Month: February 2012

Review: Becoming Miss Becky by Shannon Stacey

On By MikaelaIn reviews

The particulars:  Historical Romance, Samhain, available as e-book and in print.
The Source: Purchased, but cannot remember were.
The Grade: B

Blurb:
A sheriff with a stone-cold reputation. An innocent madam hell-bent on disturbing his peace. Who will be the first to give in?
Rebecca Hamilton passed through life as bland as biscuits—until the day she buried her father and fled out West with a fortune in stolen jewelry. She arrives in Gardiner, Texas to find her aunt has bequeathed to her the only whorehouse in town.
With no other prospects except a proposal from a tall, dark stranger wearing a badge, Rebecca decides to embrace her vibrant aunt’s legacy and never again live under the thumb of an overbearing man.
After years of cultivating a reputation as a ruthless lawman, Adam Caldwell can’t believe he’s offered to marry the quiet, rather plain new madam. Even more perplexing is the fact she turns him down, choosing instead to become a sass-talkin’, sashay-walkin’ vision in feathers and lace.
With an innocent madam wanting him to teach her to be as wicked as she looks and rowdy townsfolk split over the scandal, the sheriff figures his cup of troubles is about full. But a man from Rebecca’s past catches up with her, and Adam has to decide just how much he’s willing to sacrifice for the woman who refuses to give up on becoming Miss Becky.

The Review:

I read and enjoyed the Kowalski books by Shannon Stacey, so when I discovered that she had written historicals, I decided to buy one of them.  It took awhile before I read it, but in the end I am glad I did.  This was an fun read. It was fascinating to follow Adam’s and Becky’s relationship. From the start, when she is a bland mouse, through her determination to rule her own life, to their HEA. 
I loved the characters.  Becky might look like a  mouse, but she have a lot of courage.  Both when it comes to travelling alone all the way to Texas, and the way she refused to give in.  I admired  the way she refused to let anyone decide how she should dress and behave.  It made sense. She had blended in all her life, and now she didn’t have to.  And then there is the fact that she is living in a whorehouse.  Even if she isn’t a whore.

And Adam. He was a fascinating mix of stubbornness, jealousy and honor.  He was ruthless when it comes to keep order in town.    And keeping order was a part of the plot.  Since Becky’s arrival split the town in two. Some liked her, some didn’t. 

All this took place in the town of Gardiner ( the name made me giggle, since it mean curtains in Swedish).  The setting felt realistic, from the biblethumping characters ( some of them) to the Mercantile and the horsetrough.  I could sometimes smell the horses, and the dust in the air.

So what I didn’t like. Sometimes, it felt… shallow.  I don’t expect  to read a philosophic essay when I  open an e-book, but I do expect to feel some sort of connection to the characters. 
Yes, I enjoyed the book, the banter, the setting.  But I didn’t feel a tug at my heart.  Still, it was a fun read, and what I needed right now.

An update on my reading challenges

On By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

The Steampunk challenge:
I have tried to read Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, but I haven’t finished it.  I started Viridis, but I haven’t finished that one either.
The Urban Fantasy challenge: 
I have read  Shaded Vision by Yasmine Galenorn,  Summer Storm by Lizette Gifford and  Raven Calls by C.E Murphy.  I will probably post reviews of them, sometime this year.

Here is the thing: I have gradually come to the insight that I am burned out on Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.   I feel meh about books, even by authors I like. For example:  I should be excited that the next Patricia Briggs novel is out soon, instead I’m not sure I’ll buy it.   I have no idea  if I’ll buy it. All right. I probably will, since it is Patricia Briggs after all.  

So what am I doing to recover?  I am reading other genres. I have a bunch of historical fiction that is unread, and also some Romantic Suspense.  But most of all, I try to shake off the feeling that I have to review every book.  That I can read a book just for fun.

But there is one review coming next week:  Hunter’s Prey by Moira Rogers.  It will be the last one with a paranormal element for awhile. Unless I stumble upon a really good book that I want to spread the word about.

Giveaway winners

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You get twofer this time.
First the winners of Demon Bait by Moira Rogers is Thalia,  Crystal GB, and divavixenqueen.

The winners of One More Summer by Liz Flaherty is  Crystal ( comment no.6) and Linda Kish

I’ll gift the books as soon as Allromance is up and running again. 

Book recommendation: Oracle’s Moon by Thea Harrison

On By MikaelaIn Paranormal Romance

Oracle’s Moon

As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra’s husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister’s two young children – neither of which she is prepared for.
Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid – driven by his genuine caring for the children – has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace’s impudence toward the Elder Races.
But when an attempt is made on Grace’s life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her – and offer her more than a mortal man…
Release date: March 6th.  Which feels so far away right now. sigh. I love, love Thea Harrison’s books, and this one is definitely on the to buy list.

Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop

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Random acts of kindness giveaway:

Welcome to my part of the giveaway.   I am giving away two copies of One more Summer by Liz Flaherty ( e-book).

Grace has taken care of her widowed father her entire adult life and the ornery old goat has finally died. She has no job, no skills and very little money, and has heard her father’s prediction that no decent man would ever want her so often she accepts it as fact.
But she does have a big old house on Lawyers Row in Peacock, Tennessee. She opens a rooming house and quickly gathers a motley crew of tenants: Promise, Grace’s best friend since kindergarten, who’s fighting cancer; Maxie, an aging soap opera actress who hasn’t lost her flair for the dramatic; Jonah, a sweet, gullible old man with a crush on Maxie.
And Dillon, Grace’s brother’s best friend, who stood her up on the night of her senior prom and has regretted it ever since. Dillon rents Grace’s guest house for the summer and hopes to make up for lost time and past hurts—but first, he’ll have to convince Grace that she’s worth loving…

To enter, just leave a comment with your name and e-mail, and if you prefer mobi or epub.  I’ll use All romance e-books for this giveaway, so make sure you have an account!

Review: One More Summer by Liz Flaherty

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The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, Carina Press, ebook.

The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, available as e-book

The source: Purchased at Books on board
The Grade: A
The blurb:
Grace has taken care of her widowed father her entire adult life and the ornery old goat has finally died. She has no job, no skills and very little money, and has heard her father’s prediction that no decent man would ever want her so often she accepts it as fact.
But she does have a big old house on Lawyers Row in Peacock, Tennessee. She opens a rooming house and quickly gathers a motley crew of tenants: Promise, Grace’s best friend since kindergarten, who’s fighting cancer; Maxie, an aging soap opera actress who hasn’t lost her flair for the dramatic; Jonah, a sweet, gullible old man with a crush on Maxie.
And Dillon, Grace’s brother’s best friend, who stood her up on the night of her senior prom and has regretted it ever since. Dillon rents Grace’s guest house for the summer and hopes to make up for lost time and past hurts—but first, he’ll have to convince Grace that she’s worth loving.

The review:

This book… I am not sure how to describe it.  According to Carina Press, it is a contemporary romance. Which is true, there are romance, several in fact, but there are so much more in it.
There are the old hurts between Dillon and Gwen.  There are the on and off again relationship between Promise and Stephen. There are the mature love between Jonah and Maxie.   The relationships are shadowed by old hurts,  guilt, and secrets.

I’ll admit it. I went teary eyed  several times when I read this book.   
My heart went soft when Dillon and Gwen started to rebuild their relationship.  I wept when the secrets were revealed, all of them. But most of all, I cheered when Gwen started to regain her confidence, and believe that maybe, just maybe, her father had been wrong. 
I understood Dillon’s fury. I wanted to strangle her father too, for being a cruel insensitive bastard. Yet, during the book it was explained why he hated Gwen so much.

The novel takes place in a small town. The sense of community were a red thread through the book, both through happy and sad times.  I loved the story telling times, especially the Magpie stories.  Just.. aw.  Sometimes, the setting felt so real that I could feel the sweltering summer of Tennessee.  I  could almost see the Elliot House in front of me.

I cannot find anything to pick on when it comes to this book. Except for one thing. I regret that this book is published by Carina Press since it deserve to be read  a wide audience, no matter if they read e-books or not.  I am crossing my fingers that I’ll read a similar announcement for this book, as the one I read for Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski series.

Review: What Ho, Automaton! by Chris Dolley

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The Particulars:  Steampunk, Bookview Cafe, available as e-book.
The Source: Purchased at Bookview Cafe
The Grade: B+
The Blurb:

Wodehouse Steampunk! Reggie Worcester and Reeves, his gentleman’s personal gentle-automaton, are consulting detectives in an alternative 1903 where an augmented Queen Victoria is still on the throne and automata are a common sight below stairs. Humour, Mystery, Aunts and Zeppelins!

The Review:
Two words sums up this collection: Wodehouse Steampunk.
The first one is about how Reggie and Reeves met, and the second they search for missing debutantes.
Both stories were fun to read. Reggie acts like an bored young noble man should act.  Reeves is the one with brains.   Emmeline is a debutante with a spine. They join up and search for the missing debutantes, and hilarity ensues.  Reggie had a lot of wild ideas,  Reeves managed to stop some of them. And oh my. I laughed a lot.  They fumbled around, while searching for the debutantes, but in the end they managed to find all of them.

When it comes to the setting, it felt very realistic, from the pressure to marry and behave properly, to the Victorians fascination with inventions.  The 1900’s were a time with a lot of experimenting, and this shows in the story.  It was nice that there were no zombies, or other paranormal aspects.  Instead the steampunk element came from the automatons, and the Promotheans.
 
The book was  well written, and I laughed a lot. But when I can to page 100 or so, I started to get a bit tired of the over the top humor.  Also, it didn’t feel like Reggie grew as a character. He was the same person at the end as he had been in the beginning.
Still, I’ll definitely read more by Chris Dolley.

Bargains

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Here is some on going bargains that I have found :).

Coupon codes:
Fictionwise have a new 60% off coupon code: 021012. Expires Feb 14, but will probably work for a couple of days longer.
Booksonboards offer 25% off on Harlequin and Carina press books. BoxOChocs
Carina Press have one 10% code (EX10CPB) and one 15% code ( EX15CPB)

Discounted books:
Maid for Love by Marie Force is available for 0.99 
The Assassins Lover by Emma Holly is available for 1.99  at Smashwords. (With this Coupon: VZ88X)
Under her skin by Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook and Jeaniene Frost is available for 0.99

Dangerous Race by Dee J Adams are discounted to 1.99 at Carina Press webpage

Review: If you hear her by Shiloh Walker

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The Particulars:  Romantic Suspense, Ballantine, available in print and as e-book
The Source:  Purchased at Booksonboard
The Grade: A
The Blurb:
A CRY IN THE WOODS

The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.

Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close? When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.


The Review:
If you hear her have been on my To Buy list since it was released, but for  a number of reasons I didn’t buy it until last week.  And I am glad I waited.  Oh, don’t get me wrong. I loved this book in so many ways but let’s start with the characters.  I loved the relationship between Ezra and Lena.  The attraction between Ezra and Lena is evident from the first time they meet.. I’ll admit that for  a couple of chapters I wondered if they would end up together or not, since Ezra resisted the urge to call Lena.   His reasons for not calling her made sense.   Believe me. Then there are Law, with all his secrets. Which gives him trouble.  And Hope.. My heart went out for her. She has been through so many things.  
I also liked that not all characters were pleasant.  Some were just annoying ( like a certain deputy.).  And the murderer? Burr.  Honestly.   I get goosebumps just thinking about him.
 
Then there are the suspense.  The suspense is there from page one.  And it just increased. There isn’t that many murders in the book, but  Ms. Walker uses a lot of small touches to ramp up the suspense.  And keep it there.  I liked how the murders affected the town.  The paranoia affect the whole city. The demands for an arrest. Kudos for the Sheriff department for not caving to the demands.    ( I could go on and on about it, but I wont, since that would stray into spoiler territory).

So.. What I didn’t like.  This book is the first book in a trilogy.  As in, the story arc spans over three books.  Which means that even if Ezra and Lena get their happy ending, the suspense part isn’t tied up.    No one in the book have an inkling who the killer is. Since book 2 is already out, and book 3 is coming soon this isn’t a big thing.  But if I had bought it in November? I would have been really mad at Shiloh Walker.

Charity Sunday: Worldbuilders 2011

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Charity Sunday is back, and this time the limelight is on Pat Rothfuss Worldbuilder campaign. Every year, Pat Rothfuss raises money for Heifer, by running the Worldbuilder campaign.
There are three ways to donate:
1.The lottery. Which is simple.  Go to his page on Heifer.com. Donate 10 dollar by clicking the Give to this team button, and you can win a lot of books and other cool things.
Also, Worldbuilders match 50% of your donation.  

2.Buy something from his store.

3. Bid on an auction.

The lottery ends FEB 7 so hurry up and the auctions FEB 6.

More info about Worldbuilders, and a list on the books you can win, can be found here.