development of the relationship is described with enough dialogue and serious conversation that the reader isn't blindsided by the characters' feelings for each other. As for the heat level, there are several scenes of graphic sex, but they were timed realistically and were realistic given the context. So while I would rate the heat level as a 3 out of 5, the love scenes don't seem gratuitous. The writing is definitely geared toward the 18+ crowd, though.

Finally, on a side note, the cover art for the book does not accurately reflect the book. Perhaps a cover that highlighted the mystery and suspense part of the novel would have been more appropriate than the bodice-ripper-esqe depiction of lovers, but this is a personal pet peeve of mine that doesn't pertain to the quality of the writing.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to finding out if there are subsequent novels that tell the stories of Michael and Spence, the duke's best friends.



**This review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=7460

Angel's Assassin by Laurel O'Donnell - 3 Stars

ANGEL'S ASSASSIN by Laurel O'Donnell tells the story of how an enslaved man wins his freedom and the love of his life at the same time. The Angel in the title refers to Lady Aurora of Aquitaine, and Damien is meant to be her Assassin. However, the forces of good overcome evil in this medieval romance, and in the end Damien and Aurora show us that complicated relationships can work out once honesty rules the relationship.

Damien and his brother were sold into slavery by their father when they were very young. The prologue goes into detail about how Damien's brother is freed while Damien is left enslaved. Throughout the book, the reader discovers bits and pieces of Damien's life via memories, dreams, and what the characters "in the know" reveal to others. At first, I felt as if perhaps there was an earlier book that I missed, but no, the reader must simply be patient.

Chapter one starts off with a day in the life of Lady Aurora of Aquitaine and then shifts into how Damien is drawn into saving her life so that he can have a chance to win his freedom. His "noble" act earns her trust and he soon becomes her bodyguard, even though he was also sent to kill her.

Much of the book revolves around Damien battling his inner demons and people from his past until he understands and accepts the fact that he was never going to win his freedom. The book focuses a bit too much on this issue for my taste. As a trained assassin, much is made about how observant Damien is, but he constantly questions whether his owner ever intended to free him. I wanted to say to him "Duh! He bought you in order to make you an assassin and send you to kill people. This should be a big sign that he is not to be trusted."

I found the development of the romantic feelings as well as Damien and Lady Aurora's relationship believable, though, so the reader can easily overlook Damien's issues.

Damien's brother also makes several appearances. His character feels like it should be a major part of the story, but the portion of the book dealing with him is so small that I wondered whether there was going to be a second story focusing on his character. I would have liked to see more of him and more of the development of the brothers' relationship.

As for the technical side of this historical romance, there were some minor editing errors which were generally not a problem. However, when writing this kind of novel, it is important to remember the history of the region. Several times, the characters referred to England, e.g. "Damien is the deadliest assassin in all of England", as if that's where the story took place. Aquitaine is a region in the southwest part of France, and even though England and France had the same ruler at certain times, the distinction is clearly made in historical documents. Aquitaine was never considered England, only an English possession. Some other historical details were incorrect, and so attention to the historical aspects of this region and revisions would be nice if there is any re-publication.

Overall, even though there were a few issues that detracted from the book, I enjoyed the story about Damien and Lady Aurora, and if you are a fan of medieval fiction, this book is definitely for you.