Typical Business Trip... 9 books read... the first 4 now

So, here's another post summarizing a bunch of books. This time, it's because I was on a business trip in Chicago, and it was about 5 degrees outside. Really frickin' cold for my poor little SoCal bones! What else is there to do but sit in your hotel room and read? I read 9 books on my trip, but I'll only put up the first 4 now, and then the second 4 later in the week, otherwise this will be soooo long! The last one, Kiss Me While I Sleep will get its very own post, so stay tuned for that.

The Stranger I Married - Sylvia Day
Oh my god, I love this cover. He totally makes me drool. He could do me anytime. Oh yeah, and I really liked the book, too. I loved the interaction between the H&H. Loved the storyline and the characters. I could have done without the excessive use of the "c" word. (Ok, now y'all know which book prompted that post - but don't let it stop you from reading the book! It's terrific.) Sylvia Day told me that she read a book (whose title & author shall remain nameless - I don't want to get anyone in hot water) about a married Hero & Heroine who lived separately, and the hero went off and had his affairs while the heroine kind of languished about. And she thought, "That's not fair! I could write that way better for that poor heroine!" So she did. The H&H are married and each go about their own "business" until the hero decides to come back and be a husband to his wife. Great idea for a book! And it works. I really liked it! (Minus the whole "c" controversy. *g*). I think her writing gets better with each book. The characters are both deeper here than in Ask For It (and I enjoyed that more than a lot of others did). The book has a more mature feel to it. If only I could convince her not to have a husband call his wife's hoo-hah a you-know-what. *snort*

Forget Me Not - Marliss Melton
Melton claims on her web site to idolize Suzanne Brockmann (who doesn't?), and reading her book, you can see that. She still has a way to go, but this SEAL story has all the elements... arcing storyline, secondary love story building, action (although not quite as much here simply because of the nature of the plot, I imagine). This one is about a SEAL who was taken and held because he was betrayed by a teammate. The ultimate betrayal. His wife believes him dead. He comes back and they have to try to repair their piss-poor marriage. Turns out he was holding out on her because he thought if he gave in to his love for her, he'd lose his edge as a SEAL. Of course, she just thought he didn't love her. Add in a teenage daughter, selective amnesia, and a nervous teammate (afraid that he will get his memory back) and it has all the makings of high drama. Little inconsistencies bothered me, though. I will definitely read more Melton books, however, as I imagine she will get better with each book.


Summer Lovin' - Carly Phillips
Typical Phillips read. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't run anyone over in the store to get it. It's the second book in the Costas series. This one's about Zoe, Arianna's sister. Good no-brainer, fluffy, fun read. Holds true to its name. A real summer read. Take it to the beach. Read it at the pool. But it delivers in true Phillips fashion. Like a Snickers bar. It satisfies.





A Little Bit Wicked - Victoria Alexander
This is the first in a new series. Don't know if this series has a real title, but I've seen it referred to as "Last Man Standing" and the "Gentleman's Wager" series. I immediately thought of Stephanie Laurens' Bastion Club series when I read the premise. 4 aristocrats wager on who will be the last of them to hold off marriage. The bet is 1 shilling and a bottle of whiskey. This first one is pretty good. The H&H immediately embark on an affair, and he is the one who determines that he is in love first. She, having had a bad ending to her first marriage (as did he), is determined never to get married again. I liked Gideon a lot. He is fun, witty, self-depracating, and an all around good guy. The interesting twist is that he isn't the one running from the whole love thing, although on the surface, he would appear to have more reason to do so. I could have done without Judith's S-I-L, but she did hold the key to opening Judith's heart to Gideon, so I suppose she had to stick around. The ending left me a tad dissatisfied, which is a shame, because I enjoyed the rest of the book.