Random Romance Sunday: Mike, Robbie and Chip: Steve's Wingmen

The Book: Part-Time Wife by Susan Mallery

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Silhouette Special Edition #1027, Book 4 in Hometown Heartbreakers series, 1996, Out of Print

The Blurb:

MY THREE SONS

Rugged Craig Haynes came from a long line of lady-killers. Lately, though, the single dad was targeting only Jill Bradford, his sons' new nanny. Two parts sweetness, one part sin, the pint-size redhead proved a wizard with his three rambunctious boys. So what made this miracle-worker insist she was strictly hired help? Could a houseful of Haynes males ambush her wary heart...and maker her a mother and wife?

Is It In Wendy's TBR?:  Not this one, although I have a couple of other categories by Mallery floating around in the TBR.

Any Reviews?:  RT gave this 4.5 Stars:

As always, Ms. Mallery treats the reader to wonderful characters with a gift for snappy dialogue, splashes of humor and the ability to love and learn.

 There's also three customer reviews over at Amazon, ranging from 3 to 5 Stars.

Anything Else?:  Another RRS entry that I picked out because of the cover.  I'm a sucker for a pretty dress as much as the next girl, but this cover model looks particularly glass-eyed imagining her wedding day.  Like a grown-woman playing dress-up.  I wonder if she's thinking of riding to her nuptials on the back of a pink My Little Pony?

Then there's the back cover blurb.  I'm a little disconcerted that the hero, a father of three, is described as a "lady killer."  I get it, he's handsome.  But now I'm imagining that creepy old guy who hangs out in college bars trying to pick up nubile young coeds.

Ick.

Not that single guys (or gals) with kiddies running around the house aren't allowed to date and have a sex life....but lady killer implies bed-hopping lothario to me and....

Ick.

Ahem, anywho.  Mallery has a backlist that's about 10 miles long.  I know she has a slew of fans out there.  Hey, when you're an author with a backlist this size fans are a given.  Harlequin appears to have digitized some of her backlist, including a couple titles in this series, but alas, not this one yet.

(And since I know someone is going to ask: If you don't "get" the references I made in the title of this post, here you go.  What can I say?  I watched a lot of Nick At Night as a kid.  Oh, and if you don't know what a "wingman" is, here you go.)

Jolene, Is That You?

I finally did some long overdue housekeeping over at the Upcoming Historical Romances wiki this week, which is how I stumbled across this little upcoming gem due out May 24, 2011.

OK, I could be PMS-ing over here, but is anyone else slightly turned off by this title: A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man?

Not "Her" man.  Not "A" man.  But "Your" man.

Now my mama always said that any man who gets his head turned that easily by another woman ain't no man worth having.  So I say you're better off without him honey!  Of course this begs the question.....

Would you then want to turn around and read a romance novel about the asshole who dumped you and the stupid heifer he ran off with?

(And for the record, you know what I know about this book.  No whiff of a mention on either author's web sites.  Authors, while I have your attention: if your book is listed on Amazon?  Yeah, you might want to put a little something about said book on your web site.  Just sayin'.)

(Today's musical reference brought to you by Dolly Parton.  How I love me some Dolly....)

Book Hype, Baseball Chatter and Jack Reacher

I seem to be incapable of taking one topic and stringing it into one blog post these days.  I'm not sure what this means.  Maybe I'm getting too long in the tooth for this blogging thang?  Or maybe I'm just getting lazier in my old age?  You decide.  In the meantime, here's a bunch of stuff I think I think.

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I'm thinking of adding a new subtitle to this blog.  The Misadventures of Super Librarian: A Shadowfever Free Zone.  What do you think? I think it's catchy as hell.  The problem with this plan is that I'll have to change the subtitle for the next book that comes along that I get sick of hearing/reading about.  Everywhere.  All over of the damn place.

And anyone else notice how it always seems to be a paranormal and/or urban fantasy title?  What's up with that?  (OK, I'm probably not being fair here.  I can think of two category romance authors and one recent historical that have gotten mountains of attention as well.  I'm just picking on paranormal because I'm obviously PMS-ing....)

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I know you've probably all enjoyed the Detroit Tigers baseball reprieve around the Bat Cave these last several months, but with Spring Training right around the corner, that reprieve is just about over.  In news I'm not happy about mostly because I think he's a competent #5 starter and he looks damn good in a suit, Cutie Patootie Armando Galarraga (He Of The Almost Perfect Game fame) has been traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Sigh.  So long Armando.  I shall miss ye.

Another one of our former pitchers, Mike Maroth has announced his retirement.  Maroth's claim to infamy is that way back in 2003 (when my Tigers sucked more than an army of vacuum cleaners) he was thrown to the wolves and lost 21 games.  He stuck around in Detroit a couple more years, pitched half-way decent, and was eventually traded to St. Louis.  Injuries led to set-backs, a couple of stints in the minors, and now Maroth is bidding adieu to the game.  By all accounts a stand-up guy, a great person.  It's always sad when one of the "good guys" leaves the game behind.  However, I have no doubt Maroth will do just fine on "the outside."

In happier news, Tigers catcher Alex Avila got married during the office season.  Here's a blog post about it from Tommy Lasorda.  Yes, that Tommy Lasorda.  There's also a very lovely photo.  His new bride looks so happy....and skinny.  Wearing a dress I'd give up a kidney for if only I'd look half as good wearing it.

I think I might hate that bitch.

(Joking, I'm joking!  I'm sure she's a lovely girl).

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In reading news, I just started the audio book of Killing Floor by Lee Child.  This is the first Jack Reacher book.  So far?  It's OK.  I think I'm about 5 chapters in.  Jury is still out if I'll lurve it enough to keep going on the series, but it's been a pleasant commute listen thus far.

As for my actual reading-reading (you know, not listening) - I was going great guns earlier in the month, but have read a whopping 40 pages of my current read in 4 days.  Not the book's fault.  Chalk it up to Real Life.  Stupid Real Life.  Always getting in the way of my reading.....

The Book Pimp Strikes Back

A few years back a local book group invited me to be a guest speaker at one of their meetings.  They essentially wanted a book talk.  Think of it in terms of "hand selling."  The presenter (uh, me) rounds up some books, prepares a handout with the pertinent details, and then proceeds to pimp those books out to the audience.  These can be a lot of fun, the key ingredient being that the presenter should be "enthusiastic" about the books they are recommending.  I never book talk something that was a slog to read, or made me want to pull out my hair.  I figure "Happy, happy squee!" is way more infectious than "Meh, it was OK.  I guess."

Well it may have been a few years, but they invited me back.  Which means I must not have sucked too badly.  On today's menu, I grabbed five titles.  I had warned these ladies in the past that I read a lot of genre fiction, and they claimed, at the time, to be OK with that.  Personally, I think it's good to mix things up, break out of your reading shell, and try something new every now and then.  The first time I presented I tried to not overload them with too much romance, because honestly I had no clue on the group dynamic.  For this second visit?  I felt a bit better about mixing in some more Love Cooties.  I also tried to mix in books with a wide range of voices and tone.  Not all heavy, heavy angst and not all fluffy, brain candy.

(Title links will take you to full reviews - except Levine link goes to most recent book in the series)

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist, inspirational romance - Yes, I opened the talk up with an inspirational historical romance.  I chose this one for a variety of reasons.  First, the story is good.  Second, the history is just really fantastic.  You get a glimpse into the lives of American servants in the late 19th century, and the author does such a wonderful job with the setting of the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.  Lastly?  The religious elements add depth to the story, without being preachy and bashing the reader over the head.  Passage I Read Out Loud?:  When Mack and Tillie dance in the tapestry room.

As Darkness Falls by Bronwyn Parry, romantic suspense - I chose this one because the romance is good, the suspense is gripping, and the heroine has a ton of emotional baggage, which is ideal fodder for a book group.  The rub, of course, is that this wasn't published in the US (Australia and UK), but I did order editions for my library system, because that's how I roll (and dang, this book was awesome sauce!).  Passage I Read Out Loud?:  Alec comes callin' on Isabelle to ask her to help him on a new child abduction case in her tiny outback home town.

Holding Out for a Hero by HelenKay Dimon, romantic suspense - When I "promote" romance novels to groups like this one, I try to shoot for books that "challenge" the preconceived notions many have about the genre.  Yes, this book does have hot sex in it.  However it also has a great adversarial relationship, snappy dialogue, a yummy hero-worthy hero, and the whole thing sits on the foundation of a super dark suspense thread.  A teenage boy is tried and convicted, as an adult, of murdering his parents.  Passage I Read Out Loud?:  Deana is trying to convince Josh to take the private investigator job when he tells her he's "out of the hero business."

After by Amy Efaw, Young Adult - The ladies in this group are all of "a certain age" - so my guess is that Young Adult fiction is pretty much off their radar entirely unless their grandkids are in this demographic.  This story, about an overachieving teen girl who hides her pregnancy and abandons her newborn in a trash can, is a thought-provoking read about an incredibly tough subject matter.  I originally read this, curious to see if the author could "pull it off."  I think she did.  Also, I think this is the book that got the biggest reaction out of the room.  I think quite a few of them will read it!  Passage I Read Out Loud?: The police come knocking on Devon's door and discover her bleeding all over her mother's crappy sofa.

This Pen For Hire by Laura Levine, cozy mystery - My brain candy book.  Hey, these ladies had already sat through one book about kidnapped children (Parry), one book about a teenager sitting in prison (Dimon) and another book about a teenager who dumps her baby in a trash can (the baby survives, but still....).  So yeah, brain candy.  Plus, I'm a big believer that sometimes you just need fun and fluff.  Sometimes you just want to turn off your brain, open a book, and unwind.  This cozy mystery series does that for me, and they read like really fun sitcoms (you know, back when TV was worth watching).  Passage I Read Out Loud?:  The opening chapter when hapless Howard hires Jaine to write a letter to the object of his desire, Stacy the barracuda aerobics instructor.

At the time I was grabbing these books and prepping this presentation I was shooting for light and dark reads.  Of course it was only after the fact that I realized all three of my "darker" reads featured children-in-peril.  I didn't set out to go that route, mostly these were the books that came to mind, or jumped out at me while I was scanning my reading spreadsheet.  Plus?  I'll be honest, I was shooting for books that we had readily available at work.  Because, you know, I like to get people to come to the library.  Librarians are funny like that.

Random Romance Sunday: Taking Dictation With Mad Jack

The Book: Darling Jack by Mary McBride

The Particulars: Historical romance, Harlequin Historical #323, 1996, Out of Print

The Blurb:

Jack Hazard Needed A Wife

And Anna Matlin was the perfect woman for the job. Though she seemed like a timid mouse, Jack was convinced that the file clerk possessed a multitude of charms. Charms that he would soon expose as he drew her into his dangerous game of revenge.

Anna's colorless existence ended the day she became the 'wife' of her hero, Jack Hazzard. But though she was learning that beneath the legendary Pinkerton detective's dashing exterior was a haunted, lonely man, still she longed for the brief assignment to become the role of a lifetime!

Is It In Wendy's TBR?:  Nope.  I know, a Harlequin Historical set in the U.S of A and Wendy doesn't own it?  The shock!  The horrors!

Any Reviews?:  Library Journal gave this one a favorable review (which you can read in full over at Amazon):

Despite the dark Victorian overlay, there are moments of high hilarity in McBride's (Forever and a Day, Harequin, 1995) novel, an interesting blend of poignancy and humor.

RT Book Reviews gave it 4.5 Stars:

Mary McBride has a gift for distilling tragedy into triumph. If you haven't discovered this talented jewel, take a chance on Mad Jack Hazard. You can't lose.

Anything Else?:  As much as I love American settings in historical romances (this one takes place in Chicago and St. Louis) I tend to go a big rubbery one over Pinkerton heroes.  I'm well aware this makes absolutely no sense at all - what with my mystery/suspense reading background and my love for private detective characters in that particular genre.  I don't know why this is, it just is.  So that would be why I don't naturally gravitate towards these sorts of American historicals.

Now that all be said, oooooh this one tempts me so!  Turns out we have a self-loathing, wounded hero type, who has a tendency to fall into the nearest whiskey bottle.  The RT review implies that the hero is coming off a major screw up (caused by his drinking), but he's determined to close one last case - hence plucking the mousy heroine out of the secretarial pool to work with him undercover.

And to think I originally zeroed in on this book because the cover model looked like an extra who wandered off the set of Maverick. 

Ahem, anywho - Mary McBride has a decent-sized backlist and wrote several books in the Harlequin Historical line.  However her most recent title was a Silhouette Desire from 2008.  Nothing since then....

TBR Housekeeping, RWA, Cowboys, And Big Pimpin'

There's quite a bit of news around the Bat Cave at the moment, so that must mean it's time for another one of my hap-hazard catch-all posts.  Why blog on one topic when you can blog about five?

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I want to thank everyone for taking the TBR Challenge 2011 ball and running like hell with it.  Not only have you signed up for the challenge, you've done a ton of your own promotion.  I've had several new people sign-up in the last couple of days.  So thanks for all that excellent word-of-mouth!

In terms of general housekeeping, a couple of things.  1) You don't need to send me or post direct links to your commentary anywhere.  I have everyone listed on the information page, so people can find us there.  And 2) remember that the monthly themes are completely and totally voluntary.  If you don't want to follow them, you don't have to.  The only "goal" of this challenge is to help you get through some of those books you've got lying around.

If you're not "doing" the challenge but are interested in following it?  Check out all these happy people on the information page!  You just might discover a new-to-you resident of the online romance community (or two, or three....)

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I have some exciting RWA-related news to share.  One of the adult services librarians I work with told me many moons ago that she was submitting a grant proposal for RWA's Library Grant.  Well she got the call yesterday and she phoned to deliver the news.  They won the grant!  So this particular branch now has a chunk of change to spend on all sorts of romance goodies.  I don't know the exact perimeters of the grant proposal, but a decent chunk of those funds are going to go to new books in English and Spanish.  Woot!

I also registered for the annual conference in New York City this summer.  This is a two-fold vacation.  1) I get to hang out with all my romance novel homies yo and 2) my former college roomie lives in the city and I haven't seen her in over 10 years.  Woot!  Here I come Patty!

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AAR is talking cowboys today, complete with a shout-out to the Great Western Drive!  Thanks ladies!

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Longtime Bat Cave readers might remember a few years back when I did a book talk for a local book group.  Well, they've invited me back.  And since I warned them back then that I read "a lot of genre fiction," they must be OK with that, because here we are again.  I'm meeting with them on Monday and I'm prepped with books, passages marked to read out loud and plenty of handouts.  I'll be blogging about the whole experience next week, but in the meantime?  On the agenda we have 2 romantic suspense novels, 1 inspirational historical romance, 1 cozy mystery and 1 young adult novel.  Because that's how I roll.

TBR Read: Papa Can You Hear Me?

The Book: Revelations by Janice Kay Johnson

The Particulars:  Contemporary romantic suspense, sequel to Mommy Said Goodbye, Harlequin SuperRomance #1228, 2004, Out of Print, but available in digital format(s)!


Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  Came across it in a used bookstore and the back cover blurb tickled my fancy.  It was sheer dumb luck that the previous book in this "series" was also in my TBR.  This is what can happen when your TBR pile can be seen from space.

The Review: Ann Caldwell became a cop to please a father who was impossible to please.  She was only 9 when her mother died, and desperate for some kind of normalcy, she looked to her detective father for reassurance.  She did this by becoming a tomboy, only to have the old man neglect her with emotional abuse.  Being a tomboy didn't please him, her inability to be "girlie" frustrated him, and her being a damn good cop wasn't enough.  So when her father dies in a car accident, she's left with a lack of closure.  A lifetime spent trying to please him has left her ill-equipped.  She has no friends, no man, and quite frankly, she's not really sure who she is.  Complicating all these issues is her attraction to her partner, Juan Diaz.

Juan is divorced with a couple of kids.  When he first was partnered with Ann, it was a bit rocky.  However, over time, he's developing more than "work partner"-type feelings for her.  Something about Ann's tough exterior, and achingly vulnerable interior just knocks the wind right out of him.  But his life is also complicated, with two kids, the demands of the job, and an ex-wife who puts the capital B in Bitter First Wife.

Along with the developing romance is Ann's gut feeling that someone is killing cops.  Since her father's car accident, some of his cronies in the department have also died in "accidents."  Ann grew up idolizing these men, and investigating into their potential murders turns up all sorts of baggage.  Hence the title of the book.

I am a complete and total sucker for heroines like Ann.  The ones with mountains of emotional baggage.  The ones who act all tough on the outside, but inside they are desperately lonely and vulnerable.  Ann is a smart, capable woman but is totally unsure of herself.  All she ever wanted was for her father to be proud of her, and the asshole was completely incapable, or unwilling, to give her that.  With him as a father, and a mother who "abandoned" her - it's easy to understand how and why she is so insecure.  She's muddling through, coping the way she knows how - by being "a cop."  And for her being a cop means trying to make everyone forget that she's a woman.  Except, of course, that Juan cannot forget.  And he's torn between putting on the full court press because he's desperately attracted to her, and taking it slow so she doesn't get spooked.  There is also the small matter that, oh yeah, they have to work together.

As enjoyable as this story is, it wasn't perfect.  When I read about heroines like Ann, I want everything to be perfect for them.  I understand this is not realistic.  Nobody's life is "perfect."  But after all the shit Ann's had to put up with, I want her to have "perfect," and there was just too much left twisting in the breeze.  For one thing, Juan comes from a large family, and while Ann has an obligatory meet-and-greet with his two kids, she doesn't meet any of the rest of them.  Also, Ann never runs up against Juan's Bitter First Wife.  I have complete faith that Ann will be able to handle that "relationship" - but it's a mighty big other shoe that never drops.

There's also no love scene.  Now, here's the thing - I don't need sex in my romance novels.  I don't.  But here?  With all of Ann's personal baggage?  I think I need one.  She's not very experienced in this area (she's not a virgin, but dang - pretty darn close) - and while I think Juan is a good guy - I wanted the reassurance of a love scene.  I wanted to read about Ann having a great orgasm because honestly?  If a woman ever needed and deserved one - it's Ann.

Still, this is a very good book.  Solid, emotional, a real heart-tugger with a interesting and competent suspense thread attached.  Revelations didn't hit my "must reread it one of these days" plateau, but it was still pretty dang awesome.

Final Grade = B+

TBR Challenge 2011: Mommy Said Goodbye

The Book: Mommy Said Goodbye by Janice Kay Johnson

The Particulars: Contemporary romantic suspense, Harlequin SuperRomance #1197, 2004, Out of Print...but available in digital!

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  One of the ladies on my "coffee klatch" e-mail loop read this and loved it.  I'm a HSR ho, so that was enough for me to run out and buy it....only it's been sitting in my TBR all this time. Seriously, I suck.

The Review:  A year and a half ago, Craig Lofgren's wife disappeared.  Ever since, he and his two children have been stuck in a living purgatory.  Their marriage was hitting the skids, and they had argued loud enough the night before that the neighbors heard.  Julie had a reputation around town for being Mother Of The Year.  It's inconceivable to everyone, including the investigating police officer, that she would leave behind the kids, not to mention her purse sitting on the kitchen counter (hello, what woman does that?!).  Naturally, suspicion lands on Craig, even though there were zero signs of a struggle, no evidence, no body, and the fact that their son, Brett, is vehement that "Mommy said goodbye" to him.  It's been a living hell, and now his son is getting ready to start a new school year with Robin McKinnon as his teacher.

Robin and Julie were casual friends, chatting at soccer games since their sons played on the same team.  She feels guilty for letting young Brett drop off her radar since his mother's disappearance, something that happened because she was going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.  Now Brett is in her class, and he's very troubled.  She's worried about him, and so goes to talk with his father.

We need to get this out of the way up-front: this book does not work as a romance.  Chalk it up to a case of the conflict overshadowing the love story.  Craig is presumed guilty in the eyes of everybody that he killed his pretty, young wife.  Everybody thinks this - with the exception of Craig's own father.  In order for me to buy into the romance, I need to see the characters "building a foundation" over the course of the story.  For the first 2/3 of this book, that isn't happening.  The shadow of What Happened To Julie? is looming large.  Certainly, as the reader, we know Craig couldn't possibly have killed her, but Robin doesn't know that - and continues to wrestle with doubts very late in the story.  How is the reader supposed to buy the romance when the heroine has these thoughts on page 172 of a 296 HSR:

Oh God, oh God, she thought.  What if he killed Julie?  If they didn't find her or her body, Robin would never know for sure.  Given the creep her ex-husband had turned out to be, she sure couldn't trust her judgment.

Now that being said, you fair blog reader are reading my blog.  The girl who also loves mystery/suspense novels.  And as a mystery?  This one is a humdinger.  I was glued to this book and did not want to put it down.  Who was Julie Lofgren, and why would she just vanish?  Did she meet with foul play?  What the heck happened to her?  Plus seeing how the people she left behind (her husband, her children, the entire town) deal with her disappearance is equally as riveting.

During the last 1/3 of the book the author must have realized she needed the hero and heroine to spend more time together in order to make the happy ending work - but by that point I was so captivated with the mystery that I sort of resented the time away from it for the Love Cooties "stuff."  The author makes this story extremely light on the sensuality though (I'm talking G-rated), which does make this romance a bit more believable, but I still couldn't help but feel that the final chapter was really rushed.

I'm so tempted to slap this one with an A just because I thought the mystery was that good.  However, I tend to reserve A grades for books that I know I'll reread one of these days, and this one?  Yeah, now that I know what happened to Julie Lofgren, I probably won't do a reread.  The romance just wasn't strong enough to carry this book to reread status to compensate for me knowing how the mystery turns out.  Still, it was a damn awesome read while I was devouring it with fresh eyes.  So that means....

Final Grade = B+

PS:  The investigation for Julie is led by newly-minted police detective, Ann Caldwell - whose father originally was in charge of it before he died in a car accident.  She's convinced, just like her Daddy was, that Craig is guilty as sin and she wants to nail the guy to the wall (and not in a good way) to make her Daddy proud of her from beyond the grave.  She is a fantastic character, with lots of hard edges and brains to boot.  Imagine my absolute delight when I learned that the author gave her her own romance in another HSR title, Revelations, and that I had it in my TBR!  I immediately pulled it out to read, and a review for that one is launching tomorrow.

Random Romance Sunday: And My Cat's Name Is Satan

The Book: You Again by Peggy Nicholson

The Particulars: Contemporary paranormal romance, Harlequin SuperRomance #698, 1996, Out of Print

The Blurb:

A handsome, sexy hero, his beautiful ex-wife, an attempted murder, a thoroughly hissable villainess and a. . . cat.

Jessica always thought that her brilliant charmer of an ex-husband married her on one of his impulses--an it-seemed-like-such-a-great-idea-at-the-time finale to a champagne picnic.

And Sam? Well, he figured Jessica never really loved him. He was her first man, and as sex itself is such a snazzy little concept... In other words, had Jessica confused all that lovely feeling with love?

Seven years ago Jessica and Sam divorced. Now they're together again, and fighting for their lives. But it'll take faith and love to win this particular battle--and one very special cat!

 Is It In Wendy's TBR?:  I love the HSR line, but no.  Just, no.

Any Reviews?:  A treasure trove actually.  All About Romance gave this one an A-.

Despite these small flaws, You Again is probably the most unusual and one of the most well-written mainstream series romances I've read. If you're not afraid of stories that are a bit off the beaten track, you should grab this at your friendly local used book store and treat yourself to a few hours of fun, intelligent entertainment.

 The blog, Harley Hell, gave this one 2.5 Stars:

Even though the cat on the cover plainly seems horrified at what's going on behind her, and the expression clearly didn't bode well for what was contained inside, it wasn't a horrible book. The protagonists were very likable, even if Sam was as dumb as a bag of hammers.

And in an added bit of fun - that AAR review?  Yeah, written by none other than Candy Tan.  Yes, that Candy Tan.  Full of awesomeness that gal is.

Anything Else?:  This week's edition of RRS is brought to gentle Bat Cave readers by none other than author Victoria Janssen, who turned me on (heh, no pun intended - she writes erotic stories) to the Harley Hell blog.  A blog by two readers who used to mock Harlequins and are now...well...addicted to them.  Don't worry ladies, it happens to a lot of us (::raises hand::).  Anywho, I was trolling through their archives when I came across this gem with the most horrified looking cat on the cover.  I can't decide if Ms. Kitty is horrified by the naughty clinch going on behind her back, or possessed by a demon.  Maybe a little of both - since from reading the reviews I learned that the heroine's soul ends up taking up residence in said kitty's body.

Seriously, I'm not making this up.

Because of that, I'd rather be boiled in oil than read this story - although I must admit that the "he was her first man" line from the back cover copy intrigues me no end.  That sort of implies she was "doing" something or someone else before she had her "first man."  So what and/or who was our heroine "doing?"  Women?  Circus clowns?  Sea turtles?  House plants?  What?!  Damn you Harlequin, how you mock me so!  ::shakes fist in air::

In Peggy Nicholson news, she has a decent-sized category backlist and wrote a couple of books for the now defunct Silhouette Bombshell line in the mid-aughts.  Since then?  Nada.

Reminder: TBR Challenge For January

For those of you participating in the 2011 TBR Challenge, a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, January 19. 

This month's theme is category romance.  Any category romance from either the Harlequin family, or the plethora of now defunct lines (ex. Bantam Loveswept).  Remember, the themes are completely and totally optional.  If you don't wanna read a category romance, you don't have to.  Read something else you've unearthed from the depths of the TBR pile!

It's also not too late to sign-up.  If you are interested in doing so, or just want to learn more about the challenge, please see the information page.

The Month That Was December 2010

Lemon Drop: You are late Auntie Wendy.

Me: I know cupcake.  I got sidetracked with "year end" posts, so my regular monthly recap is later than usual.

Lemon Drop: Here I've been waiting for updates on all the naughtiness you read last month!  Sigh.  And I have my very own book review to give! 

Me: Awww, a chip off the ol' block you are.  OK, let's get started and then you can give me your reading recap, OK?

Lemon Drop: Sweet!

Me: Well, I read 8 books in December, which is pretty good for me since December historically tends to be a Reading Dead Zone for me.  Of course three of these were short stories, and there was an anthology in here - but yippee!  Eight!

Title links will take you to full reviews

Silent Night Stakeout by Kerry Connor, Harlequin Intrigue #1236, 2010, Grade = B

• Simply put, a good solid romantic suspense tale.  Criminal defense lawyer heroine finds herself working with homicide cop hero after a client she just got off a burglary rap is murdered outside her office.  Liked that the adversarial relationship didn't equate civility and common sense getting tossed out the window.  Compelling mystery that definitely runs on the dark side.  Nice resolution to crime and the romance elements.  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Lawyer Heroine, Cop Hero, Adversaries!, One Dead Client, Christmas Ahoy!

Western Winter Wedding Bells by Cheryl St. John, Jenna Kernan, Charlene Sands, Harlequin Historical #1011, 2010, Grade = B-

• Historical western anthology that didn't have a lot of staying power for me, but fit the bill in terms of pleasant holiday reading.  Nice inspirational feel to St. John story without being preachy, although I wanted more back story.  The Kernan would have annoyed as a full-length novel, but as a short story it works thanks to heroine's back story and the hero's young daughter.  The Sands entry featured one of my favorite themes in westerns - the hero bent on vengeance for the death of a loved one. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Small Town = Goody Goodness, Beta Hero (St. John), Heroine Determined To Salvage Daddy's Legacy (St. John), Heroine With A Past (Kernan), Lawman Hero (Kernan),  Big Misunderstanding (Kernan), Widowed Heroine (Sands), Hero Bent On Revenge (Sands), Two Kids (Kernan & Sands), Christmas Ahoy!

A Town Called Christmas by Carrie Alexander, Harlequin SuperRomance #1455, 2007, Grade = C

• My last read for the 2010 TBR Challenge.  A pleasant holiday story that didn't register a strong reaction (either way) in me.  Liked all the players, but did feel the main couple got a bit lost amongst all the secondary characters and holiday goo-ga. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Small Town = Goody Goodness, Preggers By Another Man Heroine, Jilted Military Hero, Family, Christmas Ahoy!

Hot to Touch by Kimberly Kaye Terry, Kimani Romance #214, 2010, Grade = C-

• Photojournalist heroine doing a story on smoke-jumpers (firefighters) runs afoul of the hero, the second in command at the station, who thinks womenz gotz no place around his line of work.  Good story, and a nice amount of research that kept me engaged.  However there were some awful romance novel writing cliches here that succeeded in really annoying me.  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Journalist Heroine Determined To Prove Herself, Firefighter Jackass Alpha Hero With Woman Issues, Grovel Ahoy!

What She Needs by Anne Calhoun, Spice Briefs, digital erotic romance short story, 2010, Grade = B

• Heroine has semi-regular hook-up arrangement with hero at local hotel.  The catch?  He calls the shots and she does exactly what he wants, how he wants it.  The joy in this story is the pay-off.  I knew immediately where this whole thing was going, but there's a moment at the end where we get inside the heroine's mind and...just wow.  I see a lot of female readers really relating. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Dominant Hero, Clandestine Hook-Up, Back Door Action Ahoy!

For Your Pleasure by Elisa Adams, Spice Briefs, digital erotica short story, 2010, Grade = B

• Heroine takes to spying on hunky new neighborhood who hasn't gotten around to putting up curtains in his bedroom yet.  She wants him to look her way, and when he finally does...well, you know.  This is pretty standard erotic fare with a well-done voyeuristic angle.  Another dominant hero and a positive ending that has this one pretty close to erotic romance territory.  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Fun With Voyeurism, Dominant Hero, Spank Ahoy!

Knightley's Pleasure by Destiny D'Otare, Spice Briefs, digital erotic romance historical short story, 2010, Grade = D-  

• Subtitle: When Impulse Buys Go Horribly Wrong.  Basically erotic fan fiction that sluts up Jane Austen's Emma.  I'm not an Austenphile, but this still felt epically wrong to me.  Silly virgin heroine, a hero who picks a laughable spot to deflower an Austen heroine, and just....well, wrong.  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Virginal Heroine With Seduction On Her Mind, Noble Hero With Rescue Complex, One Debauched Costume Party (Is There Any Other Kind?)

Stranger by Zoe Archer, Kensington Zebra, Victorian historical paranormal romance, Part of series, 2010, Grade = B-

• The conclusion to the author's Blades Of The Rose series.  Nice, intellectual hero who meets his match in inquisitive, determined American reporter heroine.  Felt the romance took a bit of a back seat to the wrapping up of all the "series stuff" - but still an entertaining read with some nice world-building and I liked the way Archer tied-up the series.

Lemon Drop: Auntie Wendy, what's Back Door Action Ahoy! mean?

Me: Uhhh, didn't you mention that you have a book review?

Lemon Drop: Oh, yeah I do.  Who's Hiding In The House is a very good book.  I enjoyed it very much.  It tastes like chicken.

Me: Wow.  That sounds....delicious.

Lemon Drop: Oh it is Auntie Wendy, it is.  Lots of fiber too.  Yum!

Guns And The Girl Next Door

I read a grand total of five books by HelenKay Dimon in 2010, so it seems fitting that the first Bat Cave review of the new year is for her latest Harlequin Intrigue, Guns And The Girl Next Door.  Newly minted with a miniseries title (the rather generic "Mystery Men" - c'mon Harlequin you can do better than that!), this is the second book in a series that started with last year's Under The Gun.

Holden Price is former military and was working as an agent for the supah-secret Recovery Project.  However, because of events that transpired in Under The Gun, there's been major fallout.  The Recovery Project has been shut down and a congressional hearing/investigation is looming.  This all translates to Holden being unemployed, sitting on his couch, in his cabin, in the middle of the woods.  However his solitude is short-lived when Mia Landers comes crashing through his front door.  Literally.  She drives her car through his front door!

Mia is completely disoriented, scared, and running on enough adrenline to fuel a grizzly bear.  A congressional aide, her boss has driven her out to the middle of nowhere, made wild accusations, and physically threatened her.  She manages to escape, only to crash into Holden's house.  Nothing is making any sense - and now she has hired goons chasing after her.  Her options are limited but one thing she knows for sure?  Holden isn't a bad guy to have around.  And it turns out they both have a common enemy.

The Intrigue line can be tricky business for authors to pull off, and Dimon has made her stories work by writing them a bit like they were action movies.  I'd classify this series (so far) as more thriller-oriented than traditional romantic suspense.  You have lots of fighting, lots of gun play, and lots of bad guys chasing after our couple.  Even factoring in The Love Cooties, if this story were to be made into a movie, I could so see my Dad (the aficionado of action films) eating this up.

With all this danger and intrigue flying around, the concern on the part of the romance reader is always "what about the romance?"  Well, readers who want their romance first and their suspense second are probably not going to be wildly enthralled here.  The romance does take a little of a backseat to the Bad Men With Guns chasing after our couple.  However, that's as it should be in a story of this ilk.  Frankly it would have been wildly unbelievable and improbable to have the Mia and Holden hash out their feelings and engage in heavy petting while dodging bullets and knocking out bad guys.  The romantic elements in this story fit, the author includes them in all the right places, and it instills some hope in the happy-ever-after even considering the short time frame.

Now that this has morphed into a mini-series, readers should expect some series baggage.  The author does a lovely job of bringing the reader up to speed (I read the first book all the way back in April, so I appreciated this!), but there's no denying this is a series.  All the pertinent questions swirling around Mia and Holden are dealt with, but there are some dangling threads left loose presumably for future installments.

I've always considered myself, in my heart, a mystery/suspense girl.  I discovered the romance genre later in life, and while I love it with all my heart, sometimes I just want the thrill read.  I want villains, hand-to-hand combat, and fast-paced action.  This series has been giving me that.  They're fun.  They're exciting.  They're what I consider perfect vacation reads.  And oh happy day, the next three installments are all due out in 2011.

Final Grade = B

Random Romance Sunday: Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

The Book: Shameless by Sandy Steen

The Particulars: Harlequin, Crystal Creek #17, 1994, Out of Print

The Blurb:

It had been many years since Rio Langley had called Crystal Creek home. He'd always felt like an outsider there, anyway. And the flooding reflections of what he'd had and what he'd missed would always haunt him. But he wouldn't be around long. He'd come back simply to fix up his mama's old place, sell it and head back up to Wyoming. Then a baby landed on his doorstep and turned his head. And he was a goner...

...  moreIs It In Wendy's TBR?: Nope.

Any Reviews?:  1994, so not really.  Although there is one lonely customer review over at Amazon.

Anything Else?:  What we have here ladies and gents is a title in a Harlequin continuity series.  These used to be fairly common, and were break-away series that were separate from the actual existing lines.  Which meant their own banner, branding and distinctive cover art.  Uh, and it's the cover art that made me highlight this book.  First, I'm not sure what the art department was thinking, but all the covers are like this.  A separate picture superimposed over a crotch.  Which is bad enough - but for the love of all that is holy, won't someone think of the poor baby?  And then you have to wonder about the owner of the crotch.  I mean, it can't be normal to have a baby exiting through your zipper.  Just sayin'.

I will say this back cover blurb intrigues me on the Outsider Back In Town Long Enough To Sell Mama's House And Then He's Outta There level.  But I'm unlikely to take the plunge because 1) I need another series in my life like I need a hole in the head and 2) Gah, do you know how many Harlequins I have in my TBR already?  But for those of you who are interested, RomanceWiki has a complete list of the series, along with the spin-off books that later appeared in the SuperRomance line.  As for Ms. Steen, her last book was one of those HSR spin-off titles, in 2005. 

2010 Year In Review: Summary And Final Thoughts

I warned you I like to drag these year-end reading summaries out.  Well, this is the last post on the subject.  Some years I don't have a lot of observations or final thoughts about what I read during the past 12 months.  Like last year, when I couldn't manage to cough up a final summary post.  But this year?  Looking over my spreadsheet I noticed a few things:

• I read four medievals this year.  That's actually a lot of me, since the time period has never been a huge draw for me.  But the fact that three of the four ended up making my Best Of list?  Yeah, that's huge.

• I really like reading short stories.  I read two print anthologies this year, 7 digital Harlequin Historical Undones and 12 digital Spice Briefs.

• I fell head over heels for the Harlequin Romance line this year.  And while I only read 8 of them, the lowest grade was a C+.  That's some dang good reading!

• I only read 6 Harlequin Historicals this year, and one of them was a DNF.  This gives me a sad people.  I need to stop getting distracted by other Harlequin lines on my Sony Reader.

• I read authors in batches this year.  I read three stories by Vicki Lewis Thompson and Portia Da Costa, four by Zoe Archer and holy cow!  Five stories by HelenKay Dimon and Michelle Willingham!

It was an interesting reading year.  Once again I struggled with my mojo at times and threw wishes up to the heavens that I could read faster.  But all in all, I felt like it was a productive year.  Here's to bigger and even better for 2011!

2010 Year In Review: The Best Reads

Pouring over my spreadsheet to glean titles for my Best Reads of 2010 list, I concentrated on those titles I graded a B+ or higher.  Even then though, I haven't included all my B+ reads.  I've relegated this list to those titles that jumped out at me when preparing for this blog post.  The books that had a "lasting effect" as it were.  Hey, I read a lot of really good books this year, but staying power is the X factor.  The wild card, if you will.  So here, without further ado, are the books that stuck to me like glue in 2010.....

(Title links will take you to full-length reviews)

• Oh-So-Sensible Secretary and Juggling Briefcase & Baby by Jessica Hart - contemporary series romance, Harlequin Romance line.  These books are connected by heroes that are brothers, but they couldn't be more different as characters.  OsSS's hero is laid-back while JB&B's is a driven workaholic.  Hart has a writing style and voice that just seems to click with me.  I also think she's quite skilled at what I call "gut-punch" moments.  Both of these knocked the wind right out of me, and in the case of JB&B it elevated the book for me. 

• Surrender to a Irish Warrior by Michelle Willingham - historical medieval romance, Harlequin Historical line.  I've read several books by Willingham and have enjoyed them to varying degrees.  This last book in her MacEgan brothers series (yes, it does stand alone - says me) is a departure for her thanks to the Holy Angst Ahoy Batman! storyline.  It's the kind of book that sucks the light right out of the room as you're reading.  It's dark, it's heavy, and in the end it makes the happy ending that much more uplifting.  If you're an angst junkie, dig this one up pronto.  Says me.

• Scoundrel's Kiss and Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty - historical medieval romance, Kensington Zebra and historical Regency era Austria romance, Carina Press (Harlequin).  Lofty hit two homeruns in one year.  SK featured a deeply wounded hero, so determined to repent for his past that he wants to become a monk.  Her heroine is a opium-addicted not-so-nice girl who played a slightly villainous roll in a previous story.  SoS was a bit of a slow starter for me, but oh how I loved the passion in this book!  You'd think passion would abound in the romance genre, but it doesn't always, and Lofty writes this romance in a such a way that your heart aches.  I also really appreciated the historical feel of this story - having her widowed heroine behave and worry about things that one could imagine 19th century proper ladies worried about.

• Irish Warrior by Kris Kennedy - historical medieval romance, Kensington Zebra.  I originally graded this one a B, but looking back, it so should have been a B+.  A great road romance with a sweeping saga feel.  An Alpha warrior hero who falls hard for the heroine and will do anything to protect her.  A heroine with gumption and brains who finds her family's past coming back to haunt her.  If you like medievals, read this now.  And even if you don't normally gravitate towards the time period but are desperate for a good, meaty historical?  Yeah, look this one up.

• Wild Oats by Pamela Morsi - historical Americana romance, Berkley Jove.  I love historical romances that feature "regular folks," so it's no surprise that this is now the third Morsi historical to land in my keeper stash.  A dreamy beta virgin hero, a heroine with a "bad" reputation, and a "scandalous" romance that defies a town full of disapproving fools.

• "The Reluctant Hero" by Lorraine Heath (My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys anthology) - historical western romance short story, Kensington.  I'll admit that I may have graded this one higher partly on the nostalgia of Heath writing a western again (I really think she "belongs" here - don't try to convince me otherwise), but it really is a very good story.  Yes, it's a short story.  And yes, it's not going to have the same heft to it as a full-length novel.  But Heath uses this story about a dime novel writing heroine and a town sheriff to tackle the idea of "hero worship."  And in a romance novel?  I find that a very interesting theme to tackle.  Hell, as romance readers don't we all "suffer" from hero worship in one form or another?  

• Holding Out for a Hero by HelenKay Dimon - contemporary romantic suspense, Kensington Brava.  I read a mess of books by Dimon this year, but this was the first one and dang, it knocked my socks off.  I loved the adversarial relationship between the hero and heroine.  I loved the dark (holy cow, dark!) romantic suspense platform.  I loved the sexy, sizzling banter.  This book reminded me of how great the Brava line can be when there's a good writer delivering the story.

• Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen and The Night Season by Chelsea Cain - contemporary mystery/suspense, Ballantine and St. Martin's Minotaur.  I didn't read a lot of mystery/suspense this year (::sob::), but what I did read was really quite good.  The Gerritsen and Cain novels were the clear standouts.  Gerritsen delivers a wonderful entry to her long-running series, includes a creepy plot thread that could be straight out of a horror movie, and even wraps up some personal baggage for one of her characters.  The Cain book doesn't release until March (so yeah, review won't happen until then!), but this entry proves that the author doesn't need her female serial killer character, Gretchen Lowell, to write a compelling creepy read.

And that, as they say, is that.  If you have an exorbitant amount of time to kill, and you want to see everything (the good, the bad, the ugly), the easiest jumping off point for both Bat Cave and TGTBTU reviews would be to look back at my Month in Review posts.  Which you can do by following the tag.

Next up?  My final post on my reading year that was 2010.  A general summary, observations and final thoughts.

2010 Year In Review: The Numbers

When I take the time to look back at the previous year's reading, I always like to take a look at the numbers.  This will likely bore most some of you, but I always find it a little fascinating to dissect my reading in this fashion.  I use Google Docs (the spreadsheet, naturally) to keep track of my reading.  I need another form of social media in my life (yes, I'm looking at you GoodReads) like I need a hole in the head - and Google Docs allows me to access my stats wherever I can scare up an Internet connection.

I read 94 books/titles in 2010.  My total for 2009 was 95.  Hey, I'm nothing if not consistent.  For 2011 I'd love to get over the 100+ hump, but we shall see.  Baby steps Wendy, baby steps.


The publication dates broke down like this:

1993 = 1
2000 = 1
2004 = 2
2005 = 3
2006 = 4
2007 = 1
2008 = 1
2009 = 15
2010 = 65
2011 = 1

Given my reviewing obligations, it's not surprising that 2009 and 2010 are so lopsided.  But this year I think I did a better job with older publication dates in large part due to the TBR Challenge.  Go me!

Looking at the genres I read is a bit more, well, intense.  I tend to slap multiple "tags" on the books I read.  For example, Zoe Archer's Blades of the Rose series were all labeled VIC, HIS, P (Victorian, historical, paranormal).  I was going to break down all these tags, but then my eyes started to cross.  So instead, y'all are getting the sweeping overview.  Remember, I use multiple tags, and I wasn't always consistent in applying them - so these numbers are probably more in the ball park than etched in concrete.

Contemporary = 34
Series/Category = 33
Erotic Romance = 12
Erotica = 3
Romantic Suspense = 7
Short Stories = 19
Historicals = 39
Paranormal = 6
Inspirational = 3
Mystery/Suspense = 4
Anthologies = 2

My grades this year weren't too much of a surprise.  I definitely subscribe to the school of thought that most books are around Bs and Cs - with A being reserved for "truly awesome" and D or below for "OMG - just shoot me already!"  Also, this was the first year I kept track of my DNFs.  And yes, I counted the DNFs in my final reading total.  That's probably (OK, it is) cheating, but I figured if I wasted time on it only to give up, I should be able to count it.  Especially if said book was getting chucked out of the TBR pile.

A = 4
B = 59
C = 24
D = 4
DNF = 5

There are more than 94 grades here because there was one anthology where I just had to grade the stories individually, as opposed to assigning an overall grade (when one story is an A and another is a DNF - how do you assign an overall grade?!).  One thing of note?  My C grades were down a tiny bit this year and the difference was reflected in a higher total for B grades.  So yippee for quality reading!

This year I also decided to keep track of publishers for the first time.  Given that I review category romances for The Good, The Bad, The Unread, it's not surprising that these numbers are majorly skewed.

Avon = 1
Ballantine = 4
Berkley = 4
Bethany House = 1
Black Lace = 1
Harlequin = 61
Ellora's Cave = 1
Kensington = 13
St. Martin's = 2
Samhain = 3
Pearlsong = 1
Sourcebooks = 1
Zondervan = 1

In the Harlequin universe I read books from the following lines: American, Blaze, Historical, Historical Undone, Intrigue, Romance, SuperRomance, Temptation, Love Inspired Historical, Kimani Romance, Desire, Spice Briefs, Romantic Suspense, Special Edition and Carina.

Holy frackin' cow!  One thing reviewing for TGTBTU has definitely done is expand my category romance reading horizons.  There was a time when I mostly just stuck with Historical, SuperRomance, and Special Edition!

Speaking of reviews - this year I reviewed 42 titles here at the Bat Cave and 43 over at TGTBTU.  The missing titles only got brief mentions in my monthly recap posts because they were either DNFs that I couldn't be bothered with or contest reads for RWA chapters that I purposely wanted to be a bit more vague about.

And that's a look at the numbers.  If you've stuck around to the end of this post, I commend your fortitude.  Again, I'm not sure how interesting all this is to anybody other than me - but hey, I like looking at these stats, and this blog is nothing if it's not All About Wendy.

2010 Year In Review: The TBR Challenge

Gird your loins fair blog readers, it's time for me to discuss my reading year that was 2010.  I like to devote several posts to this topic, and I hope to get them all crammed in to this week.  I figured the best way to start was to go over the one challenge I participated in, Keishon's TBR Challenge.  In the past, reviewing obligations have kept me from signing on, and 2010 marked the first year that I fully participated.  I took this responsibility so seriously, that I completed the entire challenge.  12 books, 12 reviews, in 12 months.  Go Team Wendy!  Here's how it breaks down:

What I Read:
6 contemporary series/category romances
1 American historical romance
1 contemporary erotica
4 western historical romances (1 anthology)

Publication dates were as follows:
1 from 1993
2 from 2004
2 from 2005
4 from 2006
1 from 2007
2 from 2009

The final grades were all over the place (more than 12 because of anthology):
A = 2
B = 5
C= 4
D= 2
DNF = 1

And here were the books:  (Title links will take you to full reviews)

House Calls by Michelle Celmer -Physical therapist heroine finds herself working with an ornery doctor recovering from a gun shot wound.  A doctor she's had a crush on for ages.

Wild Oats by Pamela Morsi - A hero not ready for marriage propositions the most notorious woman in town (she's ::gasp:: divorced!) looking for an affair.  Naturally, they fall in love.

Entertaining Mr. Stone by Portia Da Costa - Reformed party girl takes office drone job only to fall under the spell of her mysterious boss.

John Riley's Girl by Inglath Cooper - Heroine comes home for high school reunion and reunites with the man she left behind.

A Convenient Proposition by Cindy Gerard - Reunion between a brain-dead ninny knocked-up heroine and a too-good-to-be true saccharine beta hero.  Blergh.

One Night In Texas by Jane Sullivan - Secret agent hero comes storming back into heroine's life after she discovers everything he claimed to be was a lie.

Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman - A door-stopper of a western romance featuring a new-to-town heroine with a mysterious past, and the hunky town sheriff.

Hell for Leather by Beth Williamson - Sizzling sexytimes between straight-shooting heroine and a hero running from his past.

In the Shelter of His Arms by Jackie Braun - Down-on-her-luck, never had much of anything heroine falls for dreamy beta hero. 

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys by Lorraine Heath, Georgina Gentry & Teresa Bodwell - Lorraine Heath returns to the western sub genre with a great short story.  Collection is rounded out by an "OK" Bodwell entry and an unreadable one by Gentry.

To Find You Again by Maureen McKade - A solid and emotional western from McKade featuring a romance between two outsiders.

A Town Called Christmas by Carrie Alexander - Single and pregnant heroine finds herself spending her family Christmas with her brother's Navy pilot buddy - a guy who just got a Dear John letter.

And remember, it's not too late to sign-up for the 2011 TBR Challenge (I'm taking over hosting duties from Keishon this year).  Check out the information page for all the details, and how to sign-up.

Random Romance Sunday: Aces And Eights

The Book: Straight For The Heart by Marsha Canham

The Particulars:  Historical romance, Bantam Dell, 1995, Out of Print

The Blurb:

"The Game Is Called Cutthroat Gentlemen. Quick and Vicious ... Just The Way I Like It Sometimes."

She risked everything to play a man's game in a man's world. As the elusive, mysterious Montana Rose, she was known as the queen of the Mississippi riverboats, a sensual and dangerous Southern beauty who was willing to gamble everything, even her life, on each cut of the cards.

Intent on calling her bluff, the equally devious and dangerous Michael Tarrington is determined to teach the fiery lady gambler a lesson in seduction. But instead, the rakishly handsome Yankee finds himself swept into her world of illusions, treachery, and smoldering passions that threaten to cut ... straight for the heart.

Is It In Wendy's TBR?:  Amazingly enough, no.  Reading this back cover blurb this is just the sort of book I'd "rescue" if I were to stumble across it in a used bookstore.  I know how I am....

Any Reviews?:  A couple actually.  Booklist gave this one a very quick write-up, ending on this vaguely positive note:

"Canham deals out plenty of surprising twists in her paperback historical fiction."

Publishers Weekly is a bit more thorough, although not all that positive:

"Canham's (In the Shadow of Midnight) latest is deftly plotted, and Amanda is sympathetic, if a bit insipid, while Michael is engagingly complex. But secondary characters are flat and stereotypical, and readers who dislike excessive violence will find the concluding chapters disturbing."

You can read both of these reviews in full, as well and see some customer reviews (ranging from 2 to 5 Stars) over at Amazon.

Anything Else?:  Initially intrigued by this back cover copy, I'm glad I never have stumbled across this book at a used bookstore and fell under the spell of impulse buying.  Why?  Because turns out our fair heroine in this story has a scheming twin sister.

Sigh.

Every romance reader has at least one trope that makes them go a big rubbery one.  Twin stories happen to be one of mine.  These stories seem to have two speeds - either one of the twins is a eviiiiiiiiiil or we get the ol' Parent Trap trope where the twins "switch places."  Neither of which flips my switch.  I don't loathe these as much as the soul mates trope - but yeah.  It just ain't my bag baby.

That all being said, I do know readers who lurve stories about twins.  I also know that Canham has a bit of a loyal and fervent fan following out there in Romance Novel Land.  So feel free to use the comments section to convince me that this is one twin story I just might want to give a whirl.  What can I say?  I love me American settings.