Cruisin' Again

What a relief that I feel pretty caught up on the doings in my little corner of the blogosphere. I think I've finally made the rounds to all my favorite places and am up to date. Lots of stuff is going on out there.

I've mentioned it many times before, but I really am in awe of the reviews that get put up each week. I've been muddling about trying to do at least one review a week. You know make a hard and fast commitment to reviewing at least one book a week. I can't believe how prolific some reviewers like Rosario and Dear Author are. Unreal. I'm so grateful too. Wendy posted a list of favorite books and authors a couple of days ago. It reminded me how many books I've read because of her reviews and recs. Tara Marie too. God I love you all for that. Nothing better than finding someone who has similar tastes and knowing that a good review from them probably means you are in for a good read too.

BTW, I can't wait to try and find some Terri Brisbin books after both Rosario and Tara Marie gave her books a favorable review this week. Thanks guys those books sound great.

I've been talking about the review that got eaten by blogger and can't even begin to try and re-create it. Usually I'm stubborn about stuff like that and just slog in and re-do it right away, but it was late and I was getting ready for our days off and just sort of blew it off.

However, I do want to mention some books I've read this past month that are noteworthy.

AND THEN HE KISSED HER by Laura Lee Guhrke
This was a recommend from Dear Author and Tara Marie. I would probably have never picked up this book on my own without reading those reviews and recommends. Great book with a heroine who is smart and independent and yet written true to the time period.

VISIONS OF HEAT by Nalini Singh
I've read some reviews that didn't think this book was as good as the first one. I however don't feel that way. I feel more drawn than ever into this world and found myself puzzling over some of the questions posed in the story (the alternate net construct for one thing). I liked Vaughn and Faith and enjoyed this book very much.

ICE BLUE by Anne Stuart
Yeah, I know she's not everyone's cup of tea, but I've enjoyed the Ice books. I like those hard to like heros. I figure this is probably because I would never tolerate having anyone like them around in real life. I will admit there is some repetition here in character traits among these ice cold killers of the Committee, but I just jumped in and accepted it all at face value. I lived in Japan for three years as a military brat when I was junior high school age. I love that country and was thrilled to have a hero be half Japanese and have part of the story take place there. In fact I told GG that we should think about taking a trip there. Wonderful country and very rich and interesting history.

BLOOD SECRETS by Vivi Anna
I actually picked this one up on a whim. I'd picked up and put down Vivi Anna's HELL KAT several times when it first came out not really sure if it would be my cup of tea and ended up not buying it. When I picked up BLOOD SECRETS and read the blurb that it was a CSI team with a vampire, a werewolf, a witch and a human comes into help them solve a crime I had to buy it. This was a Silhouette Nocturne release and I hope they plan to continue the series because I can't wait to read the next book about this unusual CSI team in the Valorian Chronicles. The cast is great and I can see endless possibilities for some great stories.

CLAIMING THE COURTESAN by Anna Campbell
This book was reminescent of historicals from the 80s but with a modern twist. The Duke of Kylemore will not appeal to everyone, but I was too curious not to read the book and too fascinated by it once I started reading it not to finish. Ms. Campbell doesn't take any easy roads and it wasn't hard for me to believe that people like this existed or that they could eventually find love despite the controversial forced sex. I don't see how an avid romance reader could pass up checking this out. I found myself thinking about it after I read it, so I'll definitely be looking for the next one by Ms. Campbell.

BE STILL MY VAMPIRE HEART by Kerrelyn Sparks
I enjoyed HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE VAMPIRE the first book in the Love at Stake series as good campy fun. I struggled through the second book VAMPS AND THE CITY and was very undecided whether or not I'd try the third book. While my reaction is somewhere between the first and second books BE STILL MY VAMPIRE HEART has its moments. I will probably continue with the series, but hope that Ms. Sparks will decide whether or not she is going to make this a campy, funny type of series or a straight vampire story. The books seem a little conflicted to me on what they want to be. If you are sick of vamp stories and you don't like any of the cutesy stuff, or modern day vamp politics, this series won't be for you.

SEPTEMBER MOON by Candice Proctor
Thanks again to Tara Marie for turning me on to Candice Proctor! This was another historical set in Australia. Just great well drawn characters. One of the best things about this story was that Englishwoman Amanda Davenport didn't have a problem falling in love with Aussie outback Patrick O'Reilly, who had been deserted by his wife six years earlier and left with 3 children. Amanda wasn't conflicted by his prior marriage, because she understood he had been abandoned. Her conflict was more honestly and realistically her difficulty in adjusting to life in the outback. I also applaud Ms. Proctor for not using the old tried and true plot twist of resurrecting the prior spouse at the last moment to throw a wrench in true love. Good read, nice and meaty with a full bodied story and characters.

I've been buying books at a much faster rate than I can read them again. I have to go on a buying moratorium until I finish reading a few books. I'm in a western sort of mood again. I've ordered the Lori Handeland books that are part of the Rock Creek Six series. I received NATE today and am anxiously awaiting Reese and Rico. Once I have them I'll be reading that series. I can't wait. Other than that there isn't a whole lot I'm waiting for in April except for Karen Robards new release. I'm a fan from way back and have been intrigued by what I've read about the new HC Obsession. Oh, I also already ordered the Linda Howard Silhouette Nocturne release Raintree book. I'm hoping to have that May release in my hot little hands in the next week or so.

What are you excited about coming up in April or May?

NIGHT IN EDEN by Candice Proctor

By now everyone knows all about my blues over my favorite UBS closing. I picked up a few books there, but mostly shopped for family and friends and was able to use half my credit. I hope like hell they get the other store.

Anyway among the books I picked up for myself were Candice Proctor's NIGHT IN EDEN, SEPTEMBER MOON and THE LAST KNIGHT. Since I was in the mood for a historical, and my reading is always about what mood I'm in, I decided to read NIGHT IN EDEN first because both Tara Marie and ReneeW had commented recently how much they liked the book.

Here's the blurb from Ms. Proctor's web site:

Bryony Wentworth's life is shattered when she is convicted of manslaughter and transported to New South Wales in 1808. Sentenced to indentured servitude, she is given to Hayden St. John. A hard, embittered man left with an infant son by the death of his gentle wife, Hayden has little but contempt for the muddy, vermin-ridden convict on whom he must rely. But Bryony is a survivor. As they journey through the outback to Hayden's rugged station, Bryony rediscovers her own strength even as Hayden finds his salvation and rebirth in a love as forbidden and dangerous as the land that surrounds them.

I'm so glad I read this book. This was a good historical in the best sense of the word. There is alot of depth and layers to the book. There's nothing more rewarding for me in a book than when an author knows the period well. I enjoy the small things and details that add so much color and texture to the story. I don't want to give the impression the book is burdened or slow by this because it isn't. Both Byrony and Hayden are well drawn and true to the time period without being stereotypes.

So many times in historicals I cringe when the heroine makes a TSTL move or seems to act totally out of the time period, place or the character we've been shown already. It happens so frequently in historicals that at several points in this story I was waiting for this to occur. Thankfully it never does. It was refreshing to see Byrony and Hayden actually communicate with one another and have the author avoid the plot device of one or another of them hiding or avoiding the truth to create a twist.

Ms. Proctor has plenty of sexual tension between these two and doesn't take any easy roads for them to be together. It was great to see she had plenty of twists and turns without having these two intelligent and resilient people be unable to have a rational conversation between them.

I sure am glad I was able to find this book.

It was originally published in 1997, but it is worth the search to read it.