Bitchin' Blog Posts
: Grade C
February 06, 2012 | Monday at 12:56 am | 5 Comments
I was inspired to read and review this book by two things: my local library's science book display (Yay, libraries!) and Sarah's articles on the myths about biology and anatomy that often appear in romance. I thought readers of those threads might enjoy The Science of Kissing (henceforth known as TSoK) based on my first impression of it as a light and entertaining science read. As it turns out, this was a hard book to grade because as a science book it was disappointingly slight - and I say that as someone who's prefers to have science offered up to me in small portions with easy words. On the other hand, the historical content was fascinating and it was a really charming book overall.
I'll let the author speak for herself as to what the book is about and why she wrote it:
"A kiss is one of the most significant exchanges two people can have, serving as an unspoken language to convey our deepest feelings when words simply will not do. From a symbol of…
read more »
January 19, 2012 | Thursday at 3:54 pm | 11 Comments
This book was a big departure from what I usually read. I don't as a rule like Austen sequels, and I don't like sequel stories that take place within the same family. Sometimes the portrayal of the same people by two different authors, especially when one is Jane Freaking Austen, is so jarring and different I can't read either book for awhile, the classic and its sequel.
When the author enquired whether I'd be interested in this book, I was caught between my usual "No, thank you" reaction to Austen Sequels, and the opportunity to read about Mary Bennet, who was the sister after Jane and Elizabeth that I most liked and wanted to find happiness. I'm glad I read this book, as it was familiar and enjoyable, though it didn't leave me with the almost mental exhaustion and feeling of admiration as I had finishing Pride & Prejudice, which, the first time I read it, was so compelling and absorbing I was all wrung out when I was done.
read more »
January 16, 2012 | Monday at 12:46 am | 20 Comments
I found this book to be fun and fast paced and easy to jump in and out of, with a pretty good balance of emotion, drama, action, humor and tension between the main characters. I liked the heroine and the hero, I wanted them to figure out a way to be happy and together, and I loved their scenes together. In the larger context of the mystery they were trying to solve, I cared more about them than their progress in solving the case.
Adrian, Lord Smythe, is a spy known as Wolf. His wife, Sophia, is also a spy, known as Saint. Their identities are so secret, they have no idea about one another, and are pretty much strangers in their professional and personal lives. But when the war with France comes to an end, the secret agency in which they work is downsized and they are both laid off (my language, not the author's). Then, each receives a mysterious note to meet in some dark, drippy location at midnight where they discover they're both spies. Plus, there is a case that needs…
read more »
September 20, 2011 | Tuesday at 10:56 am | 62 Comments
This was a HABO that Laura asked about back last spring, and I ordered it back then and didn’t even open the package until this week.
(This semester is even crazier than last spring, I’m doing an internship that’s 15-20 hours a week, plus 4 other classes and it’s kind of insane.)
Okay. So. This is full of whatthefuckery. Really. With a side dish of anachronism stew. (I’m also writing this while watching the pilot of Ringer which involves a twin-switch scenario, and it’s actually pretty good. If you like film noir-y drama, give it a shot.)
So our story begins in Wales in 12-something or other, with Kiera, our heroine, out for a ride on daddy’s prize stallion (who, like all prize stallions, is a giant black horse). She’s disguised herself as a stableboy to avoid trouble, but naturally the black stallion is a lot of horse and dumps her, basically into the arms of a ruffian who makes like you expect ruffians to act when a woman who is disguised as a boy lands in his arms- not honorably. Kiera’s older sister Elyn happens to be out running…
read more »
September 19, 2011 | Monday at 2:10 pm | 16 Comments
Boy, I gotta hand it to Carina Press. I’ve only read three of their eBooks (on my laptop, because I have no e-reader or smart phone, insert tears of self-pity here). None of the three was what I would call a classic work of literature that will be treasured through the ages, but DAMN have they been fun! Alas, while this stared off as super fun, it fell completely apart near the end. Still, points to Appleton for creating a great sense of place(s) and a loving tribute to the pulp science fiction magazines and gritty westerns of the past.
Sparks in Cosmic Dust is listed as science fiction, not science fiction romance, and I can see why, as it is primarily an adventure story and a science-fiction /Western blend. However, it does have a huge romance focus so I’d say it qualifies as a romance novel. The strength of Sparks is that it understands its lineage and is here to give us an old-fashioned, B-movie, dimestore pulp novel good time. The acknowledgement page discusses the author’s fond debt to the film “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, which inspires the…
read more »
August 24, 2011 | Wednesday at 5:25 pm | 28 Comments
Hearts Aflame, the current Avon .99c digital offering offering, inspired Betty Fokker to read and review this romance classic.
Boy oh boy, does this book bring back the memories. I was a devoted reader of Johanna Lindsey in the 80’s, but I hadn’t read any of her books for years, so when I saw this book on sale for $.99 I suffered a fit of nostalgia and uploaded that sucker to my kindle. Here’s the plot:
Kristen Haardrad was looking for one last adventure with her brother Selig. However, nothing prepared her for the fact that they are going Viking. As soon as they landed, they were attacked then captured. Saddened by the death of her brother, Kristen disguised as a boy to avoid rape. However, when Lord Royce entered the scene. It was love at first sight, or at least for her. She couldn’t help the mixed feelings that she had for him. She longed to escape this land of strangers, yet her feelings for Royce held her back from her freedom. Lord Royce of Wyndhurst was attracted to the Viking beauty. However, his memories of the past held him back…
read more »
June 30, 2011 | Thursday at 7:11 pm | 6 Comments
I have two RITA® Reader Challenge reviews for this book, one from Gail and the other from HellyBelly. HellyBelly gave the book a C-, while Gail’s review, while not graded, was more favorable. I’ve taken the liberty of averaging their reviews to a C grade. This book finaled in the Strong Romantic Elements category.
Plot Summary: A husband, a family, a comfortable life: Theodora Lestrange lives in terror of it all.
With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh—and a disappointed suitor—far behind. She is bound for Rumania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence.
She arrives at a magnificent, decaying castle in the Carpathians, replete with eccentric inhabitants: the ailing dowager; the troubled steward; her own fearful friend, Cosmina. But all are outstripped in dark glamour by…
read more »
June 30, 2011 | Thursday at 6:40 am | 0 Comments
This RITA® Reader Challenge was submitted by Donna. This novel finaled in the Novel With Strong Romantic Elements category.
Plot Summary: hen Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions filled with blood and ceremonial images, she tries to find a rational explanation maybe her mind is playing tricks on her, resurrecting creepy tableaux from her research on religious ceremonies and sects. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left wondering: could she be haunted by something from the childhood she doesn’t remember?
Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking. Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her. A dead child… Called on to investigate…
read more »
June 30, 2011 | Thursday at 5:50 am | 9 Comments
This RITA® Reader Challenge was written by Plaatsch. This book finaled in the Paranormal Romance category.
Plot Summary: Half human, half god, Dagan Krayl is the Underworld’s most powerful soul reaper. When one of his brothers is murdered, Dagan must use every ounce of his power to hunt down those responsible for his brutal death. But he must move swiftly—and carefully—if he’s to have any chance of resurrecting his brother.
Yet that resurrection could wreak havoc on the mortal world. As an Otherkin, Roxy Tam has sworn to protect the human race, and it’s her mission to stop Dagan. But when she sees him face-to-face, she realizes that she has seen him once before—a meeting that changed her life forever.
Neither Dagan nor Roxy expect to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or to have their loyalties tested as they struggle against the potent desire that threatens to consume them both.
And here…
read more »
June 29, 2011 | Wednesday at 7:32 am | 0 Comments
Emily reviewed this book for the RITA® Reader Challenge. It finaled in the Inspirational category.
Plot Summary: In Brussels at the height of WWI, a small, underground newspaper is the only thing offering the occupied city hope-and real news of the war. The paper may be a small whisper amid the shouts of the German army, but Edward Kirkland will do anything to keep it in print. Meanwhile, Isa Lassone, a Belgian-American socialite whose parents whisked her to safety at the start of the war, sneaks back into the country to rescue those dearest to her: Edward and his mother. But Edward refuses to go, and soon Isa is drawn into his secret life printing the newspaper . . . And into his heart.
And here is Emily’s review:
read more »
June 29, 2011 | Wednesday at 1:00 am | 11 Comments
This RITA® Reader Challenge review was written by ReadinginAK, who, contrasted with the other review for this novel, didn’t enjoy the book entirely. This novel finaled in the Historical Romance category.
Plot Summary: Jude Bertrand is not an excellent dancer. Nor does he wear the most fashionable coats. But when Marissa York’s brother approaches him, desperate to preserve Marissa’s tenuous reputation, Jude does prove heroic enough to offer to marry the girl. In fact, the union should more than make up for his lack of social graces and his own scandalous past. . .
Marissa knows that betrothal to the son of a duke, even one as raw and masculine as Jude, will save her from ruin, but that doesn’t mean she’s happy about it. Soon, though, she finds that Jude has a surprisingly gentle touch and plans to use it to persuade Marissa that their wedding day cannot come soon enough. . .…
read more »
June 28, 2011 | Tuesday at 11:01 pm | 7 Comments
Runswithscissors reviewed this book for the RITA® Reader Challenge. It finaled in the Contemporary Series romance category.
Plot Summary: The huge imposing castle and the barren terrain of Merkazad are a far cry from the modest farm and the emerald fields that horsewoman Iseult calls home. Or used to, until Sheikh Nadim bought her family’s stud farm. As part of the deal, she must work at his royal stables.
Nadim enrages Iseultbut he also inspires a more unwelcome, unfamiliar feeling: desire. Drawn into Nadim’s sensual world, Iseult feels like a beautiful, confident woman for the first time.
But she must remember the sheikh’s cast-iron rule.
And here is runswithscissors’ review:
read more »
June 26, 2011 | Sunday at 7:21 pm | 5 Comments
This RITA® Reader Challenge review was written by Courtney, and this story finaled in the Best Novella category.
Plot Summary: Teacher Olivia Rose knows what it’s like to grow up alone and unwanted. But convincing reserved rancher Jules Parrish he can give his orphaned niece a real home won’t be easy—unless Olivia seizes the chance of love and motherhood she never expected….
And here is Courtney’s review:
read more »
June 24, 2011 | Friday at 1:01 pm | 5 Comments
Lindlee wanted to apologize for the length of this RITA® Reader Challenge review, but I wouldn’t let her. When a book sets you off, the angry reactions often make the best reviews. This book was a finalist for Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure.
Plot Summary: “I’m in this thing until I decide I’m out. You got that?”
With terrorists hot on her heels, nuclear chemist Zoe Wilkinson races to elude capture. The last person she expects help from is her ex-boyfriend Cooper Kennedy. But when their plane crashes, stranding them in the desert, the stifling heat pales in comparison to the scorching desire Zoe still feels.
On undercover assignment for the navy, Coop can’t believe the woman who ruined his life is back. Zoe’s always been trouble. And nothing’s changed—not even the consuming lust she sets off in him. But when Zoe’s kidnapped, Coop must race against the clock to protect the woman he…
read more »
June 20, 2011 | Monday at 10:11 am | 15 Comments
Linsalot challenged herself to read one book from every category for the RITA® Reader Challenge. She’s a badass, that Linsalot.
Plot Summary: Tyler Davis comes from a long line of cops, and he’s learned the hard way that police work and families don’t mix. But his solitary life is about to be called into question with the return of Megan Garvey, the woman he once loved…and lost.
Now, Megan is determined to keep her emotional distance— though it’s clear that she and the rugged lawman still share something special. But a predator has come to Lake Hubbard for Christmas. And when Megan’s young son disappears, there’s only one cop to believe in. This holiday, Ty has been given a second chance to be the hero Megan needs…if he can bring her boy home alive.
read more »
