Mira, romantic suspense, 2007
Connections: first in trilogy

I saved this book to read until the other two books in the set, Virtually Hers and Virtually One came out. Little did I know that I was going to have such a long, long wait! But, at long last, Samhain is releasing Virtually Hers this week, so I finally got around to re-entering the wonderfully complex world of Gennita Low with Virtually His.

I'm glad I saved the book to read together with the newer ones so that events would be fresh in my head. This isn't just romantic suspense, it's military romantic suspense, and it's filled with secret ops and acronyms and shadow organizations. Not only that, but it's military romantic suspense dealing with a special ops program about remote viewing in virtual reality -- aka, spying with the mind on the psychic plane -- so there were a ton of technical details to learn as well. Honestly, it was hard to keep straight at times...and still, I enjoyed the hell out of myself (pun intended).

Why? In short, the heroine, Helen/Elena/Hell Roston was just so damn much fun! She was both a kick-ass heroine and vulnerable. She surpassed every other candidate put forth by every other covert agency to win the position as the remote-viewing super soldier spy...and yet, inside the world of virtual reality, she is both in control of what she is seeing, but completely under the control of "Hades," her maddeningly mysterious and seductive monitor.

I had the unusual perspective of already knowing who Hades was, but such is the cleverness of Ms. Low's writing, that even I got lost in Hell's perspective of frustrated lack of knowledge from time to time. And when I did remember, all I could do was grin over how well-matched Hell and Hades were. A few scenes made me a bit squeamish as they had Hell under her monitor's complete control in every sense of the word, but at the same time, I have ever faith that Hell will give as good as she gets at some point in the coming books, and I can't wait to find out.

1/2

Review © 2009 by Riley's Reviews

Pocket, historical romance, March 2009

I read this book in April, and I was horrified when I realized today, as I was flipping through my book journal, that I had jotted notes to review it, but never actually wrote the review. Gack!

Anyway, this is the story of Phaedra Northampton, the proper spinster sister of Lord Nash (see Never Lie to a Lady), who is engaging in some very improper behavior, staking out a notorious brothel in the hopes of "rescuing" her maid's sister, who abandoned her child and ran off to London. Tristan Talbot, Lord Avoncliffe, has the reputation of a layabout good-for-nothing, but he's also secretly investigating the brothel, believing it to be a front for a spy ring.

Whenever the prim Phaedra and the roguish Tristan encounter each other, whether in a ballroom or in an alley, sparks fly. Though Tristan does his best to keep Phaedra out of the investigation, she's not about to be left behind.

I absolutely loved that Phaedra was much less proper than she seemed, and that Tristan was deeper than he presented himself. On an emotional level, Tristan is the perfect foil for Phaedra, helping her come to terms with her past tragedies, and she, in turn, supports him through his personal issues as well. All the relationships in the book -- whether Phaedra and Tristan's or Phaedra and Nash's or the maid and her sister's -- were layered, complex, and realistic. Not everyone gets a fairy tale ending, but all's well that ends well.

And in looking up the publication information, I discovered, much to my delight, that the next book, Wicked All Day will be out September 22nd.

1/2

Review © 2009 by Riley's Reviews

Orbit, contemporary fantasy, April 2009
Connections: start of new series

This was another book chosen by the Cafe for a group discussion. I confess that I was a little leery, first because I wasn't enamored of the last discussion book, but also, I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but man, I hate this book's cover. I can't put my finger on exactly why I don't like the cover, but I really don't. Thankfully, I liked what was inside the cover very much!

The publishing market is overwhelmed with paranormal romance and urban fantasy, peopled with vampires, assassins, and half-vampire assassins, is there room for another book with a half-vampire assassin? In the case of Jaye Wells's Sabina Kane, the answer is yes. A provisional yes, but a yes all the same.

Sabina is half-vampire, half-mage, and was raised by her xenophobic grandmother Lavinia. She's so brainwashed by Lavinia that she'll kill whoever she's ordered to, as readers see in the opening when she assassinates another vampire named David on Lavinia's say-so. Lavinia's next mission is for Sabina to infiltrate a cult run by a half-demon named Clovis, because he plans to overthrow the vampire's rule. Sabina's life is further complicated by the arrival of a mage named Adam, who claims Sabina's mage family wants to contact her.

Ms. Wells artfully weaves Biblical lore with magical lore in her world-building work, and that is what makes this book (and hopefully, its sequel) so unique. Sabina starts off as a bit too angst-ridden and blindly obedient, but she develops into a character with promise, becoming more likable as the book progresses. Adam's a bit of a cypher/cookie cutter, at least as far as a love interest for Sabina goes, but again, he shows promise as Sabina's entree into magekind.

The book had some cliches, but at the same time enough original elements and intriguing concepts to keep me interested. I can't say it's love forever, but I will definitely read the next book, The Mage in Black, and would tell my friends who like this genre to give Jaye Wells a shot.

1/2

Review © 2009 by Riley's Reviews

Pocket Books, paranormal romance, February 2009
Connections: book #6 in the Immortals After Dark series

After a wait of almost a year, readers can finally get their hands on Rydstrom Woede's story -- a story that was tantalizingly hinted at in his brother's story, Dark Desires After Dusk. In that book, when last we see Rydstrom, he's closeted in his New Orleans mansion with Sabine, the Queen of Illusions, and he appears quite...feral and mean. That's actually towards the end of this book -- Kiss of a Demon King takes readers into a wayback machine to the point before Sabine kidnaps Rydstrom.

Centuries ago, Rydstrom lost his kingdom of Rothkalina to a sorcerer named Omort the Deathless -- his name is exactly what it implies, he can't die, period. On his way to meet up with Cadeon to see another sorcerer, Groot the Metallurgist, about a sword that can actually kill Omort forever, Rydstrom is taken captive by Sabine, Groot and Omort's half-sister, a sorceress of powerful illusions. It's just Rydstrom's luck that Sabine also happens to be his fated mate -- a fact he definitely doesn't want to accept, no matter how tempting she is.

Sabine has her own agenda: a prophecy has dictated that her son via Rydstrom will be able to unlock a well of immense power. Omort, who has sick designs for his sister, plans to sacrifice this child to the well for its power. Sabine, though, wants the child to take over Rothkalina herself and build a peaceful life for her and her sister, Lanthe. She doesn't need Rydstrom beyond the conception, but she sure wants him.

While this was a fun story once it got going, it is, I think, the weakest of the series. We spend so much time in the dungeon watching Rydstrom get sensually tortured by Sabine...I get the feeling we're supposed to be just as turned-on as he was, but honestly, I just kept thinking, "Get on with the plot already!" And once they got on the road, so to speak, we got to know both characters better and feel more for them, but that was almost left too late for me -- had I not been a faithful fan of the series, I may have given up.

Another thing that weakens this story, at least to me, was the lag time from the release of Cade's book -- I had forgotten some key points by the time I was reading this one, and Cade's book wasn't in immediate reach for reference. Is that just me, or did anyone else who read this feel this way too?

But, aside from that, I did enjoy this book, if for no other reason than to be back among the Lore -- Ms. Cole has crafted a clever and creative playground, and I look forward to returning to it in her next tale.

1/2

Review © 2009 by Riley's Reviews

Avon Books, historical romance anthology, October 2008

This anthology has an interesting hook: all four authors are writing the same basic theme, that of old acquaintances/lovers meeting at an inn by chance one night. In the opening notes, Mary Balough asks readers if they were successful at designing four completely different stories, even though they all have the same premise. For the most part, I say yes, although two of the stories feature heroines whose heroes are/were of a lower station, which I thought was interesting. Anyway...

"The Fall of Rogue Gerrard," Stephanie Laurens: If I ever wondered if I should try Ms. Laurens again, I got my answer, and that is an emphatic "hell, no." Here we have SL's usual rakish hero with a Regency-era fratboy nickname, which in this case is shortened from "Rogue" to the even more silly-sounding "Ro," who realizes his true love is Lydia at the tender age of twenty-two, but like an idiot, he runs away from it to be a rake instead. Of course, now he's tired of being a rake and happens to run across Lydia, who is on a ridiculous errand to "rescue" her sister's reputation, while wanting to throw caution to the winds with regard to her own. Toss in a big continuity error in the second love scene (his pants are magic -- he takes them off, but they reappear again!), and the other authors are damned lucky I didn't throw in the towel here. 1 not terribly happy reader. That is all.

"Spellbound," Mary Balogh: I'm really glad I continued with the book, despite the supremely lackluster start I got, because this story was, hands-down, my favorite in the volume. Balogh's lovers, Richard and Nora, had eloped when they were young, when Nora was an heiress and Richard her father's secretary. But her family dragged her back home. In the decade that has passed, Richard came into a title and Nora's family became all but destitute. Now they're stranded together at an inn for one night -- will they clear up the misunderstandings and pain of their past and start anew? This one was full of emotion, heart, and heat, and I simply loved it. 5 happy readers.

"Only You," Jacquie D'Alessandro: this is the second of the lower-station men, but the difference in this story is that Ethan is still of a lower station than Cassandra -- she's a widowed countess to his innkeeper. He's always loved her from afar, and when she went off to get married, he hoped she was heading for a happy future. Now her husband is dead and she is coming home, hoping to renew her friendship with Ethan, but also hoping, perhaps, for just a bit more. This story was sweet -- JD can always be counted on for a good read. 4.5 happy readers.

"From This Moment On," Candice Hern: Sam and Wilhelmina were lovers when they were teens in a coastal town, and one day, Sam's boat washed up on shore without him, leaving Willie to think him dead. She ended up making her own way in life as an artist's model and later a member of the demimonde -- where Sam, not dead but conscripted into the navy, found her, years later. Now it's years later again, and they're stranded at an inn together, she a dowager duchess, and he a captain on his way to propose to another woman. Will one night be enough to last a lifetime -- or are they going to want that whole lifetime after all? This was a bittersweet and lovely tale. I feel the need to observe that now that I'm in my thirties, characters in their forties don't seem so ancient to me anymore, LOL. If I had read this even five years ago, it would not have resonated with me as much. 4.5 happy readers.

The Laurens really drags down this average, to a rating of:

3/4

Review © 2008 by Riley's Reviews

SMP, contemporary romantic suspense, September 2008 (mass-market edition)

As some of you may recall from my profanity-laden review of Don't Look Down, I said I might not even read Agnes and the Hitman, and honestly, I think my lasting impression of Don't Look Down is what had me so apprehensive about buying this book -- rather than going into things hopeful, I was going into it prepared to hate it. I really almost didn't buy it, but I remember that a lot of the members at the Café raved about it and said it was better than Crusie/Mayer's first book, so I took a chance.

I'll gladly eat my words, though, because this time, the team of Crusie/Mayer worked better. It's still not perfect, but it's readable...and better yet, re-readable. I'll be keeping this one.

Agnes Crandall is a syndicated food columnist who thinks she finally has the perfect life after a string of false starts and a court-appointed psychiatrist (who still lives in her head). She's engaged to a steady guy, they just bought a great property together where they plan to launch a joint business venture in catering and cookbook writing, and she's working on her first catering job – the wedding of her goddaughter into the town's most prestigious family.

Then, suddenly, everything goes wrong. A young man shows up with a gun to try to kidnap her ancient bloodhound, Rhett, and ends up dying in Agnes's perfect house's undisclosed basement. Then the prior owner of the house, Brenda, who is also the grandmother of the bride, starts making trouble with the wedding. Then Agnes's friend Joey, a retired mobster, sends Shane to protect Agnes…at which point the body count and mayhem really start to mount.

When I first started this book, I did gripe that I don't think team writing helps with cast-of-thousands books, and I stand by that statement, but at least here, you actually were able to get to know the ton of characters, rather than just have one after another thrown at you. And their motives were, for the most part, clear. This time around, I got a strong sense of the plot and I knew what had happened by the end of the book.

Another thing that made me leery was the sheer violence in Agnes. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to warm to her. But once she ditched the therapist in her head, I liked her much better. Shane's practicality in the face of danger and dead bodies showing up everywhere was a nice balance for her inner neurotic.

Ms. Crusie's part was still easy to pick out, and easier to praise. Feminist music, check. Food, check. Animals, check. I would still pick out the parts Mr. Mayer wrote as being the weaker of the two, and I know I would still probably not be inclined to read one of his solo works.

I think the thing that kept me reading at the start when I was still leery was the humor -- the sick, sick humor. I can't help it, but almost every time someone entered the kitchen, only to get assaulted or dead, I was laughing like a loon. The way bodies kept dropping was almost farcical, and I loved it.

1/2

Review © 2008 by Riley's Reviews

Berkley, urban/contemporary fantasy, July 2008
Connections: book #4 of Sisters of the Moon series

Dragon Wytch brings readers back into Camille D'Artigo's head. The sisters and their various allies are still in the race against Big Bad Shadow Wing and his minions to get control of the remaining spirit seals that separate the various realms. The sisters gain more allies as the book opens: unicorn Crown Prince Feddrah-Dahns and his pixie assistant Mistletoe cross Earthside to gift Camille with a legedary artifact of extraordinary power. The only problem? The unicorn and the pixie are being chased by some of the aforementioned minions, and have become separated.

Actually, that's not the only problem the sisters are facing. Their to-do list is daunting indeed: get the seals, help the unicorn find the pixie, learn if Camille can even use the artifact, figure out the locations of all the unguarded portals to Otherworld and stop the massive influx of OW beings (particularly the trouble-causing ones) Earthside...Camille's list is even more intimidating, because she owes the dragon, Smoky, the favor of being his lover for a week, whenever he calls in her mark -- a promise her other lovers, particularly Svartan Trillian, are having trouble accepting. And right in the middle of operation pixie, Smoky turns up. Not only to claim her as his mate, but also to ask her to do something about the interfering Fae on his lands -- more for the to-do list.

The one thing I absolutely love about this series is the way each book jumps into the point of view of a different sister. Camille, I think, is the most balanced of the sisters -- she's confident and sexy, and it's fun to be in her head. There's a flashback scene to her initiation into the sisterhood of the Moon, and I really enjoyed this glimpse into Camille's past. The way she balances her lovers is interesting, to say the least, but it's also refreshing how they fit together in an emotional jigsaw puzzle.

If there's one drawback to this series, and quite possibly to the switching points of view, it's that all the narrators spend a lot of time on recapping prior events from their perspective. I thought at first that this might be helpful for other readers who pick up the series in the middle, but then a friend of mine did just that and was still hopelessly lost. Each book isn't that long, really, and to spend a lot of time on recapping like that seems a bit of a waste.

Still, I like the imaginative world and big quest that Ms. Galenorn has going, and so I'm sticking with it. I would simply advise other readers of two things: start with the first book, Witchling, and do NOT expect a "paranormal romance" as the stamp on the spine indicates. If you remember those two things, then you'll enjoy these gripping and gritty contemporary fantasies.

1/2

Review © 2008 by Riley Merrick

Random House, historical novel, July 2007
Connections to: 4th book in the Dark Queen/Daughters of the Earth series

When we last saw Martin le Loup, he was taking his newly discovered daughter Megeara, also known as the Silver Rose, and embarking on a new life. So great is his distaste and fear for Meg's late mother, the evil Cassandra Lescalles, that his vision of a new life does not include Meg being able to practice the craft, despite her uncanny affinity for it. Instead, he wants the normal life of a genteel lady for his girl, and he will do anything to get it for her, whether she wants it or not. But the cult of the Silver Rose and Queen Catherine both have long memories, and they are searching for Martin and Meg.

Catriona O'Hanlon, the right-hand woman of Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, has been dispatched to find Martin and Meg and bring them to safety on Faire Isle. She finds Martin living in London as Marcus Wolfe, part-owner of a theater, and courting his partner's lovely and saintly sister, Jane. It all looks perfect on the surface, but Cat first discovers that Meg hasn't given up her magic as her father thinks she has. And Martin's life is far from safe, as his real occupation is spy for Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's chief spymaster, and his mission is to ferret out a plot by men loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, to kill Elizabeth -- and Walsingham's chief suspect is Martin's business partner. But despite these intrigues, Martin believes London safer than Faire Isle, and he refuses to go, so Cat has to stay to protect Meg -- and Martin -- as best she can from both the Dark Queen and the dangers stirring around Martin.

The Huntress is an absorbing read, and it is delightful for me as a reader to see Martin find a woman to love whom he doesn't put on a pedestal. To see him stripped of that most irritating quality was very refreshing indeed. Cat, as a Daughter of the Earth herself, is ideally placed to be that woman, to understand both Martin and his precocious daughter. The way she bridges the divide between the first world Meg knew and the one her father wants her to have is splendid.

I'm not entirely sure I get Martin and Cat's romance, though. I get why they're attracted to each other, but I'm not sure how well that translated in their actions. There is a fantastic pillow-talk scene that explains much, but at the same time, Cat thinks she's in love with Martin long before that, and it's that point that I take issue with, simply because she hasn't interacted with him enough to say, "Oh no, I love him!"

Be that as it may, Ms. Carroll does a superb job blending the stripped-down facts of the Babington Plot and the very real characters of Elizabeth and Walsingham with her lively fictional cast.

Based on some hints in this book, I have reason to hope that one day Meg will get her own book. She certainly still has issues, particularly the burden of being the Silver Rose, whether she wants to be or not. I wonder what her book would be titled, since The Silver Rose is already taken (Miri Cheney's story).

At any rate, if you read the first three books, you'll like this one too.

1/2

Review © 2008 by Riley Merrick

Samhain, contemporary romance, June 2008 (print edition)
Connections: fourth (and last) Chase Brothers book

Making Chase returns us to the delightful small town of Petal, GA, where Matt, the last single Chase brother, is tired of un-fulfilling relationships and women throwing themselves at him simply because he is the last single Chase brother. He never noticed Tate Murphy until she gets hit by a car and he's on the scene as her EMT, but once he meets her, he can't stop noticing her.

Tate is from the metaphorical wrong side of the tracks, but if small-town memories weren't so long, you'd never know it. A far cry from her promiscuous mother and drunken father, she owns her own home, has a successful beauty parlor with two of her sisters, and has helped put the rest of her large family through school. But Tate is very conscious of her origins and the fact that she's not built like a supermodel, like the women Matt usually dates. She has a major chip on her shoulder that Matt has to work hard to knock off, and his case isn't helped by all the jealous snobs in town who keep trying to put Tate in her place.

But in a way, having to work so hard for Tate is good. Things always came easy for Matt, and having to really put in an effort is both stimulating and makes Matt value Tate all the more. It's also good for Tate -- seeing Matt make such a consistent effort all for her goes a long way to removing that chip. To remove it all the way, though, Tate has to do some work too. She has to believe in herself and the love and support of all around her -- not just her siblings, not just Matt, but all of the Chases too, who welcome her with open arms and no conditions.

Tate's issues had me blinking back tears, and when I read about the Murphy siblings and the Chases rallying around her, not to mention Matt's unswerving belief in Tate and his love for her, those tears spilled over. Tate is an infinitely deserving woman, and I was just as thrilled as the various family members were when an honorable, stand-up, sexy guy like Matt not only saw her worth but also made her see that she was worthy. Though I'm not completely married to Ms. Dane's style of prose, these characters, both primary and secondary, were so wonderfully real and emotional and engrossing that nothing else mattered.

I am going to miss Petal and all the Chases, from matriarch Polly and her helmet hair to steady, calm Edward, to all the wonderful Chase guys and their beautifully witty women -- especially the women as they beat off the catty jealous types, LOL. If Ms. Dane ever returns to Petal, you can bet I'll be there.

1/2

Review © 2008 by Riley Merrick

Berkley Heat, erotica, July 2006

If you recall, I wasn't nuts about Ms. White's plot in the Alluring Tales anthology, but I did really like her prose, so I wanted to give her another try. Goddess bless the bargain table at B&N, allowing me to get trade paperbacks at reasonable prices. Bound gave me lovely prose and an interesting plot, making me very glad I tried again.

Casino worker Katie Long is tired of her life in the small town of Chadwick, where everyone knows everything about her and her mother relies on her much more than necessary between boyfriends. She wants to move to Vancouver and lose herself in the anonymity of the big city, but while she's waiting, there's no rule saying she can't have fun with the new security guard at the casino, Joe Carson.

Joe has a bad-boy vibe that brings out the bad girl in Katie, something she's always wanted to be, considering she's been relegated to the good-girl role all her life. His alpha tendencies also complement her newly discovered submissive leanings nicely as well. They do a lot of exploring and experimenting against the backdrop of Katie's plan to get out of town, the mystery of money disappearing from the casino, and Katie's mom turning up with a rather unexpected new boyfriend.

Katie's ultimate goal remains moving to Vancouver, but in the course of events, she learns a lot about herself and her perceptions of her town, family, and friends.

As for the sex, I would classify it as BDSM lite, vanilla kink. Joe is not a professional dom, and it shows. But that's far from a bad thing because it's great to see he and Katie find their way in this new sexual landscape together. However, even when Katie does get to experience a pro, he goes easier on her than Joe does. Again, this was cool for me personally, because I'm not much for hardcore BDSM, which, based on the cover image, I thought I might be getting.

So, if you want a little kink that doesn't really go overboard (it all depends on your definition of overboard), accompanied by a realistic romance, check out Bound -- it just might be your cuppa too.

1/2

Review © 2008 by Riley Merrick

HQN, contemporary romance, August 2007
Connections to: loosely connected to Hot & Bothered

In Hot & Bothered, Jared Hamilton was a son of priviledge who ran away from home when he had an argument with his autocratic father, pushed him, and thought he killed him. Priscilla Jayne Morgan was an irrepressible tomboy who became Jared's salvation on the streets of Denver. In one of the last scenes in this book, we see Jared trying to call PJ and learning that the number was disconnected with no forwarding information.

Coming Undone lifts the curtain fifteen years later. Jared works with his brother-in-law at Semper Fi Investigations. His next case? To babysit PJ, who's now an up-and-coming star in the country music world. PJ fired her manager mother for embezzling, and now her grasping parent is bad-mouthing her to the tabloids, causing her record company to doubt her reliability. Hence, Jared. As if having a babysitter isn't bad enough, to have her secret girlhood crush, who grew up even better than she could imagine but even colder than she could ever imagine, be the one? It's untenable.

It starts off as an amusing game, with PJ doing her best to escape Jared's clutches and Jared just as determined to counter every move: if Jared booby-traps her hotel room, PJ calls the manager and reports him as a dangerous individual, then makes her escape. But it gets serious on two fronts very quickly: PJ and Jared give in to their attraction, and PJ starts getting threats from a crazy fan. Now Jared's job is even harder, because he can't be emotionally detached and professional, no matter how hard he tries.

There are several things I loved about this book, and a few things that didn't work for me. Positives first. I absolutely loved seeing Jared and PJ again. I remember when I read Hot & Bothered thinking that they were clearly too young, but I wouldn't mind seeing them a few years down the line. So, thank you, Ms. Anderson, for granting my wish.

Another thing I thought was just fantastic was how, despite the crazy stalker plot, the emotional scars PJ and Jared carry are what makes the book. Jared spent his formative years told he was no good, and almost ruined his life the one time he lost control, whereas PJ spent all of her life dealing with her mother's rejection and chasing after love she was never going to get. Sometimes when I read a romance, I think the angsting is unrealistic or goes overboard. That's not the case here. Neither character wastes my time -- their emotional struggles are made very real to me, and the way these struggles manifest in their relationship make sense to me.

I also loved all the little details that tie the two books together -- for instance, how PJ still skips backwards in front of people when she's talking about something exciting, just like she did with Jared on the streets of Denver. Revisiting old characters and charming new characters were the icing on this delightful confection of a book.

There were, as I hinted, a few things that didn't work for me. Like I said about Ms. Anderson's Just for Kicks, I really didn't see the point in having scenes from the stalker's point of view. The book would have been just as strong, and possibly more readable, without it. If she was going to give us a "bad guy" point of view, I would have preferred it to be PJ's mother's. There are also a couple of phrases used more than once in the mental musings of different characters -- for example, both Jared and Hank think "he could have kicked his own butt around the block." I don't know, something about this just jarred me -- two characters independently thinking the exact same phrase?

Anyway, neither of these things seriously distracted from my enjoyment of the overall book. Ms. Andersen definitely has another winner on her hands.

1/2

Review © 2007 by Riley Merrick

Ballantine, historical romance, March 2007
Connections to: first book in the Spice Trilogy, spin-off of the Knight Miscellany series

Say you buy a rosebush, and it yields lovely red roses. Then you buy a yellow rosebush -- will you expect it to become a red rose in time? Of course not. So why does Gaelen Foley beat us poor readers over the head until we're senseless with the fact that heroine Georgiana Knight is the namesake of the notorious "Hawkscliffe Harlot," mother of the Knight Miscellany? Our Georgie has never met the late Duchess, and apart from adopting her infamous aunt's axiom of "wedlock is a padlock" (in QUITE a different way, mind you, as the current Georgie has no plans to marry, let alone cheat on her non-existent husband with multiple lovers, resulting in a hodgepodge of illegitimate kidlets to provide fodder for a book series), she is clearly nothing like the first Georgiana. It's also mentioned that her aunt's wantonness is in Georgie's blood. Um, hello, no. The first Georgiana is the current Georgiana's aunt by MARRIAGE -- no genes shared there. Duh. Yet we're subjected to this unfair comparison no less than 15 times throughout the book -- that may be more times than in the entire Knight Miscellany series as a whole (or at least in one book of the series)!

But apart from the fact that everyone in the book seemed to expect Georgie to break out into complete "harlotdom" at any moment, doing her a great disservice, I actually liked this book. Doesn't sound like it, I know. But the setting and the relationships tipped the balance in favor of the story as a whole.

Basic storyline: Ian Prescott, the Marquess of Griffith and best friend of the current Duke of Hawkscliffe (i.e., the "Harlot's" eldest and only legitimate son), is on a diplomatic mission to India, to prevent war breaking out between the British and the Maratha Empire. He has requested calvary officers Derek and Gabriel Knight to be in his entourage, but when he goes to the home of the Knight's India family branch, he finds Georgiana Knight, attractive as sin (she is, after all, the niece of the "Harlot"...sorry, couldn't resist) and insisting she can help Ian on his mission. A woman? No can do -- Ian leaves her behind. But she finagles her way into the situation anyway, and though she does help, she also manages to ignite the metaphorical powder kegs the two sides are sitting on...not to mention the one of attraction between her and Ian. Everyone is forced to flee to England, where Ian has to convince Georgie that wedlock is not a padlock after all.

The endless comparisons to the "Hawkscliffe Harlot" aside, I really liked Ian and Georgie. Ian only seems to be a pretentious ass and Georgie only seems TSTL -- both have deeply seated emotional reasons for acting the way they do, and when the truths finally come to light, I have faith in their HEA. Waiting for the truth to come out did get a little tedious, though, with a little too much back-and-forth on Georgie's part (just like Eden in the last book, actually). Between the wait here and the one in His Wicked Kiss, I hope this isn't the start of a trend for Ms. Foley, because I have always enjoyed how open and trusting her characters tend to be. Still, Her Only Desire was a good story, and a nice introduction to the India branch of Knights -- definitely worth my time.

1/2

Review © 2007 by Riley Merrick

Jove, historical romance, March 2007 (mass-market edition)
Connections to: book one of the Arcane Society series

Venetia Milton is a photographer who can sense auras. Gabriel Jones is a scholar who can "hunt" with his psychic senses. When Venetia is commissioned by Gabriel to photograph the Arcane Society's collection of psychic paraphenalia, the two engage in a satisfying mutual seduction that is cut off abruptly by intruders, prompting Gabriel to send Venetia away for safety's sake. When Venetia reads of Gabriel's death, she is shocked and upset, and decides to adopt his name as a fond tribute for her widow's guise when she and her maiden aunt and young siblings move to London to establish their photography business. But Gabriel isn't dead at all, and Venetia's appearance as his widow causes him consternation and attracts the attention of his would-be killer.

With an Amanda Quick book, you know what you're getting before you even open the book. You're getting a mysterious hero and a practical heroine, some dark secrets, and some interfering but well-meaning family. The fact that Ms. Quick can take this same premise and create something different over and over again is really a gift. Ms. Quick's books are comfort reads and are generally great fun. Second Sight was no exception.

Venetia and Gabriel had sparkling chemistry, which put me in mind of the wit you'd see in a Tracy-Hepburn film, or something out of Oscar Wilde. I was glad that they confided in each other about their particular talents -- I would have been quite unhappy if Gabriel continued to be secretive about his ability and his insecurities about the implications. So well-done there.

As usual, the mystery is secondary to the idea of belonging, and I'm just fine with that.

1/2

Review ©2007 by Riley Merrick

Berkley, contemporary romance, February 2007

SBC fighter Dean “Havoc” Conor returns to his hometown for the first time in 20 years, called home by a letter from his sister Cam. He hasn’t seen Cam or his baby sister Jacki since they were separated by their parents’ tragic deaths; Cam and Jacki got to stay in their home with their spinster aunt, Lorna, while Dean got taken away by his bachelor uncle, Grover. Until this letter, he’d never heard from either sister, and just assumed they’d forgotten about him while living it up in the family home.

He’s determined to have a chip on his shoulder about the whole thing, but Cam and Jacki just draw him in and when he meets Cam’s best friend Eve Lavon, he’s down for the count. But all is not well in his sisters’ lives. Far from the life of privilege he pictured them living, their house is falling down around their ears. Cam’s wannabe fiancé Roger seems determined to keep Cam in his debt. Lorna is downright hostile to Dean, and it’s clear from her attitude that the sisters never got any affection from their aunt.

It’s fun to watch Dean resist the role of big brother for all he’s worth, denying it to Eve and to his sisters while simultaneously yelling at Cam for trying to fix the roof herself and buying Jacki a car for her to get to work, not to mention getting all up in the faces of his sisters’ suitors. Eve herself is very astute, and learns how to help Dean accept his sisters without overtly pushing him.

Causing Havoc is classic Foster, lots of sizzling chemistry and good family dynamics, but truthfully, I'm so tired of her venture into the "SBC" (her version of the UFC). If it was just that the heroes were fighters, fine, but she spends a lot of time in detail about the fights and the holds and the injuries and so on, and really, I'm sitting here yelling, "Get on with the STORY already!!!" In addition, Ms. Foster is about as subtle as a boulder on a butterfly’s wings when it comes to mystery plots—both her villain and her red herring were screamingly obvious. And one other thing I didn’t care for was the introduction of Dean’s agent, Simon. His role is awkward sequel fodder (and he is getting his own book), and that’s about it.

But even with these quibbles, I still enjoyed the book. If it’s one thing Ms. Foster does extremely well, it’s the man-woman dynamic. In this book, she completely nails this, both between Dean and Eve and between Dean and his sisters. I would have liked to have seen her concentrate on the relationships rather than throw in any external conflict, but even so, Causing Havoc was worth my time and money.

1/2

Review ©2007 by Riley Merrick

Jove, contemporary romantic suspense, January 2007 (mass-market paperback edition)

Irene Stenson’s life changed forever the night her parents died in an apparent murder-suicide. Now, 17 years later, she is a successful reporter in a small northern California coastal town. Her best friend from the summer her parents died summons her back to her childhood home with the promise of a clue to the truth. But when Irene gets there, her friend is dead—of an apparent self-inflicted overdose.

Ex-Marine Luke Danner was trying to quietly put the pieces of his life back together when Irene came barreling in. His concerned yet pushy family wants him to join the family wine-making business and see a psychiatrist to deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder. He has his own plan, though, and it was working quite well until Irene dumped a murder on him.

Irene and Luke join forces to uncover the truth behind the deaths, particularly when their number-one suspect is also brutally killed. It’s a nasty game of secrets and politics, but the course of true love never did run smooth.

Ms. Krentz’s consistent message of love, family, and belonging makes this an excellent addition to her canon, as well as a marvelous comfort read. I love how Irene and Luke learn to deal with their traumas together, rather than trying to hold themselves together on their own. I adored Luke’s domineering, interfering family, and the scene in which Irene dispels their concerns still cracks me up just thinking about it. The mystery is darker than any I recall encountering with Ms. Krentz before, but that just proves to me that this author’s talents are still fresh and eminently readable.

1/2

Review ©2007 by Riley Merrick

In Dark Dreamers, Leisure/Lovespell, paranormal romance, August 2006

Last year, I launched this blog with my review of Ms. Liu’s Shadow Touch, and I ended up having a very good book year. This year, I’m testing the connection by making my first read of the year another from Ms. Liu – we’ll see what happens. Or maybe it’s just that she just writes so damn good – I straight-up just plain love her stories – so I know I can’t go wrong.

In this novella, we meet Charlie, a gargoyle imprisoned by a powerful witch who has a taste for his flesh – literally. Every time she kills him, removing his organs for her supper, Charlie’s soul can wander. In his travels, he meets a little girl named Emma, who is being held prisoner by a child pornography ring. Determined to help her, he begins searching the world for a more corporeal rescuer, and finds Aggie, an agent with Dirk & Steele. Aggie, a fairly powerful precog, is no stranger to weirdness, so she has a less difficult time believing Charlie’s story than a normal human would. Together, this unlikely couple sets out to save Emma and destroy the porn ring once and for all. Then Aggie takes on the more daunting task of finding Charlie and saving him too.

This novella left me craving more. For a short story, it packs a powerful punch. The dialogue, humor, and pop culture references are spot-on. The themes of sacrifice and love despite appearances or prejudice are expertly woven into the suspense. I really liked how the love between the beautifully grotesque Charlie and the normal-by-comparison Aggie paralleled Aggie’s own experiences as a mixed-heritage child. I like how, even though this was a short story, the overarching story of Dirk & Steele versus the mystery syndicates was continued and built upon.

There’s only two things I didn’t like about "A Dream of Stone and Shadow." One, it was too short! I wanted the story to continue, and I wanted more than an implied tying-up of the porn ring story. But in most ways, this is a good thing, being left wanting more and/or not wanting to leave behind the characters. It's a testament to excellent writing.

The other is that it was paired with a Christine Feehan reprint, which, of course, is not a reflection on Ms. Liu's talent at all. And that’s just a personal thing: I simply do not care for Ms. Feehan’s stories, preferring to read the backs of all the products in my pantry before I would even entertain the merest thought of tormenting myself with the badly written, badly plotted, and horribly clichéd Carpathians. I know, I know, I shouldn’t sugar coat it. ;-) I did skim the reprint story a bit, and left it at that, since it was as rotten as I expected it to be.

Since Ms. Feehan is (inexplicably) one of Leisure/Lovespell’s hottest authors, it makes sense from a marketing standpoint to pair relative newcomer Ms. Liu with a bestseller (although a reprint is cheating any genuine fans out there, IMO). From a reader’s perspective, it won’t be long before Ms. Liu is headlining her own anthologies.

1/2

Review ©2007 by Riley Merrick

Dell, YA fantasy, 1996
Connections to: first in His Dark Materials trilogy

The most overwhelming thought I had while reading this book was, "THIS is a CHILDREN’S book?!" While the heroine, Lyra, is an 11-year-old foundling-type and her best friend Roger is a kitchen boy and everyone has animal companions called dæmons, there’s so much maturity in this book that I doubt I could have followed it as a child reader (and I was actually a very precocious child reader). There’s a complicated plot involving theology, particle physics, and alternate worlds, there are hard-to-pronounce-or-even-remember names and words, and the themes are very mature—more mature, I would say, than Harry Potter, and harder to grasp, I would say, than the Chronicles of Narnia.

However, all this doesn’t mean The Golden Compass wasn’t a ripping good read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly liked how Mr. Pullman flipped a lot of expectations on end. For instance, at first, it seems like Lyra’s Oxford is a sinister place, as we see her sneaking around with her dæmon Pantalaimon and uncovering a murderous plot against her uncle, Lord Asriel, when in reality, the Oxford Scholars are protecting Lyra from sinister forces in the outside world. Nothing is what it seems, and not everything is black and white, good or bad. Even the ultimate act of salvation turns into the ultimate act of betrayal.

When a mysterious group dubbed the Gobblers begins stealing children in Oxford, Lyra takes notice. And when the Gobblers take Roger, Lyra takes extreme exception and vows to find her friend. From the dusty archives of Oxford to the sophisticated drawing rooms of the cold and mysterious Mrs. Colter and her golden monkey dæmon to the watery highways of the Gyptian barges to the frozen barreness of the northern world, and with the help of Gyptians, witches, a mercenary balloonist, and an armored bear, Lyra and Pan pursue Roger and the other missing children, the dark and obsessed Lord Asriel, and a mysterious particle called Dust.

Part one of Lyra’s story is filled with suspense and horrific events, and does not end all that well. It made me sorry I hadn’t bought all three books at once. I will get the other two books, though, and soon. And I recommend any other fantasy fans who haven’t read this yet (though I might be the last one, since this is an older work) check it out as well.

1/2

Review ©2007 by Riley Merrick

ROC, urban fantasy, June 2006
Connections to: followed by Claimed by Shadow in April 2007

Cassandra Peters can see dead people. She’s a clairvoyant ghost-seer on the run from the vampire mob in which she was raised. The boss, Tony, killed her parents so he could control Cassie’s power, and when she grew old enough to realize exactly what he did to her parents and exactly what he was using her powers for, she helped the Feds nail him on tax fraud and went into the Witness Protection Program (and out again, when the Program failed to protect her). But now Tony’s goons have found her. And so has the Vampire Senate.

The Senate will save her from Tony—if she helps them out via her powers. Cassie’s stuck between a rock and a hard place—deal with Tony on her own, or be beholden to a party that makes Tony look like an innocent child. Cassie, as it turns out, is a potential heir on her mother’s side to the Pythia, the ultimate seer of the entire supernatural community. A dissident faction of the Senate, led by Rasputin (yes, that Rasputin), is manipulating the other heir to the Pythia to kill other members of the Senate. The Senate wants Cassie to use her undiscovered-until-now ability to manipulate time to thwart Rasputin.

At Cassie’s side for this venture are Tomas, her street waif roommate who is definitely much more than he seems, Raphael (yes, that Raphael), a servant of Tony’s who has always been a father-figure to Cassie, Louis-César, a French gallant who holds the key to Cassie’s mission, and Mircea, the eldest brother of the most famous vampire in history, and the one Cassie has always had a crush on. Together, they have to fight Rasputin and his minions, Tony and his goons, and the Silver and Black Circles of magi (who are in turn fighting each other for control of the next Pythia).

Ms. Chance has crafted a clever and complicated tale, well-steeped in historical figures, and full of intrigue and violence. Cassie is a kick-ass heroine who can think for herself and act on her feet, who can show incredible vulnerability, but not let that become a weakness. I’ll warn everyone now that while there’s a certain dénouement, to this story, it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I for one cannot wait for the next book.

1/2

Review ©2006 by Riley Merrick