Book Thingo » Contemporary romance

A Stormy Greek Marriage by Lynne Graham

Kat — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

A Stormy Greek Marriage by Lynne Graham (The Drakos Baby, Book 2)

Books like this are the reason I stopped reading category romance in my mid-20s. I hope I don’t come across too many more of them in the near future. DNF.

I have five more titles in my Lynne Graham glom pile, but I’m not sure I can bear to go on. On one hand, I knew getting into this book that Graham writes domineering heroes of the 80s alpha kind. I thought I could cope with it, but this book is such a trainwreck I gave up halfway through.

Surprisingly for a category romance, this is part two of a series. (Perhaps Graham should have just written a full length book, did anyone think of that?) The back story is explained well enough to get the gist—I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t be prepared to slog through an entire book to basically learn that Alexei finally slept with his personal assistant, Billie, taking her virginity. She’s pined for him in secret but felt she was no match for the dazzling beauties that naturally flock to her rich, handsome boss.

Unfortunately, Alexei tripped and hit his head and managed to conveniently forget the two nights they were together. More unfortunately for Billie, the oblivious Alexei tried to rekindle a childhood romance as Billie coped with the consequences of their nights together—yes, the old secret baby.

Anyway, back to this book. Billie and Alexei ended up together at the end of book one, but on their wedding night at the start of book two, Alexei magically divines that Billie is no virgin. He’s enraged and walks out on her. Or so she thinks. He doesn’t think it was walking out. More like having a tantrum because she lied. Except she tells him the truth about their child, Nicky, and he thinks it’s a lie. DNA is taken, Alexei realises she was telling the truth, but even then Graham refuses to bestow any sort of power on the heroine.

When Billie threatens to divorce Alexei, he whisks Nicky off to a different country, deliberately making Billie think he’d been kidnapped. Way to go to convince a woman to spend the rest of her life with you and her son. There’s nothing redeeming about a man who lets his wife think he’s kidnapping their son to convince her not to get a divorce.

At that point I put the book down. In many ways, I can see the appeal of Graham’s story to an older generation of women and in women today who are products of different cultures, who may have had to endure marriages rife with infidelity, lies and an enormous imbalance of power. I feel sorry for them, and a book like A Stormy Greek Marriage may be a way to express their frustrations while providing a glimmer of hope that love and dedication and faith might result in a happy ending.

But I’m not from that generation, and Alexei’s actions are abhorrent to me. A man who refuses to listen to someone he purports to love, who puts the principle of honesty before compassion by refusing to listen to her explanations, is not a hero in my mind. He’s an immature bully undeserving of the wealth and power and good looks with which fate—or the author—has gifted him.

Yay or nay?

Books like this are the reason I stopped reading category romance in my mid-20s. I hope I don’t come across too many more of them in the near future. DNF.

Who might enjoy it: Martyrs

Who might not enjoy it: Potential paperweight targets

This book is no longer in print.

Title: A Stormy Greek Marriage
Series: Drakos Baby (Book 2)
Author: Lynne Graham
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon
Australia (Sexy): 9781742787879 (10/2010)
UK (Modern) 9780263878332 (20/4/2010)
US (Presents): 9780373129577 (16/11/2010)

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Ruthless Magnate, Convenient Wife by Lynne Graham

Ruthless Magnate, Convenient Wife by Lynne Graham

Kat — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Ruthless Magnate, Convenient Wife by Lynne Graham (Pregnant Brides, Book 2)

There’s nothing earth-shattering about this story. I didn’t hate the hero or the heroine, but that might be damning with faint praise.

Back in my 20s, I would have loved this book. This may be spoilery to some readers—although if you regularly read in this Mills & Boon line it would amaze me if any of this surprises you—but Ruthless Magnate, Convenient Wife features a tycoon hero who borders on misogyny, a contract marriage, a virgin heroine, an accidental pregnancy and a Small Misunderstanding.

But as far as these things go, Lynne Graham does a decent enough job with the plot. Sergei Antonovich was saved from a troubled childhood by his grandmother, and as she gets older he wants to give her what he knows would make her happy—a grandchild.

As you do when you’re insanely rich but scarred by a money-grubbing first wife and young hotties forever flashing their cleavage in exchange for your wad (of cash, people!), Sergei sets up a business arrangement to acquire a wife and child.

Alissa Bartlett discovers that her identical twin, Alexa, entered an agreement to marry a rich Russian guy—in Alissa’s name. Their mother desperately needs the money, and when Alexa can’t go through with the bargain, Alissa reluctantly agrees to fulfil the obligations of the contract.

Graham tries to give Alissa a little more backbone that your typical mistress-but-for-the-marriage-contract heroine. Despite her attraction to Sergei, she’s indignant when he assumes she’ll just make out—and eventually have sex—with him as he pleases. Unfortunately, Alissa tips into TSTL (too stupid to live) territory when she fails to read the contract that her sister signed. Wouldn’t that be the first thing you do before agreeing to go through with a contract marriage? Heaven help her if she ever decides to take out a mortgage.

Anyway, she’s in for a very rude shock when she learns that pregnancy is part of the deal. Sergei is equally shocked and angry at being duped, and his only capitulation is to hold off on the baby-making while emphasising the mistress part of the bargain.

It all comes to a head in a big dramatic scene where Alexa goes completely loopy—seriously, I couldn’t believe she and Alissa were related, let alone twins—the Small Misunderstanding is resolved and the epilogue gives everyone what they so clearly deserve, with the possible exception of Alissa’s dad.

All this while I was sitting in a bus, stuck in peak-hour traffic. That’s what category romance is for.

Yay or nay?

There’s nothing earth-shattering about this story. I didn’t hate the hero or the heroine, but that might be damning with faint praise.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who also enjoy daytime soapies

Who might not enjoy it: Family Court solicitors

This book is no longer in print.

Title: Ruthless Magnate, Convenient Wife (excerpt)
Series: Pregnant Brides (Book 2)
Author: Lynne Graham
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon
Australia (Sexy): 9780733598654 (2/2010)
UK (Modern) 9780263877533 (12/2009)
US (Presents): 9780373128921 (2/2010)

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With This Fling… by Kelly Hunter

Kat — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:00:00 +0000

With This Fling... by Kelly Hunter

This book proves that finely tuned character development and emotional honesty can turn even the most maligned clichés in romance fiction not just into an enjoyable read, but a story worth savouring.

The more I read Kelly Hunter’s work, the more I admire how well she’s able to make each couple and each story fresh, interesting and fun.

With This Fling… features what seems to be Hunter’s favourite type of heroine—a rich one. Charlotte Greenstone invents a fiancé to reassure her dying godmother that she won’t be alone. When said fiancé fails to turn up at the funeral, Charlotte concocts a story in which he’s killed in the wilds of Papua New Guinea.

But in series of spectacular coincidences, she finds herself in possession of Grey Tyler’s, well, office. Her fictional fiancé is not only not dead, he’s back from PNG, he’s hot and it seems he may just have need of a fictional girlfriend of his own.

If you’re looking for an elaborate external plot, you’re in for disappointment. With This Fling… is romance distilled. The conflicts in this story are all from within. Even secondary characters only serve to get Charlotte and Grey questioning what it is they truly want and hold dear.

Grey is a biologist whose life is all about pursuing research opportunities all over the world. Charlotte is an archaeologist who grew up travelling all over the world, and she’s determined to put down roots. Knowing their plans for the future are diametrically opposed, Charlotte and Grey agree to a short-term affair. Of course, it gets very complicated very quickly.

Hunter excels in this kind of setup—intense, passionate and with an increasing sense of desperation as the hero and heroine begin to realise what it’ll cost them to let the other go. But even as they go through heartache, their interactions include a certain playfulness that underscores their growing affection for each other.

‘There are benefits to having a man around the house that you haven’t even dreamed of yet,’ he said.

‘Oh, really?’

‘Oh, yes.’

‘We’ll see.’ She leaned against the door, more relaxed than he’d seen her all evening. ‘Do you cook?’

‘Not often, but I hunt and I can gather.’

‘Do you clean?’

‘No, but I do appreciate a tidy house.’

‘Do you iron?’

‘That’s what laundry services are for.’

‘Do you mow?’ she asked silkily.

‘What? And do a groundsman out of his job?’

‘Greyson, you’ve spent the last dozen or so years living out of a suitcase, eating hotel food and answering to no one. You’re not even housebroken. I’d go easy on the promises of domestic bliss if I were you.’

‘If you say so, dear,’ he murmured. ‘Little phrase I picked up picked up from my father. Like it?’

‘Yes, but it’s a little early in the relationship for weary resignation, don’t you think? You need to keep that in reserve.’

There are certain plot points that are, admittedly, a tad contrived, but there’s so much delicious angst in this story that even the most eyeroll-inducing Mills & Boon cliché—hello, accidental pregnancy!—surprised me. (This can’t possibly be a spoiler because it’s right there on the cover.) To Hunter’s credit, she refrains from dragging out the oh-look-she’s-feeling-nauseated-maybe-she-has-a-tummy-bug moment and just forces her characters to face the issue.

I do wonder what the UK Riva cover is about. This book has nothing to do with diamonds and there’s no way a field scientist would ever need to wear as much make-up as that cover model does.

Yay or nay?

This book proves that finely tuned character development and emotional honesty can turn even the most maligned clichés in romance fiction not just into an enjoyable read, but a story worth savouring.

Who might enjoy it: Scientists and heiresses

Who might not enjoy it: Readers who like heroes in suits

Title: With This Fling… (excerpt)
Author: Kelly Hunter
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon
Australia (Sexy): 9781742907154 (2/2011)
UK (Riva): 9780263883619 (1/2011)
USA (Presents): 9780373528196 (6/2011)

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Red-Hot Renegade by Kelly Hunter

Kat — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:00:30 +0000

Red-Hot Renegade by Kelly Hunter (The Bennetts, Book 5)

This RITA-nominated book is sexy, angsty and deeply moving—everything we love about modern category romance. Oh, and the heroine? She’s the tycoon. This one’s a keeper.

You may have noticed that I’m in the middle of a Kelly Hunter glom. How I missed this awesome Aussie author boggles my mind, but Red-Hot Renegade (published in the US as Her Singapore Fling) is the book that made me first try Hunter’s work. Nominated for this year’s RITA awards, the book also features an Asian heroine with an Australian hero.

The back story for this novel is set up in the previous books of the series, which features the romances of Jacob Bennett’s siblings. Jacob’s estranged wife Jianne is being stalked and, having run out of options, she reluctantly comes to him for help.

Jacob is a martial arts champion who runs his dojo in Singapore. For reasons neither he nor Jianne want to acknowledge, they’re still officially married even though Jianne walked out on the marriage twelve years ago. What makes this reunion story different is that neither of them blame the other—instead, they remind each other of the guilt they feel about not having fought hard enough to save their relationship.

Jianne practically begs Jacob to let her stay at the dojo—where he also lives—until Zhi Fu, her unwanted suitor, gives up. Jacob practically begs her not to even suggest it, but they both know that it’s the best solution. They’ll pretend to rekindle the relationship, and if Zhi Fu becomes desperate Jacob is more than capable of physically protecting Jianne.

This is the perfect setup for some delicious angst, as Jianne takes over Jacob’s bedroom and both torture themselves with thoughts of what’s keeping the other awake at night. Jianne starts off as an almost helpless heroine, but in Jacob’s presence she’s transformed into a sensual, wicked and deeply emotional partner.

She turned and smiled at him politely, every inch the poised and perfect house guest. No trouble, no trouble at all. Until something flickered in her eyes, something stolen and sensual and altogether familiar. If Jacob wasn’t mistaken, here stood a woman who’d sought sexual satisfaction in the dark of the night. And found it.

What the hell had she been doing in his bed?

Hunter does beautiful things with this couple. Their bedroom scenes are hot and rough and tinged with desperation, and I found them utterly moving. The way Jacob and Jianne work through their guilt and find the courage to claim what they need from the relationship is so subtle it’s bordering on not enough information. I love this.

I haven’t read all the preceding books in the series, but as a standalone read, Red-Hot Renegade focuses almost entirely on Jacob and Jianne’s reunion rather than their first encounter. Even the reason for their estrangement is only hinted at for most of the book. Those who need to understand Jacob and Jianne’s entire back story will be disappointed.

In my review of the book prior to this one, I made much of Hunter’s references to warriors, tigers and Kung Fu Panda. Red-Hot Renegade uses similar references, but for the most part they’re toned down, with the exception of the antagonist’s name. Zhi Fu is close enough to Shifu that I had to suppress a giggle every time his name was mentioned.

Singapore also comes alive a lot more in this book. The non-Western characters feel less clichéd. However, the dialogue has a distinctly non-Asian feel to it. It’s not that I want it to sound Asian, it’s that there are some turns of phrases that just don’t feel suited to the characters. Jianne was born into wealth, so it’s possible she was the product of a Western education or received top-notch language instruction, but the same probably can’t be said for the homeware salesman.

But by far the biggest weakness in the story is the anticlimactic resolution to the stalker plot. Hunter tries to be too clever and it’s more puzzling than satisfying when all the loose ends are tied up in the epilogue.

But…who cares? Any imperfections in the writing or the plot are easily ignored because the emotional layer of the story is just so, so good.

To top it off, this book is really funny. Hunter knows what tickles a romance reader’s sense of humour—the hero trying to distract himself from the sexual tension, the alpha hero’s manly prejudices, the hero’s brothers needling him while he’s suffering from, well, trying to repress the sexual tension. Oh, and the heroine torturing him with yet more sexual tension.

We love a tortured hero.

Yay or nay?

Sexy, angsty and deeply moving, this story is everything we love about category romance. Oh, and the heroine? She’s the tycoon. This one’s a keeper.

Who might enjoy it: Readers who like to read between the lines

Who might not enjoy it: Readers who need a fully fledged backstory

This book was published in the US as Her Singapore Fling.

Title: Red-Hot Renegade (excerpt)
Series: The Bennetts (Book 5)
Author: Kelly Hunter
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon
Australia (Sexy): 9781742787947 (10/2010)
UK (Modern Heat): 9780263877434 (8/2010)
USA (Presents): 9780373528073 (3/2011)

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The Man She Loves To Hate by Kelly Hunter

Kat — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:00:00 +0000

The Man She Loves To Hate by Kelly Hunter

Mills & Boon conventions aside—yes, he’s a tycoon, she’s totally hot and they don’t use a condom—the heroine and hero of this book are rarely predictable. I only wish it could have been longer.

I don’t know why I didn’t discover Australian author Kelly Hunter sooner because she writes bloody good books.

Jolie Tanner has just removed all of her mother’s possessions from her mother’s recently deceased lover’s hideaway, when she’s caught in an avalanche with the dead lover’s son, Cole. Cole and Jolie used to be friends, but when news of his father’s dalliance with her mother became public ten years ago, Jolie was shunned and she’s borne the stigma of being a mistress’s daughter ever since.

As you do in a blizzard, Jolie and Cole share quite a bit of body heat, and what’s supposed to be a we’re-half-asleep-and-aroused-so-let’s-just-take-the-edge-off kiss ends up in unprotected sex that’s only partially mitigated by the fact that Cole isn’t a shirker and Jolie isn’t stupid enough to have sex without any form of birth control.

Before I go on, let me say that it puzzles—nay, pains—me to read that ‘hot seed spilled deep inside’ the heroine at the climax of a sex scene, and then two pages later, when she’s having second thoughts, to learn that ‘her panties [were] wet with [the hero's] semen’. I’m uncertain of the rules for when one ought to expect euphemisms in a Mills & Boon novel. Is ‘semen’ considered more sordid than ‘seed’?

Anyway. Moving on.

Cole and Jolie aren’t complete idiots, and despite the hash their parents made of their relationships, they continue to see and enjoy each other in secret. Eventually, though, they have to see if they can be together in the real world. Cole’s family is incensed and his mother takes drastic measures to manipulate Cole into ending the affair.

What makes Hunter a fabulous Mills & Boon author is that she refuses to let Jolie play the martyr. Jolie’s shyness is the reason she can’t cope with her mother’s—and by extension her—notoriety, but she does well enough to stand up for herself in front of one or two people.

Hunter also avoids the Big Misunderstanding cliché. Cole and Jolie know in their hearts that their relationship is special, and even when they’re derailed by a judgemental housekeeper or a needy sister, they fight for their right to that relationship. It’s really quite wonderful.

I wish this had been a full-length novel, because many of the secondary characters’ conflicts and relationships are interesting, too; instead, Hunter compromises by making the secondary characters less nuanced than they could have been.

And is it just me, or does Hunter loves the warrior hero? Cole’s not a martial arts expert and the story is set in New Zealand’s South Island, but somehow Hunter manages to evoke the fierce warrior without it sounding too uncool or out of place. Much.

Hunter’s prose isn’t always smooth, but at times I was moved so deeply by this book. There’s a particular moment when, for a few seconds, I was reminded of my favourite author. I was a little stunned.

‘Ask me what I dream of, Jolie. Ask me where I go when I close my eyes at night.’

‘I’m not sure I want to know.’

Wary, and so she should be, given the chaos she caused in him. Cole stepped in close and bent his head so that his lips brushed the hair at her temple. ‘…just for the record, when I close my eyes at night I think of greedy lips and silken skin and blinding passion the likes of which I’ve never felt before. Ask me where I go each night, Red.’

Grey eyes, wide and startled. A mouth made for kisses; not one kiss but more.

‘Where?’ she whispered and it was a supplicant’s murmur and it magnified the heat deep inside him a hundredfold.

‘I come to you.’

Delish.

One last thing. I love the look and feel of the Riva line (check out the cover below). The actual book feels lovely, too.

Yay or nay?

Who might enjoy it: Readers who expect their heroes and heroines to act like adults

Who might not enjoy it: Sticklers for safe sex

Title: The Man She Loves To Hate (excerpt)
Author: Kelly Hunter
Publisher: Mills & Boon
Australia (Sexy): 9781742907444 (5/2011)
UK (Riva): 9780263883732 (4/2011)
US (Presents): 9780373881918 (8/2011)

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Untameable Rogue by Kelly Hunter

Kat — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Untameable Rogue by Kelly Hunter (The Bennetts, Book 4)

If you can overlook the daggy warrior references and underutilised Asian setting, there’s enough depth in the central relationship to make this book a pleasure to read. If you enjoy the daggy stuff…well, that just makes it even better.

This was my first Kelly Hunter book, but it won’t be my last. I don’t care what anyone says about the super daggy Karate Kid-style set up at the beginning of the novel, or the constant references to Chinese zodiac signs (I am the warrior tiger, hear me roar!), this book was thrilling!

From the outside, Madeline Delacourte seems a bit…suss. Her late husband plucks a much younger wife off the streets of Jakarta, and she later inherits and now runs his multi-million-dollar business. But like all Mills and Boon trophy wives, Maddy has a heart of gold. She rescues stray kids from the streets and brings them to her friend Jacob’s dojo to become his apprentice.

As she drops off her latest street kid, she meets Jacob’s brother Luke, who’s in between missions. Luke is a bomb disposal expert and he’s quick to judge Maddy, who doesn’t rise to the bait because, frankly, she’s heard it all before.

Still, the pheromones are simmering and it all gets a bit much in the lift, and once they’ve worked off their lust—no condoms, if that bothers you—they realise that, well, it might be a longer work out than they’d first thought.

Luke won’t make promises about the future. He doesn’t want to have to choose between Maddy and his job. His job is extremely important to him, and to Hunter’s credit, she doesn’t water down Luke’s dedication to his job and belief in what he’s doing. Meanwhile, Maddy accepts his terms, but has enough self-respect to insist that she be treated as more than just a booty call.

It’s inevitable that Luke and Maddy have to compromise a little. To do so means they both have to believe in themselves a little more, which was a pleasant surprise. Let’s be honest—self-enlightenment is a bit hit and miss in category romance.

Also hit and miss is the warrior theme running through the book. Luke has ‘a warrior’s honour, soul deep and absolute. Duty-bound, forsaking all else.’ Over the top heaven! But isn’t that why we read category romance? Still, some readers might find constant references to warriors and tigers and honour and duty wearisome. There’s more to Asia than Kung Fu Panda, people!

Did I mention that the street kid’s name is Po?

I have mixed feelings about Singapore as a backdrop to this story. Neither protagonist is Asian, and there really isn’t enough space to capture any subtleties about the setting, resulting in a bunch of characters and situations that feel clichéd. I could be wrong, but Luke’s martial arts studio felt like a mishmash of Chinese and Japanese styles and terminology.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t put the book down. Yes, despite the fact that my library copy had a great big unidentified stain running through pages 13–59. I know. Ew.

Yay or nay?

Who might enjoy it: Anyone who ever had a crush on Daniel LaRusso

Who might not enjoy it: Elevator janitors

This book is no longer in print in Australia.

Title: Untameable Rogue (excerpt)
Series: The Bennetts (Book 4)
Author: Kelly Hunter
Publisher: Harlequin Mills and Boon
Australian line: Mills & Boon Sexy Sensation (6/2010)
UK line: Mills & Boon Heat (4/2010)
US line: Harlequin Presents (11/2010)

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The Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe

Kat — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:00:00 +0000

The Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe

Some of the plot manipulations may stand out like dog’s balls, and you’d be copping a fair bit of earbashing on Strine, but if you like gently paced romances, it’s worth a Captain Cook.

When Mark Olsen—’direct descendent [sic] of Viking marauders’—sees a bride wandering down his small home town, the least he could do is help her find her fiancé. Mark’s home for his annual Thanksgiving visit, and he’s already counting the days before he can leave.

Until it turns out that would-be bride Matilda Geoffrey—’direct descendent [sic] of convicts’—has been left standing on Main Street, with nothing but a wedding dress, a tiara and a two-tiered fruit cake ‘that wouldn’t pass a breathalyzer test’. No groom in sight and no funds for a return trip home to Australia.

Mark seriously does not want to stay in Hobin, Wisconsin any longer than absolutely necessary. His father died when Mark was seventeen, and he assumed responsibility for his mum and three sisters until they had recovered or grown up enough that he could finally live his life, make bucket loads of money and avoid his family as much as possible.

Unfortunately, Mark’s sister is terribly ill and needs his help. Conveniently, Matilda is qualified to provide home care.

The Boomerang Bride has its heart in the right place, but the conflicts are just not strong enough to sustain the story. What conflicts there are also diminish the characters.

Mark’s lingering resentment of the five years he spent supporting his family doesn’t ring true. Or if it does, then one is forced to conclude that those five years taught him nothing at all about love and family. His sister keeps her illness a secret, because if she’d warned him it’s likely he would have skipped coming home and sent a home nurse instead. A seventeen-year old doesn’t give up five years of his life only to turn into a man who pays other people to take care of his loved ones.

Meanwhile, Matilda prefers to be destitute rather than pursue the scammer who steals her inheritance. Her gullibility is bordering on TSTL (too stupid to live). She’s savvy enough to buy things on eBay but not to look up her fiancé’s supposed address on Google Maps. I’m no expert on immigration rules, but I didn’t find it believable that Matilda’s story wasn’t verified at Customs, given her one-way ticket and lack of cash.

There’s also the barrage of Australian slang that has to be explained. I appreciate that author Fiona Lowe doesn’t Americanise Matilda, but it was too much and not subtle enough and, frankly, I’m shocked that an American wouldn’t know what cutlery is:

‘Kyle, can you tell me where the cutlery and serviettes are?’

Her question yielded a blank look. ‘Pardon?’

She explained, wondering if it was her accent. ‘Knives, forks, spoons and paper things you put on your lap.’

‘Oh.’ Realization lit up his face. ‘Silverware and napkins. They’re in the drawer over there.’

More promising is the secondary romance between Mark’s sister Lori and her ex-lover Brian. Their few scenes together are deeply emotional and romantic, including one brief but hot phone sex episode:

The she lost herself in his words and the touch of her hand which was his hand until nothing existed except the rush of sensation that took her away from every idea of herself.

Yay or nay?

Some of the plot manipulations may stand out like dog’s balls, and you’d be copping a fair bit of earbashing on Strine, but if you like gently paced romances, it’s worth a Captain Cook.

Who might enjoy it: People fascinated by Aussie slang

Who might not enjoy it: People who ring the help number when their two-dollar coin gets stuck in the chip vending machine

An e-galley of this book was generously provided by Carina Press via NetGalley.

Title: The Boomerang Bride (excerpt)
Author: Fiona Lowe
Publisher: Carina Press
Ebook: 9781426892004 (8/8/2011)

This book is available only in digital format.

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Love Is A Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepherd

Envyious — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:50 +0000

Love Is A Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepherd

Chocolate, dogs and a hot alpha hero—need I say more?

Professional chef and food editor Madeline ‘Maddie’ Cartwright has just inherited a fortune from her secret multi-millionaire landlord and appointed guardian to a very wealthy Brutus Stoddard. That he has four legs, barks and defecates where he shouldn’t makes it a rather unusual case for his lawyer, Tom O’Brien, who’s more than a little suspicious of his pretty new owner.

It wouldn’t be out of place to start this review by mentioning that I have three dogs and I love them to pieces, but living with animals requires hard work and patience (now that I think about it, what doesn’t?!). This book had the perfect formula guaranteed to reel me in—a hot hero and cute dogs! Notice I didn’t mention the chocolate. At the risk of being chased with pitchforks for my blasphemy, I don’t need chocolate to survive. *gasp* If it’s any consolation, descriptions of Maddie’s cooking had me drooling like one of Pavlov’s dogs.

Maddie as a heroine was very sweet and, well, it’s telling that I can’t remember much about her after reading. Then there’s love interest Tom who tends to be somewhat retentive when it comes to achieving his ambitions. Both are hard working and are instantly attracted to the other from the first instance, though Tom resists this as much as he does Maddie’s delicious cookies—literally and figuratively. But how long can you last when something you know you want quite badly is dangled repeatedly under your nose?

It was adorable how one ugly mutt (I say that as a term of endearment) helped bring these reluctant lovers together, but it wasn’t all that hard to see how everything would unfold. The villain is bad and predictably, not a dog person. That’s about as far as his characterisation goes. More of a back-story and a reason for his actions apart from petty greed would have been welcome.

Yay or nay?

Despite all the perfect ingredients for a great contemporary romance, the plot and both characters are so predictable that the synopsis at the back of the book is a good two-thirds of the entire novel. I found that I could easily put this book down; it wasn’t bad, simply, bland. However, if you like dogs (or animals in general) and you’re in the mood for a cute, light-hearted read then don’t pass this up.

Title: Love Is A Four-Legged Word (excerpt)
Author: Kandy Shepherd
Publisher: Berkley
C format: 9780425227848 (7/7/2009)
Ebook: 9781101080467 (7/7/2009)

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Home Is Where the Bark Is by Kandy Shepherd

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

Kat — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

A surprisingly sweet and funny story with some solid and charming characters.

The Bridget Jones-style beginning of All I Ever Wanted almost caused me to put this book down, but I persevered because I’d been wanting to try Kristan Higgins for some time now. I’m glad I did because the story is surprisingly sweet and funny, with some solid character development.

Callie Grey has been pining for her boss—formerly her high school crush and first kiss—and patiently waiting for the ‘timing’ to be right for their relationship. But despite one glorious five-week fling almost a year ago, Mark announces his engagement to the daughter of a key client. On Callie’s birthday. Oh, and his fiancée would now be working with the company.

Sure, she wants Mark back, but Callie gamely tries to get back into the dating pool by checking out the town’s new vet…except Ian McFarland is not exactly receptive to Callie’s charms.

It’s hard to place this book. It has a chick-lit feel and is told from the first person, but the romance features heavily in the second half of the book. It’s also not as self-centred as chick-lit tends to be. Higgins plays for laughs, but never really at the expense of her protagonist. Behind Callie’s insecurities and problems is a fairly confident, successful woman with a clear sense of who she is, surrounded by people who love her.

Ian is a little more difficult to empathise with. Higgins had me until Callie makes an observation about Ian that brought to my mind a particularly irritating real-life acquaintance. That kind of ruined it for me. Romance genre purists might find Ian too inscrutable and inaccessible as a romantic hero—this isn’t helped by Higgins’s choice of POV.

The secondary characters demonstrated their own charm and provide a subtle way for Higgins to explore Callie’s strengths and weakness. I particularly loved Noah, Callie’s gruff but loveable grandfather, and Callie’s brother Fred. A subplot involving Callie’s parents suffers from being somewhat far-fetched and too conveniently wrapped up. Another romantic subplot involving Callie’s sister comes across as more than a little creepy and could have used a little restraint on Higgins’s part.

Similarly, the last part of the book could have used a lighter hand. Too many misunderstandings, including a conveniently compromising situation, undermine an otherwise well-balanced story. Friction between Callie and Ian’s stepmother is introduced late, providing conflict between Ian and Callie which doesn’t feel properly resolved.

Still, what lingers in my mind after reading this book is Callie’s charm, Ian’s slightly bemused attraction to her and Noah’s rather endearing bluster.

Yay or nay?

Although Higgins starts off overdoing the wisecracks, once she settles into Callie’s voice the story becomes a gentle look at the many, often small ways that love in its various guises can blind, hurt, comfort and heal us.

A review copy of this book was generously provided by Mills and Boon Australia.

Australian edition

US edition

Title: All I Ever Wanted (excerpt)
Author: Kristan Higgins
Publisher: Mira
B format: 9781921794605 (7/2011)
US mass market: 9780373774586 (27/7/2010)
Ebook:9781742905594 (7/2011)

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Home Is Where the Bark Is by Kandy Shepherd

Wandergurl — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:15 +0000

Home Is Where The Bark Is by Kandy Shepherd

For anyone looking for a sweet, lovely, light-hearted read. Especially if you love dogs.

Serena Oakley is an ex-model who now runs a doggy day care (with a spa!) in San Francisco. Nick Whalen is a private investigator assigned to figure out if Serena is behind an identity theft scheme. When he shows up at her shop with a Yorki-poo, she’s a bit suspicious—after all, what is this hunk of a man doing with a handbag dog? This doesn’t stop her from being attracted to him and vice versa. Will Nick be able to find out who the real thief is before super hot attraction gets in the way?

I love dogs. I’m the kind of person who says, ‘Hello, doggy!’ every time I pass one on the street. I used to volunteer at a dog shelter. Hence, there was pretty much a kind of guarantee I would like this book. All the dogs in this book were realistic and adorable and were more than just a means to further the plot along—they were pretty much secondary characters.

Now, as for the humans… Serena seemed like the kind of person who could really have used a break. Sure, she was a hot model and all, but in the process of transitioning from being super model to small business owner, she went through quite a bit of trauma. Now she’s trying really hard to keep her business afloat. She was a very sympathetic character and really not the kind of beautiful girl you’d love to hate. Nick was pretty hunky. And his conflict of interest—thinking with his balls instead of his head—seemed rather realistic, even typical, for a guy confronted with the hotness that was Serena.

I liked the way their relationship came together. They both tried reeeeally hard to deny their growing attraction while at the same time trying to sneak ways to spend time with each other. The mystery of the real fraudster was brought to light in the end, but to be honest I didn’t even try to guess (and I usually do!) because I was too focused on the romance and how it unfolded.

Yay or nay?

I really liked this book. I read it while I was lying sick in bed, and it was a comfort as I tried not to cough my guts out (sorry for the graphic description). I would recommend it for anyone looking for a sweet, lovely, light-hearted read. Especially if you love dogs.

This book is loosely related to Kandy Shepherd’s first contemporary romance novel, Love Is A Four-Legged Word.

Title: Home Is Where The Bark Is (excerpt)
Author: Kandy Shepherd
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
B format: 9780425234297 (7/2010)
Ebook: 9781101188491 (7/2010)

Where you can buy this book

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Love Is A Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepherd