Review: Never Seduce a Scot

Title: The Montgomerys and the Armstrongs #1: Never Seduce a Scot

Author: Maya Banks

Date of Publication: September 25, 2012

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.

Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

My Review:

Never Seduce a Scot has been a priority on my reading list for a few weeks now. Because I started with the second book in this series I'd heard a lot of references to this novel and I was eager to go back to the beginning and see where it all began. With a disabled heroine, the promise of a heartfelt romance, and hints of plenty of action there was no way this book would disappoint.  

First of all I have to start with the fact that I absolutely loved Eveline. There is a special place in my heart for disabled main characters and the more I read about Eveline and what happened to her the more I loved her. When I read about her near death experience that took her hearing I knew I was going to like her, and later when I read about everything she had to endure at the hands of the Montgomery clan, I knew I was going to love her. Banks created a villain I love to hate in Ian, and I loved seeing him in the flesh, rather than just the ghost of his actions lingering behind, like in the second book. Though he was undoubtedly evil the moments where he was around were the most exciting and I loved watching the drama unfold. 

Romances with disabled main characters are quite possibly my favorite romances in the world. So it was no surprise to me that I adored the romance between Graeme and Eveline. The loss of her hearing added a whole new dimension to their relationship and I loved watching Graeme slowly fall in love with her despite everyone telling him not to. Though I didn't feel that Graeme was as fleshed out as Eveline I still enjoyed reading about him, I just wish I had been able to learn more about him. He was an interesting character, but overall he just fell a little flat. 

Though overall I enjoyed this novel I was a little disappointed in that I thought there would be more action than there actually was. After reading so many references to events in this novel I thought Never Seduce a Scot was going to be full of action and excitement with a healthy dose of romance thrown in. However, this book moves at a more leisurely pace with the most exciting part of the novel only taking about one chapter toward the end. The pace ended up working for the story, and I enjoyed the chance to get to know Eveline during the slower beginning, but I just wish the exciting moments had been given a little more than just a chapter here and there. 

At the end of the day Never Seduce a Scot is a fun and entertaining read that fans of historical romance will no doubt devour. I really enjoyed my first series by Maya Banks and I'm excited to check out more of her work in the future! 

4/5

Review: Highlander Most Wanted

Title: The Montgomerys and the Armstrongs #2: Highlander Most Wanted

Author: Maya Banks

Date of Publication: March 19, 2013

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love.

Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.

My Review:

Yet again I find myself starting with the second book in a series, which seems to be my usual though it's never intended. Thankfully this is another series where it's not necessary to start with the first book and I had no problems understanding any of the plot. Though I wasn't expecting much from this novel it turned out to be a very enjoyable read and I ended up really enjoying the story and the great dynamic between the characters.

I didn't immediately love our heroine, Genevieve, but I came around to her distant personality and quickly gained respect for her after learning what she had gone through. Banks created the perfect monster in Ian and his father Patrick and the horrors Genevieve went through chilled me to my bones. After reading about what she went through it was impossible to believe that she would ever be able to love again but Banks created the perfect hero in Bowen and I loved watching her transformation from a distant woman with a past full of horrors into the sweet and lovable woman she was at the end of the novel.

The romance between Bowen and Genevieve was absolutely adorable. I loved watching her overcome her past and fall in love and I adored Bowen for being there for her every step of the way. Strong and protective Bowen was my favorite kind of hero and I was swooning throughout the whole novel. The perfect blend between sweet and sensual Banks created the perfect romance for Genevieve and I enjoyed watching every moment of her transformation. I'm definitely excited to see a cameo of her in future novels and see how far she's come!

My only complaint about this novel was that Bowen and Genevieve constantly made every situation harder than it needed to be. I don't want to give anything away but, toward the end especially, they were driving me up the wall with how stupid they were being. I hate watching characters do everything the hard way and, while I guess it makes for a more interesting story, it just made me frustrated with the both of them. Thankfully they figured it out in the end but honestly, this book would have been 50 pages shorter if they had been smart in the first place, instead of putting themselves in the most difficult situation possible.

At the end of the day however this was an enjoyable novel and I'll definitely be picking up the first one in the series. I definitely recommend this novel to fans of historical romance with an exciting and original plot!

4/5

Review: Annie's Song

Title: Annie's Song

Author: Catherine Anderson

Date of Publication: January, 1996

Formats Available: Paperback

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: Annie Trimble lives in a solitary world that no one enters or understands. As delicate and beautiful as the tender blossoms of the Oregon spring, she is shunned by a town that misinterprets her affliction. But cruelty cannot destroy the love Annie holds in her heart.
Alex Montgomery is horrified to learn his wild younger brother forced himself on a helpless "idiot girl." Tormented by guilt, Alex agrees to marry her and raise the babe she carries as his own. But he never dreams he will grow to cherish his lovely, mute, and misjudged Annie; her childlike innocence, her womanly charms and the wondrous way she views her world. He becomes determined to break through the wall of silence surrounding her; to heal... and to be healed by Annie's sweet song of love.

My Review:

It's been a week or so since I finished this novel and I'm still trying to gather my thoughts in order to properly right a review, though I have a feeling it's going to take much longer and probably another reading before I can even begin to put how I feel about this book into words. I've never read a book that I've loved the same way I love this one, and I have a feeling I never will. 

Reading Annie's Song is like riding a roller coaster of emotions, this book is sweet, heartbreaking, and everything else in between. There were times when I thought I was going to cry, because this book couldn't possibly get any more sad, then a few pages later I thought I was going to cry because it couldn't get any more sweet. Anderson really knows how to pull at your heartstrings and turn a depressing situation into an overwhelmingly sweet one. This novel could not possibly been executed any more perfectly and I have to applaud Anderson for writing a novel I literally cannot say one bad thing about. 

I instantly loved Annie and her naive outlook on the world. There was something endearing in her innocence and learning what she had gone through broke my heart. I've always had a soft spot for disabled main characters and the fact that Annie was so sheltered from the world made everything that happened to her even more devastating. I loved watching her grow from scared and child-like into a strong and confident woman, with Alex helping her every step of the way. Alex was an amazing hero and though he starts off a little gruff I loved watching the sweet and selfless side of him shine through as he began to learn more about Annie. Annie couldn't possibly have asked for a better, and more loving, hero than Alex. 

But in the end, what really got me was the romance. I've always loved the sweet romances more than the raunchy ones and Annie's Song is the definition of a sweet and heartwarming romance. Alex was the perfect hero, putting his needs aside and throwing everything he had into giving Annie the life she always deserved, but never had. Watching the romance develop between them, and seeing how much Alex loved Annie, was heartwarming and I loved every second of their time together; from the beginning when Alex thought she was simpleminded, to the moment he realized she was deaf, and the second he fell in love with her.  

Annie's Song has easily taken the place as one of my favorite books of all time. It's rare that I finish a novel and have the urge to flip to the beginning and read it all over again, but I'm already trying to figure out when I have a break in my reading schedule to read this one again. Hands down one of the best books I've ever read.

5/5

Short Story Saturday: The Princess of Egypt Must Die

Title: The Princess of Egypt Must Die

Author: Stephanie Dray

Date of Publication: December 5, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Number of Pages: 56

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Before she became one of Egypt's greatest queens, she was a lonely princess who ached to belong...

Princess Arsinoe came of age in the glittering court of Ptolemaic Egypt. Abused by her ruthless sister, a pawn in the dynastic ambitions of her father, and dismissed by the king who claimed her for a bride, young Arsinoe finds herself falling in love with a young man forbidden to her. She dreams of a great destiny, but if she is ever to rule Egypt, she must first survive the nest of vipers otherwise known as her family.

My Review:

I've always been fascinated by Egyptian history so when I saw this short story for free on Amazon I just knew that I had to download it. I don't know as much about Egypt's history as I would like so I was excited to start this story and hopefully learn a little bit in the process. I've never heard of Arsinoe and her story was interesting and heartbreaking, unfortunately I felt like The Princess of Egypt Must Die just didn't quite do justice to what could have been a fascinating story.

Because of the short length I felt like the majority of the story was rushed and not very well put together. I was thrown into the world of Arsinoe without any prior knowledge and had to piece together little everything along the way. Additionally this story is a very dramatic one; full of lying, backstabbing, and deceit, however because of the rushed feel of the story I felt like a lot of the suspense and drama was lost because the author was in such a hurry to move from one event to the other. I felt like this story was a summary rather than an actual short story. 

Even though Arsinoe was somewhat developed I felt like all the secondary characters were nothing more than shells. I barely knew anyone in the story other than Arsinoe and because of the nature of the story I felt like I needed to know the secondary characters a little more to truly appreciate it. There was lots to learn about each of the characters, and they each had their own angle, but they were barely skimmed over in order to move more quickly to the next event. 

I wouldn't say this was a bad short story, just because of the original and fascinating premise, but it just wasn't long enough to make it truly amazing. Had it been a full length novel, which would have given each of the events enough time to be properly executed and allowed all of the secondary characters to develop more of a personality, I would have enjoyed it much more. Fans of Egyptian history will be interested by the story but this novel feels more like a summary than an actual work of fiction.  

3/5

Review: Secrets of a Summer Night

Title: Wallflowers #1: Secrets of a Summer Night

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Date of Publication: November 28, 2006

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.

Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle's most intriguing--and persistent--admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition . . . but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.

Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon--and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon's passionate embrace and tempting kisses . . . and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.

My Review:

Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical authors, I just love her characters and the romantic regency world she always pulls me into. When I read the 4th book in the series (since I never end up reading the first book first!) I didn't remember seeing much of Annabelle but I loved getting to know her in this novel. She was so fun to read about and I can't wait to see cameos of her and Simon in future novels! 

I ended up reading almost this entire novel with a goofy little smile on my face because I just loved the interactions between Annabelle and Simon. Though Annabelle starts of hating him Simon's quirky charm shines through and I loved watching Annabelle come to the realization that she loved him. I've always been a sucker for romance novels where the heroine hates the hero but he just won't give up on her, and this was a perfect example of one of my favorite devices. Simon was the perfect hero, even when he heard the worst about Annabelle his feelings about her refused to be swayed. Romantic and charming I fell in love with Simon right along with Annabelle and I couldn't help but swoon with every stolen moment. 

Not only did this novel have a good romance but I really enjoyed the side story about Annabelle's difficulties regarding finances and what her mother had to go through to pay for Annabelle's season. Full of drama and compromising situations, not to mention the absolutely perfect villain, it was a little sad to read about, but made for a really good story. Plus the blossoming friendship between the Wallflowers was so fun to watch, since I ended up reading the 4th book in this series first I liked seeing how their friendship began and seeing each of the girls from a new set of eyes. 

One of the things I loved the most about this novel was that Kleypas included the story after the happily ever after. So often romances, especially historical ones, that end in marriage rarely continue with the characters after that point. However, a good fourth of Secrets of a Summer Night focuses on the time after the marriage between Annabelle and Simon. I loved reading about the time after their marriage, especially since it wasn't the blissful happiness most romance novels make marriage out to be. Annabelle and Simon had their share of problems, from fights to fitting in with each other's friends and family, but I really enjoyed seeing the story that comes after what we consider a "happily ever after". 

Kleypas is one of the most talented historical romance authors out there and I just can't get enough of her novels. I would highly recommend any novel by Kleypas to those looking for a good historical read or looking to try out the historical romance genre. 

4/5

Review: Fool Me Twice

Title: Rules for Reckless #2: Fool Me Twice

Author: Meredith Duran

Date of Publication: March 25, 2014

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: Sensible and lonely, Olivia Mather survives by her wits—and her strict policy of avoiding trouble. But when she realizes that the Duke of Marwick might hold the secrets of her family’s past, she does the unthinkable, infiltrating his household as a maid. She’ll clean his study and rifle through his papers looking for information.

Alastair de Grey has a single reason to live: vengeance. More beautiful than Lucifer, twice as feared, and thrice as cunning, he’ll use any weapon to punish those who fooled and betrayed him—even an impertinent maid who doesn’t know her place. But the more fascinated he becomes with the uppity redhead, the more dangerous his carefully designed plot becomes. For the one contingency he forgot to plan for was falling in love…and he cannot survive being fooled again.

My Review:

Fool Me Twice started off with a lot of potential. I loved the idea of a maid searching the house of a rich Duke to clear her name; however as the novel quickly started to take on darker tones the less I started to like it. Though the writing itself was good I just couldn't get my self into the story because of how much I ended up hating the characters and lackluster plot.

The number one thing I disliked about this novel was our hero, Alastair. Cruel, abusive, and brooding, the more I read about him the more I hated him. There was absolutely no affection between him and Olivia and he spent the bulk of the novel plotting all the ways in which he wanted to hurt her and then (sort of) forcing her to have sex with him. Though she never said no she never said yes either and that bordered so closely to the edge of rape that I just wasn't okay with it. Not only that but Alastair didn't even feel a bit of remorse later, I might have had at least a smidge of respect for him if he felt bad later, but he only got more abusive as the novel went on, making me absolutely hate him. 

Olivia wasn't as bad as Alastair but I didn't particularly care for her either. She had an interesting back story but I spent most of the novel just plain confused about what that whole back story was. I think Duran was going for a slow reveal of information to keep the reader guessing but she didn't reveal enough in the beginning of the story to make me curious about what happened next, I was just plain confused. Not to mention she was such a pushover when it came to Alastair; instead of standing up for herself she lets him use her over and over again. There were moments she was so dumb I wanted to throw this novel across the room. 

Honestly, the only redeemable aspect of this novel was the cover, and maybe some of the side characters. Polly, Jones, and the other maids occasionally me laugh and even though they irritated me a little sometimes I enjoyed the banter between them and Oliva. They were the most real characters in the whole novel, though annoying they added at least a bit of lightheartedness to an otherwise dark and abusive tale. I didn't like them, but they were honestly the most likable characters in the whole novel.

Though the premise sounds interesting I just can't recommend this novel. Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and the like may enjoy it but as someone who doesn't care much for semi- abusive characters and dubious consent I just couldn't enjoy this one.

1/5

Review: Three Weeks with Lady X

Title: Three Weeks with Lady X

Author: Eloisa James

Date of Publication: March 25, 2014

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Having made a fortune, Thorn Dautry, the powerful bastard son of a duke, decides that he needs a wife. But to marry a lady, Thorn must acquire a gleaming, civilized façade, the specialty of Lady Xenobia India.

Exquisite, head-strong, and independent, India vows to make Thorn marriageable in just three weeks.

But neither Thorn nor India anticipate the forbidden passion that explodes between them.

Thorn will stop at nothing to make India his. Failure is not an option.

But there is only one thing that will make India his—the one thing Thorn can't afford to lose...

His fierce and lawless heart.

My Review:

Eloisa James is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical romance authors. Though I had one bad experience everything else I've read by her has been amazing so far. She is truly a master of creating a plot completely focused on romance, but with enough of a side plot to keep the romance from becoming completely overwhelming. 

Though I didn't immediately like Xenobia and Thorn I ended up really like them in the end. Xenobia was the typical historical romance heroine whose strong personality but paired with Thorn she was really able to shine. Plus I loved reading about her job as an interior designer and everything that went along with it. The sexual tension between her and Thorn was great and I loved the pacing of the romance. Even though their relationship was based a little more on lust rather than love it didn't have that kind of sketchy feeling some books get with a more lust based relationship. 

Not only did I find myself forming a connection with the main characters but I had one with the secondary characters as well. From the very start I loved Thorn's intended bride, Lala, and though I knew she wouldn't end up with Thorn I desperately wanted her to have a happy ending. With her cruel mother and reputation as a simpleton there was plenty there for a whole book about Lala, which I would most definitely be first in line for! Not to mention Thorn's ward Rose, a very well spoken six year old who absolutely stole my heart, Rose was hands down my favorite character in the whole novel. 

My only complaint about this novel was Thorn. Despite the fact that I ended up liking his character in the end I just wasn't impressed by the fact that he thought with his dick for the majority of the novel. Even Xenobia's eyes were giving him erections and that was just a step too far for me. Whenever Xenobia was around, especially in the beginning, all the could think about was sex even if the subject at hand was completely unrelated. He got better as the novel went on but it definitely spurred a bit of an instant dislike of his character. 

Despite the few flaws I highly recommend Eloisa James to fans of historical romance and to those who just enjoy a good romance in general. With plenty of wit and humor, as well as great character development and plenty of steamy moments, there's no way you could go wrong!

4/5

                         

Review: Just Like Heaven

Title: Smythe-Smith Quartet #1: Just Like Heaven

Author: Julia Quinn

Date of Publication: May 31, 2011

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Honoria Smythe-Smith is:
A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child
C) not in love with her older brother's best friend
D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:
A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister
D) all of the above

Together they:
A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world's worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love

It's Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is ...
D) all of the above

My Review:

Just Like Heaven was one of those reads that, while it was super cute, I finished the novel not really having much to say. There was just nothing new or exciting about this novel that grabbed my interest and while I would say overall it was good, I just don't have anything memorable to remark on.

I really liked Honoria and Marcus and their relationship was adorable, though I wish there had been more time for them to interact. I felt like much of the novel was dedicated to Marcus being sick and Honoria nursing him, which is an okay plot device, but it didn't give them much time to really display their personalities. I didn't necessarily feel distant from them but I didn't feel as connected to them as I would have if more of the novel had been spent on situations that would have caused more character development.

Romance wise the novel was good, but just so uneventful that I don't have much to say about it. Honoria and Marcus moved at a good pace and their relationship was believable, but there just wasn't any spark to it. The end of the novel was cute, especially when he brought her flowers, but unfortunately it just didn't speak to me the same way other romance novels have in the past.

Hands down the best part of this novel was the humor. I wouldn't say it was laugh out loud funny, but the situations Honoria found herself in always made me smile. The quartet and their horrendous music, not to mention all their arguments, kept me entertained and the drama at the end of the book made it all worth it. However, I just wish there had been more events in the story that were significant, there were only two major events, Marcus's illness and the concert, so in the end I finished the novel wishing I could have seen all the characters in more situations so I could have gotten to know them better.

Even though there was nothing attention grabbing about this novel I'm still interested enough in some of the secondary characters to put the next novel on my to read list. Julia Quinn is one of the biggest names in historical romance and, while I wasn't overly impressed with my first novel by her, I can see why her books are so appealing.

3/5

Review: Scandal in Spring

Title: Wallflowers #4: Scandal in Spring

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Date of Publication: July 25, 2006

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy this Book: Amazon

Synopsis: After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman's father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can't snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses—the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.

Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn't count on Matthew's unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.

But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy's wildest fantasies.

My Review:

I've been on a huge historical kick lately, which is always a tricky genre for me, but this book was one of the ones I ended up really liking. I don't know what it is with me and historical series but I never read them in order, maybe it's because you don't really need to, but I just never seem to start with the first one. Anyway, I had no trouble understanding what was going on even though this one was the 4th in the series.

Right off the bat I absolutely loved Daisy, whimsical and always with her head in a book I felt like I could really relate to her. With her strong personality there were plenty of opportunities for hilarious banter between her and Matthew and I loved every moment of it. I really loved the development of not only Daisy and Matthew but all the secondary characters as well, even though I haven't read the first three books I still felt a connection to the rest of Daisy's friends and I'm even more eager to read their stories now that I know them a little bit!

The romance was absolutely wonderful. I loved watching the relationship between Daisy and Matthew develop from hate to love and everything else in between. Kleypas had a knack for putting them in hilarious and unusual situations and I really loved that, especially because I felt that it gave them the opportunity to get to know each other a little more unconventionally and that made their relationship feel more real. Plus I read the whole books with a big goofy grin on my face because, lets face it, this book was just plain cute.

Even though the novel was mostly focused on the romance I enjoyed the other side plots throughout the story. I was intrigued by Matthew's past and though I wasn't entirely surprised when everything was revealed I still enjoyed the drama it added to the story. Plus the little excitement about Daisy's sister having her baby and her sister's vehement dislike of Matthew also made for interesting plot points and I enjoyed the fact that there was a little bit more to this story than just romance.

Though I've heard that Scandal in Spring is the worst of the Wallflowers series I ended up really liking it and I'm excited to get my hands on the rest of the books in the series. I'm especially excited for Evie's story because, from what I can gather, hers sounds the most interesting. A great historical novel and I definitely recommend!

4/5

Special Offer: Right now you can get an audio book of Scandal in Spring (plus one more of your choosing!) for FREE on Amazon via Audible click  HERE to find out how! 

Review: India Black

Title: Madam of Espionage #1: India Black

Author: Carol K. Carr

Date of Publication: January 4, 2011

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: When Sir Archibald Latham of the War Office dies from a heart attack while visiting her brothel, Madam India Black is unexpectedly thrust into a deadly game between Russian and British agents who are seeking the military secrets Latham carried.

Blackmailed into recovering the missing documents by the British spy known as French, India finds herself dodging Russian agents-and the attraction she starts to feel for the handsome conspirator.

My Review:

 After reading the first sentence of this novel I knew that I was going to like it. Full of action and adventure, as well as some colorful characters, this novel had all the elements of a great first novel. Though it wasn't perfect India Black would make for a good filler read, especially because it's so short (not even 300 pages) and the action keeps it moving along.

India was one of the most interesting characters I've read about in a long time. Right off the bat I liked her attitude and sassy commentary. It was interesting to read from the perspective of a character who enjoyed running a brothel and everything that went along with it. Most books I read that take place in a similar setting have characters who are stuck there or need the money, but India actually enjoys it. I also enjoyed reading about all of the secondary characters, Vincent was an interesting ally and I loved the slight sexual tension between India and French.

Even though the political details were a little on the dry side I really enjoyed the action that came along with them. Because of India's unique position as a madam of a brothel there were plenty of unusual situations for her to find herself in and her sassy personality made it all the better. I've never read a book quite like this one in regards to India's occupation, and I was intrigued by the day to day operations of the brothel she managed. However, she spends relatively little time there, except for in the beginning, so I'm hoping future books in the series will take place there a little bit more.

The one thing that frustrated me the most about this novel is that India and French were always finding themselves outsmarted by their opponents. For two fairly intelligent characters I found it hard to believe that when it came to trying to defeat their enemies they were so stupid. Even though their blunders made for plenty of action I felt like after awhile the author was using it to drag the novel rather than for important plot development. Though I will say that the ending was just that much more satisfying after having to go through so much to get there.

Even though India Black wasn't my absolute favorite read it was a entertaining read and a good filler book to read when there isn't really anything else. I'm intrigued by the ties between her and French and I'm interested to see where India finds herself in the future. Next time I need a book to pass the time the second book in this series is definitely on my list!

3/5

Review: Shades of Milk and Honey

Title: The Glamourist Histories #1: Shades of Milk and Honey

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal

Date of Publication: August 3, 2010

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Shades of Milk and Honey is an intimate portrait of Jane Ellsworth, a woman ahead of her time in a version of Regency England where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality. But despite the prevalence of magic in everyday life, other aspects of Dorchester’s society are not that different: Jane and her sister Melody’s lives still revolve around vying for the attentions of eligible men.

Jane resists this fate, and rightly so: while her skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face, and therefore wins the lion’s share of the attention. At the ripe old age of twenty-eight, Jane has resigned herself to being invisible forever. But when her family’s honor is threatened, she finds that she must push her skills to the limit in order to set things right–and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.

My Review: 

I've never quite read a book like Shades of Milk and Honey; on one hand I was completely enchanted by the world Kowal had created, and on the other I finished this novel feeling a little unsatisfied, like something just hadn't quite added up in the end. Even though I enjoyed this novel so much while I was reading it sitting down to write this review opened my eyes a little bit to how many shortcomings this book really had.

Let me start with what I loved about this book, the number one thing being the writing. Kowal had a absolutely beautiful writing style and her style did an excellent job pulling me into the Regency world full of magic she had created. I loved the inclusion of glamour and I was fascinated by how the characters manipulated it. I also really enjoyed the personalities of each of the characters, Jane is the cliche underdog that we all end up rooting for because we all see a little part of us in her. Likewise, her sister was thee stereotypical beauty who appears to have it all, but really doesn't. Even though both of those characters have been done a million times it just works, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason and Kowal used that to her best advantage.

The plot left me with some mixed feelings. While I was reading I wasn't bothered by the fact that most of the novel is consumed with the daily activities of Jane and her family. However, when I sat down to write this review I realized just how little happened in this novel. The end is exciting, and even though I saw the big finish coming a mile away, the ending had me glued to the page and I loved the action and excitement. However, other than those few pages at the end not much else happened other than dialogue between characters. I will give Kowal points for keeping me so engrossed in a novel where not much happens, but I just felt a little cheated by the time I got to the end of the novel.

My biggest complaint about this book was the "romance". It feels as though Kowal tacked the romance on at the end of the novel as an afterthought, without adding any threads of it in the beginning of the novel. I was shocked by the revelation of romance and I wasn't a fan of how fast everything moves after that. I felt as though Jane and her love interest had almost no interaction prior to the big revelation and when the truth finally came out it felt so random and unnecessary.

Overall I was intrigued enough by this novel to continue with the next couple books in the series but I also finished this novel feeling a little unsatisfied. Hopefully the next books in the series live up to the potential I saw in present in this one, Kowal has the ability to write a fantastic novel and I hope that the next books live up to how good she could be.

3/5

Review: Mystique

Title: Mystique

Author: Amanda Quick

Date of Publication: November 29, 2005

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: A tantalizing tale of a legendary knight and a headstrong lady whose daring quest for a mysterious crystal will draw them into a whirlwind of treachery-and desire. 


When the fearsome knight called Hugh the Relentless swept into Lingwood Manor like a storm, everyone cowered-except Lady Alice. Sharp-tongued and unrepentant, the flame haired beauty believed Sir Hugh was not someone to dread but the answer to her dreams. She knew he had come for the dazzling green crystal, knew he would be displeased to find that it was no longer in her possession. Yet Alice had a proposition for the dark and forbidding knight: In return for a dowry that would free Alice and her brother from their uncle's grasp, she would lend her powers of detection to his warrior's skills and together they would recover his treasured stone. But even as Hugh accepted her terms, he added a condition of his own: Lady Alice must agree to a temporary betrothal-one that would soon draw her deep into Hugh's great stone fortress, and into a battle that could threaten their lives...and their only chance at love.

My Review:

Historical romance is always a hard genre for me; the books I like, I really love, and the books I don't like, I really hate. That's why I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Mystique, it could either turn out being really good, or really bad. As soon as I started the novel it quickly became obvious that Mystique was going to be one of those historical romance novels I was going to like, and I ended up really liking it. Fun and light there was nothing serious about this book but it was fun to read and kept me entertained until the very end.

The number one thing that made me love this novel was Alice. She's not afraid to stand up for herself and tell all the other characters what's what; I absolutely loved her confidence and couldn't help but admire her. She was a fun character to read about and I just loved how she wasn't afraid of anyone or anything. The fact that she wasn't afraid to stand up to Hugh made them a prefect match and made me respect her all the more.

I also really loved the development and progression of the romance. So often in books like this characters fall instantly in love and make it impossible to take any sort of relationship between them seriously. However, Alice and Hugh took their relationship at a reasonable pace and the false engagement between them definitely made the interactions between them interesting! The romance between them was sweet and heartfelt and I felt as though their relationship was based more off of mutual respect than lust, which I feel is hard to find in historical romance novels.

While Mystique does have a few broad plot points that cover the span of the entire novel (the romance and the mystery involving the green crystal) one of the things I really enjoyed about this novel was that  Quick didn't spend too much time on just one aspect of the novel. I felt as though this book was almost made up of little short stories, once one little plot was cleared up another one started, but at the same time they all were interconnected and built off of each other.

I highly recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction and romance who are looking for a light and fun read. Even though it's a little predictable and cliched its still a super fun read and I definitely enjoyed every minute of this novel!

4/5

Review: The Time Tutor

Title: The Time Tutor

Author: Bee Ridgway

Date of Publication: February 25, 2014

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: When Alva receives an invitation from a man offering his services as a Time Tutor, she doesn't know what to think: Is he a time traveler or a charlatan? And does it really matter, when he is so devilishly attractive? The Time Tutor is a fast-paced romantic prequel to Bee Ridgway’s acclaimed novel, The River of No Return.

My Review:

It's been quite awhile since I read The River of No Return so I worried about being lost when I started reading this novella. However, I was quickly drawn into the story and it soon became obvious that I didn't need to remember anything about The River of No Return to really enjoy this short story. Ridgeway has a fantastic writing style that instantly pulled me back into the world secrets and time travel.

It was interesting to watch the interactions between Guild members and Hannelore and as the story went on I started to remember more about the conflict between the Guild and the Ofan. I'd forgotten what a fascinating take Ridgway had on time travel and I loved the sparkling descriptions of different time periods and the wonderfully written moment when Alva can finally feel the river of time. I was especially fascinated the the experiments Hannelore was conducting and I wish Ridgway had spent a little more time on them... my fingers are crossed for the sequel!

The romance was fun and kept the story moving along. It wasn't exactly a swoon worthy romance but I enjoyed it all the same; Dar and Alva have a chemistry that shines through the pages. Even though the romance moved extremely quickly, one thing I don't typically enjoy, it worked well for this novella and the little love triangle kept everything interesting.

Fans of the The River of No Return will no doubt adore getting the chance to take a peek at two of the more secondary characters from the first novel. After getting another little taste of Ridgeways writing I'm excited to get my hands on the sequel!

4/5

Review: Lycan Gladiator

Title: Lycan Gladiator

Author: Eva Gordon

Date of Publication: August 20, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: During a time of bloody gladiator games and treacherous schemes, a secret society of lycans live amongst the Romans.

When Ulric, a lycan gladiator, meets a mysterious human woman with green eyes, he’s drawn to her fiery beauty, enraptured by her alluring aroma. Unfortunately, Ulric and the beauty are slaves. To make matters worse, he can mate only with someone marked with the sign of the wolf.

Cassia’s hidden wolf mark burns in the presence of the handsome gladiator. While her heart yearns to be near Ulric, logic warns her against it—having a slave as a mate is against the lycan society’s plans for her.

In spite of the lycan society’s rules and the emperor’s brutal plots, their love grows … but their passion just may cost them their lives.

My Review:

After completely loving Apocalyptic Moon by Eva Gordon I was thrilled to start another novel by the same author! Even though I didn't end up liking this one as much as I liked the first novel I read by her, this novel turned out to be a super fun and sizzling read. With an ancient Roman setting, passionate characters, and plenty of sexual tension this novel had all the things that make romance novels so much fun to read.

The number one thing I liked about this novel was the sexual tension between Cassia and Ulric. From their first meeting I could feel the chemistry between them and I loved reading each of their interactions. Toward the end of the novel I was so eager for them to finally be together I was on the edge of my seat. Gordon created just enough sexual tension to make the moment when they finally came together all the better and leave me completely engrossed in the novel.

Cassia's gift for healing lycan's was an interesting one and I really enjoyed the twist Gordon put on werewolves. The ancient Roman setting added an interesting angle to the story and I really enjoyed the gladiator aspect to the novel. I really loved the detail Gordon put into world building and creating a Roman atmosphere, I felt as though I was right there beside Cassia and Ulric throughout the novel and though the historical aspect was exaggerated for the sake of the story I always enjoy a novel with a historical setting.

One of the only things holding this book back from getting a higher rating was the slow plot. Even though I was fascinated by Cassia's gift I felt like a huge amount of the novel was spent talking rather than taking action. There were quite a few moments when I found myself struggling to get through parts of the novel just because there wasn't enough happening to hold my interest. However the moments there was some action almost made up for the moments when there wasn't, so overall the novel wasn't painful or difficult to read. I just wish there had been a little bit more to the plot to hold my interest.

I would recommend Lycan Gladiator to fans of indie romance/paranormal novels. Despite the slower plot this novel had quite a few things going for it and I'll be excited to read more novels by Gordon in the future.

3/5

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*I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for a honest review. All views expressed in this post are completely my own.

Review: The Trouble With Moonlight

Title: The Trouble With Moonlight

Author: Donna MacMeans

Date of Publication: June 3, 2008

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: British spy James Locke has seen some odd events—but nothing quite as fantastical as when, in the midst of a moonlit safe-cracking mission, he witnesses a ruby necklace being spirited away as if by conjurer's trick. Following the jewels leads him to Lusinda Havershaw, who's inherited the talent of turning invisible in the moonlight—at least, the parts of her that are unclothed.

To support her sisters, Lusinda slips naked through the London night to recover lost or stolen items. After enlisting her reluctant services for the Crown, Locke trains Lusinda in espionage—though her close proximity is bewitchingly distracting. And as their mission to track Russian spies grows treacherous, they'll find that the heart behaves even more mysteriously than Lusinda in the moonlight.

My Review:

I picked up this novel looking for something a little different and while the plot was more on the original side I didn't find myself as impressed with this novel as I thought I would be. Even though I wouldn't exactly say this is a bad novel I'm extremely picky about regency romance and this one just blends in with the sea of other books of the same genre, only it's extreme cringeworthienss making it stand out.

I was very unimpressed with the beginning of this novel; lackluster characters and a weak plot made me consider putting this book down several times before I finally got to the point where I decided to stick it out. As the novel went on it most definitely improved, and by the end I found myself engrossed in the climax, but it was a little touch and go getting there. Even though the novel was a quick read, and a fairly fun one, the plot was definitely the weak link. I never fully understood what the "mission" James and Lusinda were on actually was or how it benefited anyone. I tend to space out during anything political (especially in books where I'm not all that invested) so maybe I missed something important... but to be honest it didn't end up making that much of a difference anyway. This isn't a novel that requires full attention.

Even though I wasn't expecting it based on the beginning the strongest aspect of The Trouble with Moonlight is the character development. Lusinda was a fairly average regency heroine but she was fun to read about and had her own set of little quirks, like being a thief, that gave her just a little bit of a spark. However, it was James that stole the show in terms of development. I was absolutely fascinated by his back story and I loved hearing about the little snippets from his past. Even though he spent the majority of the novel imagining Lusinda naked (which I promptly skipped over) I lived for the moments where he talked about his past or where he actually thought about Lusinda as a person instead of a sexual object. Lusinda's family was also surprisingly developed, especially her sister Portia. I enjoyed reading about the jealousy and cattiness between the siblings and watching that relationship change as the two sisters discovered more about each other.

The biggest problem I had with this novel was the number of cringe worthy moments, especially in the romance department. I had to set the novel down and compose myself when Lusinda lost her virginity (and any subsequent sex scenes) because the second hand embarrassment was almost too much to bear. To be honest this novel would have been much better without the awkward and forced romance, a little sexual tension here and there and I would have been satisfied. I felt like MacMeans was trying too hard to make the reader swoon and instead had the opposite effect and ended up scaring me away. I've read plenty of eye-roll worthy romance scenes but The Trouble with Moonlight definitely takes the cake for some of the most ridiculous.

Even though I wouldn't classify this novel as a "bad" book I still wouldn't exactly recommend it either. The hard to read moments paired with a weak plot canceled out points this novel had in its favor and at the end of the day this is a novel I'm going to have forgotten about a month from now. Fans of regency romance may want to skip this one in favor of a novel with a bit more substance.

3/5

Review: Secret Reflection

Title: Secret Reflection

Author: Jennifer Brassel

Date of Publication: April 1, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: A modern gothic romance about skepticism, secrets, and seeing what’s in front of your eyes. 

Kelly Reid doesn't believe in ghosts, even when one appears in front of her. She’s sure the man in her bedroom mirror is a hoax, all she has to do is prove it. But it’s hard to concentrate on hidden cameras and tiny microphones when he seems so real, so engaging, so sad.

Accused of a heinous crime, John Tarrant has been trapped in the mirror for 140 years, neither living nor dead. His only chance at escape is convincing the skeptical woman in front of him that he’s real and desperately needs her help.

Working together to solve a centuries-old crime, Kelly and John race to find the key to his release – and fear what will happen if they succeed. Will their unlikely relationship finally have a chance, or will John’s spirit vanish forever?

My Review:

I started Secret Reflection thinking the entire novel had a historical setting rather than being more of a time travel romance. However, I quickly adapted to the modern tone of the story and despite the slow beginning I ended up enjoying the interesting plot and the main character Kelly. Brassel did a great job creating a fascinating plot and I loved learning more about the characters as the story went on rather than learning everything about them all at once.

I really enjoyed Kelly as a main character. I loved her skepticism toward John and her analytic personality. It was so refreshing to read about a main character who doesn't immediately accept the supernatural situation they are thrown into. Likewise John was a fascinating character; I loved learning more about his back story as time went on rather than learning it all at once. Throughout the entire novel I was wondering what really happened behind John getting trapped in the mirror. Some of the secondary characters, like Tom and Nancy, were underdeveloped but since they didn't play a major role in the story it was easy to overlook their weak personalities.

The idea behind this novel was undoubtedly the strongest part of the story. Brassel's idea of John being trapped in a mirror was an interesting one and even though the solution was fairly predictable I still enjoyed learning more about how he got there. Even though the majority of the novel focuses on Kelly but I really enjoyed the occasional switching of perspectives and getting a look into another character's head. The murder mystery twist at the end threw in some much needed drama into the story and kept things interesting toward the end. Although I really enjoyed many aspects of the plot there were a few things that made me a little uncomfortable, Richard was a fantastic villain but quite a few aspects of his character that made him so villainous made him disturbing as well.  Likewise the conclusion of the murder mystery really threw me for a loop, and not in a good way.

Even though I'm a huge romance fan the romance in this novel, even though it was a major aspect of the plot, was my least favorite part. The relationship between John and Kelly was cute in its own way, but I just felt like things moved a little too fast. After a few conversations and Kelly taking her clothes off a few times in front of the mirror he was trapped in they were instantly "in love" and all of Kelly's initial skepticism was thrown aside. Plus most of the conversations between them were extremely short; almost everything I knew about John I learned from the snippets in his point of view. I felt like Kelly and John barely knew each other and by the end I had the feeling that Kelly knew Richard better than she knew John, making the romance feel that much more unbelievable.

Overall I would say that Secret Reflection was an interesting story but a slow one. Readers who aren't scared off by the idea of a slow moving plot may want to check out this time travel/historical romance.

3/5

*I received a copy of this novel from the author/publisher/publicist in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.

Review: The Bridegroom

Title: The Bridegroom (Stone Creek series)

Author: Linda Lael Miller

Date of Publication: August 4, 2009

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Undercover agent Gideon Yarbro is renowned for stopping outlaws almost before they commit a crime. But now he must stop a wedding --- despite the bride's resistance. Lydia Fairmont will lose everything if she doesn't honor her betrothal to a heartless banker. Unless she marries someone else instead ... whether it's a love match or not.

Determined to honor his own decade-old promise to help Lydia, Gideon carries her off to Stone Creek and makes her his reluctant wife. Forget a honeymoon for "show" --- not with a vengeful ex-fiance on their trail and a hired gun on the loose. But there just might be hope for the marriage ... and two hearts meant for each other.

My Review:

When I saw the synopsis for The Bridegroom I couldn't wait to start reading; romance, the promise of action, and the southern setting all made for a novel I was sure I was going to enjoy. However, even though I didn't really dislike this novel at all I sat down to write this review feeling like I didn't really have much to say. Sure it was entertaining, and yeah I liked it, but in the end it was a read and forget kind of novel, not one that sticks with you and makes you want to read more.

The biggest thing that makes this review hard to write is that even though The Bridegroom wasn't boring nothing really happened. Instead of one huge climax at the end with a bunch of smaller events leading up to it the novel was full of many small and insignificant events in the day to day lives of Gideon in Lydia. There was the conflict with Jacob Fitch, the man who was going to marry Lydia, but that whole plot line really fell flat and while it wasn't bad it definitely wasn't as good as it could have been.

There wasn't anything wrong with Gideon and Lydia, in fact their characters were probably the strongest part of the novel, but in the end there wasn't really anything all that memorable about them either. Gideon starts off working in the local mine hoping to find rumors of a strike and report them to the owners, however the more time he spends with the miners the more he realizes he can't continue with his plan; making me respect him just a little bit more. Lydia on the other hand has good intentions with her desire to take care of her aging aunts but she doesn't really grow in the novel, unless you count falling in love as growth.

One thing I can't stand in historical romances are weddings of necessity rather than love. I don't know why but this device is just so irritating and overused that even though everything always turns out all right in the end it still annoys me to death. In this novel I knew it was coming and instead of thinking about how much it rubs me the wrong way I decided to just go with it, and surprisingly enough Miller had a way of making Gideon and Lydia's marriage work instead of making me feel like the whole story was moving way to fast. Maybe it was the writing or maybe it was the change in my mindset but the romance in this novel was much better than I was expecting, maybe not memorable but more than I thought it would be.

Even though this novel wasn't bad it just didn't have the spark that would have made me really like it. The Bridegroom has all the elements to be really fantastic but it just didn't happen this time around. Die-hard fans of historical fiction may want to give this one a try but those looking to mix up their reading habits or try something new may want to skip this one in favor of something a little more memorable.

3/5

Review: Moonlight Masquerade

Title: Moonlight Masquerade

Author: Ruth Axtell

Date of Publication: March 1, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Lady Celine Wexham seems the model British subject. French by birth but enjoying life in 1813 as a widowed English countess, she is in the unique position of being able to help those in need--or to spy for the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. When Rees Phillips of the British Foreign Office is sent to pose as the countess's butler and discover where her true loyalties lie, he is confident he will uncover the truth. But the longer he is in her fashionable townhouse in London's West End, the more his staunch loyalty to the Crown begins to waver as he falls under Lady Wexham's spell. Will he find the proof he needs? And if she is a spy after all, will he do the right thing?

My Review:

With the idea of forbidden romance, intrigue, and British/French conflict this novel seemed to have the perfect recipe. However, the farther I got into this novel the more and more apparent it seemed that this novel was not going to live up to its potential. It did have its moments, but those were few and far between and didn't make up for all the things that made this novel frustrating.

Celine and Rees were okay to read about, Rees and his spying activities were a little more interesting to read about than Celine but I wasn't particularly impressed with either of them. One of my biggest draws to this novel was because the two main characters were spies, which was why I was really disappointed when there wasn't really any spying. Moonlight Masquerade focused mainly on the day to day activities of Celine as she looked for something to spy on but didn't actually do it. Likewise there was a lot of thinking about romance but very little romance actually happening.

I am not a fan of Christian fiction, not because I dislike the religion but because I can't stand novels that are preachy or authors who try to spread their own personal message through a novel. Unfortunately I didn't notice this novel was a Christian fiction until I was too far in to quit. It started off with a line here or there, which I could deal with, but toward the end the novel took on a preachy and overly righteous feel. I understand that a lot of people may really enjoy this aspect, but it just wasn't for me.

Easily my biggest complaint about the novel was simply that I was bored, not exactly mind numbingly bored, but bored enough to have a hard time concentrating on the novel.  Even though the  idea was interesting it just didn't work out, the characters never actually did anything (which really frustrated me) and there were quite a few moments that the novel took over an overly preachy feel. Moonlight Masquerade had so much potential but in the end it all fell through.

At the end of the day I can understand how fans of Christian fiction may enjoy this novel but it just wasn't for me. The characters spent way too much time thinking about each other as well as their spying activities instead of just going out and doing them. For fans of historical fiction I would recommend skipping this one in favor of something with a little more action.

2/5

Review: A Certain Wolfish Charm Review

Title: A Certain Wolfish Charm

Author: Lydia Dare

Date of Publication: April 2, 2010

Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: In Lydia dare's debut trilogy, Regency England has gone to the wolves! "He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full..."

The rules of Society can be beastly-especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact, may be as untamable as he is...

"A woman whose charm is stronger than the moon..."

When Lily's beloved nephew's behavior becomes inexplicably wild, she turns to Simon, the boy's cousin and guardian, for help. But Simon's idea of assistance is far different than hers, and Lily finds herself ensconced in his house and engaged to the rogue.

They both may have bitten off more than they can chew when each begins to discover the other's darkest secrets...

My Review: 

With a historical setting, plenty of romance, and werewolves A Certain Wolfish Charm seemed like the perfect novel for me. However, it soon became apparent that this novel wasn't all I hoped and dreamed it would be. With no plot and shallow characters, I quickly found myself getting bored with the story and struggling to finish the novel. Even though the idea was a good one it was very poorly executed.

Although the idea for A Certain Wolfish Charm is a good one the plot just didn't pan out.  The entire novel I kept waiting for a plot to take shape but one never did. Even though things happened it never felt as though the events were leading up to a big finish at the end or that the characters were moving in more than just circles. I guess Lily finding out the Simon is a werewolf could be considered a plot but it just wasn't strong enough to keep the novel on track and to make the rest of the novel mean anything.

Quite possibly the most annoying thing about this novel was the insta-love. If there is one thing I can't stand its characters that instantly fall into absolutely perfect "true love" without even talking to each other first. The most aggravating part of insta-love is that the relationship never feels real. No matter what happens in the novel it always feels as though the characters are more in lust with each other than in love. A Certain Wolfish Charm was a prime example of the characters falling more in lust than in love, making both of them feel shallow and under developed.

Even though the writing was okay the author constantly used the same words to describe characters over and over and over again. I can't even begin to count the number of times I read the words "Lily's delectable form" in this novel. The farther and farther I got into this novel the more the repetitiveness started to get to me until I was skimming pages just to get through anything repetitive. Not only did the author use the same words over and over again but she used the same ideas over and over again. Throughout the entire novel I had to push through pages and pages of Simon and Lily think about how much they loved each other and how they could never admit it and so on. By the time they finally got together I was so annoyed with them I didn't even care anymore.

In the end I wouldn't recommend A Certain Wolfish Charm to anyone unless they were looking to be bored by shallow characters and a weak plot. Even though this novel did have its moments (mainly involving Will and Prisca, who weren't even main characters) it just wasn't enough to make the novel a good one.

2/5

Review: Outlander

Title: Outlander

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Date of Publication: August 10, 1998

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon — when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach — an "outlander" — in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord ... 1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life ... and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire ... and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

My Review:

Outlander started off okay, a little slow, but okay. However, the farther I got into this novel the more and more I began to hate it. Not only was it mind-numbingly boring but Jamie and Claire were two of the most horrible characters I have ever read about. With annoying Scottish accent writing and a plot that go increasingly weirder as the novel went on I ended up absolutely hating Outlander.

I absolutely hated both Claire and Jamie. Claire had little to no personality and Jamie wasn't much better. What really ruined both of them for me was that Jamie beats Claire, and even worse, Claire lets him and even accepts it. I don't really care how historically accurate that is but as soon as I read that I was DONE with this book. No matter how nice Jamie was later I hated him from that page on and I hated Claire even more for letting him get away with it.

Not only were the characters unbelievably awful but I was bored out of my mind by about 95% of this novel. Pages and pages and pages were dedicated to the day to day tasks of Claire who isn't even an exciting character to begin with. For every 100 pages of boredom there were about 10 pages of excitement and even then they were always tainted because of how much I didn't like the characters. I didn't even understand the point of the novel, the only things Claire did were heal people and... well heal people I guess. She literally did nothing in the entire novel but heal people and follow Jamie around.

As if it wasn't bad enough to be  not only boring, with horrible characters, but it was weird as well. I picked this up hoping for a historical romance but instead this book just left me with an uncomfortable feeling that I couldn't shake. All the "romance" scenes were pretty very graphic and while that doesn't usually bother me they were just.... sleazy for lack of a better word. I couldn't sense any kind of mutual affection between Jamie and Claire and it seemed that their relationship was based more on lust than love (oh and the fact that Jamie ENJOYED beating her, at which point I just threw this book on the  floor and quit reading to preserve my brain cells).

The one (and only) thing I'll give Gabaldon is that Outlander is obviously very well researched. I could tell that Gabaldon put a lot into her research and did her best to make the novel as historically accurate as possible. However, that just didn't make up for how disgusted I was by this novel. By far one of the worst novels I've ever read, I would honestly give it less than one star if I could.

1/5