Penny Watson's Blog, page 77

Review of How To Flirt With A Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

How To Flirt With A Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

Oh boy! I forgot how much I love this author. Her humor, her writing, her cute first person POV heroine with the great one-liners. This book was just what the doctor ordered to erase the disturbing bearotica images from my traumatized brain.

First of all, the cover is adorable and original in the world of romance novels. Love it! Second of all, this story is set in Alaska, home of many big, burly, hairy guys. And bears.

(Hmmm. I didn't realize how many similarities this book has with Bearotica: Hot and Hairy Fiction. Disturbing.)

Anyhow, right from the beginning of the book, I knew I was going to like it....

"Our conversation was interrupted several times by locals who approached me to introduce themselves. Well, local men who approached me to introduce themselves. Big, burly, and in most cases barely shaved, they were polite, even courtly, as they sidled up to my bar stool......" (Hold on a minute while I check air fare to Alaska.....)

OK! I'm back. Too expensive.

The premise for the story is great....a city girl escapes to Alaska to start a new life free of her hippy parents' interference. The hippy parents and Mo's atypical upbringing are hilarious. The werewolf hero, Cooper, is sexy and protective, although we don't really get to know him well enough in my opinion. And the icing on the romance novel cake? There is a dachshund in this book! An argyle-sweater-wearing, bear-fighting weenie dog. Super epic win!

Harper's humor is her strong point. The story soars when Mo is making funny observations about life in Alaska. As the story skips to more disturbing material (bloody werewolf deaths, an attack on Mo, etc), the story is not as effective and the pacing sometimes drags. I also thought we didn't get to know Cooper well enough. He spends a lot of time scowling and brooding, (and of course having fantastic sex with the heroine), but not enough time getting to know her.

In spite of these shortcomings, I loved the story. I was worried about Alan, the rejected suitor looking for love in the wilds of Alaska, and Harper wrapped up that loose end in a sweet and tidy way. (Which involved purchasing mega-packs of condoms at Bulk Wonderland...hee hee!).

This is a sweet, fun story, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series, The Art Of Seducing A Naked Werewolf.

Grade: B+

Penelope

Beard of the Day

Another Boston boy for Beard of the Day! Mark Wahlberg has had a varied career...rapper, underwear model, ruffian, actor, boy band dancer, etc. I like the fact that he has reinvented himself...no longer a trash-talking hooligan, but now a respected actor and family man.

As for the beard sitch, he is rocking it! It totally goes with his rough and rugged good looks. This is no refined pretty boy. He's been around the block a few times, and it shows. I likey!

Here's another photo of Mark from the film The Perfect Storm...love that movie!


I guess if you're caught in the middle of a hellacious storm at sea, your cool beard is gonna get really, really wet. Oh well.

Happy Hairy Friday!
Penelope

Mindless Musings and Updates from Penelope

1. I am permanently traumatized by the bearotica book. I need eye bleach. I need brain bleach. I need bleach bleach. Oh. My. God!

2. There is going to be a reality TV show about the "world of competitive facial hair growing".....Who knew facial hair-growing was a competitive sport!? Do you think the men will have cat fights like the Real Housewives Of NYC???? I can't wait to watch this. It's called "Whisker Wars." Yee haw!

3. I am stoked for Top Chef tonight. Anyone else addicted to that show? I am really bummed Dale, the Filipino Kick-Ass Chef, got dinged already. But I love Richie...he is so uptight, he doesn't even smile when he wins. He sort of does a half-smirk. He's like the crazy professor with his liquid nitrogen concoctions. Rock on, Richie!

4. Speaking of yummy food, check out this delicious looking recipe for pork and soba noodles at Full Fork Ahead. I am thinking of making a vegetarian version this week.

5. Is anyone else sick of these topics? Charlie Sheen, the YA mafia, indie-authors-turned-millionaires, how e-books will take over the world and cause widespread death and destruction and the end of modern civilization. I am.

Happy Humpday,
Penelope

1001 Ways to Use A Jar Of Honey

Thanks to a slightly diabolical subliminal suggestion by Kate at Babbling About Books and another throw-down by Mandi at Smexybooks, I fell off the "no-more-kooky-books-for-me" bandwagon. Sigh. Yes, that's right. I actually bought a book called....

Bearotica: Hot and Hairy Fiction.


It's a collection of erotica short stories about gay men who love "Bears".....you know, big, masculine, hairy, gay guys. Okay, so this is problematic for several reasons. One, I'm not a huge fan of erotica....I like romance much better. And two, I don't really read M/M stories. But the hairy, beary part was just too good to pass up.

There are 17 stories in this collection, including such titles as "Honey," "Bubbacious," and "Fuzzy Butt." (Stop laughing).

I have only just started reading this book, but so far I've concluded....

1) Mandi and Kate have a mean streak.
2) Eating lunch while reading bearotica is a really bad idea.
3) Even Penelope has her limits about hairy dudes.

I will keep you updated about my progress, which hopefully will not include long-term therapy. But it might. After finishing the first story, I had the distinct urge to curl up in a blanket and read Dr. Seuss.

Happy Tuesday,
Penelope

Review of Caught On Camera by Meg Maguire

Caught On Camera by Meg Maguire




I don't like contemporary romance.

I don't like blonds.

I don't particularly like Harlequins (unless I'm reading a "Sheikh" book as a joke).

So, it was with quite a bit of trepidation that I accepted an ARC from Meg Maguire. It's a Harly. With a blond guy. And it's a contemporary romance.

And then I looked at the cover.

Now, most of the time, a cheesy cover is something that would make an author cringe. Not a good thing. But in this case, the cover made me smile. First of all, there is a hilarious sub-title on the front cover that says "This show is getting x-rated"...hee hee! Then, you notice the camera strategically placed over the dude's crotch. And finally, the hero himself...he looks so damned naughty, with his shirt hanging open and a very wicked look on his face. How I love this cover! I quickly changed my tune about reading this book and couldn't wait to dive in.

Well, what I didn't expect was how addictive a writer Meg Maguire is. I literally could not stop reading this book. I ignored my children as they pleaded with me to serve them food and beverages. I ignored my weenie dog who was whining to go outside to do her business. I refused to do the laundry, pay the bills, or answer the phone. I inhaled this book from cover to cover.

My conclusion: Harlequin is very, very lucky to have Meg Maguire as an author. She took a somewhat hum-drum concept (a wilderness survival guide and his sidekick PA stuck in the woods during a snowstorm) and transformed it into an addictive bit o' romance crack. I usually get pissed off when there's too much deep POV from the characters, but Maguire gives the reader the perfect amount of POV...so we get to know the characters and their motivations. Both the hero (a sexy, scruffy Australian survival host) and the heroine (a Boston gal who has fled her past and relocated to California) are fully-formed, intriguing characters. The sexual tension in this book is fabulous. The love scenes are just the way I like them....intense, very sexy, and emotional. The pacing is absolute perfection, which is why the book was so addictive. As the story escalates, and the romance escalates, the reader gets sucked deeper and deeper into the narrative. Most excellent!

What I usually don't like about contemporary romance is that it's just too close to real life. I read romance for escape, not to be reminded of things like financial anxiety, job stress, or sucky relatives. But Caught On Camera included topics like survival guilt and family neglect with just the right touch. Maguire shows us what makes her characters tick, but doesn't overdo it. And best of all, she shows us how the love, affection, trust and partnership between these two characters make them both better people. That's what romance is all about.

I really, really loved this damned book.

Grade: A

Looking forward to my next Meg Maguire fix,
Penelope

Poetry Throw-Down For Mandi

Mandi issued me a throw-down. To use all eight quirky topics in one post. I can't resist a challenge, so I made up this poem:



There once was a mime who lived in a tree,He wore no bloomers, so all could see....
His manly parts, he was mocked and teased,He was so embarrassed, he started to wheeze...
His bud, a leprechaun, gave him advice,"Try wearing speedos! They'll look really nice!"
He tried on a pair, they were very bright pink,As he strutted about, he got a wink....
From a lumberjack, who was just passing by,"Those speedos are sweet. They caught my eye."
A clown on a unicycle rolled by the tree,He observed to a platypus, "There ain't much to see."
The mime huffed away, the insult stung bad,None of his girlfriends had ever seemed sad.
The Easter Bunny arrived with some candy,"Better watch out! That lumberjack's randy!"
So, the mime scampered back up his tree super quick,He didn't want any more comments about his poor d*ck.
The End

Desperate For Spring

As I perused Whole Foods the other day, this lovely beer caught my eye. My all-time favorite beer in the world is Magic Hat #9....it's from Vermont, and it tastes like apricot. Win! Anyhoo, this was a new selection from the Vermont brewery, and it looked so....so...so very spring-y. Colorful, festive, and just what the doctor ordered. Since I am a sucker for cool packaging, I bought it. (My hubby was most appreciative!)

My consensus: the beer is good, but I'm not sure it tastes like "spring"....in fact, I think it might sort of taste like winter. It's an amber lager, very heavy and robust. Something I would imagine a lumberjack who just finished splitting some logs might drink (and he would probably have bulging biceps in a thin T-shirt, thighs the size of tree trunks, and of course a huge-ass beard...just in case you need visuals for that...heh heh!).

Anyway, my husband and I enjoyed the beer, but I was still sad and jonesing for spring. So, my sweet hubs snuck out of the house and surprised me with a bouquet of yellow tulips. ♥☺♥☺

Reading update: Just finished a re-read of Amanda Quick's Wait Until Midnight. I love AQ...she is a master of the romance genre, and this book has got everything...engaging mystery, quirky heroine, and sexy, clever and masterful hero. Kate from Babbling About Books just did a post about villains you are rooting for, and it reminded me of this book. The heroine, Caroline, is a novelist and she models the villain in her latest book after the hero Adam (which irritates him no end). Suffice it to say, the villain becomes the hero, and the hero the villain, by the end of Caroline's book. This is a great read...I totally recommend it!

Finally, my darling 8 year old daughter has become my blogging assistant. I asked her yesterday if she could think of some "quirky" topics for me to write about for The Quirky Ladies blog. She asked what quirky meant....I said something different and funky. She said, "You mean weird?" I said, sure. Here is her list of topics for me to write about.....

1. Mime
2. Bloomers
3. Unicycle
4. Clowns
5. Speedos
6. Platypus
7. Leprechauns
8. Easter Bunny

Now, that's quirky!

Happy Weekend,
Penelope

Stache of the Day

Last night I watched the tail-end of Tombstone, starring Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp, also Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Thomas Haden Church, Jason Priestley, Michael Biehn and more. What a cast! Unfortunately, I didn't see the whole thing, but I was lucky enough to watch the final bad-ass scene where these four guys rock out.

First of all, I forgot that Val Kilmer used to be sexy. He looked fantastic here, unlike his new pudgy, pasty self. Second of all, I usually hate staches without the beard. There is something too 70's-pornish about the whole thing. But this movie might have sold me on the stache thing. The scene where these four guys walk down the street, all in a row, wearing bad-ass black dusters and staches-that-mean-bidness, is phenomenal. Totally hot, totally rocking, totally making me re-think the stache-on-its-own coolness.

I also loved their hats. I want one.

Here's a great photo of Russell and Kilmer....



Holy Guacamole! How yummy are these two guys? hee hee....


Happy Weekend To All,
Penelope

Tuesday Morning Updates: Alpha Men Gone Awry, Shopping In The Bargain Basement, and Zombies In Love

Happy Tuesday Morning!

Here are updates....

1.) I decided to start a "bearded hero" shelf at Goodreads! As I compiled my list, I realized that Lora Leigh's classic book Wild Card has a bearded hero. (The heroine keeps getting tell-tale beard burn! hee hee). Lora Leigh is a master at creating alpha heroes gone awry. And the women they love. And call "Baby".....way too many times. And then insist that the path to true love is "through the back door." I am laughing my way through the book! Baby!

2.) There is an interesting post and discussion going on at Bob Mayer's blog about pricing e-books. As I watch the pricing for books fall...from $18? for hard-covers, to $5-$8 for paperbacks, to under $5 for e-books, to $3, then $2, then $1, then .99, I wonder......how low will we go? .25? a nickel? a penny? There is no going backwards now. Readers will not accept $10 for a book price. We have created "monsters" of our own making....readers with the expectations that books aren't worth a buck.

I find this depressing as hell. Is there any other artist/inventor/film-maker, etc, who toils away for years and years, puts blood, sweat and tears into creating something, and the final product is worth....

99 freakin' cents. Not even a buck.

I don't think so.

Yeah, I know, if you sell a million copies (who's selling a million copies?), then suddenly your life's work has more value. But still.

For self-pubbers, this whole thing may be a gold-mine. But for those who choose traditional publishing paths, it's going to become a nightmare. There is simply no way the traditional publishing industry can support agents, editors, publishers, booksellers, and authors, with books that cost .99.

Good luck with that.

3.) I am fervently hoping and praying that the zombie/romance thing goes away soon. I cannot imagine a less complementary pairing of genres. For God's sake, there is nothing remotely romantic about body parts falling off and consuming human flesh. Who came up with this lam-o idea? Zombie romance, be gone!


Hope everyone is having a good start to the week. Happy March 1st! I am about to dive into another ARC by Meg Maguire. Yee haw!

Love yinz,
Penelope

Special Edition of Beard of the Day!

I know. I usually post my Beard of the Day on Fridays, but this is a special occasion. Christian Bale has been awarded Beard of the Day in the past, but this winner deserves its own award! Oh boy! Lumberjacks world-wide are rejoicing. CB showed up at the Oscars with a swanky black outfit and a scraggly beard ensemble. What a combination!

This barely groomed facial hair is the ultimate, "Wild Man", thick and rugged beard. I love how it's slightly reddish colored as opposed to the dark brown hair on his head. And the stache is great, too.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that beard pretty much ensured his win for Best Supporting Actor. Beard Power!

I didn't watch last night, but I heard he gave a very sweet thank-you to his wife. Good man.

Happy Monday to Everyone!
Penelope