Category: B reviews (Page 64 of 74)

Fix You by Mari Carr

December 21, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I get the Samhain Newsletter and when I read the blurb I was hooked, so I pre-ordered and read it as soon as I could. Also, I love the Coldplay song on which the title is based.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) After too many years of secretly loving her best friend, Zoey realizes she’s been shortchanging herself. It’s time to take action. This New Year’s Eve heralds the year she’s going to tell Rob the truth. Even if he is on the road, reaching for musical stardom with his band.

Her plan is derailed when she discovers a lump in her breast—and it’s not “nothing to worry about”. How can she ask Rob to take a chance on love when her future is so uncertain?

Rob has spent his entire life chasing his dream, but the moment he hears Zoey’s voice on the phone, he realizes he’s been running the wrong race. Zoey never sounds like she’s been crying. Ever. Without a second thought, he books a flight for home, determined to give her everything she needs. A shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold…and nights of intensely emotional, passionate sex.

His biggest challenge, though, is convincing his best friend that he’s in it for the long haul. Because he finally knows what he wants, and it’s not fame and fortune. It’s her—and her love.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Despite the heavy subject matter, the book isn’t all doom and gloom. The author cleverly blends flashbacks of special moments from Zoey’s and Robbie’s history, showing the reader how they met and what they mean to each other. The cancer treatment sounded realistic to me (I hope I never have to find out how realistic) but the surgery was glossed over – it was mentioned and then it was past. I didn’t mind that it wasn’t a focus but I was a little surprised that the story skipped from planned treatment straight to having chemotherapy.

While I enjoyed the strong bonds of friendship Zoey had with her female friends (the “wine girls”) I could have used less of the obvious sequel baiting.

The main conflict in the story was Zoey’s medical condition and, given this is a romance and I’m guaranteed a HEA (or I want my money back!!) there wasnt’ a huge amount of tension. Other than that, Zoey and Robbie were ideally matched to one another. There was a kind of “little mis” trope running through the story where Zoey thought that Robbie was going to return to life on the road with his band and was only with her while she was having treatment. Normally, miscommunications bug the heck out of me but in this case, it actually made sense and I gave it a pass. Robbie had excellent reasons for not saying anything right at the start and it didn’t keep the couple apart per se, just delayed the HEA moment.

One thing which did strike me as odd was that the sex was fairly vanilla right up til the end where there is a brief conversation between our happy couple about the possibility of exploring some bondage, anal play and wax play. While I liked that Zoey had a “what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander” approach, it felt out of place and unnecessary. Almost an afterthought to spice the story up.

I liked Robbie very much and I loved his attitude to Zoey’s treatment – how he supported her but let her do for herself, didn’t take over but was totally on her side. How he ached for her and how scared he was.

I enjoyed the story – it’s about 120 pages, so it was an easy night’s reading for me and the connection between the lovers but it did lack a little in the conflict department. I liked the writing style and characterisations so I expect I will be reading more from this author.

Grade: B-

Her Singapore Fling by Kelly Hunter

December 15, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: Previously (also?) published under the title Red Hot Renegade, it’s a book I’ve heard from a number of blogger/Twitter friends is worth my time. Kat from Book Thingo is a big fan of this book and she even mentioned it in the recent DBSA podcast with Sarah Wendell. So I picked it (and 10 or 11 other Kelly Hunter books) up from the recent eHarlequin 50% off sale. I’m so weak.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) In desperate need of protection, Jianne Xang-Bennett reluctantly turns to her estranged husband, martial arts expert Jacob Bennett, for help. But there are problems: they’ve been separated for twelve years and cannot be in the same room together without arguing or ripping each other’s clothes off–often at the same time.

But Jacob will go to extremes for those he loves, and Jianne is the only woman who can bring this honorable warrior to his knees. Can they delve beneath their red-hot desire and blazing anger to find the love that has always been hiding?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): There so much to like about this book – so much that’s unusual and well done – for one, it’s set in Singapore and the sense of place is strong throughout the story. The heroine is Chinese and she is written that way. I’m no expert, but she didn’t have the same Western sensibility I know – insofar as I can judge, she seemed Asian to me. The hero is an Australian martial arts expert with his own dojo in Singapore. Then there’s that the heroine is super rich – way better off than our hero. Add to that, that it’s a second chance at love story (they’re married and have been estranged for 12 years) and really, it’s made of win.

The reasons for the estrangement felt realistic, as did the changes in their lives since then (but not their fundamental attraction) which made it possible for them to successfully navigate a relationship.

The stalker plot was a little weak I thought, especially since this dude has been bothering her for FIVE years (which seems like a really long time to put up with something like that and for it to finally come to a head). But, it’s main purpose was to bring our main characters together again and for that, I can only be grateful.

The story is a part of a series (I believe it’s the final book but I could be wrong on that) but I don’t think it’s necessary to have read the previous books to understand this story. Kat assured me of the same thing in the podcast I mentioned earlier so it’s not just me who thinks so. As it happens, in the sale I also picked up many (perhaps all) of the other books in the series – Wife for a Week and Untameable Rogue are two of them – and both of those books also come highly recommended.

Some of the prose in the book felt a little odd to me – for example the use of the word “for” instead of “because”. It’s something I see in very formal books or historicals and it felt a little out of place here. But, that is a small niggle and it didn’t really impede my enjoyment of the story.

Jianne and Jake have scorching sexual chemistry and Jianne gives as good as she gets.

Gasping as he stroked long fingers down the crease of her buttocks with a sensuality that was his alone, down and down and then lifting her effortlessly so that she sat on the bench. His hands on her thighs now, pushing her skirt up and parting her legs wide as he stepped in close and dragged her against him again, and all the time his lips not leaving hers for more than a moment.

‘I thought of you,’ she confessed. ‘I thought of you, and I made do,’ she whispered as she slid her hand to his wrist and forced it down between their straining bodies. ‘Like this.’ And she surged against his hand as he took his cue and stroked her, his stroke so much bolder than her own and vastly more effective. ‘Jacob?’

‘What?’ he asked hoarsely.

‘I’m tired of making do.’

Their sexy banter was the highlight of the book for me – especially the scene about the whisk and the wooden spoon. 🙂

What else? If you’re looking for an exotic setting with an unusual hero and heroine, this is your book. I recommend 🙂

Grade: B+

Hide Out by Katie Allen

December 10, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: After the success of Private Dicks and seeing that many of my Goodreads friends loved the follow up book too, I bought this one as well. Damn ARe sales…

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) When Officer Peter Giordano is assigned to keep Trevor Haas safe until he can testify against his murderous father, he expects the hardest part of his job will be keeping his hands off the gorgeous witness. The two men hide out in the small, sleepy town of Honeysuckle, fixing up their dilapidated safe house by day…exploring each other’s bodies by night.Their small-town neighbors have some secrets of their own, however, including one that someone is willing to kill to protect. Soon, a neighbor is dead and Pete and Trevor are thrown into the middle of a murder investigation. The two men struggle to keep Trevor’s true identity a secret, knowing his father will stop at nothing to silence the star witness against him-even if that means killing his own son.Note: Pete and Trevor won’t have to go it alone. Wash and Rhodes, the crush-worthy heroes from Private Dicks, are along for the ride once again.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This one didn’t work quite as well for me as Private Dicks. Possibly it’s because I read them back to back and that made the flaws in this one more obvious, because they were largely missing from the earlier book. I can believe a fast romance when the couple already know and like each other. Established relationships which turn romantic or return to romance work best for me in a shorter format or time frame. Hide Out was a bit longer than Private Dicks (nearly 200 pages) but the romance between Trevor and Pete occurs in a matter of days – when they had never laid eyes on each other before the start of the book. While I liked Trevor and Pete together, the blurb had set me up for a long slow burn – 7 months of home renovations – but, like the romance, the renovations were done at lightning speed (possibly it’s the fastest reno in history aside from TV reality shows).

The other thing which bothered me was that for the first part of the book, Trevor and Pete, who are both gay, don’t come out to each other and labour under the mistaken belief that the other is just “fucking with him”. It got tired real quick.

The murder in Honeysuckle made sense, but the wider story arc of Pete and Trevor hiding out and being effectively undercover to keep away from Trevor’s psycho dad, was not as well executed. It seemed to me that Pete and Trevor wouldn’t have been that hard to find. And, as it turns out, I was right.

Having said all that, it was an enjoyable read and the characters were charming and fun and sexy as all get out. Once Trevor and Pete admitted to both being gay, things moved much more smoothly. Then there was the appearance (much more than just a cameo) of Rhodie and Wash from book 1. Wash is still making those incomprehensible hand gestures (which Pete doesn’t understand either) and the pair help both to solve the local crime and to renovate the house. There is also a smoking sex scene involving all 4 of them – though 2 are only watching.

I would have to say however, that the description, used a couple of times in the book, of coming so hard that it felt like “his insides melted and shot out of his cock” was somewhat disturbing.

What else? This is a good book, but I don’t think it was as good as Private Dicks. I think though, that I would have liked it better if there had’ve been a gap between reading the two books. Again, it is on the pricey side. so wait for a special.

Grade: B/B-

Aftershock by Jill Sorenson

December 8, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: The author provided a review copy.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) THERE’S A FINE LINE As an emergency paramedic, Lauren Boyer is dedicated and highly capable. Until an earthquake strikes, trapping her beneath the freeway with a group of strangers-including Iraq war veteran Garrett Wright…

BETWEEN PERIL AND PASSION

Handsome and take-charge Garrett aids Lauren in her rescue efforts, even as the steely look in his eyes seems to hide dark secrets. When a gang of escaped convicts goes on the attack, Garrett’s bravery makes him more than a courageous bystander to Lauren. If they can save the others before time runs out, maybe, just maybe, they can explore the fire igniting between them-if the truth about who he really is doesn’t pull them apart forever….

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Given that the earthquake is right at the start, we’re into the action almost immediately – and the action just keeps right on going. The description of the quake and the first aftershock was gripping and the confusion, terror and grief is palpable. The author pulls no punches in describing the carnage – including later on in the book when the bodies have been decomposing for a few days in the heat and bits are falling off (ew!). There are no zombies but if you’re squeamish, this might be a bit much. (It’s hard to find a hero terribly sexy when he’s covered in gore.)

There was a lot going on in the book, with almost constant action. I could easily see it as a movie (although if it were a movie, there would be a dog. There’s always a dog. Which survives – I think it’s a rule.) We spend a bit of time in the heads of quite a few people so it felt a little more like a movie to me as well.

The writing was spare and at the beginning, sometimes if felt a little jerky, moving quickly from one emotion or idea to another without any depth. I wonder if this is a function of the category length? I didn’t notice it in Crash Into Me (which I liked a lot). But it did even out as the book went along.

As to the romance, I could certainly see Lauren and Garrett falling for one another but I wasn’t entirely convinced they would last together – trauma may bring people together but can they survive the mundane? I’d like to think so, but there wasn’t any of that in the book so the jury is still out for me.

It is apparent early on that Garrett has a secret and it didn’t take long for me to figure it out. I thought Lauren was a bit dense actually for taking so long to get it. Garrett gave plenty of clues. While he didn’t confess, he didn’t lie either and he had a credible reason for his deception, at least at the beginning.

I believed the attraction and chemistry between the two leads and thankfully the author found a way for them to be clean before they got “dirty” (heh). Because, rotting flesh? Not sexy.

Ultimately, I think I would have preferred if Garrett didn’t have the secret he had – I think it was one extra element in a book that already had so much going on. Him dealing with the after effects of PTSD would have been enough for me and they maybe would have had an opportunity to live a “mundane” life for a few months before the end of the book, which may have made the HEA more believable.

I liked the relationship between Penny and Owen and I didn’t mind that there wasn’t any real resolution to their story (mainly because the story wasn’t about their relationship as such) and I felt both were in a much better place at the end. Owen was a complex character – he did some heroic things but he was a product of his environment and his instincts were to lie and steal and cheat. So, when he did anything outside that, it represented a big change for him. I can’t say that I trusted that would last but I’d like to think he will turn his life around.

I also liked that Garrett, even with his military background, had difficulty getting the bad guys. He wasn’t super human – while he did fairly well at attempting to be a combination of MacGyver and John McClane, he didn’t actually achieve it, which meant the book felt more real to me – even though there was a sense of heightened reality in the book – just like in most disaster movies.

Mostly, I liked that Garrett took responsibility for his actions but I seesawed a little on whether he was being just too hard on himself. I’m not sure I ended up with a firm view one way or the other actually.

I also liked how Lauren’s career as an EMT/Paramedic played into her broader personality and how the disaster brought about a change in her career goals.

The medical side of things felt believable (I have no idea really but it seemed authentic to me). Lauren couldn’t perform surgery and her equipment and supplies weren’t unlimited. Their situation as regards food and water wasn’t glossed over. I was glad there was an RV trapped with them so there was a toilet the girls could use though :). The RV idea was pretty clever actually, because it mean a private space for Penny, it meant cooking utensils and facilities and staples, like rice being available. Definitely if I’m ever trapped in an earthquake on a freeway, I want to be near a fully stocked RV (but no convicts please).

What else? There was an excerpt from Freefall in the back of this book. Sam Rutherford is the hero – we meet him briefly in Aftershock. I’m really looking forward to reading about him. Sexy rock climber with a tortured past. Yum.

Grade: B-

The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry

December 4, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this one up from NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) The best thing between Oliver Barrett and Mackenzie Williams is a fence. Ever since Oliver’s new-neighbor gestures were met with unfriendly responses, he’s decided to keep his distance. After all, he’s in this seaside town to get his life on track again. That doesn’t include working hard to get on Mackenzie’s good side—no matter how intriguing she may be.His intentions are put to the test, however, when his dog becomes infatuated with hers. The two crafty canines do their best to break down the barriers between the properties. And where the dogs gowell, the humans must follow! It doesn’t take long for a powerful attraction to build between Oliver and Mackenzie. They soon discover that the worst of first impressions can lead to the best possible outcomes.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Oliver is a darling. His soon-to-be ex-wife is mad. I mean, really. Oliver is gorgeous, successful, kind, sexy, loving – he can even sing and play guitar – why would any reasonable woman cheat on him with Mr. Toxic-Ex? But that’s what she does. Lucky for Mackenzie that Oliver’s on the market again.

Mackenzie doesn’t make a good first impression (or second or third for that matter), coming across as very rude and scary. But she is actually not rude or scary and once she let’s “nice Mackenzie” out, Oliver soon finds himself deeply in like and mentally lusting over his new friend. I liked how it became clear over the course of the story that Mackenzie probably was a lot closer to “rude and scary” pre-accident than by the time she met Oliver – her old life doesn’t fit her anymore. Oliver, very astutely, encourages her to see that things have to be different now – fighting to get back to what was was not really possible – searching for a what–can–be was a better option. And, I liked that very much about the book. Trauma, any significant trauma changes you. As you gather scars and bruises and pains (and joys for that matter), they leave indelible marks which become turning points in the journey – but there is no going back (however much we might wish it from time to time). There is an implicit acknowledgement and understanding of that in the book and that, I think is its strength. There is encouragement (without sappiness) that life goes on (but adjustments are necessary) and life can be good and joyful even after things have truly sucked – even if they’re different than expected. (While everyone knows that sometimes life just continues to suck, this is a romance novel and there‘s no way you’d get a HEA out of that and who’d want to read it anyway?).

I liked the main characters being somewhat older and I liked that children or the lack of them wasn’t an issue in the book. By the time the book ends, I suppose that Mackenzie and Oliver could still pursue that if they wanted to but it wasn’t the focus of the book and there is no baby epilogue here. I guess readers are free to imagine whatever future they see as bright and happy but I thought the ending was pretty good just where it was. I was glad of the epilogue though, because Oliver was only 5 months into what was going to be a messy divorce when he first meets Mackenzie and (as the book acknowledges) he is still pretty messed up. I needed to see a glimpse of them after they’d whethered those storms.

Also, truly cute dogs.

What else? My difficulty with the book comes from my own background in the workers compensation industry. I had a whole thing about why but then I realised that it was REALLY BORING. For the purposes of the story, I could go with it, but my OCD did kick in a little. However, for everyone else, who doesn’t have my career background, it won’t make any difference.

The author clearly knows about tv production though – that aspect of the book was interesting and felt very authentic. Also, she totally made me Google Mary De Garis (who is a real person).

Favourite Quote: “I promise you that your heart will always be safe with me. Always.“

Grade: B

Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox

November 30, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’ve had this one on my TBR for ages and I finally decided to open it. I think when I bought it I was a bit worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. All my Twitter friends were saying how good it was. I think the hype was right as it turns out.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger—a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning.

Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.

Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I loved that this book was a straight out contemporary romance. There were no serial killers, stalkers, explosions or terrorists. There was just two people stuck together for months, getting to know one another, falling in love and working things out. Oh joy!

My favourite stories are when the h/h spend loads of time together. Their relationship is what I want to see (I’m the same with movies – this is the main reason why I HATED Sleepless in Seattle with the passion of a thousand fiery suns). Tom and Lexie join up very early in the book and they are together for almost all of it.

Tom’s sister Taryn sets Tom up to ride with Lexie because she doesn’t want him to be alone on the road for thousands of miles.

“Please, Tom. You can’t ride your bicycle across the country alone. It’s insane. You’ll end up being slaughtered by a serial killer.”

“Taryn, I’m thirty-five, single, tattooed, and antisocial. I’m the serial killer.”

The writing is slick and fun and sexy and funny and easy to read. Lexie’s character had me laughing quite a few times at her various descriptions of Tom – Angry Tom, Sexy Tom, etc, but more, she was smart and capable and not looking for a man to fix her. In fact, it’s Tom who needs fixing. Having removed himself from most of society some years earlier, he’s taciturn and morose but spending time with Lexie makes him realise that he deserves a better life than that. And, it’s only because he’s forced to spend that time with Lexie (he’d have much preferred to run away from her and the feelings she evokes) that he comes to these conclusions.

I enjoyed how Tom decided to teach Lexie how to be more spontaneous and enjoy the journey more and I liked how Lexie called him on it later – (“Am I a project too?”) and ovaried up and told him the truth. I liked how they didn’t jump into bed together immediately, but took time to get to know each other a bit before acting on their attraction. Because they spent just about every day for three months or so together in very close quarters, I believed the HEA completely – that kind of close quarters sorts the wheat from the chaff very effectively. I reckon if Lexie and Tom could survive in a little tent for that long, they’ll be fine.

The book left me with a big smile on my face and I think I made that good book noise that Sarah from Smart Bitches talks about.

Favourite Quote that made me wheeze/laugh:

Lexie had a hard time getting the Death Sauce out of the bottle, and in the end she had to hand her chip to Tom and make him hold it while she whacked the glass with the heel of her hand. The result was a larger-than-strictly-necessary glob of hot sauce on the chip, but she forged ahead. Surely an extra eighth of a teaspoon wasn’t going to decide her fate. Tom fed the chip directly into her mouth, his dark eyes positively dancing with amusement.

As soon as the sauce hit her tongue, her taste buds dropped dead. You’d think that would be a good thing, but it didn’t make any difference, because on their way out those taste buds had rung the alarm, and now every nerve ending in her body was positively writhing in pain. Somewhere in the vicinity of her brain stem, a siren was going off so loudly she thought it might deafen her. Tears streaked down her face as she flapped her arms up and down helplessly like a giant flightless bird. Nose running, mouth full of napalm, she looked over at Tom. He was watching her closely, and his hand covered the bottom half of his face in a completely vain effort to conceal how very entertaining he found her predicament.