Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

RITA Reader Challenge: Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

This review was written by KKJ. This story was nominated in the Best Inspirational Romance category.

The summary: In 1904 Texas Ranger Luke Palmer arrives in Brenham, Texas, with one goal--to capture the gang of outlaws led by Frank Comer. Undercover as a telephone repairman, he uses his days on the range to search, not realizing there's another pair of eyes watching him.

Georgie Gail, switchboard operator and birder, heads out on a birding expedition, but instead of sighting a painted bunting, her opera glasses capture her telephone man, armed and far away from telephone lines. Palmer is forced to take this alluring troublemaker into his confidence and unwittingly puts her in harm's way. The closer he comes to the gang, the further she works her way into his heart--and into trouble. Soon it's more than just love that's on the line.

And here is KKJ's review:

RITA Reader Challenge: Heartbreak Creek by Kaki Warner

This review was written by Phyllis. This story was nominated in the Historical Romance category.

The summary:     

Edwina Ladoux hoped becoming a mail-order bride would be her way to a better life, but as soon as she arrives in Breakheart, Colorado, and meets Declan Brodie and his four rambunctious children, she realizes she's made a mistake. Luckily, Edwina and Declan agreed on a three- month courtship period, which should give them time to get the proxy marriage annulled. Except that as the weeks pass, thoughts of annulment turn into hopes for a real marriage-until Declan's first wife suddenly returns.

And here is Phyllis' review:

I like the premise. Yes, the mail-order bride has already been used, but I really liked the heroine, Edwina, who absolutely could not stay in Louisiana. She had lost her home and family. Everyone, black and white, was threatening her bi-racial half-sister, Prudence. She's impulsive, but ferociously loyal and willing to work hard.

RITA Reader Challenge: Heartstrings and Diamond Rings by Jane Graves

This review was written by Melissa Cutler This story was nominated in the Best Contemporary Single Title Romance category.

The summary: In a world full of frogs, Alison Carter is determined to find her prince. Maybe her dating past is more Titanic than Love Boat, but she's seen enough happy marriages to know that true love is possible. No matter what, she won't give up on happily-ever-after. If she can't find Mr. Right, she'll simply hire someone who can. When Brandon Scott inherits a successful matchmaking business, he thinks his prayers have been answered. Set up a few lonely ladies, collect the fee, how hard can it be? No one needs to know he's not really a professional matchmaker-especially not his first client, the beautiful, spirited Alison. Soon he's falling for her-and her dreams of kids and carpools. But Alison is getting close to figuring out his secret, and if she learns he's deceived her too, she'll walk right out the door, taking Brandon's heart with her.

And here… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: How a Cowboy Stole Her Heart by Donna Alward

This review was written by Lindlee. This story was nominated in the Best Contemporary Series Romance category.

The summary: Clay Gregory's known Megan Briggs her whole life, and he's been plenty worried about her while she's been getting medical treatment. Now she's back home and hiding away on the family ranch. Knowing the stubborn cowgirl won't accept his help willingly, he invites her to a family wedding to help him avoid his aunt's matchmaking! He plans to remind Meg she's still the girl who can beat him in a horse race! But as she steps out in her curve-hugging red dress, her skills on a horse are suddenly the furthest thing from his mind….  

And here is Lindlee's review:

How a Cowboy Stole Her Heart starts when Megan returns home after going into remission from breast cancer. She lived in Calgary, a few hours away from home, while she was undergoing treatment. Coming back is difficult, but it is during this time that Clay and Megan’s friendship turns… read more »

Beguiling the Beauty by Sherry Thomas - a guest review by CarrieS

Beguiling the Beauty is a late Victorian era romance that meets my geek criteria because of its use of science, specifically the study of fossils and the rise of evolutionary biology.  My husband is an evolutionary biologist, so needless to say I was thrilled when I found out that Sherry Thomas' new book has an evolutionary biologist hero.  I'm a huge Sherry Thomas fan and this book did not disappoint.  In fact, it is by far my favorite book of hers, in no small part because it features the line, "Thank you for dinner.  And thank you for the pleasure of the tetrapodichnites".

I'm trying to avoid gratuitous spoilers, but if you are super spoiler-phobic, you should stop reading this review and just start reading the book.  It's great and you'll love it.  For the rest of you, MILD SPOILERS AHEAD:

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach - A Guest Review by CarrieS

If you loved Sarah's post entitled, "Where is the Hymen?" you will love Bonk.

In Bonk (which for months I've been referring to accidentally as Boink, God knows what that says about me) Mary Roach takes on the subject of what scientists do and don't know about sex, and how they know it.  I apologize for the over-abundance of long quotes here, but they are the best way to convey the flavor of the book.  Also, I'm being self-indulgent.  I read most of this book in a hospital cafeteria (Mom had a hip replacement - she's all better now).  Anyway, there I was, cackling madly over the cafeteria food, with no one to say, "Hey, you gotta hear this!" to.  I certainly wasn't going to read these passages to my mother (although given the pain medication she was getting at the time, I doubt she would have been offended).  Here's an excerpt I'm fond of from the chapter, "The Prescription-Strength Vibrator:  Masturbating For Health":

Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

I started this book last Saturday morning while my kids were at swim lessons, and I was in a dark, humid, and loud indoor pool on uncomfortable bleachers.

I did not notice any of those things once I started reading. This book is amazing: confident and clever, funny and touching, and wonderfully done.

This book is a simultaneous story - Mayberry's Harlequin Blaze, Hot Island Nights ( A | BN | K | S | ARe ), takes place at the same time with two separate characters. Is there a name for that style of storytelling? I know Twin of Ice and Twin of Fire and the Julia Quinn duo Mr Cavendish I Presume and The Lost Duke of Wyndham employ the same method. What's it called, dovetailed stories? Hinged stories? Entwined stories? I am sure it has a proper name but darned if I can find it. Anyway.

The story opens with Violet at a formal event with… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: Resolution by Linda Winstead Jones in The Heart of Winter

This review was written by Phyllis Laatsch. This novella was nominated in the "Best Romance Novella" category. 

The summary: When law secretary Nell Rose is snowbound with a handsome stranger, keeping her New Year's Resolution becomes nearly impossible. Why swear off men when a romantic weekend with a reclusive writer seems to be the ideal way to ring in the new year?

And here is Phyllis' review: 

A legal secretary gets stuck in a ditch in a snowstorm on New Year's Eve, just as she's making resolutions to avoid men, go back to school, etc. She trudges up to an isolated house and is let in by a famous author, who can't figure out if she's the stalker who's been sending him crazy letters.

The sparks between the hero and heroine were amazing. They really got each other, though they didn't want the same things out of life in the beginning. They acted on the attraction awfully quickly, especially since the heroine had just sworn off men. And yet,… read more »

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

I have a lot to say about this novella, so let's get the plot summary part done - which is not easy as a lot happens in a short space. Serena Barton was fired from her position as a governess because she was raped by the duke of Clermont, but because she didn't fight back or shout when it happened, she holds herself partially responsible. Serena is determined to be heard and seen now that she's pregnant, and decides for her own sake and the sake of the child she's now carrying, she will sit outside the duke's home and humiliate him - and cause more discord with the duke's very wealthy wife, alienating the duke from the spouse and fortune he very much needs. The longer she sits outside the duke's home in all sorts of lovely London weather, the more people will wonder, and talk, and speculate. She will cause the duke trouble by refusing to hide - especially when she begins to show.

Hugo Marshall is an employee of the duke of Clermont, known as "the Wolf of Clermont."… read more »

Silver Surrender by Vivian Vaughan - A Guest Review by RedHeadedGirl

This is the first in a series of four books, and I think this is a good example of decent western romances (which I promised after the Scoundrel’s Captive debacle), and an author making the effort (and succeeding!) at not writing the same book over and over and over again (Dan Brown: take notes) (I do rag on Dan Brown a lot, don’t I?) (HE DESERVES IT).

So this series is about the Jarrett siblings- Texans all (why is it always Texas?) and great lays- except for the oldest brother.  Because he is the parental figure that raised the rest of ‘em and as we all know, parents do not have great sex.

….

Anyway, I read the first one back in my misspent youth, Silver Surrender, and always had this niggling feeling that there were clearly MORE, so when I started this venture, I found the rest of them.  And they are my very favoritist type of bubblegum reads.  Crazy, but not too crazy, likable characters, high adventure, hot sex, FANTASTIC CLOTHES.

(I’m… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: New York to Dallas by JD Robb

This RITA Reader Challenge review comes from Silver James. This book is nominated in the Romantic Suspense category.

The summary: The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name-and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

Normally I'd post reviews books that haven't been mentioned yet, but Silver's review really spoke to me and I wanted to share it. Here is Silver's review: 

RITA Reader Challenge: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

 This RITA Reader Challenge review was written by Jenn. This book is nominated in the Best Historical Romance category.

The summary: Cameron Mackenzie is a man who loves only horses and women - in that order - or so his mistresses say.

Ainsley Douglas is a woman with a strong sense of justice and the desire to help others - even if that means sneaking around a rakish man's bedchamber.

Which is exactly where Cam finds her - six years after he caught her the first time. Only then, she convinced Cam she was seeking a liaison, but couldn't go through with it because of her husband. Now a widow, she's on a mission to retrieve letters that could prove embarrassing to the queen. Cam has no interest in Ainsley's subterfuge, but he vows to finish what they started those many years ago. One game, one kiss at a time, he plans to seduce her. And what starts out as a lusty diversion may… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge: Flawless by Lara Chapman

This RITA Reader Challenge review is from Kristi Davis. This book is nominated in the "Best YA Romance" category for the RITAs this year. 

The summary: Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking? 

And here is Kristi's review:  

RITA Reader Challenge: New York to Dallas by JD Robb

This RITA Reader Challenge review comes from Library Addict. This book is nominated in the Romantic Suspense category.

The summary: The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name-and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

And here is Library Addict's review: 

Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, a Tale of Love & Fallout by Lauren Redniss - A Guest Review

This guest review is by Carrie S. 

Sometimes I define my role with Smart Bitches as that person who says, "What ever could that strange noise be!  You wait here - I'll go into the basement with a malfunctioning flashlight to check it out." What I mean by that is that I investigate a lot of books that look romantic but aren't on the "romance" shelves of the bookstore, and I report back to you on the romance or lack thereof in said books.  In keeping with this, I checked out the graphic novel, "Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, a tale of Love and Fallout."  I'm going to give you a quick spoiler-free summing up in the first paragraph, and after that paragraph, spoilers will abound. 

n short, "Radioactive" contains a gorgeous, inspiring romance, but is not in itself a romance novel.  It also contains a lot of tragedy and is only partially about the Curies as a couple.  The science and biography and storytelling and art are wonderfully… read more »