Heather's Book Reviews

i'VE mOVED

2006-07-19T13:34:00.000-04:00

My blog has moved to Wordpress. Come find me at
http://heatherwaters.wordpress.com/

Festival - Victoria Barrett

2006-07-18T13:51:00.000-04:00

I have to admit to reading Festival a few years ago, so this is not a recent read for me. But that should say something about it's memorability factor. I came across the book while looking for another here on Amazon and was immediately reminded of how much I loved Festival. There are so many fresh elements to this romance. For example, the hero and heroine fall in love before they ever meet face to face. Telephone calls...sexy telephone calls, allow them to get to know one another and enjoy each other's good qualities before physical factors come into play (What a nice change!!)A time-travel and romance saga is the best description for Festival. I highly recommend it.

Look for Victoria, who is currently writing under the name Vicki Hinze

12 Sharp by Janet Evanovich

2006-07-03T17:05:00.000-04:00

I got my Plum fix. Jolly good times. Way more detail as far as the Ranger/Morelli/Stephanie triangle in this book.

Here's a quick break down of the synop. Stephanie is stalked by a woman who claims to be Ranger's wife. Ranger's suspected of murder and kidnapping. The sexual tension spikes a dozen times, and, once again, we're left wondering......

I thoroughly enjoyed 12 Sharp. Had only one issue with the big "reveal" scene at the end where the "whodunnit" and why is explained by the bad guy. His reason for not killing Stephanie right away seems a bit contrived. But who cares. I don't read these for the mystery. I read it for Ranger/Morelli/ Stephanie, and this one just ups the ante on that scenario.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling

2006-06-27T12:19:00.000-04:00

Chamber of Secrets is my least favorite HP book, but that doesn't mean it's not great. It simply means it's not as fabulous as the others.

In chamber of Secrets, Harry finally learns why he can talk to snakes, but it's also the first book where death becomes vitally important to the entire series. For those who don't know, death is, indeed, a main theme to Harry Potter ... how we deal with it, fear of it, what we're wiling to do to escape it etc. It's the first book where life or death becomes a reality for a character other than Harry - namely, the person opening the Chamber of Secrets.

One of the reasons I do like COS is because it's also the introduction to Moaning Myrtle, who is so annoyingly cute and nerdy, you can't help but like her, and also, it's the introduction to Dobby, the house elf. Thankfully, the movie included both of these elements (though the following movies left out Dobby, which I think was a huge mistake on their part.)

So, final thought: if you read Sorcerer's Stone, chances are you read Chamber of Secrets quickly after and so on anyway. They're like Lays potato chips. Betcha can't eat just one.

July is Near!

2006-06-26T18:34:00.000-04:00

With July around the corner, I'm starting to browse for more books to add to my frighteningly huge TBR pile. Here are some July releases that have caught my interest.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - JK Rowling

2006-06-20T15:07:00.000-04:00

I'm still reviewing books I read a long time ago... no time for much fresh reading. So I thought I'd start on my favorite series ever! Harry Potter.The first book in the series, The Sorcerer's Stone, was one I was pressured into reading. I had purchased Goblet of Fire (book 4) through my daughter's Scholastic catalog, and had started reading it to make sure it was appropriate for her age (she was about 6 or 7). Then, my sister's friend Amy called to answer a few research questions for me and we got on the subject of the books. I'd told her I couldn't quite get into the intro of Goblet. She told me I HAD TO READ THEM IN ORDER. She was so enthusiastic, that I went out and bought Sorcerer's the next day. I read it in one sitting, feeling completely enthralled and excited about reading for the first time in years. The writing was stellar, but JK is a master storyteller. I found the intricate details of the world so exciting and fresh that I was turning pages even while stirring that night's supper. That first trip to Diagon Alley, arrival at Hogwarts, seeing it all for the first time through Harry's eyes. It was the definition of magical reading.I won't insult anyone by giving a synopsis. Unless you've been under a rock for the last 10 years, you know what Sorcerer's Stone is about. But I will say that the afternoon I finished SS, I went out and bought Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. I read them all within a week and still wanted more.

UNLEASH THE NIGHT by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2006-06-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

I adore Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series. Unleash the Night was no disappointment. I fell in love with Wren and his monkey (read the book, it's not perverted).

Wren is a shape-shifting tigard who's spent his entire life being hunted by greedy family members. In order to remain safe, he's been living at The Sanctuary, where the law of their kind prohibits violence. He's been fine with his antisocial existance...until he meets Maggie. Now he just wants to be normal. But in order for him to be with Maggie, he risks revealing his kind to society. He must choose between love and the laws of the Were.

I only had a couple of problem areas with this story, but they were nothing that pulled me so far away from the characters that I stopped loving them. Unleashed will definitely go on my keeper shelf.

The Bride - Julie Garwood

2006-05-30T00:58:00.000-04:00

New reading is slow in coming for me lately, so for my book review Tuesday, I'm relying on another old favorite from Madame Garwood: THE BRIDE

FROM THE PUBLISHER
By edict of the king, the mighty Scottish laird Alec Kincaid must take an English bride. His choice was Jamie, youngest daughter of Baron Jamison...a feisty, violet-eyed beauty. Alec ached to touch her, to tame her, to possess her...forever. But Jamie vowed never to surrender to this highland barbarian.
He was everything her heart warned against—an arrogant scoundrel whose rough good looks spoke of savage pleasures. And thought Kincaid's scorching kisses fired her blood, she brazenly resisted him...until one rapturous moment quelled their clash of wills, and something far more dangerous than desire threatened to conquer her senses...

The bride dares to wear black to her wedding. When the groom is an enormous Scottish laird, that says alot about her daring and character. Any of Julie's medievals are worth noting, but this is among the top 3 of my yearly re-read list. Hmmm... I might even have to pull it off my shelf to enjoy it again shortly.

June's Around the Corner!

2006-05-19T23:24:00.000-04:00

Wow! May's almost over. That means a good two hours spent browsing Amazon to see what books I have to run out and buy in June. These are the ones I'll be looking for. How about you? Any of these look good? Any recommendations?

TO PLEASURE A PRINCE - Sabrina Jeffries

2006-05-16T08:44:00.000-04:00

To Pleasure a Prince reminds me of the regency-set Julie Garwoods from several years ago. The dark hero who's so Alpha he bosses himself around. The heroine who is flawed but unafraid of the ogre-hero, who is tiny but leads him around by his nose.

Know what that means? Yep. I loved it. I loved Regina's flaws, I loved the fact that I wanted to climb through the pages and slap the crap out of Marcus. I love all the wagers made in this book, because you just know at some point, the person referred to in each bet will find out and conflict will insue. I also love the fact that Ms. Jeffries didn't try to make those moments the BIG BLACK MOMENT, the predictable, this will tear them apart scenes. She used them as little gray moments and saved far more personal conflicts for that BIG BLACK MOMENT, so that, while you could guess what was going to happen, you never really knew when or how Ms. Jeffries was going to pull it off.

Will I read Sabrina Jeffries again? Absolutely. TO PLEASURE A PRINCE was part of the Royal Brotherhood Series, and I'm looking forward to reading the others in that series when I'm in the mood for this time period again.

Did I like the cover? Oh yeah. It's very very sensual.

Oh, and for those who were wondering - yes, Ms. Jeffries has every right to give workshops on great dialogue and unskippable love scenes. She's done a brilliant job with both.

THE PRIZE - Julie Garwood

2006-05-09T20:24:00.000-04:00

It's about time I reviewed one of JG's titles here. I haven't only because I read them so long ago and my reviews tend to be of recently read books. I admit to re-reading many of JG's books several times - mostly the medievals, and THE PRIZE is my all time favorite.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
In the resplendence of William the Conqueror's London court, the lovely Saxon captive, Nicholaa was forced to choose a husband from the assembled Norman nobles. She chose Royce, a baron warrior whose fierce demeanor could not conceal his chivalrous and tender heart. Resourceful, rebellious and utterly naive, Nicholaa vowed to bend Royce to her will, despite the whirlwind of feelings he aroused in her. Ferocious in battle, seasoned in passion, Royce was surprised by the depth of his emotion whenever he caressed his charming bride.
In a climate of utmost treachery, where Saxons still intrigued against their Norman invaders, Royce and Nicholaa revelled in their precious new love...a fervent bond soon to be disrupted by the call of blood, kin and country!

There is a scene involving Royce and a broken chess piece that gets me every time. I think it might be the most romantic scene in a novel I've ever read. The Prize also has a bang up opening, and it's one of those books you just can't put down until it's done. If you've never read a JG book before, I recommend you start with this one.

ISBN: 0671702513
Pub. Date: August 1991
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

CHRISTMAS IN WHITEHORN - Susan Mallery

2006-05-02T20:39:00.000-04:00

Susan Mallery is one of the few category authors I read regularly. I LOVE her work, having been introduced to the genre with her Hometown Heroes series.

Christmas In Whitehorn is a Silhouette Special Edition, set in Whitehorn, Montana. It's a smalltown love story (a weakness of mine), involving neighbors Darcy and Mark (Mark Darcy...is that a coincidence???). Both are afraid to trust their hearts, fearing disappointment, but turn out to be exactly what the other needs to open his/her heart again.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The sprinkling of humor and heart-tugging moments compels you to turn each page.

ISBN: 0-373-24435-5

GODDESS OF SPRING - P.C. CAST

2006-04-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

Aside from having some of my favorite covers in romance, P.C. Cast's stories are becoming my must-buys. Goddess of Spring, so far, is by far my favorite.

How do you convince your readers to fall in love with Hades? Yeah, Hades. He's the hero. When I read the back blurb, I was really curious. This isn't the usual hero fodder. But, as I said, I love P.C. and I knew if anyone could pull it off, it was her.

Goddess of Spring is about an Italian bakery owner -Carolina (Lina) - who, by mystical circumstances, trades places with the Goddess Persephone, who is being sent into the Underworld to "vacation" with the God Hades. Oh, what a hero! I sing for thee Hades. The colorful Underwold was beautifully done. It's impossible not to fall in love with this story.

THE ABANDONED by Douglas Clegg

2006-04-25T23:41:00.000-04:00

This book was so wierd I had to add it to my reviews. Not because it's a "keeper" per se, but because it was just so... wierd.

It's about a town that has a big manor/mansion house that everyone's afraid of. A wild teen party gets out of hand one night, and the kids there find a little boy hanging in the cemetary, his insides, well, they're no longer inside. That kid's death unleashes the house to all the evil it's been caging. The evil rampages through the town killing people in the most gruesome ways. This was true horror. I found myself rereading parts to make certain I hadn't imagined what Clegg imagined. Turns out I hadn't. They were just as gory the second and third time I read them.

Heather

CALDER'S ROSE - Kate Angell

2006-04-24T17:07:00.000-04:00

(Contemporary romance with paranormal elements)

Two authors, two genders. Put them together and the characters come alive....LITERALLY!

Shane McNamara writers western fiction. Devin James writes western romance. Their editors have decided to put them together and have their main characters rendevous. The problem is, the real chemistry is between the authors (all though the characters do get a little heated on the side).

Curious things start to happen. Shane thinks Devin is writing the book without him when pages start appearing in the mornings, and Devin thinks the same of Shane. (Insert Twilight Zone theme here) They're both wrong. The authors of this story are the fictional hero and heroine these two have created, and they're not happy to just sit back and let someone else decide their fate!

Kate Angell writes light-hearted fun reads. And sexy. Did I mention sexy? Shane is so yummy, I was starting to hope HE'D come to life!

BET ME - Jennifer Crusie

2006-04-17T21:12:00.000-04:00

Minerva Dobbs has self-image issues, which is not shocking considering the grief her mother gives her over every carb she puts in her mouth. Min's a sensible girl with cheeky taste in shoes, and she's met her match in Cal Morrisey, who's hot enough to melt the cherries on her shoes.

After being dumped, Min's in a man-hating state of mind the night she overhears her ex bet Cal that Cal won't be able to get "frigid" chubby Min into bed within a month, and is too furious to hang around and listen to the outcome. So when Cal approaches her a few minutes later, she can only assume the worst.

Horrible families, ten-dollar bets, and over-protective friends aren't enough to fight the fates that seem to want Cal and Min together. Bet Me is a wonderfully light and enjoyable read. If I had a rating system, this one would get top marks!

Heather

DO ME, DO MY ROOTS - Eileen Rendahl

2006-03-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

Women's Fiction

Emily is a young widow, single mother to a seven year daughter, and clinging to what's kept her living since losing her husband: her daughter, her parents, her husband's best friend who's taken a sudden interest in her, and her sisters. Meeting to touch up her sisters' roots each month, the sisters agonize over their love lives and lack there of. They deal with family issues, health close-calls, and finding love in unexpected places.

I absolutely adored this book. It made me want to call my sister more often and love my husband a little better. The humor is hysterical and the emotions are poignant. I highly recommend this book.

From: Pocket Books, Downtown Press

Susan Elizabeth Phillips - AIN'T SHE SWEET?

2006-03-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

Simply put, this might just be the most perfect romance ever written. SEP is a MASTER!

How do you go about convincing readers to root for a heroine you would have taken a contract out on in high school??? MS. Phillips has done the impossible, inspiring compassion for a world of characters who, half the time make you hate them, the other adore them.

Sugar Beth returned home in search of a painting, and must confront those she wronged years ago and prove to them all she's changed.
If I had a scoring system, AIN'T SHE SWEET would be off the charts.

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL - Sherrilyn Kenyon

2005-12-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

(Paranormal Romance with Vampire Elements)

I've already reviewed Night Embrace here, but I had to go ahead and review this one as well. Sherrilyn Kenyon's imagination blows my mind. I found myself sobbing less than half-way through this book (and I'm not a crier) when, as a reader, I was taken into Zarek's unbelievably horrid childhood. I felt so much pain reading those passages, that I ached to make this hero feel better, to make him warm, and bake him bread (if you read it, you'll understand). On top of that strong emotion, I laughed out loud at the sarcastic witty dialogue and fell in love with newly introduced characters like Simi, the demon and Sasha, the timber wolf. I absolutely loved this book!!!!!!!!!! From the hero who wants only to remember how to laugh, and the heroine who longs to feel emotions long left dead inside her, this book grabs you and sucks you in.

KINLEY MACGREGOR - Born in Sin

2005-12-10T11:32:00.000-05:00

(Medieval Romance)

This is the second book in the medieval series about the Scottish brothers, but so far, it is my favorite. Not since Julie Garwood (and those who know me know what a compliment that is) have I read a hero who moved me more. I finished reading this book in two days, and then proceeded to tell everyone I know about how great it was, and how I couldn't stop thinking about this hero. Sin is to die for. He is a dark, alpha hero who reached in and grabbed me by the heart. I knew him by the end of this book, and wanted to reach in and pull him out of the pages, just to let him know someone (me) loved him. If you like the invincible, alpha hero, this is definitely the book for you. Please, please, please check this one out!Title: BORN IN SIN Author: Kinley MacGregor Publisher: Harper CollinsISBN: 038081790X Copyright: February 2003 Paperback $5.99

Teresa Medeiros - AFTER MIDNIGHT

2005-11-30T18:54:00.000-05:00

Finally finished this one after a month of trying to find time to read it. It's agony knowing I have one of Teresa's books close at hand and no time to enjoy it. Once again, Bravo! Always a fan of this wonderful author.

WILD ORCHIDS - Jude Deveraux

2005-11-10T11:59:00.000-05:00

(Contemporary Romance with Paranormal Elements)

Ok, at first, when I opened Wild Orchids and started reading chapter one, my first thought was, "Oprah Book Club Selection," UGH. There was a lot of, and I mean A LOT, of narrative in this book. And the chapters are sort of odd, because while one takes place in Ford's point of view, the next is in Jackie's, and often they repeat events the other just told us about. However... Jude Deveraux is such a compelling story teller that by page 10, I just didn't care about those things. Best selling author Ford Newcombe needs an assistant, and when Jackie tells him the story of a murder involving the devil in a town called Cole Creek, he hires her on the spot. Together, they find romance on this hilarious, yet frightening journey. Wild Orchids is a story, within a story, within a story. Once it got going, I could not put it down.

Title: WILD ORCHIDS Author: Jude Deveraux Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing GroupISBN: 0743437128 Copyright: April 2003

NIGHT EMBRACE - Sherrilyn Kenyon

2005-11-10T11:37:00.000-05:00

Paranormal Romance with Vampire Elements

Werewolves and Daimons, and bears, oh my! Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series blew me straight into my own version of Oz. (http://www.dark-hunters.com/). If you like the out-of-the ordinary romance, this series is for you. Talon is a dark hunter (sort of a vampire who only kills the real vampires), Sunshine is a left-over, lovable hippie, and together . . . all I can say is wow! Not only is Talon a strong Alpha male in this book, but there are several others who were just screaming for their own stories, and one of whom already has his (Kyrian - Night Pleasures). Sherrilyn's imagination is wonderful, but it is her ability to create the most vivid, laugh-out-loud humor to relieve the well-drawn tension that had me begging more more. Next up? Zarek's story in Dance With the Devil. No doubt, you'll find that review posted here when I'm done reading. Way to go Ms. Kenyon. You've just nabbed another fan!

GODDESS OF THE SEA - P.C. Cast

2005-10-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

(Paranormal Romance with Time Travel elements)

This is the first book I've read by P.C. Cast and am glad I picked it up. I would never have thought a mermaid romance would appeal to me, but Ms. Cast did her job well. I was shocked at the, well, erotic scenes that had the potential to be "icky". What goes where with mer-people? Why would I want to day-dream about a fish (ok... ok... mammal!)? Well, by the time I finished reading this book, I didn't care that Dylan had a tail. He had me a-day-dreaming all over the place. Goddess of the Sea is about a contemporary MSgt. in the USAF, CC, who survives a terrible plane crash only through the magic of the mermaid, Undine. They switch bodies, sending CC (now Undine) into an unknown world. Goddess is a contemporary, medieval, and paranormal romance all rolled into one imaginative story. Well done.

NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE - SE Phillips

2005-10-10T13:10:00.000-04:00

(Contemporary Romance)

I will never look at a box of Lucky Charms the same way again! This book is hilarity and emotion at their optimum. Jane Darlington wants a baby... a NORMAL baby. Because she's a genius and lived through a childhood of being called FREAK, she thinks that the way to get a normal baby is to breed with a stupid man. But she doesn't find out until too late that the stupid man she chose is nearly as smart as she is. A marriage of convenience is anything but in this wonderfully, character-driven story. Pick it up, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips will become one of your must read authors forever.Title: NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE Author: Susan Elizabeth PhillipsPublisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 0380782340Paperback $7.99 (US) January 1997

Julia Quinn - THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME

2005-10-02T11:43:00.000-04:00

(Regency Set Romance)

It's been a while since I have picked up a regency-set historical and read it with real enjoyment. I like my historical romances medieval or I usually don't like them at all (with a very few exceptions). So, I had Julia Quinn's THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME in my TBR pile for a very long time, never really having interest in picking it up. But . . . I am SO glad I did. The wit and warmth in this book is phenomenal. Laughter is impossible to hold back in this book of lovable characters. From Kate, the opinionated heroine, to Anthony, the roguish hero, Newton the "I'll have you know he's a purebred Corgi," and of course, the ever-knowledgable, intruding Lady Whistledown, THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME takes you into another time and gives a lighter side to a prim and proper era. (My particularly favorite scene was the Pall Mall scene. Talk about a riot, I could use a MALLET OF DEATH in my own home.) Kate Sheffield will do most anything to keep her beautiful, much sought after sister from marrying the ton's most notorious rake, but she hadn't considered falling for him as part of the bargain. Anthony and Kate's mutual disdain for one another gives way to a shared respect and enjoyment of their time spent together . . . and in a city full of matchmaking mama's, who would have thought it would be a teeny bee that would bring them together? I will definitely be looking for the Ms. Quinn's other titles. Thanks for getting me interested in this time period again!

Title: THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME Author: Julia Quinn Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0380815575 Paperback $6.99 (US) December 2000

DRIVE ME CRAZY - Kate Angell

2005-09-10T13:04:00.000-04:00

(Romantic Comedy)

Ok, hero meets heroine in a tight butt contest, earning her the nickname "Sweet Cheeks" throughout the remainder of the story. What a set up for a romantic comedy! When Cade Nyland needs a mechanic to ride along in the Suncoast Rally race, who better to approach than the best mechanic in the area -- TZ Blake -- let's just say the engine isn't the only thing hot in this book. Cade Nyland is to die for. Favorite scenes? Two words: Seagulls & Jacuzzi. Read the book, 'nuff said. Along with a cast of character (including two other sub-romances, and a Mustang with a mind of her own), Cade and TZ make their way across Florida in this gut-splitting book. For those who like comedy and steamy romance, Kate Angell is an author to try.Title: DRIVE ME CRAZY Author: Kate Angell Publisher: DorchesterISBN: 0505525593 Paperback $5.99 (US) March 2004