Friday, May 05, 2017
[BOOK REVIEW] Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
Fiction/Historical Fiction/African-American Fiction/RomanceSyma C. reviews INDIGO by Beverly Jenkins (iUniverse, 2000)
After reading Indigo, I had to take a deep breath. I learned so much from this book; lessons I will remember for the rest of my life.
Of course, after slaves were given legal papers proving themselves to be free, there were still people who used them for sport. They were called "slave catchers." There were ex-slaves, such as Hester, whose role in the safety and well-being of runaways who found themselves in need, proved to be vital. Her help was especially vital when she encounters an injured man known as "Black Daniel." African-Americans had little but accomplished much; they even devised methods of communication without mumbling a word. No one can verbally express a warning to readers what Galen and Hester were about to embark upon in this pre-Civil War America.
Knowing the law can not only make trouble for you but also the ones whom you love and care for, blacks learned when to express themselves and when to hold on to emotions. Throughout this book, readers learn not only do all the characters possess a certain strength to protect one another in the present, but also to guard and cherish tragic and beautiful events from the past.
Black Daniel, who was born Galen, is by no stretch of the imagination a dim witted man, passive person, or a slave to cower. Instead, he is a person of morals, trust, affection, dedication, and above all, he has real love for Hester, whom he named, “La Indigo.”
This historical romance explores the truth about love and passion between a man and a woman.
Super awesome book!
Syma C., Staff
Labels: African-American Fiction, Historical Fiction, Readers' Advisory Annotations, Reviews by Syma C., Romance, Staff book reviews
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
[Book Review] The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen
Fiction/Romance
Susan reviews THE UGLY DUCKLING by Iris Johansen (Bantam Books, 1996)
The Ugly Duckling is a Cinderella story with a twist.
Nell Calder is plain, ordinary, and the wife of a financier with a lovely daughter named Jill. On the night of an elegant party for Richard, her husband, hosted to advance his career, the unthinkable happens. Nell thinks she is hearing firecrackers, but they are gunshots. Nell is attacked and thrown over the balcony. She wakes to a shattered face and a dead husband and child. She should not be alive, but with a reconstructed and beautiful face along with anonymity, she is plotting her revenge.
Enter Nicholas Tanek, who helps Nell despite her wanting and moving on revenge on her own. His keeping her identity a secret and her reluctantly accepting his help move the plot forward. Tanek was at the party; he believes he could have prevented the deaths of Richard and Jill, but what all he knows he keeps close and slowly reveals to Nell and the reader why he was involved at all. For Nell, her new-found physical beauty is but a means to an end. She toughens physically and mentally to face the murderer.
Nell Calder really never was plain and ordinary; she is a woman of exceptional inner strength.
Susan B., Library staff
Labels: Fiction, Reviews by Susan B., Romance, Suspense
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
[Book Review] A Forever Kind of Love by Farrah Rochon
Staff members learn about different genres during monthly Reader’s Advisory classes called "What's Your Flavor." After each session they must select a book from that genre to read and review.
Reader’s Advisory Romance Genre Spotlight
A FOREVER KIND OF LOVE by Farrah Rochon (Harlequin, 2012)
This is book one in the Bayou Dreams series.
The story starts out with a tragedy that brings Mya back home to a place she hadn't been in over 15 years. She was running from her high school sweetheart and a secret that she was keeping from him. Corey was hesitant but yet so happy to see Mya after all those years. Mya stayed around town longer than she had planned and this lead to her rekindling the passion she once had for Corey. However, the passion only lasted until Corey continued to ask why she left and if she was scared of loving him. Mya couldn’t hold her secret any longer and after 15 years she told Corey about the baby.
They both were hurt and upset and Mya was ready to leave town again. That is until her Aunt Maureen stopped the car on the way to the airport and advised her that she was wrong and needed to talk to Corey. Mya stopped by to talk to Corey and she realized that he was the one.
Micole Simmons, Raleigh Library
Reader’s Advisory Romance Genre Spotlight
A FOREVER KIND OF LOVE by Farrah Rochon (Harlequin, 2012)
This is book one in the Bayou Dreams series.
The story starts out with a tragedy that brings Mya back home to a place she hadn't been in over 15 years. She was running from her high school sweetheart and a secret that she was keeping from him. Corey was hesitant but yet so happy to see Mya after all those years. Mya stayed around town longer than she had planned and this lead to her rekindling the passion she once had for Corey. However, the passion only lasted until Corey continued to ask why she left and if she was scared of loving him. Mya couldn’t hold her secret any longer and after 15 years she told Corey about the baby.
They both were hurt and upset and Mya was ready to leave town again. That is until her Aunt Maureen stopped the car on the way to the airport and advised her that she was wrong and needed to talk to Corey. Mya stopped by to talk to Corey and she realized that he was the one.
Labels: Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Readers' Advisory Annotations, Reviews by Micole Simmons, Romance
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
[Book Review] An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
Reader’s Advisory Romance Genre Spotlight
AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN by Julia Quinn (Avon Books, 2001)
Three years later, fate steps in. Sophie finds herself on a new adventure full of twists and turns with the last person she thought she would ever see again: Benedict, her prince.
Shelley Moore, Raleigh Library
Labels: Fiction, Readers' Advisory Annotations, Reviews by Shelley Moore, Romance
Friday, February 06, 2015
[Book Review] Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz
Fiction/Romance
Staff members from our monthly Reader’s Advisory (What's Your Flavor) classes learn about different book genres and select a book from that genre to read and review.
Reader’s Advisory Romance Genre Review
Harriet reviews TRUST NO ONE by Jayne Ann Krentz (Putnam Sons, 2015)
Julius Arkwright has two rules: Trust No One and Everyone Has A Hidden Agenda. Grace Elland, who discovers her employer dead yet still receives emails from this dead boss, needs both of these rules and Julius to help her unravel the knot of killers, embezzlers and blackmailers. This suspense-filled romance is one that shows everyone is not always who they seem.
This book held my interest and kept me wondering ‘who done it’ while enjoying the growing romance between the main characters.
Labels: Fiction, Readers' Advisory Annotations, Reviews by Harriet Burton, Romance, Staff book reviews
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
[Book Review] Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Andrea reviews ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes (Viking Books, 2012)
Louisa Clark has enjoyed her ordinary life in her tiny English village for the past 27 years. When I say ordinary, I mean her life has been mundane and almost boring. She has always lived with her close-knit family, has dated the same man for the past 7 years, and has never really taken any risks in her life. When the cafe’ that Louisa has worked at for the past six years closes, she realizes she is going to need find some other employment and find it fast, since her family is relying on her. After few unsuccessful job stints through the unemployment agency, her career counselor introduces her to working for Will Traynor.
Will is bound to a wheelchair after an accident. Used to being part of an extremely exciting life, Will could not be any different than Louisa. As he once took risks in finance and in competitive sports, Will believes his life is over. Surly and ill-tempered, Will feels justified in taking his anger out on timid Louisa. But she refuses to back down from him, and soon, she realizes Will’s happiness means everything to her.
This is not your typical boy-meets-girl love story, and because of that, I truly enjoyed Me Before You. Just as Louisa strives to make Will happy and see life is worth living even as a quadriplegic, Will wants Louisa to spread her wings out of their tiny town.
This is a beautifully written story of sacrifice as it shows readers that sometimes making others happy can sometimes break our own hearts.
Andrea King, Poplar White Station Library
Labels: Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King, Romance
Monday, June 25, 2012
[Book Review] ALWAYS TIME TO DIE by Elizabeth Lowell
Jessica reviews ALWAYS TIME TO DIE by Elizabeth Lowell (William Morrow, 2005)
Set in present day Taos, New Mexico, Always Time to Die, by Elizabeth Lowell is a romantic suspense novel that relies on a lot of dialogue and an action oriented plot for its fast pace.
Professional genealogist Carolina (Carly) May has been hired by the aging Winifred Castillo to write the Castillo family history, but when Carly arrives in Taos, she is faced with more than just boxes of old papers and photographs. Carly has to unravel the convoluted ties between the Castillo and Quintrell families, uncovering unsavory details of Winifred’s recently deceased brother-in-law, simply known as “The Senator.”
The Senator’s son, Josh, is carrying on the strong family tradition of political ambitions, and wishes for nothing more than for Carly to leave his family's history alone. With the help of the mysterious, brooding, Dan Duran, can Carly overcome obstacles and attacks to discover the astonishing ties that bind so many people together in the small town before she is silenced for good?
Readers with an interest in strong professional female characters, unique geographic settings, historical detail, genealogy, or family secrets would find this book right up their alley. If you read this and enjoy it, you may also enjoy books by Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Barbara Wood, and Jayne Ann Krentz.
Jessica Taylor, Central Library
Labels: Fiction, Reviews by Jessica Taylor, Romance
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
[Book Review] NERD IN SHINING ARMOR by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Jason reviews NERD IN SHINING ARMOR by Vicki Lewis Thompson (Bantam Dell, 2003)
I should preface this by review by mentioning that although I've read plenty of books with romantic elements, this is the first “romance” book I've read. I decided on this particular book as it seemed a bit more adventuresome than most romances and I felt like the main characters may be a bit more relatable than most romance books. I had a hard time starting this book, but ended up really enjoying it after only a few chapters in and rushed through the rest of it in only a couple days.
The story centers on a pretty girl and nerdy guy stranded
together on a desert island after a small plane crash. The nerdy guy has been secretly in love with
the heroine and impresses her enough to begin a physical relationship, but the
heroine is uncertain about the future.
Once they are rescued, can their passion last?
I liked that the characters were multi-faceted and that the
plot wasn’t too predicable. The heroine is pretty, but is strong and fiery and
ends up contributing quite a bit more than the smart guy due to her country
upbringing. The nerd is muscular and is incredibly romantic. The sub-plot
involves the heroine’s mother and her kind-natured boss searching for the
missing couple and forming their own romance while emotionally supporting each
other. I liked the extra subplot as it was a bit more relaxed and wholesome and
slowed things down a bit from the mostly survival and sex-oriented plot line.
In summary, the characters were well-developed and
interesting and there was enough action to keep someone who doesn’t usually
like romances interested. In my opinion, it’s at least worth a read.
Jason Sharp, Whitehaven Library
Labels: Fiction, Reviews by Jason Sharp, Romance
Friday, August 06, 2010
[News and Notes] 2010 RITA Awards Announced
Romance Writers of America have announced the 2010 winners of the RITA Awards.
A description of the award from the website:
"The purpose of the RITA® contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.
The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for excellence in published romance fiction."
Click here to view all award recipients, including the winners of the Golden Heart, awarded to the best romance manuscripts.
A few of the winners are listed below.
Click on the titles to find available copies in the catalog.
The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander
Winner for Best Inspirational Romance
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Winner for Best Historical Romance
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
Winner for Best Regency Historical Romance
Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
Winner for Best Paranormal Romance
One Scream Away by Kate Brady
Winner for Best First Book
A description of the award from the website:
"The purpose of the RITA® contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.
The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for excellence in published romance fiction."
Click here to view all award recipients, including the winners of the Golden Heart, awarded to the best romance manuscripts.
A few of the winners are listed below.
Click on the titles to find available copies in the catalog.
The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander
Winner for Best Inspirational Romance
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Winner for Best Historical Romance
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
Winner for Best Regency Historical Romance
Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
Winner for Best Paranormal Romance
One Scream Away by Kate Brady
Winner for Best First Book
Labels: Awards, News and Notes, Romance
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
[Book Review] HOTHOUSE FLOWER AND THE NINE PLANTS OF DESIRE by Margot Berwin
FictionBeth reviews HOTHOUSE FLOWER AND THE NINE PLANTS OF DESIRE by Margot Berwin (Pantheon, 2009)
As you may remember I am often drawn to books by their covers and this one was no exception—the bold colors, the gold printed title. It drew me to it, and once I read the jacket flap, I was sold. (My interest in plants didn’t hurt either.)
Ad executive Lila Nova is recently divorced and living in an all-white box of a studio apartment with large windows. She is trying to understand how her life came to this—living alone with “no pets, no plants, no people, no problems.” Deciding that adding some greenery wouldn’t hurt, she heads out and meets David Exley, a guy who sells plants.
Exley is everything an outdoorsman should be—streaky blonde hair, a dirt-colored tan, and sexy. After a short-sell, Lila is the proud owner of a bird-of-paradise plant. She won’t have this plant die like her marriage died, and as the plant flourishes under her careful care, so does her interest in tropical plants.
After a troubling day at work Lila heads to her favorite bar, and on the way there she spies an amazing tropical plant hanging in the window of a Laundromat. Drawn inside, she enters a new world. The floor is soft moss, grass grows from the tops of machines, and best of all are the tropical plants. The heat and humidity of the Laundromat makes it the perfect home for these plants.
Armand, the Laundromat’s owner, is as mystical and strange as his business. Armand gives Lila a cutting from the fire fern that originally brought her in, and he encourages her to grow it. If the fern grows he will show her the “nine plants of desire” he keeps secretly in the back of the Laundromat.
With the fire fern in her apartment, Lila realizes that her place is still bare and needs more plants. Exley is happy to sell her two more. When Exley delivers them to her apartment, Lila invites him to dinner the next week. He cancels on the same night that her fire fern grows roots.
Lila is overcome with joy and makes plans to visit Armand, but suddenly, she grows suspicious of him. Instead of going to Armand she visits Exley, and asks him if the fern is authentic. Exley craves the exotic plant and all the money it could potentially bring him. Lila is now suspicious of Exley, but she also wants a share of the money. She agrees to be Exley’s go-between, with the goal of bringing him more of Armand’s exotic plants.
Lila takes a new plant cutting to Exley and he invites her to dinner. He wines and dines her into showing him the Laundromat. A few days later, Lila discovers that the Laundromat plants are gone--along with Exley. Lila feels responsible for the theft, and Armand easily talks her into a crazy trip to the Yucatan to hunt for replacements. In Mexico, Lila finds more than she bargained for with Armand—adventure, romance and much more!
Beth, Highland Branch Library
Labels: Adventure, Reviews by Beth, Romance
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
[Book Review] NEVER AFTER by Laurell K. Hamilton, Yasmine Galenorn, Marjorie M. Liu, & Sharon Shinn
Fiction/Romance
Beth explains why readers should grab a copy of
NEVER AFTER by Laurell K. Hamilton, Yasmine Galenorn, Marjorie M. Liu, and Sharon Shinn (Jove Books, 2009)
Remember those fairy tales you read from childhood? The stories were always about the beautiful princess needing rescue, or the princess who knows not her royal blood and returns with great gladness to her people. Well, this book doesn’t have those tales. Never After is about the princess doing the rescuing!
In these four tales you’ll see a traditional fairy tale turned on its ear, often with the princess making a wise decision on her own--no man involved! (OK, so a man is involved in the story, but she makes the decisions!) Each notable author writes a wonderful story. Some involve supernatural themes, while others go back to the times when kings and queens ruled the entire land, which means, no story is to be missed.
Enjoy this quick read today!
Labels: Reviews by Beth, Romance
Monday, July 06, 2009
[Book Review] RUNNING HOT by Jayne Ann Krentz
FictionBeth reviews RUNNING HOT by Jayne Ann Krentz (Putnam, 2008)
I really enjoy books with a supernatural theme. This one had a bonus! The heroine is a librarian! Grace Renquist is a librarian who is able to see auras and dark flashes that show violence or evil. In this novel she is paired with ex-cop Luther Malone to do a psychic investigation for Jones & Jones. Luther, acting as Grace’s bodyguard, can use his psychic abilities to alter people’s moods through their auras.
Grace and Luther are sent to Hawaii, acting as honeymooners, to find a killer. Things quickly heat up between the two. Unfortunately, things also heat up as they contend with the bad guys. The deadly drug created by the Arcane Society’s founder has been recreated and is causing chaos within the supernatural community. Can Grace and Luther hold off the trouble until back-up arrives? Will they survive the lethal psychic La Sirene, who, like a siren of ancient myth, kills with her singing voice?
Things are a bit far-fetched at times but who doesn’t love a great mystery with romance and the supernatural thrown in?
Beth, Highland Branch Library
Labels: Fantasy, Reviews by Beth, Romance
Thursday, July 03, 2008
[Book Review] FEARLESS by Diana Palmer
Fiction/RomanceBeth reviews FEARLESS by Diana Palmer (Harlequin Books, 2008)
This quick read, enjoyed by both me and my mother, is what most romance readers are looking for. A sweet innocent woman who has overcome life’s obstacles to become a strong, successful woman. A hero who is good and has his own burdens to share with her. And yet they both nearly ruin this great book by their stubbornness!
Gloryanne is a District Attorney and her job has once again put her in harm’s way—there are no witnesses when a drug lord threatens her life. Can she stay safe until his trial? The ideal place to hide is on her stepbrother’s farm in her hometown of Jacobsville, working undercover as a canner. There she meets Rodrigo Ramirez, the manager of a truck farm by day and by night an undercover DEA agent. Rodrigo is working to bust a drug cartel that is running drugs across the Texas border. Gloryanne and Rodrigo keep their true lives a secret...is this anyway to start a relationship? Will they stand by each other when the secrets come out? And can they outwit the people out to kill them?
A great romance with some twists and turns. Perfect for a sunny day indoors or a poolside read!
Beth, Highland Branch Library
Labels: Reviews by Beth, Romance
Monday, April 28, 2008
[Book Review] BLUE-EYED DEVIL by Lisa Kleypas
Fiction/RomanceBeth reviews BLUE-EYED DEVIL by Lisa Kleypas (St. Martin's Press, 2008)
This “serious” romance novel by Lisa Kleypas is a sequel to her debut novel, Sugar Daddy.
Liberty has decided between Hardy Cates, self-made man, and Gage Travis, heir to a Texas fortune. Gage’s younger sister, Haven, attends Wellesley College and meets her husband-to-be, Nick Tanner. Nick, although a Texan, is considered unfit by Haven’s father. Haven, not to be strong-armed by her father, elopes with Nick and her father cuts her off.
Nick and Haven (renamed Marie by Nick) move to Dallas and both work so they are able to afford a small condo. Nick, who assumed Haven’s father would come around, becomes increasingly angry as they live on a tight budget. His solution is that Haven should have a baby—how could her father not help support his grandchild? When Nick finally pushes Haven to the breaking point—literally—she returns to Houston a beaten and bruised woman.
Hardy Cates is still in Houston and still at odds with the Travis family. The attraction between Haven and Hardy is as strong as ever, but her recent past may stand in their way. Can Hardy Cates, a man raised in a trailer park, convince an heiress to love him?
Lisa Kleypas has written a wonderful second novel full of romance and contemporary issues. This was a great page turner! Read Sugar Daddy and follow it up with Blue-Eyed Devil. You won’t regret it!
Beth, Highland Branch Library
Labels: Reviews by Beth, Romance
Friday, December 21, 2007
[Book Review] AMAZING GRACE by Danielle Steel
Fiction/Romance Beth reviews AMAZING GRACE by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press, 2007)
Sure, like every girl my age, I’ve grown up surrounded by Danielle Steel. My mom reads her (while skipping certain “parts”), my Nanny reads her (now in large print and I’d bet not skipping “parts”) and so did my sister and I (I’m not commenting on “parts” with us!). This Danielle Steel is not the one of my teenage years—Amazing Grace was a soft romance mixed with inspirational fiction, a devastating earthquake and a touch of suspense and criminal activity.
The Bay Area experiences a huge earthquake that brings down parking garages, destroys houses, closes hotels and leaves thousands homeless. It also brings together three women seeking something in their lives. Sarah Sloane, married to the highly successful entrepreneur Seth, is a mother of two and event planner of the high-ticket charity auction. Melanie Free, a hot Grammy-winner, performs at the auction until the earthquake. At 19, she sees her life stretching out in front of her—and she doesn’t like what she sees. During the crisis she meets Sister Maggie Kent and begins to work with her ministering to the needs of the injured. Melanie is reminded of her dream to become a nurse…but will her stage mother let her? Sister Maggie also attracts the attention of photo-journalist Everett Carson.
A great soft read for a cold day! Enjoy this wonderful book!
Beth, Highland Branch Library
Labels: Inspirational Fiction, Reviews by Beth, Romance
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
[Book Review] A MAN OF MEANS by Diana Palmer
Fiction/RomanceDean Moore reviews A MAN OF MEANS by Diana Palmer (Silhouette Books, 2002)
The story begins with Meredith Johns leaving a wild Halloween party. On her way home, still dressed in a skimpy burlesque dancer's costume, she encounters a well-dressed man being attacked by two other men. Making lots of noise and with the element of surprise, she frightens the attackers away. She then proceeds to tend the man’s wounds and borrows his cell phone to call for help. In this way she meets Rey Hart. He is one of five brothers who run a Texas cattle ranch. At the hospital, she calls the Hart Ranch and tells Leo, Rey's brother, about the attack. Leo wakes the pilot of the ranch’s private jet and travels to Houston to take care of his brother. At first Rey and Leo both are suspicious of Meredith. In fact, they are more than suspicious. They are vicious. A large part of the mystery of this novel is found in Meredith’s true background and career.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...The Hart brothers have lost their cook. And, they really love homemade biscuits. Due to serious personal and family issues, Meredith must take some extended time off from her regular work. Rey becomes aware of Meredith as a possible interim cook and invites her to take the position. She accepts the offer hoping for a brief break from work and family stress. In spite of the unpromising beginning between Meredith and the Hart family, romance soon blooms.
This fast-paced romance features strong character development, exciting relationships and a realistic story line with a wonderful ending. Although not written as a mystery, A Man of Means certainly contains a strong element of suspense.
Dean Moore, Frayser Branch Library
Labels: Reviews by Dean Moore, Romance
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
[Book Review] SOMEONE TO LOVE by Jude Deveraux
Fiction/RomanceJesse Marshall reviews SOMEONE TO LOVE by Jude Deveraux (Atria Books, 2007)
Although three years have passed since the suicide of his fiancée, Stacy, Jace Montgomery is still far from reconciled to her death. Jace does not believe that Stacy committed suicide, and he certainly does not agree with the pervasive idea that she took her life because she could not bring herself to break off their engagement. His discovery of a photo of Priory House in Margate, England, bearing an enigmatic love note to Stacy, leads Jace to travel to Margate and to purchase the expensive but ugly estate. He is convinced that the house contains the answer to the mystery of Stacy’s death.
Jace quickly discovers that Priory House is haunted by the ghost of Ann Stuart who, like Stacy, is supposed to have committed suicide on the eve of her wedding. Jace feels that finding out the truth about Ann Stuart’s death will lead him to understanding Stacy’s death also. He is joined in his investigation by his attractive neighbor, Nightingale Smythe, a former war correspondent and local journalist.
I recommend Someone To Love to readers who enjoy fast-paced reads with familiar characters. It is character centered, includes multiple plot lines, and focuses on romantic relationships. The plot also contains supernatural elements.
Jessie G. Marshall, Business and Science Department
Labels: Reviews by Jessie Marshall, Romance
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
[Book Review] SUGAR DADDY by Lisa Kleypas
Fiction/RomanceBeth reviews SUGAR DADDY by Lisa Kleypas (St. Martin’s Press, 2007)
An intriguing hardcover debut by Lisa Kleypas, Sugar Daddy begins with Liberty Jones and her mother moving into a trailer park in Welcome, Texas. Liberty was born to a Hispanic father (who passed away early in Liberty’s childhood) and Diana, blond-haired and blue-eyed. As a family of two, money is always tight, but they manage to get by. . .especially with good friends like Miss Marva, Lucy Reyes and Hardy Cates. Hardy, a hunky "bad boy", is bound and determined to escape Welcome and won’t let anything or anyone keep him there—even if that means denying his feelings for Liberty.
Tragedy strikes when Diana is killed in a traffic accident, leaving Liberty to graduate high school and raise her new little sister, Carrington. Amazingly, Liberty qualifies for a scholarship at a beauty school and lands a position right out of school with an exclusive salon. There she meets Churchill Travis, an investment tycoon. Over many manicures—and eventually lunches—they become very close friends. After a horse-riding accident leaves him wheelchair bound, Liberty is hired to be his personal assistant. Carrington and Liberty move into the mansion—much to annoyance of Churchill’s eldest son, Gage. Liberty and Gage bicker viciously—which as all romance readers know means one thing. . .a possible love connection!
Life for Liberty is never smooth, especially as Hardy re-emerges on the scene—now rich and wanting Liberty. But is Hardy the same guy who loved her before? Or is he the same guy that would not let anything stand between him and escaping life as he knew it in Welcome?
I was rooting for Liberty from the first time I cracked open this book until I closed it. Maybe I see a little bit of myself in that girl from "the wrong side of the tracks" trying to make it in the "big city." Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good love story. Or maybe Lisa Kleypas knows how to spin her web around readers and draw us in...either way it was a great book!
Beth, Highland Branch Library
Labels: Contemporary Romance, Reviews by Beth, Romance
Monday, February 05, 2007
[Book Review] CRAZY FOR YOU by Jennifer Crusie
Fiction/RomanceDoris Dixon reviews CRAZY FOR YOU by Jennifer Crusie (St. Martin's Press, 1999)
There is something exhilarating about reading a writer at the top of his or her game. I’ve read novels that Jennifer Crusie published before and after 1999’s Crazy For You. This is my favorite. She knew what her readers wanted and gave it to them. According the dust jacket, Crusie analyzed the structure of women’s fiction for her Ph.D. dissertation in literature. This information makes me wonder about the years of study and practice that shaped Crazy for You, a tight, funny, satisfying romance. Here's a quick summary:
Quinn Mackenzie is sick of her life. Sick of teaching art to high schoolers. Sick of her boring, worrisome live-in boyfriend, Bill. He never listens. Things begin to change for the better when Quinn adopts an abandoned dog. Bill calmly orders her to get rid of it. She refuses and he takes the dog to the pound behind her back. After reclaiming her dog and dumping Bill, Quinn makes other changes. She pursues bad boy mechanic Nick, who was once married to her wild sister Zoe. Quinn longs to be wild, too. Nick is just the spark she needs, but Bill refuses to accept that his relationship with Quinn is over.
Doris Dixon, Raleigh Branch Library
Labels: Contemporary Romance, Reviews by Doris Dixon, Romance
Friday, October 06, 2006
[Book Review] SIMPLY UNFORGETTABLE by Mary Balogh
Fiction/RomanceDoris Dixon reviews SIMPLY UNFORGETTABLE by Mary Balogh (Delacorte Press, 2005):
I recommend this book for fans of romance, historical or otherwise--Mary Balogh crafts a satisfying love story that will have you rooting for the inevitable reunion of the two lovers. If you're looking for a new twist on the genre, however, Simply Unforgettable will seem all too predictable.
He's a tall, muscular and impetuous aristocrat. She's a slim, stunning and cautious schoolteacher. They meet during a snowstorm. On a English country road, his carriage passes hers, forcing it into a snowbank. She's outraged. Stranded, she has no choice but to seek refuge with him in a nearby inn. The innkeepers are on holiday and their porter is of little help to the refugees. They make do as best they can--she cooks, he tends the fireplaces. A snowman-building contest and a sensuous waltz melt the ice between the pair and they eventually become lovers. It's a one-night stand. When they return to their respective lives, however, they cannot forget each other. He pursues her despite her protests. Although she loves him, there is a dark secret in her past that convinces her that she would be an unfit wife for a future member of the House of Lords. Also, there's the issue of her career; she enjoys teaching at an all-girls school in Bath, but he thinks she should move to London with him.
Okay, I admit it. I forgot the names of the two lovers. Why look it up on the Internet when their names are largely irrelevant? What matters is that this romance satisfies: independent, intelligent, attractive woman; headstrong, tall, muscular man; believable tension between the two; the inevitable steamy, but not tawdry love scene; personal and social forces threatening to keep the young lovers apart; the eventual reunion. The book is set in Regency England, which is important to the story because he's a member of the ton (London society). Otherwise the novel could have been set elsewhere. In the end, what matters is that Simply Unforgettable delivers.
You might also enjoy Mary Jo Putney's The Marriage Spell, which veers a bit more from genre expectations.
For more information about Regency Romances, see my review of What Price Love? by Stephanie Laurens.
Doris Dixon, Raleigh Branch Library
Labels: Reviews by Doris Dixon, Romance
