Blackmoore - Julianne Donaldson

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Even though I profess not to like romances, it's not really that I don't like them. I'm just really picky and get irritated easily by certain plot devices - and they get old if I read too many. But sometimes I really need a brainless comfort read after a draining week at work. Some people might go to the pub with friends, but antisocial being that I am, I simply want to go home and bury myself in a book. And that's when I am likely to pick a quick romance and not be irritated by it.

I'm much less critical when I'm going for the veg-out-my-brain and guaranteed-happy-ending effects. It's not about realistic plot or anything that can be analyzed. Sometimes there are problems that I completely gloss over because I'm just experiencing it, not thinking about it. I'm more interested in whether the book convinces me on a gut level that the two people are in love and should get that happy ending. It's about the emotions. And it's like putting my batteries on the fast charger.

So, Blackmoore was this for me last night. I read it in one sitting, and I completely escaped my sense of reality. I may also have neglected my husband, but he's used to sharing me with books by now, poor guy.

Just as with Edenbrooke, the intensity of emotion between the characters is what makes the story so absorbing. Their longing for each other is deep and sharp and has stood the test of years. The reason that their love is unrequited is not a completely unbelievable one, and it's not riddled with fake misunderstandings, even though lack of communication does come into it. Never mind that all the other women in the book are horrible. I ignored them. I already forgot about them. The setting captured my attention more than they did, with just a bit of a Gothic touch that made it more than a generic Regency setting.

It is almost completely an emotional romance (as opposed to physical), which is what I prefer. It was so sweet and painful at the same time. By the end I was just aching for a good resolution. Not many romances actually put me through an emotional wringer, but this one managed it. My main fear was that all the build-up would just fizzle, but I found the resolution satisfying and heartwarming.

As far as fluff romances go, I recommend it. Just don't over-think it.

Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Quick thoughts here, since I probably won't bother to do a full review. I liked this better than the first. It was another quick read. There was less slow, Southern charm and humor, less of a chick-lit focus on hair and clothes and working in the bar (although that's still in there).

Instead, there are two mysteries in two locations, and we get more exposure to the worlds of vampires and shape-shifters, and I finally got to know what the fuss about Eric is all about - or at least I'm starting to get it. So far, there are at least three love interests for Sookie, and at this point I believe she's with the wrong guy. Not that Bill isn't... nice, but she has way more of a connection with both Sam and Eric than Bill. Bill is still really generic, other than being super protective.

I'm having fun with this series, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants to take things too seriously. Or to anyone who objects to a lot of romantic elements. Sookie is in the midst of multiple romances, that's one thing for sure.

Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I liked Bayou Moon better than On the Edge for some reason. I think one reason may be that the hero was not a blonde, Norse god, good-guy type. Yes, I prefer the damaged, brooding hero, slightly unstable but with a good heart, who deserves a chance at happiness and can also seriously kick butt when needed. What can I say? William made a much more interesting story than Declan, in my opinion.

Oh, and Cerise is another strong heroine who can keep up with the butt-kicking and lead an entire clan of Edgers into either food or war as needed. I really liked her, too.

I felt much more comfortable with the Edge in this one. I got the hang of the world after the first book, and I decided it's really cool. This one takes place much deeper in the Edge than the previous book, so there are no trips to Walmart (bonus!). At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like a setting entirely in the swamp, but it was so unusual that it ended up setting this book apart from pretty much any I've read. It added a vivid layer to the world-building that enriched the whole story.

Although the Romance element was still very strong, the Paranormal / family feud aspects easily held their own, and the people in the world were wonderfully varied. I love it when side characters add flavor instead of being generic. I enjoyed so many of the Mar clan, and the villains were so... gross! This definitely has its share of gore, as I'm coming to expect from the Ilona Andrews team.

I admit, I was a bit irritated with the ending. I think it could have been much stronger if it didn't take a Romance-complicating turn that was really not necessary. It felt contrived, as that kind of plot device usually does to me. I had forgotten I was reading a Romance until that point. Oh well.

This series still offers some of the best Paranormal Romances I've read - there's much more to them than the Romances. Everything combined to make a rich and layered story, full of swampy, Edgy atmosphere, family humor, magic and dire battles. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Kiss of a Stranger - Sarah M. Eden

The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This entire book was based on the couple never actually talking to each other and on perpetuating misunderstandings by guessing what each other were thinking. Despite that being one of my least favorite Romance plot devices, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a good escape.

Night of a Thousand Stars - Deanna Raybourn

Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Ah, Deanna Raybourn, I love you. Please don't stop writing. And please find a way to come back and write more about Julia and Brisbane. This book made me miss them so much! I want to know more about the Vespiary! There's so much more there, I know it.

Night of a Thousand Stars was yet another enjoyable, light, romantic historical adventure. I enjoyed seeing how Poppy ties in with Julia, and how the mad March legacy continues. But it also made me homesick for the old friends. I still don't want to say goodbye to them for good. And I want more 1920s Middle-Eastern treasure hunts now, too. Everything I read just makes me want more.

So, this one is 4.5 Stars because it didn't quite manage to match up to City of Jasmine. I loved the wedding escape at the beginning - that was hilarious. And Sebastian won me over pretty much instantly before he disappeared. I thought Poppy was really blind and stupid about him at times, but she was also impulsive, smart and stubborn, and I liked her spirit.

The adventure wasn't as adventurous as the one in City of Jasmine, but Poppy isn't an intrepid pilot, and this is her first adventure. So I'm cutting her some slack for not always knowing how to handle it and not always seeing what's going on. And honestly, more treasure would have been nice, too.

It was fun, and I loved it. I want more. Raybourn remains on my list of authors whose books I will actually pre-order - a very short list indeed. I have yet to read a book by her that I didn't love, and I only have one left that I haven't read so far. I'm eagerly anticipating her new Victorian mystery series starting this Fall with A Curious Beginning. I'm sure that I'll end up loving that series too, once I can get my hands on it.

Beauvallet - Georgette Heyer

Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This is quite different from Heyer's other books that I've read. It's set in Elizabethan times rather than around the Regency or Georgian eras, and involves England's conflict with Spain. Beauvallet is an English captain feared by the Spanish as a devil-worshiping pirate, although he is of course an honorable pirate who attacks Spanish ships in the name of the Queen and relies on luck, skill, daring, and a sense of humor.

I found that it had a really slow start - about 30 percent to set up the situation before any adventuring happened. This was necessary to provide a reason for Beauvallet to travel into Spain, where certain death awaited him if discovered. The reason is that he fell in love with a Spanish woman and would risk his life to carry her off. The romance was unfortunately sudden and not developed well enough for my liking. The first part of the book could have been used much better for this instead of being boring. But, once Beauvallet actually headed into Spain, it picked up, and daring escapes ensued.

Lady of the English - Elizabeth Chadwick

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Chadwick really knows how to make history personal and alive. She makes you feel what was at stake for the people involved, know their losses and fears, and she fills in the gaps between the known facts so plausibly.

Lady of the English tells the story of two women very close to power but ultimately unable to wield it in a man's world. The two women are very different. King Henry I's wife, Adeliza, is soft, empathetic, and physically weak. She is just looking for peace and stability, but is very loyal. She is one of the few characters who finds moments of happiness and peace. Although there is sadness too, she is a welcome break from the darker struggles of the succession that consume the rest of the kingdom. Her story provides a strong contrast with Henry's daughter, Matilda, and her never-ending railing against everyone.

Matilda should have been Henry's heir but he passes her over because she is a woman. Her struggles against men throughout this are so frustrating, and the contempt that they show for her as a woman is horrifyingly accurate for the time. She was apparently considered a termagant, but Chadwick brings a different perspective, that of a woman fighting with everything she has to be strong for her son and her country against the mold placed on her by society. She takes quite a beating along the way, and sacrifices pretty much everything. This one quote gets right at the heart of it: “Do you think you are the only one with a pile of ashes in your hearth? I burned my dreams to build my nightmares.”

It was not always easy to read, and my hopes for Matilda to find some happiness in something were not met. I suppose that's what happens when the story is history. You can't invent happiness without leaving the facts behind.