An Unexpected Blessing

MERRILLEE WHREN

Dori Morales has been caring for her infant nephew, Jacob, since her sister and her husband were killed in a tragic accident. Dori was very close to her sister, and Tyler had been loved by everyone in her family.

Tyler had been estranged from his father and his half brother for many years. Unbeknownst to Dori, he had recently contacted his brother in an attempt at reconciliation, and had named Chase as the executor of his will. Chase wants to be involved in Jacob's life, and while Dori resents his suddenly being around when he didn't even come to Tyler and Marisa's funeral, she is forced to work with him as he begins going through the estate papers and financial records. In the meantime, Tyler's father, Warren Chase, who disapproved of his son's marriage to Marisa, wants custody of his grandson and threatens to challenge Dori's plan to adopt the child.

Dori is a likeable character, a young woman suddenly thrust into the role of full time single mother. She is still grieving for Marisa and Tyler. She is living in their home with Jacob, but she never goes into the master bedroom and doesn't want to get rid of any of their personal belongings.

Chase is also grieving for his brother and the years they lost with each other. As the illegitimate son of Warren, who never even gave Chase his last name, he's spent most of his life trying to gain his father's love and approval. He never wanted to be estranged from Tyler, but when Tyler insisted he choose between him or their father, Chase resented his brother for forcing that decision on him, and chose his father. He has no desire to take Jacob away from Dori, he just wants to be allowed to be a part of his nephew's life. And when Warren announces his plan to fight for custody, Chase realizes a marriage to Dori and joining her in her adoption plan would be the best route to take for Jacob. Once the adoption is finalized, the marriage can be annulled, but he can still be Jacob's father.

The overall theme of this Love Inspired romance is forgiveness and letting go of the past. It's a struggle that Dori, Chase, and even Warren must all deal with. I'd never heard of this author before, and while I didn't love this enough to seek out her other books, it was a solid, enjoyable story, with a few tear inducing scenes.

(I purchased this book at a library book sale.)

Tempest In Eden

SANDRA BROWN

Sandra Brown has long been one of my favorite authors, though more so for her mystery/thrillers than her straight romances. According to the author’s note, this book was originally published under her first pen name, Rachel Ryan, which promptly sent me to Fantastic Fiction to see what else had been published under that name in case I’ve missed something. (Only five books listed, all of which I believe I’ve either read or have waiting to be read.)

This one was a little different, in that the hero and heroine seem very incompatible at first. Shay Morgan works in a gallery, and models part time for various artists, in the nude. Nothing tawdry, nothing you’d see in the pages of a girly magazine, but sculptures and actual works of art. Oftentimes her face is not even used, just her body, or a part of her body. She’s very proud of her portfolio and feels no shame or regret in what she does.

Her mother remarries, and invites Shay to join her and her new husband at his cabin for a weekend. She doesn’t realize that she now has a new stepbrother, until she is wandering through the supposedly empty house and sees him stepping out of the shower. And then she finds out he is a minster.

I read a lot of Love Inspired books, so a romance featuring a minster or the like is not unusual for me to come across. But Shay’s life is so different from the usual heroine in those books, that their differing occupations seemed to me to be an insurmountable obstacle. Of course it all works out in the end, but it left me wondering how it would have played out in real life. Could it actually work out like this book did? I can’t imagine falling in love with a minister, or being a minister’s wife. I’m not a religious person. I don’t go to church, I don’t pray. I’ve gotten hooked on the Love Inspired books, but I don’t feel something missing in my life or that I’m searching for something. I just enjoy the stories. Shay’s religious background and beliefs were touched on only briefly, and I guess that’s what I felt was lacking in this story. They are supposed to be such disparate people, and yet she actually blended into his life and church quite easily and seamlessly. The adjustment would have been much harder for me, and I’m not sure that it would have even been successful. That conflict could have definitely been expanded on.

On the other hand, this was originally published as a “genre romance” as the author’s note puts it, so a light, enjoyable read it should be, and at that it excels. Sandra Brown never disappoints.

(I received this book through BookCrossing.)

Flowers In The Attic

V.C. ANDREWS

My sister and our friends and I all devoured these books when they were first published, which has been eons ago. Despite the many years that have passed, the story was still pretty fresh in my mind when I picked it up to reread, and I kept anticipating scenes coming up.

Our narrator is Cathy, age twelve when the story begins. Her brother Christopher is fourteen, and the twins, Carrie and Corrie, are five. They live a happy, idyllic life with their beloved parents. Then one day their lives are shattered when their father is killed in a car accident.

Corinne, their mother, takes them to her childhood home, where she has told them they are going to live with her parents. However, when she was young, she angered her father, and he disowned her. Now she must ingratiate herself to him to earn his forgiveness and get him to love her again, and put her back in his will. He is very ill and will die any day now. She tells her children this is their only hope for the future, as she has no skills and cannot possibly support them on her own.

When they arrive in the dead of night, their grandmother meets them and ushers them quickly through the house to a room on the top floor, where the children find themselves locked in and left alone. Thus begins their lives as the Flowers in the Attic. The grandmother brings them food every morning. Their mother visits often, bringing gifts and telling them stories about her exploits in secretarial school, and her attempts to get her grandfather to love her again. Then she comes less often. The children, especially Cathy and Chris, grow older, begin to mature into young adults. Sexually aware young adults.

The book is a compelling and quick read, and was much better written than I expected or remembered. Twisted, incestuous, and yet highly enjoyable.

(I received this book through BookCrossing).

Incubus Dreams (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 12

LAURELL K. HAMILTON

It took me a little over a month to read this 722 page book. That’s because I set it aside more than once to read something else. Then I made it my bedtime read, and read other books during the day. I just couldn’t take much of this book at one time. In fact, I considered not finishing it a couple of times.

When I first started this series, I was very enamored of it. Edward, the assassin, quickly became my favorite character, though he wasn’t in every book. I was never in love with the Master Vampire, Jean-Claude, but I just personally don’t see the appeal of a man who is pasty white, has long girly hair and wears frilly clothing. So when Richard, the Werewolf, came into the books, I was glad to meet him. Unfortunately, he became a little tiring.

I’d been hearing/reading that as the books went along the sex was amped up, and by the time I got through Blue Moon, the eighth book, I could definitely see that. But sex in books doesn’t bother me and I didn't mind.

And then came book 9, Obsidian Butterfly, in which Edward was involved in a major part of the storyline, and I particularly enjoyed that entry in the series. My journal entry at that time:

In this book, Edward calls in his favor from Anita and she travels to Arizona to assist him in investigating a series of mutilation murders. We get some insight into Edward's character and a glimpse at his long-buried human side! Jean-Claude only makes one brief appearance in this book, and Richard doesn't appear at all other than in conversation. And quite frankly, I did not miss either one of them! Terrible, I know, since Jean-Claude especially is such a central character, but I've never much cared for him or their relationship. In Arizona, Anita meets another of Edward's occasional back-ups, Olaf, who is a cold-blooded serial murderer who starts out hating Anita but comes to respect her in a creepy way, and I suspect that he will show up later in the series as well. An interesting character.

Then came Narcissus in Chains, and it seemed like it was nothing but sex, violence and gore. Micah was a nice addition, I decided I liked him better than Jean-Claude or Richard. But the magic was gone, and the next book, Cerulean Sins, just dragged. It was the first one I’d read where I wanted it to end sooner rather than later.

So that brings us to Incubus Dreams. Anita is called on to investigate when a stripper is found dead, the victim of several vampires who appear to be on a serial spree. But that storyline is really in the background. Up front and center is the “ardeur”, which despite having read every book I seriously cannot even begin to explain or understand completely. Basically Anita is becoming less human and more supernatural herself, and the beast within her must be fed.

Anita’s sexual partners start piling up in this book. Seriously, the first 200 pages were like one long extended sex scene. I don’t think in the entire book there were hardly more than five pages in a row that did not have a sex scene. In addition to Jean-Claude, Richard, and Micah, we now have Damian, and Nathanial. And some other random characters who’s names I don’t even remember who fill in when the ardeur must be fed and the others aren’t available. I’m ok with sex in a book, but I want some story around the sex. Not just a bunch of sex scenes loosely linked. That serial killer storyline probably only took up less than a quarter of the book.

Am I done with Anita Blake? I don’t know. I have the next three books. My understanding is that Edward does not make another appearance until Skin Trade, which comes after those three and which I don’t have. I may continue with the series, but not for awhile.

(I purchased this book new at Walmart.)

Spreading Fires

JOHN KNOWLES

First line: Neville came with the house.

Many years ago my daughter read A Separate Peace, by this same author at school, and wanted to read more by him, so I got this book for her. I don't what she thought of it, or if she ever even actually read it. Now that I've read it myself I realize it's not a Young Adult book, and she was only 13 at the time I received it for her. I think I had just assumed this author's books were written for teens.

Anyway, that aside, I just finished reading this myself today. In the beginning it was ok. Brendan Lucas has rented a villa while on vacation, and is to be joined there by his sister, her fiance who is also his best friend, his mother, and the fiance's sister. Neville, the cook who came with the house, is a very odd duck.
The book read smoothly but the story pretty much slid right out of my mind when I put the book down. Neville's behaviour becomes more and more erratic, and the last third of the book did turn out to be pretty gripping.

(I received this book through BookCrossing.)

Dance With The Devil (Dark-Hunters, Book 3)

SHERRILYN KENYON

I think this might be my favorite book in the Dark-Hunter series now. This series seems to get better with each book, but this one was fantastic.

We met Zarek in the previous book, “the most dangerous of all the Dark-Hunters”. In his human life he was a Roman slave, and as a Dark-Hunter he was exiled to Alaska after going rogue and killing the people he was supposed to be protecting.

Astrid is a goddess and a judge, who in her hundreds of years career has yet to find anyone innocent. Artemis wants Zarek killed, but Acheron convinces her to allow Astrid to judge him.

So Astrid, with her sight taken away to keep her impartial, and her wolf companion, Sasha, are set up in a house in Alaska, where Zarek ends up after being wounded in a fight, and unable to leave due to a ferocious blizzard. He doesn’t  know who Astrid is, he thinks she’s just some rich blind woman with a pet wolf who dragged him into her home after finding him unconscious in the snow.

Dance with the Devil is just packed with emotions. Of course all the Dark-Hunters have suffered in their lifetimes, it’s part of what makes them a Dark-Hunter. But Zarek’s childhood was just horrendous, and my heart broke for him again and again.

The secondary characters are enjoyable as well. Sasha, the wolf, and Astrid can speak to each other telepathically, and his smart ass comments about Zarek, whom he hates from the minute he sees him, often made me laugh. And we also meet Simi, an adolescent demon creature who belongs to Acheron and calls him her daddy. She provided much comic relief as well.

I only had one issue with this book, and it’s a small one but it bugged me nonetheless. In Chapter 5, on one page it said:

He could kill her and neither she nor Sasha would see him coming.

On the very next page it said:

Because she was immortal, he couldn’t kill her, but he could hurt her.

I don’t like contradictions, I want consistency.

But I absolutely loved this book, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.

(I received this book through BookCrossing.)

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

C.S. LEWIS

 What a delightful little book! I've read several reviews where the reviewer complained about the overt hit-you-over-the-head religious message hammered into your brain, but I totally did not get that. I'm not a very religious person, so maybe I'm just clueless. But I very much enjoyed the story, and even the writing. I have the entire series (I think, it ends with book 7, right?) and look forward to them all.

And I'll admit, reading this made me want to see the movie again.

(I received this book through BookCrossing.)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

I can't say that I understand why this is a classic, as I barely got through it. I guess it just isn't for me.

(I purchased this book at a library book sale.)

Hearts in the Crosshairs

SUSAN PAGE DAVIS

I almost put this Love Inspired Suspense down unfinished. I found it a little boring, and not very suspenseful, at least until the very end. Part of it may be that I'm just not into politics, and the heroine of this book is a governor. At her inaugural address, she is shot at, and the rest of the book is about the investigation as the Executive Protection Unit tries to figure out who wants her dead. Our hero is one of the officers, and of course it is strictly against the rules to become involved with the person you are protecting. So they basically admire each other from afar.

(I purchased this book at a library book sale.)

Dragondrums (Harper Hall Trilogy, Book 3)

ANNE MCCAFFREY

When I picked this book up to read, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a continuation of Menolly's story. I wanted more about her. I wanted to watch Menolly and Sebell develop their relationship! Once again, I had to remind myself that these are not romance novels.

But I quickly got over my disappointment as I was taken into Piemur's world. He is all set to start practicing the part of Lessa in a new song to be performed, when his voice cracks. Piemur has never been thrilled with singing female parts, but he'd hoped this one would bring him to the real Lessa's attention. Suddenly, he can no longer sing, and has to be reassigned within the Harper Hall.

Piemur's story is fun and adventuresome. When we met him in the previous Harper Hall books, he was a young scamp, always getting into scrapes and causing mischief. He's older now, and not changed a whole lot, but he has grown into a more mature young man, loyal to his craft and his friends. And still desperately wanting a fire lizard of his very own. And that is what sets him out on his biggest adventure yet.

A very enjoyable story. I wish there were a fourth book as I'm not quite ready to leave Piemur behind.

(I received this book through BookCrossing.)

Flirting with Forever

GWYN CREADY

I'm kind of blah about this one. I love Gwyn Cready's books, though none have come near the first one I read, Seducing Mr. Darcy. This one was enjoyable, but just didn't really grab me at first. Maybe it was the setting. I know nothing about art or the art world, and was a little out of my element. Overall, it was a fun read, but has not stayed in my mind.

(I bought this book somewhere...I don't remember where.)

Mini Shopaholic

SOPHIE KINSELLA

I guess I'm outgrowing Becky. She just never seems to grow up or learn anything. All these years since the first book, and she's still the same immature fluffy headed person she was then. It's a little tiring at this point, by the end of the book I just felt like it was all just too farcical.

In this entry in the series, Becky sets out to plan a surprise birthday party for Luke. Of course there are all sorts of set backs and hitches along the way. In the meantime, Minnie, their young daughter, seems to be out of control, wreaking havoc whenever they take her out in public. Luke is convinced that they need the help of a professional nanny who has a reality TV show, while Becky is horrified at that prospect and just as convinced that there is certainly nothing wrong with Minnie. She's just spirited.

Despite the fact that the book is called "Mini Shopaholic", the mini in question, Minnie, was basically relegated to secondary character status, which I found very disappointing. And I really had trouble seeing a true mother/daughter bond between Becky and her daughter. As usual, Becky was all about herself.

(I received this book through BookCrossing.)