Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

The Impostor by Lily Lang

Few pitches work on me faster than an author who explains her book clearly, and tells me how proud she is of her book. The author of this book pitched the story to me, and despite it not being a match to what I usually read, I was intrigued not only but the description but by her enthusiasm for her book. This story is a mix of historical, paranormal, magical realism, possibly steampunk, and maybe even science fiction. If I think about it long enough, I could probably make an argument for it being a military thriller romance, too.

Tessa Ryder has a Gift (yes, capital G - some folks have a Gift, and most folks don't, and those who don't are usually unaware that there are those who do). Tessa's Gift allows her to change her form - painfully, poor thing - so that she looks exactly like someone else. As an added bonus, sort of like a… read more »

A Kiss For Midwinter by Courtney Milan: A Guest Review by CarrieS

A Kiss for Midwinter is my new favorite novella.  It has a flawed but interesting heroine, it has a hero who is scientific, compassionate, and basically amazing, and it takes its characters through a powerful emotional journey with lots of angst but also lots of humor.

I never would have thought I'd find this line sexy, but I most certainly do... "Besides, the hymen is just a membrano-carneous structure situated at the entrance of the vagina".  I thought this book was just amazing and my only real criticism is that it is too short.

Holiday Affair by Lisa Plumley:  A Guest Review by CarrieS

Just for the heck of it, I decided to pick a totally random contemporary Christmas themed romance to review.  With great difficulty I resisted such titles as His Christmas Virgin, Inheriting His Secret Christmas Baby, and, my favorite title, Eating Cookie.  I settled on Holiday Affair - but sadly, Holiday Affair is like lukewarm cocoa with way too many marshmallows in it.

At first it looks OK, and it has its fun moments, but ultimately it’s unsatisfying and may cause you to throw up.  In short, I did not care for this book.  Why, you ask?  Well, I’ll tell you why.  It was saccharine, it was cliché, and it was totally unbelievable.  Mild spoilers and a long, long rant about too much sentimentality during the holidays lies ahead.

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan:  A Guest Review By CarrieS

The Duchess War is lovely - smart, touching, funny, sexy, and dizzyingly romantic.  Read it right away - yes, now.  Everything on your to-do list can wait, believe me.

The Duchess War is the first book in Milan's new Victorian Era romance trilogy, The Brothers Sinister.  There's a prequel, The Governess Affair, (A | BN | K | S | ARe | iB) (SB grade: B+) which is delightful reading but not at all necessary in terms of understanding The Duchess War. 

Anyway, in Duchess War, we have Robert Blaisdell, the Ninth Duke of Claremont, a man who is desperate to repair the wrongs committed by his father.  He meets the dauntingly named Wilhelmina (Minnie) Pursling, who has dark secrets.  Robert and Minnie are both involved in promoting the rights of workers, and they form what is simultaneously an enmity and an alliance.

A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long

I stayed up way too late reading this book. It isn't action packed with swashbuckling mayhem, but the tension and emotional power builds so slowly that I didn't want to stop reading. I wish the ending had been stronger, but this is still one of my favorite historical series. It's all the best things of historical romance with witty dialogue and interesting characters, with the charm of small town settings that are so popular in contemporary romance. As we said in the book club chat for What I Did for a Duke, Pennyroyal Green would make a fantastic television series. 

Evie is the notorious countess: a former actress and courtesan, she married an Earl who won her in a card game, and is now a widow after his sudden death. Evie is assumed to be cold, calculating, and ambitious, but she's really lonely, though unapologetic for her notorious past. She comes to Pennyroyal Green because she now owns a small estate there, and wants to start the next - very new and different - part of her… read more »

The School for Wives: Bell Shakespeare Production, Sydney, Australia

This was an English (rhyming!) translation of a Moliere play, performed by the Bell Shakespeare Company at the Sydney Opera House. I was feeling predisposed to like this play because I was in the Sydney Opera House (COOL) and it was a perfect night to go out near the harbor. By the end, and in the days after seeing the play, I recognized it's flaws, but was so pleased to have experienced it, because I'm still thinking about it.

In the opening scene, the lead, Arnold, announces he's getting married to Agnes, a girl he's had educated in a convent to be the perfect wife: completely innocent and naive, without any worldly knowledge of anything. He says in the opening he fell in love with her when she was 4 (EW DUDE) and bought her from the poor woman who was raising her (DOUBLE EW) and had her installed in a convent for her education, and has only recently brought her to his home (TRIPLE EW DUDE SERIOUSLY).

What's amazing is the level of… read more »

Moonlight and Mechanicals by Cindy Spencer Pape:  a Guest Review by CarrieS

Some of you might remember that when Kilts and Kraken came out my review was basically one long squee of delight (Clockwork Dog!).  I was excited about reading the sequel, Moonlight and Mechanicals (henceforth referred to as M&M).

M&M had all kinds of problems and I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Kilts and Kraken, but I admired it for its ambition.  In this book, the author takes a lot on, but she can't carry it off smoothly.  However, die-hard fans of steampunk will find a lot to admire and enjoy about this ambitious book, which takes on the ramifications of steampunk on political, social, and environmental levels while also dealing with a complicated romance.  The book earns itself a terrible grade and yet the author remains on my auto-buy list because I want to see if, with more practice, she can pull off this kind of scope better in the future.

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan: A Guest Review by CarrieS

Here's my second monster-iffic review in honor of Halloween - and this one is a must read!  Team Human is funny, it's thought provoking, it's sweet, and it made me cry when I least expected it.  And yes, there is lovely romance in it.

Although it's not a romance novel, I enjoyed watching the couples in this book interact and develop as couples and as people more than I've enjoyed many romantic pairs in romance novels lately. 

I've heard Team Human described as an affectionate parody of Twilight, and that's partially accurate, but I'm not sure the term "parody" gives it justice.  It's a very thoughtful and suspenseful book for all its humor.  Basically, Mel is a teenager who lives in a town that was founded by vampires.  The vampires live in a separate section of town and generally stay apart from humans, but one day a gorgeous vampire teen named Francis enrolls at Mel's high school.  Mel's best friend, Cathy, is instantly smitten with Francis and when her adoration is requited, she… read more »

Monster In My Closet by R.L. Naquin:  A Guest Review by CarrieS

In honor of Halloween, I'm reviewing a couple of monster-iffic books this month.  If you'll allow an incredibly hackneyed Halloween analogy, Monster In My Closet looked like a treat at first but turned out to be more of a trick - the kind that is gross and depressing, like having your car egged.

It starts off as a fun and quirky urban fantasy but then the villain appears and suddenly there are all these long, graphic scenes of rape and murder.  In between the rape and murder stuff the book tries to go back to being a light fantasy, which just adds to the squick.  Add a perfunctory romance with a completely undeveloped character, and a heroine who is too stupid to live, and the book falls apart.

Cordelia’s Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - A Guest Review by CarrieS

Lois McMaster Bujold wrote what is quite possibly the most famous, beloved, and awesome science fiction romance ever, A Civil Campaign.  ( A | BN | K | S | iB) A Civil Campaign is a Regency Romance set in space, with manners, fantastic clothes, and awkward dinner parties mixed with cloning, recovery from physical and mental trauma, inter-galactic politics, humor, sadness, glowing HEAs, and much more.

RITA Reader Challenge: Nothing but the Truth by Kara Lennox

This review was written by Elyssa. This story was nominated in the Contemporary Series Suspense/Adventure Romance category.

The summary:     

As chief legal council for Project Justice, widow Raleigh Shinn doesn't seem the type to accept bribes. Still, Griffin Benedict has an anonymous tip that points to her guilt. And if he wants to make the move to national news anchor, he needs a sensational story.

But nothing is as it seems. Including the do-good lawyer. Underneath shapeless suits and oversize glasses hides an exceptional beauty. Now Griffin not only seeks an exclusive, he wants to uncover Raleigh's secrets for himself. When lies turn to attempted murder, they must hunt down the truth togetherto prove her innocence, protect an honest man and save both their lives.

And here is Elyssa's review:

I mainly picked this book to review because of two things. One: the blurb on the back referred… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: Nothing but the Truth by Kara Lennox

This review was written by Shevaun. This story was nominated in the Contemporary Series Suspense/Adventure Romance category.

The summary:     

As chief legal council for Project Justice, widow Raleigh Shinn doesn't seem the type to accept bribes. Still, Griffin Benedict has an anonymous tip that points to her guilt. And if he wants to make the move to national news anchor, he needs a sensational story.

But nothing is as it seems. Including the do-good lawyer. Underneath shapeless suits and oversize glasses hides an exceptional beauty. Now Griffin not only seeks an exclusive, he wants to uncover Raleigh's secrets for himself. When lies turn to attempted murder, they must hunt down the truth togetherto prove her innocence, protect an honest man and save both their lives.

And here is Shevaun's review:

I knew going in to this that this book was going to be difficult one for me when… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: Hot Zone by Catherine Mann

This review was written by Jessica. This story was nominated in the Best Romantic Suspense category.

The summary:     

The haunted eyes of pararescueman Hugh Franco should have been her first clue that deep pain roiled beneath the surface. But if Amelia couldn't see the damage, how could she be expected to know he'd break her heart?

Amelia Bailey's not the kind of girl who usually needs rescuing...but there are anything but usual circumstances.

Alternate summary:

Master sergeant Hugh Franco lives only to save others, until he plucks beautiful attorney Amelia Bailey from the wreckage of an earthquake and finds himself embroiled in ways he never expected. On the run from kidnappers, Hugh must call on all his training to protect them. But Amelia's fiery touch threatens to crack his world—and his heart—wide open.

And here is Jessica's review:

I enjoy reading Catherine Mann’s books. I find her stories well researched, full of intrigue, and full of real human characters (flaws and all). Hot Zone is… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O’Neal

This review was written by Tabs. This story was nominated in the Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category.

The summary:     

Professional baker Ramona Gallagher is a master of an art that has sustained her through the most turbulent times, including a baby at fifteen and an endless family feud. But now Ramona’s bakery threatens to crumble around her. Literally. She’s one water-heater disaster away from losing her grandmother’s rambling Victorian and everything she’s worked so hard to build.

When Ramona’s soldier son-in-law is wounded in Afghanistan, her daughter, Sophia, races overseas to be at his side, leaving Ramona as the only suitable guardian for Sophia’s thirteen-year-old stepdaughter, Katie. Heartbroken, Katie feels that she’s being dumped again—this time on the doorstep of a woman out of practice with mothering. Ramona relies upon a special set of tools—patience, persistence, and the reliability of a good recipe—when rebellious Katie arrives.

And as she relives her own history of difficult choices, Ramona shares… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: The Lost by Caridad Piniero

This review was written by Cyndy. This story was nominated in the Best Paranormal Romance category.

The summary:     

Adam Bruno is no ordinary millionaire. The heir to an ancient race possessing a dark, powerful magic, he can shapeshift and create energy. His gifts make him a living weapon and have forced him to live in seclusion. But now an inhuman force hunts down Adam-just when he finds someone who makes him feel more human than he ever imagined possible . . . 

Home from combat in Iraq, Bobbie Carerra wants only peace, yet soon joins Adam in a terrifying battle against paranormal enemies who hide in plain sight. "She's" drawn to his strength of mind and body; "he's "attracted to her courage and intoxicating energy. Their scorching passion can either transport them to the heights of ecstasy or-if Adam's powers rage out of control-destroy them.

But when an invisible brotherhood tightens its nets and someone Adam trusts betrays him, only a heartrending decision can… read more »