Review... Awaken to Pleasure - Nalini Singh

Awaken to Pleasure - Nalini Singh

Mills & Boon Desire

(ebook reissue)

My rating 

This book started off good but quick became contrived and cliché-ridden. Elements of this book had the potential to be incredibly emotional and add really depth to the story, but instead the author just skims the surface and the issues raised just seemed to resolve rather too easily.

Nice descriptive writing, although taken (in my opinion) a little too far with the physical description of the hero. He ended up sounding like some hulking-great, thick-necked, pulsing-veins WWE wrestler - not the toned sort-of sexy kind either!

Found myself rolling my eyes throughout a lot of the book too. Shame, as this could have been so much more.

Xx

Review... The Italian's Runaway Bride - Jacqueline Baird

The Italian's Runaway Bride - Jacqueline Baird
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2001
ISBN: 9780263825558
Reissue - Mills & Boon Modern Backlist, 2011
eISBN: 9781408940228









My rating

From the back cover:

"Gianfranco asked Kelly to marry him, after her holiday affair with him left her pregnant! But, once married, Gianfranco was often away on business, and his family made Kelly's life a misery. Then she heard that Gianfranco didn't want her at all - he just wanted their baby.

Kelly had no choice but to run away. However, one thing was certain. Gianfranco would find her - but why? Because he wanted to reclaim his bride or his child?"


My immediate impression on starting this book is that it starts in the wrong place. The title and blurb clearly tell us what is going to happen but it is not until 70% in that the actual event took place and it skipped to three years later. I feel it would have been better to have started at this point and have the past explored and revealed throughout the course of the story. As it was, I was reading with a sense of impending doom and frustration as I knew what was going to happen but not when/how.

Because of this, I never really engaged with the story and the plot felt, to me, a little flat. There is plenty of emotion in the book, but the author never really delves deep enough into this to make it a really well thought out story. 

Also, the book makes over-use of two very frustrating elements - the evil other woman character and a hero that doesn't believe a thing the heroine says. Add into that a rather whiny 'victim' heroine, it became a little tedious. 

This could have been such a great book; the plot is there, the emotion is there, but the execution lets it down. Kept me interested but left me slightly disappointed.

Xx

The Santina Crown... The Price of Royal Duty - Penny Jordan

The Price of Royal Duty - Penny Jordan
Mills & Boon Modern Special Releases
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263897630












My rating

From the back cover:

"Runaway Royal's Romp with Rajah! 

Santina's rebellious princess Sophia made a shock exit from her brother's engagement party last night following the surprise announcement of her own arranged marriage. It seems Sophia did not favour the match...instead boldly stowing away on the magnificent Maharajah of Naipur's private jet! 

Staff insiders to the masterful Maharajah  Ashok Achari, aren't denying the pair spent a wild night together before being caught by the press on arrival in Mumbai...Scandal is the last thing the Santina royals need right now - might this maharajah be persuaded into taking Santina's runaway princess as his wife?"

The first in the series and I have to be honest as say that I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would.

Penny Jordan is one of the best Harlequin Mills & Boon writers ever, and I think her writing is fantastic. This book isn't badly written, but I just felt that it is overdone and with a little too much purple prose.

Actions and events in this book are so drawn out and over descriptive that I'd forgotten what was actually going on in certain scenes by the end. It got a little tedious to read, to be honest.

I have a real lack of affection for heroes that don't believe anything a heroine says or presumes something about the heroine and cannot be changed in his thinking by anything - to me, this is incredibly frustrating to read and a poor technique for adding conflict.

The hero and heroine's "issues" (and yes, it deserves the quote marks) are melodramatic beyond belief, by the halfway point in this book I really just felt like telling the characters to get over it!

I feel like I have been really harsh writing this review, but even if you take away all of the above stuff I have talked about, this book still disappointed me. The plot doesn't really do anything new or special that I feel a continuity series should. Also it feels completely cut off from the rest of the series - the characters are isolated and the plot doesn't develop the overall series or the series storyline.

Anyway, moving on...

Xx

Book Review... Wife to a Stranger - Daphne Clair

Wife to a Stranger - Daphne Clair
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373186983
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252288










My rating

From the back cover:

"Stranger in her bed
Capri recognized the handsome man in front of her as her husband. She knew his name was Rolfe, but other than that he was a complete stranger to her. In fact, she could remember nothing at all about her life, prior to waking up in the hospital bed. Perhaps all she needed was to get home to New Zealand and her memory would return.
It didn't, despite some shocking revelations about herself and her marriage. One thing she did know: whatever their marital problems might have been, the chemistry between them was as strong as ever. But how could she sleep with a man she barely knew—even if he was her husband?"

I bought this book from the treasury line ages ago and forgot about it! I have liked the few books I have read from this author so I thought I would give this one a go.

I have noticed that a lot of the Presents from the 90s are the amnesia trope. Yes ok, they are clichéd and a bit weak as believable stories, but I admit that I quite like them!

This one was enjoyable, very much so. The author captured my interest with a wonderfully played out story with glimpses into a very troubled past relationship between the hero and heroine, a hero that would can tell is trying all her can to make it work between them, and a heroine that is vulnerable in exactly the right way.

The writing is wonderful; full of depth with a touch of mystery that captivated me from the word go. Then…

The Plot Twist happens. And it ruined the whole book.

I don’t want to say what it is, but it certainly threw me, I wasn’t expecting it at all and it felt a bit like I’d walked slap bang into a wall. It made this book, quite frankly, ridiculous. I felt let down, not to mention that this twist was introduced far too late for it to have any chance of being correctly played out to make it even slightly more believable and the end was rushed and a bit, well, silly.

Disappointed.

Xx

Book Review... Welcome to My World - Miranda Dickinson

Welcome to My World - Miranda Dickinson
Avon Books, 2010
ISBN: 9781847561664












My rating

From the back cover:

"A travel agent who longs to travel. 
An intrepid explorer who just wants to find a place to call home. 
And a Big Idea that changes everything! 
Close your eyes and imagine the world is your oyster! And now imagine never seeing it. Welcome to Harriet Langton's world. All her life she's dreamt of travelling the globe - fate always got in the way. Working as a travel agent, the closest Harri comes to her dream destination of Venice is booking the trip for someone else. But everything changes when travel fanatic Alex drops in. 
With her boyfriend Rob tied up with work, Harri is persuaded to help Alex in his quest for love. But in her attempts to help, Harri soon discovers that she's alienating those around her. 
Desperate to leave her life behind, will her dreams finally come true? Or will Harri's leap of faith be her biggest mistake yet? 
A gorgeous love story for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Jill Mansell"

At times I really enjoyed this book, but overall my feeling towards this book is one of frustration.

The author does a good job of making her heroine both likeable and unlikable, I especially liked that the author delved into the theme of loneliness.

But there is a lot about this book that is frown-inducing; It was quite clear, even though it wasn't revealed until nearly the end, that the heroine's boyfriend was cheating - I felt this made the heroine out to be very stupid, and also there was never really any explanation as to why he did it, I felt there wasn't enough 'closure' on that part. The hero (and I use that term lightly) was an idiot, and he came off as very patronising towards the heroine. There is a part in the book where the heroine overhears him telling one of his friends that he only hangs out with her as he pities her - his response is that he only said that to get his friend off his back but I couldn't buy this, the author didn't really make him believable, or redeemable, after that. And the evil-girlfriend character and her antics just didn't make sense.

I felt there were a lot of good elements that weren't really used to their full potential.

The narrative was very slow, it dragged in places and many times I almost gave up reading. However the author hooked me in buy having the story begin in the present with the heroine hiding out in a toilet cubicle and us, the reader, not knowing why only that something bad has happened - and the rest of the book is all the events leading up to that moment.

Not a bad book just, I don't know, not quite there.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #324

A Deal at the Altar - Lynne Graham 
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890563












My rating

From the back cover:

"Her indecent proposal! 
Having pulled himself up from the streets of Athens, Sergios Demonides thought he had seen it all. Then Beatriz Blake walked into his office and asked him for a marriage of convenience! 
Independent, proud and unadorned, Beatriz is a far cry from the usual glamorous women who grace his bed. But Sergios doesn't need another trophy - he needs a mother for his late cousin's children. 
The overlooked Blake heiress and the ruthless billionaire strike a deal. But she doesn't read the small print - that sees them sharing a bed!"


This is the latest from Lynne Graham (out in April) and a follow on from her last book - Roccanti's Marriage Revenge.

The heroine Beatriz is forced into approaching the her Sergios about a marriage of convenience - her sister had originally meant to marry him - otherwise her father will stop all his financial support for Beatriz's disabled mother. At first Sergios is uninteresting in Bee, as she is nothing like his usual type of woman, but he realised that she is exactly the kind of woman he needs to help him raise his late cousin's three children. Sergios expects to be able to marry Bee and continue with his life as usual and also expects her to do as he says, but he soon realises that Bee is far from amenable. Bee doesn't like the situation she is in but knows it is best for her mother as well as the three children she has become a mother to. When circumstance forces Sergios and Bee to be closer than they expected, Sergios begins to see that he is wildly attracted to Bee and she means so much more to him than he first thought. But Bee is determined to keep her heart, knowing that Sergios doesn't ever plan on losing his freedom.

I was so hoping that I would like this book, but... oh, I really didn't. And that is mainly down to one fact - the hero had a mistress (yuk, hate that word!) all the way through the book. Regardless of the fact that it was revealed eventually that he hadn't actually been with her since marrying the heroine, that his future cheating was almost glorified throughout the book was really, really unappealing. This kind of thing is not, and never will be, something that appeals to the 'romantic fantasy' that we read romance novels for.
Needless to say, I didn't like the hero. I wanted to like the heroine, and I did - she was very fiery and independent up to a point, but I found her overlooking the whole mistress thing, as well as the fact that she gave up her job, and let the hero give her a 'make over' a little hard to swallow.

Throughout reading this book my mind kept saying "no, no, no, no..."! Not for me, is this book! YMMV.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #319

The Shy Socialite - Lindsay Armstrong
Harlequin Presents Extra
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373528455

N.B. This is a North American release - the UK and Aus/NZ title is 'The Socialite and the Cattle King'.








My rating

From the back cover:

"Prim and proper socialite-turned-journalist Holly Harding is looking for her first big scoop. And what better topic than the infamous cattle king Brett Wyndham? But when Holly meets Brett she notices something inherently dangerous about the enigmatic billionaire, and she quickly finds her professional no-nonsense attitude slipping! 
When their plane crashes in the middle of the Outback she is forced to rely on Brett for protection. How long can inexperienced Holly deny their sizzling attraction…?"


Another Presents. I have a confession to make... I actually got this book out from the library ages ago (when it came out here in the UK) and didn't realise that this was the same book, I really wish they wouldn't have different titles, it is very confusing. I never actually finished reading it, I got a couple of chapters in and wasn't enjoying it so I stopped reading it. Anyway, once I had started reading this one and realised my mistake I thought I would continue on with it, you know, perhaps I would like it this time...

The heroine Holly is trying to make a new life for herself away from the limelight of her previous society life, and has recently got a job as a journalist. Her first interview is with Brett, the hero, a well known yet very private Cattle Station owner. Brett hates publicity but agrees to an interview with Holly, sensing that she is different from many other women, he is also very attracted to her. Holly is not used to male attention and is flustered around Brett, but when they are forced into making and emergency lading in the Australian Outback she has to rely on him. As they try and find shelter and help, Brett and Holly get to know one another and the feelings for one another that started out as desire soon turns into much more.

The descriptions of the Outback setting are so vividly portrayed that it is such a shame that I found this book so boring! I found that the story was OK, but manages to be both dull and unbelievable - the crash and everything could have been made really exciting, but just ended up dragging. The relationship and desire between the hero and heroine seemed a little forced in, in my opinion.

This book just didn't work for me, and it left me disappointed and bored. YMMV, of course!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #316

Daddy Devastating - Delores Fossen
Mills & Boon Intrigue 2-in-1
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263885064








My rating

From the back cover:

"For FBI special agent Russ Gentry, Julia Howell is nothing but trouble. First the Texas heiress blunders into his undercover operation to bring down a black-market kidnapping ring. Then she turns his life upside down with a single photograph. 
Russ's connection with the beautiful baby girl in the photo is instant and absolute...and Julia finds herself falling for this man who stepped up when most would have turned and run. As bullets fly and their passion grows, Julia is convinced this devastatingly handsome protector will play an important role in an innocent baby's future. And in hers."


This is the second book in the Intrigue 2-in-1, as above.

The hero Russ is deep undercover trying to bring down an illegal baby-selling ring when the heroine Julia approaches him, jeopardising his cover. Julia has tracked down Russ as the father of her late cousin's baby, whom Julia is guardian of. Thinking on his feet to avoid his cover being blown when members of the ring meet him, Russ pretends that he and Julia are involved. He is forced into letting Julia know just what she has stepped into and Julia is more than a little shocked and scared. When she confronts Russ about the baby he denies ever meeting her cousin, and Russ realises that the father is actually his twin brother whom recently died. Although Russ is shocked by the news of his nephew, he also realises that he wants to be a part of the little boy's life. But first he needs to finish his assignment, and now Julia is involved. They are forced to spend time together, and this eventually leads to them falling for one another. However, Russ's dangerous life brings back painful memories for Julia but she is also able to confront her fears and realise that she wants to change her life as well as have a future with Russ and the baby.

This was pretty much like the previous book I just read (The Baby's Guardian) in that the suspense part of the story is very good, but the romance is really lacking. Speaking of the suspense part, while it was good and quite interesting there are a few holes in the plot that are a little difficult to ignore. Also, I found it hard to believe that the heroine would fall for, and sleep with, a man she only met a few days previously, when she has spent the last 10 years as a virtual recluse after an attack. It doesn't really work, in my opinion.

But, the book held my interest - it's OK. Awful title though!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #295

A Devilishly Dark Deal - Maggie Cox
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890396












My rating

From the back cover:

"A deal with the devil
Having made his fortune from nothing, billionaire Marco Aguilar has wiped the dirt of a poverty-stricken childhood from his expensive shoes. Now he can have anything he wants – and his next acquisition is beautiful charity worker Grace Faulkner. He’ll finance her beloved orphanage if she agrees to become his mistress! 
Only Grace’s sweet, selfless nature – and the fire she ignites with her touch – shakes his iron defences to the core. Tortured Marco has been driven by demons for so long – can he be saved by this innocent angel?"


The title of this book is great, nice bit a alliteration!

The heroine Grace is on holiday in Portugal when she hearts that the well known businessman Marco, the hero, is due to arrive. She decides to try and arrange a meeting with him to ask for a donation to the charity she works for - the charity needs backing in order to build a new orphanage for children in Africa. Although Marco is initially annoyed at Grace's interruption her passion for her cause moves him and he agrees to listen to her proposal. Marco also realises he is very drawn to Grace, both for her passion as well as her honesty. He asks Grace to spend the rest of her holiday with him, and Grace agrees. At first she is nervous and flustered by Marco's attentions but soon realises the attraction is entirely mutual. They start a passionate affair, which quickly becomes more, but Marco is afraid that Grace's refreshing openness will cause him to let down his very guarded heart.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But I have to be honest and say that I just found it boring. The actual story only takes place over a few days but the pace of the book made it feel like forever, it became a little tedious after a while. I found the heroine to be a little too uptight, way too puritanical, and a bit of a martyr. The hero is a good character though, very complex.

This story just didn't have enough kick to make it really enjoyable, in my opinion. It is a little disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #266

The Spaniard's Love-Child - Kim Lawrence
Mills & Boon Modern
In 'His Love-Child' Mills & Boon By Request
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2008
ISBN: 9780263861303


My rating

From the back cover:

"He wants her for one night only... 
Spanish billionaire Raul Carreras is used to getting what he wants: Nell Rose will be his for one night, and for his pleasure! 
...and then she becomes pregnant with his child! 
Raul's red-hot seduction is impossible to resist. But when Nell falls pregnant with her Spanish lover's child, will she tell him?"


This is the second book in the By Request omnibus, as above.

The hero Raul is frantically searching for his missing niece and nephew and he eventually tracks them down at the heroine Nell's, where they had run away to. Nell used to be their nanny, and had been good friends with their father, Raul's brother. Raul has never approved of Nell as he always thought that she and his brother were having an affair, however he knows the children have been having trouble adjusting after the death of their father so he asks Nell to care for them once again. Nell agrees despite her nervousness over Raul's very obvious dislike for her. Soon Raul realises he is drawn to Nell and very attracted to her. They end up indulging in the desire between them, and Raul is shocked and humbled to learn that he has been wrong about Nell all along. Nell, however, is confused over her feelings for Raul, and thinking he is involved with someone else she leaves without word. She later discovers she is pregnant but decides to go it alone, having no idea that Raul has been looking for her.

This is a bit of a frustrating book. The plot idea is interesting and I think it had potential to be really good, but it didn't live up to expectation. I found the hero rather cruel to the heroine, and since he had a girlfriend/companion already his pursuit of the heroine was really crappy. The heroine is a little too doormat-y for me and everything seemed so melodramatic and silly. The story itself is, well, dull.

Sadly disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #261

The Yuletide Child - Charlotte Lamb
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373120703
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252226










My rating

From the back cover:

"The birth of a Christmas baby... 
Dylan was thrilled when, within a few weeks, handsome Ross Jefferson met and married her. But marrying Ross meant that Dylan abandoned her career, friends and the bright lights of the city. It also brought an unexpected pregnancy. Suddenly Dylan found her previously passionate husband was holding her at arm's length, and he seemed to prefer the vivacious wife of his best friend. 
Christmas was coming and Dylan had to get away. But her car skidded. She was stranded in a blizzard and she was about to have her baby. Now she needed Ross more than ever..."


This is the last festive read, I feel the need to forget about Christmas until December rolls round again!

The heroine Dylan and the hero Ross meet after he sees her dancing, he is totally captivated by her. It is virtually love at first sight for both of them. Their whirlwind romance leads to marriage and Dylan willingly giving up her ballet career, much to her dance partners disgust. However much Dylan and Ross's marriage is full of passion for one another, the remote location of their home and Ross's busy working life are hard for Dylan and she soon becomes lonely. When Dylan becomes pregnant, Ross seems to pull even further away from her and she can't help feeling that their marriage was a mistake.

I don't really know what to say about this book. I expected a lot more from it, especially from Charlotte Lamb, but I was sadly disappointed. There is no POV from the hero and I found it difficult to actually believe the relationship. The heroine is a very unsympathetic character, she comes across as very immature and whiny. This book is basically about the heroines insecurities, and not much else. The great misunderstanding was obvious, I saw it coming a mile off.
I also found the writing style very difficult to get into, there is a lot of telling not showing and the pace is rather odd.

As I said, disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #240

Dark Enchantment - Helen Bianchin
Mills & Boon Romance
Mills & Boon, 1986
ISBN: 9780263755091






My rating





From the back cover:

"'There was never any question of whom you would marry, merely when!' Jared Chayse told Kris adamantly. And as Jared was rich, handsome and undeniably attractive, what was Kris worrying about? Merely the fact that, as they were both well aware, their forthcoming marriage would be nothing but a matter of expediency; they were co-heirs to an enormous business empire, so what more suitable than a merger? And the fact that Kris had loved Jared for years was small consolation - when she was only too well aware that he didn't care two straws for her!"


Another recommend Presents...

The heroine Kris arrives back home after spending a year in Europe at a finishing school. She has no idea what is next for her after having most of her life since her father's death dictated by her inheritance trustees; her rather social conscious stepmother and the son of her father's business partner Jared, the hero. Feeling a bit lost by her lack of direction she goes along with the endless stream of parties her stepmother takes her to, as well as the dinner invitations from Jared. Jared soon informs her that he plans for them to marry, and Kris knows that the marriage is only intended in order to merge their two families and thus make their combined business, of which Jared is CEO, even more powerful. Kris agrees as she feels there is little other course for her. She has always had a secret love for Jared but is realistic enough to know that he will never love her.

I'll be honest and tell you that I don't really like Helen Bianchin's books. Her writing style just doesn't work for me, but I have heard that her older books are much better than her more recent ones (which always seem to contain some psycho-stalker-esque plot) so I thought I would give this one a go... Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it. The story itself is interesting and had potential, but the devil is in the details and they were poorly done. I found it very difficult to sympathise with the characters, they were so snobbish and whiny. I don't mind books set in a wealthy world, but this book was just ridiculous. Readers need to be able to put themselves in the character's shoes, not be patronised by them - that is what this book did in my opinion. Let me give you an example -

"Her eyes assumed a shrewdness far beyond her years. 'It's just as much a pain being born rich as it is being born poor. Although the poor wouldn't agree with me!' She laughed..."

Yeah, somehow I don't think those who can't feel their children would agree with you. Why would the author write that?! And what is with all the designer's names chucked in, seriously there is tons, it's unnecessary and a little tacky.
The writing is so repetitive, every damn thing the heroine did was described and sometimes in mind numbing detail. I lost count of the amount of times the heroine did the following (all in the same order) - had a shower, "completed her toilette", put on underwear, chose clothing, put on make up, and brushed her hair. Very frustrating.
One last thing - in the HEA the hero admitted he had been in love with the heroine for over five years and waiting for her. The heroine only just turned 21 in this book and the hero 34, so that means he has been lusting after her since she was 14/15 and he 29... Make of that what you will.

The reason this got two stars not one, is that the actual plot was interesting.
Sadly disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #221

Skirting the Issue - Heather MacAllister
Mills & Boon Sensual Romance
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2003
ISBN: 9780263835601





My rating





From the back cover:

"The city: New York
The single girl: Samantha Baldwin
The solution: the skirt!
When businesswoman Samantha Baldwin discovers that her long-time rival, ruthless Josh Crandall, has overtaken her on the career ladder, she decides to play dirty too.
Her plan? To flirt her way into promotion by wearing a man-magnet skirt - one with the power to have any guy eating out of her hands in seconds! But, to her surprise, the only man Samantha attracts is Josh. And the chemistry between them lasts long after he takes off her skirt..."


The Sensual Romance line is one I remember reading when I first discovered Mills & Boon as a teenager, I liked them at the time so I thought I would give this one a go.

At the beginning of the story the heroine Sam is on the verge of a promotion that will be huge for her career and in a going-nowhere (for her) relationship. She 'catches' a so called lucky skirt, instead of a bouquet, at a friend's wedding. Deciding to change her life she moves to NYC, newly single and confident about winning the promotion. Her confidence comes crashing down when she runs into Josh, the hero, a business rival with whom she will be working. Josh and Sam once had a very brief thing going on, until Josh put a stop to it, and Sam has never forgotten her embarrassment. After Josh humiliates her during a seminar, Sam sets out to get him back by poaching one of his clients, which backfires on her spectacularly. Josh suggests that she be sent on a course to help her be less aggressive as a woman, however he soon realises this is a massive mistake and tries to redeem himself to her. Sam and Josh's bottled in feelings and frustrations erupt and they finally give in to each other. But Sam is after forever, and Josh is most definitely not.

As soon as I started reading this I realised that the book (which is part of a mini-series) is the skirt and romance equivillent of the 'Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants' book/movie - No Comment... I'm going to say this now, THE STORY DID NOT NEED THE STUPID MAGIC-ISH SKIRT. It distracted from what was good in this story and completely put me off. The story itself, if we ignore the skirt, is OK. I liked the whole love/hate and rivalry thing between the hero and heroine, it is a nice way of getting some simmering chemistry into the story, but I don't think it was made the most out of. There are some fun moments, romantic moments, and a bit of passion but not enough of anything to really make this book have punch.
Also, an apartment on Central Park West is not next to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, that's on Fifth Avenue (Central Park East) - an unforgivable mistake in my mind! Yes, I know I'm picky.

Disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #184

The Master of Highbridge Manor - Susanne James
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263878110





My rating




From the back cover:

"Walking up to the imposing gates of Highbridge Manor, Ria cannot contain her shivers of anticipation; she has come here to escape her past and start over. But when she is greeted by Jasper Trent her devilishly handsome new boss, she realises he's on dangerous ground.
Plucky and proud, Ria holds her heard high while doing her new job - though she can't control her blushes when Jasper is in the vicinity! She's always been strictly professional, but now it seems the master of Highbridge Manor has other plans for her once the working day is done!"


I found this book in the library. I had never heard of Susanne James before so I thought I would give this one a go.

The heroine Ria is about to start her new temporary teaching post at an exclusive boarding school. She is looking forward to a new start after a rough couple of years. She meets the hero Jasper at her interview, he is the acting headmaster, and is immediately drawn to him. Jasper also finds Ria intriguing, however he is reluctant to get involved in anything serious after his failed marriage. As the weeks progress Ria and Jasper form a firm friendship and get to know one another after spending a lot of time together. Eventually it becomes clear that they are both falling for one another, but with Ria planning to go travelling at the end of the term it doesn't seem like there is a future for them.

I have to say that this book did not work for me at all. The internal conflict for for both of the characters is good and well developed but introduced far too late to have any real impact, especially the heroine's, which was only revealed in the closing pages. The whole book just kind of plodded along and at times I found it quite boring. There's not really much chemistry or passion between the hero and heroine and the writing, in my opinion, is a little old fashioned as well.
The title and blurb kind of make this book sound much more exciting that it is, which is disappointing. To me, I don't think this fits the Modern line. As I said, unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #173

The Girl he Never Noticed - Lindsay Armstrong
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886672




My rating




From the back cover:

"From invisible PA...
Tycoon Cam Hillier requires a suitably attractive young lady to grace his arm at this season's fundraising party, but time is running out. So Cam must turn his attention to the woman right under his nose - his dowdy PA, Liz Montrose.
To belle of the ball!
'Personal duties' were not in Liz's job description - but, with her little daughter to clothe and feed, she knows she must go above and beyond. But there will be no sensible suits or thick-rimmed glasses to hide behind tonight! Cam's never noticed her before...but all that's about to change!"


For some reason the last three books I have read have all included "girl" in the title... strange!

The heroine Liz is temping for the hero Cam, when he finds himself without a date one night. He tells Liz that she will need to accompany him, Liz only agrees as she needs to keep her job as she has her young daughter to think of. Liz is a single mother struggling to be a good mother and provide for her daughter, as well as still dealing with grief over the rejection of her and her pregnancy by her daughters father. After the party Liz and Cam form a solid friendship, which they soon realise goes much deeper as their feelings for one another grow. As they get to know each other they try to see if they could have anything more between them, but while cam is open about his ever growing feelings for her, Liz is plagued by doubts and her insecurities.

While this book has a nice focus on the romance element of the relationship, I felt it was a little boring. There just wasn't much chemistry between the characters, and the storyline itself just lacked something. There are a few things in the story that are built up and I expected them to be made more off but they just seemed to be forgotten.

This is not a bad book, the simplicity of the relationship is very pleasant to read but, in my opinion, it just didn't have that sparkle.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #168

Under the Brazilian Sun - Catherine George
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886832





My rating




From the back cover:

"Beauty and the beast...
Roberto de Sousa lived for the sound of crowds chanting his name. But now all he hears are thoughts of bitterness and regret. One look at his scarred face in the mirror and he's back in his car as it crashes, his racing career destroyed.
No one has tempted the reclusive champion out from his mansion, and Dr Katherine Lister is the only person to be invited in...She's there to value a rare piece of art. But under Roberto's sultry gaze she feels like a priceless jewel..."


After the last book I read on this challenge I needed a good ol' Modern to put me back on track! I quite liked this one.

The heroine Katherine is an art historian and has travelled to Portugal to inspect a painting on behalf of her employer. When she arrives she meets the hero Roberto, the owner of the painting, who at first seems unhappy that she is a woman and is slightly standoffish with her. Roberto is a former racing car driver but after a car accident he has been left with a permanent leg injury and scarred. As he and Katherine spend time together their feelings for each other grow and Roberto begins to come to terms with his injuries. When they are forced to go their separate ways, Katherine to England and Roberto back home to Brazil, they are both torn by their lives and each other. But as time goes on without word from Roberto, Katherine begins to think that what happened between them meant nothing to him.

I'm going to give it to you straight. This is a very warm and pleasant romance, but it is a tad boring. The narrative, dialogue, and characters just never really clicked for me. At times it's a little too dragged out. Although I liked the simplicity of the romance. It was refreshing to read something that didn't include any underlying revenge or full of issues and/or angst.
A few of the Portuguese expressions are incorrect, which is a little frustrating.

Overall, this is a warm and pleasant romance, if a little dull. I also think that this, perhaps, is more suited to the Cherish/Romance RIVA lines rather than the Modern line.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #167

Mean for Each Other - Lee Duran
Harlequin Superromance
Harlequin, 2008
ISBN: 9780373715350

N.B. This is a North American release



My rating






From the back cover:

"Frankie Hale doesn't believe in love at first sight...until she meets Johnny Davis. And hours after that first meeting, he carves their initials into a tree, joining them forever. If only it were so easy.
From the very beginning, their on-again, off-again romance makes them the talk of their small Missouri town. It's clear that Frankie and Johnny are meant to be together, so why do they have to struggle to make this relationship work? Or are they learning the hard way that a love worth having takes a lifetime to build?"


Another Superromance, this time I sent my husband up to my bookshelves to pick one out for me! This was very painful to read.

The heroine Frankie recieves a call in the middle of the night informing her that her ex-husband Johnny, the hero, is in hospital after having a heart attack and she is still down as his emergency contact. As she is traveling to the hospital she reminices over her relationship with Johnny. Told through flashbacks we learn that Frankie and Johnny met as teenagers in the 60s and they immediatly knew they belonged together. Frankie was a sweet and naive small town girl brought up to know her place as a woman, whereas Johnny was a city boy desperated to break out of his families conservative plans. Over the years Frankie and Johnny went through many ups and downs including; a teenage pregnancy, a hasty marriage, Johnny dropping out of college and getting involved in the hippie and drug culture of the late 60s, infidelity, happiness, having a family, mistrust etc. Over their history Frankie and Johnny have married and divorced three times, but have always loved each other deeply. They have both made mistakes and have not been able to work it out between them, yet despite all of this they know they belong together.

Urgh, what can I say other than is is a heartbreakingly frustrating book. It is so depressing at times that I almost gave up on many occasions, but the way the story is told kept me reading with a 'need' to find out what happened next. The story is told in flashbacks, which I don't mind, but this was told in the first person from the heroine's point of view and it didn't really work for me. The prose is incredibly slow at times, and the characters feel far too underdeveloped.
This book is like the Mike Leigh version of Forrest Gump ... seriously. If the book has one 60's pop culture reference it had a hundred (they just happened to meet Frank Sinatra...!), and there are just far too many clichés. E.g. Not one but two bitchy other women characters, hippies that do drugs as a prerequisite and nothing else, coming home injured from the Vietnam war, girls who grew up in small towns being called squares, an aunt that believed in feminism but of course that meant she had to be single because no man would want her... urgh, if I go on I may blow a fuse!
I got, and sort of liked, the whole 'can't live with each other, can't live without each other' theme of the central relationship and I liked that it was something a little different in style. But it was poorly executed and just too damn sad and upsetting, I really struggled with it.

But, saying all that, I did keep reading... This book has stayed in my mind and not necessarily in a good way, in fact as I write this I'm getting a little upset thinking about it.

Depressing and sad, but a little intriguing in it's originality.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #154

The Picture of Innocence - Jacqueline Baird
Harlequin Presents Extra
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373528097


N.B. The above details relate to the North American release of this book.


My rating






From the back cover:

"Lucy Steadman refuses to be intimidated by brooding Italian Lorenzo Zanelli. He may hold the fate of her family's business in his iron fist, but she will not submit to his more personal demands.
As a talented artist, Lucy can see the truth in beauty; Lorenzo may be devastatingly handsome, but he has a soul blackened by his desire for revenge. And to give in to such a man, even for a single kiss, would be to lose her head— and her heart—forever..."


Back to another Presents. I love this title (I really think that the titles of the Modern/Presents books are getting better) so I was looking forward to reading it. It's OK.

The heroine Lucy is all alone in the world, the only thing she had left of her family is a small share in the families business. One of the other shareholder planning to redevelop the area and Lucy goes to see the hero Lorenzo, the other shareholder, to try and convince him not to vote on the redevelopment. Lorenzo has no time for Lucy as he still blames her brother for the death of his brother many years back, all of which he takes great pleasure in telling her. However his initial reaction to her changes when he sees her again at the wedding of a mutual friend, and he decides to pursues her for an affair. Lucy tries to resist him but she is drawn to his brooding personality, and when they do get together she is excited and happy that this could be the start of something special for them. But Lorenzo brutally crushed her hopes when he tells her he wanted nothing but an affair and he still doesn't really like her. She moves on and managers to make plans for her family business with the other partner, but once again Lorenzo crushes her hopes when he returns after getting pressure from his mother and hearing about Lucy's plans.

I really wanted to like this book, and at times I did, but for the majority of it I found it very difficult to read. In my opinion the author has taken the alpha-male concept WAY too far, there's a difference between a dominating male and a controlling bastard, and unfortunately the hero of the book falls into the latter (He calls the heroine fat, for goodness sake). I also think there are too many conflicts in this story, it got a little frustrating. I did like the heroine though, she is feisty and independent.

The story idea is good but, in my opinion, it is overcomplicated and poorly executed.

Disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #151

The Big Bad Boss - Susan Stephens
Mills and Boon RIVA
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263883824





My rating





From the back cover:

"Heath Stamp was a very bad boy growing up. If there was a fight, he fought. If there was a woman, he took her to bed. If there was a sweet, innocent girl with big doe eyes - he ran a mile. Bronte Foster-Jenkins sure as hell isn't looking at him with big doe eyes any more. Instead she's shooting daggers in his direction.
All grown-up, Heath is rich, arrogant and ready to raze his family estate to the ground - even if Bronte will do anything to stop him. He'll do it with a glint in his eye and happily take her down with him. For, make no mistake, Heath Stamp has gone from bad...to irresistible!"


I have been raving about the RIVA line and how good it is for a while now, and I can honestly say all the books I have read from this line so far, I have loved. But sadly, this is the first one I did not enjoy.

The hero Heath is a successful software engineer and former youth offender. After a rough childhood his wealthy uncle offered him a place at his country estate where he ran a sort of rehabilitation scheme for troubled young boys. The heroine Bronte was the daughter of the estates housekeeper and they had become young friends. Years later, Heath has discovered his uncle has left him the estate in his will, although now it is very much in disrepair. He travels up to decide what to do with it and also get some closure on his past, where he meets Bronte again. Bronte is now a grown woman who has just returned from studies and travelling. She wants to help Heath restore the estate to it's former glory and get a job as the estate manager. She knows she has a job on her hands to convince Heath and as they spend time together they both have to fight the intense attraction between them.

I'm sorry, but I really didn't like this story. I spent most of the book not really understanding what was going on. The narrative and dialogue seemed very erratic and seemed to jump around a lot, I found myself re-reading many sections to see if I had missed something. I didn't really care for either character, they were both too self absorbed in their own worlds. Also, the book is set in Yorkshire... the hero is called Heath... the heroine is called Bronte... that's about as subtle as a brick.

A story that doesn't really make sense and moves slowly. Disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #136

To Tame her Tycoon Lover - Ann Major
Mills and Boon Desire 2-in-1
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263881745





My rating






From the back cover:

"As a girl from the wrong side of the bayou, Cici Bellefleur had loved one Claiborne brother...and been romanced by the other. Foolishly, she'd given Logan her innocence only to learn his seduction was but a means to an end. It was a betrayal she'd never forget--or forgive.
Discovering Cici had returned caught Logan by surprise...as did learning his desire for her had not diminished with time. Years before, he'd led her on to keep her away from his twin brother. Yet now the tycoon vowed to have Cici once again...this time to please no one but himself."


This is the second book in the Desire 2-in-1, as above. I didn't really enjoy this one.

The heroine Cici has come back to her home for the first time in nine years where she has reconciled with the grandfather of the hero Logan. Nine years ago Logan had seduced Cici in order to stop his brother pursuing her as she was considered unsuitable for his upper class family. Logan had then dumped her, leaving Cici heartbroken. When Logan hears of her return he thinks she is up to something and resents her new found friendship with his grandfather. But sparks still fly between them when they meet again, and Logan can't help but be drawn to her. He still sees her as unsuitable for his conservative life and Cici can never forget what she went through after he dumped her. But they eventually succumb to their desire and begin to get to know one another, realising they have always been in love. But with their past betrayals and hurts it's unlikely they can have a future.

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't warm to it. The plot idea and the back story of the relationship between the hero and heroine are interesting but the details and execution of the book is not good. On many of my past reviews I have spoken about how much I hate books that contain any form of infidelity/cheating, well unfortunately we have it in this book, twice. When the hero first slept with the heroine he was engaged and when they sleep together again he has a long term partner he plans to marry. This killed it for me I'm afraid! I also felt the miscarriage wasn't dealt with enough sensitivity and the whole class divide stuff really got annoying.

Disappointing.

Xx