Review: Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Unlike early fans of the series, I'm a late arrival. Which means I didn't have to wait for each book to be released and read #2-4 back to back. Which might have influenced my reviews just a little bit.

I can honestly say that this is my least favorite of the Night Huntress books so far. I really didn't enjoy it as much. It's not terrible by any means, but it did come across as melodramatic and repetitive.

Cat and Bones are settling into their lives as husband and wife: vampire style. That is until a vampire named Gregor interrupts their honeymoon in Paris by invading Cat's dreams and insisting she is married to him and not Bones. And that Mencheres stole those memories from her. Added to that is the fact that Gregor is capable of abducting people while they are dreaming and it causes Cat to have some serious doubts about who she really is and what she wants.

Review: A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

I fully admit to being an Amelia Peabody fan girl. I started the series in college and have dutifully picked up each yearly book as soon as it was published--in hardcover. I mourned the conclusion of the series when Tomb of the Golden Bird was released and was ecstatic when Peters began publishing 'lost journal' books that filled in the gaps left by the original series.

The series as a whole is studiously researched and written with  a sly sense of humor through the tart, often abrasive voice of Amelia Peabody Emerson. Part of the charm is due to the characters. Part of it is due to the atmosphere created by Elizabeth Peters's expertise in the field.

Unfortunately, though, A River in the Sky was missing something. Something big. Two somethings actually. And those were a compelling mystery and archaeology.

Review: Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis

I'm a sucker for stories set in the Sierras because, quite frankly, there really aren't that many of them. Rockies, yes. Sierras, no. So I was delighted to hear about Jill Shalvis's Instant Attraction which is set in the fictional town of Wishful, located somewhere in the general area of South Lake Tahoe.  Once I started reading, though, it wasn't the setting that captured me. It was the writing.

I haven't read  many contemporaries that have appealed to me lately. They're either romantic suspense, paranormal, or so filled with sex scenes that the romance gets lost. No so with this book! The romance takes center stage as we watch two people recovering from life-altering tragedy muddle their way through a relationship while struggling to redefine themselves and their altered reality.

Hump Day Classic Movie: Clash of the Titans

I grew up watching the original Clash of the Titans made in 1981. It's a classic. It's campy. And has typical Ray Harryhausen special effects that are charming in their simplicity. You won't get motion sickness watching this one.

Starring Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, and Burgess Meredith

Review: At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

I can now say I know what the fuss is about. Frost's Night Huntress series is probably the most consistently good series I've read in a long time. At Grave's End finds Cat and Bones newly married in vampire fashion and planning a human wedding.

Further complicating the plans is Mencheres' offer to bind Bones' line to his, strengthening them both. But, as we soon learn, Mencheres is anything but altruistic. He has a reason for everything. And that becomes apparent as a female vamp named Patra launches a terrorist attack in the midst of the binding ceremony--starting a vampire war.

I admit I was a bit annoyed with Frost's wholesale slaughter of Egyptian history, but because this is *fantasy* I gave it a pass.


The tone of this book is sad. Very sad. To the point of being depressing. But the emotional depth of the series is part of what I love about it.  Emotional pain can show reveal hidden depths about characters, and I think we see that here with both Cat and Mencheres. And Vlad--oddly enough. Sure, the beginning shows plenty of Cat's snarky humor, but midway through the book that levity disappears.

The pacing is a bit funky, which could be a turn off for some readers. The narrative either plods along in depressing emotional wallowing or is filled with an overwhelming, frantic urgency during the action sequences. There's very little consistency here, and I think that hurts an otherwise excellent book.

This book sets up not only the next installment of the Night Huntress series but the spin-offs being released this year. I thought it an excellent story that focused far more on the relationship between Cat and Bones than previous installments.


My Grade: B+

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Review: Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery

FTC Disclaimer: Digital galley provided by the publisher through Net Galley
**May contain plot spoilers**


   Chasing Perfect is another of the hearth and home style romances that are supposed to be the new up and coming trend in romance publishing. Fortunately, though, Mallery's style lacks the sickly sweet tone so many of those novels have  and delivers a thoughtful and funny small town romance.

   Yes, there are the obligatory plot elements: move from the city to small town life, the traumatized dowdy woman seeking to settle down and have a family, the local playboy... But there's enough genuine emotion and characterization to overcome those conventions.

Hump Day Classic Movie: The Creeping Flesh (1973)

Okay, this one is just campy. It's biggest *ahem* recommendation is that it might provide some unintentional laughs. I know it did for me.

The Creeping Flesh stars Christopher Lee and features an oversized skeleton that can regrow tissue. Ewww.

Still, for dirty minds like mine, there's a memorable scene where a dismembered finger starts to grow...and um...it sort of doesn't look like a finger.

I love Christopher Lee. Modern audiences might recognize him from the Lord of the Rings or the newer Star Wars films, but he's a giant in the horror industry. He's been making films for what seems like forever. Don't believe me? Check out his filmography!

This title is out of production at the moment. You can find used copies from Amazon, though.

Authors With an Agenda

I've noticed a trend among certain authors lately that has me more than a little bit irritated. As far as I can tell, it's mainly restricted to well established authors with a high number of dedicated readers. And while this trend isn't new by any stretch of the imagination, it seems to be taking over the romance genre with increasing speed.

I'm talking about author activism.

Now, to be clear, I'm not talking about when an author takes a public stance about a particular social or political issue in their day to day lives. I'm talking about when those beliefs make their way into their stories in book after book with all of the subtelty of a sledgehammer. Where readers are subjected to mini-lectures over and over every time they pick up a book by a particular author.

For me, it's beginning to be a huge turn-off. Even if I, too, believe in the cause. Even if I, too, think these issues could use some publicity. Because I honestly don't think fiction should be used to preach an agenda. Even if that agenda is worthwhile.

Pot Stickers Recipe

For those of you who asked for the recipe. It was a little too long to send!

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup very finely chopped napa cabbage
8 ounces lean ground pork
2 tablespoons finely chopped water chestnuts
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2/3 cup chicken broth, divided

Dipping Sauce
Soy sauce and sweet red chili sauce (ratio depends on your taste preference)

1. Place flour in large bowl and make a well in center. Pour in boiling water; stir with a wooden spoon until dough begins to hold together. Knead dough until smooth and satiny on lightly floured surface, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
(You can substitute prepared wrappers for this, but they do have a different texture!)

2. For filling, squeeze cabbage to remove as much moisture as possible; place in a large bowl. Add pork, water chestnuts, onion, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil and sugar; mix well.

3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions; cover 1 portion while you work with other portion. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut out 3 inch circles with round cookie cutter or clean can. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in center of each dough circle.

4. To shape each pot sticker, lightly moisten edges of dough circle with water; fold in half. Starting at one end, pinch curled edges together making 4 pleats along edge. Set dumpling down firmly seam-side up. Cover finished pot stickers while you make remaining dumplings. (Cook immediately, refrigerate for up to 4 hours , OR freeze in a resealable plastic bag.

5. To cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat (I've used pans that weren't nonstick and they turned out fine as well). Set 1/2 of pot stickers in pan seam-side up. ) If cooking frozen dumplings, do not thaw.) Cook until bottoms are golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Pour in 1/3 cup of the chicken broth. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes (15 if frozen). Repeat with remaining oil, pot stickers, and broth.

Recipe yield is supposed to be around 32 pot stickers, but I always come up short. :) My cutter is a little bigger than 3 inches.

** Note: The filling also works terrific for wontons! If you have leftover filling (or cannot find ground pork in 8 ounce packages) you can easily double the filling recipe and do pot stickers one night and wonton soup the next. 

Favorite Rereads aka the Comfort Read

With so many books coming out each month, it takes a rare book to get me to sit down and reread it.  My TBR pile is already sky high, but there are a few go-to books that help me out when I'm in the middle of a reading slump or just too tired to read anything new.


A few of my favorites:

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn.
I don't love all Bridgertons equally, I'm afraid. This one is definitely my favorite of the series. It has far more emotional depth than most of the others. Kate and Anthony during the storm scene is permanently etched in my romance drenched brain.

A Secret Love by Stephanie Laurens
While I love most of the early Bar Cynster series, Gabriel and Alathea's story is my favorite. The childhood friends turned lovers trope is my absolute favorite. And the characters here are so well done. Not to mention this one is scorching hot!

Lady in Red by Karen Hawkins
Okay. I admit it. Part of the reason I love this book is that the heroine's name is Honoria Baker-Sneed. But honestly, I love the entire Baker-Sneed family here. This is the last of the Talisman ring series, and while I like the rest of the series also, this one is special.

Single White Vampire by Lynsay Sands
This  dates back to the first few of the Argeneau series. Honestly, I think it's the first romance I read that literally had me laughing so hard I was crying. A vampire romance novelist. And the lampoons directed at the fictional version of the RT convention are equally funny. Clever and light-hearted, this book highlights what is great about this series--even if Sands seems to have drifted away from this type of slapstick humor.

Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody, Book 1) by Elizabeth Peters
I love the entire Amelia Peabody mystery series, but the first book holds a special place in my heart. I love watching Amelia and Emerson fall in love while chasing after perambulating mummies and trying to save priceless Egyptian antiquities. Plus--Amelia has an outrageous vocabulary which is so fun to read.

So, what are your favorite books to reread?

Historical Accuracy in Historical Romance

A recent conversation about historical accuracy in romance fiction caused me to spend some time pondering my reading preferences and expectations.

Some background: I have a history degree. It's only a B.A. (4 years for non-US peeps) and I don't use it for anything remotely useful. But I do have a pretty decent *general* knowledge of most European and American history. I am--in short--a font of useless trivial knowledge and not much else. Some would probably think that having spent 4 years (okay, 4.5) studying history, I would demand absolute historical accuracy in my fiction. But I don't. In fact, most of the authors who spend a lot of time getting the details right are the ones on my do-not-read-under-any-circumstances list.

*Gasp!* Why?

Review: All Night with a Rogue by Alexandra Hawkins

It's been a long time since I stumbled across a book I just couldn't finish. Sadly, this is one of those. I don't think I've read another romance with as many unappealing characters as inhabit this one. I'm a bit of a traditionalist with my historical romance, though, and this one just had a crass, modern feel to it. It was ugly in every sense of the word. Debauchery in excess--with cruelty mixed in. No thank you.

That's not to say the writing is necessarily bad, but for those, like me, who like to at least be able to *some* hint of humanity in their heroes--and some hint of brains in their heroines--this one failed with me.  I put it down permanently on page 84.

My Grade:
F/DNF

Cookbook Review: What's New Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson

The authors of Hello, Cupcake have done it again. This sequel is packed with even more fun, whimsical ideas to take advantage of the cupcake trend. And, again, they do it without fancy equipment or complicated ingredients.

What's New, Cupcake builds upon the basics found in the first book by showing you how you can use sugar cookies to expand your cupcake building skills. They also add a technique for making hard candy decorations.

The sense of whimsy is what sets this series apart from other cupcake books. The point is not just to make a cute cupcake, but to get a reaction from the people eating them. So while they have a duckie cupcake pattern (as shown on the cover) they also show you how to make a diving duckie. Which the kids find hilarious.

RITA Finalists Announced!

RWA is in the process of notifying the nominees and posting them on their site this morning:

RITA FINALISTS

A few standouts for me:

Victoria Dahl's Talk Me Down is nominated for Contemporary Single Title Romance.

Elizabeth Hoyt has 2 nominations--To Beguile a Beast in Historical Romance as Hoyt; For the Love of Pete in Contemporary Single Title Romance as Julia Harper.

Congratulations to all of the talented writers whose nominations were announced today!

Hump Day Classic Movie: The Adventures of Robin Hood

Okay, we've seen every conceivable version of the Robin Hood legend on film. From Kevin Costner's horrible accent to the animated Disney version featuring animals. But have you seen THIS version? Not the highlights. The entire movie.

It's from way back in 1938 and features Errol Flynn in one of his iconic roles.

Here's why I love this version.

Errol Flynn in a swashbuckler (you're gasping in surprise, right?).
Olivia deHavilland as someone (anyone) other than Melanie in GWTW.
Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne

Sherwood Forest is actually Bidwell Park in Chico, CA. My "general" neck of the woods.

It's so incredibly cheesy. But it is THE version I love for silliness. And the sword fights. They are awesome.


You can find the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3471574041/

Cookbook Review: Mother's Best by Lisa Schroeder with Danielle Centoni

FTC Disclaimer: Review copy courtesy of the publisher 

Mother's Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again is a gorgeous cookbook featuring comfort food classics with a twist.

With today's busy schedules, it's difficult to make comfort food like Mom used to make. Those dishes that remind you of home. Sunday dinner types of meals. Mother's Best is a collection of recipes from the Mother's Bistro and Bar in Portland, Oregon. And it far more than a rehashing of classic stand-by recipes. There's an entire chapter devoted to macaroni and cheese. All with a new way to prepare it that make the actual prep a touch less tedious and is filled with time saving short cuts or advance prep ideas.

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Irish Romances

In honor of St. Patrick's Day (March 17th), here are a few ideas for romances to read that are set in Ireland!

Nora Roberts's Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy is probably one of my favorite series set in Ireland. Sure, she has the "Born in" trilogy as well, but there's just something about the Gallaghers that I love.

The titles are:

• Jewels of the Sun
• Tears of the Moon
• Heart of the Sea

Not a Nora fan? JoAnn Ross also has a few books set in Ireland. My favorite is Fair Haven.

If you're in an historical mood, Tracy Anne Warren's The Wife Trap is set in Ireland as well and has some terrific descriptions of the Irish countryside. Plus I love the secret Earl in disguise trope, and this one is a lot of fun.

If you want a touch more of the paranormal, I suggest The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor.

Here's wishing you a terrific St. Patrick's Day.

May you always have walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire.

Review: Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Garreth MacRieve is the Prince of the Lykae--reluctantly leading the werewolves since the disappearance of his brother over a century ago. He stumbles upon his fated mate, Lucia, during an immortal rugby match and is determined to protect and claim her. Not any easy task given who the fates have chosen.

Our Valkyrie heroine, Lucia, is unwilling to be mated to anyone, even though she is attracted to Garreth. And she does have a few good reasons for her resistance. Known as The Archer in the Lore, she is bound by a vow of chastity made to the goddess Skathi. If she breaks her vow, her extraordinary archery skills will be rescinded. And it's not only her vow that keeps her from accepting Garreth. Darker secrets she's sworn to take to her grave are an even bigger obstacle to their happily ever after.

Mind Games Trapped in a Restaurant meme

1. In MIND GAMES, hypochondriac heroine Justine Jones can’t figure out why tortured mastermind Sterling Packard never sets foot outside the Mongolian Delites restaurant. What if you were somehow trapped in a restaurant, what sort of restaurant would you prefer?

Italian --as long as they had plenty of cappuccino and lots of tiramisu.

 2. What if you won the fancy $100 dinner to a restaurant of your choice, and you could dine with any character from any book, movie, or history. Who would you choose?

Theodore Roosevelt


3. Choose three characters to dine with for a lively dinner party (you can define lively however you want).

Fred, Daphne and Velma. I'm curious to see how and what they'd eat when Shaggy and Scooby aren't there stealing all of the food.

Wanna play, too? Find more details here.

DA BWAHA Contest: Time to Pick Your Brackets

If you haven't already done so, now's the time to hurry on over to the DABWAHA site and pick your brackets for this year's tournament.

What the heck am I talking about?

It's a delightful bit of silliness brought to you by Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books that mimics the March Madness Basketball tournament...except it is a battle of books going head to head for the grand prize.

More information can be found here.

Be sure to follow along on Twitter as well with the hashtag #dabwaha  There's already some lovely, good-spirited heckling going on.

Brackets must be submitted by Wednesday, March 17th at 8pm EASTERN.

Cookbook Review: Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken by Irma S. Rombauer et al

I thought I'd take a break from romance and mystery reviews for a second to write about a few cookbooks in my collection.

I'm not a foodie. I'm not into the uber-gourmet cooking that requires tons of expensive ingredients and hours upon hours to make. I have kids. Yeah, enough said.

So most of my cooking is thrown together as quickly as possible. But there are times when I just want to COOK. Something homemade, stick to your ribs good. That's when I break out my Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken. It's not at all like the imposing, inches thick colossus, The Joy of Cooking. This is a slim, photograph-filled volume of goodness.

Review: Born to Be Wild by Christine Warren

Christine Warren's Other series is quite clever. She jumps from vamps to shifters with ease. And her writing is razor sharp, compelling, and lough-out-loud funny all at the same time. Born To Be Wild is a terrific, fast-paced read.

I haven't read about very many (if any) lion shifters before. Wolves, snow leopards, bobcats, bears...but not lions.

Josie Barret, the local vet, is used to the paranormal. She has, after all, grown up in Stone Creek, Oregon, where 70 percent of the population is "Other". But she's unprepared for the events that follow having the town's sheriff, Eli Pace, show up at her clinic door carrying an injured Lupine.

Eli Pace, a lion shifter, is startled by how quickly the attraction for the pretty veterinarian hits him after bringing an injured wolf to her door. Despite living in the same town for three years, their paths hadn't crossed in any meaningful way. But as soon as they do...*wham*.

Hump Day Classic Movie: Darby O'Gill and the Little People

It's a week until St. Patrick's Day, but here's a little bit o' Irish to keep you until then. It's super cheesy, features Scottish Sean Connery singing, and is made by Disney.

1959
Sean Connery, Janet Munro, Albert Sharpe
Walt Disney

Review: Tempt Me If You Can by Janet Chapman

Having read and enjoyed The Man Must Marry, I was happy to spot Tempt Me If You Can on the shelves. I really enjoyed the Sinclair family's dynamic. Unfortunately, the family plays a lesser role in this book.

Ben Sinclair receives an anonymous note telling him he has a son living in rural Maine that he never knew existed. After confirming the boy is really his, Ben hotfoots it out to Maine--incognito--while he figures out what to do.  Neither Emma or Michael are fooled by Ben's slightly older appearance or different name. But there's an initial period where they pretend to be fooled which adds a little confusion and tension.

Hump Day Classic Movie: The Goonies

It may not seem like it's been that long since the Goonies came out, but it has been 25 years! Eep! The movie came out in 1985 and has a plethora of former and current film stars in it. Who doesn't love pint size Sean Astin in this film? Or a very young Corey Feldman and Josh Brolin. Not to mention the theme song by Cyndi Lauper. Pure awesomeness. 
**If you're looking for a politically correct kids film, though, this isn't it!**


The Goonies
1985
Directed by Richard Donner
Story by Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus

Click here to watch a clip of Mouth translating...

Something About You by Julie James

Something About You by Julie James

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Review: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Okay, I admit it. I should have read these books earlier. I can't believe I passed them by. I finally caved to the blogosphere and twitter pressure and picked up the only Night Huntress novel at the closest Borders. It happened to be book #2, One Foot in the Grave.

One Foot in the Grave takes place 4 years after the first in the series. Catherine "Cat" Crawfield has moved on, as best as she is able, after leaving Bones. She now heads an elite black ops style government operation dedicated to taking down the bad vamps.  The irony, of course, is that Cat is still in love with Bones (a vamp) and is half vamp herself.

While I liked Bones, I didn't feel the same slave-like devotion for him that so many Twitter devotees seem to have. I did find Cat to be incredibly compelling, though. She felt 100% real. Which is kind of unusual for paranormal romances.  I don't think I've read a more emotionally genuine character recently. She's kick ass without being cold. She's vulnerable without being wimpy. Loved, loved, loved her.

Review: Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper

Yes, it’s yet another paranormal romance vampire book. The trend that just won’t die. But I’m one of those readers who really doesn’t want it to. I like my vampire romances. As long as they’re done well. And they have great characters. And you can’t go wrong with a snarky, southern librarian turned antiquarian book selling vampire named Jane.

This is definitely one of the funniest books I’ve read so far this year. Nice Girls Don't Live Forever is the 3rd in the series, and I haven’t read the previous two. I’m of the firm opinion that each book should stand on its own merits, and this one definitely does. I wasn’t lost at all, despite some pretty extensive backstory. What did confuse me, though, was that this book, the conclusion of a trilogy, had very little hero in it. He shows up abruptly for about 3 or 4 scenes (a fight or a sex scene), then disappears just as abruptly.

Hump Day Classic Movie

Hump Day is back and with it comes the midweek blues. That means it's time for classic movie day!

And in keeping with my belief that books and movies should be escapism and not depressing, here's another silly movie to watch--if you haven't seen it yet.

The Court Jester
1955

starring Danny Kaye, Angela Lansbury, Basil Rathbone

The plot: a silly Robin Hood meets Scarlet Pimpernel kind of swashbuckling adventure. Interspersed with Danny Kaye songs and the most famous tongue twister in movie history.

Review: Hunter's Salvation by Shiloh Walker

I've been steadily working my way through Shiloh Walker's backlist having started with her newest Hunters novel, Hunter's Need (which I thoroughly enjoyed). So, needless to say, I'm reading these out of order. And so far, that doesn't seem to be much of a problem other than some minor who hooks up with whom spoilage.

Vax, a witch and semi-retired Hunter, is forced back into action by "the call" that all Hunters have. He's still haunted by the death of his wife, Cora, ninety-six years ago and is content to wish for death and stew in his loneliness. So he resents being thrust into the search for whatever supernatural SNAFU is happening.

Jess Warren is a reporter trying to avenge the death of her sister--a death she believes she caused by getting too close to something while investigating. And while she, too, wishes death will claim her, she wants to get justice for her sister first. And although she has some low key psychic abilities, she's unaware that the people responsible for her sister's death are "other."

Review: Taming the Highland Bride by Lynsay Sands

I'm not sure what's happened to Lynsay Sands's writing lately, but it's not as good as it used to be. Maybe it's from spending too much time in her Argeneau paranormal series, but her last two historical romances just haven't measured up. The last one, Devil of the Highlands, lacked her trademark humor. Taming the Highland Bride lacks any hope of originality.

Merry Stewart has spent most of her adult life running her family's holdings and dealing with her drunken father and brothers. She's dreamed of escaping via marriage, but her betrothed has been off fighting the Crusades. And despite returning from the battlefield, he has yet to send for her. So when her family tells her she's been sent for, she's far from reluctant to leave. Until she discovers her betrothed completely inebriated--and it seems she's leaving one drunk-filled home for another.

Hump Day Grouchiness

It's hump day, midweek, and I'm feeling crabby.

I am feeling quite a bit like Bartleby, the Scrivener right now. I can think of tons of things I should be doing. But to each and every suggestion, my inner voice replies "I would prefer not to." Although, admittedly, I lack Barleby's emotionless tone and careless attitude. And am very much alive. I think. Yep, there's a pulse.

Wednesdays are kind of the bastard stepchildren in the book world. Monday is when we hear all of the good gossip. Tuesdays are the new release days where lots of shiny new covers tempt us. Wednesdays? Nothing.

So, in honor of the most boring day of the week, and my general grouchy mood, I'm designating Wednesday as watch a classic movie day.

Today's movie is To Catch a Thief starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. It's a romance. And a mystery. And a caper movie. And did I mention it's directed by Alfred Hitchcock? And filmed in France? Mood lifter indeed! No, this isn't a deep movie. It's completely predictable. But it is one that I enjoy watching just to follow the chemistry between Grant and Kelly.

Review: Promise Me Tonight By Sara Lindsey

This is a very sweet story. It may be a little too sweet for some. I had problems with it mainly because the heroine is so very, very young. And that youth is obvious throughout most of the novel. Isabella really doesn't have any true depth until at least midway through Promise Me Tonight.

I could have done without the prologue. I understood what the author was going for, but it just seemed like overkill. Like using a cast iron frying pan to swat a fly. I much prefer to have that kind of information woven into the narrative. Yes, the childhood loss of both parents and a baby sister plays a large role in why the hero does not wish to marry, but there are subtler ways to do it.

One other pet peeve that this book struck was a vagueness of setting. I want to be able to fully visualize each and every location equally. And I really didn't get that here. There were some great opportunities to use the setting as an integral part of the story, but they were missed. The folly, the neighboring houses, Scotland, the ship all felt superficial.

Despite the few shortcomings, this story was surprisingly effective emotionally. Izzie's correspondence that heads each chapter was delightful. I have a soft spot for boy next door stories; there really aren't that many of them in the historical romance genre. And James's pain and indecision were palpable. As was Izzy's naive infatuation. Best of all, Lindsey has a distinctive writing style. Something that many authors take years to achieve. It's an effervescent style of writing that more often than not will have you smiling at turns of phrase as you're reading.

Overall, it's a fantastic first novel. And, hooray, part of a series!

My Grade: B-

Review: How I Met My Countess by Elizabeth Boyle

There's just something about Regency spy novels that appeals to me. Give me some Regency (or Victorian, I'm not picky) smuttiness mixed with the intrigue, danger, and adventure that spy stories just naturally have, and I'm a happy girl.

How I Met My Countess is almost two books in one. The bulk of the book is told in a flashback style. I promise, it's not nearly as annoying as it sounds. The flashback tells the entire story of the our hero and heroine's unconventional romance. The remainder is about reconciliation and a minor subplot or two about inheritances, secrets, and a gaggle of widows.

I enjoyed this book far more than recent offerings by this author, probably because it reminds me so much of the fun spy novels she has written--books like Stealing the Bride--where adventure and humor blend together with the romance.

My Grade: B+

For even more historical spy cravings, here is some suggested reading:

• Stealing the Bride by Elizabeth Boyle
• To Wed a Scandalous Spy by Celeste Bradley
• From London with Love by Jenna Petersen
• The Lady Chosen by Stephanie Laurens
• The Spy Wore Silk by Andrea Pickens