Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Aug08
Yes! I took a quick break from all things romance to read “Death’s Half Acre” by Margaret Maron. This is a story about greed and murder in small town America. It’s not bloody, it’s not scary, it’s just a good way to pit your ‘li’l grey cells’ against those of the author for a couple of hours.
North Carolina is a beautiful state. And I’d like to think there are still places like the Colleton County described in Maron’s book. There are the old-timer’s whose families have been there as long as anybody can remember, and there’s the newcomers who want to ‘get away’ from big city living, but can’t seem to go a day without wishing for a Starbucks or a WalMart! Maron’s ability to depict the slower pace and cronyism of the Deep South can only come from personal knowledge since she pegs it dead on.
When a crooked female politician with bigger aspirations than the City Council she was appointed to commits suicide, the same questions are on everybody’s lips. Especially since she left a note saying she was guilty of kickbacks and illegal profiting from her position. But she didn’t name any names or give any details, so now everybody who ever had any dealings with her (and that would pretty much be everybody in business in town) is under suspicion. When the coroner reveals her death as a murder and not suicide, the investigation gains steam. Then her daughter is killed and the clues don’t seem to be adding up.
Deborah Knott is a judge in Colleton County. Her husband is a Sheriff’s Deputy. So for the sake of marital harmony they don’t ‘talk work’ at home. But when Deborah finds out the dead woman had files on her family, she begins to waver. Now it looks like all those past secrets may come to light, and Deborah must make some tough decisions about justice and legality…and stay alive while doing it.
I enjoyed Margaret Maron’s country mystery. Her characters were so accurately drawn there were times I was sure they were people I’ve known. As a denizen of the Deep South myself, I recognized many of the character types described in this mystery. But I think what I enjoyed most about “Death’s Half Acre” was the author’s gentle probing into the grey areas of justice and what people will do for family…and for power. The mystery is well-plotted and even with all the well-placed clues, I didn’t guess the guilty party until the end of the book. There were plenty of red herrings and all of them were viably plausible and suspects abound. If a homespun southern mystery sounds like your cup of sweet tea (yes, I couldn’t resist), then pick up a copy of this book for yourself. You might want to read it sitting on your front porch, in a rocker, with a mint julep in your hand! Ahhhhh.
Ohh my. I want a Master of Time for myself, please. "Dark Embrace" is Brenda Joyce's third book in this series and her hero in this book is as tormented, conflicted, and sexy as any I've read about!
Aiden has lived with the memory of the death of his son, killed by Aiden's father, for 66 years now. Since that day, he has turned aside from saving Innocents and embraced the lust for power for one reason and one reason only...to hunt his father, Moray, through time, find him, and kill him. His ability to feel and love died that day and he hasn't missed it at all...until Brianna.
Brianna has a crush on a Master of Time she's seen once! How pathetic can she get? But she's a Rose, and she lives for her research work so she really doesn't need a man. Heck she'll probably die a virgin! Then one night she's awakened by a horrible cry, and somehow she knows it's Aiden...and his horrific pain is so terrible it's reached across time and is killing her. Her one-sided love and empathy have created a connection to Aiden that she can't seem to break. When she's attacked in the present day, Aiden somehow can't ignore her cry and saves her. Then kidnaps her and takes her back to his time, 1502 Scotland.
If you've read the first two books "Dark Rival" and "Dark Seduction", then I don't have to tell you to go get this book. If you haven't read this series and you like hot, hunky Scottish giants with paranormals powers and the ability to 'go' all night...what are you waiting for? These guys are the ultimate Alpha males and Scottish...in kilts. Have you left yet? When they finally succumb to love, it's a love for the history books (literally) and they have plenty of experience to keep their women blissfully happy. These aren't stories to change your life or make you ask deep psychological questions. They're just darn good hot and sexy romances. I'm in
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Aug08
Chivalrous knights and braw Highlanders…both are enough to have women sighing. Put them together in the same story and the book will likely sell itself! Stir in a liberal helping of erotica and you have the recipe for “The Conquest” by Julia Templeton. This is her second erotic historical set in Scotland during the Middle Ages. I suspect it will be at least as popular as her first one, “The Bargain” since it features characters she introduced in that first book.
Adelstan is the brother of Aleysia who wed overlord de Wulf in “The Bargain”. Adelstan is an honored knight who has refused his own demesne to avoid talk of favoritism because of his close kinship with de Wulf. He knows he will win his own fief in time, but has never regretted that decision until Adelstan’s current lord, Malgor, sends him to fetch and escort back home his recently betrothed bride, Rhiannon. From the moment Adelstan first sees Rhiannon, he knows he’s in trouble…and bitterly regrets turning down the fief that went to Malgor. Because if he hadn’t turned it down, HE would be the one marrying this beautiful and spirited woman.
Rhiannon has been full of questions and fears since her father announced her upcoming marriage to Lord Malgor. Like any other young woman, she dreams of love with a handsome lord followed by marriage and children. When she catches sight of Adelstan, she mistakes him for Lord Malgor and is momentarily thrilled. Then she learns the truth. Lord Malgor is older than her father and very much involved with his leman. The more time she spends with Adelstan, the surer she becomes that he is the only man she will ever love. But to have Rhiannon, Adelstan would have to defy both honor and duty.
This was a quick, enjoyable read. It wasn’t difficult to figure out fairly early on where the plot was headed, but the devil is in the details and Ms. Templeton ‘did’ the details very well indeed. Her characters are likely not too terribly historically correct, but then again if they were, we probably wouldn’t like them so much! The story is definitely erotica. Sex between the main characters (and some sizzling ménage action between some secondary characters) is what leads to the deepening of their feelings and their resulting relationship and actions to preserve it. Templeton does a ‘bang up’ (I know, but I couldn’t resist) job writing some smoking hot and sensual love scenes that will have you reaching for a fan!
Although I’m not normally a big fan of Middle Ages historicals, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in Julia Templeton’s Scotland. The ‘happily ever after’ provided for her characters will leave a smile on your face and the lack of real violence and hot sex is just about a perfect way to spend an afternoon!
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08
What woman hasn’t dreamed of being irresistible to men? Of having any man you want at your feet, either figuratively or maybe even literally for those bad girls out there. Well Allyson Roy has written a cleverly plotted mystery about just that. “Aphrodisiac” is a slick, intricate mystery about a murder committed over an ancient aphrodisiac brought back to life.
Saylor Oz (don’t blame her, it’s a family name) is a sex therapist. She’s an unapologetic city girl who’s still ‘in the market’ for a man. When her best friend from childhood drowns and it’s called a suicide, Saylor doesn’t buy it. Sure Gwen was occasionally depressed, but she would never, absolutely never have been wearing a fanny pack! Add in a robbery and attempted attack, and Saylor is becomes even more convinced that Gwen didn’t commit suicide. But what the heck do her murderers want with Saylor?
I found “Aphrodisiac” a bit hard going. The plot was very clever, there were certainly a plethora of suspects and each had reasons to kill Gwen. The clues were cunningly interlaced throughout the story and I didn’t figure out the guilty party until the author revealed it at the end. The characters were sharply portrayed and never really deviated from expected behavior. Doesn’t all this sound great? It was.
What wasn’t so great for me was the attitude for lack of a better word. The vocabulary was very ‘street’. At least that what’s I think it was. I’m probably just too old and not ‘hip’ (or whatever it’s called nowadays) enough, but I found myself put off by just about every character involved. I’ve never lived in New York City and if most of the people who do talk like this then I think that’s a very good thing. The book is also written in first person and there were times it was hard for me to keep track of who was who and who was talking or thinking when. I was also a bit turned off by the gratuitous killings and beating administered by the bad guys. I get the fact that they’re bad. I guess this was just a bit too ‘gritty’ for me.
I think if you’re a younger reader who likes a more realistic, big city murder mystery…you would likely enjoy “Aphrodisiac” by Allyson Roy very much. As for me, when I want to read a mystery, I prefer the more gentle ‘cozy’ mysteries. But hey, variety is the spice of life and what’s not right for me may be just what another reader has been looking for.
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08
This is my second read by Kathryne Kennedy. “Double Enchantment” is her second book about an England where magic is commonplace in the upper class. In fact, magic is the determinant to belong to the upper class. The stronger your magic, the higher your status. Except for shapeshifters, for some reason their magic is considered too wild and they are looked down upon by the rest of high society. Kennedy’s series is set in regency times so the books are a strange mix of historical paranormal that just seems a bit off for me.
Lady Jasmina is a proper high born miss. Her magic works just fine and that’s a good thing as she uses it mostly to return items her klepto of a mother steals. But her mother is beautiful and spoiled rotten and seems to accept the danger she places her child in every time she ‘picks up’ whatever catches her eye. But something has gone wrong with Jasmina’s spell this time. The simulacrum she thought she left in her bed has somehow acquired a piece of Jasmina’s soul and is now running around London, looking exactly like Jasmina. And she’s doing things NO well bred miss should! Now her simulacrum is engaged to a shifter that Jasmina is increasingly attracted to, some really bad guys are after Jasmina, her simulacrum, and Sir Sterling, and Jasmina really has NO idea how she’s gonna fix this.
Sterling sees her from across the ballroom. She’s gorgeous…and unless he’s dreaming, she appears to be attracted to him too. Suddenly she’s seducing him and the next thing you know they’re engaged. So what is going on with her twin?
Kennedy’s descriptions of scenery and setting are laudable. I found the concept of an openly magic-filled regency period interesting and unusual. But, it was very difficult for me to finish this book. I didn’t find the plot all that gripping and it was all too easy for me to set the book aside. Jasmina was very self-sacrificing and the longer it went on, the more irritated I became with her. There were too many different characters and too many different threads for me to easily keep track of, or stay interested in. Even the two love scenes struck me as rather hurried. On the plus side, some of the secondary characters were just as, if not more, interesting as the main ones and there were occasional flashes of really good humor which I always like.
While I’m a fan of regencies AND a fan of paranormals, “Double Enchantment” by Kathryne Kennedy didn’t quite manage to mix the two to my enjoyment. In the end, I just couldn’t generate enough admiration for the main characters to want to read more about them. But, just because it wasn’t to my taste doesn’t mean some of you guys might like it. And if it sounds interesting, then pick up a copy and let me know what you think.
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Death's Half Acre by Margaret Maron
Julie Anderson, September 7, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Aug08Yes! I took a quick break from all things romance to read “Death’s Half Acre” by Margaret Maron. This is a story about greed and murder in small town America. It’s not bloody, it’s not scary, it’s just a good way to pit your ‘li’l grey cells’ against those of the author for a couple of hours.
North Carolina is a beautiful state. And I’d like to think there are still places like the Colleton County described in Maron’s book. There are the old-timer’s whose families have been there as long as anybody can remember, and there’s the newcomers who want to ‘get away’ from big city living, but can’t seem to go a day without wishing for a Starbucks or a WalMart! Maron’s ability to depict the slower pace and cronyism of the Deep South can only come from personal knowledge since she pegs it dead on.
When a crooked female politician with bigger aspirations than the City Council she was appointed to commits suicide, the same questions are on everybody’s lips. Especially since she left a note saying she was guilty of kickbacks and illegal profiting from her position. But she didn’t name any names or give any details, so now everybody who ever had any dealings with her (and that would pretty much be everybody in business in town) is under suspicion. When the coroner reveals her death as a murder and not suicide, the investigation gains steam. Then her daughter is killed and the clues don’t seem to be adding up.
Deborah Knott is a judge in Colleton County. Her husband is a Sheriff’s Deputy. So for the sake of marital harmony they don’t ‘talk work’ at home. But when Deborah finds out the dead woman had files on her family, she begins to waver. Now it looks like all those past secrets may come to light, and Deborah must make some tough decisions about justice and legality…and stay alive while doing it.
I enjoyed Margaret Maron’s country mystery. Her characters were so accurately drawn there were times I was sure they were people I’ve known. As a denizen of the Deep South myself, I recognized many of the character types described in this mystery. But I think what I enjoyed most about “Death’s Half Acre” was the author’s gentle probing into the grey areas of justice and what people will do for family…and for power. The mystery is well-plotted and even with all the well-placed clues, I didn’t guess the guilty party until the end of the book. There were plenty of red herrings and all of them were viably plausible and suspects abound. If a homespun southern mystery sounds like your cup of sweet tea (yes, I couldn’t resist), then pick up a copy of this book for yourself. You might want to read it sitting on your front porch, in a rocker, with a mint julep in your hand! Ahhhhh.
Dark Embrace (Masters of Time) by Brenda Joyce
Julie Anderson, September 7, 2008
Ohh my. I want a Master of Time for myself, please. "Dark Embrace" is Brenda Joyce's third book in this series and her hero in this book is as tormented, conflicted, and sexy as any I've read about!Aiden has lived with the memory of the death of his son, killed by Aiden's father, for 66 years now. Since that day, he has turned aside from saving Innocents and embraced the lust for power for one reason and one reason only...to hunt his father, Moray, through time, find him, and kill him. His ability to feel and love died that day and he hasn't missed it at all...until Brianna.
Brianna has a crush on a Master of Time she's seen once! How pathetic can she get? But she's a Rose, and she lives for her research work so she really doesn't need a man. Heck she'll probably die a virgin! Then one night she's awakened by a horrible cry, and somehow she knows it's Aiden...and his horrific pain is so terrible it's reached across time and is killing her. Her one-sided love and empathy have created a connection to Aiden that she can't seem to break. When she's attacked in the present day, Aiden somehow can't ignore her cry and saves her. Then kidnaps her and takes her back to his time, 1502 Scotland.
If you've read the first two books "Dark Rival" and "Dark Seduction", then I don't have to tell you to go get this book. If you haven't read this series and you like hot, hunky Scottish giants with paranormals powers and the ability to 'go' all night...what are you waiting for? These guys are the ultimate Alpha males and Scottish...in kilts. Have you left yet? When they finally succumb to love, it's a love for the history books (literally) and they have plenty of experience to keep their women blissfully happy. These aren't stories to change your life or make you ask deep psychological questions. They're just darn good hot and sexy romances. I'm in
The Conquest by Julia Templeton
Julie Anderson, September 6, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Aug08Chivalrous knights and braw Highlanders…both are enough to have women sighing. Put them together in the same story and the book will likely sell itself! Stir in a liberal helping of erotica and you have the recipe for “The Conquest” by Julia Templeton. This is her second erotic historical set in Scotland during the Middle Ages. I suspect it will be at least as popular as her first one, “The Bargain” since it features characters she introduced in that first book.
Adelstan is the brother of Aleysia who wed overlord de Wulf in “The Bargain”. Adelstan is an honored knight who has refused his own demesne to avoid talk of favoritism because of his close kinship with de Wulf. He knows he will win his own fief in time, but has never regretted that decision until Adelstan’s current lord, Malgor, sends him to fetch and escort back home his recently betrothed bride, Rhiannon. From the moment Adelstan first sees Rhiannon, he knows he’s in trouble…and bitterly regrets turning down the fief that went to Malgor. Because if he hadn’t turned it down, HE would be the one marrying this beautiful and spirited woman.
Rhiannon has been full of questions and fears since her father announced her upcoming marriage to Lord Malgor. Like any other young woman, she dreams of love with a handsome lord followed by marriage and children. When she catches sight of Adelstan, she mistakes him for Lord Malgor and is momentarily thrilled. Then she learns the truth. Lord Malgor is older than her father and very much involved with his leman. The more time she spends with Adelstan, the surer she becomes that he is the only man she will ever love. But to have Rhiannon, Adelstan would have to defy both honor and duty.
This was a quick, enjoyable read. It wasn’t difficult to figure out fairly early on where the plot was headed, but the devil is in the details and Ms. Templeton ‘did’ the details very well indeed. Her characters are likely not too terribly historically correct, but then again if they were, we probably wouldn’t like them so much! The story is definitely erotica. Sex between the main characters (and some sizzling ménage action between some secondary characters) is what leads to the deepening of their feelings and their resulting relationship and actions to preserve it. Templeton does a ‘bang up’ (I know, but I couldn’t resist) job writing some smoking hot and sensual love scenes that will have you reaching for a fan!
Although I’m not normally a big fan of Middle Ages historicals, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in Julia Templeton’s Scotland. The ‘happily ever after’ provided for her characters will leave a smile on your face and the lack of real violence and hot sex is just about a perfect way to spend an afternoon!
Aphrodisiac (Berkley Sensation) by Allyson Roy
Julie Anderson, September 6, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08What woman hasn’t dreamed of being irresistible to men? Of having any man you want at your feet, either figuratively or maybe even literally for those bad girls out there. Well Allyson Roy has written a cleverly plotted mystery about just that. “Aphrodisiac” is a slick, intricate mystery about a murder committed over an ancient aphrodisiac brought back to life.
Saylor Oz (don’t blame her, it’s a family name) is a sex therapist. She’s an unapologetic city girl who’s still ‘in the market’ for a man. When her best friend from childhood drowns and it’s called a suicide, Saylor doesn’t buy it. Sure Gwen was occasionally depressed, but she would never, absolutely never have been wearing a fanny pack! Add in a robbery and attempted attack, and Saylor is becomes even more convinced that Gwen didn’t commit suicide. But what the heck do her murderers want with Saylor?
I found “Aphrodisiac” a bit hard going. The plot was very clever, there were certainly a plethora of suspects and each had reasons to kill Gwen. The clues were cunningly interlaced throughout the story and I didn’t figure out the guilty party until the author revealed it at the end. The characters were sharply portrayed and never really deviated from expected behavior. Doesn’t all this sound great? It was.
What wasn’t so great for me was the attitude for lack of a better word. The vocabulary was very ‘street’. At least that what’s I think it was. I’m probably just too old and not ‘hip’ (or whatever it’s called nowadays) enough, but I found myself put off by just about every character involved. I’ve never lived in New York City and if most of the people who do talk like this then I think that’s a very good thing. The book is also written in first person and there were times it was hard for me to keep track of who was who and who was talking or thinking when. I was also a bit turned off by the gratuitous killings and beating administered by the bad guys. I get the fact that they’re bad. I guess this was just a bit too ‘gritty’ for me.
I think if you’re a younger reader who likes a more realistic, big city murder mystery…you would likely enjoy “Aphrodisiac” by Allyson Roy very much. As for me, when I want to read a mystery, I prefer the more gentle ‘cozy’ mysteries. But hey, variety is the spice of life and what’s not right for me may be just what another reader has been looking for.
Til next time
JJ
Double Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy
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1-5 of 192 nextJulie Anderson, September 6, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08This is my second read by Kathryne Kennedy. “Double Enchantment” is her second book about an England where magic is commonplace in the upper class. In fact, magic is the determinant to belong to the upper class. The stronger your magic, the higher your status. Except for shapeshifters, for some reason their magic is considered too wild and they are looked down upon by the rest of high society. Kennedy’s series is set in regency times so the books are a strange mix of historical paranormal that just seems a bit off for me.
Lady Jasmina is a proper high born miss. Her magic works just fine and that’s a good thing as she uses it mostly to return items her klepto of a mother steals. But her mother is beautiful and spoiled rotten and seems to accept the danger she places her child in every time she ‘picks up’ whatever catches her eye. But something has gone wrong with Jasmina’s spell this time. The simulacrum she thought she left in her bed has somehow acquired a piece of Jasmina’s soul and is now running around London, looking exactly like Jasmina. And she’s doing things NO well bred miss should! Now her simulacrum is engaged to a shifter that Jasmina is increasingly attracted to, some really bad guys are after Jasmina, her simulacrum, and Sir Sterling, and Jasmina really has NO idea how she’s gonna fix this.
Sterling sees her from across the ballroom. She’s gorgeous…and unless he’s dreaming, she appears to be attracted to him too. Suddenly she’s seducing him and the next thing you know they’re engaged. So what is going on with her twin?
Kennedy’s descriptions of scenery and setting are laudable. I found the concept of an openly magic-filled regency period interesting and unusual. But, it was very difficult for me to finish this book. I didn’t find the plot all that gripping and it was all too easy for me to set the book aside. Jasmina was very self-sacrificing and the longer it went on, the more irritated I became with her. There were too many different characters and too many different threads for me to easily keep track of, or stay interested in. Even the two love scenes struck me as rather hurried. On the plus side, some of the secondary characters were just as, if not more, interesting as the main ones and there were occasional flashes of really good humor which I always like.
While I’m a fan of regencies AND a fan of paranormals, “Double Enchantment” by Kathryne Kennedy didn’t quite manage to mix the two to my enjoyment. In the end, I just couldn’t generate enough admiration for the main characters to want to read more about them. But, just because it wasn’t to my taste doesn’t mean some of you guys might like it. And if it sounds interesting, then pick up a copy and let me know what you think.