Mini-Reviews: Any Day Now and No Limits

I know readers who have completely sworn off small town contemporaries - they're literally that sick of them.  I'm getting to that point - sort of.  I will read small town contemporaries all day long and twice on Sunday - when in the category universe.  Give me a Harlequin SuperRomance or Special Edition set in a small town and I'm there.  But I'm getting to the point where I need to swear off the single titles.  Why?  Dear Lord, the filler.  The endless, mindless, pointless filler that serves no purpose other than the author to sequel-bait the heck out of the story.  Which brings us to Any Day Now by Robyn Carr, the second book in her Sullivan's Crossing series.

Sierra Jones is nine months sober and at loose ends, so she decides to temporarily settle in Sullivan's Crossing to be near her favorite brother, Cal, and his new (and pregnant) wife, Maggie (see the first book in this series, What We Find).  Sierra works on her sobriety by attending AA meetings, gets a part-time job as a waitress, and moves into one of the cabins at Sullivan's Crossing (Maggie's father's campground) where she meets hunky firefighter, Conrad "Connie" Boyle.

Conflict?  What conflict?  Nothing happens in this book for the longest time.  It's all Small Town Series Cutesy.  But, you know, we have to fill up 300+ pages somehow - so Carr starts with boring, moves to repetition and then decides to throw in a suspense thread about Sierra being stalked (that feels totally out of left field compared to the tone/feel of the majority of this story).  Zzzzzzzz.

I weeded out a huge chunk of the single title contemporaries from my TBR within the past year or so.  It's a decision I'm not regretting in the slightest.  The older I get the more brutal I am with my mental red ink pen (Cut it! Cut IT ALL!!!!).

Final Grade = D

Blaze is one of the Harlequin lines I've always been a little indifferent about.  There have been a few over the years I've really liked, but the ones that "stick with me" tend to be few and far between.  But that has never stopped me from picking one up when the blurb intrigues, which brings us to No Limits by Katherine Garbera, the first book in her Space Cowboys series.

Astronaut Jason "Ace" McCoy has been temporarily (he hopes!) grounded by NASA.  After spending a year on the International Space Station, he's suffering from osteopenia.  He's working with doctors, following a special diet and exercise regimen, but his bone density is still cause for concern.  His superior tells him to head back to Cole's Hill, Texas - back to the ranch where Ace spent his teen years after his mother died.  The closest thing to a father figure he had, Mick Tanner, has died unexpectedly and left half of his ranch to Ace.  The other half?  Yeah, went to Mick's daughter, Molly.  The girl he's never been able to forget.

Molly, of course, has had a thing for Jason since she was a girl - but this is a man whose future would not be deterred.  He focused on space travel with a single-minded determination to the point where it's become his whole life.  Now she has to figure out how to save the only home she's ever known (the ranch is in trouble) and not lose her heart to a man who will surely leave the moment he's medically cleared.

There's a deeper theme of grief that runs through this story that belies the Blaze reputation (Fun! Sexy! Lots o' Naughty Times!).  Molly adored her father and his sudden death has left her reeling.  Jason is coming to terms (rather poorly) that he may be permanently grounded - unwelcome news since his dream is to be part of a new project involving manned missions to Mars.  Naturally, their attraction is too strong to ignore and sexy shenanigans ensue.  But Jason belongs to the stars and Molly's place is on the ranch.  It will never work, will it?

I liked this, but didn't love it.  I spent the whole time wishing this were a Special Edition or a SuperRomance - a line where the author could have really sunk her teeth into the larger themes and emotional angst.  As it is, this is a Blaze so there are a number sex scenes that, while well-written, felt a little too "surface" to me.  I wanted the deep dive and got the wading pool.  Also, the conflict peters out at the end and it all feels a bit too pat.  On one hand I appreciate the author for realizing there was a simple solution to be had, but on the other?  I was left with a "that's it?" feeling.

If you're a space nerd or a big Blaze fan, I think this is worth reading.  Garbera sets up her series really well and I'm interested in reading the next book.  It didn't send me into orbit, but it was a nice way to kill a few hours.

Final Grade = B-

#TBRChallenge 2018: Sweet Lullaby

The Book: Sweet Lullaby by Lorraine Heath

The Particulars: Historical western romance, Berkley Diamond Books Homespun, 1994, Out of print.  Available in digital edition, Harpercollins Avon, 2010

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  It's a Lorraine Heath western and a beloved book for many in Romancelandia.  I tracked down a print copy pre-ebook days and paid the exorbitant price of $6.50 for a pristine used copy.  Because that's what us old farts had to do back in the pre-ebook days.

The Review: It's been a long time since Wendy hated on a classic romance beloved by Romancelandia - yet, here we are.  Although "hate" is probably too strong a word.  To get this party started let me just say that this was Lorraine Heath's debut novel and it finalled for a RITA.  That bit about this being her debut?  That's important.  I'm come back to it in a moment.

Rebecca Anderson is the only child of a prosperous Kentucky rancher and Daddy has been grooming her to take over the family business.  Then the fool girl makes the mistake of falling in love with one of the men and getting pregnant.  This is how naive our girl is - when she tells her father about the baby she's blindsided by his less-than-thrilled reaction.  Anyway, the Baby Daddy has taken off for parts unknown before Rebecca even knows she's pregnant and he made no promises or gave any indications when or if he would return for her.  Daddy sees only one option.  She's going to have to marry someone else and Jake Burnett is the man for the job.

Jake has loved Rebecca since he first laid eyes on her and while they are friends, this love is totally unrequited.  But given her limited options and with Jake having land in Texas that they can settle on, a shotgun wedding is planned and over with before we even hit page 50.

After I finished the first two chapters I immediately went to check the author's web site.  This is the same author who wrote the Texas trilogy and Always to Remember?  Yes it is - and that's how I verified that this was her debut.  Guys, it totally reads like a debut.  You know what else it reads like?  Like the author wanted this to be a saga.  A 600-800 page historical saga with a long-winding romance arc but she ended up selling it to Berkley who told her to chop out half the word count.  The character development is flat.  We're TOLD Jake has unrequited feelings for Rebecca.  We're TOLD they're friends.  But there's no foundation laid.  Other than Jake being the Beta-iest Hero to Ever Beta, I'm not sure WHY he loved Rebecca so fiercely.  The pacing also felt "off."  There's too much time spent on secondary characters for a book that's less than 300 pages (in my opinion) and there's a mad dash to the finish line that felt positively frantic.

Things do get better the further along in the story we go, but these characters never feel fully realized until towards the very end of the book, and that's when more problems come into play.  Namely, Rebecca.  Man, is this girl a problem.

I liked her at first, I really did.  She has gumption.  She knows her own mind.  She sticks up for herself and for Jake.  But, as you can probably guess, her past comes back to haunt her towards the final third of the book and that was when she was dead to me.  You know how we like to talk about romance heroes who need to grovel?  The kind of heroes you want to have to crawl over broken glass to atone for how dismally they treat the heroine?  Well, never let it be said that I'm not equal opportunity because Rebecca's actions during this portion of the book had me shaking my head in disgust. 

Original cover. Isn't it horrid?

Now, Jake?  He's one of your standard Too Good To Be True heroes.  The only thing (and I mean ONLY) thing saving this guy from being a hopeless Gary Stu is that the author gives him a back story to explain his lack of backbone.  Frankly, given Rebecca's actions in the latter half of this story I was left firmly believing that he was WAY too good for her and was hoping against hope he'd fall in love with a woman who truly deserves him (for those of you who have read this - I had my eye on Velvet The Prostitute for that role).

I was all set to slap this with a C grade, mostly because of the flat writing and lack of character development.  But then the conflict that spurs the reader towards The Black Moment comes into play and it left a sour taste in my mouth.  I'll be honest - this final grade is probably a little harsh.  I've read way worse and maybe if I had read this book earlier in my romance reading life I would have loved it.  But I didn't and I didn't and here's where we're at. 

Final Grade = D+

Top 5 Unusual Historicals For February 2018

This month marks a new venture, of sorts, for my Unusual Historicals column.  It will now be cross-posted over at Love in the Panels!  Suzanne and I worked together at Heroes & Heartbreakers (RIP), and this seemed like a happy marriage of getting more eyeballs on new historical romance titles (always my nefarious goal!).  So what is catching my eye this month?  So glad you asked!

Westerns Galore!

The Cowboy Who Came Calling by Linda Broday

A Former Texas Ranger on a mission
A determined woman slowly losing her sight
A love neither could have predicted
...and a danger that may steal their happy ending before it can even begin.

Glory Day may be losing her vision, but that doesn't mean she'll ever stop fighting. Determined to provide for her struggling family, she confronts an outlaw with a price on his head. But when a mysterious cowboy gets between her and her target, Glory accidentally shoots him instead. Flustered, she has no option but to take the handsome stranger home to treat his wounds.

Former Texas Ranger Luke McClain didn't plan to fall in love, but there's no denying the strength of Glory's will or the sweetness of her heart. But Glory's been burned before, and Luke will have to reach into the depths of his own battered soul to convince her to take a chance...

This is a reprint, originally published by Dorchester and now reissued by Sourcebooks with a lovely new cover.  I reviewed the Dorchester release an online lifetime ago, and back then I found this an enjoyable story with a mix of folksy charm and grittier elements.

Married to Claim the Rancher’s Heir by Lauri Robinson

To claim his heir…

…he must marry his enemy!

Gabe Callaway is outraged when feisty Janette Parker lands on his doorstep with her orphaned niece—though he soon realizes little Ruby is heir to his ranch! If Janette wants money, he’ll pay her off to keep the little girl in her rightful place. But all Janette wants is Ruby… Will Gabe do whatever it takes to claim his heir—even marry Janette?

It’s a Harlequin Historical western, which means I’m obligated by some unwritten law to add this to my TBR Mountain Range (hey, I don’t make this stuff up!).  Also, color me intrigued.  My first instinct was move this set-up to a contemporary setting and it could be published by Harlequin Desire.  One-click!

A Gambler’s Pleasure by Michelle Beattie

Ten years after strolling out of Marietta without a backward glance, Mitch McCall wins a land deed in a game of poker that has him returning to his hometown, ready to collect his winnings. A few weeks later, he's surprised when he doesn't want to leave. Not only is he working a saloon and unknowingly putting down roots, he's also trying to convince the town's good girl that he's not the rake she believes he is. But love isn't a game and if the successful gambler wants to win, he'll have to bet it all.

Melissa lives her life to please her parents. Suffering from their son's abandonment, Melissa puts her own desires and dreams aside to save them more heartache. But a late night encounter with the completely unsuitable Mitch McCall changes everything. With one night becoming many, Mitch helps her uncover the woman she really is and dares her to chase her dreams. But when shocking news arrives about her brother, will Melissa retreat back into her peacemaker role or will she fight for the man she loves?

It’s like there’s Wendy catnip sprinkled all over this book.  You’ve got a rascally hero who is really a good guy and a heroine weighted down by a sense of obligation.  And it’s a western.  One-click!

Across the Pond!

The Bittersweet Bride by Vanessa Riley

Widow Theodosia Cecil needs a husband to help protect her son. The former flower seller turned estate owner posts an ad in the newspaper, and no one is more surprised than she when her first love, the man she thought dead, reappears.

Ewan Fitzwilliam has been at war for six years. Now, the second son of a powerful earl is back but his beloved Theo needs a husband and will not consider him. She believes Ewan left her—in desperate straits—so she denies the feelings she still harbors for the handsome, scarred soldier. Theo and playwright Ewan must overcome bitter lies and vengeful actions that ruined their youthful affair. Theo must reveal her deepest secret in order to reclaim the love that has long been denied.

“Second son of a powerful earl,” yeah OK. Honestly? I’m reading this book because I’m dying to find out how a former flower seller becomes an estate owner!  And pray tell, when was the last time you saw a flower seller heroine in a historical romance?  The heroine’s backstory has me itching to read this one.

Historical Fiction / Romantic Elements!

Hearts of Resistance by Soraya Lane

At the height of World War II, three women must come together to fight for freedom, for the men they love—and for each other.

When Hazel is given the chance to parachute into Nazi-occupied France, she seizes the opportunity to do more for the British war effort than file paperwork. Alongside her childhood friend, French-born Rose, she quickly rises up the ranks of the freedom fighters. For Rose, the Resistance is a link to her late husband, and a way to move forward without him. What starts out as helping downed airmen becomes a bigger cause when they meet Sophia, a German escapee and fierce critic of Hitler who is wanted by the Gestapo. Together the three women form a bond that will last a lifetime.

But amid the turmoil and tragedy of warfare, all three risk losing everything—and everyone—they hold dear. Will their united front be strong enough to see them through?

Technically this is historical fiction but I’ll be perfectly frank - how can I be expected to resist that cover?!  And three Nazi-fightin’ heroines?  I feel like this is relevant to Romancelandia’s interests.  Lane has written a number of books, including some very good Harlequin Romances.  I’m curious to see what she does with a historical setting.  Oh, and it's free to Kindle Unlimited folks.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Reminder: #TBRChallenge for February

Hey, hey, hey!  For those of you participating in the 2018 #TBRChallenge, a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, February 21.  The theme this month is Backlist Glom!  This means any author who has more than one book in your TBR.

OK, seriously?  This should be a slam dunk of a theme.  But, that being said, remember that the themes are totally optional.  If you don't want to read an author who has more than one book in your TBR it's not like I'm going to show up at your front door brandishing a torch and pitchfork.

Well, maybe I would but not this month because I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!  That's right.  I have every intention of getting my review scheduled to post, but I'm going to be on vacation during TBR Challenge Day.  So all y'all have fun without me, OK?

Reminders:

1) If you're participating via social media, remember to use the #TBRChallenge hashtag

and 

2) It is not too late to sign-up!  You can get further details and links to all the blogs participating on the 2018 TBR Challenge Information Page.

Mini-Reviews: Princesses and Ranchers

I stumbled across Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr while reading something "work related."  Don't ask me what it was now and if I saw the book featured on a recommended list or merely saw an ad for it.  Whatever it was, it was apparently enough to have me check the catalog at work, and I breezed through this in short order on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

This is Children's Non-Fiction and I'd gauge the age range somewhere between 9 and 12.  The whole premise of the book is that being a princess isn't necessarily as cracked up as Disney makes it out to be, and Waldherr regales her audience with tales of historical princesses and a few modern day ones.

Waldherr covers the history of "fairy tales," and the cold reality that, throughout history, princesses were used as political pawns.  She also covers some rather gruesome subjects, including Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous "Blood Countess" (something to keep in mind depending on the reader's maturity and comprehension levels!).  It's also a bit unfortunate, but not terribly surprising, that Waldherr tends to keep this book pretty European-centric - although Princess Ka'iulani of Hawaii gets a healthy mention and three modern day princesses, Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini, Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, and Sarah Culberson are included.

Finally, I'll admit it was a bit weird to read about Princess Diana from the perspective in this book - namely, that the intended audience wasn't even born yet when Diana died.  Diana is painted with broad strokes, largely as a victim, which is one I've never wholeheartedly embraced.  But I'm an adult who is supposed to see all those shades of gray in a person and certainly the girls reading this book will get there in due time.

Final Grade = B

Dorine read Beneath Montana's Sky by Debra Holland for last month's TBR Challenge and I was suitably intrigued (Holland is a local author for me, plus it's a western).  One of my library cards (yes, I have a few...) paid off when I found this one in their digital collection, so I downloaded and started reading.  Darn you Dorine!  Now I'm going to have to get the rest of the books in the series.

This is a prequel to the author's Montana Sky series and even though it's a novella, it feels like a large story.  John Carter is a prosperous rancher in Montana.  He has just buried his best friend, the man's wife, and their young daughter.  Only their son, Nick, is left and John, the boy's godfather, is now his guardian.  They're both grieving but John realizes that the boy has to be his first priority.  And the most pressing matter?  The boy needs a mother figure.  But eligible single women of marriageable age in the wilds of Montana aren't exactly growing on trees, so he writes his great-aunt Hester. He's taking the train to Boston with the singular mission of finding a wife.

Pamela Burke-Smythe is a plain debutante who is resigning herself to the fact that she will be "the maiden aunt" for the rest of her days.  Her plain looks haven't done her a lot of favors, but the downturn in the family business means her dowry is paltry at best.  Needless to say, suitors aren't beating down her door.  She meets John at a charity gala, where Hester has introduced him to Pam's BFF, Elizabeth - thinking they'll be a good match.  However, Elizabeth is still in mourning over the death of her parents and her fiance' - plus it's plain to see that Pam and John are the more suited match.

I really liked this story and it's refreshing change of pace.  The hero having to go back East to find a wife, the whirl of society outings, and the chaperoning of great-aunt Hester, then Pam, then Elizabeth (once John sets his sights on Pam).  Once the marriage occurs, they're back on the train to Montana where new challenges await.

This is a sweet, gentle story (that's your no-sex-scenes warning!) but John and Pam are such a good fit, I didn't miss them.  The final chapter got to be a little too much for me on the cutesy scale (the whole countryside shows up to welcome home the newlyweds), but it was an enjoyable read that has me curious about the rest of the series.  I'll be adding more Holland books to my TBR.

Final Grade = B

Review: Rumors at Court

I'm a small handful of librarians inhabiting the planet who does not have an undergraduate degree in English.  No, mine is in history - and I spent the better part of four years working on a concentration in British history.  This being said, I'm fairly hopeless when it comes to anything prior to the Tudors.  I like reading medieval romances, but medieval history never captured my imagination in the same way that, say, the Victorian era did.

Which is why I appreciate how Blythe Gifford writes about the time period.  She has this way of infusing her stories with the history without 1) writing dull textbook treatises or 2) hopelessly confusing the reader.  While reading Rumors at Court, I'll admit, I ran off to Wikipedia early on to brush up on the Duke of Lancaster's timeline but after that I sunk right into the story and let it carry me away.

Valerie of Florham is a widow and she thanks God for that fact.  Hers was not a happy marriage.  Her husband was abusive and was not faithful.  Adding insult to injury, she failed to conceive - and a child is something Valerie so desperately wants.  Her husband's death means she has been summoned to London where the Duke of Lancaster (now calling himself My Lord of Spain) has wed Constanza of Castile.  The Duke was hopelessly in love with his first wife, Blanche, but his second marriage is strictly strategic.  He knows he is unlikely to ever sit on the throne of England and our boy has ambition.  So he weds the exiled Constanza which gives him a claim to the throne of Castile.  All he has to do now is wage a war to take it.

This would be where Sir Gil Wolford comes in.  She served the Duke faithfully fighting in France.  He is a trusted knight, and has the Duke's ear.  He was also Valerie's husband's commanding officer and he wishes to meet the widow to return something she gave her husband before he rode off into battle.  A small scrap of beautiful silk.  Imagine his horror when he meets Valerie and she spurns the silk.  Um, yeah.  She gave her husband no such thing.  So here's poor Gil, offering back the token to the wife that some mistress gave her husband.  Oopsie doodle.

What follows is a story about two people who lack agency - because, to be frank, very few people had agency during this time.  If you weren't at the mercy of the Court, you were at the mercy of the Vatican.  Valerie lives in fear that the Duke will decree she take another husband and given the dumpster fire that her first marriage was, she's not exactly in a rush.  All she wants is to go home, to tend her small garden, to work the land.  Gil is a man who has a home, but it's one he spurns.  His family's history is unsavory to the point of ugly.  He's damaged goods.  It's what has driven him to be a fierce warrior, that blind hope that people will forget what blood runs through his veins.  His greatest wish?  To take Castile for the Duke and live there permanently - a land where nobody knows his name.

We all know where this is going, right?  The Duke eventually decrees that Valerie and Gil will marry.  Valerie resigning herself to be controlled by yet another man, and fearful because her only memories of marriage are horrid.  Gil wants a family, desires a wife, and he is attracted to Valerie.  But she's a puzzle, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in an enigma - and he has no idea how to reach her.

Secondary storylines come into play surrounding the Duke, his mistress Katherine (a friend of Valerie's) and Constanza, who is pregnant by the Duke when this story opens.  As Gil prepares for war, Valerie is making herself indispensable to Constanza, and looking for a way to return to her home - even as it seems inevitable that she will marry Gil and end up in Castile.

There's a nice mix of external and internal conflict to this romance, but even with all the drama surrounding court life, this is a quiet story.  Valerie and Gil are both characters with deep insecurities and fears who must learn to trust and be open with each other.  Gil is a fearsome knight with a fearsome reputation, but his gentleness with Valerie make this a movingly sweet romance.  And Valerie, with Gil's understanding, has to learn to find her voice.  Gil makes decisions over the course of this story that will break her heart, but as they come together, as they learn to trust, Valerie and Gil find their way to each other and carve out their own path to happiness.

Final Grade = B