Comanche Moon.

I haven't read a "fun" book in forever and a day, or at least that's how it seems. My school reading load is overwhelming. While I understand the merits of Wuthering Heights, and appreciate it as a novel, I can't say that I would ever read it simply to be reading it. The whole cast of characters is unredeemable. Heathcliff and Catherine don't make for very good company and I'd like to kick Lockwood and Nelly in their respective throats. I needed a break...so I cheated a little this week and finished two, yes TWO, "fun" books. The first was good until its final pages, where it became unbearably clichéd and syrupy. The second...the second is worth mentioning.

I've been a fan of Catherine Anderson since I picked up my copy of Cherish years ago. Race Spencer is my favorite hero. I usually would have a hard time settling on just ONE hero but when push comes to shove Race is the one I pick. He would be the book I risked my life to keep if the plot of Farenheit 451 ever came to realization. He would also be the only book I couldn't bear to leave behind if I were going to be stranded on an island somewhere. I've read Cherish at least once every few months for at least 5 years. I know passages by heart. When I love a book this much I'm torn between telling everyone I know about it and forcing them to read it or keeping it to myself so that I don't have to share. I'm feeling the same way about Comanche Moon.

I ended my Thursday by looking at the pile of library books I haven't touched since starting school and putting it in my mind that I deserved to read one dammit. I was having a tough time deciding which one I was going to indulge in and decided that I would read the first few pages of each to see which I wanted to read the absolute most. I picked up Comanche Moon to try first. I never cracked open any of the others. I got sucked in. After reading this I have to say Hunter is definitely on par with Race. I don't have a clear favorite...Hunter may have managed to squeak just a little above and beyond. (Sorry Race!)

In Short: Hunter of the Wolf (Hunter for short) is part of the great prophecy of the Comanche tribe. He will one day meet a "yellow-hair" (a.k.a. white girl) and together they will leave both of their worlds to make a life of their own, teaching their children the ways of the Comanche so that the "True People" are never completely lost/forgotten. Loretta is an orphan; her family brutally murdered by Comanche braves. (here to purchase) Hunter lost his wife and unborn child because of "yellow-hair" men. They come together by force; both are filled with hatred for the other. They separate by necessity; both are filled with sorrow. Fate circles around and gives them a second (then a third) chance.

I guess that this book has been a "favorite" of a lot of people for years. I feel robbed. It was so good! How could I have missed it? I laughed and cried in equal measure. At one point I was positive that it was going to be one of those crappy endings where the girl doesn't get the guy, but she has a child so she's never completely without him. I was wrong. Thank you baby butter Jesus. This is a book that I'm going to buy and sit it in a place of honor...right beside Cherish of course.

Fina Grade: A+.

10 Things I Love About You.

Usually romance novels are my escape; they make me happy and they make me hopeful. Sometimes, as much as I try to stop it, they make me lonely. I rarely feel bad about being alone. Yes, I would like to meet someone to spend my life with. No, it hardly ever makes me feel like an absolute shit to not have met them. I'll admit to being jealous of the couples I see, sometimes I even wish it were me and not them. I promptly feel bad for not being happy about their happiness. Today is one of the bad days. Why do wonderful stories sometimes make me feel awful? Because occasionally when I resurface from a good book I feel bereft; I want to keep reading about the happy-in-love people but I cant, this then makes me realize that I'm alone and the chances of me getting my own happy ending are almost nil. It didn't help my mood today to discover that my sister is talking to a piece of bronzed-blond-Greek-God mancandy. How could I take that in stride? Read another romance of course. Love stories are my disease and my cure.

In short: Sebastian Grey is an author/tons of fun in bed. He's an almost heir full of honor masquerading as a rake. The Earl (Seb's nasty uncle) hates him and is looking for a broodmare so that he can have a son so that Seb doesn't inherit. The uncle has his sights set on Annabel Winslow. Annabel is trying to find a rich husband so that her family doesn't starve. She can't seem to talk herself into marrying for money and is repulsed by the Earl. Seb and Annabel have a chance encounter after the Earl attacks her and she flees from the party to the heath. They share a passionate kiss and part ways, never introducing themselves. They meet again, are properly introduced, their attraction blooms. There is a slight withholding of information on Annabel's part. Sebastian is woefully ignorant. The two cause a scandal (which is actually hardly any type of scandal at all). The Earl learns of this and makes himself even more of a nuisance. Annabel is on her way to becoming a pariah. Seb comes to the rescue. Happily. Ever. After.

I have been a fan of Julia Quinn since I picked up The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. J.Q. has a warm sense of humor and her characters reflect this. Sebastian is an irresistible mixture of naughty and nice. He has a wicked sense of humor, a sharp tongue, and wears a mask so that the world thinks he's brainless but charming. Charming is right, brainless couldn't be further from the truth. Annabel is a country girl. She has no idea why the people in London talk in riddles and get so worked up over nothing. She's out of her element and she has an old, overweight, Earl who reeks of fish and brandy chasing after her. Olivia and Harry from What Happens in London are present and active in the book. This is definitely a bonus seeing as how I loved Harry and Olivia.

While the Cavendish novels were good reads they weren't anything like the other J.Q. novels I had read. I think Ms. Quinn has found her stride again with this one.

Final Grade: A.

Reading Hiatus.

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't finished a book in 3 days. The last one I read all the way through was so mediocre that I actually had nothing to say about it. Me having nothing to say? Yeah. It surprised me too. I abandoned Scandalous by Karen Robards on page 72, The Treasure by Iris Johansen on page 78, The Pirate and the Pagan by Virginia Henley on page 140, and The Gift by Julie Garwood on page 93. Why have I abandoned these books?These are the very same books that have appeared on countless "best romance" lists. Simply put: they annoyed me. Something about them just grated on my nerves until it became unbearable. I hate putting down a novel unfinished because, really, how can I say I hated it if I never reached the end? I at least want to know exactly what I'm hating. Dig it? These books were set aside as soon as I could pinpoint what I didn't like about them.

Scandalous: Hated the plot. He holds her at gunpoint for spying on him? Then she shoots him? What is this? They decide to keep each other's secrets for fear that the entire scheme will tumble down on top of them both. Not appealing at this juncture in my reading life. Sorry.

The Treasure: This was dreadful. The heroine is a spoiled, selfish, stupid little bitch. The hero allows her to be this way. Predictable in the typical Iris Johansen fashion, but highly annoying. Selene is someone I'd like to poke in the face with a sharp stick. Just saying.

The Pirate and the Pagan: I was so excited about this book. I just couldn't deal with another of the double identity plot "twists" again. Give it up people. This isn't hard to figure out. Whenever there is a "mysterious" brother and both brothers are never seen at the same time...you got it! They're the same person. Whoa. I think that totally blew my mind. I'm glad I took those classes for close reading, otherwise I never would've been able to figure that one out on my own. (rolling eyes)

The Gift: Am I reading the same book as other people? This was awful. The heroine was whiny and childish. She got on my nerves endlessly. If I had a double-ended sharp stick I could poke her and the cow from The Treasure simultaneously! Hello time saver.

I'm starting on a Julia Quinn novel. She's normally a fun, quick, read for me. Here's to hoping that she doesn't let me down.

True Blood. Season 1.

I've abandoned my book. It's awful. I can't say that I'm upset about it though. I have had an enlightening past 36 hours. I'm the girl who doesn't watch much TV. I just don't like it. I watch movies, or read, if given a choice. The only shows I follow faithfully are White Collar and Dexter. I follow those because for one Neil is my boyfriend (he makes my world a better place by gracing my TV on Tuesday nights), and for two I have a soft spot for fictional sociopathic serial killers with a dry sense of humor. Sue me. I've avoided reading the Sookie Stackhouse series, and I've avoided watching True Blood. I picked up the first of the books and completed the first season in its entirety. I've been missing out. I don't like the books, let me just get that off of my chest. Rarely, very very rarely, do I find a movie/TV show that I like better than the book(s) upon which it is based. Sookie happens to be one of them. I can't get into the books; maybe that is because I started watching the show first. Who can say? While I love Dexter on Showtime, I love the books a whole helluva lot more. I'm gonna stick with the show on Sookie, even though I feel like a sell-out to my true love of literature; True Blood has forced me to admit an addiction to soft-core vampire porn. Embarrassing, yes. Bad? Yes, but it's so bad that you want more and more. I have just a few questions...

1: Why is Bill's hair so...so...ick? It looks like Katie Holmes' haircut on a man. The bob with bangs didn't even look good on Katie, let alone a guy. He has bangs for shit's sake! Bangs! I can bypass Rene being a killer, because let's face it...Rene was SEXY all caps, but bangs? No. I'm sorry Mr. Vampire Bill. I can't bypass bangs.

Bill's bad bangs.

Sexy Rene.

2: Why doesn't someone just kill that annoying Jessica bitch already? She's grating on my fucking nerves and she's on the screen for all of 10 minutes.

3: Am I the only one who is in love with Sam? Sookie, Sookie. What is wrong with you girl? He's perfect. Who cares if he barks in his sleep? You could do a lot worse. Oh wait. You like the guy with bangs.

Sir Barks-A-Lot.

Even though I'm confused about Bill's hair and Sookie's stupidity, there are plenty of reasons to keep watching. Their names are: Sam, Lafayette, and Jason's body. I love Sam. I love Lafayette. And I loved Rene. I'll take sexy Cajun accent Rene any day. Hell, I'll take Lafayette too. Sam doesn't have to worry about loaning me money for an exorcism. No sir. He wouldn't have to pay me a dime. Oh and Eggs. Eggs was on the screen for 2 minutes; Mr. Sexy-Playing-the-Acoustic-Guitar was enough to make me forget about Bill's bad haircut. I suppose that even though Jason is testicularly retarded he's a good chunk of man-candy too.

Mr. Incredible-Edible Eggs.

Testicularly Retarded Hot Body Brother.

Lafayette.

Now my apologies. This is a book blog. I realize this entry isn't about books. Shut up people. I'm going through withdrawals. True Blood has consumed my life for the past day and a half. Season two will be here tomorrow. I'll resurface on Sunday.

Pirates.

I've been in the mood for a good pirate romance. Pirates by Linda Lael Miller has time travel and pirates? It shows up on a best pirate romance book list? It got decent customer reviews on Amazon? (click here) Sign me up! First off let me say that my expectations for this book were really high. I was craving something wonderful; a love story with a sexy swashbuckling hero (I'm looking at you Capt. Jack Sparrow) and some high seas adventure. I'm a pirate fanatic for shit's sake. I love pirates. I don't care that in reality they were grimy and liked to drink all the time. Doesn't matter one iota. So what if they were a rough and tumble lot? I want one. I need one. I didn't get one with this book. Was I reading the same book that got 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon? People what is your criteria for a good pirate romance? I must be working off of a different list of requirements here. I thought this book was awful. I'm sorry to all the fans of it. I'm glad you like it. To people that want to read it...well go for it and I wish you better results.

The Short: Phoebe is recently divorced, jobless, dog-less, family-less. She gets a flyer in the mail to come to the Caribbean and check out condos. She goes. She reads about Duncan Rourke on the flight. After she's there she has to dress up like a wench. She gets in the elevator to go downstairs and ends up in 1780. Duncan is a notorious pirate fighting for America's independence in the Revolutionary War. He finds Phoebe in his basement and thinks she's a spy. He locks her in a room. Old Woman (Yes her name really is Old Woman because her real name connotes a powerful spell! Don't laugh. I'm serious.) has been predicting Phoebe's arrival but no one believes her. She basically says that they're going to get married and have a ton of babies. Duncan discovers Phoebe's watch and purse. Inside her purse is some U.S.A. currency, a tampon, credit cards, etc. Duncan starts to think that Phoebe isn't a spy after all. He goes to sea. He's gone for an indeterminable length of time. His best friend gets shot. Duncan comes home. Phoebe convinces Old Woman to help her leave the island. She flees and gets a job at a pub. Duncan comes to rescue her. Phoebe realizes that she is in love with Duncan. Duncan and Phoebe get it on. They go back to Duncan's hideaway island. At some point (its foggy as to when) Old Woman tells Phoebe her name, although Phoebe obviously has diarrhea of the mouth and saying Old Woman's name is "big magic" when spoken aloud. Phoebe and Duncan get married. Duncan "can't live without" Phoebe. Back in present time a woman buys a copy of "Duncan Rourke, Pirate or Patriot?" and reads the ending of the book; this lets us in on what happens to Pheebs and Dunc.

I guess the main thing that really ruined this book for me was the fact that Phoebe decided she was in love with Duncan and they hadn't really even spent any time together. Umm...she has this great revelation on page 80; up to that point there had been no indication that they were even in each other's company long enough to form a tenuous bond, let alone an all-consuming love! Totally unbelievable. I usually am not swayed into liking/disliking a book by its plot. I'm a character girl and everyone knows it. The characters weren't even enough to redeem this one. Phoebe is a blech character. She has "nothing" in her own time...so she takes a free vacation to look at condos? That's a good choice. That's what I would do in her situation. Definitely. She says the wrong thing and then immediately regrets it and acts like a child. She's obnoxious and weepy. Duncan isn't an appealing guy either. He's not far behind Phoebe. He cries because of Phoebe sprouting off psychobabblebullshit on several occasions. I love a secretly-sensitive-tough-as-nails guy as much as the next girl. Too bad Duncan wasn't one of those. He was only pretending to be for the first 20 pages.

I realize that this is an older book. However, 15 years shouldn't make for such notable awkwardness. Phoebe is really good for making little comments referencing "her time." Ho boy! Those comments show their age. The author knows no moderation. She should've (at the very least) made her heroine a little smarter and less stereotypical. The woman talks about Kathy Lee Gifford and never shuts up! From start to finish this book reads like a bad made for t.v. movie based on a really horrendous soap opera. It was so awful that I actually laughed out loud at the really ridiculous parts. The writing tries very hard to be heavy and lyrical and full of hidden meanings (seriously there is at least one poorly disguised metaphor per page) but it reads like a crazy rant hell-bent on being philosophical.

I feel bad for dogging this book and having nothing positive to say about it. Many people like it; I would've liked to join their secret club. This breaks the mold for me...I rarely dislike a book so much that I end up skimming over large chunks of it. I don't even know if "skimming" is the right word for what I did with this novel. Maybe "flew over the pages looking for something worth reading" is a more apt description. I'm so disappointed. Am I possibly mixed up here? Is there another book by the same title/author that is often mistaken for this one? Did I read the wrong one? If so, can I borrow someone else's copy?

Final Grade: F.

First 3 in L.K. Hathaway Series.

I'm posting this review since I've recently finished the Hathaway series. Cam, Merripen, Leo, Harry, Christopher. Each magically delicious in his own right. How's a girl to choose? Oh! That's right. (smacking forehead) She's not. She's supposed to hoard them all to herself and snarl at anybody who glances in their direction. I've fallen in love with each Kleypas hero that I've read, in this series and out. I can't help but gush about them (the books, not the heroes. Okay the heroes too.)

If you're just starting this series some background info: The Hathaways have recently become aristocrats. They're red-blooded, bold, and rife with chaos.

Mine Till Midnight is one of my favorite of the series as well as a must read historical romance. (here = Amazon) Amelia has her work cut out for her. She's trying to abide by the rules of the ton, keep her older brother Leo out of trouble, watch out for her sickly sister Win, and run riot on the two youngest children Poppy and Beatrix. She was jilted by her fiancé for another woman, and she has NO desire to fall in love again. While searching the slums of London for her no-good brother with Merripen, Amelia meets Cam Rohan. Cam is a half-breed Gypsy who believes inherently in fate, luck, and getting what he wants. He is immediately intrigued by the tiny and fierce Amelia. She's everything that should be beckoning him to run as fast as he can back to his unconventional Gypsy roots. Instead he kisses her, steals her bonnet ribbon, and sends her on her way. He's never going to see her again. Right? Wrong. Fate has just handed poor little old Cam a wild card. They're reunited in an unlikely place and start a tenuous friendship...then become lovers. It's hard to describe the relationship between Cam and Amelia; it's almost as if you don't notice it developing because the advances are so subtle. Cam steamrolls along with complete disregard and Amelia slowly melts under the pressure. As a couple Amelia and Cam have some adorable habits. They're lovable. The characters are what sealed the deal on this one. I don't want to blahblahblah about Cam, but he's so sexy. I can't help myself. It's 1848. He has a tattoo, a diamond stud in his ear, and wears rings on his thumb and pinkie. He has a good luck curse, which is totally adorable. Did I mention that he's tall, dark, and dangerous? Yummy. Amelia is controlling, gentle, and independent to a fault; she isn't sure how to juggle everything when her family is falling apart. She doesn't really want a partner to help shoulder the burden. She can do everything herself, seeing as how she's the best at picking up pieces.

Final Grade: A.

Seduce Me at Sunrise (Amazon here) carries on the tradition of wonderful Kleypas characters. I know many many women think Merripen is the be-all-end-all  of heroes. I liked Merripen. I did, but he wasn't Cam. Or Leo. Merripen is the gentle giant with a hot temper and fierce loyalty. Delicious in his own way, but more subtle than what I'm crazy for. Win is a "fragile" recovered invalid. She's been in love with Merripen since they were children. Merripen returns her feelings but refuses to act on them. Amelia goes away with Leo to recover from a bout of scarlet fever, when she returns she's a new person and has a suitor. Unfortunately her absence, while it healed her immensely, has had a profound effect of her beloved Merripen. The love story develops and adds a new dimension to their already enviable friendship. Of course it isn't as easy-peasy as it sounds. Merripen (Kev to Win) is sure that he is totally wrong for Win and she needs to be absolutely coddled. Win thinks that it's her only life to live and she wants to live it to the fullest...with Kev tagging along. The fact that Kev thinks he isn't good enough for her is the central conflict and it isn't easily resolved. Win is willing to fight for Merripen and she does. This book focuses less on getting to know the Hathaways as a family. I liked that about it. The characters are the kind that stick with you; this is a tender heart-felt love story. Merripen and Win are obviously perfect for each other even while they're struggling with the idea. They have a firm foundation in their friendship. Oh yeah, did I mention that I fell in love with Kev on page 9?

Final Grade: A. 

Tempt Me at Twilight (Amazon here) is my among my favorite historical romance novels. Harry made it to my  boyfriend list (as did Leo and Cam, sorry Merripen!) although that isn't saying much. I have a substantial boyfriend list. To start off let me say that I expected this to be my least favorite of the series. It wasn't. I love surprises like that. Harry is an odd duck. He's eccentric. Poppy is charming, intelligent, and outgoing. She has her heart set on another man when she encounters Harry Rutledge. Harry will do anything to have her, and I mean anything, including dispatching the guy who has been courting her all season. He is a very bad boy. I love him. He loves Poppy. Drat. Some people may not like this particular installment because the development of the relationship isn't overt. You feel/see it rather read it outright. Harry is the quintessential "wants to be cuddled but doesn't know it" guy. My personal favorite. They're a balanced couple. Harry is ruthless, Poppy is generous. His love for her is tangible. You know when you read a good book you start to feel like you KNOW the characters? Like you could call them up on the telly and see how the kids are doing? That's how this book was for me. I'm ready to go to the Rutledge hotel and visit. Eat some cookies, drink some tea, ogle the husband. Possibly kill the wife and console the husband. Who knows?

Final Grade: A.

All three of these books have the signature humor Lisa Kleypas fans crave and the wonderful characters we've come to expect. These books are all sitting pretty on my "keeper" shelf. Start at the beginning. You won't regret it. 

Some Like it Wicked.

Yeah girl. Me too. I like it wicked and I'm suitably impressed with this romance. I hadn't ever picked up a Teresa Medeiros book. I'm asking myself "why not?" and drawing a blank. As an initiation Some Like it Wicked worked for me. Yes, I love the book because I love the hero. Get used to it, ladies and gents. I have a weakness for witty rogues, I mean...who doesn't? I enjoyed the snappy dialog and Mr. Wescott's double entendres. Yum yum. I found myself re-reading certain passages simply because I thought they were adorable/hilarious. Once I realized that there were going to be many many examples of this I started marking the pages with my sticky notes. I'm counting them now. 1...6...17. I have 17 tabs in this 372 page book. I probably would've had more if my mind had been on the task of marking, instead of absorbed in reading "one more chapter." I'm always going to read "one more chapter" then...bam! I'm reading the epilogue at 5 in the morning.

Simon Wescott is on my boyfriend list. Why? Because he says things like: "I'll have you know that I stopped trifling with married women years ago. They had an annoying habit of falling in love with me and insisting on divorcing their husbands." He can also be sweet. Simon is actually (newly) credited with one of my all-time favorite examples of drunken tenderness: "Goodnight Mrs. Wescott," he whispered into her hair. "I hope all of your dreams are of me." And am I the only one who thinks it's irresistible that he is totally and utterly befuddled by being outsmarted by a woman. I could quote and quote and quote, but I can't very well reprint the book here. You'll have to read it. (Amazon here) I liked Catriona, she puts Simon in his place and is just as quick (if not quicker) than he is with scathing/witty/sarcastic remarks. Simon, you guys know how I feel about Simon. I liked Kieran (a Highlander) immensely. I want him to a have a book of his own. Alice, the spoiled bitch, needs to be beheaded, or at the very least thrown from a carriage while traveling at a "breakneck" speed.

The short of it: Catriona lives with her Scottish (turned English) uncle, his spoiled bitch of a daughter, and his out of touch wife. She first meets Simon (and begins her headlong tumble into love) at age 15 when he is about to seal the deal with aforementioned spoiled bitch. 5 years later she wants to go home to the Scottish Highlands to reunite her clan, but her uncle refuses and has all intentions of marrying her off. Catriona storms Newgate and makes a deal with Simon so that she doesn't end up wed and unable to fulfill her dream. Simon and Catriona succeed in ruining her reputation (hilarious scene, by the way) and are "forced" to Gretna Green for a quick and quiet wedding. They take off for the Highlands. The rest...well, suffice it to say that it's entertaining (albeit a tad predictable) and definitely worth reading. Trust me.

Final Grade: A.