No Rest for the Wicked (2006)
Kresley Cole
Rating: 3.5/5
[Re-reading]
Of course now I really really really want to read the next one. Especially after I read the expert on her website. Evil excerpts really need to stay away from them.
Weird. I just realised she used to be on a six month schedule with this series, but is now on a twelve month one. Hmmm...
A vampire soldier weary of life. . .
Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire—a nightmare in his mind—
against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.
A Valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him. . .
When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow—accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings—particularly lust—emerge multiplied. For the first time, she’s unable to complete a kill.
Become competitors in a legendary hunt. . .
The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity--as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world--to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?
Finished: Monday 16/6
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Book seventy-three: No Rest for the Wicked
Book seventy-two: A Hunger Like No Other
A Hunger Like No Other (2006)
Kresley Cole
Rating: 3.5/5
[Re-reading]
Obviously I wasn’t over my Kresley Cole thing.
I still don't like the cover.
A mythic warrior who’ll stop at nothing to possess her...
After enduring years of torture from the vampire Horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he’s waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.
A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy...An all consuming desire...
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be...?
Finished: Sunday 17/6
Book seventy-one: A Well Pleasured Lady
Christina Dodd
Rating: 1.5/5
It was disconcerting that they kept have these whispered conversations with other people in the room. It seemed like the group conversation would pause and wait for them to finish talking before continuing.
I just kept picturing everyone in the room frozen in some kind of Georgian wax model display, that would spring back to life once the main characters were done with their little chat.
And the whole “forced seduction” thing. Yick.
Powerful Sebastian Durant, Viscount Whitfield, has good cause to hate the Fairchild family, so when his godmother requests Sebastian's help in regaining an incriminating diary she believes to have been stolen by the Fairchilds, he welcomes the opportunity to exact revenge. Lady Mary Fairchild, though estranged from her family for 10 years, is loath to aid the Viscount. Unfortunately, her loyalty to his godmother, and the knowledge that Sebastian is privy to the dark secret she hides from the world, compels her to cooperate. The handsome Viscount and the beautiful Lady Mary pose as engaged lovers, and their charade soon becomes reality as they untangle a web of lies, theft, and betrayal that threatens their very lives.Finished: Sunday 17/6
Book seventy: Temptation of a Proper Governess
Temptation of a Proper Governess (2004)
Cathy Maxwell
Rating: 1.75/5
Alright. Would have been better if the main plot was actually resolved. Obviously there is a second out there somewhere. I'm just not sure I can be bothered to read it.
Isabelle Halloran is gently bred, well educated but impoverished, so she does what she has to do and goes out as a governess. But fate lands her in the home of the 
unlikeable Wardley family, who are rich but ill bred.One night, Isabelle discovers her charge has left her own bed and snuck into the bed of houseguest Michael Severson. Michael is extraordinarily handsome, and known to be terribly dangerous. Years before, he'd left England under a cloud of suspicion - had he killed his mistress or not? But now he has returned to clear his name and uncover the identity of the real killer. Isabelle rescues her pupil, but puts herself in a compromising position. And when she is discovered in Michael's room, with Michael himself, she is dismissed. But Michael cannot leave her without resources...he offers to 'protect' her, then becomes determined to wed her...
Finished: Saturday 16/6
Book sixty-nine: Reasons for Marriage
Reasons for Marriage (1995)
Stephanie Laurens
Rating: 2/5
Pretty good. Although, there was no “mystery” element, which is usually the secondary focus of the plot in most of her books, so it was a bit weird. But at least there was no barn on fire.
Miss Lenore Lester was perfectly content with her quiet country life and had no desire for marriage. She took steps to remain inconspicuous when manager her bother’s house parties, and so was astounded when Jason, Duke of Eversleigh, clearly signalled his interest.
Determined not to be thrown off balance by this charming rake, Leonre tried to deflect his attention – to no avail.
Finished: Friday 15/6
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Book sixty-eight: If You Deceive
If You Deceive (2007)
Kresley Cole
Rating: 3/5
Okay, I’ve now read every book she’s ever published.
Burning vengeance . . .
Ethan MacCarrick was a heartbreakingly handsome rake until a powerful 
nobleman ordered him brutally beaten and his face scarred for a crime he didn’t commit. Ethan’s reprisal—bankrupting the nobleman and forcing his exile—does little to appease his wrath. Ten years later, a haughty, mysterious beauty enchants Ethan—the daughter of his enemy. At last, Ethan will have the revenge he’s craved; he’ll promise her marriage, seduce her, then cast her aside.
Bitter hardships . . .
When Madeleine Van Rowen’s family was suddenly plunged into destitution and dishonor, she steeled herself against further heartache. She never weakened, never trusted, until a towering, scarred Highlander relentlessly pursues her, breaking down her defenses.
At what price forgiveness?
The passion between them burns hotter than Ethan’s fury, and soon he finds he can’t let her go. But when Madeleine uncovers the truth about him, can Ethan convince her to accept all he now offers—when he once destroyed everything she had?
I’ll have to wait until November for the next one: Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night (the title? Groan), which is part of the Immortals After Dark series. And oh no, she has an excerpt on her website.
The weird thing is that usually, when I read a lot of books written by the same author in a row – particular historical romances – you start to see the same plot (or at least plot devices) over and over again. But the truth is, although I can see some similarities in character traits etc., I still didn’t know what was going to happen.
Sure, I knew the two main characters were going to get together at the end, but I had no clue how she was going to get there.
I think she has officially gained a spot on my list of authors I’ll read anything by. But she still needs to work on her covers… urgent help is required.
Finished: 14/6
Book sixty-seven: Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2007)
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Rating: 3.5/5
This is really interesting. Rachel Cohn writes Norah’s point of view, while David Levithan writes Nick’s.
Nick: "I know this is going to sound strange, but would you mind being my girlfriend for the next five minutes?"
Norah: I answer by putting my hand around his neck and pulling his face down to mine.'
With one electric kiss, the five-minute couple of Nick and Norah sets off on an uncharted adventure that turns into a long night of falling in and out of love, in the alternative club scene of New York City.
Daring, intense, funny, sexy and very, very real, this is a first date of infinite charm and surprise.
This book has a lot of swearing. And for me to say it has a lot of swearing, means it has a lot:
"Fuck her.
Fuck her for getting in that cab. Fuck her for fucking with my mind. Fuck her for not knowing what she wants. Fuck her for dragging me into it. Fuck her for being such a fantastic kisser. Fuck for ruining my favourite band. Fuck her for barely saying a word to me before she left. Fuck her for not waving. Fuck her for getting my hopes up. Fuck her for making my hopes useless. Fuck her for taking off with my fucking jacket.
Fuck me.
Fuck me for always getting into situations like this. Fuck me for caring. Fuck me for not knowing the words that would’ve made her stay. Fuck me for not knowing what I want. Fuck me for wavering. Fuck me for not kissing her back the right way. Fuck me for getting my hopes up. Fuck me for not having more realistic hopes. Fuck me for giving her my fucking jacket.
Fuck."
Can’t you just feel the angst? Sigh.
I am in no way in favour of censorship, but I do find it interesting that this YA book has no “warning” label, while books with less in them have them plastered all over them.
I did find it was at times a little, I don’t know, pretentious, but in an angsty teenage way if that makes any sense.
They have written another collaboration called Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, which will be published in the U.S. in late August of this year.
Finished: 13/6
Book sixty-six: The Price of Pleasure
Kresley Cole
Rating: 3/5
More Kresley Cole! More High seas! Still no pirates, unfortunately.
Although, I have a feeling that originally she had a third planed with the cousin, Ian, being a pirate.
Although the cover is pretty awful, there may have been a scene where that did occur – shirt torn, looking out to sea, ship sailing away, storm approaching, oh my. But still, the cover is pretty hopeless. And so is the title. The book, however, was great.
A man noted for his courage and integrity, Captain Grant Sutherland journeys to Oceania to find Victoria Dearbourne, an English girl lost at sea a decade before. He’s given her ailing grandfather his word—as a gentleman—to find and protect her. One look at a grown Victoria and Grant’s never felt less like one.Tori relishes freedom, untamed passion, chaos above stifling order. Even more so when a proud, cold British captain arrives to rescue her. When Tori and Sutherland are separated from his crew and forced to survive together, she begins to see in him a man hungering for more. A man who once laughed. A man who admits to having dark desires but won’t take what she offers. Tori resolves to see how much temptation the captain can take before his legendary restraint is shattered….
Finished: 13/6
Book sixty-five: The Captain of all Pleasures
Kresley Cole
Rating: 3/5
A Great Race! High seas! Saboteurs! Pirates! Okay, there were no actual pirates, but still, it was good.
I must protest that at no time during the book did a man with shoulder length hair row shirtless towards a tall ship. The book may have been the poorer for it.
Raised as a free spirit aboard her sea captain father’s majestic clipper ship, willful Nicole Lassiter has never encountered an obstacle she couldn’t overcome--until she meets Captain Derek Sutherland. Finished: 12/6
Book sixty-four: Kiss of Midnight
Kiss of Midnight (2007)
Lara Adrain
Rating: 2/5
Typical first in a series: lots of background, lots of characters, lots of set up. Also, lots of similarities to other series in this vein.
He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle's deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night--or this man--is what it seems.
For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed--a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.
Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind--and the unwitting humans existing alongside them--from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.
Here, in the arms of the Breed's formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all . . . .
It really is a mix of J.R. Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I could list the similarities: vampires good, protect innocents, main set of bad guys, live in a compound, emotionally detached, history between characters, feeling of brotherhood, etc. etc. but I couldn’t be bothered.
I’m not sure if this is a bad thing or not. I don’t mind reading series that are similar to others I like, as long as they are well done, and not just thinly veiled fan fiction.
I’m undecided on this.
I found parts of it pretty boring, but I think that’s because I don’t like this type of story – “will he bite her, won’t he bite her.” I much prefer “oh no, I’ve bitten her, now what am I going to do?” and from the excerpt of the next book at then end (evil publisher, they know I can’t resist) I think I’d like the next one better. I might give it a go.
Finished 11/6
Book sixty-three: The Demon You Know
The Demon You Know (2007)
Christine Warren
Rating: 2/5
A little boring in parts. Female lead was annoying. Mystery wasn’t that enthralling.
As a research grunt at a local television station, Abby Baker tends to blend into the background, which is where she’s most comfortable. But when she ends up being the last resort to cover a hot story, Abby discovers a whole new side to her personality when she is possessed by a fiend—a type of rogue demon. Suddenly everyone wants a piece of her. And now the demon Rule—also a hunter of his own kind who have gone astray—is Abby’s only hope…
Meanwhile, the Others—vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my!—have come out of the supernatural closet and the rest of the humans are all aflutter. Mischief is afoot in the demon realm, and Rule knows that Abby is key to figuring it all out before the fiends tip the fragile balance between the newly-discovered Others and the humans over into an epic battle. Now it’s up to two lost souls to make love, not war…..
Book sixty-two: No Humans Involved
No Humans Involved (2007)
Kelley Armstrong
Rating: 4/5
I love this series. Not only does Armstrong maintain the quality of her writing and plots, but it just keeps getting more and more interesting.
Jaime, who knows a thing or two about showbiz, is on a television shoot in Los Angeles when weird things start to happen. As a woman whose special talent is raising the dead, her threshold for weirdness is pretty high: she's used to not 
only seeing dead people but hearing them speak to her in very emphatic terms. But for the first time in her life - as invisible hands brush her skin, unintelligible fragments of words are whispered into her ears, and beings move just at the corner of her eye - she knows what humans mean when they talk about being haunted.
She is determined to get to the bottom of these manifestations, but as she sets out to solve the mystery she has no idea how scary her investigation will get, or to what depths ordinary humans will sink in their attempts to gain supernatural powers. As she digs into the dark underside of Los Angeles, she'll need as much Otherworld help as she can get in order to survive, calling on her personal angel, Eve, and Hope, the well-meaning chaos demon. Jeremy, the alpha werewolf, is also by her side offering protection. And, Jaime hopes, maybe a little more than that.
Bitten the first in this series, was the first book I read with a werewolf in it, so I think it will forever hold a special place in my heart. But seriously, I remember reading somewhere that Armstrong hadn’t originally planned to have this as a series, and knew that there was no way she’d be able to write about one character indefinitely. So, she create a whole cast of characters that are just – if not more – interesting than her originals.
I also found it really interesting the different perception you gain of different characters just from seeing them from a different point of view – and the stuff you find out that they are keeping from others. Very tricky.
After reading this, I think I’m going to have to find the anthology Dates from Hell to find out what exactly went on between Hope and Karl.
The next book in the series, Personal Demon, will be released in the U.S. in Spring 2008, and will have Hope and Lucas as narrators. How will that work? I thought this was supposed to be Women of the Otherworld… maybe they’ll change it to just Otherworld?
I don’t care, as long as Armstrong writes it, I’ll read it.
Finished: 9/6
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Book sixty-one: Tommy Sullivan is a Freak
Tommy Sullivan is a Freak (2007)
Meg Cabot
Rating: 3/5
Funny, entertaining and well written, but nothing that different from her other stand alone YAs. It also seemed really short, or maybe just not that much happened.
Why everyone LOVES Kate Ellison
She’s top of the class, she parties with the A-list, she’s bursting with talent – and she’s got the kind of boyfriend any girl would kill to get their hands on.
Why everyone HATES Tommy Sullivan
Four years ago he exposed the football team as cheats – and had to leave town, along with his family. But the graffiti branding him a freak still scars the gymnasium wall and no one has EVER forgotten.
Now Tommy’s back in town
But he’s very far from being a freak. In fact, Tom’s hot – TOTALLY hot. And if Katie’s not very careful he could ruin everything!
Wow. The back of this book has A LOT of capitals.
Finished: 8/6
Book sixty: The Kept Woman
The Kept Woman (2006)
Susan Donovan
Rating: 1.75/5
Why-oh-why did he keep crying?
It’s very hard to buy into the political-bad-boy persona when he kept bursting into tears at the drop of a hat.
WHEN A GOOD-GIRL DIVORCEE
Playing by the rules has left Samantha Monroe with an AWOL ex-husband, maxed out credit cards, and the task of raising three children on a hairstylist's salary. It's time for a new game plan. When Sam learns that politician Jack Tolliver needs someone to play the part of his finance for six months in return for a generous paycheck, she's ready to sign up on the spot.
MEETS A BAD-BOY POLITICIAN
Jack needs Sam and her kids to help tone down his image from womanizing cad to dependable dad. But he was expecting Sam to be a frumpy single mom, not a wickedly smart, sexy redhead. Keeping nosey newshounds from discovering that his engagement is a charade is going to be a tough job, but one mind-blowing kiss from Sam and suddenly Jack is ready to put in all the overtime necessary...
LOVE WINS IN A LANDSLIDE...
Now, with scheming opponents itching to bring Jack down, Sam's ex returning to stir up trouble, one stubborn pre-schooler, two squabbling teenagers, a crazy dog, and some out-of-this-world sex, Jack and Sam are discovering that playing make-believe can be complicated-but not nearly as much as falling in love...
Finished: 6/6
Book fifty-nine: The Smoke Thief
The Smoke Thief (2005)
Shana Abe
Rating: 4/5
Re-reading
This is kind of part paranormal, part historical romance. It’s all very good.
Imagine a world where clouds could be dragons, and dragons could be people...where diamonds beckon with silent songs and a beautiful runaway turns out to be an infamous jewel thief who dissolves into smoke with just a whisper of a thought.
For centuries they've lived in secret amid the green and misted hills of northern England, shapeshifters who have the ability to Turn from human to smoke to dragon, and back again. They skim the sky and haunt the stars, powerful beyond thought, beautiful, sensual. They are the drákon.
Like any hunted beast, they've survived the centuries by learning silence, by keeping the secret of the tribe absolutely sacrosanct. But one of them has broken the rules, has run to eighteenth-century London and is using his powers to steal fabulous gemstones. Dubbed the "Smoke Thief," he's the most serious threat to the drákon in memory. Christoff Langford, Marquess of Langford and Alpha of the tribe, has sworn to bring the runner home at any cost.
I think there are supposed to be one more to make a trilogy, but she say’s on her website she is still writing it. According to her publisher, she has a book being released in December called Queen of Dragons.
Hmm, if its part of this series, why isn’t it called the something thief? Weird.
Finished: 5/6
Book fifty-eight: I Only Have Fangs For You
I Only Have Fangs For You (2006)
Kathy Love
Rating: 3.25/5
Re-reading
Too much work = re-reading. Again.
One thing you have to know about my bother Sebastian: he loves being a vampire. After all, what’s not to love? He’s eternally twenty-five. He’s single, and frankly, he’s a chick magnet. Yeah, undeath is good. The only thing he’s serious about is his nightclub, Carfax Abbey. It’s the sort of dark, happening sport where vampires can really let their fangs down. You know, hiding in the shadows, feeding, giving pleasure to unsuspecting mortals, being all cool and vampirey. Whatever. My brother Rhys and I have tried to get Sebastian to clean up his bad-boy ways like we did, but then he went and called us “fang-whipped.” Okay, Bite Boy, chew on this…
The ultimate righteous reformer, Wilhelmina Weiss, is on a mission to shut down Carfax Abbey. She doesn’t approve of my bro’s biting ways. It seems the spirited, sexy-without-knowing-it vampire is working undercover as a cocktail waitress in his bar while waging a secret war to bring him down. Sebastian’s A-positive he can convince Miss Goody-Vampire-Two-Fangs that nothing beats the ecstasy of a good vampire bite. She’s certain she can resist him for as long as it takes to reform him. I gotta tell you, the suspense would kill me – if I weren’t already undead.
Now, Mr. “Has anyone ever told you you’ve got a beautiful neck?” is in way over his. He’s finally met a girl who may not be his type, but she’s way more than his match. Not that he’s (cough) fang-whipped (cough) or anything. No, not my baby bro. One thing’s for sure, I’ve never seen Sebastian so completely at someone’s mercy in my life. And frankly, I’m enjoying every minute of it.
Finished: 4/6
Book fifty-seven: Say No To Joe?
Say No To Joe? (2003)
Lori Foster
Rating: 1/5
I’m glad this wasn’t the first Lori Foster book I read – I probably wouldn’t have bothered with the others.
Joe Winston has a routine with women: he exists; they swoon; roll credits. With his smouldering looks, macho style, and irrepressible charm, Joe can have any woman – except the one he really wants.
After all, where there’s a Joe, there’s a way… straight into a woman’s heart.
The main thing I didn’t like about this was the two foster children – they didn’t act or sound like real kids, and they seemed to adjust and reform a little too quickly for two children whose mother had died and then been passed from one relative to another til there was no one but a distant cousin left.
Finished: 4/6
Monday, June 11, 2007
Book fifty-six: All Together Dead
All Together Dead* (2007)
Charlene Harris
Rating: 1.75/5
Great. Another series that started out good, got better and in the last few books has crashed down to boring. And annoying.
Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life-the shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit. 
The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.
I even over-looked the fact her name was Sookie.
I was relived – and happy – to find the series was taking a turn for the better when she kicked Boring Bill to the curb and finally started taking Eric seriously.
But… wait. Something went wrong. Very wrong.
The last book, Definitely Dead, is to blame.
While I enjoyed the fact that we found out Bill was not only boring, but also that his motivations were slightly evil (ha! I knew it! No one can be that boring without being slightly evil!), I don’t know if the series will ever be able to come back, from what I will call the Great Anita Blake Mistake.
You see, this was also a series that started out good, got better than crashed and burned so badly that I don’t even bother to pause and look at the back in the bookshop to find out what happened to the characters. I just don’t care.
And you know why?
a) The mystery/crime element started to get boring/obvious
b) The introduction of a new romantic lead/s, just so that things would not have to be resolved with the ones already in the series
While All Together Dead had a much better premise than the last (where it was so obvious who the “bad guy” was, it was painful), it still wasn’t that interesting. I do give Harris points for not only acknowledging but also incorporating Hurricane Katrina into her Southern Vampire series. I think she handles that very well.
However, that is the only thing she did well. Because she also committed crime number two (or number one when you think about it, because a boring/obvious mystery doesn’t matter as long as the romance part is going well… or at least in my opinion): who the hell is the Quinn person? Why the hell should I care about him?
I already have too many male characters to keep track of: Bill, Sam, Eric, who-ever-that-warewolf-one-who-was-the-former-Quinn-who’s-name-I-know-forget-was… yes, we already have enough male leads to pick from, thank-you Miss Harris, you are not going to make your storylines anymore interesting by throwing a few more in. Just ask Laurel K. Hamilton.
And she’s also doing that annoying thing, where Sookie keeps going on about how safe and comforted and happy she feels when Eric is around. But oh no, I will just ignore those feelings and go hang out with this annoying, boring guy who isn’t nearly as funny as what Eric is… what’s his name, Bill? Oh, no, it’s the new one: Quinn.
Ok, so maybe I’m just annoyed because I think the scenes with Eric in them are the funniest. And maybe I should be happy that Sookie hasn’t “picked” Eric, because then he would probably become Annoying and Boring… but come on…
One more book. I’m only giving this series one more…
Finished: 27/5
Book fifty-five: Fools Rush In
Fools Rush In* (2006)
Kristan Higgins
Rating: 2/5
The title of this book is very misleading. There is no rushing. Oh, how I wished they had rushed.
That was really the only thing wrong with it. I mean, it’s obvious from the very first page what is going to happen – in case the back of the book didn’t tip you off – why make us sit around and wait. Why didn’t they start the book half way or even three-quarters of the way through.
The things that happen at the end of the book, and are rushed over in a sort-of-epilogue are much more interesting than what is in the book.
But it was still an okay read and I really like Higgin’s writing style.
Rewarding job as a local doctor on Cape Cod? Check. Cute cottage of her very own? Check. Adorable puppy suitable for walks past attractive locals? Check! All she needs is for golden boy and former crush Joe Carpenter to notice her, and Millie will be set.
But perfection isn't as easy as it looks--especially when Sam Nickerson, a local policeman, is so distracting. Sure, he needs a friend after being dumped by Millie's fortune-hunting sister, but does she really need to enjoy his company that much? He is definitely not part of her master plan. But maybe it's time for Millie to start a new list…
* Finished: 26/5
Book fifty-four: I’m In No Mood For Love
Rachel Gibson
Rating: 1.75/5
Alright.
What is Clare Wingate doing? One minute she’s suffering in a pretty-in-pink gown she’ll never wear again, and the next thing she knows it’s morning… and she has the nastiest hangover of her life.
To make matters worse, she’s wearing nothing but a sprtiz of Excada and lying next to Sebastian Vaughan… her childhood crush turned sexy, globe-hoping journalist. Somewhere between the toast and the toss of the bouquet she’d gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble.Clare had the right go wild – after all, she’d been knocked off her dyed-to-match shoes after finding her own fiancé in a comprising position with the washing machine repairman. Clearly her society wedding is off.
But Sebastian pushed all the wrong buttons – and some of the right ones, too. Clare is in no mood for love – no even for lust – and wants to forget about Sebastian and his six-pack abs ASAP. But he isn’t in the mood to go away, and his kiss is impossible to forget.
Most annoying thing: too many brand names. “Clare walked barefoot across the parking lot and tanked God her [expensive car brand] was exactly where she recalled leaving it the day before… Sebastian had looked like he belonged on a billboard selling [expensive jean]’s…she covered her eyes with her gold [designer sunglasses].” And that is all just from one little-bitty paragraph.
The constant mentioning of brand names (why can’t they just say car, billboard, sunglasses instead?) takes you out of the story and makes you why the hell they are brand dropping like crazy. Are they getting paid some kind of endorsement fee? Why else would they bother?
I would say they were trying to build the character of a spoilt rich-girl who thinks of everything in terms of brand (which would have made some sense). But every character you heard from was like that.
* Finished: 26/5
Book fifty-three: She Drives Me Crazy
She Drives Me Crazy* (2005)
Leslie Kelly
Rating: 1.75/5
Nothing really wrong with it, it just didn’t really draw me in.
When Emma Frasier returns home to Joyful, Georgia, she’s greeted with the kinds of winks and lusty grins one might offer… an adult film star?
Thanks to small-town gossip and citizens who clearly need to get a life, Joyful’s residents think Emma Jean is the “famous star” building a strip club in town. And the her barely concealed…uh, attributes are the ones gracing the new interstate billboard.
As if being taken for a blue movie queen isn’t rattling enough, there’s Johnny Walker, the local bad boy turned good – a man who tempts Emma to be just as wild and wicked as Joyful thinks she is.
One thing I did find quite annoying about this book was the amount of time Emma and Johnny spent thinking about how freaking fantastic the other person was, while treating each other like they didn’t care. There was no real obstacle keeping them apart.
* Finished: 25/5
Book fifty-two: Prom Nights From Hell
Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michelle Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer and Lauren Myracle
Rating: 4/5
Love, love, love, loved this collection of short stories from some of my favourite YA authors**.
This anthology includes (in order that I liked them, heh): Hell on Earth by Stephenie Meyer, Kiss and Tell by Michelle Jaffe, The Exterminator’s Daughter by Meg Cabot, Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison, and The Corsage by Lauren Myracle.
In this exciting collection, bestselling authors Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Kim Harrison (A Fistful of Charms), Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), and Lauren Myracle (ttyl) take bad prom nights to a whole new level—a paranormally bad level. *Finished: 22/5
** Although, I haven’t read any YA from Kim Harrison before? Oh well.
Book fifty-one: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot* (2007)
Stephanie Rowe
Rating: 1.75/5
Kind of entertaining, but her writing quality can be a bit patchy.
I think my problem with this book was it is the third or fourth in a series and I didn’t realise. This probably explains why I was so confused and why I didn’t know who most of the characters were.
The thing that really annoyed me about this, is that nowhere on the book or the inside cover does it say that her books are a series. Yes, I could have stopped reading it, read the others, then came back and finished it. But I didn’t really like it that much. I just wanted to know what happened.
Her heart may be in the right place...but her soul belongs to Satan.
Being Satan's most infamous minion is the only life Becca Gibbs has ever known. But now she's restless, sick and tired of stealing souls, and ready to break free on her own. Unfortunately, this gig isn't like any other job. Its first rule: Walk out on the Devil-and kiss your life good-bye.
Nick Rawlings is the last of the Markku, a race of fighters that broke from Hell to pull for the good. When his sister goes missing, and her ransom is the death of Satan, Nick's more than willing to take on the fight. The first step? Getting the devil's sexy right-hand helper on his side. The second? Well, if he can take his eyes-and hands-off of her, he's sure he'll think of it...
Finished: 21/5