Archive for romance

Plague and a bit of zen

hiddenHidden by Eve Kenin

In the frozen northern lands of the Waste, Tatiana has escaped from her imprisoned life in a lab and is out for revenge from those who used her cells to make a plague – her nemesis Dr. Ward and a man named Tolliver. When Tatiana is exposed to the illness, the mysterious Tristan takes her to an underground research facility with the intent of keeping her there to contain the infected. Working together, they join forces to put a stop to the plague.

Having only her siblings and a computer for company growing up, Tatiana finds social interaction difficult. It was interesting to follow her because she picks up more interpersonal skills along the way. And, as a Life/Charlie Crews fan I got a kick out of Tristan’s zenish bits that popped up here and there.

The air I exhale is inhaled by my insane companion. [page 110]

The sun that shines on me shines on my enemy. [page 300]

I haven’t read Driven, which precedes this book. If I had, the epilogue here wouldn’t have been a surprise for me, so reading out of order worked out okay.

4/5

Love Spell/Shomi, 2008, 978-0505527615

blurb:

Tatiana has honed her genetic gifts to perfection. She can withstand the subzero temperatures of the Northern Waste, read somebody’s mind with the briefest touch, and slice through bone with her bare hands. Which makes her one badass chick, all right. Nothing gets to her. Until she meets Tristan. Villain or ally, she can’t be sure. But one thing she does know: he has gifts too-including the ability to ramp up her heart rate to dangerous levels. But before they can start some chemistry of their own, they have to survive being trapped in an underground lab, hunted by a madman, and exposed to a plague that could destroy mankind.

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Just one of the guys

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

Chastity is a tall, athletic journalist who has moved back to her hometown where her parents and brothers and long time crush Trevor live. We open with her getting dumped by her current guy, who says her strength and athleticism just weren’t that attractive for him. This was a rollercoaster read. I laughed out loud. I used exactly one small Kleenex package from my purse when things got gritty towards the end. That’s 15 tissues worth of sniffling and it felt like I’d been through the ringer right along with Chastity – bravo, Kristan.
The first person voice didn’t really distract me. This didn’t feel like a romance novel for me though because Trevor was a mystery until the very end, Chastity is with Dr./Mr. ___ for most of the book, and I got quite absorbed into the outcome of Chastity’s parents (the reason for a lot of my sniffling). But ignoring the romance label, it was definitely a worthwhile read.
While I really enjoyed this, I have to say it didn’t feel very romantic despite being a romance story.
I was sniffling so much that it took me way longer to finish reading because it felt like I was reaching for the tissue every minute. (A third arm would have been helpful because I had to put the book down every time this happened.)

oneoftheguysChastity is a tall, athletic journalist who has moved back to her hometown where her parents, older brothers and long-time crush Trevor live. She gets dumped by her current guy, who says her strength and athleticism just aren’t that attractive for him. Then Chastity meets and dates a handsome doctor, but still pines for Trevor.

This was a rollercoaster read – I laughed out loud but was also a sniffling mess when things got gritty towards the end. I went through one small pack of Kleenex - 15 tissues, and it felt like I’d been through the ringer right along with Chastity. I wasn’t too fond of the triangle here though –  Chastity is with the doctor for a good chunk of the book, and Trevor’s motives are a mystery until the end. I have to say, I got quite absorbed in the outcome of Chastity’s parents rather than her own problems.

3.5/5

HQN, 2008, 978-0373772995

blurb:

Being one of the guys isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

So when journalist Chastity O’Neill returns to her hometown, she decides it’s time to start working on some of those feminine wiles. Two tiny problems: #1—she’s five feet eleven inches of rock-solid girl power, and #2—she’s cursed with four alpha male older brothers.

While doing a story on local heroes, she meets a hunky doctor and things start to look up. Now there’s only one problem: Trevor Meade, her first love and the one man she’s never quite gotten over—although he seems to have gotten over her just fine.

Yet the more time she spends with Dr. Perfect, the better Trevor looks. But even with the in-your-face competition, the irresistible Trevor just can’t seem to see Chastity as anything more than just one of the guys…

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A short roundup

Call these reviewlets – books I didn’t get around to writing much on compiled here. Something like those tiny 100 calorie sized snacks that seem to be popular these days?

theagencyThe Agency by Ally O’Brien, St. Martin’s Press, 2009
Liked the insider’s look at agency life, but I didn’t really connect with protagonist Tess. Things at the end were wrapped up rather quickly. There are many London/British references, which I didn’t mind because I got some of them. Ally O’Brien is actually writing duo Brian Freeman and entertainment agent Ali Gunn. 3/5

If you live in the US or Canada there’s still time to enter Bookshipper’s contest to win a copy – ends February 27.

 

artthiefThe Art Thief by Noah Charney, Atria, 2007

Entertaining look into the high art world. I skimmed over a lot of the symbolism/iconography explanations, but Professor Barrow’s lectures were so entertaining and they were my favourite parts. It felt like I needed to draw a diagram to keep the twists straight though. 3.5/5

dateothersideA Date With the Other Side by Erin McCarthy, Berkley Sensation, 2005

Cuttersville, Ohio’s haunted house tour operator Shelby and Chicago city boy Boston – their first meeting involves Boston’s nakedness. Not sure I’ll view eyelet quite the same way again and the momentum from that opening fizzled out. 2.5/5

 

moongazerMoongazer by Marianne Mancusi, Love Spell/Shomi, 2007
Matrix-like plot. Manhattan video game designer Skye has dreams of a postapocalyptic world where the people, particularly a man named Dawn, think she’s some resistance leader named Mariah who betrayed them. Dawn and Mariah have history, but Skye can’t be Mariah, even though they look alike, right? The pacing seemed a bit slow at the beginning, but I enjoyed Skye’s journey and the reveal at the end. 3.5/5

 

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Phenomenal Girl 5

Phenomenal Girl 5 by AJ Menden

phenomenalgirl5Lainey Livingston otherwise known as Phenomenal Girl 5, has been working towards joining the Elite Hands of Justice, prime superhero crime fighting team to Megalopolis for years. She’s now been approved to join, and like all new members, she must train with the legendary Reincarnist, Robert Elliot before joining the EHJ’s ranks full-time. An apocalypse prophesy involving the villain The Dragon, magic training with the Reincarnist, and falling in love keep Lainey very busy.

Lainey’s training time is cut short when Robert reincarnates and effectively becomes a stranger again. When he reincarnates, he gets a cellular reboot and comes back as a new 20-year old man, not guaranteed to retain his knowledge and memories from previous selves.

I enjoyed this, the superhero world was fun and drew me in. The consequences and effects of Robert’s reincarnation and the mix of action and romance made for a good read.

4/5

Love Spell/Shomi, 2008, 978-0505527868
(thanks again bookwyrmknits for my copy)

cover blurb:

Lainey Livingston has just been made a member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world’s premiere cadre of superheroes. Her work with the Red Knights and the Power Squad was impressive; all her senses are extraordinary, and her great strength and ability to fly are equally remarkable. But no one gets a free pass to active duty, and Lainey’s next test is going to be her hardest. She’s to train with the Reincarnist.

Robert Elliot, the Reincarnist. A magician who has lived multiple lifetimes, he’s the smartest man in the world – and Lainey’s last obstacle. He was personally responsible for seeing Pushstar wash out. But his eyes are the softest, kindest that Lainey has ever seen, and he’s just the sort to knock her for a loop. Lesson #1: Romantic entanglements among crime fighters are super exploitable, and falling in love with a man who “can’t die” is like waving a red flag at a bull. Especially when the most fiendish plot ever is about to break over Megalopolis like a wave of fire.

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Wallflower Christmas

A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
awcWe get to meet another member of the Bowman family – Lillian and Daisy’s eldest brother Rafe. Our heroine is Hannah Appleton, cousin/companion to Lady Natalie Blandford, Rafe’s intended bride. But she (Hannah) isn’t even mentioned in the cover blurb – what’s up with that? Rafe has arrived from the States and joins the gang at Stony Cross Park. Lillian/Marcus and Evie/Sebastian (yay!) get some spotlight time among decorating for the holidays, the adventures of a misplaced toupee and a love letter. It’s too bad the book isn’t longer; it clocks in at a little over 200 pages. An enjoyable but short holiday-themed read for Wallflower fans.

This could be read on its own. The previous Wallflower books in order are Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened One Autumn, Devil in Winter, Scandal in Spring.

4/5

St. Martin’s Press, October 2008, isbn 13: 978-0312533786

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