Drive-bys

Quick run through of titles read the past couple weeks:

I’ve read too many books to sit down and review a single one – I can’t seem to put enough thoughts together for a long review, but can say definitively which I loved, liked, and were meh reads.

One Week as Lovers by Victoria Dahl: In a word – wow. Loved this book. Nick was an amazing hero. Wounded emotionally; and even at the end, he wasn’t completely healed, but you just knew he wanted to be healed by Cynthia. Cyn was the perfect mate for him. She wasn’t fooled by his devil-may-care happy attitude, even though it’s who she knew growing up. She saw beneath the external charm to the wounded teenage boy beneath and wasn’t put off by him. Loved him unconditionally. I loved that their money situation wasn’t miraculously fixed at the end, either. Just a fantastic read. I must pick up its predecessor, A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure.

Daring Time by Beth Kery: Another wonderfully sensual read from Kery. Brave in its ideas of the potential for reincarnation and not just time travel, but travel across the time-space continuum. Abandon your sense of science and need for logic, and open yourself up to the grand potential of the unknown, and this love story is fabulous. Throw in Kery’s rich sensual D/s love scenes, and this is a great book. Given everything I know of Sweet Restraint, though, I believe I’m going to pass on it and wait for the next one.

Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl: This was a very cute read. Definitely doesn’t have the depth that her historical did, but I still really, really enjoyed it. Molly and Ben were terrific. Great banter. Wonderful connection between the hero and heroine. And I loved the scenes with Molly, Lori, and Helen – it’s always wonderful to see strong friendships among women.

Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl: I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Talk Me Down. Although all the elements were there, I never truly felt the real love connection between Lori and Quinn. The witty banter was there, the friendships were there, but I think that the nature of each of the loner personalities of Lori and Quinn perhaps made it more difficult for me to connect. Or perhaps, I just didn’t care for it as much *shrugging*.

The Club by Sharon Page: Ok. Interesting premise. I’ve read hundreds of historicals that have had “clubs” that have shown the seedy side of the ton, but never have I read one where a club so outlandishly celebrated orgies among married couples. Yet at the same time seemed to objectify and victimize the very women that theoretically chose to participate. At the heart of this book is a widow who was so mistreated by her husband and a man who is hiding some terrible secrets from his family. Together, they are trying to find his sister, who has vanished from this club. Parts were very good, and parts were tremendously clichéd, and I admit that I guessed the bad guy long before it was revealed. Where this book excelled was when it focused on the relationship between the hero and heroine. I would read another from Page if I thought it would narrow the focus more onto the main couple.

Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare: Absolutely loved this one. I loved watching Lucy grow up from practically demanding that Toby was the man for her, to desperately loving Jeremy. Jeremy was an absolutely fantastic hero. Loved him from head to toe. I’ve heard other reviewers criticize Lucy’s character for perseverating on wanting to capture Toby, but I didn’t feel that at all. She grew and acknowledged her feelings for Jeremy, and clung to Toby as a defense mechanism. Dare’s writing is beautiful, her prose breathtaking. And can the woman write a love scene. Wardrobe, anyone? Cannot wait to read the 2nd in this series – Surrender of a Siren.