Marie August's Blog, page 14

Book Review: Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Super rewrite of Phillips' 1984 Risen Glory!

Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Pages: 384 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

In case you don't have ($) to buy a rare, tattered copy of Phillips' first book from 1984, RISEN GLORY, you're in luck--Kit and Baron are back in this excellent rewrite, and they're better than ever!

The Civil War is over for the rest of the country, but not for Kit Weston. She's come to New York City disguised as a boy to get revenge. Baron Cain stands between her and Risen Glory, the South Carolina home she loves. Unfortunately for Kit, Baron isn't just her bitter enemy, he's been appointed her guardian.

Kit is an extremely strong heroine, but Baron is more than a match for her. If you love historicals where the heroine is disguised as a boy (I do!), and the hero and heroine are each other's natural antagonists, where the action never stops, the story is fast-paced, and the sexual tension burns, you will really enjoy this book--it has it all!

I rate this book as follows:

 
Heroine: 5

Hero: 5

Romance Plot: 5

Writing: 5

Overall: 5

Comic: Page 96

Page 96 of Marie August's webcomic, The Fox and The Firebird, has been posted.


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Book Review: Wrangling the Redhead by Sherryl Woods

Fun new addition to the Calamity Janes series!

Wrangling the Redhead (The Calamity Janes series) by Sherryl Woods

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: January 18, 2010
Publisher: Silhouette Special Edition
Pages: 256 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

After two failed marriages, 28-year-old Lauren Winters feels like a failure, in spite of a red-hot acting career in a string of blockbuster romantic comedies and an Academy Award nomination. Needing to get her head back on straight, she escapes to her birthplace of Winding River, Wyoming, to visit friends and family.

Almost the moment Lauren arrives back at her home ranch in Wyoming, she butts heads with arrogant horse wrangler, Wade Owens. Wade didn't grow up with Lauren, and not being a fan of romantic comedies, he has never heard of her as an actress. He just knows she's rich, an interloper in his domain, and assumes she's snooty as sin.

Though she finds herself brangling right and left with Wade, Lauren comes away from their sparring sessions more stimulated than upset. What a refreshing change to interact with someone who isn't in awe of her! And as things heat up between her and Wade, Lauren is even more delighted knowing that whatever Wade feels for her, it is for her alone, not for her fame and prestige. But even as she rejoices in her good fortune, Lauren knows that sooner or later she's going to have to confess to Wade who she really is.

This book is an excellent addition to an exciting romance series. There are lots of sparks and sharp repartee between the hero and heroine. The story has plenty of conflict and tension, but (which is something I personally prefer), remains light drama without too much angsting, and with frequent touches of humor. The sexual relationship between Wade and Lauren is highly emotional, which makes it very hot. Also, if you are a fan of stories set on a ranch, you will like the way the ranch in this book is very authentically drawn.

Book Review: Double Trouble by Claire Cross

An innovative, atypical, humorous romance

Double Trouble: Volume 2 (The Coxwells) by Claire Cross

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: July 11, 2012
Publisher: Deborah A. Cooke
Pages: 388 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

Maralys O'Reilly is an internet advice columnist who is a loner with no desire to marry or have kids. Then one day her nice, comfortable, "I am an island" lifestyle is totally disrupted. Her nephews Jimmy and Johnny call and tell her that their mother, Maralys's twin sister Marcia, didn't show up to get them up from swim practice. Not long after, the news gets worse, much worse. After Maralys takes the kids home, she finds a note from her sister declaring she's dumped her husband James and her two sons.

James Coxwell is the Number Three criminal attorney in the city, rich, powerful...and on the fast track to oblivion. Not only has his wife dumped him, he's just found out his own father is ousting him from the family firm on behalf of another relative. At age 42, he's all washed up.

Maralys has never considered herself the save-anyone type, but the situation of her brother-and-law and nephews is a mess. Before she knows it, she agrees to move in and help out, and there is no telling where the heck this will all end.

This book is more women's mainstream fiction than typical romance, in that it is written in first person and it violates a major taboo of romance: the book starts out with the hero not only married, but married to the heroine's sister. However, its ending does fulfill normal expectations of romance readers, so if you are a lover of traditional romance, you can rest assured you will be satisfied with how the story comes out.

The plot itself has the sharp, dark-humor tone of two romantic comedy movies I enjoyed a lot, My Best Friend's Wedding and The Truth about Cats and Dogs. The characters are sharply drawn, both protagonists intelligent, strong, and honest, but with the interesting flaws of cynicism in both of them and more than a little despair in James. The two children are also cute and often touching in a believable and enjoyable way.

If you are looking for a contemporary romance that is very much out of the ordinary, Double Trouble might be just the ticket for you.

Book Review: Her Leading Man (The Dream Maker) by Alice Duncan

Funny pairing of liberated female and stuffy male

Her Leading Man (The Dream Maker) by Alice Duncan

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: January 11, 2011
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 352 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

Christina Mayhew is a silent-screen actress in Hollywood of 1913. Though a very successful leading lady, for her, acting is simply a way to earn the large amount of money she needs to pay for medical school. Martin Tafft is the producer of her latest film and very much her match in intellect, ambition and personal strength.

Martin is extremely disappointed to learn that Christina is leaving the industry after this film wraps. He had very much hoped to work on future projects with the beautiful, young actress. She is one of the most talented--and most exciting--women he has ever known.

Christina is very attracted to Martin, and when she realizes that his admiration for her is more than simply professional, she determines to proceed as a liberated, independent woman and propose to him that he be her very first affair.

Gentlemanly Martin is shocked to his polished shoe tips at Christina's scandalous offer. He is adamantly opposed to sex outside marriage, tells Christina so, and remains stiffly withdrawn from her until an accident injuring the leading man forces Martin to take over his role. Soon Martin and Christina are sharing kisses on the set so heated, it becomes impossible for Martin to resist extending those kisses into his and Christina's private lives.

The setting of HER LEADING MAN is fascinating, and so authentically drawn, reading it delightfully transported me to the world of early Hollywood. The liberated heroine and the stiff, moralistic hero are a great pair of comic opposites, and the heroine's outrageous grandmother provides a lot of laughs, too. The love scenes between Martin and Christina are very emotional and very hot--I really love stories where a repressed hero finally lets go to the cauldron of passion inside him, because the heroine is utterly irresistible to him.

Book Review: The Wedding Wager by Cathy Maxwell

Exciting, funny battle of the sexes in Regency England

The Wedding Wager by Cathy Maxwell

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: October 30, 2001
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 384 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

Mary Gates is the village eccentric of Lyford Meadows in England of 1814. She dresses in men's clothing, can outswear any stable hand on her estate, and is convinced no man alive can outmatch her in picking prime horseflesh.

Tye Barlow, her equally headstrong neighbor and chief rival is a secret temptation to Mary, but she's never considered marrying him, or any man, until she runs into a terrible bind. Mary outbids Tye for a famous stud she is sure will put her faltering family finances on the road to prosperity, but the only way to pay the exorbitant fee is to marry money. Not wasting a second to implement her scheme, Mary trots off to London's aristocratic Marriage Mart, Tye hot on her heels.

At first Tye assumes he's determined to foil her scheme solely to get his hands on the prize stud. But while arguing with Mary as he twirls her around crowded London ballrooms, he soon realizes the one thing he covets more than all the pricey studs in the world is the love of maddening, enticing Mary.

The repartee between these strong, obstinate lovers is great, and the author's voice is clear, quirky and very funny. I love an independent, intelligent heroine like Mary, especially when she is matched with a hero like Tye who is clearly her equal and respects her as a worthy opponent, irregardless that she is a woman. I also love a story, which this one is in spades, where the contest of wills and sparks of anger between the protagonists incites desire--the love scenes are very hot!

Don't miss this exciting, often hilarious battle of the sexes!

Book Review: Full Bloom/Compromising Positions by Jayne Ann Krentz/Vicki Lewis Thompson

Wit and simmering sex from two romance stars!

Full Bloom/Compromising Positions by Jayne Ann Krentz/Vicki Lewis Thompson

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: September 1, 2001
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 448 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

This is a review of a romance collection released under the Harlequin Temptation line in 2001.

The first book in this collection, Full Bloom by Jayne Ann Krentz, was originally published in 1987. If you have never read it, it is one of her better short, contemporary romance novels.

Emily Ravenscroft is tired of her rich, domineering parents overseeing her every move. And she is equally tired of the interference of Jacob Stone, the tough, sexy troubleshooter her family has sent after her for years to make sure she stays out of trouble. Jacob has been extremely attracted to Emily since the day he met her, but as far as he's concerned, she is strictly off-limits as the daughter of his employers. Unfortunately for his determined vow, Emily has recently decided she is tired of being dutiful, and fiercely protests when her parents sic Jacob on her once again. She doesn't want Jacob as a watchdog, she wants him for a lover, and this go-round, she's determined to change the status quo.

This sprightly book is full of Krentz's trademark, witty sparring between an ultra-masculine, independent hero and a feisty, determined woman. I love the way the two of them battle each other, are equally stubborn and intelligent, and the way all of these elements together make for very hot sex. However, the sex is, thank goodness, also very loving. You can count on Krentz to never dump a hero and heroine into sordid, "let me use you for a while" sex. Her powerful protagonists are always discriminating lovers with strong ethics of generosity and loyalty.

The second book, Compromising Positions by Vicki Lewis Thompson, is a brand-new romance for her lucky fans. Thompson has written a lot of short contemporaries, and she has a strong feel for the requirements of this popular subgenre of romance. She always respects her fans by lovingly crafting her books.

Mick Farrell has been in business only one week with a brand-new bodyguard business, and he is desperate to get it off the ground. While waiting around for the phone to ring, his younger sister's best friend, Stacy Radcliffe, shows up. She wants to be his assistant, but Mick has no intention of hiring her. He's always been attracted to the beautiful, lively Stacy, but he has no desire to get romantically involved with a woman who shares every tidbit of her life with his baby sister! Unfortunately, his well-laid plans are thrown into a cocked-hat when a former lover of his shows up needing his professional services. As much as he needs her business, the lady is a tiger, obviously after far more personal attention than money can buy from poor Mick. Suddenly he decides he's going to need a bodyguard of his own to ward off the predatory woman, and Stacy is just what he needs to fill the bill.

This story is an excellent pairing with the Krentz book. Like Krentz, Thompson is terrific at getting a story off to a running start. Stacy and Mick collide by page three, begin to strike sparks, and don't stop blazing until the very end. They are a very good match for each other, each attractive, intelligent, ambitious, forthright, more than a little brash, and looking for work they can really sink their teeth into. Of course, work isn't the only thing they want to gnaw on! These two are a combustible combination serving up lots of exciting love scenes.

Not all double books are worth the extra cost, but I don't believe you'll be sorry if you give this one a try.

Book Review: My Fair Quiggley by Judith Lansdowne

Fun farce with quirky characters and a sexy couple

My Fair Quiggley by Judith Lansdowne

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: October 1, 2001
Publisher: Zebra; First Printing edition
Pages: 350 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

Desdemona Quiggley is a free spirit determined to be mistress of her own fate. Together with two close female companions, she forms Lucy Lavender Enterprises. Unfortunately, the business falls into debt, and the ladies are in danger of losing everything they've worked so hard to gain. But Desdemona refuses to give up. In order to keep them all from debtor's prison, she conceives a wild plot to capture a highwayman in order to collect the large reward on his head.

Arriving at Yorkshire to visit his aunt, the Marquis of Daxonbury is knocked off his feet by a deadly accurate slingshot wielded by an irrepressible young female who has confused his noble person with a common footpad! Immediately caught in the delightful snare of the most fascinating woman he has ever met, Dax finds himself up to his ears in solving a villainous plot, the plucky Desdemona by his side, every step of the way. And to think Dax assumed his visit to dear old auntie's would be a dead bore!

This lively novel is full of wit and charm in the form of clever dialogue, quirky characters with sparkling personalities, and many hilariously outrageous situations. The hero and heroine are a wonderfully balanced match, both of them intelligent, stubborn, and dynamic with a shared sense of the ridiculous. If you like a book with lots of laughs along with warm affection and hot sexuality, you'll really enjoy this treasure!

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 5

Hero: 5

Subcharacters: 5

Romance Plot: 5

Writing: 5

Overall: 5

Book Review: Educating Caroline by Patricia Cabot

A lady and her love tutor in 1870 England

Educating Caroline by Patricia Cabot

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: October 30, 2001
Publisher: Pocket
Pages: 448 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

Lady Caroline Linford and Branden Granville share two big things in common: both of them are engaged, and both their betrotheds are betraying them--with each other. This forms the basis for a humorous partnership to help each other escape from their disastrous alliances. And while that is going on, Caroline asks Branden to throw in some love lessons so this sort of thing will never happen to her again.

A simple plot, or so they both thought, but neither bargains on falling in love with each other as they kiss, quarrel and scheme!

Caroline and Branden are a lot of fun. They are strong and energetic people, and the premise of love lessons is a very sexy one. The author's dry, witty voice and plenty of clever dialogue add greatly to the humor and readability of the book, making it a very lively, enjoyable read!

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 5

Hero: 5

Subcharacters: 5

Romance Plot: 5

Writing: 5

Overall: 5

Book Review: Husband Material by Liz Ireland

Adorable hunky hero, running from his romantic fate

Husband Material by Liz Ireland

Reading Level: Adult Romance
Release Date: September 1, 2001
Publisher: Zebra; First Edition
Pages: 352 pages
Source: Purchase
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

When a tall, handsome customer mangles a machine at her copying business, single mom Kelly Sumners is too busy ogling him to be irritated. But five minutes later she's really freaked out when the same man unfixably mangles her car in a parking-lot fender bender.

As Riley helps Kelly from her car, a sudden overwhelming premonition convinces him that Kelly is "The One." But, far from thrilled, the dogged bachelor is determined to avoid his fate at all costs. He begins by showering Kelly with expensive gifts as payback for causing the accident, but Kelly keeps refusing them all. Though it gets harder all the time. Not just because of the costliness of the gifts, but because they are so amazingly appropriate to the needs of her and her children.

The book has a strong beginning, and it doesn't let up. Each new encounter between the hero and heroine sets up a zany new adventure as they negotiate Kelly's conflicted feelings about Riley's latest attempts to help her out. The hero and heroine are both well motivated, and their attraction to each other is strong and very believable. The heroine's kids are cute (but not annoyingly so), and the emotional intensity and sexual tension are very high. All in all, a fun sexy read!

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 5

Hero: 5

Subcharacters: 5

Romance Plot: 5

Writing: 5

Overall: 5