Thunder and Roses - 2/1/011

[MashJ]

Bekah wrote: "I felt the same way, but then i'm sorta wary of MJP now...maybe someday I will pick something of hers again. Now, though I have too many sure things in my TBR mountain."

You might enjoy Michael's story (it is another fairly crazy plot). I don't think that you would have the same issues with his character- he has also had the rest of the series to get his act together! The hero in The Bartered Bride is utterly perfect btw. I just thoroughly enjoyed the fun plot in Thunder and Roses- there was so much going on and I find a lot of romances very underplotted.

I take your points on Nick but I don't have to love the heroes to enjoy the book- I find a lot of books written recently bend over backwards to make their heroes likeable. They tend to shy away from letting the heroine really suffer or making the hero/heroine genuinely flawed. I find that many books written in the 90s are my faves because they bridge the bodice ripper 80s and politically correct noughties gap. I don't have Nick on my favourite heroes list but I thought his actions made sense.

Having said that we all are reading this stuff for pleasure so if you didn't enjoy this one it may well be that MJP is not for you. I keep a list of authors with notes so that I know if I want to go back to them. Some authors are currently on hold for me- others (like MPJ) I want to read all their work.

[Bekah, Fellow Kleypasaholic]

I will give an author at least two books before I give up. So I try to pick out books that seem to be fan faves. You never know, sometimes its not even the book, but the reader and the time that you're reading the book. For this book I felt there was too much going on in the plot I guess. I don't think you have to have a lot of stuff going on in order to have a great plot in a book. I suppose I'm more interested in a character driven plot.

I don't have to love the heroes to love the book, its just that usually for the books that I go gaga over, it's because the hero was simple perfection to me. That doesn't mean the plot or the heroine were not great either.

I've noticed recently, for me, I don't read contemps very often...but it seems that they are making the heroes 'perfect' and the heroines with the 'problems' or whatever issues arise in the novel. Its the men who are ready for the relationship and willing to wait paitiently for the heroine to get her act together. I sort of like that - when done well.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish, Your Humble Servant]

I fell asleep reading last night! I hate that because I usually have to go back several pages to see what I was fogging out on! LOL

I really am enjoying it, even with Nick being so ... rakish!

[Bekah, Fellow Kleypasaholic]

Good, I'm glad! I did really like the moments when it was just them. I loved the conversation they had when she announced she wanted out and he said no, absolutely not. I wish more of the book had been like that.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish, Your Humble Servant]

I'm still bothered by his callousness towards her reputation. I just think that he doesn't think reputation SHOULD matter so much that he isn't realizing how much it could hurt someone in HER situation.

[MashJ]

Bekah wrote: "I've noticed recently, for me, I don't read contemps very often...but it seems that they are making the heroes 'perfect' and the heroines with the 'problems' or whatever issues arise in the novel. Its the men who are ready for the relationship and willing to wait paitiently for the heroine to get her act together. I sort of like that - when done well."

Good description- and I can understand why a lot of people would like this. I find that LK's recent books are sometimes in this style and they kind of lack fire for me. It also has a fint hint of market research.

[Bekah, Fellow Kleypasaholic]

hmm..maybe. I didn't consider that. It would make sense though. I think that in my experience personally and that of my friends that sort of plot rings true in the real world.

Just ask my guy... :-)

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish, Your Humble Servant]

Wow... ok, so I finished. I was partly right in my guesses, but not quite what I had thought.

I enjoyed it, and I'm really glad you reco'd it Mshj!!!

I don't know if you saw my comment in the Secret Santa Book discussion thread, but I LOVED Flowers from the Storm and this one was good, too. So far you're 2/2 with the recos! Thank you!!!

Bekah, I'm ready to start talking spoilers whenever you are!

[Bekah, Fellow Kleypasaholic]

I'm glad you liked it!!! Did he redeem himself in your eyes?

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish, Your Humble Servant]

Bekah wrote: "I'm glad you liked it!!! Did he redeem himself in your eyes?"

Yeah, somewhat. At the end he admitted that he only did the things he did to keep her there, and I can get that, especially from someone who had been abandoned as a child and betrayed as an adult by the very people who were SUPPOSED to love him. I could see how he'd feel the need to resort to scheming.

But I felt like the ending part was kind of weak. Not the very end, but the thing was that we knew Madoc was out to kill Nick and frame Michael, so it felt weird that the author tried to make it suddenly mysterious.

And I always hate the end of stories when someone is about to kill someone else then launches into the explanation about why. It reminds me of cheesy TV shows, and that's what happened with Madoc.

It's close to a 4 star, but would have been a solid 4 had those things not happened.

[Bekah, Fellow Kleypasaholic]

:-) too true!!! I hate it when that happends too! Like the big sinister evil explanation from the psycho really needs to happen!