Category: B reviews (Page 23 of 74)

Force of Attraction by DD Ayres, narrated by Jeffrey Kafer

September 25, 2016 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’ve had my eye on this book for a while and wanted to catch up on the series. I decided to try the audio rather than the digital version. MISTAKE.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) The only thing more powerful than fear is desire…

A seasoned K-9 officer with the police in Maryland, Cole Jamison has left her old life behind her. With a new home and a new partner – a protective canine named Hugo – Cole is ready for fresh challenges. A crucial position on an important drug task force is exactly what she wants – until she discovers her gorgeous, infuriating ex-husband will be the DEA agent in charge.

Agent Scott Lucca may be a pro when it comes to undercover assignments, but this job is daunting even for him. Posing as a happy couple on the dog competition circuit means he and Cole need to get a lot closer than they’ve been in years. Playing a live-in couple should seem like a walk in the park compared to tracking a brutal criminal, but suddenly nothing could be more dangerous than the passionate fire they’ve rekindled.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Cole (short for Nicole) Jamison is somewhat unexpectedly asked to join an undercover operation run by a joint FBI/DEA task force. She’s a K-9 officer with the Maryland police but her previous experience in agility training/courses is the big attractor for the task force. Also, her ex-husband (who wants her back) suggested she be brought in.

Scott Lucca met and married Nikki (as he then knew her) in a whirlwind romance. After his beloved (and golden) brother, Gabe, died while deployed, Scott lost it a bit and things fell apart. At the time he was working as an undercover operative infiltrating the Pagans MC and some of the things he had to do to maintain his cover cost them both. That was two years earlier and Scott still misses Nikki like it was yesterday.
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August Round Up

September 2, 2016 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

The Scoundrel & I by Katharine Ashe – B Elyssa Patrick was singing the praises of this novella and, as it was only 99c, I snapped it up. While I didn’t love it quite as much as Elyssa did, I did enjoy my time spent with Gabriella (Elle) Flood and Captain Anthony Masinter. The Scoundrel & I is a spinoff novella (from the author’s Falcon Club series) but stands alone well. I expect there will be quite a few readers using this book as a gateway in fact.

Elle works in a printer’s and has been left “in charge” when the owner and his family go on two week’s holiday. And, by “in charge” I mean she is in the shop for reasons which are not made clear, as she’s not allowed to do any actual printing herself. Nonetheless, she resolves to take home the print “chase” for the latest women’s rights pamphlet from Lady Justice so her blind and ailing grandmother can read the type with her fingers. (The backstory doled out along the way explains how this is relevant). Unfortunately, on the way home, Elle is startled by a rider and drops the chase, losing 53 pieces of type and destining her for unemployment at best and prison at worst.

Anthony, when he realises a couple of days later what he has done, resolves to help Elle to restore the type before her employer returns from holiday. Thus restored, no-one need ever know she took the chase out of the shop at all. Used to captaining a ship, Anthony does tend to take charge, even if Elle is not at all keen on having his help – at least, not at first. Continue reading

June Round Up

June 22, 2016 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold, narrated by Grover Gardner – B Another strong entry into the Vorkosigan saga, (I’m getting close to the Miles romance books! Whee!!) which I am slowly making my way through. I listened to Borders of Infinity before Brothers in Arms and the former has a framing story around three novella length tales – I’m pretty sure at least one of those short stories takes place after Brothers in Arms so I did have a bit of cognitive dissonance when Miles was doing the business with Elli Quinn. I’m sure I’ve heard a story where Ellie falls in love with someone else. (Did I get that wrong? Am I confusing this series with something else?)

I enjoyed Miles’ ponderings on what makes family and I liked Ivan’s appearance in this one – he makes me laugh actually. Ivan strikes me as a fairly simple sort of guy, not at all stupid but a little lazy and almost Miles’ polar opposite. He makes a good foil for our hero. I also liked the way Elli and Miles hooked up here and how it was implicit that they were having, essentially, a FWB relationship. Appearances are another theme in this story – Miles’ appearance, Elli’s appearance and how it has changed since Miles has known her, the various consequences of their respective visages and bodies, not to mention the appearance of “Mark”. Continue reading

Another Dream by Mary Balogh (from Once Upon A Dream anthology)

June 6, 2016 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I adore Mary Balogh books so I bought it. (I haven’t yet read the Grace Burrowes story. I may not ever do so as I really only bought it for the Balogh novella.)

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Miss Eleanor Thompson has found satisfaction as the director of a respected school for girls. The life of a dedicated educator offers many rewards and much meaning–but also more loneliness than Eleanor anticipated. She accepts an invitation from her sister, Christine, Duchess of Bewcastle, to attend a Bedwyn houseparty, never dreaming the summer curriculum might include stolen kisses and true love.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I was feeling in the mood for a comfort type read but I also wanted a story I hadn’t read before – so I turned to Mary Balogh. She is ever the comfort read to me. I just sink into her books like I would a comfy couch.

Eleanor Thompson is Christine’s sister (as in Wulfric’s wife). She is now the owner/operator of the Bath school for girls formerly run by Claudia Martin, now the Marchioness of Attingsborough. On her way to Lindsey Hall for a summer holiday with her family, she is stranded at an inn waiting out a storm. There, she meets a charming man, a widower with two young children, Michael Benning, the Earl of Staunton. Robert is five years old and very shy, Georgette is # and precocious, voluble and whip smart. The children take a shine to Eleanor and Eleanor and Michael take a shine to each other. Continue reading

May Round Up

May 31, 2016 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

Bounty by Kristen Ashley – B-/C+ As I usually do, I pre-ordered the latest Kristen Ashley release and started reading it soon after it landed on my reader. And, as I usually do, I enjoyed the book – mostly. Justice Lonesome is the daughter and granddaughter of rock royalty, a talented musician in her own right. She buys an unfinished house near Carnal in Colorado (exactly how and why she came to choose Carnal is never made clear) and starts to settle in. Her beloved father, Johnny Lonesome, died suddenly some months before and Justice is still grieving. Deke Hightower is a contractor for Holden Maxwell’s house-building business and arrives to start work on finishing Justice’s new place.

As it happens, Justice and Deke had met one night some years before and made a connection. Circumstances intervened and their potential wasn’t realised – Justice always wondered “what if” though. It’s clear to Deke that Justice is a wealthy woman and, because of his personal history, he’s reluctant to act on his attraction to her. In his experience, rich women are bad for him in many ways. Besides all that, he can’t see how they’d fit together. Deke is a restless soul – he travels about half the year and comes home to Carnal the other time, to do some work for Max and make enough money to go travelling again. How could Justice fit in with that kind of lifestyle? How could it ever work? Continue reading

Eidolon by Grace Draven

May 27, 2016 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I enjoyed Radiance and bought the sequel as soon as I knew it was out. (Actually, I remember Radiance much more fondly with hindsight. It’s a book, I have decided, which gets better the more one thinks about it. If I were to grade it now, it would be far closer to an A than the B I originally awarded it.)

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) In a bid for more power, the Shadow Queen of Haradis has unleashed a malignant force into the world. Her son Brishen, younger prince of the Kai royal house, suddenly finds himself ruler of a kingdom blighted by a diseased darkness and on the brink of war. His human wife Ildiko must decide if she will give up the man she loves in order to secure his throne.

Three enemy kingdoms must unite to save each other, and a one-eyed, reluctant king must raise an army of the dead to defeat an army of the damned.

A tale of alliance and sacrifice.

Note: Spoilers for Radiance follow. Eidolon is not a stand-alone book. It is necessary to read Radiance first to understand what’s going on.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Strangely enough, when I started this book, I wanted to immediately stop and then go back and re-read Radiance (I still may do that actually). Seeing Brishen and Ildiko on the page again reminded me about how much I loved reading their romance. I said about Radiance that it had little by way of internal conflict, which is true. But it also meant that they had an instant connection and basically were fairly sympatico right the way through the story. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed watching their love blossom. Once the news of the events at the palace in Haradis reaches Saggara, there is both internal and external conflict galore. If Brishen is the king, he will need heirs of his body. Ildiko cannot give him those heirs, being a different species to her husband. Further, it is unlikely the Kai would accept her as queen in any event. Bastardy is a stain on one’s honour and the Kai do not have polygamy. If Brishen is king and if the king is to do his duty, then he and Ildiko must surely part, mustn’t they?
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