Sex, Lies and Online Dating - Rachel Gibson

one sentence summary
A romance author doing research for her upcoming novel sets up an internet date with an undercover cop looking for a serial killer... sparks fly

review
This was a cute read, the main characters were all likeable (if not totally believable) and the story kept a good pace so was easy to jump back into for short bouts (I read it on my lunch breaks). Apparently this is book 1 in  a series and it was well written enough that I will pick up the other books in the series and give them a go at some point. I recommend this for people looking for a romantic pick me up.

7/10

Baby Drive South Trilogy - Stephanie Bond

one sentence summary
The Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their home town, along the way they are distracted by love.

review
Very typical of this genre, quick and easy romance stories to feel good about (a half step above harlequin as far as writing quality). Characters that are based strongly on  stereotypes falling in love and then refusing to admit it etc.  A great read all around. I recommend them to anyone who enjoys a bit of romance in their life.

6/10

Blood Red - Heather Graham

one sentence summary
In New Orleans for a bridal shower get away three normal women find themselves wrapped up in the world of vampires.

review
Writing typical of Graham, with reliance on cliches and tropes but with enough character development to draw you in.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes trashy vampire romance, good reading for a distracted day.

7/10

Baby Drive South - Stephanie Bond

one sentence summary:

The Armstrong brothers are rebuilding their tornado ravaged hometown and place and advertisement for women to move to the town, love is in the air. 

review:

full of quirky characters and miss-communications this novel is a perfect example of modern chick-lit. A quirky character falls for another quirky character, they meet and then hate each other and then reconcile and then hate each other again and then end with a happily ever after. The story is full of laugh out loud moments and is perfect for a day at the beach or a day on the train. Fluffy and light. 

7/10

Last Known Victim - Erica Spindler

one sentence summary:
in the years since hurricane Katrina Patti O'Shay has wondered what exactly happened to her husband during the storm, she is about to find a clue.

review:
A well written romantic suspense, it has all the twist and turns and pacing you would expect from a best selling romantic suspense author. The characters are recycled from earlier books but the focal point has shifted. The supporting "damsel in distress" character was by far my favourite, a tough talking stripper who helps the cops out. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the category.

6/10

Stormy Courtship - JoAnne Ross

one sentence summary:
years ago he was on the basketball team her father coached, she loved him then and now she has his attention.

review:
a totally mindless read, like you do not need to think at all as there is no real plot ad only stock characters. It is a typical harlequin and really the cover says it all:

4/10

The White Princess - Phillipa Gregory

one sentence summary:
Elizabeth of York must marry the King of England but can she ever love him??

review:
I am a real sucker for historical novels based mostly on fact with nicely added flourishes and this fits that bill. I have read the other novels in this series and this does not let me down, beautiful descriptions of clothing, an intricate understanding of "position" in the royal court and so many historical details it had me running to google to see who actually married whom and what alliances lasted etc. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys romance and historical fiction.

9/10

Out of Body (Court of Angels) - Stella Cameron

one sentence summary:
a psychic woman from a family of people with "special abilities" falls in love while helping solve a serial killers killing spree.

review:
written to the typical standards of trashy romance stories, this is a good one. The characters are all lovable, especially the back ground characters (you can tell who Stella Cameron is going to focus on in the sequels). The writing is not great but there are no grammatical errors so it did have a better than average editor. I recommend it for plane or train reading.

6/10 

Sins of the Flesh - Caridad Pineiro

one sentence summary
genetic experiment gone wrong finds love when a mercenary is sent to clean up the scientists mess (with her being the most volatile mess left behind)

review
a strong start to a new series, it has everything, action, adventure, romance and science fiction all well executed and combined to make a great story. The characters are all really well developed and as Cat and Mick's relationship unfolds you will be drawn in to their world. This novel has ups and downs that keep you guessing and interested from beginning to end. A definite page turner.

6/10

Faeries Gone Wild - Mary-Janice Davidson, Michelle Hauf, Lois Greiman, Leandra Logan

one sentence summary
A collection of four short stories all with happy endings and a dash of love.

review
Mary Janice: absolutely hilarious with characters from her other novels flitting about. Well written and witty - the best story in the book for sure.
Michelle: another hilarious story, the tooth fairy is losing her job because the mothers in her district are forcing their kids to stop believing. She has to figure out a way to save her job with the help of a hunky sandman. a story worth reading for sure.
Lois: an author I hadn't read buy will keep an eye out for. Her story was sweet but she was trying to fit too much plot into too few pages. Well written if a bit rushed feeling.
Leandra: the age old story of trying to find your place in the world, well told and entertaining but ultimately forgettable.

8/10

The Last Wife Of Henry XIII - Carolly Erickson

one sentence summary:
Catherine Parr is the last wife of Henry VIII

review:
this may not be the most historically accurate novel ever but it is historical fiction so don't go into it expecting too much fact. It is a great story full of intrigue that will draw you in and not let you go, you will walk away from this wanting to know more about Catherine Parr and her family (only to Google her and find out a large portion of the book was totally made up). The romance is steamy and the antagonists easy to hate, all in all it is a well written historical romance.

6/10

Tall, Dark and Dead - Tate Hallaway

one sentence summary
a witch has a goddess living in her but this doesn't keep her from falling for a warlock vampire...

review
this book could have been better, the main character is great as are some of the supporting characters but the rest of the plot falls short. The writing is strong at points but it falls flat when it comes to dialogue. It was disappointing that the writing wasn't better as it would have added to the story to actually use language from the era of the characters. I will still read the rest of the series at some point when I can buy them at discounted prices. I recommend this if you like quirky stories with a paranormal twist.

6/10

The Delaney Christmas Carol - Kay Hooper, Iris Johansen and Fayrene Preston

one sentence summary:
many generations of the Delaney family have looked into the magic mirror and seen a glimpse of the future, these are three of those stories.

Review:
none of these stories were particularly well conceived or well written. Iris Johansen's was the best in my opinion and the other two weren't much worse. All three felt rushed and without strong plots. The Delaney family, however, does seem like a family worth writing about and I will probably seek out more of their stories.

4/10

Silver Dragon Trilogy - Katie MacAlister

one sentence summary:
Romance and dragon/demon politics do not always go together but love always finds a way.

review:
These are quirky comical easy reads with a healthy dash of sexy. The characters are all really well drawn out and the interactions between them are charged with human emotion. I enjoyed the settings that MacAlister used from the underworld to the apartments of characters from her earlier series. I also really liked the bits about the characters from earlier series, it was kind of like catching up with old friends. I recommend this series to anyone who likes quirky romances.

6/10

Dragonborn - Jade Lee

one sentence summary:
Dragons + Politics + Deceit + Sex = Entertaining Read

review:
A trashy, quick read with better descriptive (in the bedroom) skills than actual plot devices. It was entertaining and I don't regret the time I spent reading it but I will not be reading the sequel (unless I hear really great things). The flow of the novel wasn't very good. The trashy bits were pretty solid (short but solid) and the politics/world building bits were really well done but the bits of "romance" were just terrible. That said I will be checking out Jade Lee's more traditional fantasy novels or super trashy romances (I am not sure which she writes).

4/10

The Next Best Thing - Jennifer Weiner

one sentence summary:
Can a disfigured female writer make it in Hollywood?

review:
An entertaining read that was well written and had mostly really strong plot points and characters. There were some unnecessary "twists" and some totally ridiculous plot points but all in all a good beach read.  I really liked the scenes from when the protagonist was young and in the hospital, her relationship with her grandmother was by far the strongest relationship in the book. There were other characters that were totally unnecessary and took away from the story rather than adding to it. The ending was a true fairy tale ending, happily ever after for everyone.

7/10

The Bearskin Rug - Jennifer Stevenson

one sentence summary
sex demon freed from his bonds vs good guy cop, which will she choose?

review
an entertaining smutty read. not "well written" but not terrible.  Apparently this is book 3 in a series, I will be going back and reading the first two if I happen to ever find them used for cheap. The plot is a bit wishy-washy and the characters feel stale (but that might be because I missed the first books... but it should be better). It is fluff, a brainless read with an adequate amount of smut.

5/10

 

Fly Away Home - Jennifer Weiner

one sentence summary:
sometimes your life falling apart is the best thing that can happen to you.

Review:
I loved this book, all of the messages in it are dead on, the characters are all really well thought out and the interactions between them seem very true to reality. There is an equal balance of humour and sadness, you will laugh and you might even cry. The writing is better than most chick-lit and the plot is wonderful brain candy. A great summer read if you are looking for an easy not-too-trashy read.


8/10

Remember Me - Sophie Kinsella

one sentence summary:
a 25 year old average girl with bad teeth and no carer wakes up three years in the future and is living the "dream life"

review:
The writing on this one isn't as good as Kinsella normally puts out, but it isn't the worst I have read, could probably have just used some more editing and a few rewrites. But it is an entertaining airplane/beach read, a quick moving story that will have you laughing out loud. the characters are all endearing and the plot is cleaver. I would like this to continue as a series with the protagonist pulling her life together. If you like chick-lit and want a brainless read this is for you!


6/10

The Bite Before Christmas - Heidi Betts

one sentence summary:
even vampires need a little love around the holidays.

Review:
Three vampire stories that all feed one to another and are written by Betts. She has done a phenomenal job of all three vampire tropes, human girl loves vampire male, vampire female loves human male, and vampire female loves vampire male. All in all  three stories about overcoming the odds, coming to terms with your emotions and falling in love, all with happily forever after endings. The writing is pretty alright, easy reading for sure. The stories are cute and entertaining. Great reading for a snowy afternoon by the fireplace (or the sweltering heat of July if you, like me, are in need of a taste of Christmas to lift your spirits.)

7/10