DARKEST HOURS by S.K. Yule gives readers an interesting new twist in the classic vampire-loves-a-human plot line. It also nicely reflects the old adage "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." This was a fun read, and I give it 3 stars.
In DARKEST HOURS, readers meet Ebony White as she walks home from a life-changing doctor's appointment. Ebony has a malignant brain tumor, and her prognosis isn't good. Fate, however, has different plans for Ebony. Unbeknownst to her, Ebony is being hunted by a vampire's slave, a "drudge," and she literally runs into Ashe Aleksandrov, a vampire out hunting demons. Despite being a human, Ebony is able to see through Ashe's shield, which keeps him invisible to humans while he is out hunting. She can also speak to Ashe telepathically. Both of these abilities mean that Ebony is Ashe's viata amant, or soul mate. Needless to say, this particular day is one of serious upheaval in her life, and Ashe must navigate the turbulent waters of this new relationship while figuring out who is trying to kill Ebony.
Overall, this was a fun read. The length of the book is nice in that it shows some character and relationship developments, but I would have liked to have seen fewer sex scenes and more scenes where Ashe and Ebony connect emotionally. By the time the protagonists work out their issues, the sex scenes do not advance the plot line at all. Instead they become monotonous and slow the pace of the book. The many romantic scenes also give this book a heat rating of 3, appropriate for those readers 18 years of age and older.
The plot is decent, although a bit predictable. While there were plenty of dialogue-driven scenes, the plot is mostly moved forward through narration. I would have liked to see less narration, and instead, more dialogue in which Ashe's world is described with more subtlety, through nuance. Much of the narration feels very spoon-fed, but if you need an easy read, this book serves that purpose well.
While the writing style was pretty good - indeed some of the dialogue was funny and made me laugh out loud - the book needs some major editing. At times, the timeline is forgotten, and consequently, a scene description or a character's history is repeated. There are also some sentences that are structured in such a way that I had to re-read them several times to understand what they meant. Overall, though, one can get past the editing issues and enjoy the story. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the vampire genre.
**Original review revised for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=9277
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Lost Lords series (Books 1-3) by Mary Jo Putney - 4 stars
Loving a Lost Lord
Never Less Than A Lady
Nowhere Near Respectable
Great Plots, Complex Characters & Lots of Historical Facts
These books are wonderfully written, although sometimes a bit much narration in the middle of the characters' conversations. The plot twists, complex characters, and historical facts make it easy to forget that this is categorized as a romance novel. Unlike most "romance" novels I've read, these books do not revolve around sex. While these books follow the template (boy meets girl, but impediment to relationship + some disaster or dangerous situation + development of admiration and affection + impediment to marriage destroyed = happy ending) the characters are not bland stereotypes, and much time is spent developing the characters and the relationships. I can't wait to see more in the Lost Lords series, e.g., Will Masterson!!
Never Less Than A Lady
Nowhere Near Respectable
Great Plots, Complex Characters & Lots of Historical Facts
These books are wonderfully written, although sometimes a bit much narration in the middle of the characters' conversations. The plot twists, complex characters, and historical facts make it easy to forget that this is categorized as a romance novel. Unlike most "romance" novels I've read, these books do not revolve around sex. While these books follow the template (boy meets girl, but impediment to relationship + some disaster or dangerous situation + development of admiration and affection + impediment to marriage destroyed = happy ending) the characters are not bland stereotypes, and much time is spent developing the characters and the relationships. I can't wait to see more in the Lost Lords series, e.g., Will Masterson!!
Surrounded by Woods by Mandy Harbin - 2 stars
This book is interesting in its premise, but fails to provide any sort of substantive plot line to engage the reader. The idea that only "attached" females can come to the Woods' home is negated by the fact that there is no explanation as to *how* any of the shifters would know whether she had a significant other or not. Also, the book promotes the idea that sexual attraction makes a longstanding relationship, when in fact it doesn't. There is no development of the relationship between the two protagonists; they just jump in the sack together. While the premise of the book had promise, the author fails to deliver any kind of solid story to the reader. Kinda Lame.
His Indecent Proposal by Lynda Chance - 0 stars!
Horrible - Just An Excuse to Describe Sex - The Book goes NOWHERE.
This book is based on an intriguing idea, but there is NO character development - NONE! Jenna, the debt ridden accounting lackey from Texas, is AFRAID of David, her boss. How on earth could the author hope to convey the development of LOVE in just 4 weeks time? The 4 weeks aren't even described in detail. It's all: 1) boy meets girl and makes the proposition; 2) boy and girl have sex at his place, and get married and have sex in Vegas and then have sex again back at his place. All this time she is resistant to him (not the sex). Then he confesses that this whole thing was a rouse to get her in bed b/c he's been lusting after her for 6 months. Then he asks her to ditch the contract they had, to which she agrees. Excuse me? Totally incredible. Then in a quick wrap up of the story with 1 paragraph beginning something like "Four weeks later" and ending in "i love you"s from both characters. I mean, seriously, this book is only about writing sex scenes. There could have been several more chapters that described their life over those 4 weeks that showed the development of their feelings for each other. Or Even Better - keep that whole "i love you" think until the year mark - show how they are after a year of marriage. There is just no possible way that these characters could exist. If I could get my money back for this book, I would.
You might ask, "Well, Avid Reader, why did you buy the book in the first place? The title should have told you all." I would respond as follows: Historically, romance novels are not titled in such a way to describe the book, nor does the cover art necessarily say ANYTHING about the story. Along the same vein, the book description/ summary provided by the publisher doesn't necessarily tell you the truth either. I have actually thought to myself that a particular book would have been better had it been named something else, only to have the author confirm on her website that she wasn't able to name it what she wanted. The publisher chooses the cover art, title and book description, and since this could have nothing to do with the story, if a particular aspect of any of those three intrigues me, I'll download the sample and go from there.
This book is based on an intriguing idea, but there is NO character development - NONE! Jenna, the debt ridden accounting lackey from Texas, is AFRAID of David, her boss. How on earth could the author hope to convey the development of LOVE in just 4 weeks time? The 4 weeks aren't even described in detail. It's all: 1) boy meets girl and makes the proposition; 2) boy and girl have sex at his place, and get married and have sex in Vegas and then have sex again back at his place. All this time she is resistant to him (not the sex). Then he confesses that this whole thing was a rouse to get her in bed b/c he's been lusting after her for 6 months. Then he asks her to ditch the contract they had, to which she agrees. Excuse me? Totally incredible. Then in a quick wrap up of the story with 1 paragraph beginning something like "Four weeks later" and ending in "i love you"s from both characters. I mean, seriously, this book is only about writing sex scenes. There could have been several more chapters that described their life over those 4 weeks that showed the development of their feelings for each other. Or Even Better - keep that whole "i love you" think until the year mark - show how they are after a year of marriage. There is just no possible way that these characters could exist. If I could get my money back for this book, I would.
You might ask, "Well, Avid Reader, why did you buy the book in the first place? The title should have told you all." I would respond as follows: Historically, romance novels are not titled in such a way to describe the book, nor does the cover art necessarily say ANYTHING about the story. Along the same vein, the book description/ summary provided by the publisher doesn't necessarily tell you the truth either. I have actually thought to myself that a particular book would have been better had it been named something else, only to have the author confirm on her website that she wasn't able to name it what she wanted. The publisher chooses the cover art, title and book description, and since this could have nothing to do with the story, if a particular aspect of any of those three intrigues me, I'll download the sample and go from there.
Twice Tempted by a Rogue (Stud Club #2) by Tessa Dare - 2 stars
I was so hopeful after reading the first of the Stud Club trilogy that this would be a great book. Unfortunately, it was not. The sex scenes were excessive and unnecessary for the plot, and there wasn't much plot in the end. The dialogue was decent for a good portion of the book, but towards the end lapsed into the cheesy melodramatic fluff that so many ridiculously unbelievable romance novels include. I am uncertain whether i will read the last of this series given my disappointment with this. While the first book was worth the $7.99 eBook price, this second one was not.
One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club Trilogy #1) by Tessa Dare - 4 stars
Too many romance books these days have unbelievable characters, repetitive narration, and overly dramatic dialogue, and trite love scenes. This book has none of these things! Finally, an author with some intelligence who writes real stories. The impass between the two lead characters is typical of men and women, but where most stories will show each character holding their ground stubbornly and then making some sudden dramatic turnaround in the last 5 pages, this book shows us the development of their relationship through the small compromises and concessions each character makes. Finally, a romance worth reading.
Demon High by Lori Devoti- 1 star based on sample only
If Sample is Accurate, Book Will Suck.
This book opens with the lead female character getting a notice that the bank is foreclosing on her grandmother's house. We are given no indication of the lead character's age, which makes it difficult to determine whether her reactions and responses are appropriate. Then the author just drops in the fact that for generations, her family has been "calling demons," but the author fails to tell the reader what that means. Note to authors who are writing supernatural or paranormal fiction: Explain the parameters of your paranormal paradigm. Here, the sample fails to explain the paranormal aspects that are the subject of the book, or how the lead female feels about it. There isn't much depth there to give us any idea what to expect. If the rest of the book is the same, this book will suck. Not spending my cash.
This book opens with the lead female character getting a notice that the bank is foreclosing on her grandmother's house. We are given no indication of the lead character's age, which makes it difficult to determine whether her reactions and responses are appropriate. Then the author just drops in the fact that for generations, her family has been "calling demons," but the author fails to tell the reader what that means. Note to authors who are writing supernatural or paranormal fiction: Explain the parameters of your paranormal paradigm. Here, the sample fails to explain the paranormal aspects that are the subject of the book, or how the lead female feels about it. There isn't much depth there to give us any idea what to expect. If the rest of the book is the same, this book will suck. Not spending my cash.
Some Kind of Wonderful by Barbara Freethy - 3 stars
This story was difficult to read at times given the social issues raised - parental abandonment, mental health disorders, overbearing/ controlling parents, and infertility, but in the end it all works out. As for the writing style, I can't say that this was all that exciting or compelling. It took me several attempts to finish the book, but I suppose it was ok. Wouldn't pay much for it though.
A Season for Love by Blair Bancroft - 5 stars
Witty and Sweet! A Great Book for 16+
I laughed out loud many times while reading this book. The dialogue is smart and witty. The romance is clean and real, as opposed to the usual trite nonsense one finds in regency romance novels. The characters' insecurities are described honestly, but there is growth and progress. So many regency romances feature insecure ninnies who vacilate so fast between loathing and being madly in love with the significant other that it sounds and feels like whiplash. This storyline had enough history, action, adventure, emotion and romance to make it well worth the price.
I laughed out loud many times while reading this book. The dialogue is smart and witty. The romance is clean and real, as opposed to the usual trite nonsense one finds in regency romance novels. The characters' insecurities are described honestly, but there is growth and progress. So many regency romances feature insecure ninnies who vacilate so fast between loathing and being madly in love with the significant other that it sounds and feels like whiplash. This storyline had enough history, action, adventure, emotion and romance to make it well worth the price.
Duke for All Seasons by Mia Marlowe - 3 stars
Good Story Told In Nicely Succinct Novella
This story is about a duke and an opera singer who fall in love. There is some intrigue, some treason and some action. I've read many a regency romance novel that used a simple storyline like this, but dragged it out with melodramatic musings, endless pondering of the characters' insecurities, and ultimately, ridiculous reactions by the characters. The wordiness of those novels always bothers me because the author doesn't seem to care that the melodramatic fluff is totally unrealistic. Here, Mia Marlowe has told a great romance in a short span of time. Naturally, given the tempo of the book, there is little obvious development of the main characters' feelings for each other, but there is growth and heartache that is realistic and believable. This is a great basis for a screenplay and would make a great movie.
This story is about a duke and an opera singer who fall in love. There is some intrigue, some treason and some action. I've read many a regency romance novel that used a simple storyline like this, but dragged it out with melodramatic musings, endless pondering of the characters' insecurities, and ultimately, ridiculous reactions by the characters. The wordiness of those novels always bothers me because the author doesn't seem to care that the melodramatic fluff is totally unrealistic. Here, Mia Marlowe has told a great romance in a short span of time. Naturally, given the tempo of the book, there is little obvious development of the main characters' feelings for each other, but there is growth and heartache that is realistic and believable. This is a great basis for a screenplay and would make a great movie.
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