Friday, June 15, 2007

Two mini-mini-reviews

I've been neglecting the poor little blog. Busy week, but yay for the weekend. :) I have been reading a lot, but I can't quite summon up the energy even for my usual short review format. So here are some mini-mini-reviews. These are also my first two categories! I've been feeling like I really can't call myself a romance reader unless I give them a shot. So far, so good. :)

Title: Shadow Hawk
Author: Jill Shalvis
Published: 2007, Harelquin Blaze
Category: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 6.5/10

I got this one because it was a featured title on Romantic Advances.
When his latest mission turns into a bloodbath, ATF officer JT Hawk realizes he's been set up by someone at the top. Wounded and on the run, he has no choice but to take beautiful Abby Wells hostage. After all, she's in danger, too. And if the only way to keep the fiercely independent communications expert safe is to cuff her and bring her along for the ride, he'll do it. With pleasure, even.

Only, given their close contact, it's not long before Hawk's thinking about a totally different kind of pleasure...

I really think that this is just what a category should be (though obviously I don't have much to compare it to). Fast, fun, and sexy. There's a slightly ridiculous action plot with lots of running around and shootouts, and an eeee-vil villain, but it was all in good fun. Satisfying romance--hero: sexy, strong, but sensitive; heroine: victimized but tough. I had a really good time reading this book. And that cover is, um . . . hot. :)


Title: Her Sister's Child
Author: Cynthia Thomason
Published: 2007, Harlequin SuperRomance
Category: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5.5/10

I decided to buy this SuperRomance because Wendy said that they are really one of the last places you can get a love story between regular people. No vampires, no spies, no millionaires. This sounded appealing to me.
"Actually, we've met before..."

Ten years ago, to be exact. Then, Julia Sommerville was just an awestruck student in love with a dashing young professor. Now, after she has saved his life, Cameron Birch sees her for the attractive, alluring woman she's become. A woman who proves she has the courage to make extreme decisions by taking in her sister's eight-year-old daughter.

However, when Julia finds out Cameron is the unwitting father of little Katie, she faces the hardest choice she's ever had to make: tell him and lose the child she has come to love, or lie and lose the man of her dreams for the second time...

I really liked the first 2/3 of this book. It's very sweet and nice (in a good way). I love professor heroes. I also loved the rural setting (the mountains of North Carolina). My problem came when Julia finds out that Cameron is the father of her niece, and she lies to everyone about it for completely selfish reasons. I was really annoyed by that. It appears to be part of a series---"A Little Secret" book. Well, the secret bit felt odd and tacked on, and the way Julia lied felt out of character. It left me disliking the book, even though I really enjoyed the beginning.

6 comments:

Wendy said...

On the bright side, there really were no spies, no vampires, no millionaires :) Sorry it didn't work out better for you.

Jennie said...

Well, I really liked the "regular" characters. I'm definitely not giving up on them. It seemed like when I was browsing at the bookstore that they all had kids in them---lots and lots of single parents finding love. Meh. So I'll be on the lookout for one with no kids. :)

Dora said...

Whoa, the guy on the cover of Shadow Hawk has some mega abs, as it appears he has an 8-pack and could very well have a 10-pack if the blurb wasn't at the bottom. Definitely not a book I can read openly on the subway :)

Jennie said...

Tee hee. But Dora, if the blurb weren't there, you wouldn't see more abs! You'd see his very, very large ****. Yeah, I had to put that one in my bookcover for reading in public. :)

Devon said...

I love those abs, must say.

Mailyn said...

Oh me no likies kiddies in my books. I find them so annoying. That first cover is hot!