Monthly Recap

Shaken & Stirred; Sex, Straight Up; Nightcap by Kathleen O'Reilly: These were the first Blaze books I'd read in a while, mostly on the recommendation of Dear Author and the reviews and comments there. They didn't disappoint. Each brother is unique as is each heroine. I still wish Sean (Nightcap) had ended up with the realtor lady. I think the storyline in Nightcap was too big for the 55K of a Harlequin Blaze. Still, it was good. The first two books A's, the third a B.

Just Desserts by Barbara Bretton: New-to-me author one whose backlist I fully intend to explore in detail. I saw the storyline and it looked intriguing. Glad I snagged this one from the library. It was good. B+.

The Day We Met by Barbara Bretton: I enjoyed Just Desserts so much I decided to explore Ms. Bretton's backlist. I really enjoyed this story a lot. It's different and explores the many facets of the life of a cop who has a troubled past, and a divorced, single mom, who meet by chance in Atlantic City and instantly feel a connection... then when they get back to reality, it's a little harder to be together than they realized it would be and though it all fight to be together. Enjoyable storyline. B+

Pursuit by Elizabeth Jennings: The beginning of this book rocked and I was enthralled for about 2/3 of the book... then it dragged. It was as if once the H & H hooked up, that was where the book should have ended. Then, the ending? Like two pages. It felt VERY rushed, but that's probably because we had already rectified nearly everything way too early in the book. I think the first 2/3 of the book was an A, the last 1/3 a C.

Silent Run by Barbara Freethy: Well thought out romantic suspense. I like that the H & H have issues they need to resolve along the way. Freethy is also a new-to-me author and one I'm glad I found. I'm looking forward to reading the next book Silent Fall. My grade: B.

Private Pleasures by JoAnn Ross: I picked this one up by chance from the library as the storyline looked good. Holy crap! This book rocked my socks off! If you like older Sandra Brown books, you're going to LOVE this book. It isn't a suspense, but rather a contemporary, one that spans about 15-20 years, but dude, it's awesome. My Grade: A+. It's a keeper for me. It'll go right next to Sandra Brown's Mirror Image. (NOTE: I'm not sure if this part of a trilogy or connecting stories or not, but I will be looking Ms. Ross's earlier books for sure!)

Drive-by reviews, monthly recap

Absolutely no gumption for full-length reviews of late. And it is NOT for lack of fabulous reads. Just busy.

In March and April, I managed to read a handful of titles that were aging on my TBR list. I think A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole lingered on my TBR list for two years. Another multi-year entry was Allison Brennan’s The Prey. Lisa Kleypas’ Mine Till Midnight languished for a year and a half and both Mine To Possess by Nalini Singh and Ice Storm by Anne Stuart came close to lapping this year’s follow-up releases.

The not-so-old releases included Virgin River by Robyn Carr—a book I saw on more than one best-of-2007 list—and Blue-eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. Still, I am as far from the bleeding edge as I’ve ever been. LOL

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole – Wow. Just wow. There is an intensity in paranormal romance—in both characterization and circumstance—that I rarely find elsewhere. I can think of a few historicals that wield the same grip—Lord of Scoundrels, Dreaming of You, The Spymaster's Lady. Contemporary romance? Maybe one of Linda Howard’s darker books, like All The Queen’s Men, or an early Robb installment, back when Roarke’s need for Eve overpowered all else. In all of these titles, I found deeply compelling characters, men and women barely holding on to conscious choice in the face of overwhelming desire and need. Paranormals offer a wider selection of such characters obviously, because that formula picks fate over choice every chance it gets. But man, when an author gets it right, wow. Cole’s Lachlain is more a force than a being. Heroine aside, everyone else (particularly the reader) travels along in his wake. He definitely fell in the more-man-than-I-could-handle bin, but I enjoyed his magnetism nonetheless. Although not as intense, Emmaline was compelling in her own right. Cole did a fabulous job of balancing these two--giving us Lachlain’s pain right upfront while holding Emmaline’s story back. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Compelling, compelling, compelling. No other word fits like this one does. Loved it. Just finished No Rest For The Wicked and loved it just as much.

The Prey by Allison Brennan – Page-turner. More for its suspense elements than for its romance, but that is not a drawback for me. I really enjoy suspense. As my first Brennan book however, this was a close call. The set-up of the first brother as potential love interest, overshadowing him with his Delta Force brother, then killing him didn’t work for me. Took away from the story and left me wondering if Brennan was going to butcher her suspense tales with botched romance attempts. Having started The Hunt, I’m reasonably assured this won’t happen and look forward to more page-turning suspense in that smooth, economical writing style.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas – Early complaints that Kleypas pulled a bait-and-switch here—not giving Cam his pre-baited heroine Daisy—were responsible for my delay in reading this one. I think. At any rate, none of that mattered once I started reading. This was classic historical Kleypas, wholly captivating and very, very satisfying.

Mine To Possess by Nalini Singh – I love Singh’s Psy-Changeling books. No question. But this was the first one to grip me on page ONE. Literally, I was pulled under instantly. And no, before this, I hadn’t paid much attention to Clay. As a secondary in earlier books, he never really stood out to me. But man, Singh set his story up and hooked me before I could blink.

Ice Storm by Anne Stuart – Fabulous. There hasn’t been an entry in this series that I haven’t loved.

Virgin River by Robyn Carr – I don’t think I qualify as a true contemporary romance fan. I need suspense with my present-day romance and the inherent period confines/conflicts in my historical romances. Somehow, I’m rarely moved by stories of men and women just working it out as they go about their daily lives. Virgin River was good. But its remote setting, military-cum-mountain man and emotionally vulnerable heroine didn’t set off any sparks for me. They did hold my interest, but they didn’t involve me. Not sure whether I’ll continue on in the series. If I do, it will be for Carr’s clean prose and storytelling pace.

Blue-eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas – A disappointment. It lacked maturity and depth, IMO. And its first person narrative fell considerably short of pulling me headlong into the story. I think Kleypas handled the issue of spousal abuse with honesty and care, but those moments of real connection with her heroine (the story’s narrator) were short-lived—her short attention span and stereotyped relationships with family, friends and coworkers inevitably bounced me out of the story. I haven’t read Sugar Daddy. Should I?

I also read:

River Road by JoAnn Ross – Good romantic suspense—heavy on the romance. Not an author meticulously documented or tracked on my TBR list, but one I keep an eye out for at paperback swaps and UBS. I should probably step her up to my lists to ensure I get through her backlist and receive alerts to any new releases.

The Second Time Around by Marie Ferrarella – Contemporary and category. Definitely stepping outside of normal for me, but it was a unique, interesting and humor-filled read. I enjoyed myself, a lot. Thank you Anne for the rec!

Abandon by Carla Neggers – A completely random (romantic suspense) selection from my library’s paperback swap shelf. Excellent read and a new-to-me author I can begin tracking ruthlessly. LOL

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich was good in the usual way—kind of like having lunch with girlfriends you haven’t seen in awhile.

Dangerous Games by Lora Leigh was what I expected it to be. I thought her August brothers series ground-breaking, but couldn’t get into her Breed series. Talking to Leigh fans, these are the two series to read. Unfortunately, the titles I’ve tried since Leigh’s move from Ellora’s Cave have all felt formulaic--sure, it’s Leigh’s formula, but still repetitive. This one was no different. Still, I enjoyed it for what it was. In the same month, I picked up Cheyenne McCrays’ Chosen Prey and Shiloh Walker’s Hunting The Hunter. DNFs, both of them.

And finally, I read Deadly Game by Christine Feehan. As I read it out of order, I was a bit lost—particularly at the beginning. But once on my way, I couldn’t put it down—not even long enough to go back to the beginning of the series and catch up. I’m doing that now. This is another paranormal series (Ghostwalkers) that I’ve heard mentioned over the last couple of years and wish now that I’d listened more carefully. Good stuff.

A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith

A Connecticut heiress.
A Florida cowboy.
His heart. Her secret.
And the very special family
she has come home to find.


When this book was recommended to me by both Linda and Jennifer, I was like, "It's first person." I rarely do first person. But the raves kept coming so I said, "What the hell. Why not?" and got the book from my library. Boy, oh boy, am I glad I did!

A Gentle Rain isn't your normal book. You won't find Navy SEALs, serial killers, or drug dealers. You won't find wannabe gangsta vampires (stab me in the eye with a flaming hot poker!). You won't find billionaires whose secretaries are secretly having their babies. You won't even find hot, steamy sex. No, with A Gentle Rain you find so much more. Between the covers of this book you will find emotion, acceptance, and forgiveness. You will find uneducated and "simple" human beings who are so much more than they look to be. You will find a woman searching for her "identity" and finding exactly what she needed.

Deborah Smith's A Gentle Rain will teach you "a lesson in humility" (that's a quote from Jennifer B). It's an amazing story that touched my heart from the get go. On page 5, I fell in love with Ben. Here's the reason why.

I walked toward the second door. "Don't you go in there, boy," the nurse called. "You don't want to see that poor little ugly baby."

"He's my brother, lady, and you shut the hell up."

I'd never spoken to a woman like that before. I'd been raised right. But I'd never been the big brother of a feeble-hearted idiot before, either. Shame and pride fought it out inside me. I started defending my baby bubba from the first, even when I wished he'd never been born. I went into his room.

He was wrapped in tight sheets inside a small metal crib with a see-through dome. An oxygen tank fed air into it, hissing like a snake. I clutched the crib's side, swallowed my bile, and slowly, squinting in fear, peered down at him. He looked back, or tried to, as best as any baby can focus.

His head was too big, and his face was flat. His eyes slanted like the eyes of a Chinese boy I'd seen at a rodeo in Tallahassee. He was scrawny. His skin had a weird blue tint.

But he wasn't ugly. He had mine and Pa's black Seminole hair. He had Ma's cute, brunette-white-girl nose. He had my serious look on his face. And he smiled. He smiled at me.

I put my forehead against the clear dome that separated him from me, and I cried. It was the first and last time I'd let him see me shed tears over him. That's when I realized it: He's a Cracker horse. I have to see him as special, and that means worth saving.

Pa came in eventually, looked the baby over without a word, then finally spread one big, callused hand on the crib's dome. He put the other hand on my shoulder. I felt a tremor in it. "What d'ya think, Ben?"

"He's a Cracker," I whispered hoarsely. "If we don't give him a chance to prove hisself, who's gonna?"

Pa squeezed my shoulder. "Then we're agreed. Your Mama'll be proud of you. Proud of us both. She loves him."

"Then so do we, " I said.

Ben was nine years old at the time and he was amazing. He's this young and this accepting. This young and could see his brother for something more than the "retard" the doctors and nurses were calling him. And he loved and accepted him just as he was. Imagine, nine years old and capable of this, imagine how much more amazing he is as an adult. While Ben is uneducated, he's extremely intelligent. The beginning of the book had me teetering on the edge of reading on and putting it aside, I couldn't decide. But it was Ben and his compassion and Kara and her plight that had me continuing on.

Read the book. You won't be sorry.

A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith

Linda asked me to comment on this book, but I could not limit my reaction to just a few words…

Title: A Gentle Rain
Author: Deborah Smith

Type: Per the spine label, Romance.

Copyright: 2007

Why: If memory serves, there was blogger buzz one or two years back for Smith’s The Crossroads Café. I added it to my TBR list, made a mental note of the author and ultimately picked up another of her titles first. That book was Sweet Hush and, looking back over the blog, it looks like I never got around to reviewing it. A shame, since it was a fab read. As was The Crossroads Café (reviewed by Linda).

A Gentle Rain is Smith’s 2007 release. It went on my list prior to its release date, but I’ve just now gotten to it. In the future, I’ll try to remember the punch Smith packs and pick up her new releases sooner. Like the day of.

Comments: In a review awhile back, I mentioned being unable to remember anything else about a book but its characters. Voice, pace, plot—all were so entwined with characterization that I couldn’t separate any one thing out. Same here. A Gentle Rain was simply time spent in the company of extraordinary characters.

Written in first person, narrated alternately by Karen and Ben, this book put me ‘there’, in the scene, with seamless ease. Through that narration, Smith slows reader heartbeat, soothes and cajoles us into the gentle, simple life found at Thocco Ranch. Masterfully, we are immersed in not only the story’s details, but also its sensations. And despite the weighty issues—social and emotional—and the Florida heat, the sensation is not an oppressive one. There is a simplicity both lived and acknowledged in this story. We experience it firsthand in the patient love Ben and Karen show Thocco’s mentally handicapped ranch hands. And again and again in the actions and words of those ranch hands, related to the reader through Smith’s affected narrators. It’s magic—that weave of spirit, condition, and manner that carries the reader along through the story. You feel it, experience it—rather than watch.

Smith’s voice and her first person narratives give us very rich characters in Karen and Ben. Humor and quirks abound. These two will give you a bellyache for the laughs. They also serve as wonderful examples of the power of personality. It shines in both, pulling us deep, well beyond appearance and even motivation. Both are a joy to know, flaws and all.

The ranch hands? Real, just very, very real. Like Karen and Ben, you’ll find yourself cheering for them, while all along it is they who are building up your own character. These folks, and the crazy ass horse they adopt, carry the story with a power that matches that of Karen and Ben. Within them all, there is humor and loss, balanced beautifully against a penchant for simply living and a reminder to appreciate all of it. Just as Linda said, it is meant to be savored. I lost count of the number of times I paused to reflect on the profound or ride the endorphin wave after each belly laugh.

Fabulous read.

Thin Ice by Liana Laverentz

This is a contemporary romance about a doctor and a hockey player.  Liana contacted me via the Lori Foster Weekend group and asked me to review it.  I've never been asked personally by an author to do this and I felt hesitant but finally agreed.  Boy am I glad.  

This is one of the most powerful and heartwarming books I've read, ever.  Both Eric and Emily had serious emotional hang-ups which directly impacted on the other's weaknesses.  There were moments when my heart was pumping furiously because the drama of the scene was so well written I really felt what the characters were feeling.  There were also some moments that made me laugh out loud they were so amusingly spot on.  I suspect Liana is a hockey fan and if she's not, she knows someone really well who is.  She captured some scenes during a couple of hockey games so well that I could see it happening.

I hesitate giving a recap of the story because it's important to discover the layers of Eric and Emily as they reveal them to each other. This is about a developing relationship.  There were many times when either Eric or Emily would choose not to discuss the situation with the other and make a decision that wasn't really in their best interest.  Just as I would be ready to throw the book against the wall and scream "NO", the reason given for the decision made so much sense I would just sigh and go with it.  Plus Eric and Emily are beautifully drawn, three-dimensional characters about whom I came to care a great deal.  

This is a story about the impact of abuse - physical, mental and emotional.  But it is also a signal lesson on the importance of communication.  Every time there's a misunderstanding it's because they kept secrets and didn't talk with one another.  I know this is a standard in romance, but for some reason it felt like a major influence in Thin Ice.  

Well, I'm off to buy her other book, Jake's Return.  Liana Laverentz has a new fan girl.  Oh, and Thin Ice was 2008 Eppie winner for Best Contemporary Romance.

Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

In the first three books of this series, teachers from Miss Martin's School for Girls find true love.  In each book we see Miss Claudia Martin as "the older woman" who is their dear friend and supporter.  She encourages them in finding their paths to happiness.  We catch glimpses of her conflict with the aristocracy and we suspect that the anonymous benefactor of the school might be her greatest nemesis.

In Simply Perfect,  Miss Martin finally gets her HEA! Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough, shows up unexpectedly at the school to escort Miss Martin and two of her students to London. Before they leave he asks for a tour of the school and charms everyone. In an amusing refrain after he visits each room, Miss Martin thinks to herself that everyone was "gazing worshipfully at him" and you can tell she's not happy about it.   What she doesn't know is that he has an illigitimate daughter who is blind and he is thinking of her welfare when he talks with Miss Martin about education.

A year or so ago I read Simply Love (second in this series) and was delighted with the unusual characters. At times it was confusing because people were mentioned who obviously had backstories of which I was totally ignorant.  When I read that Simply Perfect had come out, I knew I needed to read the other books in the series before I attempted it. So this week I read Simply Unforgettable, Simply Magic and Simply Perfect. Whew! Balogh marathon!

I'm glad I read these books before Simply Perfect because everyone shows up in this story, including all the aristocracy from previous books which I haven't read. Amazingly, their characters came through quite clearly and this almost felt like Ms. Balogh was finished with these people and their world. Except Lizzie, Joseph's daughter, is so lovingly depicted I wonder if we'll get her story next.

Although Ms. Balogh's voice is consistent, I was impressed with how different she made her H/h in each story.  Each was clearly drawn, especially the men.  I'd recommend every one of these books.  Although Simply Love can be read before Simply Unforgettable they should both be read before Simply Magic.  And since Perfect is probably the culmination of the series,  the others should be read first.  Not that this should be considered a hardship. LOL

I LOVED THESE BOOKS.

A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith

Deb Smith has written another winner about the South, this time it’s about Florida Crackers. Although there is a romantic aspect to this story it really is about a group of misfits on a ranch in Florida.

Ben Thocco is part Seminole and owns a cattle ranch in Florida. His little brother, Joey, has Down’s Syndrome and is dying from a heart problem but Ben has taken care of him from the moment Joey was born. All of Ben’s ranch hands are mentally challenged in some way or another, but he’s managed to find jobs for them that suit their talents.

Kara Whittenbrook was adopted by a couple of rich environmentalists who raised her in Brazil. When they died she learned she wasn’t their natural daughter and set out to find her birth parents. She finds them at the Thocco Ranch.

The story is narrated by both Ben and Kara. Sometimes it goes for pages from one point of view and at other times there’s a quick transition. Only occasionally did I get confused as to who was telling the story.

The book’s title comes from Ben’s description to Kara of how his ranch-hands see him. “Look how they put up with me. I ain’t the fastest hoss in the race, or the most lovable, but they find excuses to like me anyhow. That’s what really makes ‘em special. Most people look at a leaky soul and see nothing but trickles of good intentions fallin’ on bone-dry earth. But these folks? They see a gentle rain.”

I found myself wanting to savor this book in a way I rarely do. The descriptions of the land, the people, the animals were so lovingly drawn, I wanted to take my time. Normally I tend to skip the descriptions and just hit the highlights skimming the paragraphs, but not with A Gentle Rain. And I enjoyed the slang, uneducated language of Ben contrasted with the overeducated, Yale graduate, Northern heiress phrasing of Kara’s.

I hope Jennifer will add her comments when she finishes reading it.

Little reviews

In lieu of full-blown reviews, here are some thoughts on the non-Highlander books I’ve read since January.

Claiming The Courtesan by Anna Campbell
Blogger buzz and controversy led me to this title. Long after the group discussion, I have to agree with most, the rape put me ill at ease and despite the emotional depth of both hero and heroine, this violence and its aftermath permeated the rest of the story. It was a well-told story, emotionally complex and challenging. But the darkness never truly lifted. And I’m not suggesting that it should have. It was a powerful story as written and any argument about genre classification or HEA authenticity wouldn’t convince me to forego this one. Didn’t obviously. Not a Wow read for me, but an affecting one nonetheless.

Scent Of Darkness and Touch Of Darkness by Christina Dodd
I mention these titles because I wanted to comment on world building. Jane at DA brought it up yesterday, and it called to mind this series. Jane asked if we were getting pickier when it comes to the level of world building in paranormals and fantasy. I’d say yes, given the overwhelming number of titles to choose from and the benchmarks set by the likes of Liu and Singh. Take these Dodd titles for example. I liked them, but would simply call them ‘ok’. Nothing that stands out, but in essence, they are well written, with three-dimensional characters occupying interesting worlds and forms. All the right elements, but no grab. Could hinge on the complexity of the world. Singh’s Psy-Changeling world has much, much more in play than Dodd’s tale of cursed shape-shifter siblings. It may also hinge on the degree of HEA impossibility, for lack of a better phrase. Both Singh and Liu (for example’s sake) give us circumstances bound to prevent a coupling. And not just external circumstances, but mechanisms and experiences internal to each character that render their HEA harder won. In Dodd’s world, an interesting one like I said, the obstacles still lack punch. They are old-fashioned even—can a human love another who takes animal form? If yes, can they overcome said animal’s curse? Seems to me we need more now, like we’ve already—as readers—discovered that yes, we can love a hero that shifts. So, for Dodd’s titles, they were decent reads. But I’m not sure I’ll keep going when I have so many others in the stack.

Cutting Loose by Tara Janzen
I loved this one. Flat out loved it. I will always, always go back to Janzen for more. Had I the gumption back when I finished it, I could have gushed up a full-length review. Looking back on it in my book log however, all I can say is that I loved every single minute of it. Can’t single any one thing or character out. All good. Looking at her website today, I see mention of Loose and Easy, and Loose Change. No word on when, but I’ll be ready and waiting.

And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke
Blogger buzz led me to this title as well. But honestly, sitting here recapping my reads, I couldn’t remember a thing said about it and I couldn’t recall a single detail about the book. After looking it up online, I remember the story. But that’s it. Don’t recall my immediate reaction or feeling, or anything in particular about Guhrke’s telling. Looks like she has more titles than I expected. Maybe I thought her a new author based on the buzz. No telling. Given that I read a lot less now, I’m not inclined to search out any more of her titles. Again, too many others to choose from right now.

Tempted by Megan Hart
This is another book worthy of a full-length, thoughtful review. I was simply never able to find the words. Loved it, as I have Hart’s previous titles. Was moved, touched by the struggle Anne found in loving more than one. Powerful stuff. And really, I can’t share my thoughts on any of it in just a short space. Maybe I’ll get to the whole review after a reread.

The Mad, Bad Duke by Jennifer Ashley
I loved, loved, loved the Captain Lacey mysteries Jennifer Ashley penned under the name of Ashley Gardner. This was my first romance by her and she did not disappoint. Surprised me though. I was unaware that The Mad, Bad Duke was a paranormal. Not a secret I’m sure, just something I failed to notice when selecting the book. I picked it for no other reason than the fact that she wrote it. So, paranormal elements aside, Ashley’s voice captivated; different than the Lacey series as those were written in first person, but equally good—tight, clean prose. That was what I was looking for—the writing style and skill I found in those first books. The paranormal elements—shape-shifting, spells, etc.—were interesting, particularly in a historical setting, and the romance was both moving and spicy. I’d easily recommend Ashley’s books to those who like paranormals. I also plan to go back and pick the book I believe comes before this one, before moving on to her Highlander titles.

Strangers In Death by J.D. Robb

Like coming home. Always.