Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Doukakis’s Apprentice by Sarah Morgan

It's not a secret that I really like Sarah Morgan's books, and her latest is no exception to the happy sigh reading experience.

Polly Prince works at the ad agency her father owns, but in reality, she runs the place because he tends to disappear for long periods of time, usually with a new girlfriend who is Polly's age. This time, dear old dad has run off with Damon Doukakis's sister, who used to be Polly's best friend at school, and both of them are unreachable. Damon is so pissed off, he does what any good Harlequin Presents hero does: he buys out the Prince company, and aims to flush Mr. Prince out of his love nest by decimating the company.

Damon didn't count on facing down Polly, and their interactions are some of the best scenes in the book. Polly begins the novel by taking on the board of directors, who have done little to nothing that's profitable, while taking home huge paychecks. Polly's biggest fear is that Damon's takeover will result in massive layoffs (I believe the UK term is “redundancies”) and she figures she has nothing to lose by challenging the board of directors… read more »

Venetia by Georgette Heyer

I decided to read this to cleanse the palate, in a roundabout way, after my feelings of repulsion at The Grand Sophy. I think after this I will be taking a long break from Heyer, but I’m glad I read it. Nothing wrong with a bit of reformed rake historical romance.

Venetia is an uncommon country girl heroine, living in Yorkshire with her younger brother, Aubrey, who is brilliant intellectually though troubled physically by a pronounced limp. Their eldest brother, Conway, is in the military, and the burden of running their estate and managing all the family details has fallen to Venetia, who doesn’t seem to mind, as she’s about as smart as Aubrey, as well as very beautiful. She has two suitors after her, both annoying and insipid in different but equally bothersome ways, and is pretty much content to continue in the status quo. When her neighbor, Damerel, returns to his estate, Venetia learns the full details of his terrible, and I mean deeply terrible reputation, and yet finds in him an instant friend, almost a soul mate.

I mean, it’s not as if Damerel’s heart started beating,… read more »

The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan

I don’t usually read Christmas stories, particularly during the summer. But while I traveled from New Orleans to New York and then to Vancouver in three weeks’ time, I did a lot of reading. I mentioned over at Kirkus that I’d been on a happy Sarah Morgan glom after reading A Night of Scandal, and enjoying it so much I picked it for the July Book Club. This book was my favorite of the ones I read, particularly because of the heroine.

This is the official description: “His housekeeper, or his Christmas present? Unexpectedly homeless for the festive season, and exhausted from transforming the penthouse of the hotel where she works into a dazzling winter wonderland, chambermaid Evie Anderson secretly sleeps over.

Rebel’s Revenge by Jane Toombs, a guest review by RedHeadedGirl

RedHeadedGirl is back, because there were… oh, I'll let her tell you. This is another request- Mari requested it AGES ago, and, well, it’s a classic Southern Rebel Boy meets Independent-Minded Northern Miss, sparks fly. And a whole bunch of other crap happens, too. SO MUCH CRAP. Including unexpected zombies. UNEXPECTED ZOMBIES IN MY CIVIL WAR HISTORICAL. It is not like peanut butter and chocolate. It is really not. Now, to be fair, these are voodoo!zombies, not braaaaaaaaaaains!zombies, but still. Unexpected zombies. Our heroine is Barbara, who lives in Sandusky, Ohio, and is the daughter of a doctor who’s with the Union Army. She’s been living with the local minster and his wife. When she gets word that her father has been captured and is being held in Libby Prison in Virginia, the kindly minster takes advantage of her grief and tries to seduce her, and when that does work, he goes to flat out attempted rape. His wife witnesses this, and blames Barbara for being a little slut that lured her husband into impure thoughts or whatever, and tosses Barbara out of the house. So Barbara runs… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge Review: A Convenient Wife by Anna Schmidt

I have two RITA® Reader Challenge  reviews for this book, which finaled in the Inspirational romance category. The first is from Gail, and the second is from ReadinginAK. Gail gave this book a B, while ReadinginAK gave it an A. I’ve averaged those two to a B+.

Plot Summary:His plan was simple—convince Caroline Hudson to take in his children as wards. Widower Tyrone Justice is stunned when the Nantucket schoolmistress requests a wedding instead! But really, what could be simpler than a marriage of convenience? Tyrone’s children will have stability, Caroline will have security…and neither Tyrone nor Caroline will have to risk their hearts once more. Bruised by past loves and losses, neither is ready to take that chance again. Unless a potentially deadly disaster makes them see the truth. Happiness lies within reach—if they’ll take a chance on the unplanned gift of love.

And here is Gail’s review:

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Immortal Sea by Virginia Kantra

This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Laura Hunsaker, who also published this review on GoodReads. This novel finaled in the Paranormal category.

Plot Summary: The island of World’s End sets the stage for a dramatic reunion between Morgan of the finfolk and a woman he met years ago-a woman with a startling secret.

And here is Laura’s review:

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming by Paula Graves

This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Sabrina from Cheeky Reads. This novel finaled in the Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure category.

Plot Summary: What was supposed to be a quiet vacation in scenic Wyoming turned deadly when Hannah Cooper became the target of a serial killer. Although she survived the attack, the ordeal was far from over. But she wasn’t alone. Not when Riley Patterson appointed himself her protector.

Beneath Riley’s strapping, solemn exterior hid a hard-driving sheriff who would stop at nothing to catch a killer. He promised Hannah safety, but it was the danger he posed that drew her in. Riley was as much a mystery as the man who sought to take her life. Trapped on his ranch, with no one but each other to trust, only justice could set them freeand possibly separate them forever.

And here is Sabrina’s review:

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Ren. English is not Ren’s first language, but Ren really wanted to review this book. Go Ren! This book finaled in the YA category.

Plot Summary: Carlos Fuentes doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Boulder, Colorado. He wants to keep living on the edge, and carve his own path—just like Alex did. Unfortunately, his ties to a Mexican gang aren’t easy to break, and he soon finds himself being set up by a drug lord.

When Alex arranges for Carlos to live with his former professor and his family to keep him from being sent to jail, Carlos feels completely out of place. He’s even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor’s daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he’s usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Killbox by Ann Aguirre

This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Kate. This book finaled in the Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category.

Plot Summary: Navigational grimspace “jumper” Sirantha Jax forms an army to defend colonists stationed on the outskirts of space from a legion of flesh- eating aliens.

That’s one heck of a short summary. Wowser.

And here is Kate’s review:

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Silent Scream by Karen Rose

This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Jen B. This book finaled in the Romantic Suspense category.

Plot Summary: When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He’s not only sharing the case but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unspoken and hearts were broken. David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twentysomethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close—and is moving in for the kill.

And now, Jen… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Renegade Angel by Kendra Leigh Castle

This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Laura. This book finaled in the Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure category.

Plot Summary: It’s been thousands of years since Raum’s angelic wings turned from white to black, and the Destroyer of Dignities and Robber of Kings never looked back. These days he’s also on the outs with Hell and works with a motley crew of ex-demons on a new mission: snuffing out lesser demons and their half-human progeny.

Raum’s latest assignment brings him to a small Vermont town—and a sweet, funny half-demon, half-human he’ll risk everything to save. Ember Riddick stirs him as no woman ever before—and she holds the key to what Lucifer will move Hell and Earth to prevent: his team’s redemption.

But Ember’s secrets are as dark as Raum’s midnight wings. And their fate may leave them entwined but destroyed.

And here is Laura’s review:

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Welcome Home, Cowboy by Karen Templeton

This RITA® Reader Challenge review was written by Lisa. This book finaled in the Contemporary Series romance category.

Plot Summary: He’d never really had a place to call his own…

But the broken-down ranch in front of him was the closest he’d ever come. Now, pregnant widow Emma Manning was struggling to keep it, her children and herself going. She could use a hand. Well, that was all burned-out musician Cash Cochran could spare.

He’d never had a woman to call his own, either…

That was painfully obvious to Emma as soon as Cash knocked on her door. And though, with her ever-growing brood and her money pit of a ranch, she was the last woman on earth he could ever fall for, he was falling nevertheless. They both were.

But what would happen when they landed?

RITA Reader Challenge Review: His at Night by Sherry Thomas

I have two RITA® Reader Challenge reviews for His at Night, one from Donna, and one from ReadinginAK. Donna gave this book an A, saying, “So far, I’ve found that everything that spills out of Sherry Thomas’ brain is an A read. I bet her even shopping list would be interesting.” Meanwhile ReadinginAK gave it a solid B, so I’ve averaged the two to B+.

Plot Summary: Elissande Edgerton is a desperate woman, a virtual prisoner in the home of her tyrannical uncle. Only through marriage can she claim the freedom she craves. But how to catch the perfect man?

Lord Vere is used to baiting irresistible traps. As a secret agent for the government, he’s tracked down some of the most devious criminals in London, all the while maintaining his cover as one of Society’s most harmless—and idiotic—bachelors. But nothing can prepare him for the scandal of being ensnared by Elissande.

Forced into a marriage… read more »

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Unchained by Sharon Ashwood

Lindlee is back with a RITA® Reader Challenge review, this time for a book that finaled in the Paranormal category.

Plot Summary: Faced with a custody battle for her daughter, monster-killer Ashe Carver has hung up her stakes and taken a job at the public library. But then after centuries guarding a supernatural prison, the dashing Captain Reynard strides into her world. He has only weeks to live unless Ashe finds the thief who took his soul-and he’s too drop-dead gorgeous to die…

And here is Lindlee’s review:

RITA Reader Challenge Review: Stormwalker by Allyson James

Tina wrote this review for the RITA® Reader Challenge, and she had some issues with the plot description provided. The second review is from Laura Hunsaker. Two for one! This book finaled in the Strong Romantic Elements category. 

Plot Summary: Janet Begay is a Stormwalker, capable of wielding the raw elemental power of nature, a power that threatens to overwhelm her. Only her lover, Mick, is able to calm the storm within her-even as their passion reaches unimaginable heights of ecstasy.

But when an Arizona police chief’s daughter is taken by a paranormal evil, they find themselves venturing where no human can survive-for only together can they overcome the greatest danger they’ve ever faced.

And here is Tina and Laura’s review: