Best of 2006...

Some other stuff...

Best Non-J.R. Ward Vampire Book:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. A very engrossing read. Anyone who likes stories about teenagers or vampires would like this one. Worth a try even if you don't like vampires.I just finished New Moon, and I can't wait until Eclipse.

Best E-book:

Bone Deep by Bonnie Dee. I debated whether or not to make a separate category for this one, because I don't want to make it seem as though e-book are somehow different or less than print romance. I just wanted to mention more books. All jokes about crappy covers aside, one only has to visit an EPublishing site like Samhain, Ellora's Cave, or Liquid Silver to see that some of the most interesting and unusual stuff is being published in electronic format. Whenever I drop by, I always want to read so many of them. Damn my tight budget! [Will review for free books!] Tatooed guy from the carnival! Forties setting! You won't be seeing Avon publishing something like that anytime soon. I just loved this one. It was very sweet, yet very sexy. I think I might re-read it tonight. P.S. Great Cover.

Best guilty, guilty pleasure:

Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Abandon reality, all ye who enter here. The hero is a "tigard" (a mix of of tiger and a leopard), the heroine is a wimpy law student/senator's daughter. Since this is an SK, they have cartoonishly nasty parents. There are also cartoonishly nasty preppies named Todd and Blaine, a trip back to 1981, and a general disregard for rules set up by Kenyon in previous books. Even for the over the top Dark Hunter series, this one was over the top. I used to wait for one of this author's releases with baited breath (reality be damned is my motto), but her output has been increasingly disappointing, and I find myself increasingly uninterested in reading. But although I found UTN a bit ridiculous, it was fun and sexy, and very readable. I think this might be due to the absence of Ash. I actually love Ash, but his story has started to overshadow that of the primary characters in some of the more recent books. Hopefully, things will get back on track this year, and thanks to Nath, I have a new online Kenyon story to read.

Well that's all for now. Off to console the family over the Jets loss. Hopefully 2007 will be full of good, and so bad it's good reads.

Best of 2006...

Best Romantic Suspense/Best Contemporary/Best pre-2006 read

Killing several categories with one stone! I don't read much straight up comtemporary romance or romantic suspense, but on this blog I've made no secret of my love for my new(ish) discoveries, Tara Janzen and Suzanne Brockmann. I read the first four of Janzen's "Crazy" series back to back, in a frenzy. Pure over the top, escapist, fun. My favorite of the series so far has been Crazy Cool. Christian "Superman" Hawkins was an awesome hero, and his appearances in subsequent books only confirm his greatness. I didn't expect to like Katya Dekker (poor little rich girls bug), and I didn't like the idea that he had gone to jail because of her. But this story of lovers reunited delivered on all fronts: sweet romance, hot sexin' and wild action. Some of the others books were a little flawed, but this one totally hit the mark. As I'm typing this I'm thinking that I really want to give it a re-read.

What else can I say about Suzanne Brockmann? Her characterizations can be flawed, and some of the details might be a bit ridiculous, but when you mix it altogether, it just plain rocks. Brockmann is fun to read and different. You run across characters that you don't really find in romance. Although my glom got derailed by a sudden interest in reading vampire books, I'm sure I'll pick it up again in 2007. It's kinda nice, 'cuz I still have a bunch to look forward to. My favorites so far are: Over the Edge and Gone Too Far.

Best of 2006...

Historical Style!


I didn't read a lot of memorable historicals this year, so this was an easy one to pick. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas was a great read. Kleypas is a very reliable author, in my opinion. Even her mediocre books are very readable. I think she's just good at creating chemistry between her characters, and also at creating memorable heroes. Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent is a fabulous rake--witty, cynical and naughty, without any tiresome torturedness. He just was who he was, unapologetically, and what he was was delicious. It's a toss up between him and Derek Craven, for real. I enjoyed the stuttering, mousy Evie Jenner too, although she wasn't quite as vividly drawn. The Virgin and the Rake has been done, done, done to death, but this was a nice take on the story. The gaming club setting was a nice callback to Dreaming of You, and I loved the secondary character Cam Rohan, who will be the hero of Kleypas' next historical.

Ahhh, Loretta Chase! Another very reliable author. I just wish she published more often. Her books are distinguished by great characterizations, and sparkling dialogue, and Lord Perfect was no exception. I liked the proper hero (Benedict Carsington) and the unsuitable heroine (Bathsheba Wingate), which is a reversal from the usual. This was a fun road romance. I love how Chase creates these very contained characters who fall ridiculously in love. It turns them into idiots and they don't know why. And it always works.

There has been a lot of discussion about the state of the historical. There are certainly a lot of mediocre ones out there. It just seems like they keep retreading the same plots, character types, and settings over and over again. But books like these remind me that a good historical romance can be the greatest escape there is. There's nothing like a world of wealth and beauty, with gorgeous men, balls and ladies' maids, to take you away from your concerns and daily grind.

Best of 2006...

Paranormal edition!





Overall, I must say, 2006 was not quite the reading year that 2005 was for me. I read a lot of books that I was "whatever" about, and a number that were outright disappointments. This week, I'd like to highlight some of my favorites of the past year. Let's begin with the paranormals. The romance market has absolutely been glutted with paranormals, as everybody and their mother tries their take on the vampire legends. In a genre that has quickly become hackneyed and cliched, J.R. Ward's books stand out. The premise is not particularly original (leather-clad vampire warriors), but the execution is so vivid that you can't help but get caught up in the world. I think the characterization is a particular strength. Thus far, Ward has created heroes (and potential heroes) who are not only vividly drawn, but quite distinct from each other. They're not all just grumpy, broody guys whose parents were mean to them or whatever. I enjoyed both Lover Eternal and Lover Awakened a lot. Have already re-read both a number of times. I loved both heroes, and I liked that the stories were so different from each other in tone. Ward's world is telescoping at a nice rate, so that I'm actually intrigued and interested. It must be said that Butch and Marissa are the characters I find least interesting, but I'm very excited (like dance in my seat excited) for their book, Lover Revealed, just for the return to the world of the BDB. Then again, I didn't think I'd like Rhage's book that much, but it's my favorite so far, so who knows?

In short, bring on the stupid spellings and names, and the annoying slang! Ms. Ward makes it work. Slap my ass and call me a fangirl.

More Star-Crossed than Buffy and Angel...

So I've been all fired up to blog and...nothing. I feel like I haven't had anything to say about anything. I haven't even really been reading. But I've finally kicked the doldrums with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.. This Young Adult novel (the author's debut) made a quite a splash in the review journals (SLJ, Booklist etc.) awhile ago. But I gave it a pass because I was burned out on vampires. But then Mailyn luuuurved it, and so did Dancechica, and since we have similar tastes, and they were so darned enthusiastic, I decided to check it out after all. It took awhile, but I finally read it. And ladies, you were certainly justified in your enthusiasm!

Bella Swan has just moved back to Forks, Washington, the home of rain and little else, to live with her dad. It's a big change from Phoenix, where she was raised by her mother, and she's not happy about it. But her mother has remarried a minor-league baseball player, and wants to travel with him. Her first day at Forks High School, Bella notices a group of five incredibly beautiful people, sitting there, not eating, not really interacting with anybody. Her eyes lock with one of them, a gorgeous bronze haired god. After lunch, Bella goes to Bio class. As luck would have it, the only open seat is next to the beautiful boy, whose name is Edward Cullen. To Bella's shock and dismay, Edward reacts to her with barely contained revulsion. Still, she finds herself increasingly fascinated by him. Something about him is very different. Then one day, Bella is almost hit by a truck. Edward saves her. This starts them on a wonderful and difficult journey that the two of them are powerless to resist.

I loved this book. So much. So, so much. It was very well done, and really stands out from the vampire crowd. Yup, Edward's a vampire. I'm not giving anything away there, they tell you that on the back cover. But these vampires are straight up predators. It is difficult for them to be around humans at all. The thirst is overwhelming. For Edward, Bella's scent is particularly enticing. He finds it almost impossible to be around her without attacking her. But he can't stop being intrigued. Compounding this is the fact that she is one of the few people whose thoughts he cannot hear. Edward doesn't want to go near Bella, because he doesn't want to hurt her, yet he grows increasingly fascinated by her. This push-pull that Edward feels makes the developing love story both exhilarating and painful, truly star-crossed. He is aloof and sarcastic, but he's not just a tormented, broody guy. It is always made very clear that there is a real looming threat of Edward losing control and killing Bella. For Bella's part, the attraction is obvious: Edward is intelligent,amusing, different and gorgeous. She goes down for the count quickly. There's no sex in this book, but it is hot. There is just so much tension, as they try to figure each other out, as Edward tries to resist Bella and as they fall head over heels for each other. Bella is only seventeen, and though Edward is a hundred-plus, it wasn't too weird. I got the impression that Edward had had only very limited contact with anyone other than his "family", and no one had ever made him feel like Bella did. So there is that whole euphoric, almost ridiculously passionate "first love" thing going on, but at the same time he can barely be near her. It's awesome and torturous, and had me hook, line and sinker, as I waited with bated breath to find out what would happen next. Whether they would even get to smooch, much less get it on, godammit!

This was a great read. I didn't want to put it down, except for those pesky kids. And husband. And work. Great characters (secondary characters too), great love story, and it really moved. Luckily, there's a sequel out, New Moon, currently on reserve at the library. There's going to be a third, too. Squee! Unfortunately, we have to wait until October 2007. Sigh. Oh well, it's great to find a new author, with so many of the authors I love seeming to deteriorate lately.

Comfort reads...

No I haven't read anything new since my last post, and my brain is not up to reviewing just yet. But I'm getting there. I did however return to a book that I first read last December, and have read about four times since. A book that deservedly has the reputation of being one of the best romances evah, and never fails to put a smile on my face and give me a little happy. Yes indeedy, this is my tribute to



Yes, the cover sucks, especially because that guy is so not Dain!!! But still, Stephanie, you should read this. The witty repartee, the wonderful tormented hero, the funny and eccentric heroine...this book just encapsulates for me, all that is great about reading romance. I'm too lazy to write my own reviews, I'll just link you to some good ones that give a taste of what makes this book so great. If you haven't yet, check this one out. It's a great example of a historical romance.

Mrs. Giggles' review

Lori's very recent review

Mailyn's review

Rosario's review

AAR review by Kathy

Ok, I think that's enough for now. You get the idea.

EBUZZ: Bone Deep by Bonnie Dee

Bone Deep at Liquid Silver Books

I found this book over at Bam's Blog. The hero is the tattooed man in a carnival sideshow. Romance with tattooed carnival freak=Devon drops everything to buy and read.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the sweetest erotic romance I have read so far. It lacked that "bamp-chicka-wow-wow" vibe that others have (even if I considered the book to have a viable love story as well). Tom was a sweet, vulnerable character and I also liked Sarah, the war widow who takes him in. Tom was such a sad character, who lived such a stunted and difficult life, it could've taken on an inappropriate and creepy vibe (a la the vibe I get from Anita Blake and Nathaniel in recent LKH titles). But the author made Tom a strong character in his own right, that it was cool. Here's Bam's review. She wrote a great review, so why do the work again :)? Definitely recommended. I'll be looking into the author's other titles as well.

Next e-book I'll be getting, I also found at It's Not Chick Porn. Bam snarked this cover recently. It wasn't so much the cover as the blurb that had me rolling. Go read it. But the author's responses made me want to read it. She chose to use the word "schtupping" on purpose, I think. Oh, and I like books with demons. And I like the idea of Jewish demons who hopefully speak Yiddish. I won't be getting the one with the clown, though. Reminds me of a disturbing episode of "Little House" I saw when I was young.

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward (Spoilers Ahead)

J.R. Ward's Website

Lover Eternal@Amazon

The pleasure of reading a good paranormal romance is in being transported into a fascinating, different world. It may be a little dark and scary, it should be damn sexy, but it is always fun. I think paranormals are appealing to people because they are a true escape from the everyday, mundane world. Also appealing to readers and writers alike, I think that within the framework of the paranormal, writers are able to push the envelope a little bit, explore issues of love and sexuality in a manner that still feels "safe" to many. However, paranormals are often marred by stock characters, stale plots, and worlds without internal logic and inconsistencies. As a devoted reader of paranormals, I have an almost boundless ability to suspend disbelief and ignore the things that I don't like and focus on the things that I do. But more and more, I am unable to do so because I am hung up on the stuff I don't like.

Lover Eternal is not one of those books. It is an example of a great paranormal romance. I am declaring myself J.R. Ward's bitch right here, right now. She rocks. I loved this book. I loved Dark Lover, but I loved this one even more. I put some links at the beginning of this post which lead to summaries, excerpts and other reviews, because I want to get right to what makes the book awesome (in my not-so-humble opinion).

*Increasing Depth into the World--In this book, we learn more about the vampire race and their world, while remaining consistent with DL. No annoying rule changing. While not necessarily groundbreaking (but nice and simple), I find her vampires very interesting, particularly their strict social hierarchy and their almost animalistic nature. I look forward to learning more about the aristocracy and the whole concept of blood slavery in the next book, Lover Awakened.

*Character Development--A romance should be a character-driven story. It is the story of two people falling in love. Honestly, to me the plot is almost incidental. If I can't buy the characters, I can't buy the romance and I don't like the book. In DL, I was impressed by how Ward created a number of distinct characters. In LE, we gain greater insight into the characters, through a number of different p.o.v.'s, and they are even more intriguing than before. In addition, Rhage and Mary were great characters. Rhage, while a larger than life character, did not overshadow Mary, who was no Mary Sue. In fact, she was kind of a pain in the ass at times (but I could understand why). While there was the standard insta-lust, their emotional and physical connection deepened over time in a very satisfying way. This was a very emotional story (gotta love how Rhage fell like a ton of bricks and didn't seem to mind at all. Refreshing.)

*Multiple points of view--This is connected to character development and world building. I felt that the different points of view really added a lot, providing a lot of insight. I think that it makes the readers more invested in the characters also, so that you're looking forward to all of the books. This is definitely a series book, and a lot of time was spent setting up the next book. I wonder if that would bother some readers, but I was psyched b/c of lots o'Zsadist. Which leads me to...

*No fear--These characters have problems, and big ones, and Ward doesn't shy away from their portrayal. More importantly, she doesn't take the easy way out. With the exception of, perhaps, Mary's miracle cure and immortality. That didn't bother me actually, b/c she left Mary infertile. It may seem stupid, but it was better that everything wasn't perfect at the end. And miracle babies are annoying. Similarly, I liked that Rhage was left with the beast at the end. Things weren't perfect, but they loved and accepted each other enough to see it through. Some things happened that would definitely be unacceptable in most romances (i.e. Rhage having sex with another woman, THEN HAVING SEX WITH MARY!!! SAME NIGHT!!). Within the context of the novel, it didn't bother me in the least, and I actually thought that it was one of the most emotional scenes in the book. More of Z's background was given and it is indeed horrific. I'm very curious for the third book, b/c what we're being shown of his character...things could be very interesting indeed. Awesome and disturbing to some, I'm sure. I hope that Ward doesn't wuss out and give us the tortured hero has sex with beautiful nurturing woman and becomes shiny, happy, well-adjusted (maybe just a bit cranky) guy. I have high hopes though, b/c this book was quite different than DL, so I think she'll continue to take risks.

*Writing style--Ward writes in a very crisp, intelligent style that contrasts with a the extravagant, cliche ridden style of a lot of paranormals. Her prose is pretty much simple and straightforward.

Fangirl much? There were some things that bothered me. The slang and pop culture references came thisclose to being too much. I thought that they suited the characters (it's not like they were listening to Mariah Carey or something), but I got a little distracted by it at times. It was very close to crossing the border into annoying. Also, the conflict with the lessers is a bit weak. I can't help but feel that that vampires could kick their asses and call it a day quite easily. The lessers seem like a bunch of tools. Eh, with so much good stuff, I was able to ignore this easily and I admit, I kinda skimmed a lot of the lesser parts, until the end of course, when it got more interesting.

Oy vey, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go start re-reading now.

Ahh...need a cigarette

Devil in Winter was so good. So good!! I didn't want to put it down, which hasn't happened in a long time. I'm sure after the afterglow wears off, I might find some criticism, but for now, no. It was a delicious and satisfying read, and I just felt so happy afterwards. Yes, I'm crazy.

I just loved Sebastian and Evie so much. Sebastian was awesome, a real rake, not a cheesy, half-assed one. He was really funny, too. Kleypas has had some amusing moments in her books, but I've never laughed so many times during one. My personal favorite comment was when he said that he was going to embark on a spree of orgiastic debauchery that would only end when someone got arrested (paraphrase). I was browsing around Mrs. Giggles last week, and I loved this rant. I think that it suits Sebastian quite well, and in general should be used by authors as a reference when creating "good" bad boys, instead of obnoxious assholes. Liked Evie a lot too. Sure, she was another shy, sweet innocent virgin, but she had a will of steel. I just really bought that these were two damaged souls who saw something in each other and could love and accept each other for who they are. Well done, Lisa Kleypas. I just hope the other authors I'm looking forward to bring their a-game as well.

When is Scandal in Spring out? After reading the excerpt at the end of DiW, and the excerpt on the author's site. I'm psyched for this one. It seems like she might be going a in an unusual direction with the hero. I've always liked Daisy, too. Well, off to re-read. Yeah, I am.

Back to re-reading...

Last night I was re-reading Julia Quinn's When He was Wicked. I love the Bridgerton books, but this one is my favorite. I have all of them on my shelves, but this is the one that I keep going back to. It's really different from the others, but yet contains that trademark Quinn wit. It's just one of the sexiest books I've read, I think. The scene where Michael first seduces Francesca in the library...Oy vey. Shivers. The sex scenes are all the more sexy because of all the heightened emotions the characters are feeling: love, desire, confusion, guilt. This book is, to me, was truly daring. Francesca's late husband was truly loved by both Michael and Francesca, a real rarity in romance land, and it makes their coming together really fraught with so many emotions. And Quinn never shies away from those emotions. It's not only super-sexy, but sad. I tear up (which rarely happens). Michael is one freaking hot hero that also makes me cry. Too bad Francesca comes off as kind of a bitch sometimes. But her turmoil is understandable also. When He was Wicked is a highly emotional read, so different from the other Bridgertons, yet so satisfying.

Addendum

I can't believe a forgot to mention Liz Carlyle. I really like her. I think she's a got a very distinctive and a bit dark style. I particularly liked The Devil You Know. Good, good stuff. I want to get my hands on more.

Part 2: More things from 2005

In the spirit of kindness and semi-professionalism, I have decided to keep the things I really didn't like to myself. So here are some more pretty good things:

Author I never really liked that much but now can't wait for her next one: Kim Harrison. Lots of people love her, but I feel she really hit her stride with Every Which Way But Dead. I found the other books a bit draggy. I'm really looking forward to the next one due next summer.

Other 2005 titles which were pretty good: Much Ado About You and Kiss Me Annabel (Eloisa James), It Happened One Autumn (Lisa Kleypas), After Midnight (Teresa Medeiros), and Haunted (Kelley Armstrong)

Best Romantica:
So this year I discovered my inner perv at Ellora's Cave. I oh-so cautiously looked around the site, reading excerpts, looking over my shoulder the whole time. Then I finally got up the nerve to buy something. Why not, I told myself. You're a grown woman, a mother of two, and a feminist. Own your sexuality, woman! So, anyway, woo-hoo! Good stuff. Well, some good stuff, some bad stuff, and some baaaad stuff. And much to my surprise, it turns out I've got a particular fondness for the bdsm stuff. Who knew? So best of the bunch is definitely Natural Law by Joey Hill. Best written, best developed characters, most believable romance. I'll definitely have to get around to reading her other stuff. I greatly enjoyed Full Ride by Gail Faulkner, also. Caution: These two books contain D/S practices and lots of explicit sex.

Favorite new websites:
I perennially suffer from being the only one I know who likes the books I do. I love to discuss books (side effect from being a former English major, I guess), but I've got no one to discuss them with. So I was pleased to discover some sites where I could find information, suggestions, and some fun snark. I pretty much just lurk, and it's much more fun than reading reviews on Amazon:

All About Romance

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

It's Not Porn, Really

Squawk Radio

Books I'm most looking forward to in 2006:
Lover Eternal (JR Ward), Devil in Winter (Lisa Kleypas), Broken (Kelley Armstrong), Taming of the Duke (Eloisa James), The one by Sherrilyn Kenyon that's a takeoff on Arthurian Myths, the other one by JR Ward that's coming out in September,and the next Kim Harrison. I've got lots to look forward to. Whee!!!!

So I'm not really qualified to comment about music, because I barely listen to anything that's come out after 1998. And I can't really comment about movies because I saw exactly one in the theater (Wedding Crashers, hilarious!), but nothing I saw on DVD stands out in my mind, so I'm thinking it was a mediocre year. As for television, all I have to say is : Watch Veronica Mars!!!! Please!!! They've already gotten rid of Arrested Development. Don't let me lose another show.

Next up, we begin the new year with Sherrilyn Kenyon's tribute to the ouevre of John Hughes--Unleash the Night.

2005: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Why yes it's yet another end of the year roundup!

This was an interesting year for me. Had a second child, turned thirty, attempted to take care of two small children, chopped off my hair, got highlights for the first time in 4 years. All in all almost lost my mind. This was also the year I heavily got into reading romance. I had started last year, but this year I started reading alot. And I branched out into historicals. So right now I'd like reflect a bit on my reading for the year.

Best New Author: Gotta go with JR Ward. Perhaps she overdoes the slang a bit, and perhaps some didn't like those names. But I really enjoyed Dark Lover. She's got style, man.

Best New Authors I hadn't read before:There's alot in this category
Eloisa James, Connie Brockway, Laura Kinsale, Loretta Chase

Author who is so bad that it makes me think I really could get published:Just kidding...well there are some but I will only be mean spirited in my own mind. Well really mean spirited anyway.

Author who I just don't get the love for:
Christine Feehan and eternally, Laurell K. Hamilton (more specifically,the Anita Blake series. I do enjoy the Merry Gentry ones)

Best Books published in '05:
Dark Lover (Ward), Sex, Lies and Vampires (Katie MacAlister), Seize the Night (Sherrilyn Kenyon--this actually came out last week of '04, but I'm including it)

Best Older Books that I just read for the first time and will re-read and re-read:Again, a big category, read a lot of keepers this year
Dreaming of You (Kleypas), As You Desire and My Pleasure (Brockway), Lord of Scoundrels (Chase), The Shadow and the Star and Flowers From the Storm (Kinsale). Read these. Trust me I have great taste.

Biggest Disappointment(s):
Sins of the Night (Kenyon)
Undead and Unreturnable, Undead and Unappreciated, Really Unusual Bad Boys (MaryJanice Davidson)
MJD, where art thou? You who gave me so many hours of reading pleasure last year? I suspect with both of these authors, that it's a case of being overextended. Both have like a million irons in the fire and something coming out every other minute. While I truly admire their work ethic and imagination, the work is suffering. The Betsy books were extremely light on plot and character development, and when there was an intriguing moment, it was wrapped up too quickly or left dangling. Since it is a series, I hope that this is all part of the arc, and we'll get something more meaty soon. SK started off '05 with my most favorite DH book, evah, Seize the Night, but Sins sucked. Sorry. Totally devoid of the scorching tension and hot passion I look forward to from her. I just could have cared less about what's his and her name. Ah well, we shall wait and see what '06 brings. Just started Unleash the Night.

That's enought crabbing for now. Part 2 tomorrow.

The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale

So I finally read a book by Laura Kinsale. I'd read so much about her and how she pushes the boundaries, yada yada yada, so of course I needed to read one. I went on All about Romance and this got a fabulous review by none other than Lisa Kleypas, so I went out and bought it. Wow man, wow. She really does push the boundaries of the typical romance novel (this almost didn't have a romance novel feel to it), but what I liked and respected more than that was the fact that she respects the romance reader's intelligence. She didn't rely on shortcuts or stereotypes to spell things out or move the story along, instead allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions. One actually has to read carefully. But it's worth the work!

The hero of this book, Samuel, lived through horrific sexual abuse (don't worry, only hinted at)as a child before being rescued and going to live with a wealthy aristocratic English family in Hawaii. He is taken under the tutelage of their Japanese butler, and learns the ways of the Neen-jah. Sorry, Ninja. Samuel has a strong sense of guilt and shame regarding himself and his past. He is highly uncomfortable with his sexuality and wants nothing more than to provide a sheltering haven of chaste love for his foster sister, Kai. His world is rocked when his path crosses with Leda Etoile, an orphan raised by an aristocratic spinster now living in borderline destitution, during a London trip for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. I will now gloss over lots and lots of stuff and just say a forced marriage and a return to Hawaii results. Will Samuel get over Kai and his past and love and live HEA? Well, of course, it's a romance novel, but I was worried there for awhile.

It was just that rocky. I was initially very uncomfortable with the whole Kai subplot. I do not want a romance where the heroine is the hero's second choice. And I was going there for awhile--Leda believed Samuel was in love w/Kai, Samuel believed Samuel was in love with Kai. But without telling me straight out, Kinsale did make me understand that, while Samuel loved Kai, he didn't lurrrve her. Similarly, I was also concerned for awhile that what Samuel only lusted after Leda. But there are clues that he is in love with Leda, long before he realizes it himself. One has to read the dialogue and his actions very carefully. Kinsale lets the reader fill in what is unsaid. Neither of these characters are in touch with their emotions at all. They are products of their upbringing as well as Victorian repression, and were realistic and consistent within that setting. At times Leda seemed a cipher, but within the context of being a Victorian maiden raised by an older "lady" who clung to already faded notions of gentility and proper comportment, her insistence on propriety seems realistic. Actually, as a orphaned young lady without the protection of money or family, her reliance on and love for etiquette, even if tiresome, seems like a means of self-defense. She desperately wishes to remain respectable and safe, yet barely has the means to do so. Her self-image is all she has. She is a survivor, and she had quiet strength and sometimes, a spark of something more. They all don't have to be feisty misses, do they? And come on, I'm sorry, but hot blonde Ninjas rock.

In summation, this is an excellent read, and a definite change from the usual. It may be slow at first, but it definitely pulls you in. Good story, good characters, sexy sex. And great writing. I will now be reading Ms. Kinsale's entire back catalog. Next up, Flowers From the Storm. I also read Kiss Me,Annabel by Eloisa James, which was a pleasant read. If you like James, you'll like it. However, she's walking a very fine line with some of these characters, concerning likeability. The next title is to be called "Taming the Duke," but I highly hope Imogen gets a smackdown, hopefully by Rafe (fingers crossed). Will I ever get back to "Blow Me Down?" I just picked up 10 for $10 at the Used Bookstore, so either "Flowers from the Storm" or a double shot of pointy stakes by Rosemary Laurey is up next. Sorry, virtual pirates.