And Then She Fell by Stephanie Laurens

Title:  And Then She Fell **
Author:  Stephanie Laurens
Grade:  B
Description from book jacket:  The only thing more troublesome than a Cynster man...is a Cynster lady who believes love is not her destiny.  Famously known in London society as "The Matchbreaker," Henrietta Cynster's uncanny skill lies in preventing ill-fated nuptials - not falling victim to Cupid's spell.  But then she disrupts one match too many and feels honor-bound to assist dashing James Glossup in finding a suitable bride for a marriage of-convenience.  A task infernally complicated by the undeniable, unquenchable attraction that flares between James and Henrietta, who continues to believe she will never fall...

Review:  Now this is Stephanie Laurens like I remember her.  When I read the first few Cynster Bar novels, I loved them.  Eventually as each member of the Bar were matched up the cast of characters became so big that they were a distraction instead of moving the stories forward.  The books became a kind of litany of all the Cynster relatives.  In fact, that's why I graded this book a "B" instead of an "A."  There was too much family in it.

And Then She Fell was really reminiscent of what I loved about the first few books by S.L.  I'm so glad I read it.  It was a total comfort read.  I recommend it.


**  I received this book as an advance uncorrected proof from Avon Publishing because I am an Avon Addict!

Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare

Title:  Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright
Author:  Tessa Dare
Grade:  B
Description from Amazon:  Miss Eliza Cade is a lady in waiting. And waiting. Because of a foolish mistake in her youth, she's not allowed "out" in Society until her three older sisters are wed. But while she's trying to be good, she keeps bumping elbows—and, more distressingly, lips— with notorious rake Harry Wright. Every moment she spends with him, she risks complete ruin.The sensual passions he stirs in her are so wrong . . . but Eliza just can't resist Mr. Wright.

Review:  The hero was in his 30s.  The heroine was seventeen when she met him.  Old school!  She was plucky.  Her description and identification of him as the devil was CUTE!  I loved how she ended up fixing his cravat.  Although this was a novella I thought of it as a complete story.  I really liked it and recommend it for historical fans.  Especially for those who have not yet had the chance to read Tessa Dare.  Good job!

January Giveaway 2013

Courtesy of Avon Publishing I have three copies of How to Deceive a Duke by Lecia Cornwall to give away to three lucky readers.  Just send me an email with your name and contact information OR comment on this blog entry if you are comfortable.  Good Luck!!!

The Siren by Tiffany Reisz

Title:  The Siren
Author:  Tiffany Reisz
Grade: D
Description from Amazon:  Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she's sure it'll be her breakout book…if it ever sees the light of day.  Zachary Easton holds Nora's fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it's no deal.  Nora's grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining…and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous—staying away from him…or returning to his bed?  Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.

Review:  I'm not sure why I put this book on order at the library.  I know I didn't recognize it when it came in.  I read it though.   

Pros:  writing was quite good
Pros:  the book within the book was facinating
Con:  the characters in the book were too damaged to me.  There was so much more than just one flaw per character that by mid-book I felt like I was wading through the story rather than flowing with it. 
Con:   The Catholic images in the book made me uncomfortable.  Especially the description of submission to pain as J.C. as the ultimate submissive. 

Fireman Who Loved Me by Jennifer Bernard

Title:  Fireman Who Loved Me
Author:  Jennifer Bernard
Grade:  C-
Description from Amazon:  Fearless, smoking hot, and single: meet the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. These firemen might be heroes, but it's their bad luck in love that makes them legendary. 
News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn't be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they're both convinced they're perfectly wrong for each other. But when Melissa's matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a Bachelor auction . . . Sparks fly. Passion flares. Heat rises. (You get the picture.) Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix, and Melissa and Brody's love may not be the only thing that burns.

Review:  I read a review of this book on a library blog.  The reviewer indicated that they had received exactly what they were looking for with this book, " ... interesting characters, contemporary setting, resolved conflicts.  Like I said, an enjoyable afternoon of reading."  Unfortunately, I stupidly wasn't looking for those same things when I read it.  I found the characters kind of trite.  The hero was a buff, intelligent hero-like fire captain who had a heart of gold.  The heroine was feisty, wounded and too intelligent and perky for words.  I got the contemporary setting.  I agree it was contemporary.  But the conflicts were either too easily or too quickly fixed as if the beginning of the book was a marathon and the end was a sprint.  I just got to page 211...I need to finish RIGHT now...bam, bam, bam!  It was only $.99.  But I won't be reading any of the other stories in the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series.  Sorry. 

F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson

Title:  F in Exams:  The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers
Author:  Richard Benson
Grade:  D
Description from Amazon:  "F" stands for "funny" in this perfect gift for students or anyone who has ever had to struggle through a test and needs a good laugh. Celebrating the creative side of failure in a way we can all relate to, F in Exams gathers the most hilarious and inventive test answers provided by students who, faced with a question they have no hope of getting right, decide to have a little fun instead. Whether in science (Q: What is the highest frequency noise that a human can register? A: Mariah Carey), the humanities (Q: What did Mahatma Gandhi and Genghis Khan have in common? A: Unusual names), math, or other subjects, these 250 entries prove that while everyone enjoys the spectacle of failure, it's even sweeter to see a FAIL turn into a WIN.

Review:  I laughed out loud once.  It was kind of forced.  The idea was seriously cute and as a former classroom teacher I could see that getting these answers would be a great break from having to read miserably wrong ones or perfectly correct ones.  However, I was disappointed in how similar the answers were.  It seemed more as if R. Benson had written the answers himself while trying to be flippant than letting us in on some funny answers provided by actual students.

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo

Title:  Gone Missing
Author:  Linda Castillo
Grade:  B
Description from Fantasticfiction:  Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without rules, but everything changes when a child goes missing.  In the newest chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo, Chief of police Kate Burkholder is called upon the assist when an Amish teenager disapears without a trace.  A missing child is a nightmare to all parents, and never more so than in the Amish community, where family ties are strong.  So when a body turns up and another young girl goes missing, fear spreads through the community like a contagion.  Kate and state agent, John Tomasetti, delve into the lives of the missing teens and discover links to cold cases that may go back years.  But will Kate piece together all the parts of this sinister puzzle before it's too late?  Or will she find herself locked in a fight to the death with a merciless killer.    
Review:  This was supposedly the fourth book in the Kate Burkholder series and I"m sorry I missed the previous three.  Something that I loved happened when I read this book...I didn't know who the killer was!  It was awesome.  Also, I loved Linda's writing.  It just seemed accessible and easy to read.  I cared about the characters and look forward to reading more by this author.