Another month on its way out. Another Whatcha Reading post in the bag. It’s time to talk about all the good stuff (hopefully it’s all good stuff) we’ve been reading this month.
I’m currently reading Meredith Duran’s Lady Be Good ( A | K | G | AB )! The heroine is a former thief who is stuck (hopefully) doing one last job for her uncle – he’s also the hero in the next book. And the hero is a scarred veteran trying to protect his family from the man who injured him. It’s my first historical that I’ve went out of my way to buy and read in years, so I feel like I’m having first date anxieties. Am I having a good time? Is it just me? Will there be a second date?
Redheadedgirl:
Tall, Dark, and Wicked by Madeline hunter. Lawyers and crime and math and I love it.
Oh I’m also listening to Wuthering Heights ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au | Scribd ), and Jesus Christ these people.
Carrie: HAHAHA *Bitter laugh*
Here and There by Joshua Scher. I was afraid it would be hard to get into because it’s long and cerebral and involves multiple voices giving hints at a mystery, but it’s actually very hypnotic.
Sarah: I’m still reading Slaying Dragons ( A | K | AB ), and am about to start Forever Your Earl ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). But my real life is so busy right now, I haven’t had much time to read. Which is SO NOT FUN.
Oh – based on Meka’s recommendation from an upcoming podcast, I’m going to listen to the audiobook of Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison.
Elyse: I just finished The Fold by Peter Clines. It’s a fun sci-fi thriller in the same vein as Michael Crichton or Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, and the end is deliciously ridiculous.
I’m currently reading Friction by Sandra Brown ( A | K | G | AB | Au ).
Tell us what you’re reading! What did you love? Anything that you hated?
Shopping note:
After a Whatcha Reading? discussion, Lisa M emailed me to ask if I could link the books mentioned in the comments to the various retailers to make shopping a little easier. I wish I could! But I can drop some retailer links for you right here, so that if you feel like shopping, you can select your preferred retailer.
Some of these links are affiliate-enabled, and SBTB receives a percentage commission from purchases made. If you use them, many thanks. If you don’t want to us them, no worries, mate! (And if your preferred retailer isn’t here, let me know and I’ll add it for you if I can!)
I’ve been reading a lot lately and most of the books were really good, but I did have a few clunkers too.
The Good:
1. Earls Just Want to Have Fun and The Rogue You Know by Shana Galen. They’re the first two books of her Covent Garden Cubs Series and the first of her books that I’ve read. So good.
2. The Bollywood Bride by Sonali Dev. I got an advanced copy from Netgalley and just loved it. I had some issues with the start of the book, especially when it came to Vikram and how he treated Ria, but it eventually hit me in the feels.
3. Falling for Her by Sandra Owens. This is the third book in her K2 Series, which follows retired Navy SEALs, who now work in the private sector as high end mercenaries. This was Jamie’s book and he had a lot of issues to overcome. This guy had more rules than anyone ever–among them: only boring sex. The heroine was great. She was on the run from her abusive ex and her slimy dad. She went to work for K2 as a receptionist because she felt safe with all of the military guys. Plus, she thought Jamie was hot. I gave this 5 stars on my blog.
4. Cinderella’s Dress by Shonna Slayton. I’m about 70% through with this book and am loving it. It is a YA that takes place in 1944-1945 NYC. The heroine is a young woman (I’d say she was either 16 or 17 at the start of the book) who finds out that Cinderella was real and that the women in her family are Keepers of the Wardrobe. She has to keep the dress safe and out of the hands of the stepsisters’ descendants. The second book in the series comes out on the 6th and I can’t wait to start it.
The Meh :
1. Snowflake Bay by Donna Kauffman. I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I requested it from Netgalley and I really wish I was able to get ahold of the other books before getting into this one. I don’t know if it would have changed my opinion of the book if I’d read them, but it couldn’t have hurt.
2. Return to You by Samantha Chase. This was also part of a series and I got the feeling that I should have read the others first. I had some issues with how everything worked out and how much head hopping happened in the first 30% of the book.
The Bad:
1. Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden. I have no idea how this would up in the RITA’s a few years back because it was just awful. I absolutely hated the “hero” and how preachy he was. He was such a jerk, trying to rip away the heroine’s faith and gift her with his. If it wasn’t so ironically, historically Christian, I would have laughed.
I had another slow reading month. I did finally read Trade Me and Talk Sweetly to Me both by Courtney Milan and enjoyed both quite a bit.
I also read The Brightest Day: A Juneteenth Historical Romance Anthology which I was excited about since it was a non-Regency romance with mainly black characters. I thought the first three stories were just okay but I loved Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole. It’s set in 1961 in the south and the heroine is a young black women who became very quiet, dutiful, and unassuming after her mother’s death when she was young. Hero is a Jewish boxer who is the son of the family that employed the heroine’s mother before she died. They were friends as kids then meet again when the heroine decides to start asserting herself more and joins a civil rights group. The characters, setting, and love story were all great. I cannot recommend it enough.
As for the rest of what I read, The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig was enjoyable as well but the romance wasn’t as well developed as the rest of the story. Still, i loved the setting and the family intrigue. Stealing Second by Alison Packard was an enjoyable second-chance love story. Magic Shifts was another great installment in the Kate Daniels series. Not Always a Saint by Mary Jo Putney and Lord of Secrets by Alyssa Everett were both solid Regency historicals with Lord of Secrets being the better of the two. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins was a good women’s literature book (although I always have to mentally prepare myself before reading books that include cheating) but I missed the humor of her romances.
Right now I’m 2/3 of the way through The Duke’s Disaster by Grace Burrowes, which I got from my library, and enjoying it quite a bit so far. I am starting to get annoyed that certain key information about the heroine’s past has yet to revealed but I have hope that should be revealed soon. I also started the audiobook of Mayhem by Jamie Shaw (NA rock star romance) since it was expiring today on Scribd. I decided I liked the story so far (I haven’t gotten too far in) but hated the narrator so I decided to buy it since it was only $2.99 for kindle.
Luckily, I’ve been able to renew several of my library books but I need to make finishing them a priority in the next couple weeks. I have A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn, X by Sue Grafton, The Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig, Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Armada by Ernest Cline, Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh, Brown-Eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas, Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh, and Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn. Then maybe I can start making a dent in the books I actually own.
I cancelled my Scribd subscription this month, after they announced the tiered credit system for audiobooks. So frustrated was I that I recommitted myself to my TBR pile, both analog and digital. I didn’t quite succeed, but I tried. So:
The Good
– Wild Seed / Mind of My Mind by Octavia E. Butler (Kindle) – The first two books, chronologically, in Butler’s Patternmaster series, these were FANTASTIC. Mythic, epic, addresses racism, gender and sexuality, the consuming power of romance. Oh gosh, so good!
– The Winter Long / A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire (Kindle) – reread “Winter” in prep for “Rose” and it was worth it. “Winter” is the 8th in the October Daye series and sorta sets the characters on a new path. “Rose” takes them somewhere new literally, and it’s refreshing
– Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (book) – read it in college but not really, and it was great to give it a serious look years later. A few essays almost made me cry.
– The Summer Queen / The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick (Kindle) – “compulsively readable” historical fiction. Especially if you’re a giant Eleanor of Aquitaine nerd, like me
The Meh
– The Other Daughter by Lauren Willing (library) – I didn’t really buy the relationship and thought the end was over the top
– A Dangerous Place by Jaqueline Winspear (Scribd) – so, this was another one where the author tries to reset the series (it is book 11, after all), but instead of giving Maisie Dobbs somewhere new to go as a character, she just stuns her emotionally and leaves her in much the way she was in Book 1. Audiobook narrator was great though
– Proven Guilty / White Night by Jim Butcher (Scribd / Overdrive) – a series which could use a reset (books 8 & 9 here), because Dresden is feeling a little tired. James Marsters still great.
– The Dead Key by D. M. Pulley (Kindle) – first book problems. Dialogue could use work.
Currently Reading
– Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott (library) – SO GOOD. And gripping! Reads like a novel, I promise!
I did a massive catch-up on Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series so I could read the new one. Not much romance, but a strong heroine and great world building.
I also read Live Right and Find Happiness (Although Beer is Much Faster) by Dave Barry.
And I just started Into Thin Air by John Krakauer. So far, it’s interesting and I suspect it will make me cry by the end, because real people dying tends to do that.
I also read some of Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, which seems like I’ll enjoy it, but fell victim to a case of wrong book-itis. (I was waiting for ILL to send most of the Toby Daye series.)
The Good:
Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris. Slow (and kind of weird) start, but then it really got going. I enjoyed it.
White Fire by Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child: Great installment in the Pendergast series
The Meh:
Lure of the Moonflower (Willig). It wasn’t BAD, but I thought it was a weak ending to the series. Also, offscreen sex scenes annoy me. If I’ve waited this long, I want some payoff.
The Bad:
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. I read this back in the 80’s when it came out, and I wanted to see if it was ant better than I remembered. Nope. Still boring.
For the record, I have had some good luck doing this. I remember not liking Pamela Dean’s Tam Lin from a long time ago, but I glommed it during a re-read.
Currently reading How the Marquess was Won (Julie Anne Long).
I’ve recently enjoyed: Sleeping with her Enemy (Jenny Holiday), Love the One You’re With (Lauren Layne), and When a Scot Ties the Knot (Tessa Dare). Also enjoyed the mystery/thriller No Time for Goodbye (Linwood Barclay).
Excuse me. I have to go get married today. For real.
Finishing a reread of Dorothy Dunnett’s Caprice and Rondo – I quite honestly think that, if necessary, I could happily spend the rest of my life just re-reading Lymond and Niccolo. Also, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennett and All the Light We Cannot See. Hoping to dig into the some of the Seidel re-releases soon.
I’m reading Make It Count by Megan Erickson, which is a cute new adult book. I’m also looking forward to reading Brown-Eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo when it comes out later this month.
Laura — Congrats!
Busy month, not much time to read new stuff. Mostly did comfort re-reads just to decompress after hectic back to school days.
New stuff to me:
His Majesty’s Dragon and Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik. Not romance but… Napoleonic War + Dragons= YES PLEASE!
Only A Kiss by Mary Balogh. I will ready anything she writes, and I feel like this series was written just for me.
You’re the Earl that I Want by Kelly Bowen. Sadly a DNF for me. I don’t know why. It started out so strong. Fun banter! A caper! And yet about half way through it just lost the thread and I couldn’t care anymore.
@Laura: Congratulations! I love how you took time to check SBTB. 😛
@Lostshadows: Juliet Marillier is amazing. I read everything of hers that I could get my hands on and Daughter of the Forest is my favorite.
This month has been a slow reading month for me,I only really read two books and bits and bobs off Wattpad.
The first book was my first Georgette Heyer, Devil’s Cub. While I liked the book well enough the hero was a bit too much of an alpha hole for we to feel the couple lived happily ever after.
The other is the 3rd book in The Princess Brides series by Tracy Anne Warren. I read the second book in the series last and it was an enjoyable, but rather cliche romp. The book I’m reading now is The Trouble with Princesses and it’s about the same. Not sure if I’ll read the first one in the series or not.
Congratulations, Laura!
I’ve been on a Miranda Neville binge, and her books are uniformly excellent; good historical details, characters with real depth, and people acting like real people, with complicated motivations. The most recent 2 I read were “The Wild Marquis” and “The Dangerous Viscount”. Her books are much better than the covers, which are of the generic “couple in a clinch with clothes falling off” variety, and not much to do with the story inside. And “The Dangerous Viscount” has a male virgin hero.
I also read an old book I had lying around the house for years, “The Lady Flees Her Lord” by Michele Ann Young. It was a bit too long and drawn out, but had a good plot involving spousal abuse and women’s lack of legal recourse in the 19th century, a heroine who is described as “big” “plump” and even “heavyset”, and a hero who loves her that way.
Congratulations, Laura!
I’m just finishing up Deceptions, the third in Kelley Armstrong’s Cainsville series. It took a plot/tone direction I wasn’t anticipating, but I’m enjoying it. I will read pretty much anything that woman writes. I’ve also just started reading Shelly Ellis’ Can’t Stand the Heat. I’ve only gotten as far as the first chapter but so far I’m excited about it. An NFL hero and a chef heroine. Definitely my kind of catnip.
@Sarah I hope you enjoy Dragos & Pia as much as I do! I love a an alpha dragon shifter but Pia is even more awesome. And Harrison’s latest should be out about now. I should look into that.
For me it’s been all Nalini Singh all week. Archangel’s Enigma showed up on my doorstep reminding me that I still hadn’t read Archangel’s Legion (Wow, Raphael and Elena do it A LOT!), or Archangel’s Shadows (or prologue for Archangel’s Enigma as we spend a lot of time getting our appetite whetted). Mission complete, now I’m moving on to Naseer.
Also took a little patio time with Beautiful Secret about which I was completely unaware until someone mentioned it in a post here. Thanks whoever that was. I should write down names. And I had no idea that the Beautiful books and Wild Seasons books were loosely linked.
Now I’m off to a quilt show. Not nearly as exciting has getting married – congrats Laura! – but it’s all I’ve got.
I gave Tessa Dare’s When a Scot Ties the Knot a try, but it’s just not doing anything for me, so I retreated to September by Rosamunde Pilcher. Pilcher is one of my go-to comfort reads, but her books always make me hungry; everyone seems to be eating delicious food.
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of yaoi manga (don’t judge me). I’m in the middle of Embracing Love by Youka Nitta right now. I was at Fan Expo (our local equivalent of Comic Con) a couple of weeks ago (I met Danny Trejo!) and loaded up.
Wow Laura- Congratulations! How cool you took time to post and that you are still reading! Best wishes
I moved to another country a couple of months ago, so this past month, since I’ve settled in a bit more, my reading was able to pick up.
I read Nikolai 2 by Roxie Rivera, which I LOVED. I don’t fully understand it, but Rivera’s series on Russian mafia men and their heroines in Houston has me hooked. I appreciate Rivera’s diverse heroines, how capable they are, and their strong friendships with the other women in the series. The h/h in this book changed a lot and I really enjoyed watching their relationship deepen from their first book.
Then I read Sweet Nothing by Alison May, a modern retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, my favorite Shakespeare play. It was meh. The story keeps switching between the four main characters point of view. Their voices are distinct and well-done but its weakness is in the original source material. What’s a great comedy about ridiculous people and situations does NOT make for great first person pov storytelling in a modern setting. Hero’s voice was immature, Claudio’s rash and silly, while the Beatrice and Benedick storyline developed slowly and had a lackluster ending. I did like that the author addressed the more troubling aspects of the play and realistically dealt with the Claudio and Hero plotline.
Then there was also Dirty Thoughts by Megan Erickson, which was okay, but unevenly paced. Luminous by A.E. Ash, a short romantic science fiction story was good but, well, short. Vincent by D.B. Reynolds, an author I had heard a great things about, did not engage me. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, a book I’ve seen many recommend. I enjoyed it but was left curious about why everyone thinks it’s so amazing. I don’t read as much literary fiction as I use to, but it has made me want to try more.
I also finally read The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand and, like everything else she writes, it was AMAZING. The NPR Best Romances list finally pushed me to read it. I tend to buy her backlist but then save them for a time when I desperately need a GREAT book. I felt like moving to a new country was the perfect excuse. But, as she is a relatively fast writer, I don’t think I’ll wait as long next time to pick up her next book. I’ve already bought All For You, one of her more recent releases. Now I’m just waiting for a free weekend.
Oh @mirandab, I’m so glad you said that about Swordspoint. I’ve seen Kushner speak and I think she’s great, but so many people talk about that book as the ne plus ultra of fantasy and it just never did a thing for me. I no longer feel alone in my opinion!
@kate – I keep looking at Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy in my Kobo library and haven’t opened it yet. You’ve moved it up on my list.
@laura – CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I just finished the first two books of Anne Bishop’s “Others” series. In some ways it feels almost like an AU fanfic of the original Dark Jewels books. It is very definitely written from the id, there’s a level of gender essentialism in it that normally bugs the heck out of me, the characters tend to be GOOD or EVIL with very little grey…and yet I can’t put them down. Read the first one and immediately went to Kobo and bought the second one. I think Y.S. Lee’s “The Agency” is the only other series where I’ve done that.
I was away at Burning Man, which given the dust is not e-reader friendly. I brought a couple of (gasp!) paper books and did read “Old Man’s War” by John Scalzi, which to my surprise had a romantic plotline. It sneaks up on you, but then you look back and you’re like “Oh, yeah, that was in there all the time.” It’s also an exciting read. I need to get the sequel soon.
I read the romance anthology “Midnight Scandals.” All of the stories worked for me to one degree or another. I liked the Jewel but would have liked it better if it was about 20% shorter. It dragged in parts and there were places where I felt she was telling not showing (i.e. the reader is not shown Portia’s fiance but only told that he’s terrible). However, I liked the way it showed the very difficult position Portia was in and the hard choices she had to make. The Milan story is amazing, of course, and could have probably been expanded to a full-length novel. As is typical of Milan, she introduced a bunch of secondary characters that I would like to see have their own novels. The Thomas story caught me by surprise, in a good way. The characters were not the type I’m normally used to reading, the tropes seemed fresh and it had both great humor and deep feeling. I truly love stories in which widow/er characters who truly loved their spouses get a second shot at romance, and their new partner appreciates how wonderful the deceased spouse was. That acknowledgement that it is possible to love again, when it is well-handled (don’t even talk to me about the Tohrment storyline in the BDB books, jesus) is … I can’t call it “crack” or “catnip” because it’s something that hits me on a deeper level than either of those terms imply.
I actually feel like the Thomas story is the first one I’ve read that handled that trope really well. Outlander the TV show (granted, Claire is not exactly widowed, but close enough) does a reasonable job of it, better than the book for sure. I could write an essay on that but I’ll leave it.
But, um, I guess that raises a question: does anyone have some recommendations for me for books with a character who is widowed/a widower who finds love again, where it is acknowledged that their first spouse was a wonderful person and still deserves to be loved in memory while the new person also occupies just as big a place in their heart?
I’m in the process of trying to finish reading all of the books I have bought throughout the year that I haven’t gotten to yet. Even though I limited my book purchasing this year, it will probably take me through the end of 2015. I enjoyed Love’s Last Call by Beth Matthews (geeky bouncer, yes please!), Truth or Beard by Penny Reid (a spin-off of her Knitting in the City Series), and Animate Me by Ruth Clampett (slightly far-fetched but in the pov of a sweet animator/comic book artist hero). I’ve also been re-listening to The Beauty and The Mustache by Penny Reid. It was one of my favorite books last year.
I went on a Nora binge and knitted my way through the audiobooks of the Three Sisters Island Trilogy and two of In the Garden Trilogy. I’m really enjoying those and can’t wait to finish In the Garden with Red Lily (someone really needs to bring it back to the library right now).
Congratulations, Laura! Hope your day is lovely and your marriage is swoon-worthy!
I add my best wishes, too, Laura!
This month I ended my cowboy contemporary feeding frenzy with two good ones. Jesse Hayworth is one of my favorite authors because horses are real in her books. Coming Home to Mustang Ridge did not disappoint there and the chemistry between the hero and heroine just sizzled. I always feel like I took a vacation after reading a Mustang Ridge book. Kiss Me by Susan Mallery is also set on a ranch and includes some dude ranch fun. I enjoyed how the hero and heroine grew during the book. Also can say the same for Ever After by Rachel Lacey. I loved this book, which is third in the series and features rescued dogs.
In historical land, I read You’re the Earl That I Want by Kelly Bowen and stayed up way too late to finish, unlike you Beth Not Elizabeth! The heroine was “chaos in a ballgown” and I’ll admit it was hard keeping track near the end. I buzzed through the very old skool The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne and look forward to the next book in the series. I am currently reading the Dancing in the Duke’s Arms anthology to finish out the summer and it was a good read for business travel this past week.
I have Tall, Dark, and Wicked by Madeline Hunter and Falling for Her by Sandra Owens on my Wish List and am looking forward to both next month.
I’m currently reading The Cold Blue Blood by David Handler for my Mystery Book club and liking it quite a bit. I’m seeing a relationship developing, so I suspect that it will satisfy my romance cravings in spite of it being a mystery. I was expecting a roman à clef, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’m enjoying it.
I just finished rereading a bunch of Jayne Ann Krentz books that I remembered liking for the low stress pleasure of old favorites and found it a mixed bag. Krentz uses certain devices that I mostly find entertaining, but occasionally edge into one of my increasingly aggravating pet peeves, gender stereotyping. So–still love Trust Me, Grand Passion, and Absolutely, Positively; wanted to bite the heads off of every character in Family Man.
Read both Lady Be Good and Luck Be a Lady by Meredith Duran, and had a great time with both. I can’t imagine reading one without the other, but if I had to pick one to take to the island, it would be Luck Be a Lady. Nick and Catherine were just wonderful.
Finally read Private Arrangements. I dole out Sherry Thomas’s books to myself like Godiva dipped strawberries on a diet and am never disappointed.
Reread two old favorites, Faro’s Daughter by Heyer and Crocodile on a Sandbank by Peters. Both are still so much fun.
Also read Kylie Scott’s Deep, and all I’ll say is that the Stage Dive series should have been a trilogy. I may have to reread the previous books though to flush out my brain.
Coming up, I finally got the last Alph & Omega book from the library, The Shepherd’s Crown as soon as the spouse finishes it, and some new stuff by Jessica Topper, Deeper Than Dreams and Softer Than Steel both follow ups to my fave rock romance, Louder Than Love.
Congrats @Laura !!!!
Readings been slow this month. Same as everyone else back to school. I’m starting Christina Lauren’s latest wild Seasons book 3. So things are looking up.
Congratulations, Laura!
I finished Anthony Trollope’s He Knew He Was Right, which I’ve been ambling through for the better part of a year. I then read his Can You Forgive Her? in only ten days. The latter is probably my favorite of his to date, though I liked several of the Barset books too. I can get impatient with ModernsInFancyDress books, so I enjoy reading books by an actual Victorian who explores women’s and other people’s lives in that time. Trollope is clearly a man of his time, but he also clearly understood that women were thinking beings too.
I read Balogh’s Only a Kiss, and enjoyed it far more than I expected to start with. The first chapter (introducing the hero) was awful, and I felt like she had to write something, anything to get the hero into the plot and then she was rolling.
Alaya Dawn Johnson’s The Summer Prince and Love Is the Drug were both excellent, the first set in farther-future Brazil and the second in very-near-future multicultural DC. I appreciated both for the “not from around here” aspect, among other points.
I’ll mention Crimson Bound, by Rosamund Hodge, to anyone who loved Naomi Novik’s Uprooted. I’m not saying you’ll like it as much as Uprooted, but it’s another fantasy based on less-familiar fairy tales with a great setting (a big dollop of the French court at Versailles with some additional elements that felt Slavic to me).
I read the whole 4-book series by Johanathan L. Howard about Johannes Cabal. the first book is The Necromancer, there are 3 others, and he’s busily writing the 5th one. No real romance, but very suspenseful and very steam-punk-y. Dry, British humor, and a protagonist that you might not like at first, but he grows on you, as does his charming, vampire brother.
I also read Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. If you’ve ever shopped at Ikea and put their furniture together, you’ll enjoy the humor at the beginning of the book, before it evolves into creepy horror. The lead character works at a knock-off of Ikea, and the store is seriously haunted. A quick and thoroughly spooky read.
I have been gorging on science fiction & fantasy, mostly short stories, lately. Lots of good stuff there, but let me stick to mentioning romance I have read:
* A Lily Among Thorns, Rose Lerner — I enthused about this in comments here.
* A Fashionable Indulgence, K. J. Charles — I don’t know why various people have been unenthused by this book. Sure, the plot is improbable (it starts with the son of outlawed subversives finding that he is the secret heir to an earldom, and gets wilder from there), but the characters and the romance were gripping. The main couple had a big fight and I was thoroughly hooked, wanting to see things truly settled, and they were, very satisfactorily.
* I also read a couple of Heidi Cullinan’s “Love Lessons” books; they weren’t bad, but they’ve already gone right out of my mind.
Speaking of Fantasy: I usually don’t think romance works well as a short story but an exception would be Mary Robinette Kowal’s fantasy tale “Midnight Hour”, in which a king and queen push the limits of sacrifice and courage for the sake of both their kingdom and each other.
And now, back to adventures on a wet planet with the anthology Old Venus….
The Johannes Cabal series sounds intriguing; going to check that out!
This month I read a lot of unmemorable books, apparently, because I can hardly think of any. I did enjoy two books by Caroline Linden, from the Truth About the Duke series. Someone mentioned The Duke’s Disaster by Grace Burrowes. I thought it was okay but honestly do her heroes all have to be so utterly the same person?! I’ve probably read a dozen books by her and there are so many similarities every time.
I’ve been listening to Rainbow Rowell’s book, Eleanor & Park. Why have I not read this already? It is a he/she alternating narration and I really like both narrators. I am almost exactly the same age as the characters would be now, so it’s like reliving my own high school years. Which obviously has its cringe-worthy moments but in so many good ways it’s been a trip down memory lane. Bracing myself for the end, given the prologue.
Up next: The Girl in the Spider Web, and then Balogh’s Only a Kiss.
I just finished Meredith Duran’s LUCK BE A LADY. I loved it. I wait for her books and I re-read them. Her prose is beautiful and I really enjoyed the hero and heroine.
I also loved Tessa Dare’s WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT; I wait for her books and re-read them as well. I love Tessa’s dialogue and her characters.
Is it weird to fangirl one’s colleagues? Asking for a friend.
Happy wedding, Laura!
Taffygrrl said: “… does anyone have some recommendations for me for books with a character who is widowed/a widower who finds love again, where it is acknowledged that their first spouse was a wonderful person and still deserves to be loved in memory while the new person also occupies just as big a place in their heart?”
I’ll suggest the The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley.
Things I’ve read recently:
— re-read Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer (slightly dated but still enjoyable)
— Grace Burrowes’ historical romance Tremaine’s True Love; I enjoyed it.
— Marie Force’s One Night With You: A Fatal Series Prequel Novella; I like this series, so it was fun to read the prequel.
— re-read Julie James’ About That Night, Something About You, and Suddenly One Summer.
— for my book group, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki; enjoyable
— Chantal Fernando’s Dragon’s lair and midway through Arrow’s Hell; these are motorcycle club romances. Pleasant but not likely books that I’ll reread.
I am making my way through the first five volumes in the Rock Royalty series by Christie Ridgway. I was given them free in exchange for honest reviews and, well, you know me.
The premise is that there is a three man rock group called the Velvet Lemons. They live in compound in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. At some point in the past, each of the men fathered three children on some groupies. The mothers all drifted away. The fathers were lax ion their parental roles and it was sex, drugs, and rock and roll constantly. Rolling Stone dubbed the nine children (seven boys and two girls) Rock Royalty. Apparently there is going to be nine books, one telling the story of each of the children.
Some famous residents of Laurel Canyon in rock’s heyday were The Doors, which was, of course, a four man rock group. Each volume in the series is named after a Doors song.
So far I’ve read and reviewed three of them. My reviews are on Goodreads and Amazon. Each of the three I’ve read is basically the same story. Each of the Rock Royalty have issues as a result of their unorthodox upbringing and each has been visited by tragedy during their lives. Also there are hints of a possible tenth child and some mystery or tragedy with possible repressed memories. At least, that’s what seems like is going on to me.
#1) Light My Fire is the story of Ren and Cilla, two of the children who find love with each other. I hasten to add that they are in no way related to each other. Also in this book we are introduced to Guinevere Moon, who died of cancer just before the story begins. She was a groupie who made a permanent home in the compound and is the closest thing to a mother any pf the children ever knew.
I enjoyed this story.
#2 Love Her Madly is the story of Bing and Alexia. Bing has a twin brother, Brody. Bing and Brody are the rock princes. I did not enjoy this story very much because I found the writing choppy as if the author rushed to get it done.
#3 Break On Through is the story of Reed and Cleo. Reed is the youngest brother in his group of three. This story is better written than #2. Ridgway grapples with Reed’s issues in a more coherent manner than she did with Bing’s.
In each of the books, all of the Rock Royalty appear except the missing Beck and one feels as if one is getting to know then, not necessarily soley because Ridgeway is setting us up for future books, which she is, but also they have a role to play in the story at hand. Except in #2 in which the setting up was Much Too Obvious.
In each of the three books the same grammatical error appears. The Velvet Lemon are involved in “a years-long world tour.” I wince every time I see that because, of course, it should read “a year-long world tour” or “a year’s-long world tour.”
I also shudder every time I see the words “Velvet Lemon” because the image that forms in my mind is that of a lemon covered in green mold which would make it sorta velvety.
You’re welcome.
Just started Scandalous Endeavors by Amanda Mariel, the first in her Ladies and Scoundrels series. She was gracious enough to send me the 2nd book in the series, so I had to get the first one to read. I am anal about reading series in order.
For the rest of the month, I’ve read:
1. Devoted in Death by J. D. Robb. I honestly devour each installment in the Eve Dallas series, so this took a day and a bit to chomp through.
2. A Fashionable Indulgence by K. J. Charles. She is fast becoming one of my favorite historical m/m romance authors. This one was incredibly intense and wove in the issues of the day.
3. Frog Kiss by Kevin J. Anderson. A quick bit of a skewed fairy tale.
4. Cygnus Magazine, Issue 1. Some interesting speculative fiction in this collection. I’ve had this for ages on my Sony eReader from when it and Issue 2 were offered for free.
After this I’ll be moving to the next Elder Races story, Night’s Honor. I’m fast catching up on these and have loved each entry to death.
@Liz, I’ve read several Grace Burrowes books before The Duke’s Disaster but not for a while. Also, compared to the number of books she has written, I think I’ve maybe read about a fourth of her books. I haven’t had a problem with this book’s hero seeming too like the others but that may be just due to the length of time it’s been since I’ve read another book by her. I know a lot of people love her but for me, there’s maybe two books I really love by her and most of the others are decent but nothing special to me. I really should be finishing the book but instead I’m binge watching Doc Martin on Netflix which says a lot about my reading habits lately. I’m consistently putting books down to watch movies or marathon tv shows.
I’m loving Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy and reading it like the best sort of thriller. I’ve also been enjoying another book about a not well known woman; Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis, which is well written and fascinating. Its more of a traditional non-fiction book but a great look at early science.
No Dark Place by Joan Wolf is being a meh for me. There are parts of it, I enjoy, I like the characters and the story, but the writing does too much telling. Its great that she did the research but compared to how Ellis Peters wove the medieval research through it, there’s too much and then they took off their armor and saying why something can’t be. It pulls me out and I don’t know if I’m going to finish it.
Since I’m in the midst of remembering why I love Star Wars, I’m reading The Cestus Deception, a Clone Wars novel focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi that’s solid.
I read Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren after the great review here and enjoyed it. My main issue was that the characters’ changes didn’t feel fully equal and that I wanted more from the heroine was I found the hero believable and interesting. The set-up was contrived but worked.
I also read Red-Rose Chain and I love that series so much and this one makes me excited as the world is really opening up.
Next up, I have Only a Promise by Mary Balogh as I adore the Survivor’s Club books. Everyone is such a different story but they all completely work for me.
Thanks Kareni! Purchased.
While on vacation finished First Impressions by Charlie Lovett, an interesting take on Jane Austen scholarship, although a little slow.
Changed things up with Ember, the Cinderella retelling by Bettie Sharpe. Loved it! Great twists on that fairy tale and several others as well, with lots of dark magic. Will definitely look for more from this author.
Then a cozy mystery, Twisted Threads by Lea Wait. Liked the characters and the setting in Maine felt authentic, and her references to needlepoint were mostly correct! No romance at all in this one.
Finally, am slowly working my way through Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norell, which is taking forever but it’s a huge book and am savoring her period details of England during the Napoleonic wars and her take on magic.
I have read A Taste of Heaven by Penny Watson and listened to Night’s Honor by Thea Harrison, both of which I enjoyed. Also read Who Buries the Dead by C.S. Harris which I loved.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is WONDERFUL!!! I keep checking for new books by Susanna Clarke but she hasn’t published anything new in years. I am hoping that means she is writing a sequel to JSMN for reasons which will become apparent to you.
I also recommend to you her The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
Big congrats to Laura! HEA IRL 🙂
I devoured and loved “Magic Shifts,” unsurprisingly, but I also got through all the Kate Daniels ancillary novellas and “Gunmetal Magic.” I also started on another Ilona Andrews series with “On the Edge,” and loved that as well. Basically, I can’t get enough of that voice. I’m trying to pace myself before I run out of new stuff to binge from them, so I then started…
The Psy-Changeling series. Why did I resist trying this series? I have no idea, but I am legitimately hooked. I’ve read the first 7 books in the last 5 days and CANNOT STOP. This woman is playing with my feelings– Nalini has zero chill. I was ugly crying in the last hundred pages of book 7, even though the couple didn’t really work for me. “Caressed by Ice” is definitely my favorite so far (I think that’s a common choice, yes?), followed by “Branded by Fire” and “Visions of Heat.” I’m really enjoying losing myself in this series, and I’ll keep barreling ahead until the library cuts off my supply. It definitely feels like a real world with real people and real stakes, and I respect the hell out of any author who can pull that off. Highly recommended.
Looking back at this year so far, it’s been very Urban Fantasy/Paranormal heavy for me. I think my contemporary and historical taste is getting harder for me to satisfy because I’m not into heavy angst books or anything where the conflict is entirely focused on trying to just be fuck buddies.
I started a free 1 month subscription for KindleUnlimited. I have stayed up far too late reading a bunch of short stories. Mainly erotica stories that are definitely are not for those under 18 or for the faint of heart.
I also read Heart of Stone by Christine Warren. I liked it a lot. It was the first book I ever read that had a gargoyle as the Hero. I am now reading the second in book in the series, Stone Cold Lover. It is okay, but I would be further along if I wasn’t for all the short stories have been reading.
The book I am waiting for is About a Vampire by Lynsay Sands. Justin’s story at long last! One week left until it comes out. Yay! Then I have a long wait for Donte’s and Tommasso’s stories next year. Sigh.
I’m on the last five chapters of Mary Balogh’s “Only a Kiss” from the library and quite enjoying it.
Also reading Seanan McGuire’s “Rolling in the Deep” novella that combines mermaids and reality monster tv in unexpected ways. Not your average romantic “little mermaid” story, that’s for sure.
Have Theresa Romain’s “Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress” and Tessa Dare’s “When a Scot Ties a Knot” after those.