Page 211 of 274

At Your Pleasure by Meredith Duran

October 21, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I listened to My Sweet Folly recently and that put me in the mood for a rich and lush historical. I thought this one from my giant TBR pile might be just the ticket.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) By candlelight she lures him…

Glittering court socialites and underworld cutpurses alike know that Adrian Ferrers, Earl of Rivenham, is the most dangerous man in London. Rivenham will let nothing—not the deepening shadow of war, nor the growing darkness within him—interfere with his ambition to restore his family to its former glory. But when tasked by the king to uncover a traitor, he discovers instead a conspiracy—and a woman whose courage awakens terrible temptations. To save her is to risk everything. To love her might cost his life.

At swordpoint she defies him…

Lady Leonora knows that Rivenham is the devil in beautiful disguise— and that the irresistible tension between them is as unpredictable as the dilemma in which Nora finds herself: held hostage on her own estate by Rivenham and the king’s men. But when war breaks out, Nora has no choice but to place her trust in her dearest enemy—and pray that love does not become the weapon that destroys them both.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): The central conflict of the story is widowed Nora being torn by the love she has for her brother, David, who is a Jacobite rebel and her love for Adrian, Earl of Rivenham – who is a man loyal to the King. For much of the book, I wondered how on earth the story could end happily. Nora has a choice to make – she cannot support both her brother and Adrian. She tries hard to walk a middle line but it is impossible. If she chooses David, she will lose her love (and he might lose his life), if she chooses Adrian, she will most likely watch his execution.

I’m Over at AudioGals…

October 18, 2013 / Kaetrin

with a review of My Sweet Folly by Laura Kinsale, narrated by the amazing Nick Boulton. It really is a match made in heaven. See my full thoughts here.

I’m Over at Dear Author…

October 18, 2013 / Kaetrin

with a review of Dirty Trick by Christine Bell. There was a truly laugh out loud moment for me – see what it was here.

Everything You Need To Know by HelenKay Dimon

October 16, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Welcome to Need to Know—Because a Woman Can’t Be Too Informed

Dating in D.C. is like navigating an apocalyptic wasteland populated by men in expensive suits with zero mating potential. Need to Know provides all the information a savvy single woman like you needs to avoid dating disasters.

By night, Jordan McAdam is the proprietor of a popular website that rates D.C.’s hottest bachelors—everything from how quick they are email you back to their skills in the sack. She’s been burned once too often to accept any man at face value. By day, her job as an office temp puts her in the perfect position to do a little fact checking on her rich and powerful subjects. When her latest assignment brings her face to face with the sexy but mysterious Forest Redder, Jordan decides to do a little “hands on” research of her own. To Jordan, he seems like the perfect man – but she knows there is no such thing. Moreover, there’s a big problem: Forest knows Jordan’s the woman behind the scandalous site—and Jordan knows he knows. Will he expose her secret—or find his own posted on Need to Know?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Like my other Cosmo Red Hot Read, this one surprised me because it had more story and the sex, while steamy, wasn’t something which occurred immediately. A relationship (a fast one but a relationship nonetheless) was developed prior to the couple getting physical. (That’s not to say there’s necessarily anything wrong with a story which starts with a bang (or even a real life encounter) but merely, it’s not what my mind went to when I saw the label “Cosmo Red Hot Read”. Perhaps that says something about me.

Holding Out For A Hero by Amy Andrews

October 14, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from the publisher. Holding Out for A Hero releases on October 15.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) When sensible schoolteacher Ella Lucas rides into her home town on a Harley and seduces the resident football hero, Jake Prince, she figures she can be forgiven and move on. After all, she’s just buried her mother. Two years later, back in the city, their paths cross again but this time Jake is in the process of destroying her favourite dive bar.

With her home facing a wrecker’s ball, her school being closed down and her 15-year-old brother hell bent on self-destruction, it’s the last straw. Throw in a dominatrix best friend who is dating a blue ribbon guy so straight he still lives at home with his mother, it’s no wonder the sanest person in Ella’s life is a dog.

With all this to contend with, the last thing Ella needs is Jake back in her life. But, as fate would have it, Jake is the only chance she has to save her school.

As the school football season heats up, old secrets threaten to surface and Ella takes on greedy developers, school boards and national tabloids. But can she save not just her home, her school and her brother, but also the reputation of the man she’s never been able to forget? And, more importantly, does she want to?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This book is set in Queensland, so it probably shouldn’t have taken me as long as it did to realise that “football” in this story means “rugby league” and not Aussie Rules (which everyone knows is the only true football :P). It is a sport book but actual game play doesn’t feature strongly in the story. That is, I don’t think one needs to understand the game to enjoy Holding Out For A Hero. Similarly, I don’t think one will understand the game all that much better by reading it. It does make an interesting backdrop and bookend to a tale about identity, forgiveness, and fighting the good fight as the underdog.

The Other Guy by Cary Attwell

October 11, 2013 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’ve had this one on my TBR for a while. It was highly recommended by a number of Goodreads friends. Of course, when I actually went to read it, I remembered nothing of the synopsis so it was (as it often the case) a bit of an adventure.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Emory James is, by his own admission, not the type of person the adjective exciting would ever deign to touch with a ten-foot pole. Cautious, reserved and staid, however, all crowd around him like best friends. Still, he gets by — or at least he gets by up until his fiancée dumps him at the altar. Out of spite, he takes a solo honeymoon to Thailand, where he can pretend to be someone better than himself for a little while. In meeting Nate, a fellow traveler, Emory slowly discovers how to stop pretending.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This book was an instant delight for me and it was heading firmly into A territory until the plot took a downturn late in the piece. I understand why it happened and even accept that it made sense in terms of the story being told, but it frustrated me and so for that little section, I was a bit frowny. That said, the rest of the book was a entirely charming and funny and wonderful and I highly recommend it.