The Month That Was November 2013

Me:  Whew!  Sorry it took so long for me to get here kiddo.

Lemon Drop: That's alright Auntie Wendy, I've been keeping plenty busy.

Me: Oh really?  With what?

Lemon Drop:  Two words: Fire. Men.

Me: Oh boy.  It might be time for us to have a little chat.  But before we do that, let's talk about what I read last month.  I spent the Thanksgiving holiday traveling, which meant no work sucking out my soul and a chance to relax.  So I managed to get eight books read last month!

Everything You Need To Know by HelenKay Dimon - Contemporary romance novella, Cosmo Red Hot Reads, 2013, Grade = B-

• Heroine who runs an exclusive online dating site meets her match in one of Washington D.C.'s most notable eligible bachelors.  The pacing felt a little off to me at times, but otherwise good, clean, sexy fun.

Single Dad's Christmas Miracle by Susan Meier - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Romance, 2013, Grade = C

• Heroine at loose ends takes job tutoring hero's troubled children.  A Mary Poppins romance with plenty of angst, but a wee bit of Magical Thinking and I felt the childrens' "issues" were easily handled with minimal effort.

Rumors That Ruined A Lady by Marguerite Kaye - Historical romance, Harlequin Historical, 2013, Grade = B+

• Good girl listens to her Daddy and marries the man he chooses for her - only to find herself tossed out on her ear with vicious gossip being spread about her.  Riding to the rescue, the hero - who saves her from an opium overdose.  Oodles of angsty goodness.

The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran - Historical romance, Pocket, 2008, Grade = B

• My TBR Challenge read for the month.  I loved the first half of this story that takes place in India.  But once the action moves to England in the second half, my interest began to wane.

Backfield in Motion by Jami Davenport - Contemporary romance, Boroughs Publishing, 2013, Grade = B-

• Tomboy heroine with a full plate finds herself hopelessly distracted by the hero, a guy with a pretty boy façade that hides a whole lot of emotional pain.  There are a lot of elements at play here (maybe too many), but the author ties up all her sub plots well.  My only quibble?  The hero is kind of a jerk at times.

Unraveled by the Rebel by Michelle Willingham - Historical romance, Amazon Montlake, 2013, Grade = B

• Heroine with a Big Ol' Secret finds herself dodging the attentions of her childhood sweetheart, the hero.  Lurking in the shadows?  The dastardly villain.  More angst than you can shake a stick at, and I lapped up every glorious bit of it.

Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan - Contemporary romance, HQN, 2013, Grade = B+

• Scrooge heroine agrees to work over Christmas hoping to escape the holiday.  Instead she falls under the spell of the hero and his family.  Loved the small town feel and appreciated that the author didn't bog her story down with a bunch of extraneous saccharine and goofy shenanigans that, sadly, befall a lot of small town single title contemporaries.

Return of the Cowboy Doctor by Lacy Williams - Historical romance, Love Inspired Historical, 2013, Grade = B

• Heroine with dreams of going to medical school finds herself distracted by medical student hero who has returned home to secure additional funds.  A sweet romance that puts a modern "she wants it all" spin on a historical heroine.

Me: Lemon Drop, sweetie - you're only three years old.  Don't grow up too fast.  There will be plenty of time for boys later.

Lemon Drop:  Auntie Wendy, what exactly are you talking about?

Me: You know, your fascination with firemen.....

Lemon Drop:  But I like firemen!  They get to ride around it big red trucks, and wear cool helmets, and even have these cool masks they wear over their faces.  Oooooh, and they can get in water fights whenever they want!

Me:  Oh, so you're not interested in firemen because, um.....

Lemon Drop:  You aren't making any sense Auntie Wendy.

Me:  Never mind.  Carry on.