The Month That Was January 2014

Lemon Drop: Auntie Wendy, Auntie Wendy, Auntie Wendy's on fire!

Me: I've seen a few hunky firemen in my day, but nobody as cute and you two.

Lemon Drop: My deputy and I received the alarm.  Someone has been reading so much she's smokin'.....

Me: Um, yeah.  I kind of didn't have a life last month.  Also, I hit a string of really good reads and started inhaling books in one sitting.

Title links will take you to full reviews.

A Promise For the Baby by Jennifer Lohmann - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Superromance, 2014, Grade = D

• Liked the hero, hated the way he was portrayed as being unreasonable when it was the heroine and her idiot father who drove me up one wall and down the other.

Baring It All by Megan Frampton - Historical romance short story, Loveswept, 2013, Grade = B+

• A very short story that is essentially a love scene.  Loved the tone and style of the writing, a great introduction to the author's voice.

Follow Her Home by Steph Cha - Suspense, Minotaur, 2013, Grade = B-

• Loved that the author cast a 20-something Korean-American girl in the PI role. 

The Man Behind the Mask by Barbara Wallace - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Romance, 2014, Grade = A-

• An emotional boss-secretary romance (don't judge) with oodles of internal conflict.  Inhaled in one sitting.

The Marshal's Ready-Made Family by Sherri Shackelford - Inspirational historical romance, Love Inspired Historical, 2014, Grade = B

• Town marshal takes custody of his orphaned niece and falls in love with tomboy town telegraph operator.  A cozy small-town historical western with very light inspirational elements.

Yesterday's Echo by Matt Coyle - Suspense, Oceanview, 2013, Grade = B+

• Suspense featuring down-on-luck ex-cop hero who was, at one time, accused of murdering his wife.  Great use of setting (La Jolla, California) and a twisty-turny plot. 

Now and Forever by Logan Belle - Contemporary erotic romance, Moxie, 2014, Grade = A

• Second novella in duet that wraps up a romance left unfinished in the first story.  Wonderful characters, wonderful emotion, loved it.

Killing Cupid by Laura Levine - Cozy mystery, Kensington, 2013, Grade = B

• Latest book in the only cozy mystery series I'm still reading.  Solid, delivered exactly what I wanted and expected.

To Tempt a Viking by Michelle Willingham - Historical romance, Harlequin Historical, 2014, Grade = B-

• A first half that dragged for me (too much rehashing of the first book in the duet) that gave way to a dynamite, angst-filled, gut-wrenching second half.

Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak - Cozy mystery, Doubleday, 2004, Grade = DNF

• Loosey-goosey plotting and characters who didn't behave in a logical manner.  I DNF'ed it around 150 pages and skimmed huge chunks after that to get to the end.

Her Rancher Rescuer by Donna Alward -  Contemporary romance, Harlequin American, 2014, Grade = A

• Good time girl heroine leaves her judgmental small town to take a temporary job at the hero's ranch-slash-corporate retreat.  A story that shines thanks to the author's deft handling of "character growth."  I loved this book.

Sonata for a Scoundrel by Anthea Lawson - Historical romance, Self-published, 2013, Grade = C+

• I loved the concept of this book, but it fell flat on execution for me - mostly in the heroine department.  I wanted, and felt, she should have had more "fire" to her.

Lemon Drop: Deputy!  Turn the hose on her!

Me: Hey ::splutter sputter:: wait a minute!

Lemon Drop: It's for your own good!  Three A grades in one month?  Auntie Wendy, you're getting soft on me.  It just will not do.  You're starting to make The Mean Girls cry.

Me: Sigh.  The "mean girls" are a figment of everybody's imagination.  I'm chalking it up to the Reading Gods taking pity on me and putting a lot of great (and good) reads in my path this month.

Lemon Drop: OK, I suppose.  But pull it together man!  People will start thinking you're nice or something....

Me: Perish the thought /end sarcasm

Digital Review: Every Part Of You: Resists Me

Megan Hart continues her new Every Part of You serial with this second installment, simply titled Resists Me.  With a title like that, the bulk of this installment really shouldn't be all that shocking to the reader.  While Simone is sexy and confident, it's our hero, Elliott, who is holding himself back. He may be powerfully attracted to Simone, but he's not willing to follow her down the rabbit hole.  Yet, anyway.

At the end of Tempts Me, Simone challenges Elliott to a night on the town.  She ends up taking him dancing, where moving together on the dance floor leads to seduction - Simone seducing Elliott.  We already know from the first installment that Simone likes pain with her a pleasure, but since she's not into bondage or domination she has to be very careful when it comes to choosing partners.  She thinks she's got a read on Elliott, and the night they spend together only confirms her suspicions.  Now to convince Elliott of that.

Hart hasn't written anything revolutionary here, but I cannot tell you how refreshing I've found this serial thus far and it's all due to Simone.  Erotic romance has been flooded with unsure ingenues of late who suddenly realize they've been living pale empty lives once they hook up with a domineering asshole billionaire Dom.  Simone isn't aggressive so much as she is confident.  As she tells Elliott, she wants to keep having sex with him but she's not going to beg.  After all, she doesn't have to beg.  She's also the sort of woman who doesn't play games.  If she tells you the sky is green, it really means the sky has inexplicably turned green.  Elliott, used to a certain sort of woman, is totally discombobulated by Simone's frankness.  A spade is a spade for Simone and Elliott is unsure of what to do with that.  It would be easy to dismiss her if she was a flighty head case playing mind games with him, but instead?  She simply calls him out on his bullshit, walks away, and doesn't beg.

Not a whole lot happens in this installment, other than Elliott running scared and the author dropping a few more hints about his baggage.  The meat and potatoes are with Simone.  Simone is the kind of heroine who could turn a straight girl.  She's that magnificently wonderful.  Elliott is being a moron, for now, but that doesn't mean Simone is going to let him see her sweat.  He'll see her around their office building, but she'll look right through him.  And Elliott?  Naturally cannot stop thinking about her, even as he's trying to convince himself that she's wrong about him.

Final Grade = B

Unusual Historicals For February

The February 2014 round-up of "unusual historicals" has gone live over at Heroes & Heartbreakers.

A nice mix of variety this month, including the 1920s, ancient Rome, and a Regency featuring an actress heroine.

Head on over to H&H to see the full rundown.

Flashes Of Me

I first heard of Cynthia Sax last year when I got some promo material for her Seen trilogy.  I was intrigued by the voyeurism premise, but at the time I must have had too many review books on my plate (or something) and I never tried them.  So when I had the opportunity to get an ARC of Flashes Of Me, I decided to give it a whirl.  What with BDSM currently running amok in erotic romance, I'm always happy to try something "different" - and right now?  An exhibitionist heroine and a hero with voyeuristic tendencies sounded rather refreshing.  Unfortunately none of it worked for me.  I did read it in one sitting, but that's honestly the nicest thing I can say about my reading experience.

Katalina is at loose ends, so decides to leave New York for Los Angeles and takes an internship at Blaine Technologies.  What she's not telling anybody is that she's the daughter of Blaine's biggest rival - a rival that Blaine is in the process of buying out.  Just wanting to keep her head down and start over, she uses her mother's maiden name to land the job.  But before she even sets foot in the office building she has a sexy encounter with Blaine's head of cyber-security, Henley.  One thing leads to another, and shenanigans are afoot.

The author is shooting for a Beauty and the Beast vibe with this story, which is normally a theme I cannot get enough of.  Unfortunately this is an instance where I found the whole premise a hot mess.  At first I had high hopes for Kat.  She's beautiful, blond and has big boobs - so naturally everyone assumes she's a brain-dead ninny.  For her part Kat plays that role beautifully, 1) because it's what people expect and 2) sometimes it's better to have people underestimate you.  In her words:

"Some people think big men are dumb.  Some people also think blond women are stupid and no one should wear pink to a funeral.  I learned long ago to ignore some people."

Here's the problem, I don't think Kat is playing.  I really do think she's a brain-dead ninny.  She stumbles around the office like a moron, says inane clap-trap like "My father always says....." and never rises to any occasion where you think she just might possibly have two brain cells to rub together.  In other words, the author wants me to think the "dumb blond" thing is an act and.....

I don't.  She really is a dumb blond.

The story isn't helped at all by the writing, which was straight out of bad late-night cable TV soft core porn.  After a bumpy beginning that showed some promise, the whole affair spirals down the rabbit hole to just plain terrible.  I get it, Henley is a big dude.  As in, football linebacker big.  The kind of guy who probably has to have his clothes custom made he's so big.  But if I read the word "behemoth" once I think I read it a dozen times.  Then there was the dialogue, which was just god-awful.  Henley keeps calling Kat "kitten" for cripes sake.  But the final straw?  What really pushed me over the edge?  The Rescue Fantasy.

Rescue Fantasy tropes have existed in the romance genre since the dawn of time.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with them, when they're done right.  What woman alive hasn't had a day where she just wants someone to swoop in and take care of....everything?  Including her!  We've all been there.  The problem here is that Kat is such an idiot she needs the rescue fantasy.  Otherwise she'd curl up into a little ball and die.  Look cupcake, I get it.  You want the big strong man to protect you.  Hell, I want that too.  But this is the sort of story where that's all Kat has.  Let's say Henley wakes up one morning, finds Kat's blond hair turning ash and her big boobs starting to sag and decides to bang the next pretty intern that walks through the doors at Blaine Technologies?  Kat isn't the kind of woman to stand on her own.  She's not the kind of woman to tell him to take a hike and don't let the door smack you in the ass on the way out.  She would be the kind to ugly cry, have a load of plastic surgery and allow him mistresses on the side just so long as he doesn't leave her.  The author can try to tell me Kat is "smart" all she wants, but that doesn't make it true, especially when she thinks shit like:

"He's a man seeking to plant his seed inside his woman, his urgency palpable, his need gratifying.  I'm a woman submitting, welcoming my man's sexual supremacy, knowing he'll always protect me, cherish me."

I may never stop puking.

I don't slap F grades on books lightly.  There's typically at least something, that one small glimmer of hope.  But looking at this story, thinking about how I felt while reading it, there was just nothing here that I liked.  It did start out OK, but quickly descended into brain-bleed inducing territory.  I'm done.  I'm out.

Final Grade = F

TBR Challenge 2014: His Best Friend's Baby

The Book: His Best Friend's Baby by Molly O'Keefe

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Harlequin SuperRomance #1385, 2006, Out of print, Available digitally, Connected to O'Keefe's first Super, Family at Stake

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  After discovering the awesomeness that is O'Keefe's Supers, I went back and glommed all her older categories that I didn't already have buried in the TBR.  This was one of them.  Plus, I read Family at Stake during the 2012 TBR Challenge, liked it, and wanted to see what became of the heroine's brother.

The Review:  Julia Adams is 24, has a 2-year-old son, Ben, and is now a widow.  Mitch was like a tornado, blowing into her life, sweeping her off her feet, but ultimately it was not the greatest of marriages.  Mitch was a complicated man, who just about everyone believed was a golden boy.  Not Julia though.  Julia knows the truth about her husband, and with no other place to go, decides to head to California and Mitch's parents.  An Army brat, Julia is desperate to set down roots, to have a "normal" life.  Mitch's parents seem about as normal as they come, and frankly, her husband died without leaving her with a whole lot of options.

Jesse Filmore was Mitch's BFF.  They got into a lot of trouble as kids, with the prevailing theory being Jesse was "no good" and corrupting golden boy Mitch.  They joined the Army together, were in the same unit together, and ultimately a mission went wrong killing Mitch and two other men.  Jesse, who was seriously wounded, blames himself for their deaths.  Now he finds out that his dead mother left him the family home, a home that holds nothing but bitter memories.  Jesse's father was an abusive drunk and the only person he could rely on, his sister, got the hell out of Dodge the moment she graduated high school, not bothering to even look back.  Jesse is now back in his hometown, but only long enough to sell the albatross.  He has plans to start over in San Diego.  What he's less than thrilled about is finding Julia Adams in town with her son - living with Mitch's parents, who naturally despise him.  Jesse knows the truth about Mitch - that he didn't deserve Julia, not by a long shot.  Also every time he sees her, Jesse cannot hide from the cold, hard truth that he's desperately in love with her.  His dream girl was married to his best friend.  His best friend who is dead because of him.

This story is crammed full of so much heartbreak and angst that I practically inhaled it in one sitting.  Julia is at loose ends, not sure what to do or who to turn to.  She also has feelings for Jesse.  He's the perfect guy, the guy she thought her husband was until he showed his true colors.  Jesse is everything Mitch wasn't.  He's also the only other person out there who knows the truth about Mitch, and now that she's back in her husband's hometown - where everyone thinks he's a saint?  Jesse is a life raft.

There's a lot of angst going on this book, and O'Keefe has a wide array of secondary characters.  Mitch's parents, plus Rachel, Mac and Amanda (see the first book, Family at Stake) all play healthy roles.  Because of this, there isn't a lot of page time devoted to just Jesse and Julia.  In fact, they spend very little time on page, together, until the second half of the story.  Because of this, I felt like the conflict, the angst, overshadowed the romance.  The romance got a little lost at times.  Certainly it helped that Jesse and Julia shared a past, but it was a brief one, and mostly their attraction smacked a little of "love at first sight."  Well, that, and Jesse knew what a rat bastard Mitch was, and here's this pretty young wife the guy doesn't remotely deserve.  Jesse was, to a certain extent, jealous.  Also, a bit angry at Mitch - who seemed to get away with everything while Jesse was left holding the proverbial bag.  I got that Jesse and Julia cared about each other, but I never quite figured out how/why they fell in love - other than the fact that they both got screwed by Mitch, just in different ways.

Normally when I feel like the romance isn't quite there, I would slap the story with my patented "average" grade - but O'Keefe does angst so very well.  Even with my quibbles, this story is better than a C.  It just is.  It really ripped my heart out in places, and all the secondary characters added such a nice dimension, really rounding out the story to make it feel bigger than it's 290+ pages.  O'Keefe has written better books (says me), but I would hardly classify this one as a dud.

Final Grade = B-

Bend Me, Shape Me, Anyway You Want Me

Ask any romance reader and they can recall certain events in their reading lives with startling clarity.  One of mine was the mind-blowing moment in time when I discovered "romantic" erotica.  Picture it: Wendy, home alone, just a girl and a copy of Cooking Up A Storm by Emma Holly.  I didn't come up for air until I had inhaled every glorious word of it.  I then, predictably, went out and bought up as much "romantic" erotica as I could find, which back in those days wasn't much.  I tried authors indiscriminately, with varying success.  I enjoyed some books in those heady first days that I'm not sure would work for me if I were reading them for the first time now - a good 10+ years after discovering the sub genre.  That's how I can explain my experience reading The Initiation of Ms. Holly by KD Grace.  Had I read this book 10+ years ago I think I would have loved it.  But now?  There wasn't quite enough here to set my jaded erotic reading soul on fire.

Rita Holly is on a malfunctioning train, trapped in a tunnel, and she's claustrophobic.  She's very close to a full-blown panic attack when she finds herself alone in a secluded corner with Edward.  Edward who rocks her world and gives her the orgasm of a lifetime.  All without knowing what the heck he looks like.  But she does get his digits.  When he throws her a text and invites her to dinner at the mysterious and very exclusive club, The Mount, she jumps at the chance to see him again.  Instead she finds herself dining with a masked Edward, and partaking in various party favors with others in attendance.  She's eventually offered an initiation into The Mount.  All she has to do is endure a series of various humiliations while the villain dances behind the scenes.  But for a chance to boink Edward again?  Rita is just about ready to do anything.

This story reminded me a lot of books I read during my early erotic reading days.  There's a whole lot of sex, and not a whole lot else.  Doing a quick perusal at various online review venues, I've seen some readers liken this to "porn" and say there "isn't much plot."  Oh, there's a plot.  It is a little on the thin side, but there's enough plot to sustain a full-length novel.  No, the problem with this story is character development.  There isn't much.  Certainly not enough to explain actions, and the inaction, of various characters.

I get it.  Great sex can melt your brain.  No, really - I get that.  What I don't get, and is never really explained, is why Rita would be willing to go through the humiliation she does (two words: chastity belt) after one hot encounter with Edward.  Especially since Edward isn't exactly forthcoming about, well, anything.  There's also a total absence of free will in this story.  As in, none of the characters seem to have it.  Naturally we have a villain.  A villain who rules over The Mount and it's members like her own personal fiefdom.  She's also outnumbered.  The only thing keeping her in charge is that the other members haven't tossed her out on her butt.  Why haven't they done so?  I don't know.  Obviously she's a dominant personality, I get that.  I also get that such sexual relationships have a whole mess of psychology behind them, plus there's a whole "secret society"-thing going on.  But really?  She's a bitch, she's making everyone miserable, and she's still there.....because, why again?  Seriously, jellyfish have more spine.

In the end I just didn't know enough about these people and there wasn't enough on the page to explain why they acted the way they did, why they made the choices they did.  What I did get was enough sex to make my God-fearing grandmother roll over in her grave.  Seriously, every single chapter and about the only kink the author doesn't explore is bestiality.  You name it, it's probably in this book.

Which means it all boils down to what you want out of your erotica.  If all you're looking for is a bunch of sex that features plenty of variety?  This one will more than satisfy.  I can see a reader whose only experience with erotic-anything is Fifty Shades picking up this book and having their mind blown.  However as a seasoned erotica reader, this wasn't really enough for me.  I wanted more.  At this stage in my reader development I'm really in it for the characters more so than just getting a bunch of hot sex.  Don't get me wrong, hot sex is great and all sorts of fun - but it's just not enough anymore.

Final Grade = C

Reminder: TBR Challenge for February

For those of you participating in the 2014 TBR Challenge, this is a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, February 19.  This month's theme is Series Catch-Up.  That means picking up a book from a series you're currently behind on.  I mean, this should be easy right?  However, remember - the themes are totally optional and are not required.  Maybe you have somehow magically been able to avoid series.  Or maybe you're all caught up on your series reading (what's your secret?)  Hey, that's OK!  It's not important what you read, just that you pull something (anything!) out of the TBR pile.

It's also not too late to sign up for this year's challenge.  For more details, please see the information page.

Note: I normally hit Twitter on #tbrchallenge days to post links for all the commentary.  However this month I'll be knee-deep in a visit from Lil' Sis and Lemon Drop.  I'll still tweet - but it's probably not going to happen until Thursday.