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
Monday, May 27, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
The Ulfric's Mate by Leona J. Bushman-2 stars
THE ULFRIC'S MATE, Book 1 in the War of the Weres series by Leona J.
Bushman, combines traditional werewolf lore and a Romeo and Juliet themed
romance with some other shape-shifting species added for variety. I give the
book 2 stars; it was a fairly enjoyable take on a time-honored theme – what
happens when you fall in love with your enemy – but several issues distracted
from my overall enjoyment of the book. I would definitely read the next book in
the series in the hopes that greater attention to detail results in a more
satisfying read.
THE ULFRIC'S MATE details the meeting and mating of Nolan Littlefield, detective and alpha of the Wahpawat pack of werewolves, and Alexandria George, doctor and healer of the Lupin pack. While Nolan is out tracking a killer of pregnant females in his pack, he is saved by Alex from an attack by Boris, the alpha male of Alex's pack. Alex is half-human, and since her mother has hidden Alex's abilities, neither Boris nor the rest of her pack know that Alex has the ability to shape-shift and hear others' thoughts.
Alex and Nolan are immediately attracted to each other and learn that they are both telepathic. Because of Alex's medical knowledge and inability to sit around a police station all day with nothing to do, Nolan enlists her help with his investigation into the murders. Soon Alex and Nolan learn that they are mates, and both accept this fact with aplomb. Through their investigation, the characters learn more about the rivalries and alliances among several groups of weres in the area. The rivalry between the Wahpawat and Lupin packs, though, is the main focus in this story, and the mystery of who is betraying who deepens.
The development of the relationship between Nolan and Alex was done fairly well. Despite the fact that their relationship developed at the speed of light, it is still carefully crafted to comport with the human side of their characters. The way Nolan approaches Alex is careful and considerate. He is not the domineering alpha male that is stereotypical of the genre. Especially in the beginning of their relationship, he asks questions and seeks permission instead of just taking liberties to order her life. Additionally, there is a stated species-specific reason that explains why they are mates and feel the attraction they do. These details make the romance between Nolan and Alex believable. The love and sex scenes are explicit, but few in number and appropriate in context. I'm not sure what criteria the publisher used to give this a level 2 heat rating, but the book contains fairly explicit nudity and sex scenes. Granted these occur later in the story, but still…
For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book. I was elated that I did not guess at the outset who the traitor was, but I was disappointed that the mystery element of the book fizzles out towards the end of the book. It seems like there is this big build up about who the traitor is, and then the reader is left thinking, "Oh – was that it?" Likewise, the conclusion of the book is also a bit anticlimactic. I suspect that if the last scenes involving Roxy and Boris after the fight were moved to an epilogue, then the Alex/Nolan relationship portion of the storyline would more smoothly resolve itself and the anticipation/ suspense leading to the next book in the series would be resurrected.
The storyline, however, is impeded by certain forced scenes and illogical actions on the part of the characters. When Nolan and Alex are discussing the killer's motives, it takes an extremely long time for Nolan to grasp Alex's hypothesis, even though he has just stated the same conclusion only a few minutes before. He says he has a hard time understanding the killer's motivation, but later straight up says that he would understand a human's motivation. Since the killer's motivation is power, that whole analysis seems forced to give Alex some added value to the situation when it is entirely unnecessary. Situations like this made the book a tad difficult to read at times. At this particular scene in the beginning, I put the book down and wondered if I really wanted to keep reading.
The rhythm and tempo of the book could also have used some more attention. Several things made the book a bit choppy. Connections between characters' actions were off. (On stage it's referred to as blocking; on screen you would notice that an actor's hand is raised and in the next frame, it is down.) There was a lack of cohesion in places where the character does one thing, and then in the next sentence the action is reiterated a bit differently. While surely this technique can be done for emphasis, none was appropriate in the places I noticed it. Rather, it seemed like the sentence was reworked and the old sentence not removed. Also, at times it seemed like new topics/subjects were introduced without any finesse, and I was left wondering, "Did I miss something?"
The indication of time passage was also vague. I wasn't sure how much time elapsed between scenes - if something happened on the same day as another, or if it was a couple days later. Add to all of that misspellings of characters' names, e.g., Mary instead of Marty, and errors in comma usage and subject-verb agreements, and these technical issues added up to distract from the storyline.
Overall, I liked the premise and am definitely looking forward to what happens next in the storyline, but I hope that the second book leaves the distracting technical elements on the cutting room floor.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6524
THE ULFRIC'S MATE details the meeting and mating of Nolan Littlefield, detective and alpha of the Wahpawat pack of werewolves, and Alexandria George, doctor and healer of the Lupin pack. While Nolan is out tracking a killer of pregnant females in his pack, he is saved by Alex from an attack by Boris, the alpha male of Alex's pack. Alex is half-human, and since her mother has hidden Alex's abilities, neither Boris nor the rest of her pack know that Alex has the ability to shape-shift and hear others' thoughts.
Alex and Nolan are immediately attracted to each other and learn that they are both telepathic. Because of Alex's medical knowledge and inability to sit around a police station all day with nothing to do, Nolan enlists her help with his investigation into the murders. Soon Alex and Nolan learn that they are mates, and both accept this fact with aplomb. Through their investigation, the characters learn more about the rivalries and alliances among several groups of weres in the area. The rivalry between the Wahpawat and Lupin packs, though, is the main focus in this story, and the mystery of who is betraying who deepens.
The development of the relationship between Nolan and Alex was done fairly well. Despite the fact that their relationship developed at the speed of light, it is still carefully crafted to comport with the human side of their characters. The way Nolan approaches Alex is careful and considerate. He is not the domineering alpha male that is stereotypical of the genre. Especially in the beginning of their relationship, he asks questions and seeks permission instead of just taking liberties to order her life. Additionally, there is a stated species-specific reason that explains why they are mates and feel the attraction they do. These details make the romance between Nolan and Alex believable. The love and sex scenes are explicit, but few in number and appropriate in context. I'm not sure what criteria the publisher used to give this a level 2 heat rating, but the book contains fairly explicit nudity and sex scenes. Granted these occur later in the story, but still…
For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book. I was elated that I did not guess at the outset who the traitor was, but I was disappointed that the mystery element of the book fizzles out towards the end of the book. It seems like there is this big build up about who the traitor is, and then the reader is left thinking, "Oh – was that it?" Likewise, the conclusion of the book is also a bit anticlimactic. I suspect that if the last scenes involving Roxy and Boris after the fight were moved to an epilogue, then the Alex/Nolan relationship portion of the storyline would more smoothly resolve itself and the anticipation/ suspense leading to the next book in the series would be resurrected.
The storyline, however, is impeded by certain forced scenes and illogical actions on the part of the characters. When Nolan and Alex are discussing the killer's motives, it takes an extremely long time for Nolan to grasp Alex's hypothesis, even though he has just stated the same conclusion only a few minutes before. He says he has a hard time understanding the killer's motivation, but later straight up says that he would understand a human's motivation. Since the killer's motivation is power, that whole analysis seems forced to give Alex some added value to the situation when it is entirely unnecessary. Situations like this made the book a tad difficult to read at times. At this particular scene in the beginning, I put the book down and wondered if I really wanted to keep reading.
The rhythm and tempo of the book could also have used some more attention. Several things made the book a bit choppy. Connections between characters' actions were off. (On stage it's referred to as blocking; on screen you would notice that an actor's hand is raised and in the next frame, it is down.) There was a lack of cohesion in places where the character does one thing, and then in the next sentence the action is reiterated a bit differently. While surely this technique can be done for emphasis, none was appropriate in the places I noticed it. Rather, it seemed like the sentence was reworked and the old sentence not removed. Also, at times it seemed like new topics/subjects were introduced without any finesse, and I was left wondering, "Did I miss something?"
The indication of time passage was also vague. I wasn't sure how much time elapsed between scenes - if something happened on the same day as another, or if it was a couple days later. Add to all of that misspellings of characters' names, e.g., Mary instead of Marty, and errors in comma usage and subject-verb agreements, and these technical issues added up to distract from the storyline.
Overall, I liked the premise and am definitely looking forward to what happens next in the storyline, but I hope that the second book leaves the distracting technical elements on the cutting room floor.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6524
Pulse and Prejudice by Colette L. Saucier-3 Stars
PULSE AND PREJUDICE takes the classic Jane Austen story of Pride and Prejudice
and turns it into a vampire story. In this version, Darcy isn't just prideful or
prejudiced, and Wickham isn't just a lecher; they're both vampires, and that
adds a whole new layer to their issues with the marriage mart. I give it three
stars for the intriguing idea, interesting filler scenes, and the Austen-esque
writing style.
PULSE AND PREJUDICE by Colette L. Saucier provided an intriguing idea - that there were darker forces separating Darcy and Elizabeth. I liked the premise of the book. Certainly being a vampire would be an obstacle. The vampire paradigm was explained fairly late in the book, which usually is a drawback for me, but here, it didn't seem to make much of a difference. The way Darcy's condition is described is sufficient for the reader until Darcy describes it all to Elizabeth.
The writing style is similar to Jane Austen's style, which could be a bonus or a drawback depending on what kind of reader you are. Readers who like to challenge themselves with their pleasure reading will do just fine, but if you are looking for something light and easy, this is not it. I fall into the latter category, and so it took me several tries to really get into the story. The plot also follows that of the original story, but just twists it where the explanations for things can be attributed to the vampire issue.
I enjoyed the dialogue between the characters. If you have seen the 5-hour BBC film version of Pride and Prejudice, you will recognize that many key lines are integrated into this version, sometimes in the same scenes and other times in new contexts. I liked that because the story followed the book more closely. Sometimes, though, it detracted from the story by making the story seem less original.
I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh new scenes used in PULSE AND PREJUDICE that were not in Austen's original version. They give a nice new perspective to what is actually happening in the story, and most of those scenes are told from Darcy's point of view highlighting his struggles with his condition and his desire for Elizabeth. The scenes "Beyond Pride and Prejudice" add the spice and heat to Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. Hence, I give it a 3 on the heat scale, where the original was a 1 on the heat scale.
Overall, I enjoyed the book once I was able to get into it, but given the difficulty level of the reading, it is not a book I would read for enjoyment. I also would have liked to see more original scenes, as those provided the meat of the vampire part of the story.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6206.
PULSE AND PREJUDICE by Colette L. Saucier provided an intriguing idea - that there were darker forces separating Darcy and Elizabeth. I liked the premise of the book. Certainly being a vampire would be an obstacle. The vampire paradigm was explained fairly late in the book, which usually is a drawback for me, but here, it didn't seem to make much of a difference. The way Darcy's condition is described is sufficient for the reader until Darcy describes it all to Elizabeth.
The writing style is similar to Jane Austen's style, which could be a bonus or a drawback depending on what kind of reader you are. Readers who like to challenge themselves with their pleasure reading will do just fine, but if you are looking for something light and easy, this is not it. I fall into the latter category, and so it took me several tries to really get into the story. The plot also follows that of the original story, but just twists it where the explanations for things can be attributed to the vampire issue.
I enjoyed the dialogue between the characters. If you have seen the 5-hour BBC film version of Pride and Prejudice, you will recognize that many key lines are integrated into this version, sometimes in the same scenes and other times in new contexts. I liked that because the story followed the book more closely. Sometimes, though, it detracted from the story by making the story seem less original.
I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh new scenes used in PULSE AND PREJUDICE that were not in Austen's original version. They give a nice new perspective to what is actually happening in the story, and most of those scenes are told from Darcy's point of view highlighting his struggles with his condition and his desire for Elizabeth. The scenes "Beyond Pride and Prejudice" add the spice and heat to Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. Hence, I give it a 3 on the heat scale, where the original was a 1 on the heat scale.
Overall, I enjoyed the book once I was able to get into it, but given the difficulty level of the reading, it is not a book I would read for enjoyment. I also would have liked to see more original scenes, as those provided the meat of the vampire part of the story.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6206.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Dante's Flame by Jannine Corti-Petska-3 stars
DANTE'S FLAME by Jannine Corti-Petska takes readers into the quagmire of
politics existing outside castle walls. We know the facts as revealed by
history, but DANTE'S FLAME shows us the human lives behind the scenes. I give
this Italian tale three stars for its imagery and dialogue.
DANTE'S FLAME tells the medieval tale of Alessandra Podesta, a 19-year-old Venetian lady, who has pushed the boundaries of her father's patience by writing lascivious stories. She is sent to live in French-controlled Naples with the Valentes, relatives who are dominated by her violent older cousin. Alessa's penchant for wandering unescorted through the city and sneaking out at night lands her in hot water with her uncle, who determines that she needs a husband to help control her.
Alessa's uncle marries her off to her French tutor, Dante Santangelo, who is secretly working with the French to maintain their rule over Naples. Dante initially uses his tutoring position, and then later his marriage to Alessandra, to uncover evidence of the family's aiding of the Spanish. Alessa stumbles across dangerous information, including a plot to assassinate Queen Isabella, the French regent of Naples. In attempting to get help, she trusts the wrong people and endangers her life, and Dante must choose between his wife and his queen.
The key to enjoying this book is to keep in mind what life was like for young women in medieval times; they had very little freedom, and regardless of education, they were often kept ignorant of the world at large. So when Alessandra makes some really bone-headed moves, it is more understandable. My favorite lines that illustrate this aspect of the story are when he asks her, "Are you so addle-minded, you cannot learn from experience?" and Alessa's responds, "I am not addle-minded. I simply have a need to…to seek answers to appease my curiosity." While Alessa may seem ditzy, if you put yourself in her shoes, you can easily see how she is just amazed and intrigued by the world around her.
The rest of the dialogue in the book is well crafted to help the reader stay in medieval times. I wasn't distracted by modern colloquialisms, and the descriptions of the city were quintessential Italy. I've been lost in the maze of narrow streets and alleyways before, and it's not easy to find your way back home, even with a map!
After a great start, the storyline got a bit muddled in the middle when, after getting married, Dante can't decide whether to sleep with Alessandra or not. Perhaps a bit more time could have been spent developing their relationship through dialogue and time spent together. The "I love you's" didn't seem very credible under the circumstances. It was obvious Dante is amused by Alessandra and that she is enamored of him, but that they had fallen in love with each other was a bit of a stretch for me. There was a moment when I thought the novel might veer off into the BDSM genre, but I was greatly relieved to see Dante act according to his character's paradigm. Thinking back about the scene, it probably wasn't so scandalous when considered in historical context. Perhaps my qualms with the romantic element here exist because falling in love was much different in medieval times than what we expect today.
What was most interesting to me was the political intrigue, and the conclusion of the book was my favorite part. As a fan of history, I love how fiction can bring history alive. DANTE'S FLAME definitely puts human faces to the conflict in Italy at that time, and there were parts of the novel where I couldn't put it down, especially the conclusion. The end of the story is fraught with peril and suspense, and easily could have been cut from a major motion picture. No spoilers here, though! You'll just have to read it yourself.
On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed DANTE'S FLAME, and recommend it to any lovers of historical fiction.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6542
DANTE'S FLAME tells the medieval tale of Alessandra Podesta, a 19-year-old Venetian lady, who has pushed the boundaries of her father's patience by writing lascivious stories. She is sent to live in French-controlled Naples with the Valentes, relatives who are dominated by her violent older cousin. Alessa's penchant for wandering unescorted through the city and sneaking out at night lands her in hot water with her uncle, who determines that she needs a husband to help control her.
Alessa's uncle marries her off to her French tutor, Dante Santangelo, who is secretly working with the French to maintain their rule over Naples. Dante initially uses his tutoring position, and then later his marriage to Alessandra, to uncover evidence of the family's aiding of the Spanish. Alessa stumbles across dangerous information, including a plot to assassinate Queen Isabella, the French regent of Naples. In attempting to get help, she trusts the wrong people and endangers her life, and Dante must choose between his wife and his queen.
The key to enjoying this book is to keep in mind what life was like for young women in medieval times; they had very little freedom, and regardless of education, they were often kept ignorant of the world at large. So when Alessandra makes some really bone-headed moves, it is more understandable. My favorite lines that illustrate this aspect of the story are when he asks her, "Are you so addle-minded, you cannot learn from experience?" and Alessa's responds, "I am not addle-minded. I simply have a need to…to seek answers to appease my curiosity." While Alessa may seem ditzy, if you put yourself in her shoes, you can easily see how she is just amazed and intrigued by the world around her.
The rest of the dialogue in the book is well crafted to help the reader stay in medieval times. I wasn't distracted by modern colloquialisms, and the descriptions of the city were quintessential Italy. I've been lost in the maze of narrow streets and alleyways before, and it's not easy to find your way back home, even with a map!
After a great start, the storyline got a bit muddled in the middle when, after getting married, Dante can't decide whether to sleep with Alessandra or not. Perhaps a bit more time could have been spent developing their relationship through dialogue and time spent together. The "I love you's" didn't seem very credible under the circumstances. It was obvious Dante is amused by Alessandra and that she is enamored of him, but that they had fallen in love with each other was a bit of a stretch for me. There was a moment when I thought the novel might veer off into the BDSM genre, but I was greatly relieved to see Dante act according to his character's paradigm. Thinking back about the scene, it probably wasn't so scandalous when considered in historical context. Perhaps my qualms with the romantic element here exist because falling in love was much different in medieval times than what we expect today.
What was most interesting to me was the political intrigue, and the conclusion of the book was my favorite part. As a fan of history, I love how fiction can bring history alive. DANTE'S FLAME definitely puts human faces to the conflict in Italy at that time, and there were parts of the novel where I couldn't put it down, especially the conclusion. The end of the story is fraught with peril and suspense, and easily could have been cut from a major motion picture. No spoilers here, though! You'll just have to read it yourself.
On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed DANTE'S FLAME, and recommend it to any lovers of historical fiction.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6542
Marry Me by Karen Stivali-4 stars
MARRY ME by Karen Stivali is a fun, entertaining and realistic story that packs
a punch. It is a quick read with the feeling of a much longer novel. This story
fulfills one musician-lover's dream of marrying a rock star. If you can survive
swooning with envy, this book is definitely for you. I give MARRY ME 4
stars.
MARRY ME tells the story of Julia, a fashion designer/tailor, who falls in love with Ben, a British drummer. Julia has worked on the band's clothing for video shoots and concerts for a while, and during the band's visit to New York, Ben asks Julia to marry him in a flirtatious joking manner. Julia says no because they've never even been on a date. Ben immediately rectifies that situation, and soon the relationship progresses to the point where they fall in love. They each have some baggage, though, and it collides in a violent way.
Even though it was short (83 pages), I definitely enjoyed this book. Often I find that short books, or novellas as they are sometimes called, skimp majorly on the character development, thus making the story completely unbelievable. Not so here. There is just enough time spent on character development for their romance to be believable. Still, I would have preferred fewer sex scenes and more of their time spent together. The passage of time is properly described, so the reader knows that it took more than a week for them to fall in love. This is also a minor aspect to novels that is so often ignored. The reader needs a timeline of sorts to understand the drama in context.
Here, the main characters meet each other's friends and have to deal with jealousy in the work place. We get to see the characters' interactions through dialogue instead of heavy narration. The pace is quick without feeling rushed, and it was well edited. No pesky spelling errors to distract you. It's funny; it's real, and it's an easy quick read. The ending or resolution of their issues was very well done - absolute intense emotion without being cheesy. I would have loved for there to have been an epilogue that showed their life after the ending, but that is a personal preference. Because the ending was so well done, you don't feel as if an epilogue is necessary.
Note: This story is definitely for 18+. For such a short book, it had quite a few explicit sex scenes. So out of 5, this would rate a 4 on the heat level. Remove the explicit sex scenes, and this story would easily make a great motion picture. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of Karen Stivali's work.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=5878
MARRY ME tells the story of Julia, a fashion designer/tailor, who falls in love with Ben, a British drummer. Julia has worked on the band's clothing for video shoots and concerts for a while, and during the band's visit to New York, Ben asks Julia to marry him in a flirtatious joking manner. Julia says no because they've never even been on a date. Ben immediately rectifies that situation, and soon the relationship progresses to the point where they fall in love. They each have some baggage, though, and it collides in a violent way.
Even though it was short (83 pages), I definitely enjoyed this book. Often I find that short books, or novellas as they are sometimes called, skimp majorly on the character development, thus making the story completely unbelievable. Not so here. There is just enough time spent on character development for their romance to be believable. Still, I would have preferred fewer sex scenes and more of their time spent together. The passage of time is properly described, so the reader knows that it took more than a week for them to fall in love. This is also a minor aspect to novels that is so often ignored. The reader needs a timeline of sorts to understand the drama in context.
Here, the main characters meet each other's friends and have to deal with jealousy in the work place. We get to see the characters' interactions through dialogue instead of heavy narration. The pace is quick without feeling rushed, and it was well edited. No pesky spelling errors to distract you. It's funny; it's real, and it's an easy quick read. The ending or resolution of their issues was very well done - absolute intense emotion without being cheesy. I would have loved for there to have been an epilogue that showed their life after the ending, but that is a personal preference. Because the ending was so well done, you don't feel as if an epilogue is necessary.
Note: This story is definitely for 18+. For such a short book, it had quite a few explicit sex scenes. So out of 5, this would rate a 4 on the heat level. Remove the explicit sex scenes, and this story would easily make a great motion picture. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of Karen Stivali's work.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=5878
The Delphi Bloodline by Donna Del Oro - 3 Stars
It doesn't take an oracle to know that Donna Del Oro is destined for great
things with her novel (and hopefully series) THE DELPHI BLOODLINE. The premise
of the book has the perfect historical hook, and the ending leaves us waiting
anxiously to see if another book is in our future.
THE DELPHI BLOODLINE tells the tale of Athena Butler - painter, gallery owner, and oh yeah, psychic - who attempts to prevent the kidnapping and deaths of other psychics across the U.S., including her mom, Annabella, and their distant relative, Lorena Skoros. Lorena sends her son, Kas, to act as Athena's Guardian, a role that men in the Delphi bloodline have been playing for millennia. In addition to dodging bullets, Athena and Kas have to deal with their attraction to one another as well as the emotional baggage they each carry.
Right away, THE DELPHI BLOODLINE grabs you with the idea that these women who have psychic abilities are part of a heritage that dates beyond biblical times and that the whole history of mankind - past, present, and future - is contained in another dimension that the women in the Delphi Bloodline can access. Ms Del Oro gives the reader just enough information about the psychics' abilities to let us know the framework, but not too much to be convoluted or to bog down the tempo of the book.
The development of the romantic relationship between Athena and Kas was, for the most part, well done. While the time frame is short, there are supernatural factors that connect them, making the romance believable. As for heat level, I would rate this a 3 out of 5.
There were some issues, though, with editing and contradictory facts - the way people are described - repetitive descriptions and narrations, as if old text wasn't removed during the revision. These issues posed a bit of a challenge at times, but I am SO glad I kept reading.
The ending of the book was fabulous. The immediate issues in the book are resolved, but danger still lurks, leaving the possibility (please!) of another novel. If the editing issues are resolved in the next novel (or in a re-publication of this one), this series could rival similar popular series found in mainstream bookstores.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6748
THE DELPHI BLOODLINE tells the tale of Athena Butler - painter, gallery owner, and oh yeah, psychic - who attempts to prevent the kidnapping and deaths of other psychics across the U.S., including her mom, Annabella, and their distant relative, Lorena Skoros. Lorena sends her son, Kas, to act as Athena's Guardian, a role that men in the Delphi bloodline have been playing for millennia. In addition to dodging bullets, Athena and Kas have to deal with their attraction to one another as well as the emotional baggage they each carry.
Right away, THE DELPHI BLOODLINE grabs you with the idea that these women who have psychic abilities are part of a heritage that dates beyond biblical times and that the whole history of mankind - past, present, and future - is contained in another dimension that the women in the Delphi Bloodline can access. Ms Del Oro gives the reader just enough information about the psychics' abilities to let us know the framework, but not too much to be convoluted or to bog down the tempo of the book.
The development of the romantic relationship between Athena and Kas was, for the most part, well done. While the time frame is short, there are supernatural factors that connect them, making the romance believable. As for heat level, I would rate this a 3 out of 5.
There were some issues, though, with editing and contradictory facts - the way people are described - repetitive descriptions and narrations, as if old text wasn't removed during the revision. These issues posed a bit of a challenge at times, but I am SO glad I kept reading.
The ending of the book was fabulous. The immediate issues in the book are resolved, but danger still lurks, leaving the possibility (please!) of another novel. If the editing issues are resolved in the next novel (or in a re-publication of this one), this series could rival similar popular series found in mainstream bookstores.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6748
Thursday, September 13, 2012
A Courtesan's Desires by Killarney Sheffield - 3 stars
A COURTESAN'S DESIRES by Killarney Sheffield is a tragedy in the best sense. It
pulls you on an emotional journey while showing you another side of the Regency
era romance - that of life as an immigrant. The realism is intense and
definitely worth the read.
A COURTESAN'S DESIRES tells the tale of Rachel Sholis, a fifteen year-old girl in a Hutterite (similar to Amish) community, who is on the cusp of getting her heart's desire - a husband. The leader of her community in Germany is tricked into sending half the community to England, though, allegedly to set up a new community there, and Rachel's family is chosen to go, separating her from the young man she cared for.
Tragedy befalls the Hutterite group on the voyage. Many of the people get sick; Rachel's own mother dies on the boat. Then the ship breaks up in the middle of a storm, and she is the only one who survives. Washed up on the beach with no family to protect her, she is raped by sailors who survived the wreck, thrown into Newgate prison, purchased by a man who forces her into a life as a courtesan, and then sold to the Duke of Eastborne, with whom she falls in love.
This book is not for the faint of heart and should come with its own box of tissues. The drama described above occurs within the first 40 pages of the book, and Rachel's life continues to get worse. She doesn't know whom to trust, and ends up putting her trust in the wrong man.
Tragedy aside, A COURTESAN'S DESIRES is, for the most part, well written. The characters' emotions and Rachel's naiveté are clearly conveyed. With every twist and turn of the plot, the reader is taken on an emotional roller coaster that continues until the very end of the book. I would have liked it, though, if the ending was not so abrupt. Readers love happy endings, and if there is a happy ending, that part of the story should be told, especially if the characters have gone through some heart wrenching times. While A COURTESAN'S DESIRES ends with some happiness, there wasn't enough time spent describing it, so emotionally, I was left still feeling blue.
The development of the romance between the duke and Rachel also needed some work. While at the beginning, one can understand how Rachel would feel like she had fallen in love with the duke - given everything she's been through, he's the first person in this new land to genuinely care about her - there is too little time spent showing how that love matures. With the duke, I wasn't quite sure why he fell in love with Rachel. I would have liked there to be more description of his feelings for Rachel in the beginning, as well as in the end.
Despite the fact that the book is heavy on the tragedy and light on the development of the romance between the characters, there is still plenty of good reading here. If you are a fan of historical fiction that is grounded more in the difficulties of the lower classes rather than the privileges of the nobility, or if you just want a different perspective on life in England during the Regency era, then this book is definitely for you
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6638
A COURTESAN'S DESIRES tells the tale of Rachel Sholis, a fifteen year-old girl in a Hutterite (similar to Amish) community, who is on the cusp of getting her heart's desire - a husband. The leader of her community in Germany is tricked into sending half the community to England, though, allegedly to set up a new community there, and Rachel's family is chosen to go, separating her from the young man she cared for.
Tragedy befalls the Hutterite group on the voyage. Many of the people get sick; Rachel's own mother dies on the boat. Then the ship breaks up in the middle of a storm, and she is the only one who survives. Washed up on the beach with no family to protect her, she is raped by sailors who survived the wreck, thrown into Newgate prison, purchased by a man who forces her into a life as a courtesan, and then sold to the Duke of Eastborne, with whom she falls in love.
This book is not for the faint of heart and should come with its own box of tissues. The drama described above occurs within the first 40 pages of the book, and Rachel's life continues to get worse. She doesn't know whom to trust, and ends up putting her trust in the wrong man.
Tragedy aside, A COURTESAN'S DESIRES is, for the most part, well written. The characters' emotions and Rachel's naiveté are clearly conveyed. With every twist and turn of the plot, the reader is taken on an emotional roller coaster that continues until the very end of the book. I would have liked it, though, if the ending was not so abrupt. Readers love happy endings, and if there is a happy ending, that part of the story should be told, especially if the characters have gone through some heart wrenching times. While A COURTESAN'S DESIRES ends with some happiness, there wasn't enough time spent describing it, so emotionally, I was left still feeling blue.
The development of the romance between the duke and Rachel also needed some work. While at the beginning, one can understand how Rachel would feel like she had fallen in love with the duke - given everything she's been through, he's the first person in this new land to genuinely care about her - there is too little time spent showing how that love matures. With the duke, I wasn't quite sure why he fell in love with Rachel. I would have liked there to be more description of his feelings for Rachel in the beginning, as well as in the end.
Despite the fact that the book is heavy on the tragedy and light on the development of the romance between the characters, there is still plenty of good reading here. If you are a fan of historical fiction that is grounded more in the difficulties of the lower classes rather than the privileges of the nobility, or if you just want a different perspective on life in England during the Regency era, then this book is definitely for you
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6638
Exhumed by Skyla Dawn Cameron - 4 stars
EXHUMED by Skyla Dawn Cameron is fast, funny, and furious; at times, your
whiplash can mirror that suffered by some of the characters. I loved it. The
action and fight scenes were intense, the romance bittersweet, and it left me
wanting more.
EXHUMED is the fourth book in the Demons of Oblivion series - the continuation of the story of Zara Lain, vampire, bounty hunter, and assassin. While we get snippets of her history, most of this book focuses on her attempt to assimilate Nate, her boyfriend, to life as a vampire. She turned him into a vampire without his consent six years prior, but he has just come out of the incubation period and is quite the savage. Nate doesn't completely recognize Zara, and she has to figure out how to reorient him with his new life while preventing him from killing her, keeping them both from being killed by other supernaturals, and averting the apocalypse.
The book moved at a fast pace, had great action scenes that could rival major motion pictures, was even funny at times, and had some nice twists. I only had two issues with the book, the first of which can easily be avoided by other readers. EXHUMED is not the first book in the series and really cannot be read as a stand-alone novel. (The cover art also does not alert the reader to this fact.) There are just too many details that require the foreknowledge gained from the previous books to understand the motivations of the characters and the parameters of the paranormal world created by the book. Other than that, Zara is worse than a sailor; she curses as if she knows no other language. While I understand that using expletives is the norm for many people, here, it is just downright distracting from the rest of the text. Since the book is written in first person, all of the narration is filled with expletives, too. The reader simply does not need that many expletives to understand that Zara is a real bad@*#.
The romance is well done and easy to believe. Both narration and dialogue give enough of the emotional history for the reader to easily accept the premise that Zara and Nate were deeply in love before she turned him into a vampire without asking. The romance is also believable in that it is sometimes sweet and sometimes hot, but really heavy on the bittersweet. People make mistakes and have to live with the consequences of their actions. EXHUMED does a great job of adhering to that truism. As for the heat level, I would give this a rating of 3 out of 5.
The ending of the book was well done. The immediate issues in the book are resolved, but the characters still have a lot to address in their lives. Sadly, the author's note at the end of the book indicates that while there will be more to this series, there may not be another book focused on Zara and Nate. I would definitely be interested in another book that gives us the story of how things work out for these two in the future, and I will definitely be checking out the other books in this series.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6749
EXHUMED is the fourth book in the Demons of Oblivion series - the continuation of the story of Zara Lain, vampire, bounty hunter, and assassin. While we get snippets of her history, most of this book focuses on her attempt to assimilate Nate, her boyfriend, to life as a vampire. She turned him into a vampire without his consent six years prior, but he has just come out of the incubation period and is quite the savage. Nate doesn't completely recognize Zara, and she has to figure out how to reorient him with his new life while preventing him from killing her, keeping them both from being killed by other supernaturals, and averting the apocalypse.
The book moved at a fast pace, had great action scenes that could rival major motion pictures, was even funny at times, and had some nice twists. I only had two issues with the book, the first of which can easily be avoided by other readers. EXHUMED is not the first book in the series and really cannot be read as a stand-alone novel. (The cover art also does not alert the reader to this fact.) There are just too many details that require the foreknowledge gained from the previous books to understand the motivations of the characters and the parameters of the paranormal world created by the book. Other than that, Zara is worse than a sailor; she curses as if she knows no other language. While I understand that using expletives is the norm for many people, here, it is just downright distracting from the rest of the text. Since the book is written in first person, all of the narration is filled with expletives, too. The reader simply does not need that many expletives to understand that Zara is a real bad@*#.
The romance is well done and easy to believe. Both narration and dialogue give enough of the emotional history for the reader to easily accept the premise that Zara and Nate were deeply in love before she turned him into a vampire without asking. The romance is also believable in that it is sometimes sweet and sometimes hot, but really heavy on the bittersweet. People make mistakes and have to live with the consequences of their actions. EXHUMED does a great job of adhering to that truism. As for the heat level, I would give this a rating of 3 out of 5.
The ending of the book was well done. The immediate issues in the book are resolved, but the characters still have a lot to address in their lives. Sadly, the author's note at the end of the book indicates that while there will be more to this series, there may not be another book focused on Zara and Nate. I would definitely be interested in another book that gives us the story of how things work out for these two in the future, and I will definitely be checking out the other books in this series.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6749
The Last Shift by Susan Phelan - 5 stars
THE LAST SHIFT definitely cannot be Susan Phelan's Last Book if I have anything to say about it. This vampire Grisham-esqe suspense has everything a reader could want. I highly recommend this book for its excellent writing, innovative vampires, and smart suspense.
THE LAST SHIFT tells the tale of Elizabeth Leigh Bryan, aka Libby, a District Attorney-turned-writer, who gets shot one Friday evening during a robbery at her local food mart. Or rather, she thinks it was a robbery. The actual reason for the attack is soon revealed; someone wants Libby dead. Lucky for Libby, the homicide detective assigned to her case, Jude Madison, is a vampire (but don't call him that because the word allows too many misconceptions of who he is) and an excellent detective. The drama unfolds as Jude and his fellow officers search for the killer and try to keep her alive, while she tries to deal with the separation from her husband and the new reality of being on someone's hit list.
I loved this book, and really cannot say too many good things about it. The prologue hooks you immediately, and the tempo, especially in the first few chapters, keeps you glued to the edge of your seat.
The plot is fantastic - just the right number of elements and no distracting tangents. Every aspect of the storyline has a purpose, and all the questions raised throughout the book are resolved by the end. The mystery is smart and keeps you guessing. I thought right off the bat I knew who the bad guy was, but then new suspects kept popping up. The vampire element of the book is refreshing and also explained well - simply, straightforward, and with appropriate timing. The ending was not what I expected, but was even better, giving me what I wanted without a lot of fuss.
The relationship between Jude and Libby was developed appropriately for the circumstances. There was depth, dialogue, and desire. Regarding the heat level, this book definitely rates a 1 out of 5 (a lot of emotion and looking, but no serious contact), and given the subject matter, the book is appropriate for readers 16 and up. The relationship between Libby and her soon-to-be ex-husband is also well done. Their interactions are heavy with the emotions of shared history and heart wrenching betrayal, and their story is mostly revealed through dialogue, which for me, is the best way to tell a story.
There were only minor editing errors, but they did not detract from the story. The book cover, though, is too cheesy for words, and to my immense relief, is wholly unrepresentative of the book.
THE LAST SHIFT was a fantastic read, and I absolutely intend on reading Ms. Phelan's three other books in The Blood Tapestry Series. Don't worry; since each story is distinctly different, it won't make a difference in what order you read them. If the others are as great as this one, I'll be a happy reader for a long while.
Review was originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6784
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