Warprize – Elizabeth Vaughan

Publisher’s Summary:
“Xylara is the Daughter of the Warrior King, Xyron. With her father dead and her incompetent half-brother on the throne, the kingdom is in danger of falling to the warring Firelanders.

Before she was old enough for a marriage-of-alliance, Xylara was trained as a healer. She can’t usurp her brother or negotiate a peace–but she can heal the brave ones injured in battle.

But not only her countrymen are wounded, and Xylara’s conscience won’t let Firelander warriors die when she can do something to save them. She learns their language and their customs and tries to make them as comfortable as possible, despite their prisoner-of-war status.

She never expects that these deeds, done in good faith, would lead to the handsome and mysterious Firelander Warlord demanding her in exchange for a cease-fire. Xylara knows she must trade the life she has always known for the well-being of her people, and so she becomes…Warprize.”

In an attempt to stave off the yearlong bibliorestlessness I’ve been arrested by, I’ve tried to let mood dictate my book choices as much as possible. Several encounters with Warprize – on Amazon, to start, where it garnered excellent reviews – piqued my interest, catching me up in a need to read the book as soon as possible; that lightning strike desire turned into a week dedicated to Elizabeth Vaughan’s Chronicles of the Warlands.

The first thing I feel compelled to say is that, from my perspective, the paranormal romance label on the book’s spine is misleading. Does the series incorporate subtle mystical elements? Yes. The hero’s nomadic people subscribe to shamanic-like beliefs: they draw strength from and pray to the elements, and the dead guide the living. The mysticism is subtle; with one notable exception, anything remotely paranormal happens outside of our heroine Lara’s first person narrative sight and, as a result, the reader’s. Even then, these elements don’t manifest until well into the second book. Point being, if you do not typically read paranormal romances, don’t let the book’s placement in that category put you off. Warprize has the feel of an historical set during the Middle Ages, which is bolstered by events in later books, including an encounter with a plague ridden feudal outpost, and Lara’s reliance on natural remedies.

Regarding Lara’s medical training, it gives her a sense of purpose and a stubborn streak. She will treat anyone who has need of her skills; she is a proactive heroine, willing to do what’s necessary no matter the cost to herself. Keir exhibits typical alpha traits: dominant, protective, and swift to take action. But what he is ultimately trying to do – blend his people with Lara’s so that knowledge and skills might be shared in an effort to see both peoples flourish – betrays his idealistic side. I liked both, just as I did several of the secondary characters, notably Gils (an adorable young boy who shows interest in Lara’s work), Simus (bold, charmingly brash and Keir’s second in command), and Marcus (crusty, fierce, hurting Marcus).

Despite a cultural misunderstanding (which was sparked by a lie), mutual respect and growing affection begins to bind Lara and Keir together, paving the way for their romance. I found myself enjoying the result of that misunderstanding (and actually hoped it would stretch on a bit longer than it did). Strong chemistry and subtle tension ensured that I was with Lara and Keir the whole way. And that, no doubt, is why I immediately jumped to the next book, Warsworn, as soon as this one was done.

Overall, I liked Warprize. It may not make my year end favorites list, but I spent a few pleasant hours with it for company, and sometimes that’s just what you need.

Quick Shot: Dragon Bound – Thea Harrison

Publisher’s Summary:
“Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful–and passionate—of the Elder Races.

As the most feared and respected of the wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they’ve ignited in one another.”

You know, it’s been a fair while since I last read a paranormal romance. I guess you could say all of those urban fantasy series I love so much – and my YA addiction, and the random I’ll read this! pattern that has recently emerged – has gotten in the way. It was really quite nice to get back into the PNR world, and Dragon Bound was just the type of make-me-feel-light-hearted kind of read I’ve lately been craving.

Basically, I really liked the world Thea Harrison created in the first of her Elder Races novels. It cuts across an oft written about cross section of creatures – shifters, Fae, vampires – but the story avoids feeling tired or clichéd, which owes something to Dragos, the book’s dragon shifter hero, and Pia’s unique identity. Granted, there are a crop of dragon shifters in PNR these days –Tessa Adam’s Dragon Heat novels and Deborah Cooke’s Dragonfire novels come immediately to mind – but Dragos more than holds his own in the field, reminding me, in certain respects, of Nalini Singh’s Raphael.* He’s all teeth and talons and “Mine!”, which, every now and again, can be just what the book-doctor ordered. Pia had one definite thing going for her: She didn’t get on my nerves. And, yes, that really is saying something. (Too often PNR heroines set my teeth on edge.) Alongside the main characters are a cadre of secondary ones that all standout on their own – particularly and especially Gray and Quentin – who will, I hope, be featured in a book of their own.

All in all, Dragon Bound was highly enjoyable, and I’ll be quick to scoop up the next book in the Elder Races’ series, Storm’s Heart.

• The review that prompted me to pick this one up sooner rather than later: Smexy Books

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*Dragos’ looooong life removes him from experiencing finer emotions (so he thinks). His approach to anger and violence, however, is casual as it’s an inbred part of his nature that he sees no reason to snuff. The comparison thins after that because Raphael oozes a tangibly lethal, don’t-cross-me vibe that Dragos can’t touch.

Goddess of Legend ~ P.C. Cast

Publisher’s Summary:
“After her car plummets off a bridge, Isabel, a world-weary photojournalist, struggles between life and death when she’s saved by the Water Goddess-with one tiny caveat: Isabel must travel to another time to seduce the legendary Lancelot du Lac away from Queen Guinevere.

The handsome knight is a dream for any woman in any century. But Isabel is the one who’s seduced by King Arthur. For Isabel, a deal is a deal. Now, the King watches as fate takes from him the mysterious beauty he has come to worship, knowing all too well that any interference on his part could destroy the kingdom he loves.”

I got in on the ground floor, so to speak, when Goddess by Mistake was first (originally) released; I loved it for its humor, its sassy heroine, and its refreshing fantasy spin. Goddess of Spring, an early title in Cast’s Goddess Summoning series, is on my feel-good favorites list. I even enjoyed the House of Night books until, to my mind, the series jumped the shark with Chosen. To say that I am a fan of Cast’s early work would not be inaccurate, and so it saddens me to say that Goddess of Legend was a disappointment.

The characters were childlike in their dialogue and interactions; it was easy to like them despite their overly sweet, easily chastened natures. That said, the incessant verbal back-patting was cloying, and the shallow rendering of robust, legendary characters – Arthur in particular – was hard to swallow. These characters and Camelot wield enormous potential; the paranormal and romantic trappings of the book cannot and should not excuse their complete lack of depth.

Early on, the plot was struck pointless. The set-up of the story is simple: Merlin, depressed by the imminent downfall of Camelot and the man he considers a son, induces a comma-like state to blunt the pain of it all. His lover, the Lady of the Lake, makes a bid to rouse him from his misery by bringing Isabel to Camelot to shake things up. Throughout the story, the Lady references Merlin’s happiness, his well-being, but after the prologue Merlin does not reappear. His role in the story is essentially a non-issue.

Additionally, Isabel’s main goal is to break the relationship between Lance and Gwen. I could count on two hands the number of times Lance was in a scene, and rely on one to count the times he actually spoke. Drama, angst, and reasonable misunderstandings would have pooled up in the wake of this planned seduction, but that entire plot point quickly fell by the wayside in favor of Isabel teaching the servants of Camelot how to play baseball with sticks and stones.

Unfortunately, what transpires in these pages was not a reimagining of the legend. It wasn’t exactly fun, or particularly playful, either. No, harsh as it may sound, it was closer to a mockery. (One swift kick to the shin and suddenly Mordred loves his father without condition? Perhaps, and that’s stretching, but certainly not in this context. Isabel’s habit of talking in Jeopardy speak rubs off on Arthur? And what’s more, her odd speech and irritating use of outdated slang is noted, but entirely taken for granted by the entire kingdom? Bringing contemporary thinking, language, and actions into a bygone place or time has been used in Cast’s previous books with greater success. Here it bordered on the ridiculous.)

If this is the course future Goddess Summoning books are going to take, I hope this book is the last of them. I’d hate to see what was once great degenerate any further.

Seven Nights to Forever ~ Evangeline Collins (Mini-Review)

Publisher’s Summary:
“Destitute after her father’s death, Rose Marlowe has debts to settle and a younger brother to support. But she also possesses a matchless beauty-one that could command quite a price. Now, every month, Rose spends one week at a decadent London brothel, where she’s become a sought-after prize.

Then one night she meets a wealthy merchant. Handsome, kind and compassionate, with a lonely soul that matches her own, James Archer is not her typical client. Falling in love with a client, never mind a married one, is unthinkable. Yet Rose can’t help but lose herself as one night becomes seven-and seven nights leads to a chance at forever.”

Seven Nights to Forever is a sweet romance with heart, and it’s that highly enjoyable combination that makes up for the story’s shortcomings.

The statement “what you see is what you get” applies to every character in this novel. James is an honest, hard-working man made lonely and hurt by the circumstance of his marriage; Rose is a lovely, good-natured woman struggling to do right by her brother at terrible cost; Amelia, James’s wife, is selfish and cruel; his sister, Rebecca, is innocent and kind, and so on. All of their traits, while supported by their actions, are very much on the surface. The reader is given reason for Amelia’s rancor towards James, but her behavior is so blatant (and blatantly awful) that she doesn’t seem quite real; her horridness an obvious plot device. Due to their lack of depth, the plot itself becomes somewhat predictable. Happily, James and Rose are so wonderful, individually and as a couple, that I could easily overlook the rest and truly enjoy their romance as it unfolded.

This book came just when I needed it, providing a wonderful reprieve and a happy ending to boost me up a bit.

Afterlight ~ Elle Jasper

Publisher’s Summary:
“As Savannah’s most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe is quite familiar with the local underground scene. She lives and works on the edge of it every day. Now she’s about to step over the edge.

When her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by centuries-old vampires, Riley discovers a world of shadows and blood – and those who exist there.

Her ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, who is attracted to Riley’s beauty as well as to her one-of-a-kind blood type – a blood type he is not alone in craving.

To save her brother from certain undeath, Riley will face dangers she’s never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil endless hunger that wants to devour all in its vile grasp.”

What follows may suggest that I didn’t care for Afterlight, which isn’t an entirely accurate portrayal of my response. When all is said and done, I liked? enjoyed? the story well enough to read the sequel, Everdark, when it’s released next June. Like many series debuts before it, Afterlight had its ups and downs, pros and cons, and it’s entirely subjective which column outweighs the other. Due to the fact that cons tend to be more easily articulated, at least for me, I’ll start there.

The key players in this book – Riley and Eli – are in their mid-twenties (Eli, of course, in appearance only,) and yet they came across as much younger, perhaps even late teens. As did Eli’s three siblings. To be fair, there is no single moment of immaturity, nothing specific to point at, to explain why I felt that way, but I couldn’t shake that impression throughout the entire story.

For me, the incongruity of Riley’s past to her present may have had something to do with it. Riley goes to great lengths to convince the reader that she’s a tough chick, capable of taking care of herself and kicking major ass when needed; she also couldn’t seem to help but repetitively mention that she spent her misbegotten youth in worse situations than many of us could dream of. But she also wants the reader to know that she’s reformed, kicked her bad habits to the curb, and turned her life around. There is motivation to spare for the latter: a family tragedy, the help of a supportive father-figure, the responsibility of taking care of her kid brother. And yet…I was unable to buy into the fact that she seemingly broke off and smoothed out all of the sharp edges left in the wake of her past. She has one – one – discernible emotional scar: an unwillingness to let people touch her. Otherwise, she uses “freak” or “effing” in place of f*$&, suffers no withdrawal, jitters, or even a remote compulsion to start using when drugs are shoved at her, and closely resembles Suzy Homemaker if Suzy had tattoos and a six pack. The con, as I see it, is that Riley had the potential to be a complex character but wasn’t. Likewise, as dangerous and powerful as Eli is supposed to be, he just seemed…young.

This next one, well, I hesitate to even mention it, but I think it may also be a factor in why the characters read as young to me, so…

A very brief snippet from the preface:

“Vampires. They’re real. They exist. And they’re so not what you think they are.

And I was utterly, irrevocably in love with one.”

I’ll admit, I cringed over the use of the word “irrevocably” in this context and, though I tried to avoid it, my mind immediately drew a comparison to Twilight. (Which is unfair, I know, because the word was not trademarked or coined by Meyer.) Unfortunately there’s more. As the summary states, Riley possesses a “one-of-a-kind blood type” that is irresistible to vampires. Eli has to demonstrate extreme self-control to be around her. Speaking of Eli; he watches over Riley, often in the night, in her bedroom, with her none the wiser for it, though she does at times sense a presence. The entire Dupré family felt a little Cullenesque in that they rally around Riley, bound in part by a contract made with the local Gullah population to keep her (and the community) safe, and is responsible for the bulk of the supernatural exposition. And they all battle a set of vampires that refuse to maintain a humane lifestyle. Though it may not have negatively impacted my reading experience, the comparison was always there for me.

So what about the pros? Despite the quibbles I had, I found all of the characters likeable. I enjoyed the Savannah setting, and how Gullah magic (I hesitate to call it voodoo because I think that’s likely inaccurate) played a role in Riley’s life. I was able to read the book in one sitting. And, as I mentioned previously, I do plan on reading the sequel. Oh, and for once a dog, Riley’s Chaz, doesn’t get hurt and/or killed. Hurray!

While collecting other reviews to include here, it was impossible not to notice that most everyone else flat-out loved this book. I’m glad so many people loved Afterlight and, in this case, being in the minority doesn’t bother me in the least.

Reviews: Fiendishly Bookish Night Owl Romance Bitten by Books

Author Website | Blog

Second Chances ~ Lauren Dane

Publisher’s Summary:
“Ten years ago, Rori Simon left town shy, unattractive and with zero self-esteem. Now she’s back, older, stronger and finally loving herself—and it shows. Hot men are soon knocking at her door, including Jude Callahan, the bad boy who starred in her teenage daydreams…and her adult fantasies.

Jude can’t believe the sexy, confident woman before him is actually Rori! She’s gotten under his skin like no other woman has…and she brings out secret desires he can’t resist. He wants to dominate Rori with every fiber of his being. Wants to own her and pleasure her. To cherish her as he makes her his.

Rori discovers she likes being controlled. She also knows Jude is not a one-woman man. Everything changes when she meets Zach Helm. Edgy, sensual Zach knows just what she needs, and before long, she’s in love. Jude watches them together and wonders if he’s lost his chance forever…”

This review is going to be chock full of spoilers. Please stop reading if you don’t want a huge plot twist given away. Also, if you continue on, know that this review is based entirely on my knee-jerk reaction to said plot twist. Given the Amazon reviews, others do not share my qualms.

First, what I do not have a problem with: Erotica; characters exploring – in detail – a dom/sub relationship; consensual multiple partners. What I do have a major, can’t-get-past-it problem with is the heroine’s husband, a man she meets, falls in love with and marries within the timeline of the story, being killed off to make way for that “second chance.”

Let me tell you, intuiting that plot point well before it transpired did not make me feel any less manipulated. Given the summary, perhaps I should have known that I was going to take issue with the outcome, but I thought threesome not death, and blithely dug in. I could handle a threesome. Killing Zach so Jude could step in to care for Rori in the aftermath? That, I couldn’t. My initial reaction was to stop reading, but I didn’t; I kept at it until I knew the path the story had taken was one I just couldn’t follow it down.

To be clear, I am not taking issue with anything relating to the technical aspects of the writing. To give credit where it’s due, I was invested in the story up until that point. I was happy for and enjoyed Rori and Zach’s relationship. Rori’s independence was laudable and Zach was easy to fall for. Jude was, well, it was difficult to see why he needed to be Rori’s HEA, having spent the majority of the story sunk in self-righteous moping because he treated Rori poorly and was therefore denied what he wanted.

But it all boils down to this: I felt manipulated by Jude’s constant presence in the story, his role in the resolution too obvious by half from the get-go; by the amount of time spent with sweet, so-right-for-Rori Zach and his subsequent death; by Jude recalling, after Zach’s death, that Zach had asked Jude to take care of Rori should anything happen to him (convenience and absolution rolled into one statement); by the title; by …just about all of it.

My reaction is entirely subjective; it has everything to do with what I’m willing to accept in the manner in which it is presented, and in this case, I was unable to accept a character’s death. Second Chances wasn’t the story for me, but it might be for you.

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Copy obtained through NetGalley.

The Search ~ Nora Roberts

“To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life-a quaint house on an island off Seattle’s coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare…

Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He’s the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon’s house, and he’s at his wit’s end.

To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can’t handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he’s a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn’t want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to his hormones.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona’s life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands…” [Publisher's Summary]

While we’re on the subject of comfort reads – and I am, since this week’s posts will revolve around them in some ways – it’s fitting to start with a review of Nora Robert’s latest. More than one book in particular, her books in general are comfort reads for me. They’re always solid, always easily and quickly read, and always center me in small ways. This one was no different. And yet, for Roberts, it was a little different…

For one thing, The Search is about dogs. That would normally scare me off reading it, but I trusted that Roberts wouldn’t have something bad happen to any of them on the page, and, in case you’re like me and worry about things like that, all of the dogs came out unscathed. And so I was able to enjoy reading about the training process, using dogs for search and rescue, and seeing their humans interact with the pups. Plus, Fiona named all of her dogs after classic actors, including Peck!

And for another, Simon isn’t quite like any hero Roberts has ever written. He’s borderline rude, anti-social, and rough around the edges. It suits him, really. There’s enough there, though, a little tenderness, flashes of a generous nature, to make it believable for the heroine to fall for him. Simon’s personality was actually – strangely – refreshing. And so was Fiona’s no-nonsense attitude, her practical personality, and her well-earned self-belief. I liked both of them, was invested in them, and so, as always, Roberts’ romance really worked for me.

As much as the suspense angle was a part of this novel, it took more of a backseat than it typically does. Tied to a serial killer, Fiona’s forced to confront her past when another is patterning his crimes after the man who attempted to kill her. It focuses on the emotional walls she’s built, the drive to make sure she’s never a victim again; it’s all about Fiona surviving, living her life. Because of that, there’s a little less action, and the resolution to that particular conflict isn’t so…forceful.

Roberts does her thing yet again.

Assassin’s Honor ~ Monica Burns

Archeologist Emma Zale sees the past when she touches relics. It’s how she uncovered evidence of an ancient order of assassins-the Sicari. When a sinfully dark stranger shows up on her Chicago doorstep demanding an artifact she doesn’t have, he drags her into a world where telekinesis and empaths-someone who can sense the emotions of others- are the norm. Now someone wants her dead, and her only hope of survival is an assassin who’s every bit as dangerous to her body as he is to her heart. [Publisher's Summary]

I genuinely liked Emma and Ares, the couple that take center stage in the first of Monica Burns’ Order of the Sicari novels. And it’s a good thing, too, because they saved the novel from its own trappings.

One of my biggest pet peeves in fiction is repetition. This book had it in spades; words, thoughts, the same ones are pushed on the reader over and over. If Ares or one of his brethren said “Fotte” or “Christus” or “Dues damno id” one more time it surely would have driven me over the edge. The Sicari men uttered, rasped and roared the Italian (Latin?) curses on nearly every other page of the novel. The overuse of these words (and phrase) was so glaring it got in the way of the dialogue, and they became painfully meaningless and unfortunately annoying. And that’s not all, no. Because there is an obvious repetition of thought in the story, too. Ares and Emma go over the same things in their minds time after time in each chapter; there was hardly any progression at all, just the same “he doesn’t love me” and “Fotte! She is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, but Christus! He won’t give name to what he’s feeling.” Really, it was a shame.

Also, I was expecting more from the fact that the heroine is an archaeologist and that the hero desperately wants an ancient artifact; I thought some of the plot would see the couple on a dig in some exotic location, or have a bit more adventure to complement the romance. The book may open with Emma in Egypt, but that is about the extent of it.

Despite their shallow characterization, Emma and Ares tugged at me. I was invested in them as a couple and so the romance itself worked on some level. And I have to admit that I will definitely be reading the next book about Lysander, a secondary character in Assassin’s Honor. I just hope that the curses are kept to a minimum and that the characters have a few original thoughts to share.

Touched by an Alien ~ Gini Koch

Marketing manager Katherine “Kitty” Katt had just finished a day on jury duty. When she stepped out of the Pueblo Caliente courthouse, all she was thinking about was the work she had to get caught up on. Then her attention was caught by a fight between a couple – a domestic dispute that looked like ti was about to turn ugly. But ugly didn’t even begin to cover it when the “man” suddenly transformed into a huge, winged monster right out of a grade z science fiction movie and went on a deadly killing spree. In hindsight, Kitty realized she probably should have panicked and run screaming the way everyone around her was doing. Instead she got mad, searched her purse for a weapon, and, armed with a Mont Blanc pen, sprinted into action to take down the alien.

In the middle of all the screeching and the ensuing chaos, a tall handsome hunk of a guy in an Armani suit suddenly appeared beside her, examined the boy, introduced himself as Jeff Martini with “the agency,” called out to an Armani-clad colleague to perform crowd control, and then insisted on leading her to a nearby limo to talk to his “boss.”

And that was how Kitty’s new life among the aliens began… [Summary from Book Cover]

What can I say? I loved this book. So much so that it bears repeating (for the, oh, third time) that I almost kissed the screen when I found out it wasn’t going to be a standalone. I was hoping – was I ever! – that I’d at least get a sequel, and relief poured in when I saw that not only is there going to be another book – Alien Tango – it’s going to be released this December. Still too far off, but…You know what? I’m getting way ahead of myself.

By now you’ve probably read the summary, and you might even be thinking “Ah, that’s kind of out there, and, um, well it sounds like it might be a little…cheesy/campy/insert word here?” Trust me when I say, Koch makes it work. This book never tries to take itself too seriously; instead it’s all kinds of fun, and pokes a sharp finger at pop culture moments (such as Men in Black) that might have had a hand in informing the story. And besides, once you meet Jeff Martini you’ll find yourself saying “who cares?!” and going along with all of it. As for me, I was hooked from the first page, and felt downright resentful of dinner for making me put the book down.

Since I can tell this review is on the verge of derailing with my enthusiasm, here is a bulleted list of a few of the things I loved:

• The characters. Jeff, of course. But Kitty was wonderful, too, as she was forced to quickly rise to the challenge and take control of a situation that would have sent many others into a straight jacket and padded cell. And then there was: Reader, Kitty’s parents, a pack of dogs all with names that began with D, and many others.
• There were scenes that made me laugh. Out loud. My husband looked at me strangely, but refused to ask. Just as well.
• The awesome way Kitty takes down some really nasty superbeings. Oh, and I want a Mont Blanc pen. Seems like something a girl should have in her bag at all times (and now I’m just not sure that my Pilot Varsity would be up to the task.)
• The song “Love in an Elevator“? I have a whole new appreciation for it.
• The fact that I didn’t blink an eye when weightier themes – such as religious persecution – were introduced. I have a feeling other readers might roll their eyes, grumble something like “really? you went there?,” but not me. I was too far gone, remember?
• And the other fact that I actually wanted plot threads to go unresolved, thereby forcing another book. I was getting towards the end, taking stock of what hadn’t been resolved, thinking “well, that’s it then. There must be another book.” And then the thread would go and get itself resolved, leaving me with a “well, damn” kind of feeling. (Thank you, Ms. Koch, for having the info on Alien Tango right there on your main page.)

I’m glad I bought Touched by an Alien rather than waiting for the library’s copy to come in. After reading it I would have ended up at a bookstore anyway. And since it’s mine, I can keep rereading favorite scenes until Alien Tango is released. So, to sum things up: it worked for me, I LOVED it, and I definitely want more. And more…

And that Mont Blanc pen.

Second Opinion:
ALPHA reader’s review

In for a Penny ~ Rose Lerner

I wrote a review of this one for work. Why reinvent the wheel or, here it is:

One thing a disreputable rake does not expect to return home to after a night of carousing with like-minded friends is news of his father’s death in a duel. That, Lord Nevinstoke learns, is like a slap to the face; the debts and resulting destitution left in his father’s wake, on the other hand, are like a punch in the gut. With little else to do, Nev resolves himself to sobriety and marriage, not knowing which will be the worst, and seeks out Miss Penelope Brown, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. It may be a risk to show his hand at the same time that he’s offering it up in marriage, but Nev, certain his honesty will brook a refusal, does just that. Having sworn off alcohol, he can’t even down a glass of brandy to settle the shock of her acceptance.

Access to Penny’s money doesn’t signal the end of Nev’s problems; there’s a family estate gone to seed, a conniving neighbor, workers on the verge of revolt, and a horny sister to contend with, too. Nev can’t seem to catch a break.  And then his dreadfully ill ex-mistress shows up (of course!) and that’s the final straw. Or so he thinks. But Nev learns that there is strength to be found in love, in the partnership of a solid marriage, and that Penny may increase his wealth in more ways than he ever imagined possible.

In For a Penny is a regency era romance novel that is refreshing and sweet. Both Nev and Penny are, for the most part, painfully honest with each other; Nev willingly owns up to his reasons for marrying her, and in return Penny gives him a bulleted list of things he cannot do once they are wed. Whether they knew it or not, they were laying the foundation for a true partnership from the start, and scenes in which they discuss finances or the state of Nev’s land inheritance shine a light on the very real relationship they develop. That in itself is highly appealing. As for the sweet: Both are fond of poetry, fiction, and music, and there are several scenes in which one will read or sing to the other, resulting in a few sigh-worthy and “aww” moments.

Overall: a nice, sweet and entertaining romance.