Nauti Intentions by Lora Leigh

Ames and I read the book previous to this one and reviewed it for Breezing Through. We didn't like it-- we both gave it a D.

Lora Leigh is an old favourite for both of us so it wasn't difficult to continue on with the series.

Since Kris also enjoys LL, we asked her to read it with us, she agreed.

As always, this review is full of spoilers.

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Since he saw Janey Mackay taking a dip in her bikini, Major Alex Jansen has had to quell the fire she ignites in him. Even touching her would mean death at the hands of the Mackay men. Until now, the girl of his dreams—and fantasies—has lived in a vacuum of affection, shying away from the danger she thinks men represent. Alex sets out to prove her wrong, with his torturously slow caresses.Everyone thinks Janey’s safe now, with her abusers dead. But when someone starts leaving spine chilling notes, Alex won’t rest until she’s completely safe. And completely his—body and soul…

Chantal: Hi Girls, I'm all done :).
My favourite part was when Alex drug those drunks out of the restaurant and beat them up. Hehe. And shocking, the sex scenes didn't feel like they could have been in any LL book. She actually did some new stuff this time. I've been bitching about the sex being same ole same ole for several books now, so this was a nice change.

Kris: That whole scene was great, even before that particular part, I love how Tim and Jane adopted one another. I agree about your other comment as well.

Ames: Chantal - I agree with you - there was something different to the sex scenes. However, the main plot was similar to what she's done in the past and that really annoyed me at the beginning. When I saw that Janey was different from her other heroines, though (she had some definite emotional scars but that didn't stop her from being with Alex) I got over my annoyance and got into the story.

But then Janey tried having a backbone and no one took her seriously. That pissed me off. She had an extreme alpha male lover and then she had to deal with her brother too? It felt like too much.

Chantal: Absolutely. You know, Lora Leigh has this thing--Same story line and same sex scene in every book, but it's a system that work for her, people are eating it up. I'm glad that she finally changed up the sex a bit, though. Maybe her next book will have a different plot. *Fingers crossed.* More and more of her books have been DNF's for me for those reasons, so I hope this change is going to be an on going thing.

Another difference for me with this book is that I usually don't like LL's Heroines, but I liked Janey. I like that she stood up for herself and did what she wanted, no matter what anyone said. She didn't put herself in danger, either!

Kris: It annoyed me, like ames, how Janey would try to be assertive and everyone ignored her. But I liked how she still stood her ground and also I loved watching her with Rogue. Another great character there.

Ames: And hello, Alex has been stalking her since she was 17. Yeah he was "watching out" for her. But to me, that's stalking.

Chantal: I never thought of Alex watching her as stalking. It was indeed creepy and odd that he all of a sudden got the hots for her just because she waved at and blew him a kiss, but I don't think he was a stalker. A stalker has bad intentions and they want to hurt the victim. Or the stalker is obsessive and mentally ill, living in a dream world. I don't think Alex fits into either of those categories He was just a dirty old man lusting over a kid. Until the kid grew up that is.

Amy: Yeah, stalker might be a bit harsh. But it was definitely creepy.

I have to say though, I loved that he was older than her.

Kris: I liked this story a lot. I connected with the characters a lot more than her previous books. Janey appealed to me. She had such a rough background that gave her more character and depth. I was okay with the age difference between the two, Alex was attracted to her as an older teen but did nothing to act on that. Many other men would not have had that restraint. Now she is older but her brother has a hard time seeing that, in his eyes she is still a kid.

Chantal: Why did Janey's brother keep going on about the age difference? It's not like she was still a teenager.

Kris: Many older brothers have a hard time realizing their little sister has grown up and actually has a sex life.

Amy: Her brother was just looking for an excuse to keep Alex away from Janey. He knows how Alex rolls and he just wanted to protect his little sister. LOL

Chantal: Ah, over protectiveness.
Where you surprised about who the bad guy turned out to be? I thought for sure if was going to be her friend Rogue, the biker chick.

Amy: Oh yeah, I thought for sure it was going to be her friend too.

Kris: I was totally not expecting that particular villain. Threw me for a loop. So I liked it that much more for that.

I think one of the biggest differences in this story from most of her others was the heroine. Alex, I think was pretty typical for her heros (not that I dislike that). But Janey was just a lot more real to me than most of her other heroines.

Chantal: Nauti Intentions was better than the last few LL's, so I'll go with a low B-, which is pretty generous considering it's pretty much the same as every other book in this series she has written save for the spiced up sex. How about the two of you?

Ames: I give it a C which is average.

Kris: I give it an A-

Thanks for inviting me to review with you.

Angel's Blood review

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she's the best—but she doesn't know if she's good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option...even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…

Genre: Urban fantasy/paranormal romance
Series: Guild Hunter series, Book #1

Ames: I'm done reading it.

I couldn't put it down once I started it. I even took it to a hockey game and read during the intermissions.

Chantal: I didn't like it that much, but it was indeed good.

Nath: I have to say, I get the hype that is going on about this book... however, it was a bit of a miss for me. I enjoyed the book and it's good... but not a total keeper.

I liked the world building, but have difficulty to connect with Elena. I thought the beginning was perhaps too focused on Raphael chasing after Elena instead of the job she was hired to do.

Ames: That’s what I loved about this book! I don’t know, that whole bit with him chasing her down and her getting away from him just did it for me. I’m sick I know. And the fact that these two were at some points trying to kill each other, it reminded me of that Anne Stuart book, A Rose at Midnight (which I loved, btw).

I thought the world building was interesting. I haven’t come across angels too much in all my reading. It gave a different spin to the whole vamp mythology.

Chantal: The technical stuff annoyed me a little bit. How many times was it mentioned that she was clenching her hands so tight that it left moon shaped crescents? Enough for me to notice it was getting repetitive.

What do you like better? This series or the Psy one?

Nath: Based on the first book of each series, I vote Psy. There was a better balance in Slave To Sensation between the world building, the intrigue and the romance. Although I think that even down the line, I'll still prefer the Psy books.

Ames: I've only read 2 Psy series books. So this one is fresher in my mind. And I love the dynamic between Elena and Raphael.

Chantal: I like the Psy series a lot better, for the same reasons as Nath.

I agree about the dynamics. I liked how Raphael was so straight forward with her. "I want to bang you, I WILL bang you, but I will still kill you if I have to."
Not in those exact words, lol, but the meaning was clear. He is such a hard ass, I love it. And when he was so clear about her not having any other lovers except him... yum! There’s that possessiveness that I know you like so much.

Ames: I know! I loved it. And even when he was in the Quiet, he was jealous of Ransom. hehe And Illium's feather in her hair.

Chantal: Oh yeah, the blue feather! I liked that guy.

I wish I had loved it like you did, though. The ending was good, with her turning into an angel. It just wasn't the super wow book I was expecting.

Nath: You know, Chantal. I wonder if this was a bit of a miss because of the hype. I know that I was very apprehensive when I read it and that I was expecting a lot out of it. Partly because it's Ms Singh and partly because of the hype... and it just didn't measure up.

Chantal: The love story part wasn't believable to me. Elena isn't that great. I found her to be mouthy and kinda bitchy, so I don't see why this big bad immortal who has been alive for hundreds of year could fall so deeply for her in such a short time. What was it, two days?
I just don't see in Elena what Raphael finds so special.

Nath: Oh yeah, the love story was the definitive problem in my opinion and I i agree with everything you said, Chantal. I really liked the ending, I thought that was really good :)

Like you, the love story just wasn't believable. I didn't connect with Elena and I don't find her very special either. I liked her strength and stubborness - how she wouldn't beg and wouldn't let anyone she loves be hurt, but just to a certain extent. What annoyed me is the rest - her social skills when dealing with Raphael, Dmitri and the others. Sure, she shouldn't take what Dmitri was dishing at her meekly....but something is just a bit off for me to love her. I agree with you Chantal, she was a bit too bitchy and mouthy. I didn't like how she would always ask Raphael if he was into rape and forcing women. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

Ames: Raphael really made this story for me. All his possessiveness. And Elena’s kick ass-ness.

As for Elena, she came off as really tough, not so much bitchy to me. I had to laugh though that all the vampires wanted a piece of her. haha I could see why Elena would fascinate him and why she saw Raph as attractive (he could kick her ass, which others couldn't). But I have to agree with you - they fell in love in too short a time. AND there was no AHA! moment for Raph to realize he fell in love with Elena. There was no internal dialog/debate about his feelings for her. There was some from her end (like in the bathroom I think, she told herself immediately not to go there) - but there was none of that from him. It's like he only realized he loved her when she turned into an angel, which doesn't make sense.

Chantal: Exactly!

What do you think of Dmitri? At first I didn't like him, but by the end I was liking him.

Ames: I liked him - even at first. I want to read more about Ransom and Nyree - his librarian.

I'm such a ho though - I want the heroine to sleep with all the good looking guys, ya know? LOL But Raph is too possessive.

Nath: LOL, you've been reading too much erotica, Ames :) Let's share the good looking guys with other worthy heroines :P

Chantal: LOL! A story for Dmitri would be nice.

Ames: So does that mean you’d be interested in the next book? Are the rest of the cast of characters as interesting?

I’m definitely interested in the Cadre of Ten.

Nath: I'm curious about the Seven and the Cadre of Ten. Just too bad that everyone seems so "bad."

So for the next book, do you think the H/H will still be Elena and Raphael?

Ames: I hope so. I would like to see more of a relationship develop between Elena and Raph.

Chantal: Do I think they will be the next H/H? I have no idea. When I first started reading the book I didn't want it to be that type of series. I wanted one book for each couple, however, Angel's Blood felt too unfinished. There was no real love there for me, so I need more.

I will read more from this series, I just wont run out to get it and read it ASAP. It'll go into my TBR and probably sit there until I do one of my blind picks (When I close my eyes to pick a book, or get one of my kids to pick what I will read next)

My favourite parts were the fights with Dmitri, and Raphael's straight up sex talk. Telling her what he would do to her, etc. That was sexy.

I wonder about Sarah and her family. There was a little bit of talk about her husband, but I want to know more about them.

Nath: I have a feeling that it'll be a same H/H in every book series... or at least for a while. What I don't understand is why is it up to Raphael to get rid of bad guys? I mean, he's not the oldest. I think that Ms Singh tried to hard making everyone not good. Like the Cadre of Ten... the only one that seems okay is Elijah. Then, the Seven... Dmitri and Venom both sound like pervert psycho...

Chantal: I think Dmitri is good. He might have gotten off on getting his throat slit, but there is something about him that I like. I agree about Venom though. That one scares me a bit.

The whole Cadre thing didn't interest me. Same with the relationship between Elena and her father and sister. I think there were just too many names floating around. Too many characters in one book who all had roles to play.

That fight scene near the end was good. I couldn't take my eyes of the pages during that part.

Nath: Oh, I'm sure that Dmitri will turn out to be good. Like I said though, I felt Ms Singh just tried too hard.

Ugh, Elena's family didn't interest me at all either. The BIL was totally stupid and the father, heartless. I don't know, I think Ms Singh tried to make this series a bit darker than the Psy-changelings series. The words used were cruder and it was more sexual I think... and I like the characters, but I felt it was too forced. Definitively didn't enjoy this one as much as Slave to Sensation.

I also think that Ms Singh didn't choose the right information to give us. Like what is a hunter-born as opposed to a trained one? Sure people don't like it when the first book is information dump, but in this case... perhaps she could have done a bit less on the world politics and Elena's family and give more info on the guild.

The action was good indeed.

Ames: I really enjoyed the action too. As for the world building, I thought it was very interesting. And the darkness of it was a good thing, imo. I don’t think Ms. Singh tried too hard.

Chantal: I have a question. Is Raphael less immortal now? She made him more human, but once she turned angel, did he go back to being full immortal? And what about her?

Nath: It's not really explained. In my opinion, both are immortal now. Question is if she kept her humanity... in that case, I think it makes both more vulnerable.

Chantal: Is she still going to hunt run-away Vamps?

Nath: I think it was mentioned that they're discussing it.

I have to say, it will annoy me very much if in the next book, the story goes something like: Yay, Elena is a vampire, but she doesn't want to adapt and wants to continue doing all what she was doing while being human and ensue fights/ arguments between Elena and Raphael...

Chantal: You mean she is an angel :)

Nath: Oh yeah, I meant angel :) I mean, it's so rare, you know... angel LOL :)

What I liked about this book as well is that Ms Singh keeps diversifying the background of her characters :) that's nice.

Ames: I liked this book too. I gave it an A-. I was sucked in right from the beginning and even a hockey game couldn't pull me away. It was a good hockey game too. LOL

Nath: B for me. Good book, but not a wowzer. Hope the next one will be better though.

Chantal: It's a C from me. The unanswered questions, boring parts about the Cadre and her family, repetitive technical stuff, a Heroine that was hard to connect with. I enjoyed some parts of it, but overall it was just OK. Not bad, but not great.

Review: The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

A few years ago, there was quite a buzz about the Black Jewels trilogy. That's how I discovered Anne Bishop. Ever since, I've become a fan of this series. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed by Tangled Webs. While it was fun to catch up with beloved characters, there was nothing new... that's why I haven't been in a hurry to read The Shadow Queen. I knew this was the start of a new trilogy, but could it live up to the previous trilogy?

Well only one way to find out, right? To buddy review this book, I asked Li from Me and My Books to join me, because I know she was looking forward to this book as well :)


The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop
published by ROC in March 2009 (Hardcover)

Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand—without a leader and without hope…

Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who knows Protocol, remembers the Blood’s code of honor, and lives by the Old Ways.

Languishing in the Shadow Realm, Lady Cassidy is a Queen without a court, a castoff. She is not beautiful. She thinks she is not strong. But when she is chosen to rule Dena Nehele, she must convince bitter men to serve once again.

Theran’s cousin Gray is a Warlord Prince who was damaged in mind and body by the vicious Queens who once ruled Dena Nehele. Yet something about Cassidy makes him want to serve—and makes him believe he can be made whole once again.

And only Cassidy can prove to Gray—and to herself—that wounds can heal and even the whisper of a promise can be fulfilled…

Genre: fantasy
Series: Black Jewels series, book #6

Nath: What did you think of The Shadow Queen, Li? I thought The Shadow Queen was a great set-up for the new trilogy.

Li: Is it a trilogy? I know there's definitely a sequel out this time next year, but didn't know there would be one more.

Nath: Yeah, it's going to be a trilogy. All I know is that the next book is titled The Shalador Lady and is supposed to come out around the same time in 2010. Then, the third book in 2011.

What did you enjoy best in The Shadow Queen? I really liked Cassidy's character as well as Gray.

Li: Right... let me gather my thoughts...

Okay, I was actually slightly squicked out by the Cassie-Gray romance, mainly because I figured his mental age for around early teens and Cassie's 31. Sure, am all for the older woman-younger man thing, but the operative word is "man", and he's still very much a teenager inside. So I felt slightly uncomfortable reading those scenes, especially with Daemon and Lucivar giving him advice on how to seduce Cassie! I just flipped through my book, and Gray was captured at 15, so I'm assuming he sort of stayed at that age mentally.

Nath: I actually enjoyed the Cassie-Gray romance! It was so sweet and definitively one of the highlights of the book! Gray's character was just endearing and sweet.

I have to admit though, in any other situations, I would have felt like you, Li, and be put off by Cassie-Gray's romance. However, I think that Ms Bishop handled it very well. Yes, when we first meet Gray, it is the 15 y.o. boy that dominates... However, as the book progresses and Gray falls in love with Cassie, we see him try to overcome his fears and become the man he should have been... and we get quite a few glimpses of the man :)

What is interesting about your comment though is that Ms Bishop didn't ignore this fact and as a result, the heroine even shares your opinion! LOL! :) It's mentioned in the book after the moon-time episode that she was wary because she didn't know who she would have to deal with: Gray the boy or Gray the man. Also, near the end, she reflects how uncomfortable she is sometimes when she feels she is kissing Gray the boy. I guess that my mind is already made up :) I'm just assuming that at the end of the trilogy, Cassie is going to get her HEA ending with Gray and that Gray will have recovered emotionally.

I also have to add that Cassie didn't feel like 31. Deep inside, she is so vulnerable and she's been hurt so badly... She feels younger... and LOL, I thought it was cute Lucivar and Daemon giving him advices LOL :P

Li: I liked Cassie and I would love to see her grow more in confidence in the next book. I also liked how she is one of the more ordinary people in this world - not everyone is as all-powerful as Jaenelle, or even Daeman or Saetan.

Nath: I get what you're saying and I agree with you. Indeed, it's nice that Cassie is sooo normal. Actually, when you think about it, everyone in Jaenelle's entourage seems so powerful. Jaenelle's First Court, the scelties... even the butler! LOL :) In contrast though, the characters in Cassie's court all seems quite weak ^_^; However, I thought they were quite likable... all with the exception of Theran. He was such a PITA ^_^;

Li: I didn't find Theran a sympathetic character at all, but can sort of see where he's coming from. He wants an incredibly charismatic queen to rule his people and he sort of assumes he needs someone with a strong and powerful aura, and he ends up with this gawky-looking female. I think what Ms Bishop is trying to convey is the "don't judge a book by its cover" message, I'm not sure Theran was completely won over at the end though. Maybe that's for the sequel :-)

Nath: My problem with Theran is that he just keeps assuming things and jumping to conclusions. He didn't even try to get to know Cassie. Yes, he wants to save his people, but how can you do it with such a small mind? Also, like Saetan said, he's setting a bad example and people are following his lead. Luckily, Cassie is a strong woman... and hopefully, Theran will change after reading the letter. I think it'd be fun to see Theran coming off his high horse and be humbled a bit. I'll admit though, his love for Gray is definitively a point in his favor.

Li: I'm hoping Theran gets more time in the next book, I would love a redemption-type plot for him.

Nath: I would too.

Li: Have you read the sort-of prequel to this one, The Invisible Ring? I have, but it's been a few years since I've read it, and because she had so many references to previous characters, who I only recall faintly, that it almost distracted from this book. I was trying to remember who Jared was and why Daemon would owe him a favor, and Shira's ancestors were, and so on, that I couldn't get into the story properly.

Nath: I did, but like you, it's been a number of years and I couldn't remember much. Took me a while to put back everything in place - I was quite confused at first. I believe The Shadow Queen will be more enjoyable for someone who still have the Black Jewels background and storyline fresh in mind.

Li: Also, and I'm not sure completely sure how to describe it, but when I read The Invisible Ring, I don't remember wondering why Daemon (who made a cameo appearance) was so feared. Whereas in this one, it's almost as though Ms Bishop is so familiar with Daemon, Jaenelle, and co that she doesn't bother to flesh them properly out, which may leave readers new to the series wondering just what is so special about them. Does that make sense?

Nath: I can't remember if The Invisible Ring was written before and after the ending of the trilogy... but the feel I get from reading The Shadow Queen is that Ms Bishop assumes that everything is fresh in our memory and therefore, takes our knowledge for granted. As a result, Ms Bishop goes forward and doesn't spend time reminding us the basics. What's unfortunate is though is that I don't feel like Daemon, Saetan, Jaenelle characters are growing or moving. It's the same issues once again :(

Li: Oh and what did you think about the Saetan subplot? Did that seem out of place to you?

Nath: Personally, I would have done without all the Daemon and Saetan subplots. I mean, it was sweet to get a better glimpse of the father-sons relationship, especially the part where Saetan read to Daemon, but I think it distracts the reader from the main plotline. I think that Ms Bishop has difficulty parting with those characters. I have no problem for casual/cameo appearances, but it was more than that.

Although I could have done without the subplots and would have preferred the book to focus on Cassie and her court, I did enjoy them a lot. There were many funny and sweet moments :) The Shadow Queen wasn't perfect, but I'm giving a B+... because I enjoyed it a lot and it caught my interest.

Li: I agree that if the book had focused more on Cassie/Gray/Theran, it would have been a stronger read for me. I think I gave it a B- after finishing it. It stays in the B range for me because of my love for Ms Bishop's Black Jewels world, but I would not rec this at all for readers new to her world. I'm not sure whether I'm outgrowing this series - the last book I loved was Dreams Made Flesh, the anthology - and it's been years since I've re-read the original trilogy, it would be interesting to re-read it at some point and see whether it captures my imagination in the same way.

Nath: Definitively not the right book to start this series. As for outgrowing the series, I think not. The problem is that since Dreams Made Flesh, the books that have been published are simply not as good as the rest of the series. In my opinion, Tangled Webs and The Shadow Queen would have been much better if Daemon and cie didn't have such major "screen time." Still, there is potential for The Shadalor Lady... Just too bad we have to wait a year to find out ^_^;

Lady be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

I'm on SEP kick. As someone who is new to her books I am doing my best to catch up on her entire back list. It's been very fun. SEP has many novels, and they all sound so good that I never know which one to read next. I've been asking people which is their favourite and going from there. Lady be Good is the one Rowena suggested and she agreed to re read it so that we could buddy review together. Thanks Wena :)

Lady Emma Wells-Finch, the oh-so-proper headmistressof England's St. Gertrude's School for Girls, is a woman on a mission - she has two weeks to lose her reputation. Arriving in Texas with skirts flying, umbrella pointing, and beautiful mouth issuing orders, she knows only one thing will save her from losing everything she holds dear: complete and utter disgrace!

World-famous playboy-athlete Kenny Traveler has kickedup his boot heels one too many times, and now he's suspended from the sport he loves. Only one thing will restore his career:complete and utter respectability! Unfortunately, he's been blackmailed into chauffeuring bossy, single-minded Lady Emma, and she's hell-bent on visiting honkytonks,chasing down tattoo parlors, and worse.. lots worse.

When a gorgeous man who can't afford another scandal meets a hardheaded woman who's determined to cause one, anything can happen. But love? Oh, dear. That's impossible.That's outrageous. That's... inevitable!

Chantal: Lady Be Good was fun, you picked a good one for me. A British Lady getting together with an American golf pro. Very interesting coupling, but it worked out perfectly.

Rowena: I thought so too. Oh man oh man, this book definitely stood the test of time for me and SEP has Kenny Traveler to thank for that. That man is just something else, don't you think? His lazy personality and just the way that he was made for one entertaining read if ever there was one.

Chantal: Oh, yes, he is a mans man. Tough and strong and alpha but not a jerk. My two favourite parts are when he beat up the Duke, and this part right here,

“Now, this is where I draw the line! It’s bad enough everybody in town’s going to be thinkin’ I’m sleeping with a depressed, lice-ridden, hemorrhoidal foreigner who likes to be tied up and might be pregnant, although—since she’s just about cornered the market on condoms—I don’t know how that could have happened. But I will not—you listen to me, Emma!—I absolutely will not have anybody thinkin’ a woman of mine needs a vaginal moisturizer, do you hear me?”

Omg, LOL. it makes me laugh and laugh!

Rowena: Oh gosh, I LOVED IT when Kenny beat up the Duke. Gosh the Duke got on my nerves. And yeah, there were many laugh out loud moments throughout this entire book and that was definitely one of them. I laughed really, really hard when Emma woke up with her new tattoo. LMAO!

What did you think of Emma?

Chantal:Good question. I thought she was a tad foolish in her plans to ruin herself. You could tell right off the bat that it would not work and it didn't make much sense to go about it the way she did. I can let her foolishness slide on the fact that she was pretty sheltered and didn't have much life experiences or get the chance to learn any street smarts in her life.Other than that I found her to be rather charming. It was good that she stuck to her guns with her silly plan. There is nothing like I less than an inconsistent heroine, but Emma was nothing but consistent. Did you like her?

Rowena: I thought she was quite charming. She had a wealth of knowledge that told you she was extremely smart but at the same time, she was so street dumb that you couldn't help but think, how in the world did she ever think any of that stuff she planned would work. I enjoyed getting to know her and I enjoyed the situations she got herself into and I really enjoyed seeing her fall in love with Kenny.

Chantal:I enjoyed when she pretended to be a lesbian. That was unexpected but so crazy that it suited her to try it.

Rowena: I loved Kenny and Emma together. They remind me of that one song by Jack Jackson, Better Together. That's how I thought of them. They were just too cute.

Chantal: I can picture them well as a real life couple. Her accent, his humour. They fit together.

Rowena: What did you think of the one scene where Kenny is at the baby race?

Chantal:The baby race was an interesting scene. At first I thought it was comical, but then when the baby started to cry and Kenny still acted very pushy and win win win, it became uncomfortable. That scene showed an entire new vulnerable side to Kenny. I think we needed to see that. A little less perfection made him seem all the more real. It made me like him even more. Yeah, he had a bad moment, but he made up for it, and he'll never do it again.

Gosh, I love this author.

Rowena: Exactly, I couldn't have said it any better. I think I needed to see that scene where Kenny loses his shit over something so small to get to know the real Kenny. After that scene, I understood Kenny more and I saw where his issues stemmed from and I admired him all the more. I knew that the front he showed the world was just that....a front.

I love SEP too. She is definitely one of my auto buy authors because she writes my favorite kinds of books, funny books with witty characters and some depth. They're not always easy reads but they're just right for me and this book was no exception. It remains one of my favorite SEP books that I've ever read and no amount of rereading has changed that. I think the more that I read this book, the more that I love it. Kenny and Emma are like old friends of mine and I never get tired of reading about them. This book packed so much in it, a lively set of characters, a strong hero and heroine, secondary stories that keep you wanting more and scenes that jump right off the pages. This book is a great read and I think everyone should read it.

Chantal: Oh, yes, and all of her books, so far, have been like that for me. I get sucked into them, I become part of the story. She weaves magic in her writing. I love her!

I know you do the number rating rather than a lettered system. What do you give it?

Rowena: Hmmm, I'd give it an A. It entertained the socks right off of me and for me, it just gets better with each reread. I always forget something from the time before and I always fall right back in love with these characters so yeah, I'm confident with that. I give it an A.

Chantal: Right on. An A from me. Like you, I will re read this one time and time again :)

Review: Talk of the Town by Karen Hawkins

Whew... All right, so I read this book back when it was just released... which means last November ^_^; Then, I waited for Lori to read it so we could buddy review it... which we did, back in November, and once we were done discussing it, I put the review together as I usually do... in January ^_^; and well, it's been sitting in my mailbox ever since ^_^; Sad no? I'm usually much better when it comes to buddy review, but for some reason, this one just kept slipping past me.

However, I'm glad I kept it, because I can post it now!


Talk of the Town by Karen Hawkins
published by Simon & Schuster in November 2008

Do Blondes Have More Fun?

Newly divorced Roxie Treymayne is dying to find out. After years of being the perfect Southern lady, all she ended up with was a cheating husband. So she goes bombshell blond, gets a provocatively placed tattoo, and prepares to live it up as a Bad Girl. But then her mother falls ill...and Roxie is forced to return to Glory, North Carolina.

He'd Love to Know

Once the town bad boy, Nick Sheppard is now Glory's highly respected sheriff. When the hot blonde he stops for speeding turns out to be formerly prim Homecoming Queen Roxanne Treymayne, Nick doesn't quite know where to look -- though he'd like a much closer one at the tattoo peeking from her shorts.

But It Takes Two to Tango

Roxie and Nick had a steamy fling in high school, but a love affair between a Southern princess and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks was doomed from the start. Now they have a second chance. Can they get it right? Or will they just end up...the talk of the town?

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: none so far

The Story: Roxie Tremayne has just divorced her husband after finding him cheating... with another man. She has come to the realization that she's wasted all those years being the perfect wife instead of living and is determined to do so now. Which explains the new hairdo, clothes, tattoo and ticket to Paris. However, her plans are disrupted when her brother Mark tells her that their mother has suffered a heart attack. Now, both have to show up at the familial house in Glory.

Nick Sheppard has left the big city to become sheriff in Glory. He's not expecting any trouble till Roxie comes back to town. The others know Roxie as the Ice Queen, but Nick knows better. However, the new Roxie is trouble and all Nick wants is quiet... his body just won't listen to him.


Nath: What did you think of Talk of the Town by Karen Hawkins, Lori? Personally, I liked the storyline and the characters very much. Unfortunately, the ending was not as good and was very rushed.

Lori: I loved the first half, loved the humor, loved the secondary characters. I loved her relationship with her brother. The 2nd half fell kind of flat for me. I thought the romance fell short in the 2nd half, then she had to rush it at the end.

Nath: Let’s talk about the H/H first, since this is after all, a romance :)

I liked Roxie and I thought she was an interesting heroine. I was afraid that she’d be the helpless kind of woman after a divorce, but she wasn’t. She was independent, could think for herself and wasn’t disillusioned. You know how some of the divorcees don’t know anything about reality? That definitively wasn’t the case with Roxie and I liked that she wasn’t a Stepford wife, all nice and proper.

Nick was an interesting hero. I liked his background story... and it made it believable why he'd want to come back to such a small town to work. However, I don’t know, he was overshadowed by Roxie I think. Ms Hawkins spent too much time writing about how he lusted after Roxie and why he shouldn’t instead of developing his character.

Lori: I loved Nick in the first half, then I thought he was a totally different guy in the 2nd half. The worry about having a relationship with Roxie was just too much, even given his background, considering their past together. I felt like... enough already! Didn't you?

Anyway... as I said, I loved the 1st half, but thought the 2nd half fell quite flat for me. I thought the humor took a leave of absence in the 2nd half of the book, the love story fell flat after they slept together - once you've done someone on your desk, you don't get to have the "I don't think we should be together" conversation, IMO.

Even the old folks murder mystery fell kind of flat, although I thought it was really funny that they were smoking pot unknowingly. That cracked me up! Those Dorito munchies? Been there, done that. I loved how Nick and Roxie were so thoughtful with them. Most people wouldn't give a bunch of elderly people the time of day.

Nath: I have to say, the whole idea of a third-age group looking for adventures and trying to solve a murder was entertaining. Though I can't see Roxie and Mark's mother fitting in that group :P

Also, I do agree with you. Nick’s hesitation at having a relationship with Roxie did go on for too long. See, I think the second half would have been better if Ms Hawkins focused on the romance between Roxie and Nick. I actually didn’t like the way Roxie and Nick came together and didn’t deal with their past.

It seems to me Ms Hawkins spent too much time in the first half building up everything: the sexual tension between Roxie and Nick, the old folks group and their mischief, the whole blackmail scheme. Then, she ran out of time and pages to keep up the humor and the storyline and had to rush to give Roxie and Nick an HEA ending. Don’t you think there are many loose ends? For example, what happened to the mayor and Robin? Did they get what they deserve?

Lori: I agree that there were lots of loose ends as well. I wasn't sure if they ever solved the murder till you told me.

Nath: LOL :) I actually thought the mystery was quite clever and it was a nice twist at the end. I do think there could have been more foreshadowing about the baddie. Oh well.

Conclusion?

Lori: All in all, I thought Ms Hawkins wrote a really funny book. I wasn't surprised that it was humorous, because her historicals have a great sense of humor and the absurd sometimes, but I was surprised at how slapstick funny it was while still maintaining a great sense of family, community, and romance.

A+ for the first half, C+ for the second half. How about you?

Nath: As you said, first half was excellent, the second half meh... I do have to say that I’m surprised my favorite part was the sibling relationship between Roxie and Mark.

Overall, this was a good first attempt at contemporary romance. Ms Hawkins handled the transition from historical to contemporary really well and has me wishing for more – particularly a sequel. That’s why I am giving Talk of the Town a B.