For a 770+ page book, this kept me engaged for every single page. I normally don’t read books this long, I have too short of an attention span, but I’For a 770+ page book, this kept me engaged for every single page. I normally don’t read books this long, I have too short of an attention span, but I’m so glad I didn’t miss this epic, epic love story spanning over a thousand years. Mystery, romance, action, suspense….loved it. I can’t recall how I found it but it deserves way more attention than it has so despite not being perfect, I’m rounding up!
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a vampire PNR, and an equally long time since I’ve read a small town setting - this was both and it worked well!It’s been a long time since I’ve read a vampire PNR, and an equally long time since I’ve read a small town setting - this was both and it worked well! A bit of fun that didn’t take itself seriously, the writing style made this a really easy read. Sure, it was insta-lust not love, and if she keeps adding men it’s going to get old, fast, but for the moment, I was happily entertained....more
4.5 stars. Like Addicted, not witout its issues but also beautifully written and memorable. (view spoiler)[ As much as it wasn't the ending I would ha4.5 stars. Like Addicted, not witout its issues but also beautifully written and memorable. (view spoiler)[ As much as it wasn't the ending I would have hoped for, I actually really appreciated that the author didn't just magically remove the barriers to the HEA romance readers usually expect (hide spoiler)]
Now to get my hands on that much needed epilogue!...more
I had absolutely no interest in reading this book. Dystopian fantasy is not my thang, so despite all the glittering reviews, I was never going to giveI had absolutely no interest in reading this book. Dystopian fantasy is not my thang, so despite all the glittering reviews, I was never going to give this one an opportunity. That is, until the price-drop to 99c. What the hell, I thought. I was in a reading slump anyway, so thought I may as well try a change of pace.
Woah, Nelly! This was awesome! Some of it will be the timing - it just worked for me with where my head was at the time - but the rest is just that it was a damn entertaining read. How good it is when you read a book thinking it won't be for you, and it turns out you end up loving it?
I wish I had internet connection when I finished this one, because I would have rhapsodised with joy. As it is, I will just say that this was not at all what I expected, and it knocked my socks off. So much better than I had dared to hope, and I can't remember the last time I have looked forward to a book as much as I'm looking forward to the sequel.
What an absorbing book! This is why I love Anne Mallory.
I’m the kind of reader who finishes a book and immediately moves on the next one. I’m having tWhat an absorbing book! This is why I love Anne Mallory.
I’m the kind of reader who finishes a book and immediately moves on the next one. I’m having trouble maintaining that pattern after this one – I don’t want to let it go. I can totally understand why sometimes readers will finish the last page of a book and head straight back to page one to read it again. This is that kind of book.
It’s also the kind of book that I find impossible to review. There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t have the gift of words to express it. In Total Surrender is not a book with a huge amount of external influence or changing locations. There is a plot, and it’s relevant, but that’s not the point of the book. This is a character driven story of two complicated people finding each other and struggling to understand what this means to themselves, each other, and their lives.
It was a completely delicious experience to witness the cold, dark and powerful Andreas Merrick slowly unravel and succumb to the force that is Phoebe Pace. Seeing his reaction to Phoebe, and his reaction to his reaction, was just so much fun.
Mallory has written the perfect tortured hero in Andreas. I loved his character and his inner dialogue was genuinely funny – such a contrast to the man he would have everyone believe him to be – the man he believes himself to be. I lost count of the ways this book made me smile, and it was not a light story. Mallory’s balance was perfect.
Phoebe was a fantastic character:
“She couldn’t be upset that circumstances had brought her into contact with Andreas Merrick, just that the circumstances themselves couldn’t resolve quickly and happily so that she could pursue him with abandon. That thought brought a smile to her lips. Poor man.”
She was able to match Andreas’s cunning, intelligence and machinations at every turn, but her modus operandi was so different. Sunny and warm to his menace and ice. The perfect counterweight.
I loved the way Mallory depicted the effects of Phoebe’s efforts to breach Andreas’s defenses, and the little ways in which the cracks were starting to show. I loved watching them circle each other, both of them maneuvering circumstances within and without, both keeping their secrets but exposing themselves nonetheless.
I was desperate to see these two finally get together, but I didn’t want to stop watching her deftly finesse this unreadable, untouchable, unreachable man. And she did it in such a way that you couldn’t help but love her for it. He knew what she was doing, and he knew she knew he knew what she was doing, but she was so damn good at it that she left him no way out. And even if he wouldn’t – couldn’t – admit it, Andreas wanted to be right where he was.
My only complaint? I wanted more from the ending. And I wanted much more from the epilogue.
There are so many quotable passages in this book, and I can’t help but include them here because they will speak for the book far better then I am able. That, and I’ll also be able to come back and read them and relive the magic of this book.
"Her hands shook as she undressed quietly back in her own room. She could not deny it--she was becoming irreparably entangled. And what he would do with the net, she did not know."
"She had touched him. She had looked at his repulsive scars and pressed her lips to them. Soothing and steady. Unfaltering and unshakable. That was Phoebe Pace. He needed her gone more than he ever had. And yet his fingers clutched an invisible cord, fingernails gripping his palm, as if it would hold her to him."
“For a moment she wasn’t sure he’d answer. ‘Soon.’ ‘That is quite vague. Soon might be tomorrow or a month from now. How do you define soon?’ ‘I define it as a period of time in the near future.’ She smiled. ‘How do you define difficult?’ ‘By your presence.’ She grinned fully, delighted to feel the tension dissipate. ‘Now you are just flattering me for no reason.’ He grunted. ‘On the contrary,’ she said, as if his grunt had been a worded response. ‘It was most flattering.’ He stared at her. ‘What? Did you think I wouldn’t figure out how to interpret your grunts? It’s like listening to a conversational gambit with a thousand different meanings.’ He recovered quickly, as always, scowling. ‘Why would you think it flattery?’ ‘You have defined something by my presence. Which means you have noticed me quite keenly. I take that as flattering.’ His eyes narrowed. But then she knew he wouldn’t like that particular explanation. It left him too wide open. ‘I find you difficult. Not adorable.’ ‘I think I am quite shocked to find you using the word “adorable” in a sentence.’ She waved a hand. ‘Next thing I know, you will be petting puppies in the street.’”
"She leaned down, a fraction closer, and for some reason unknown to man, he lifted his head the tiniest bit. Enough so she could brush his cheek with her lips. 'Goodnight, Mr. Merrick.'”
“Her smile almost made him forget the scene around her. ‘What the devil have you done?’ he demanded. ‘Oh!’ This was said brightly, as if she was happy he had noticed. ‘I decided I needed my own workspace, instead of constantly infringing upon yours. So I had a few of the boys move a desk in here.’ He stared at the petite, feminine, desk that was pushed against his. And wondered how the bloody hell she had managed to convince men who were terrified of him to move the desk inside his domain. ‘Absolutely not.’
Two hours later, he was still scowling as she happily worked on . . . whatever the hell it was she was working on. Across from him. At her desk. How the hell. . . He remembered saying no. He remembered cursing. Threatening her unborn children. Then there was a sort of hazy period of smiles and calm words. Then she had touched the back of his hand with her naked fingers. And now, here he was with . . . her desk . . . pressed to his—surreptitiously watching her scratch her paper, the tip of her tongue poking from the side of her mouth as she worked. Who did that? It was decidedly uncouth.”
“‘You are quite an amusing man usually. Always yelling things’--she raised her elbows up as far as her dress allowed with her fingers spread and her limbs vibrating—‘Like “Leave” and “I want you gone.”' Her voice had taken on a theatrical, low timbre. She put her elbow back on the table, her chin resting back on her hand. ‘It's charming as long as one doesn't take you seriously.’ ‘Sane people take me seriously.’ ‘I'm sane, and I do not.’ ‘You are the least sane person I've had the misfortune to meet.’”
"She stared at him as he ate and watched her. It was as if the world had turned upside down but hadn't swept her with it. Standing on the ceiling now, stomach suddenly in her throat, waiting to fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs."
“My God. She wanted to wrap herself around him, to pin herself to him, the heat melting them together, never able to separate. His lips consumed hers. As if he had been waiting years, decades, to unleash such passion. Waiting there, leashed and growling, behind a cold and steely facade. And she couldn't think of a single regret as he stole the breath from her. She had never been so right. That this was a man to whom one sold one's soul. For he was assuredly pulling it right out of her. With every breath that passed from her lips to his. Piece by piece, never to be regained. Held for judgment or set free."
I adored this book - it was damn close to perfection. The Many Sins of Lord Cameron is one of those wondrous books that take you to another place. I cI adored this book - it was damn close to perfection. The Many Sins of Lord Cameron is one of those wondrous books that take you to another place. I could have quite happily stayed within the pages for weeks. Sadly, I only got to spend two days there, but the book was the perfect length and the story beautifully paced.
The Many Sins of Lord Cameron has gone on to my rather exclusive "to-buy" shelf, because this is one of the vary rare stories I would like to read again. There really was nothing in this one that I didn't like. I had my doubts about the inclusion of the suspense plot, and I thought this one sounded a little silly. Not only wasn't it silly, but it was also resolved early on in the piece.
And who could possibly complain given that it lead to Ainsley being discovered hiding in Cameron's bedchamber - again! I loved that set-up! I also adored both Cameron and Ainsley, and Daniel has developed into quite the appealing young man. I absolutely adored the development of Cameron and Ainsley's relationship. It was, again, close to perfect.
As it stands, with two 5-star and one 4-star books, Highland Pleasures is shaping up to be one of my all-time favourite HR series. And with Hart and Daniel's books still to come, I can't see that changing....more
I recently picked up a bundle of eight holds from the library, and Wicked Becomes You was among of them. Strangely, this was the one I was least inter I recently picked up a bundle of eight holds from the library, and Wicked Becomes You was among of them. Strangely, this was the one I was least interested in reading, and it kept getting pushed down to the bottom of the pile.
Duran’s The Duke of Shadows was one of my favourite reads of 2010. A wonderfully different historical romance with adventure and an exotic setting (if you haven’t read The Duke of Shadows, by the way, you really should remedy that). I thought Duran was probably one of those authors who writes that one amazing debut novel, and never quite manages to reach those heights again.
I was sure that Wicked Becomes You was going to disappoint, thinking it was just another in a long line of forgettable Regency/Victorian romances; and the cover did nothing to dispel my perception.
Well, you know that saying about assumptions? So true. This was a wonderful book, and I loved every minute of it.
Gwen Maudsley is living the life her late parents designed for her. Being ‘new money’, they left one world to enter another, and belonged in neither. Their strongest desire for their daughter was that she be a welcome member of society, something that money alone could not guarantee. Nothing but marriage to a titled gentleman would ensure Gwen’s place in society.
Gwen has done everything she can to ensure this dream becomes a reality. She has played by every single rule and succeeded in becoming society’s darling, known and loved for being the ‘nicest girl in town’ Couple this with her beauty and three million pound fortune, and success in her mission should be easy. But Gwen finds herself literally left at the altar – again – and something has to give.
Gwen has known Alex Ramsay for years. He was her late brother’s best friend, and is a notorious rogue. Surely he will understand that she does not intend for there to be a third time. She is independently wealthy and does not need to wed, despite her parents’ and brother’s wishes for her. But Alex has made his own promises to Gwen’s brother – that he will see her well cared for – and not by him.
Alex believes Gwen to just be suffering the ill-effects of her second jilting, and is sure that she will revert to type – until they accidentally meet in Paris and Gwen sets out to demonstrate she is serious about no longer living by society’s rules.
Don’t let the synopsis fool you. This is not the shallow story of good girl going bad and taming the rake. It is a journey of discovery undertaken by both characters as they struggle to learn, understand and reconcile the truth about themselves and each other, and what this means to their past, present and future.
Alex and Gwen were both very complex characters who had each buried their true self behind a façade, and had been living in their lies so well and for so long, that they no longer knew who they really were at all.
They had undeniable chemistry together but fought hard to forge a relationship that went so much deeper than the physical. These two were true soul-mates although they were each unable to recognize the other as such without some serious searching. Again, though, don’t mistake this for being a dark, novel. Alex and Gwen were a pleasure to watch with their banter and witticism.
Duran is an wonderful writing talent. She has an amazing way with words and the ability to reel you in as she slowly and deliberately peels away the layers to show the depth beyond the surface, making the reader a participant on the journey rather than just an onlooker. I found myself fully immersed in the story as they traveled from London to the Moulin Rouge in France to the casinos of Monte Carlo.
There were some story lines that seemed a little underdeveloped in comparison and could have been managed better or omitted completely, but the writing is so good that it didn’t spoil my enjoyment and I was just happy to go wherever Duran wanted to take me.
I highly recommend Wicked Becomes You for anyone who enjoys well-written historical romance, and must thank my GR friend Catherine for recommending this book as my next Meredith Duran read – excellent choice, Catherine!
What a way to start the New Year with this absolutely wonderful book. To my great surprise given its age (1993), Then Came You is definitely my favourWhat a way to start the New Year with this absolutely wonderful book. To my great surprise given its age (1993), Then Came You is definitely my favourite Lisa Kleypas read to date. And not only that, I think it's one of my favourite romance books of all time by any author. I absolutely LOVED it!
There. End of review.
Oh, but I must add, I've heard much about Derek Craven, and I KNOW the power of this author to redeem any and every character, but I wasn't quite feeling the love after this one....more
Having garnered such mixed reviews here on GoodReads, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Crazy Hot. It seemed like it was either going to be crazHaving garnered such mixed reviews here on GoodReads, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Crazy Hot. It seemed like it was either going to be crazy in a fun way, or crazy all sorts of bad. Because of the comparisons to muscle car films, whose names I can’t even recall because they are sooo not my thing, I was leaning towards this probably not being for me.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. This was crazy fun - I had a ball reading it! Sure, there were some glaring plot holes and a couple of pretty epic TSTL moments from the heroine, but who cares when you’re having this much fun? Not me. I’d heard that you had to suspend disbelief with this one, and I was more than willing and able to do that and just enjoy the ride.
Crazy Hot is the first in a series about a group of ex chop-shop bad boys turned Special Defense Force, a classified and unacknowledged team working blacker than black ops that the other alphabet agencies either can’t achieve or can’t be seen to be involved in.
Being the first book, there was a lot going on. Lots of characters were introduced and presumably being set up for their future starring roles, and I did have a hard time to start with trying to keep up with who was who. Couple that with the fact that the cars were almost characters in themselves, complete with names like Jeanette, Betty and Nadine, and it could get a little confusing at times.
Quinn Younger was a juvenile car thief before turning American hero fighter pilot when his jet was shot down behind enemy lines and he effected a daring and difficult escape. Enter plot hole #1 – Having been plastered all over People magazine and the like, I’m not sure how he was pulling off the undercover jobs, but what the hey.
Regan McKinney is the granddaughter of renowned paleontologist Wilson McKinney. Having been orphaned as a teenager, she often joined her grandfather on digs where he also supervised juvenile offenders as part of a work-release type program. This was where she first met 16 year old Quinn, when he walked in on her half-naked in her tent.
Quinn and Regan haven’t seen each other for 15 years, but the moment in the tent had a profound impact on them both, and neither has forgotten the other. Enter plot hole #2 – when Wilson goes missing and Regan, following a lead in her grandfather’s day planner, sets off the find Quinn, Quinn doesn’t recognise her – despite the fact that we soon learn he has been obsessed with her for 15 years.
Turns out Regan has walked smack-bang into a dangerous op and what follows is a fast-paced, high-octane ride as Quinn tries to keep Regan safe while managing to fit in some action on the bonnet (and the boot) of Jeanette. I know, I know, this sounds ridiculous, but somehow it really does work!
There are white-knuckle car chases aplenty as the bad guys close in, and plenty of time for the boys to demonstrate why they were chosen for this elite team – the team who actually achieves the mission: impossible. I don’t have any particular interest in cars, and I’m certainly no petrol-head, but I didn’t need to be. The cars actually did a great job of adding fun and excitement to the story.
I quite like me a bad boy, and Quinn’s colleagues in the SDF are all intriguing and appealing – I can’t wait to read their stories.
Having loved Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters, I have desperately been looking for something to fill the void, and by George, I think I’ve found it! The Steele Street series is nothing like the Troubleshooters series, but so far, even though the story was nowhere near as tight, it was every bit as enjoyable. ...more
I am on a winning streak with series that just keep getting better. Having just read the latest in the I-Team series by Pamela Clare (Naked Edge) whicI am on a winning streak with series that just keep getting better. Having just read the latest in the I-Team series by Pamela Clare (Naked Edge) which IMHO was the best in the series so far, I moved straight on to this gem in the Wallflowers series.
I absolutely adored It Happened One Autumn and didn't think Kleypas would be able to top that one, but she just might have managed it. It's hard to say whether I like this one better, because the two are very different. Where It Happened One Autumn had me grinning like a fool, Devil in Winter was a much darker read. The heroes, too, are polar opposites and yet I would be hard pressed to pick my favorite (I would be happy to keep them both but neither would be inclined to share...)
I could kick myself for having waited so long before giving Kleypas a try. She has not disappointed this reader and has given me the pleasure of these very different but immensely enjoyable reads. I guess the good news is that I have so many stories of hers still to discover....more
'Delightful' is not a word I tend to use much, if at all, in my everyday life. However, were I to use just one word to sum up It Happened One Autumn, 'Delightful' is not a word I tend to use much, if at all, in my everyday life. However, were I to use just one word to sum up It Happened One Autumn, delightful comes immediately to mind.
The books I give 5 star ratings to are those that engage and elicit my emotions, provoking strong feelings. I generally prefer 'meaty' books with some requisite angst and torment, that are not necessarily always 'pleasant' to read. This does not describe It Happened One Autumn.
But I cannot deny that this book strongly engaged my emotions. It just so happens that prevailing feeling was, yep, delight. I found myself grinning like a fool non-stop while reading this. This never happens. If that alone isn't worth 5 stars then I don't know what is.
I'm surprised my how much I have enjoyed the first 2 books in the Wallflowers series (also my first Kleypas experience). Unlike many readers, I have never found Regencies to hold a strong attraction. The whole trying to marry a peer, not allowing yourself to be compromised, society, manners, men are the best chuck out the rest, blah, blah, blah and etcetera, just doesn't appeal.
Gee am I glad these books have put a great big dent in that opinion. Marcus and Lillian are now right up as one of my favourite couples of all time. I adored them both and they couldn't be more perfect for each other.
Thanks so much to my GR friends for your glowing reviews of this series, without you I wouldn't have had this delightful experience.
One thing does puzzle me, however. Sabastian, Lord St. Vincent seems to be universally adored. After what he pulled in this one, Kleypas is going to need to pull a rabbit out of her hat to make me join those ranks. Her writing is good enough that she may do just that....more
This was a tough one to rate - it’s not without its issues, but there are also moments of brilliance.
4.5 stars and rounding up because I could look thThis was a tough one to rate - it’s not without its issues, but there are also moments of brilliance.
4.5 stars and rounding up because I could look through the books I’ve read (even this year) and not be able to recall much about most of them. This one, however, will definitely stay with me for some time....more
Expectations can be a double-edged sword. More often than not, my high expectations for those books that have garnered almost universal praise are lef Expectations can be a double-edged sword. More often than not, my high expectations for those books that have garnered almost universal praise are left unmet and I finish the book feeling vaguely disappointed – even if it’s a good read, it often doesn’t strike me as the brilliance I was expecting.
Along with the rave reviews, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie also had an additional burden. The hero has Aspergers syndrome, an Autism Spectrum disorder that I am very familiar with (my nephew has this condition).
There is nothing worse for me when reading a book to find that characters with certain attributes are not accurately and realistically portrayed. Room, winner of the GoodReads Choice Award for Fiction 2010 amongst others, failed for me because I did not find the narrator, a five year old, authentic.
And so it was that after delaying my reading of this highly acclaimed novel, I braced myself for disappointment and irritation. After all, pulling this off was a pretty big ask and it was going to take a special and talented author to create a swoon-worthy hero in his own right - not just a gimmick; and provide the reader with a passionate, equal and balanced relationship.
Bravo, Jennifer Ashley! You did it, and I loved it! This is one time I’m glad my expectations weren’t met.
Imagine suffering from this kind of condition back in 1881, before such things were understood, diagnosed and managed. Ian has extreme difficulty establishing or maintaining eye contact. He is literal in every sense, so cannot understand humour. He has a prodigious memory, and can remember and replay entire suites of music from one hearing, although he cannot read a note. He can recall a conversation word for word, even when not paying attention, but panics from the confusion of groups. He cannot read body language or expressions, and learnt polite rules and customs by necessity, although he does not understand them. He cannot lie.
It is no big surprise, then, to learn that he was placed in an asylum at an early age for madness. There, he was condemned to torturous sessions of ice baths followed by electric shock therapy, tied down, beaten and otherwise abused, for the purposes of treating his ‘madness’, which, unsurprisingly, often manifested in rage. I did not pity Ian at all for his Aspergers, but my heart broke for what he suffered as a result.
When Ian meets widowed Beth at the opera, she is betrothed to a man of his acquaintance. Having learned all he could about her, he determines to protect her from the philanderer seeking to profit from her inheritance, and have her for himself. Having no understanding of the subtleties of courtship and decorum, Ian immediately and quite bluntly makes his intentions known.
There is something very attractive, particularly in those times, to have a man demonstrate so openly and honestly his desire without adherence to the conventions and customs of polite society. Having known the pleasures of the marriage bed, and having been without this in her life in the years since the loss of her beloved husband, I can completely understand Beth’s initial attraction to Ian.
It was a little harder to comprehend Ian’s immediate fixation on Beth. What was clear was that he found her eyes compelling, and that there was a kinship in that they were both outsiders – people who would never quite fit with society. Ian for obvious reasons, and Beth for her origins ‘in the gutter’.
This is a tale of lust to love, and while I can understand how some readers would have difficulty ‘buying’ the love story aspect given the limitations and difficulty in their verbal communication, I didn’t have that experience. From my perspective, I was more drawn to how they made each other feel (not just physically, although they were very hot together), and the transformation and improvement they brought into each other’s lives. They were each happier and more content and fulfilled with each other than they were apart, and felt that indefinable and irresistible connection and pull toward each other. That spoke of love clearly enough to me.
I loved Jennifer Ashley’s writing, and the secondary characters were also very well developed and compelling in their own right. This is one that will definitely take pride of place on my keepers shelf, and I can’t wait to read the others in the series. ...more
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