What Are You Reading Week of March 24

I finished Priceless By Christina Dodd which was ok. If she would have taken out the by plot and made it a character driven plot it would have been great.
I do like her contemporaries actually better than her historicals, even her paranormals were better and I'm usually not reading those. I know I'm nagging.

Anyway, next is going to be Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas.

Julia

Over the weekend I finished Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Peters (it was ok) and Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas (I loved it). I zoomed through these both rather quickly. Being that it was my last on Spring Break from grad school, I figured I should fit in a lot of fun reading before the not so fun reading is required again!

I just started Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase and still have to start "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer, like I said I was going to last week.

I finished Don't Let Go by Marliss Melton & loved it so much, I'm going back & re-reading the series - so currently reading Forget Me Not.

(touchstones are touchy this morning)

I finished up Jo Beverley's Malloren family series last week. My favorites of the series were: Something Wicked and A Most Unsuitable Man. I thought Fort was an interesting character in earlier books and had anticipated his story in SW. Elf was a perfect foil for him with all his surliness. In AMUM, I thought there were some echoes of Hazard, a Company of Rogues book. The whole penniless hero falling for the rich heroine who is so far above him, etc. I also really liked My Lady Notorious and Devilish (Rothgar is such a great hero). All around, this was a great series, with only one really not-so-great book in it.

Since finishing those, I have been kind of flailing around between books for the past few days. I have finally settled on Mary Balogh's The Gilded Web. I've loved almost everything I've read by Balogh so far, but this is an older book I believe and it's been a little slow-going.

Finished Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. I truely enjoyed the story juliakranz, and I hope you do too.

KatyB, I'm so glad you loved the Beverley books. If I recall correctly, SW had a scene where the H/H made love in a coffin. First time I'd ever seen that one! :)

CC

I read a great book called Buttons and Beaus. It has an unusual premise, I'll just give you the back blurb.

No one can pedal a bicycle around turn-of-the-century New York without a license, so Amanda Blackwell's cycling school has become all the rage. The innovative establishment provides an income for the independent miss and her little brother Donny, a special child. But in one afternoon, everything goes to Hades in a handbasket. Amanda's uncle is suing to put Donny in an institution, and Damian Newcastle, the handsomest man Amanda has ever seen rides right into her life--to ruin everything!

Architect Damian Newcastle has a dream--to build the highest skyscraper in New York, redeem his family's honor, and give his wheelchair-bound son a view of the entire city. He just needs the land occupied by Amanda's cycling school to do it. But the building collapse that ruined his father's company caused Amanda's father's death. He and Amanda are supposed to be enemies, yet they are experiencing an overwhelming desire neither can put the brakes on. If only they can ride in tandem on the byways of love, they have this chance of a lifetime to heal their hearts...

While not perfect, with kind of cardboard-y villains and a few plot problems, overall I found the book amusing and delightful with good interactions between H/H and nice secondary characters. In addition, some of the old New York history was fun to read about.

I've also started, Every Night I'm Yours.

I'm still reading Out of Control by Shannon McKenna. I'm about halfway through and hope to have it done by the end of the week.

I really want to start Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas but we are in the process of moving house so i want to wait until i am less stressed and can enjoy it thoroughly.

So I read A Knight in Shining Armor while I was on vacation at the beach and I really wasn't too thrilled with it. It got such great reviews from everyone, so many people said it was their favorite romance, and I was just "meh" about it. I think I've read so many other time travel romances already that I thought were better, that this didn't seem all that great to me. The heroine Dougless (I couldn't stand her name) was always crying and boo hooing, I just barely liked her, and couldn't understand what Nicholas (the Knight) could see in her! Still, it wasn't really all that bad, but I don't get all the hoopla over this book. All I can think of is that it was written in 1989 and the whole premise of time travel romances might have been new back then and so many people who've read it remember it so fondly because it was new to them. Sorry to not have liked it, so many people did, I wish had liked it more.

I finished the Cupid Calling anthology. I started it back in January but put it down due to lack of interest. The last story, by Patricia Waddell, was the best, but I felt it was a bit crammed into the format, with perhaps a few too many plot elements. And I wasn't too thrilled with the characters. Oh well. I think that might rack it right up with the rest of the Valentines day anthologies I've read---I can't think of a single one I really like.

I just finished To Wed A Scandalous Spy by Celeste Bradley. It was pretty good. I did kind of laugh at Dane's "problem" and thought the book really focused on that too much and not so much on the intrigue.

I just finished Gypsy Lady by Shirlee Busbee and Ain't She Sweet? by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The second one was a reread, and the first one might be too since I've had it for a long time, although I didn't remember the story as I was going through it. I kept expecting to remember it. Many times I've been 75% of the way through a book and realized that I know how it's going to end because I've read it before. Anyone else do that?

Ria, I love Patricia Waddell's historicals. You might want to try Diamond In The Rough or the "He Said" series. She's great!

Ktleyed, that book turned me off to Jude Devereaux forever. I can't stand time travel romance anyway, but to name a heroine Dougless, UGH!

Emmie, I'm debating whether to get Blue Eyed Devil. I really didn't like Sugar Daddy, the only book of Kleypas' I wish I'd never read. Let us know what you think when you're done with it, okay?

CC

I finished Every Night I'm Yours. It was an enjoyable story, but something was off about it. I think it didn't really read like a historical and the pacing was a bit off. Something about the book seemed a little shallow, but I think Christie Kelly is a pretty new author, so I'd probably read another one of hers. I'm not really sure what I'll read next.

CC---Waddell is actually the reason I picked up the book. I've been slowly collecting her backlist. I actually got the anthology primarily b/c that short story is the first in the 'Said' series, and I was wondering if I was missing something. I know sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal isn't your thing, but she's really great at that, too. :)

I read The Marriage Wager by Candace Camp. I'm a big fan of Camp. The primary romance was good, but the intrigues of the secondary characters is even more interesting. I have to get the sequel, just to find out what happens between them.

Ria, I like Camp, too. Some of her earlier books have recently been reissued. I was drawn by their attractive covers, but the stories inside were a little too "early" Camp, if you know what I mean. They weren't as well written as her more recent historicals.

I really liked Waddell's He Said series, too.

CC

I just finished The Duke by Gaelen Foley which I LOVED! Now I have to wait a few weeks until I get bookstore gift cards for my birthday so that I can buy the rest of the books in the series. I also finished Sophia Nash's 'The Kiss' which I ended up really liking, despite the slow beginning and the sometime stubbornness of the leads. Next up I think I'll be reading The Pirate Prince since I loved The Duke so much...

Now I'm reading Lover Unbound} by J R Ward
I must say I am enjoying it immensly. Now I will see about getting the back issues in the Brotherhood series.

I've finished quite a few books recently. I finally read Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke. I don't know how I managed to miss that one, but I enjoyed it very much. Daphne is a wonderful heroine. I also read Suzanne Enoch's England's Perfect Hero. While I didn't think it was as good as London's Perfect Scoundrel, it is definitely up there.

Also read Passion and while I thought it was a good read, the scorching sensuality of the first part of the book didn't really match up with the rest of the story, in my mind. But Lisa Valdez is a very talented writer and I am sad that her other books have been put off indefinitely. Any recent word on that?

Gena Showalter's Catch a Mate was cute and funny, even if it was very unbelievable at times. But after all the historicals, I needed a contemporary. I can't help but think, though, that Showalter has a bit of writer's ADD. Her books are all over the place, with dragons, vampires, other dark creatures, and comedic contemporaries. Sounds like the perfect job, to get to write whatever you want, I guess.

I'd say my recommendation for the week is probably Donovan's Bed, which I just finished. I don't think it's a very well-known book by Debra Mullins. I can't even really remember where I heard of it. I haven't read many American West historicals but this one was very good, in my humble and not very well-versed opinion.

Today I picked up The Seduction of an Unknown Lady by Samantha James, The Perfect Wife by Victoria Alexander, and Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh. I had a hard time deciding which to read first but have started Simply Perfect. I hope Claudia's story is a good one to end this series!

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn. It is the sequel to Silent in the Grave and so far is just as good. Although not true romances, more historical (Victorian) mysteries, the series does have romantic undercurrents between Lady Julia and Nicholas.

CC - Yeah, that coffin scene had to be a first! It was well done though, and that whole part where they're locked in the dark was my favorite part of the book.

pmpayne - I'm so jealous RE: Simply Perfect. I have to wait till it comes out in paperback. You'll have to let us know if it's as good as some of the others in this series.

I'm still slogging through The Gilded Web. The hero is a nice guy (if a little lackluster), but the heroine is kind of hard to like. It's not her fault, I suppose, since she's had this horrendously repressive upbringing... but still... it's going to be a long road to getting this couple to fall in love. And I'm not even halfway through it yet. I find that I'm more interested in the brothers and sisters of the H/H than in the main characters. Anybody else read this one? Does it get any better? I have all 3 books in this trilogy, so I really do want to finish this one and read the others, but it's getting kind of tedious.

Edited for non-working touchstones.

I'm reading The Wayward Debutante by Sarah Elliott. So far, I'm highly amused. It's always good when you're walking along the sidewalk grinning ear to ear and almost run into things so you don't have to stop reading.
Hopefully the rest of the book is as much fun as the first 20 pages.

I read Touch of Madness by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp and Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead. They were both really good.

Caramel, I really liked The Wayward Debutante, too. It sparkled.

Katy, I glommed all of Balogh's early books and was very disappointed. She is a much better writer now. The Gilded Web bored me silly, I couldn't even finish it. If I didn't already know she was the same writer who wrote One Night For Love as well, I wouldn't have believed it.

Gracer, I love Debra Mullins' books! I did not know about Donovan's Bed, but I'll sure go out and look for it. Thanks!

CC

I *finally* finished The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks. It is really terrible. I read it a chapter a day, and today it's finally finished. PBS, here it comes.

I finished Out of Control last night and took a look through my stacks for another romance to start. I think my next one will be Words of Silk which I mooched as a result of the other thread here that talked about the book. It looks like it will be good.

I also started a YA novel called The Demon in the Teahouse which takes place in feudal Japan and fits in with all the manga I've been reading lately. On top of those I'm still reading the non-fiction, Who Are You People? for the Go Review That Book! group.

CC, there is a sequel to Donovan's Bed, featuring Sarah's sister called The Lawman's Surrender. I went ahead and ordered it off PBS, because I think they're both OOP. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know it was one of a set.

SB, I finished Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypasand can agree, I liked it imensely.
I was very unsure because because I heard so many conflicting opinions. Even CC didn't like it and she's usually a good indicator. ;) I reminded me greatly of Susan Elizabeth Phillips's Honey Moon which I also loved.

Also started yesterday Everything's coming up Rosie by Kasey Michaels.
So far very entertaining.

Julia

Julia,
Agree with you about the "CC barometer" but being an individual is what makes the world go 'round. Opinions are just that, opinions.

I read Extreme Danger by Shannon McKenna and really enjoyed it. Kind of weird, because I read one of her books and enjoyed it Out of Control, then read two I really didn't like Hot Night and Edge of Midnight, so I wouldn't have read Extreme Danger if I hadn't already bought it, and here I couldn't put it down. So she's really a hit-or-miss author for me. For me, her heroes are on the edge between alpha and abusive, and she slips over the edge sometimes. When she manages to walk that line -- and of course it's my artificial line :-> -- she's great.

I'm currently reading Paradise by Judith McNaught and I'm about to start another 2 books Spanish Rose by Shirlee Busbee and Forget Me Not by Elizabeth Lowell.

I tried to read Simply Magic by Mary Balogh but it wasn't happening, the story wasn't capturing my interest and the hero was pretty bland and tame. So I returned that book and exchanged it for Paradise and I got so absorbed in that book, I had to force myself to stop reading. Matt Farrell is such a great hero.

rianoel, I also thought The Undead Next Door was terrible. I couldn't finish it. The characters were completely wooden.

I also read My Immortal Protector by Jen Holling and really like it a lot. I'm not normally into witches, but this one was really different and kept my interest the whole way through.

bl79 - Paradise was one of the first romances I ever read. I remember getting really caught up in it also. It is classic McNaught: lots of ups and downs, high drama, tearjerker, great hero. I know lots of folks here don't care for her novels, but I still think Paradise is a great book. It's kind of a hard book to re-read, though, due to all the ups and downs, but still overall a good romance.

The barometer checking in here...LOL

Julia, it wasn't that I didn't like Sugar Daddy, I did, but I thought it was misleading to call it a romance. It was more of a coming of age story to me. I didn't like that there were two heroes, or the way the relationship with the two of them was resolved. It was a good story, and the writing was good, as always. It just wasn't what I was expecting, a sexy romantic romp.

Thanks, Gracer! I'll put them both on my wish list.

Barometer slipping back out now...

CC

bl79 and katybear, Is Paradise the one where the rich girl sleeps with the poor boy, gets pregnant and has a miscarriage. The poor boy then gets all rich and powerful and sets out to punish the girl for his mistaken belief that she purposefully got rid of the baby? If so, that the first romance novel I read as well. It was either Paradise or Perfect... I can't recall.

I finished Not Quite a Lady and was a bit disappointed. I felt that the hero's progression to womanizer to loving husband wasn't really believeable. It was just missing something. And the servant boy thing was just too convenient. From what I understand, however, I should give Loretta Chase another chance and try one of her other novels. Any suggestions?

OK ladies, I just finished Lover Unbound I must say that the ending had my jaw drop to the floor with a WTF look on my face! I was appalled by the ending, no, insulted is more like it. I went to bed ticked the heck right off. As you can see, I'm still ticked. Playing devil's advocate with myself I feel perhaps if I had read the previous books in this series then maybe I would understand it better. But a ghost? She turns into a freaking ghost????
Come on!

miilva - You are correct. That is Paradise. Perfect is the one where the falsely-accused hero escapes from prison and hijacks the heroine and takes her to a cabin in the mountains in Colorado. (I confess that I enjoyed Perfect also.)

miilva - As to Loretta Chase, the only one I've read was Mr. Impossible, and I really enjoyed it. So that would be my recommendation :-).

miilva, my favorite of Loretta Chase's books is from the same Carsington Brothers series. It is Mr. Impossible, brother Rupert's story. I highly recommend it, although I would also recommend reading the series in order.

I agree though, about Not Quite A Lady. The first few pages blew me away, and I thought I was in for a fantastic read, but several days after finishing it, I was still scratching my head over it. I still don't know if I liked it or not. I should probably go back and read it again.

CC

>38 sbrush: You're reaction is pretty typical of many that I've read about the end of Lover Unbound. I really need to take the plunge and read the book for myself. It is still sitting on my shelf waiting....

Let it wait.

sbrush, I read J. R. Ward's first & second books ( a while back) & didn't quite care for them (pretty much over the vampire thing), but now I'm SO curious as to what could have happened at the end of that book! I may have to go into a bookstore & read the last pages. :)

CC, I know what you mean. I guess I was forwarned in regard of the coming of age part. I mentioned it already above, that's part of why it reminded me so much of Honey Moon, which was also a coming of age story and the heroine was being stuck between two heroes.

When Hardy came back into her life, I was also torn for which one she should decide herself. In the end he showed some nasty character strait, which made it easy for her I guess.

But just think about the possibilities. Hardy Cates could end up as the contemporary St. Vincent!

Julia, fanning herself ;)

bookbeat,
Just go to your library, I bet they have it too.

I'm reading Julie Ann Long's Perils of Pleasure. I got it based on a recommendation and I'm glad I did! Really well written.

The comparison of Sugar Daddy with Honey Moon is really interesting. I've been trying to decide whether to read Sugar Daddy, since I really like Kleypas, but the story line doesn't sound appealing to me and Honey Moon is actually the only one of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' works that I really did not like, so I guess that settles it.

katybear,

I haven't quite got to the ups and downs yet, I've read up to the part where the hero brings the heroine to meet his father and sister. I put that book down for the moment because I started reading The Spanish Rose and I got caught up in that book too. =)

I will have to read Perfect by JM too. I've had that book in my TBR pile for a while now and just never got around to reading it. Is it just as good as Paradise?

bl79 - If you like McNaught, you won't be disappointed. Those are the only two of her contemporary romances that I liked - but I did REALLY LIKE them both. I think Perfect is a little more "accessible." It is probably my favorite of the two. Again, the guy is a great hero, but the heroine could have used a little more faith in him (and in herself).

I just finished Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh. I really liked it. As I think about the series I don't think any of them can compare to Simply Love, the story of Anne Jewel and Sydnam Butler but this one comes close! I am sorry to see this series end and look forward to Balogh's next book. Her web site gives the information on a new quintet to come out in late 2009.

Wow, so much to talk about.

Let's see. My favorite Loretta Chase is Lord of Scoundrels. Both Jessica and Dain are great. I enjoyed Mr. Impossible but it is not one of my favorites, although I think I am in the minority on that. If you like adventure, humor, and a fun Egyptian setting, you can't go wrong.

I also confess to having liked both Paradise and Perfect but I doubt I'll read either of them again. Too emotionally heartwrenching, but classic McNaught. If you haven't read Almost Heaven, and you liked both those contemporaries, give that historical a try.

As to Lover Unbound I was also upset at the ending, too much of a stretch. But I am still interested in some of the other brothers, so I will probably keep reading the rest of the series.

I also have pretty much decided to stay away from Kleypas' contemporaries. I love her historicals too much, and am not into the whole women fiction, quasi-happy ending contemporary "romance".

I just finished Reflections in the Nile a time travel story like Diana Gabaldon set in ancient Egypt (I highly recommend it) and am now about to read The Wedding, by Julie Garwood. I loved her first in the series, The Bride, so I'm eager to read this one too!

I finished Julie Anne Long's The Perils of Pleasure and picked up her Ways To Be Wicked. She is SUCH a good writer, and I love that her books are completely character-driven.

I just have to quote a line from Perils. The book is so funny! "The coffin lid flipped up, a doughy face appeared, and Colin apparently closed his eyes too late. For he saw a mouth gape into an enormous O, and out of it came the first note of a scream that promised to be so extraordinary in pitch that Colin nearly screamed himself." (Colin is the hero. I won't explain why he's in a coffin, but it's not a paranormal.)

It's so depressing -- every time I convince myself to stop buying new books and just concentrate on my TBR pile, I get tempted by a new (to me) author and find someone great and end up buying up her backlist.

katybear,

I have read a few other JM contemporary books and they were okay, not great like her historicals and definitely not as good as Paradise.

gracer,

I have read Almost Heaven, I've read all her historical romances. I don't know why I never picked up Paradise or Perfect and read them. But you're right, McNaught knows how to give a reader an emotional roller-coaster ride!

I just read Hundreds of Years To Reform A Rake by Laurie Brown and was pleasantly surprised. It was really really good. It was also a time-travel, thus the surprise. I hate time travel, as a general rule.

However, this book made it work. I think the author also did a good job of utilizing historical details.

I'm voting for Mr. Impossible as my favorite Loretta Chase novel. It's a great book.

Well I've just finished my first J R Ward which was Lover Awakened. Loved it. What did I do before I had you guys for recommendations? Oh, that's right, my work. lol.

Sbrush - Lover Unbound was next on my list because I like the synopsis - is it wince-worthy?

I read A Lady Betrayed by Nicole Byrd. It was forgetable, and I lost interest half-way through the story, so I won't be buying any more of her books.

I finished Everything's coming up Rosie which was highly entertaining. The banter between the h/h was very funny. Also the town where I stayed in USA during my Au Pair time was mentioned. So just for that I love the book.

Started The bride of the Unicorn also by Kasey Michaels.

Julia

I just finished The Wedding by Julie Garwood and really enjoyed it! I loved it's predecessor, The Bride and this was almost as good, but not quite, but still a very enjoyable read. I polished it off in one day. Both books are funny, sexy and have endearing heroines and the ultimate Highlander alpha male, and best of all, they don't have the usual formulaic endings! I'm adding Garwood to my favorite authors!

Now to begin Northanger Abbey the only Austen book I've yet to read, though I've wanted to read it for ages.

I just finished To Wed A Wicked Prince by Jane Feather. It was an interesting plot and I enjoyed it but I think the hero's character wasn't quite well enough drawn to for it to be memorable. Feather is very hit-or-miss for me.

MW, "wince worthy"...I like that! Sounds like a great tag for the library. :)

Ana, the ick factor in Jane Feather's books turned me off to her writing forever. I didn't read them all, but the ones I did read were quite enough.

CC

rianoel,

That's what I thought about that book. I got it at a used bookstore for trade credit (so luckily, didn't pay cash for it!) and I started reading the book and thought I'd fall asleep. It was a pretty dull book, never did finish it. It was also the first time I read a book by this author.

anamuhandis,

There's only one Jane Feather book I've actually enjoyed (and own) and that is Love's Charade. I almost bought To Wed A Wicked Prince but just reading the first chapter or two at the bookstore it didn't catch my interest so I put it back.

I just finished reading A Stranger's Touch by Cait London and it's an okay book. The mystery and suspense kept me engrossed enough to finish the book, but the romance was lacking. There was plenty of sexual attraction and passion between the hero and heroine, just no romance.

I don't actually know why I keep trying with Jane Feather. It's not that I dislike her books, it's just that they're...blah.

ktleyed, have you read Ransom by Julie Garwood yet? That's one of my favorites of hers.

MW, since you said that Lover Awakened was your first J.R. Ward, I'd really recommend going back and starting with the first in the series (Dark Lover) before going on to Lover Unbound. I think I was more willing to put up with the ending of Lover Unbound (which I hated) because I had read the other books in the series. (I liked Lover Unbound a lot right up until the ending.)

#63, anamuhandis It's on my TBR list along with The Secret, I'm holding off on reading them just yet, I don't want to read them all close together, for then I won't keep them straight. I need to intersperse my romance novels with other types to keep me sane - LOL!

Anamuhandis - cheers for the tip - I don't know why I never start with the first book, probably because the bookstore never has them in stock!

I can second the bla about Jane Feather's books. I'm just glad I gave up after only a couple of books.

Julia