Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Captive Splendors by Fern Michaels

I picked up a copy of Fern Michaels’ Captive Splendors from a used bookstore, and boy was I in for a surprise. I vaguely remember reading her Texas series back when I was a teen, but I didn’t remember anything about it. This one had a benign cover and some vague references to desire on the high seas, and I love a good pirate story, so I grabbed it.

I had girded my loins in preparation for an Old Skool historical, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer level of WTFery this novel contains. I can only guess that Michaels dropped acid while she was writing it.

Her Sky Cowboy by Beth Ciotta

All my life, I've felt something was missing, and now I know what it was.  Thanks to Her Sky Cowboy, I now realize that the void in my soul was caused by never having seen Janis Joplin perform "Piece Of My Heart" in a bar on a floating zeppelin in Victorian England.  The odds of my filling said void through direct personal experience seem to be low, but thanks to the book at least I got to read about it.

Her Sky Cowboy is a steampunk romance, which takes place in and above England, Paris, and Italy.  This is the first book in "The Glorious Victorious Darcys" trilogy.  It involves the adventures of Amelia Darcy, an inventor and pilot who is trying to restore her family's fortune and good name by winning a contest.  She must find an invention of historical importance in time for Queen Victoria's Jubilee.  When her kitecycle (!) is destroyed in a mid air collision with ex-Air Marshall Tucker… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: Too Dangerous to Desire by Cara Elliott

This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by Emily N. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Historical Romance category.

The summary:     

Can a Flame from the Past be Rekindled?

Long ago, Sophie Lawrance chose prudence over passion, rejecting a rebellious young rogue for the sake of her family-no matter the ache it left in her heart. But after a specter from her father's past resurfaces, threatening to destroy all she holds dear, the desperate beauty knows there is only one man whose shadowy skills can save her.

Or Is It Too Dangerous to Play with Fire?

Cameron Daggett is a man of many secrets . . . and many sins. He's never forgotten the pain of losing Sophie. But now, with a chance to win her back, Cameron sets aside his anger and agrees to help Sophie save her father's honor. Together they embark on a perilous masquerade, leading them to a remote country estate near the sea. There, they must battle a cunning adversary-and their own burning desires.… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: Last Man Standing by Cindy Gerard

This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by Kelly. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Romantic Suspense category.

The summary:     

Black Ops, Inc. operative Joe Green is determined to bring to justice the man responsible for former team member Bryan Tompkins’s death. He’s convinced the ambush that killed Bryan was no coincidence, but a setup. Unsure of the consequences of the battle he’s about to start, Joe distances himself from both his Black Ops, Inc. team members and the woman he loves, Bryan’s sister, Stephanie Tompkins. But Stephanie knows there must be some reason Joe broke it off, and when she hears Joe’s charged with a murder in Sierra Leone, she wastes no time in breaking him out of prison. Then they must unravel the mystery behind the ambush, and bring resolution to a long-ago betrayal…

And here is Kelly's review:

Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

Glamour in Glass is the second book in the Regency fantasy series by Mary Robinette Kowal.  It is one of two novels with strong romantic elements nominated for a Nebula for Best Novel (the other is Ironskin, which I've also reviewed for Smart Bitches).  It is refined and elegant as a Jane Austen tribute should be, with a dash of action and a surprisingly gritty splash of trauma

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster

Before I discovered romance novels, I cut my teeth on Gothics. My mother had a shelf of books by Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney in our basement, and one summer I devoured them all. Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster is a modern Gothic with romantic elements, and it reminded me why I enjoyed the genre so much.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Gothic storyline, it features a young and often virginal heroine who finds herself in an unfamiliar and desolate setting (usually the North York moors or a crumbling Cornwall estate). She is often in jeopardy, beset by seemingly unseen forces, and surrounded by people she may not be able to trust.

There’s also the classic Gothic hero—dark, brooding and handsome; he is mysterious, and the heroine is simultaneously attracted to him and afraid of him. There is a strong element of the paranormal here, with a dash of romantic suspense.

Ironskin by Tina Connolly

This year two novels with strong romantic elements were nominated for Nebula Awards.  One, Glamour in Glass, is a fantasy tribute to Jane Austen, and the other, Ironskin, is a fantasy version of Jane Eyre. (Note: Glamour in Glass review coming Thursday.) 

Glamour in Glass uses fantasy elements in a subtle, restrained manner, as befits a Jane Austen tribute, while Ironskin is gothic right down to the blighted gray moor and the heroine's hand-me-down clothes.

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

As a fantasy novel in general, Touch of Power is great.  As a romance, or even as a fantasy novel with romantic elements, it goes horribly wrong.

Touch of Power is the story of Avery.  She is a Healer, a woman who is able to heal people by touching them.  When she does this, her own body takes on the illness or wounds of the sick or injured person, but because Healers are able to recover at a much faster rate than other people, they are usually (but not always) able to survive the process. 

When a plague struck the Fifteen Realms, killing millions of people, the Healers were unable to treat it without dying.  They were blamed for the plague, hunted down, and killed.  To the best of her knowledge, Avery is the last surviving Healer.

High Risk by Vivian Arend

High Risk by Vivian Arend is a romance that defies sub-genre. It’s like I’m trying to categorize it and the book is standing up yelling, “I’mma do what I want!” I found it while looking for romantic suspense, but it’s not that. It’s sort of erotic-contemporary-action romance with bondage and amnesia (words that could only otherwise be used to describe Lindsay Lohan’s weekend plans).

The book is the first in the Lifeline series, focusing on a group of elite search and rescue workers based out of Banff, Canada. These are the people who go into very dangerous places to find stranded climbers.

When I started reading High Risk, I thought, wasn’t there a mountain SAR movie with Stallone? Then I Googled Cliffhanger and remembered why I’d blocked that movie from my mind.

Cards and Caravans by Cindy Spencer Pape

The best way to describe Cards and Caravans is "comfortable".  This book is neither terribly exciting, nor thought provoking, and despite being part of a steampunk series, there's very little steampunk in it.

Still, I rather enjoyed this book in which two people who have outgrown their first loves move from friendship and attraction to love.  I was in the mood for a very light, affectionate book, and this fit the bill, although in another mood I would have found it to be unbearably dull. 

Cards is part of the Gaslight Chronicles series and I think it would work best for those who are fans of the series, as almost all of its charms involve resolving loose ends from other stories, setting up arcs for future stories, and basically just hanging out with the extended family that comprises the Order of the Round Table.

Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau

This review went live prematurely, which meant it hit everyone's RSS feeds. Our apologies! This book is out May 27, and normally we'd review it closer to that date, but since the RSS folks got a sneak peek, we're posting it for everyone to enjoy. Sorry for the confusion! - Sarah

Deep Deception is a f/f science fiction romance from Cathy Pegau, who is rapidly becoming an auto-buy author for me.  This story has two delightful leads, a compelling plot, strong sense of place, and a tough but nurturing romance.  The only thing that stood in my way of losing myself in the story is that the last book I read by Pegau, Caught in Amber, kept getting in the way.

Deep Deception is about Natalia, who is basically undercover cop, and Gennie, who is on the run from her in-laws who are the heads of the powerful Reyes Corporation.  Natalia finds herself with time on her hands when she is placed on leave after being accused of corruption.  This turns out to be handy, because Gennie has evidence that the… read more »

Scarlet:  A Guest Review by CarrieS

Scarlet is Book Two of the Lunar Chronicles Series.  This series, while not strictly a romance series, is a high-quality romance-friendly crossover, and its inventive steampunk/science fiction twists on fairy tales make it a must-read for genre fans.

The Lunar Chronicles series takes place in the far future, after World War IV.   These books combine elements from the genres of steampunk, science fiction, dystoptian fiction, young adult, romance, and fairy tales.  Cyborgs are common but discriminated against.  A plague, called leutomisis, is threatening humans and cyborgs.  There is no cure or treatment, and its method of transmission is unknown.  Furthermore, humans are threatened by war from Lunars, people who live on a colony of the moon and who have developed mind control powers. 

The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig

I was talking about this book in recent podcasts, and was anticipating reading it because I was so curious about the setting in both location (England and Kenya) and the time period (early 1900s) - and because Willig writes lovely espionage mysteries.

I expected this book to be good. It was. 

Sometimes my thoughts on a book don't coalesce until days after I've finished it, and such was the case with The Ashford Affair. If you'd asked me right after I finished it what I thought, I'd have been able to give you meaningless replies like, "It was good," and "I liked it," and then I'd trail off while a fourteen minute plot summary and random sentences about the characters stampeded the exit to my brain at the same time. This book is a blend of historical fiction, contemporary mystery, romance, and sweeping family saga - and thus this is a difficult plot summary to write. So much happens in this book that it's difficult to summarize without sounding too bland - except that adding more detail spoils the discoveries that… read more »

Switched by Helenkay Dimon

I loves me some romantic suspense; it's probably my favorite sub-genre of romance. The problem is, a lot of it isn't done well. It's hard to balance the competing tensions of "Omigod I'm gonna die" and "Omigod I think I'm love." Helenkay Dimon nails it in Switched.

The book is a homage to the original Die Hard movie, which is just awesome. I've got a not-so-secret crush on John McClane, receding hairline and all. Switched opens up with Aaron McCain (McCain/McClane--I figured that out on my own!) working security for Lowell Craft, doucebag CEO extraordinaire. Lowell hired Aaron after receiving death threats, and I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt him. I mean, he alienates his only child, invites his wife and his mistress to the same event, throws a shitty company Christmas party in lieu of bonuses or raises, and hosts the party in the middle of friggin nowhere because it's convenient for him. I'm assuming he also hangs out in… read more »

The Wedding Journey by Carla Kelly

I don't remember who recommended this book to me, but I vaguely remember the suggestion coming with advisement that this is one of Carla Kelly's best Regencies. I have no idea if that's true, as it's the first I've read, but holy smoking hotcakes, this book was exactly what I needed.

I started reading this the evening of the Boston Marathon bombing, after I turned off the news and the internet to try to stop that horrible compulsion to keep looking and bearing witness even though I wasn't able to bear much more without inviting nightmares. What perfect comfort reading: a story that takes place in Spain in the Napoleonic wars in an army hospital tent, with casualties and cruelties of war everywhere, right?

Surprisingly, yes. Much like the many, many posts on social media recalling Fred Rogers' encouragement to look for the helpers in a disaster, this book was a similar comfort: when the story grows more scary and awful around the characters, they become more powerful, more creative, and more admirable. It's odd to call a war-set Regency a… read more »