What Are You Reading - Week of February 26

I started Innocent In Death by J. D. Robb yesterday. Shamefully, I have to admit, I jumped to the ending of the book to see how it turns out. Won't say anything else; don't want to spoil it for anyone. By the 3rd chapter, though, I was caught up in the murder investigation. For those of you who have read what the book is about & are fans of the in death series, you'll know what I'm talking about.

I just started The Other Boleyn Girl per the recommendation of a friend. I think this one will take me a while.

I started the Man of My Dreams anthology, but then decided to re-read The Named by Marianne Curley. I do a "book of the month" thing on my website which I am hoping to expand on and I think The Named will be the next one I do. Since I read it about a year ago and forgot a lot about it (other than the fact that I really loved the story) I figured it would be a good idea to read it again so I know what I'm talking about.

I'll have to get back to my anthology when I'm done.

I am finishing How To Abduct A Highland Lord by Karen Hawkins and tonight, I should be able to start The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs.

CC, I'd be interested in what you think of the The Winter Lodge when you finish it.

Book, I'll let you know.

CC

I started All the Queen's Men late last night & hope to be able to read some more tonight... but I've got work that I've got to do, too.... and should be doing now!!

bye!

Still gorging on Dark-Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Finished Dance with the Devil today and will be starting on Kiss of the Night this evening. REALLY liked Zarek's story - probably as much as I liked Kyrian's.

katy-I think Seize the Night is one of my top Dark Hunter books. I'm pretty sure you'll be getting to that one soon.

Ooh, Katy, was that a pun? Gorging on Dark Hunters? Yuck! LOL

CC

I am currently reading The businessman's bride by Jackie Braun. It's fun and witty for a Harlequin Romance. There is definately a spark between the h/h and now I am curious how it's going to end.

Julia

well i have not succeded in laying off the Romance it was all romance last week apart from one Sf short and this week im almost done with Finders Keepers Linnea Sinclair very good for something that started as an obsure ebook I think she is going to get somewhere.

I still haven't finished The Seduction of His Wife. Not that it's a bad story it's just not doing it for me, but I could well imagine other people liking it. I did pick up Vengeance in Death though and devoured it. I just can't get enough of Eve and Roarke.

I read Seduction by Amanda Quick on Saturday. It reminded me how much I despise her writing. Odd, b/c I like the books written under her other pen names just fine.

I also read Into Temptation by Kathryn Smith, which I really liked. And Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise. That was good, too. Then I started Tall, Dark, and Cajun by Sandra Hill. I'll finish it, but I think it chick-litted me out for awhile. Half my tbr pile falls into the light-and-fluffy category; I just can't read them one right after the other.

Last week I read a bunch of sci-fi. Simon, did you know Linnea Sinclair's next book, Games of Command, comes out today? I ordered it from amazon.com months ago. Hopefully it gets here soon...

Just started the anthology The one that got away feat. stories by Victoria Alexaner, Liz Carlyle, Eloisa James and Cathy Maxwell.

Julia

I finally read Dreaming of you by Lisa Kleypas to finish the Derek Craven series and Dreaming and Then came you are now two of my favorite books. Lily was terrific in both books, and Sara realy did a job on Derek. He didn't know what hit him. With his background, I didn't know how he could be turned around so thoroughly, but she did it (with some help from Lily).
I also read Tongue in chic by Christina Dodd. I had to take my daughter shopping, so I found it at the grocery store and sat in the car and read it while she shopped. I really enjoyed it. It was funny, suspenseful, and romantic. I think I'll try to find Trouble in high heels, which is supposed to be in the same vein.

Richard

I just finished The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon which I really enjoyed. Now I have to wait until August for Devil May Cry. :(

I'm now reading Beau Crusoe by Carla Kelly which has been good so far. The author has a "Dear Reader" which the publisher wouldn't print so she is offering it as an email for anyone who wants it. It is supposed to be read after the book is read so I don't know what is in it yet.

Jean

Hi, Jean. I loved Beau Crusoe, how do I get the "Dear Reader"? I didn't know about that!

Richard, I'm glad to know you liked Tongue In Chic. It came in today's mail, and I think I'll put aside How To Abduct A Highland Lord and read it first.

CC

Just finished the new Pamela Britton NASCAR book To the Limit and liked it fairly well. The heroine was an engineer, and that was a pleasant change. There was rather more uncertainty about exactly who the hero was, which was interesting, and both the guys were good guys, which was nice. I could have done without the 10 years after epilogue with assorted kids, although if it ended up being a promo for the next book it wouldn't be so bad.

Also just finished Dragon Lovers with novellas by Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Karen Harbaugh, and Barbara Samuel. This one is fabulous and and I can't recommend it highly enough. The Beverley is a straight fantasy. I wasn't quite sure if she was going to be able to sustain the almost chicklit tone (heroine has spent 7 years as an SVP, (Sacrificial Virgin Princess)). But it resolves very satisfactorily, and I liked the fact that it had a little edge. The Mary Jo Putney is set in Cornwall, in medieval times and is a nicely done mix of medieval and fantasy, with a reasonably gritty sort of knight.

Both of them are really good, and authors I love and trust. Their stories alone would be worth purchasing the book. But the last two are just incredible. First, they are a welcome and well done breath of change from northern European mythology, with heroes from other cultures. The Karen Harbaugh is set in Japan in 1650, the heroine is Dutch, but has been there for some years. The dragon in question is Japanese, and the hero is Japanese. I'm also grateful that the heroine is not one of the everlasting missionaries, but rather orphaned far from home, the daughter of parents who travelled for other reasons.

Finally there is the Barbara Samuel story and that dragon is based in the mythology of the Mayas and the feathered serpent. Just brilliant.

PS. Whimper-- I couldn't find the Carla Kelly. Sniff.

Catherine - this is a message from Carla Kelly coppied from the All About Romance website:

If you're interested...

When I concluded The Beau, I added a "Dear Reader" as an epilog. My editor thought it would confuse my readers. I have lots of respect for my readers' intelligence (esp. those on this website), and begged to differ, but agreed to remove it.

I'll be glad to e-mail the "The Dear Reader" to anyone who wants it, but ONLY after he or she has read the book. I think it wraps up the story nicely.

Carla

Her email address is: ckelly@daktel.com

Romsfuulyn - I found it with the series romance and not in the single title romance section if that helps. I actually purchased it at my local Fred Meyer store (combination grocery/department store) but I also saw it at Borders.

Jean

I ordered Beau Crusoe online from www.eharlequin.com. They had it in stock as of 2 weeks ago, but they sell out quickly.

Jean, thanks for the address!

CC

>19 romsfuulynn: I have Dragon Lovers on my amazon wish list but they have it showing as not available until March 7th. Did you get it at one of the chain bookstores? If so, which one?

Richard-

I was glad to read your comments on Lisa Kleypas' Derek Craven series. I'm really looking forward to reading them (as soon as I finish with the Dark-Hunters!) The series looks really good, and from what I read on the author's website, Derek sounds like a pretty interesting character.

I love it when there's a character that you think there's NO WAY this guy will ever be anything but bad, but then somehow the author manages to redeem him. Kleypas did that quite successfully in the Wallflowers series with Sebastian in Devil in Winter and also with Nick Gentry in Worth Any Price. I'm finding that Sherrilyn Kenyon is also good at redeeming heroes in the Dark-Hunter series. I can't wait to get to Valerius' story and see how she pulls it off - he's such a jerk! :D

Katybear,
In Dreaming of you you get a hint that Derek could possibly have a softer side because of his relationship with Lily. But I really enjoyed the way Lily handled Alex in Dreaming and the way Sara handled Derek in Then came you. My wife is reading Dreaming of you now, and she said she is getting some ideas. I might be in trouble!

Richard

edited to try to fix the touchstones, but they are being obstinate.

Katy-Valerius turns out to be quite cool, I really loved his story. I almost feel worse for him than I did for Zarek.

"I almost feel worse for him than I did for Zarek."

Wow! Poor Valerius! I felt so bad for poor Zarek, that there were parts of Dance with the Devil where I actually got all weepy and sniffly. I guess I'll have to get my box of kleenex ready for when I read Seize the Night!

I just received three books in the mail. Again The Magic by Lisa Kleypas and When Bruce Met Cyn and Never Too Much by Lori Foster. I've ordered Lady Sophia's Lover and I am waiting to read Worth Any Price after I read LSL. And I have Just a Hint, Clint to read after When Bruce Met Cyn. So it looks like I've got enough reading for a couple more days.

Richard

Rich, I have Lady Sophia's Lover and Worth Any Price in my line-up, too. Let me know what you think, OK?

Has anyone read any of these:The Grail King by Joy Nash, Step Into Darkness by Naomi Bellis, Lasso the Moon by Beth Ciotta, A Most Unsuitable Man by Jo Beverley, Tiger's Eye by Karen Robards,or A Little Bit Wicked by Victoria Alexander? I would love to know if any of them are stinkers.

Richard, I finished Tongue In Chic, and it was very good.

I guess I'll start on How To Abduct A Highland Lord, although all this talk about the yummy Bow Street Runners has me wanting to re-read some vintage Kleypas, too!

CC

Lor, I read A little bit wicked and What a Lady wants I liked them both, although WALW was a bit better. CC also read them and didn't like them that much.

Julia

I read Tiger's Eye by Karen Robards. I didn't realize it was a reprint. I never would have picked it up. I read it before, when it came out in 1995. She hasn't done anything to the story as far as I can tell, and it reads like a late 80s early 90s romance novel. It's not a keeper. The scene where the hero is sleeping with his paramour in the next room (implied they had sex that night), and the same night ends up in the heroine's room making out with her...that's just not romantic. The only reason they stopped is because the other woman woke up. If it had been more in the tone of a Susan Johnson or Thea Devine novel, I would have understood it better, but that's not something I expect from Robards. I was definitely not convinced of the heroine's irrisistibility & the hero just came off as a jerk.

There's a lot going on in the plot, which is good. I just didn't like either of the main characters that well. I was dissappointed because I could see potential in the story. I'd borrow it from the library or a friend, or pick it up at the UBS.

Lor, I thought both Alexander books were stinkers, although the latter was slightly better smelling than the first! I think I reviewed Wicked on one of the threads.

Rianoel, I have tried to read several Karen Robards books, because I keep hearing good things about them, but I've never made it all the way through one without flipping to the end. The last one I tried to read was Vanished. I even spent the big bucks for the hardcover edition. The storyline sounded very promising, but it was awful to read. It didn't have good "flow" and the dialog was jarring.

CC

Julia, I think I will try WALW a little later and not begin with the lesser one. Ria, I will definitely give the Robards a skip. I appreciate your candor. It's a library book, so I might try it later when I'm completely out of anything else. Thanks to each of you for your input. That takes two out of my TBR stack!

cc, I am not very far in, but so far I like the Bernard book very much. The premise is a little thin, but that's OK with me. She has done a good job with it. I like her writing style.

Hey, Lor. Isn't Bernard great? I can't wait for her next book, Madame's Deception. It comes out in July or August. I still can't believe A Lady's Pleasure is her first novel.

I promise to never let you run out of things to read. When your TBR stack gets low, just let me know!

CC

I'm glad I was help---if you want to read a stellar novel with similar character premises---ie, underworld kingpin & fairly innocent woman---you might as well skip straight to Dreaming of You. (ok, I know it gets so much airtime on this list you probably already read it...)

CC, I think I did at one point keep some of Robards' novels. Sadly, if I did, they're in storage back in the states. Whoever writes her cover blurbs does a great job summarizing plot. I keep hoping her writing will change with time, and live up to the promise of the jacket summary.

I started Duty and Desire by Pamela Aidan. If that makes me an obsessed P&P fan, so be it.

cc, I couldn't believe it was her first, either. I ran to the back for the author blurb and found she was a writer for Romantic Times. I'm glad she has another one coming out. I'll watch for it.

There's no fear anytime soon on that TBR stack. It is a mountain! I'm thinking of naming it and offering tours.

Ria, haven't read Dreaming, but will add it to the list. Thanks. I had never heard of Kleypas until I joined this group and since, I've read more by her than anyone. I'm getting a nice little collection going.

Started Born in Death last night on the commute home and stayed up really late to read "just one more chapter." ;D I'm almost halfway through it.

I really like the Eve Dallas/Roarke mysteries, and this one is so far right up there with the best of them!

Edited to add that within the first few pages, I'd already laughed out loud a couple of times. On a crowded train. I got some interesting looks from the other passengers.

Lor, Bernard also wrote one of the stories in the Regency anthology, School for Heiresses, which came out last year.

Stor, I haven't gotten into the Death books by Robb/Roberts, but I see the newest one is getting great reviews. I have almost decided to get it and see for myself.

CC

#39 Start with the first one, CC! I think it's Naked in Death. Really! If you start with Born in Death, you won't get the full effect of all the little hints that are dropped about past events or the nuances of the various relationships, esp. the one between Eve and Roarke.

I just finished the new J. D. Robb Innocent in Death & I didn't want to put it down. Getting ready to start No Safe Place by JoAnn Ross.

Stor, I am not a big Roberts fan, I don't think I could get through all of them, but the one Bookbeat just finished is the one I heard has gotten great reviews. It sounds interesting.

CC

CC ~ Up to you, of course, but Naked in Death has gotten pretty good reviews too! :) Here's the LT rating breakdown:

Member rating: (4.16)

1 stars 1
1.5 stars 1
2 stars 3
2.5 stars 2
3 stars 11
3.5 stars 2
4 stars 24
4.5 stars 3
5 stars 39

Innocent in Death does sound really good, though!

Just started Midnight Moon by Lori Handeland. Have read two or three of her books and really enjoyed them. Friday nights are quiet around my house and expect to finish this before going to bed tonight.

Midnight Moon is in my TBR pile. I started reading Man of My Dreams again and finished the Maggie Shayne short last night. Next up is the short story by Suzanne Forster who sounds familiar, but I don't think I've read anything by her yet.

DL, you weren't kidding about Seize the Night! It was really gripping. Poor Valerius! I like Tabitha a lot and thought she was the perfect foil for him. She's so tough and rowdy, but I think Sherrilyn Kenyon does a good job of giving her a certain vulnerability that makes their love story believable.

I ended up staying up till nearly 1 AM to finish it! I was so tired after a long day at work, but then I got to the last 80 pages or so and couldn't put it down. There was so much happening at the end, I'm probably going to have to re-read that part just to make sure I didn't miss anything ... And, oh... the part with Nick...

I was watching a Lifetime movie this afternoon and saw an ad for a new series, Blood something. It debuts sometime in March and is about a romantic triangle (eyebrows raised) featuring a male vampire, a female P.I. and her former police partner. The words "romantic triangle" were mentioned. Demon, are you listening? LOL

CC

Finished Heart Quest yesterday and only have one book left on hand - Eternal Nights by Patti O'Shea. DARN, I have to go book shopping!

I really enjoyed the Heart series by Robin D Owens but it's back to the waiting game - the next one's only out in the fall and another in summer 2008.

I also have to wait until the fall for Dark Celebration in paperback. I guess it's a good time to investigate new authors, or there is a new J. R. Ward out I hear....

47> yes they are based on the Tanya Huff series not an exceptionally strong romance element but it is there. They are a good read.

Simon

I just finished Deadly Game the 5th book in the Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan which was excellent.

I'm now starting Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward (Butch and Marissa's story).

I read VA's novella Promises to keep from her OOP anthology The night before Christmas yesterday. Although it had just som 90 odd pages, I think it was the best story I read this year so far.

It's featuring a storyline which I usually don't particularly like: time travel.

It started out with a 74 year old hardened business woman, who came to regret the choises she made in life. Particularly the one where the love of her life asked her to marry her and she said no, because he had to leave the next day for WWII and who died just a couple of weeks later, without knowing that she loved him and had changed her mind.

So as an old woman she goes to Santa and asks for the Christmas gift she once refused: A second chance.
---------------

Also started Jackie Braun's A woman worth loving.

Julia

>46 katybear: Glad you enjoyed it :-) I know what you mean about poor, poor Nick. There is an online short story on Sherrilyn's website about Nick and his trip back to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina if you're interested. I can't remember if you said you read Dark Side of the Moon, if you haven't I would wait until after you read that one before reading the short.

>47 CarolinaCatherine: CC-sounds good, I'm going to have to keep an eye out for it! The only problem is my family is usually in control of the tv. Lots of Nicelodeon and racing in my house LOL

>48 Brendelicious:&50 Looking forward to Lover Revealed as well. Nowhere I went yesterday had it.

I finished Man of My Dreams last night. I really enjoyed the last short story in it about the sidhe. I really want to read my Lisa Kleypas book but I read the back of Prince of Ice and it sounds sooo intriguing. I think I'll read Prince of Ice first only because it is so much shorter.

I finished Allison Lane's The Madcap Marriage last night. I see several of you have other books by her, and I would like a recommendation. She is a new-to-me author, and I like her writing style, but several plot elements distracted me, and I want to compare this one to another of her books. Some things happened which had obvious consequences which were not explained or addressed. Things like that make me crazy, and I want to read another of her stories to see if it is SOP for her.

CC

Just finished A woman worth loving and it was as wonderful as the first book. The only thing lacking is a bit more spice, but then when you pick up a Harlequin Romance you know in advance that it's G-rated.

I wish she would write full size contemp. romances. Maybe she will at some point.

Julia

I just received Lady Sophia's Lover in the mail, so I can read it and Worth Any Price.
I read Never Too Much by Lori Foster yesterday and it was even better than Too Much Temptation which was the first in the series. NTM wrapped up both stories very well.
I also read When Bruce Met Cyn and Just a Hint, Clint, which are the third and fourth of Lori's Visitation, NC series, and I read the fifth book, Jamie, first but I think I'll have to read it again. Jamie Creed was introduced in the first book, and he played a bigger part in each succeeding book, so I need to re-read his story, which wraps up the series.
Note: "Jamie" is the title of the book, but the Touchstone doesn't identify it properly. The Touchstone for "Just a Hint, Clint" doesn't work either.

Richard

CC, I saw the previews about the new series also. I thought they were based on the Karen E. Taylor books, but I think Simon is right, it's the Tanya Huff books. Maybe the series will be better than the books. I just saw the previews over the weekend & it starts next Sun. night - called Blood Ties.

Yes, I am right:^) not a fan of the huff series bookbeat?

Lately, I've read Diamond Bay by Linda Howard, which was okay, but not one of my favorites by her, A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole which I enjoyed and am looking forward to reading the second in the series, and then two Eve-Roarke books, Glory in Death and Vengeance in Death, which I loved. I also sped through The Wedding Trap by Tracy Anne Warren, which was light and fun if not completely predictable.

I agree with you also, Simon, about the Tanya Huff books not being that good; maybe the TV show will be. I'll watch it & see. Anyone else plan to watch it?

It's not coming out in the UK...argh! Otherwise I would.

I know it's totally OT, but I love Huff's 'Valor' series! Not a speck of romance in those, though.

It is a long time since I read them the they were enjoyable I read all of them but a touch wooden at times I think she is has improved a lot as a writer since, nowadays she is not quite so ernest more relaxed and it pays . Actually I think that earnest air would translate quite well to tv. but who knows what a tv company will do.