Polls series no. 4: sport romances

Hello everyone :D

So I did come up with an idea for the new polls series :) The polls series no.4 will be about sport romances! Let us know what you think by voting and commenting :) Also, if you have any suggestions of sport romances, feel free to share :D

The polls are pretty straightforward, if you need any clarification, feel free to ask :D Oh, about the 5th poll, Would you be interested in amateur sport romance... by amateur sport, I mean any sport where the athlete is not making millions of dollars a year such as figure skating, speed skating, track and fields, etc.

Polls will be closing next week on April 15 at 11.59AM (Eastern time).

Follow-up: Polls series no.3

I know you've all been waiting for the follow-up post with impatience :P so here it is! I started this post at 8.07AM this morning, but am now only finishing it... (well yeah, I had to wait till the polls officially closed down + I was working + making the graphs). So here it is :D

First poll: Favorite book of the Women of the Otherworld series?

Are you surprised that Bitten came up on top? I'm not, although I thought it would be a closer fight, considering all the great books. From the start, Bitten took the lead and never looked back :P

I voted for Industrial Magic. I just love that book, mainly because it's one of the few where most characters appear... i.e. the werewolves, the witches and sorcerers, the vampires, Jaime, Eve and a bit of Kristof. My second choice would have been Stolen, again, same reasons - we are introduced to the other characters in the series.

I can understand though why Bitten would be most people's favorite. Elena is a great narrator and heroine and the storyline was great. I like how Elena is already a werewolf, part of a pack. There's no "oh, werewolf exists?!?" and she's not an outsider who's introduced to a great secret. Ms Armstrong was also gutsy to start the series as she did - i.e., focus on Elena and the werewolves instead of introducing all the other supernatural beings and too much of world building... Another factor that made Bitten the winner is probably because it's the first book in the series. First book usually has the greatest impact and is often the one people like the best, because that's where everything starts.

Oh, another factor might have been that most voters did not read the whole series yet. I wonder if they did, would the race have been closer?


Second poll: Favorite couple?



Well talk about a landslide :P 17 votes total and 16 went to the same couple. With no surprise, Elena and Clay came on top, but I didn't expect with such an overwhelming majority. I actually expected a fight between Elena&Clay and Paige&Lucas... guess not :P Personally, I voted for Elena&Clay... my second choice was Jaime&Jeremy. I almost voted for them, but their long-distance relationship is why I didn't. Although it made a lot of sense in the novel and storyline, I'd have preferred them to be together, together.

So why Elena & Clay? Personally, I think it has a lot to do with Clay. He's much more charismatic than Lucas in my opinion. It also comes down to his personality... he might be rude, possessive and grumpy, but all this make him charming. Next to Paige & Lucas, I think that people find Paige & Lucas' relationship more normal and common; they don't stand out that much. Also, Ms Armstrong focused less on their relationship. Paige and Lucas met in Dime Store Magic, were a couple in Industrial Magic and next thing you knew, they got married in a short story. I guess readers didn't get to connect as much with them as a couple compared to Elena & Clay with whom interaction and relationship is one of the main issues :P I also wonder if perhaps it's because readers prefer Elena over Paige... I know that many didn't enjoy Paige's books, so that's probably another reason.

As for the other couples, it's unfortunate, but I guess they never had a chance... mainly, I guess, because, again, readers didn't get to connect with them... However, if I removed Elena & Clay, I wonder if Paige & Lucas would come on top or not...


Third Poll: Favorite Supernatural Being


When I put this poll up, I meant supernatural being in the series... however, I wasn't very clear and I think people just voted for their favorite ones ^_^; Ah well, no biggy. See, one of the reasons why I enjoy the Women of the Otherworld series so much is Ms Armstrong's world building, but also her different take on certain supernatural beings such as vampires... That's why I was interested to see what others preferred.

Interestingly enough, Elena and Paige's races came on top, werewolf and witch respectively. Is it because that's what the readers had most exposure with? Werewolves appear in almost all the books in the series and we got to see a lot of witches too.

I voted for werewolf, because I think they got the best deal... Increased strength and speed, prolonged life and best of all, very high metabolism that allow them to eat tons. Being a witch or sorcerer can be cool too; however, it seems to demand a lot more work and studies :P Vampires aren't bad either since they have increased strength and speed too and they do live way longer, although their life span is finite; but yeah, the whole blood thing? Not very attractive. Half-demon is not bad either, but it's risky, since the power and degree is pre-determined by the demon that fathers you. I wouldn't like to be attraced to chaos like Hope, but I wouldn't mind being able to control fire like Adam... As for being a necromancer or a clairvoyant, well the powers are not bad... however, having ghosts asking your help or being exploited by the Cabals -both definitively have cons... and biggest con is that most necromancers and clairvoyants become mad at they grow older. Definitively not attractive. Finally, shaman is the race we know the least about and I wonder if Ms Armstrong will ever develop that one... So yep, werewolves definitively have the best deal :P


Fourth poll: Whose book are you anticipating most?



This was the poll with the least votes; however, the ones who voted seem to be anticipating Savannah's book the most... and it makes the most sense. We've seen Savannah grow up throughout the series and we know that she's a powerful witch who's a lot like her mother. It'll be interesting to see her story. On the other hand, I'm not looking forward to Cassandra's book as much. I mean, it's been hinted in many books that Cassandra's time is ending soon :( I can't see anyone really looking forward to reading the book of a character who's about to die... One person has voted for Elena. I wouldn't mind to have another book with Elena as a narrator; however, I have a requirement. I want the children to be still kids... I don't want to see Elena and Clay deal with teenagers... However, it'll be interesting to see what the future has in store for Elena as an alpha :P


Fifth Poll: Will you give a try to Darkest Powers, the YA trilogy?



More than half who voted said yes and the others, maybe. The good news is that nobody came out and said no :P I think it's going to be interesting, but I can understand why many are so wary. Although I'm sure that if there's good reviews, then people will pick it up :D


So that was it for the polls series no.3 :D However, while I was writing this follow-up post, I came up with a question... It seems to me that many have not read the series... Most seem stuck after the fourth or fifth book... and many have the first 2 books in their TBR pile. Why is it that so many are not up-to-date with this series? I mean, for most series such as Psy-Changelings by Nalini Singh, the Guardians by Meljean Brooks, the Midnight Breed by Lara Adrian, when a new installment is released, people rush to the bookstore to buy it. So why not with the Women of the Otherworld? Is it because this is more urban fantasy than romance? Or perhaps there was too much of a gap between the first two books and the rest of the series? Just curious...


Oh, I still haven't come up for the next poll series theme... any idea?

Reminder: Poll series no.3

Hi everyone!!

Just a reminder that the poll series no. 3 about the Women of the Otherworld series is ending tomorrow at 11.59am! If you haven't voted yet, please do so here! It doesn't matter if you haven't read the whole series yet...

As for those who have voted, if you have time, dropped by and let me know for whom you voted and why :P

Have a great day all :D

and oh, any idea for a new poll series?

Review: Thigh High by Christina Dodd

I want to start by saying that I’ve been really lucky that other bloggers have accepted to buddy review books with me. Seriously, if it wasn’t for them, this blog wouldn’t have as many posts. So thank you very much!

Today, my review buddy is Jill from the Romance Rookie blog. In the past, Jill and I have noticed that we often have different opinions on books, so we thought it’d be really interesting to do a buddy review. Our choice: Thigh High by Christina Dodd.

Oh, just before you start reading this review... it's more of a discussion, so warning, there are spoilers! There's lots of reviews that have been posted in blogland recently, so if you don't want to be spoiled, you might want to read those instead (Dear Author, All About Romance)...


Thigh High by Christina Dodd
published by Signet in March 2008

Nessa Dahl always had the good sense to steer clear of trouble. Then Jeremiah MacNaught showed up in New Orleans, determined to get to the bottom of a string of bank robberies by two women wearing Mardi Gras masks. Little does Nessa realize that the handsome investigator is convinced she's involved with the crimes-or that he's willing to do anything to get the truth. Even if it means taking the beautiful woman he's convinced is a liar and a thief straight to bed...

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: The Fortune Hunter, book #3

The Story: Nessa Dahl has been working at the bank for seven years and is hoping to be promoted to a manager position. She’s worked hard, slaving and enduring That Woman, to overcome a mistake that could have cost her her career in the early years. In addition, Nessa needs the money so she can take care of her aunts, renovate the Dahl House – a historical building, and get rid of the boarders.

Every year during the Mardi Gras period, a bank gets robbed by the Beaded Bandits. The amount is never huge, therefore the case isn’t a top priority with the FBI. However, bank director Jeremiah MacNaught – Mac – is determined to find the culprit and put a stop to the repeated offence. After the private investigator he’s hired all but fell to Nessa’s charms, Mac decides to take the investigation into his own hands and goes to New Orleans and he’s determined to prove Nessa’s culpability.


Nath: So what did you think Jill? Christina Dodd is usually more miss than hit for me. I didn't enjoy the 2 previous Fortune Hunter books all that much, I thought the back blurbs were quite misleading... I was expecting cat burglary plotlines, but they weren’t. I wasn't going to buy this one, but I thought the cover was quite nice… so I’m happy that I liked and enjoyed this one :)

Jill: Well, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did Tongue in Chic.

Nath: LOL, you liked Tongue in Chic more? Well, it's true the storyline in Tongue in Chic was more compact and better developed. However, character-wise, I think I like Thigh High better… the main reason was Jeremiah MacNaught... cos he was such a jerk LOL :) Is it me or the Manly brothers are all kind of jerk-y?

Jill: Oh yeah, Tongue in Chic was great because the H/h fought like cats and dogs and were constantly trying to 'one-up' the other. Ah, but I digress... I haven't read the first one, but yes I think the Manly brothers have the 'jerk' gene!

Nath: LOL, definitively. Sometimes, that's what readers need; a different kind of hero... and I think that's what Mac was. He's not handsome per say, he's not charming or gentle. He's ruthless, overbearing, and arrogant, and will do whatever it takes to get what he wants and that includes the heroine. He's not refreshing or original, I mean I've read books where the hero was a jerk, but it was welcomed. I liked his awkward camaraderie with Gabriel.

Jill: I liked Mac too. What I liked was how he was described as a thug in a business suit. That cracked me up. I like my heroes rough around the edges. I can't stand for them to be prettier than the heroine. So the fact that he had this big body and lots of scars was a plus for me. I liked that he was a take charge kind of guy. In a lot of ways he reminded me of Linda Howard's heroes. What I didn't like was how quick he was to assume Nessa was involved with the theft. I wish he would have had a little more faith in her and his own judgement.

Nath: Well, isn’t that why he came to New Orleans? Because he assumed that Nessa was guilty of the thefts, or at least involved? I'm happy though that his need to "possess" Nessa was so great that he wouldn't have cared if she was really involved.

On the other hand, I thought Nessa was just okay. I find that she was a bit blind to her surroundings - her job and great-aunts. There must have been clues and she was just not facing them. In the end, she came off a bit meh, because she was surrounded by better characters.

Jill: I was disappointed in the length of time Nessa and Mac spent together. I think their relationship was overshadowed by all the other characters, the boarders, the bank employees, the cops, etc. etc. One of Christina Dodd's strong talents is her ability to write witty banter between the lead characters. I think she dropped the ball in this case with Thigh High mainly because Nessa and Mac didn't spend quite as much (written) time together as I would have liked.

Nath: You're absolutely right though. Mac and Nessa's relationship wasn't developed enough. Again, everything went on too fast. How they got together and fell in love. You're also right about the secondary characters - Too many of them. She should have eliminated a couple... I think she needed them to portray how nice and vulnerable Nessa is.

Jill: Yes definitely, I think the long list of characters was done to show the reader just how many friends and how well loved Nessa was. I did like the kooky Aunts and I even liked eeevil Stephanie. Glad she stuck her foot in her mouth (or should I say emails) when she doesn't realize who Mac is really. That was fun seeing her squirm.

Nath: I thought that the great-aunts were hilarious and provided the necessary comedy relief. As for the whole Beaded Bandits, I thought it was a bit ridiculous, but since it was based in New Orleans, it was acceptable.

Jill: Me, there were quite a few things that I just had to try and overlook in this book. Should I go into detail?

*SPOILERS start here*

Well the fact that Georgia, the NOPD cop, lets Mac go into the bank through the back in order to save Nessa. Now why would a cop let a civilian, (even though he is a big pushy bastard and the woman he loves is in peril) enter a hostage situation and Mac had a gun, WTF!!! That was one thing. The other was how the whole robbery situation was handled with the Aunts. I think that the crime should have been addressed properly. They had committed a federal crime and it was perceived as a joke. I didn't think that was right. Their crime should have been taken a little more seriously.

Nath: LOL, I completely forgot about Mac going in a hostage situation… and seriously, see the results of letting a civilian go in? He gets shot!! LOL. Also, I agree with you about how the robberies were handled in the end. The aunts did commit a federal offence. It should have been dealt properly. However, I think that they were only accused for the most recent one, which they didn't commit and there was not enough proofs for the previous one. That's why they weren't tried and so on. That's how I understood it.

Jill: LOL, I forgot about him getting shot. See... dumb!

That is a good point about the Aunts though. I didn't really think about it like that. They were only prosecuted for the last robbery and it wasn't them, so they got off scott free.

Nath: To me, what’s more interesting is that although the aunts are not prosecuted, some people around them know. I wonder what the bank clerk in the beginning feels... cos she was like: now, I'm afraid and scared... and she was also humiliated by the whole incident. So would she forgive the aunts?

Jill: Oh, there's another thing, the very end of the book when Gabriel mentions that he is also a brother. WTF!! That was it, absolutely no mention of anything else - just one tiny little sentence. What a way to leave the reader hanging.

Nath: Well she did drop a clue here and there. It was stated in the book that Mac thought Gabriel was a lot like him – personality-wise.

What I don’t like is that there’s no information for the future of this series on the author’s website. No idea whose book is next and when it’s coming out.

Jill: I noticed with her up coming releases that she does not give much information far in advance. Just a few weeks ago, she announced the dates for her two paranormal books to be released in the summer. I imagine that Gabriel's story is next. We will have to keep checking back for news. I wonder if she has a newsletter I can sign up for.

Nath: Well she does have a “members” only section on her website. Maybe that’s where people are supposed to get their information?

This was a B read for me as it was good enough to hold my attention and entertain me.

Jill: I guess I would give it a B- if I was to give it a rating. Overall it was a fast, entertaining read, but it fell flat in certain areas.

Poll series no.3 Announcement

Hello everyone :D

As you can see in the sidebar, new polls are up since yesterday. This time, the polls are about the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong :D

I'm sorry if the polls look a bit weird, especially when you view the results. I just realized that with the blogger layout, you could only put 5 choices... ^_^; So I had to find an alternate way to put up polls with more choices. The answer? Polldaddy. I have to say, I really like that site. It's easy and free :D

I know that many of you haven't read the whole series, but feel free to vote nonetheless :) You can just leave me a comment here, letting me know that you haven't read all the books. Also, we you now have the option of adding your own answer in certain polls :P (That is so cool in my opinion).

Again, if you have a moment to justify your votes, please leave a comment :P It'll be more fun for the follow-up post!

Oh, and I almost forgot! Polls are closing next Wednesday (April 2nd) at 11.59AM

Ps - woah, ppl, you've been voting so fast! :P