Romance Novel Reviews
by Lynsay Sands
The premise: Lucern Argeneau is contacted by his editor, Kate C. Leever regarding a book signing tour for his series of paranormal romances novels. His books are actually non-fiction, first hand accounts from the lives of his family.
The chemistry: I give Luc and Kate:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: This is not my usual fare. I was promised that this book was hilarious, and I can never pass up a good belly laugh. Yes, I laughed out loud numerous times. However, a bit of humor does not a good romance make. The intimate scenes were so poorly worded, they pulled me right out of the story and made me laugh. I'm sure that's not where Ms. Sands was expecting my mirth.
Part of my displeasure came from the fact that Lucern's personality actually changed. I don't mean that he came out of his shell and blossomed. His base personality actually changed. It was completely unrealistic. Also, it was a major point that he spoke with "Old World" English, never using contractions. Ms. Sands slips throughout the book.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone with my own taste in romances. You will be terribly disappointed. I actually considered not finishing the last chapter (the one I consider the golden chapter where you get your HEA ending) because I was so bored with it.
Overall rating:
by Laurell K. Hamilton
The premise: The first in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series.
Miscellaneous notes: Um, where's the romance? There's hints here and there of Anita's attraction to Phillip the recovering vampire-freakaholic and Jean-Claude, the vampire. However, nothing actually happens. This book would be great for someone who loves action sequences. I do not. I'm more a character person. Personally, I prefer Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Anita the Executioner. Anita totes all manner of guns and knives. She's too hardened to be likeable.
Overall rating:
by Mary Balogh
The premise: Anne Jewell lives a quiet life as a teacher in a girl's school. She was raped as a young lady and has found herself an outcast as single mother. Sydnam Butler, a lonely veteran, is the duke's steward. He lives with horrible injuries that have left him without a right arm and eye. They meet and fall in love.
The chemistry: I give Anne and Sydnam:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: For an award winning author, I am surprised at the lack of depth in Ms. Balogh's writing. It's as if she's phoned this one in. Her descriptions of landscape and scenery are shallow and forced. The dialogue is completely unnatural with grand, insightful speeches that no human would ever utter. This results in unearned emotional turns that fall flat and leave me uninterested.
This book is very much a part of a series. While the story itself stands alone, a good part of the book is filled with names and titles that have no meaning to someone new to the series. Entire scenes appear to be epilogues from previous books and much time was spent summarizing those books for the benefit of new readers. Personally, I didn't give a rat's booty; I was reading THIS book, not the others.
Overall rating:
by Teresa Medeiros
The premise: A young nurse, Samantha Wickersham, is hired to care for Gabriel Fairchild, a sailor blinded in battle.
The chemistry: I give Samantha and Gabriel:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: The first 2/3rds of this book felt more like a fairy tale than anything else. See Beauty and the Beast, and there's your set up. The characters are over the top and the romantic scenes definitely "purple prose". I prepared myself up accordingly and attempted to enjoy the book regardless. Then came the last 1/3rd with the surprising twist...so surprising that the limited foreshadowing made it feel as if Ms. Medeiros herself did not see the end coming.
Overall, I did not feel a thing for Samantha and Gabriel. The dog, Sam, captured my heart better.
Overall rating:
by Carla Kelly
The premise: Widow Susannah Parks is living on the "kindness" of her family. Her over-the-anvil marriage to the family secretary has estranged the entire family from society...and they most certainly blame her for it. Her life changes as she and her 6 year old son, Noah, act as guides for James Trevenen. James, formerly of the Royal Navy, is in London to accept an award for a paper written about crabs (of all things) while marooned on a South Seas island for 5 years. This island was not a paradise to James, and he is haunted by gruesome hallucinations of another shipmate.
The chemistry: I give Susannah and James:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: First off, let me express my undying gratitude that Ms. Kelly has returned to the fold. I believe I read that she lost her will to write romances upon the death of her brother. With this new Regency release, came an awful lot of expectation on my part.
There is a certain mood that I expect from Ms. Kelly: chaste and somber with genuinely good people struggling against harsh realities. She hit very well upon the latter two in Beau Crusoe. It's the former that fails. I'm not a porn reader. I will never pick up a book by Beatrice Small, and I blush at the romance covers featuring half naked men in a passionate embrace with a buxom woman with long, flowing hair. Given my expectations, Ms. Kelly's overt descriptions of some very kinky sexual acts, dongs, male members, STDs and mistresses truly turned me off. Early in the book we are shown exactly what James did during his 6 month voyage back home. While one could argue that the man had been bereft of human company for 5 long years, I still have a very hard time imagining a good man doing what he did. Perhaps this is a change in her personal writing style. I suspect it is pressure from editors and publishers.
That being said, Ms. Kelly delivered very nicely. No BIG MISUNDERSTANDING. No over-the-top evil antagonists. Just two people trying to make their way through the real world. Ms. Kelly works her magic as she gives both James and Susannah something each is missing through love and friendship with the other.
Overall rating:
by Barbra Metzger
The premise: Ian, Earl of Marden, resigned himself to shooting in the air during the duel at dawn. After all, he had slept with the man's wife. Unfortunately there was a boy watching in the bushes and the bullet ricocheted into him. Feeling responsible, Ian takes in the youngster and his sister, who had no guardian at the moment. After discovering that the sister was actually a Marriageable Miss, Ian finds himself in a dilemma.
The chemistry: I give Ian and Athena:
Sensuality:
Miscellaneous notes: There were several moments throughout this book where I nearly put it down. I simply cannot understand how a veteran writer can churn out something so amateurish and intellectually insulting. The dialogue is forced and the premise unbelievable. Ian takes in Athena, and because her hair is down and dress is dowdy, takes her to be a school girl. It's not until she's crying on his shoulder and he feels her breasts pressed up against him that he realizes she's an adult. WHAT?! I would expect this from fanfiction...or a high school English assignment...but not the famous Ms. Metzger.
Then there's the consummation scene, which is quite in depth and then interrupted. Instead of continuing in the same vein, Ms. Metzger summarizes the event at the end of the book. In fact, every scene at the end of the book is summarized. I've used this phrase before, but it applies here as well. Ms. Metzger, "Show, don't tell."
Overall rating:
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