Jubilee Trail, Gwen Bristow

Author: Gwen Bristow
Published: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1950
Category: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/10

I was browsing through AAR's DIK reviews a couple of weeks ago -- and found an A review for Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow. One of my favorite books of all time was written by Gwen Bristow (Celia Garth), and I realized that I'd never tried any of her other books. My library had this one, so I gave it a try.

Garnet Cameron turns 18 in the year 1844. She is the daughter of a nice, well-to-do family, who live in a nice house on Union Square in New York City. She has marriage offers from respectable men who, well, bore her. She wants adventure in a time when young ladies of good birth didn't get to have adventures. Then she meets Oliver Hale, a man who makes his living by trading along the Jubilee Trail, which stretches from St. Louis to California. When Oliver proposes, Garnet jumps at the chance to have an exciting life. And off they go on their way to California.

Now I think I understand why my mom (who gave me Celia Garth) never gave me this one to read. I read this whole, looong book, but I was close to giving up lots of times. By the end I was skimming because while I really wanted to stop, for some reason I also wanted to know what happened in the end. I think this means that the story and plot was good, but that the characters were poorly done.

Garnet is naive, but plucky and brave in a way that is not very believable (and, imo, quite annoying). She, and all the other characters, struck me as sadly one-dimensional. Her adventures seem unrealistic too. And one thing that really disgusted me was several scenes in which the Indians encountered along the way are described as non-human. Now, this book was published in 1950, but that doesn't excuse it.

Honestly, this book made me wonder what I would think of Celia Garth had I read it for the first time now, instead of when I was a preteen. I know that my standards have gotten a lot higher.

Death in the Stocks, Georgette Heyer

Author: Georgette Heyer
Published: 2009 (reprint), Sourcebooks, originally 1935
Category: Mystery
Rating: 5/10

I have been steadily reading Heyer books (with great delight) since I discovered her a few years ago. She has a huge backlist, which consists of historical romances, mysteries, and historical fiction. The romances, of course, are my favorites -- but I'm running out of new ones to read! So, I picked up this mystery when I saw the pretty re-issued edition by Sourcebooks.

Andrew Vereker is found dead, his corpse carefully arranged so he's sitting in the stocks on the green of some little English village. The police soon have more suspects than they can handle: the nephew who is heir to Vereker's fortune, a corrupt employee who was cooking the books, a mysterious stranger who was seen fighting with Vereker before his death. Everyone seems to be lying about where they were the night of the murder, and everyone seems to have hated the deceased.

I was sadly disappointed by this book. For one thing, I totally guessed who "done it" really early in the book, which either means I'm really clever or it was obvious. I think it's the latter, because I never know who the murderer is when reading mysteries. I'm nearly always surprised in the end. My second reason for not liking the book: I found all the characters extremely annoying. They struck me as lazy, spoiled, selfish, snobby upper-class Brits and I didn't like them. A couple of people grew on me toward the end, but it was waaaay too long coming.

The only saving grace for me was the intelligent, witty dialogue, which is classic Heyer. I'm undecided whether I want to try any more Heyer mysteries. Anyone have any advice? There are a couple of her romances that I haven't read yet -- will definitely have to track them down.

Lean Mean Thirteen, Janet Evanovich

Author: Janet Evanovich
Published: 2007, St. Martin's Press
Category: Fiction
Rating: 5.5/10

I've had this book sitting in the TBR pile since it came out two years ago. I read the first 8 or so books in this series with absolute enjoyment -- really great reading. The later books just haven't been living up to the earlier ones. I'm not really sure why, though I'm guessing that it's because they're really all the same at this point. The characters aren't developing, the plots and the jokes all feel like slight variations on an earlier theme. And the love triangle, which was cute at first, is now just annoying.

But I picked this one up finally when I saw adds for Finger Lickin' Fifteen, which is due out at the end of the month. Lean Mean Thirteen was a fun read, though still pretty disappointing.

Stephanie is again broke and struggling in her job as a bounty hunter. She's chasing her usual list of crazy FTAs (failure to appear in court), this time including a grave robber and a taxidermist with anger management issues. She has another fight with her slimy ex-husband, Dickie Orr, and when Dickie goes MIA everyone thinks that she's murdered him. We soon find out that Dickie's law firm was definitely into some shady dealings and 40 million dollars is missing along with Dickie. The partners in his firm (who are really mobster-types) are all looking for Stephanie to find out where their money is.

This book had me rolling my eyes almost constantly. I think the problem is that Evanovich feels the need to top the craziness of the previous book. So while originally it was funny that Stephanie's cars all get destroyed, now she goes through 2-3 of them per book. It just all becomes too ridiculous. And if Joe Morelli asked my advice on his love life, I'd tell him to move on because he deserves better.

I'm not sure if I'll read #14. Any advice here? I'm definitely not shelling out hardcover price for it. Maybe one day I'll get it from the library. Or maybe I'll go back to One for the Money and start re-reading the next time I'm in the mood.

Doing Ireland! by Kate Hoffmann

Title: Doing Ireland!
Author: Kate Hoffmann
Published: 2007, Harlequin Blaze
Category: Category Romance
Rating: 4/10

I am still trying to keep an open mind about Harlequin categories. There's been a lot of talk in blogland lately about how if you completely ignore the ridiculous titles and cheesy covers, you can find some good stories in them. I've only read a few and so far have not found much to convince me of this. But I still try. I won a whole bundle of Harlequins from Devon (thanks, Devon!) and I had to read this one first. Because look at that title! That's just funny. And it's from the "Lust in Translation" series. *snicker*

Claire O'Connor gets dumped and loses her job, so what does she do? She jumps on a plane and goes to the Isle of Trall in Ireland to get some water from this spring that (according to legend) will make people fall in love. She thinks she'll bring some water back and make her ex see the error of his ways. But once she arrives at the charming little inn and meets its owner, Will, she's not so excited about going back. Because he is HOT, you see. Then they give each other water from the spring and they just don't know if it's true love or magic. Or lust. Oh noooes!

Okay, I was seriously rolling my eyes through this. It was quite readable (I did finish it) and there was some funny dialogue. But it was all such standard, everyday, cliched romantic fantasy that it just wasn't very interesting. Oooh, you're pretty. Let's make out! Oooh, you're nice too! Let's have sex! The characters were beautiful, rich, funny, confident. I saw no weakness, no quirkiness, nothing unique to make them interesting, and they didn't change or grow in any way. It just all struck me as very vanilla (I don't mean mild as in no sex; there was LOTS of sex, it is a Blaze after all). I just mean that it was all really predictable.

That's my opinion. (I say this because I haven't given this low a grade in a while. I feel mean. Other people might think this is the greatest book evah. This amazon reviewer said it was "FABULOUS!")

And I'm not ready to give up on categories. Not yet, anyway.

Wild, Wicked & Wanton, Jaci Burton

Title: Wild, Wicked & Wanton
Author: Jaci Burton
Published: 2007, Berkley Heat
Category: Erotic Romance
Rating: errr...

Okay, I am so not an expert on erotic romance. It is the fastest growing subgenre in romance it seems, but I have to say that all that sex is a bit (okay, a lot) distracting for me when reading a story. And this book is just one great big long string of sex scenes.

I really can't do a review without blushing up a storm, so I'm going to do a total cop out and send you all over to see Wendy Duren's review at Paperback Reader. I agree with everything she says, and she says it so well. I wish I could write reviews like that.

So, my grade? As an effective piece of fiction, it gets a 4. As a steamy, hella-hawt read with nonstop sexin', it's a 7.

Title: Home to Big Stone Gap
Author: Adriana Trigiani
Published: 2006, Random House
Category: General Fiction
Rating: 5/10

This is the 4th in Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series. The first book in the series, Big Stone Gap, is a favorite of mine--it's really charming and lovely. Quirky characters, great small-town setting in my home state of VA, and a really nice story. I've read all the sequels and I've enjoyed them, but they've never quite recaptured the magic of the first one. And I'm sorry to say I think this is the weakest yet.

Ave Maria and Jack have just arrived home from their daughter's wedding in Italy. Ave is of course having a tough time dealing with an empty nest. Jack's having health problems. Iva Lou has a big secret that comes out. Fleeta gets married.

It was nice to see all these characters again, but not that much really happens and the whole thing just felt sort of flat. A lot of it seemed to be a rehashing of plot that had gone on in earlier books. And I was a little bored. Ave Maria is an older lady now, with a grown child, and this may be part of the reason the book didn't do much for me. It's the same reason I don't really get "Mom lit"--I'm just not there yet! Give me a few years and maybe I'll be able to relate better. Though a good book should be able to engage even a reader who has no similar life experience.

The author bio on the flap says that Trigiani has already written the screenplay for the movie version of Big Stone Gap and will also direct it. That could be really good. I hope they actually film it in the Appalachian mountains. There's no where that's prettier. (Okay, maybe there is. I'm biased. But it is beautiful. And now I'm homesick a little bit.)

Title: Tall, Dark & Dead
Author: Tate Hallaway
Published: 2006, Berkley
Category: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 5/10

This is my entry for Angie's TBR challenge for October, which was to read a paranormal romance. I picked it up because I'm always on the lookout for books with witch heroines, but this one didn't do too much for me.

Garnet Lacey is a witch on the run after the rest of her coven is killed by Vatican witch hunters. (Yeah, don't read this book if you're really Catholic.) While trying to save her coven and avenge their deaths, she called an evil magical goddess named Lilith into her body. Lilith is really powerful, but she also takes over Garnet's body and Garnet is unable to stop her sometimes. Garnet meets a really old vampire, Sebastian, who is being hunted by the Vatican because he has a magical potion that creates vampires who can be out in the daytime. But now Lilith wants control of the potion too, so Garnet has to try to figure out a way to keep Sebastian away from the Vatican and keep Lilith under control.

Do you like the cover? No. That cartoon is really bad.

Did you enjoy the book? Yeah, not really. But I think a lot of my dislike was just because of the genre. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't get the vampire thing. Sorry for all you ladies who are vampire-crazy. Next time I'm seduced by the popularity of a vampire book, will someone please remind me that I don't like them? Like in this book, Sebastian almost kills a girl because a Hunger comes upon him. And Garnet decides that this is a bad idea and she doesn't want to see him anymore. And then in the next scene she just completely changes her mind for NO apparent reason. Sure, he might luuuurve me, but then he might rip my throat out. Great!

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? New to me, and I won't be reading anything else by her unless she moves away from vamps.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing it on.

Title: A Reason to Live
Author: Maureen McKade
Published: 2006, Berkley
Category: Historical Fiction - Western
Rating: 5/10

Going camping last week put me in the mood for a rustic story. Lol. So I picked up this western. People seemed excited that a new western was actually being published, and it was getting pretty good reviews. I thought it was nice, but, well, pretty meh.

The setting is the south right after the Civil War. Laurel Covey is a war widow who was a nurse through the war. Whenever a soldier died on her watch, she wrote down his last words. Now that the war is over, she's vowed to visit all those soldiers' families to deliver their final messages. On the way, she meets Creede Forrester, who is the father of one of her patients who died. Laurel is mentally scarred from all the horrific things she saw nursing, and has a great deal of guilt over not being able to save everyone. Creede is dealing with his grief over his dead son. Together they travel through the south delivering messages.

This was just...fine. Nice enough. I thought Laurel's fears about her mental stability were interesting and realistic. I can only imagine what nursing on a battlefield would do to one's psyche. The love story was sweet.

But it just didn't really grab me. I found myself not caring all that much about the characters. And the writing did not seem very inspired to me. Too often falling back on tired and overused phrases. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I did think it a nice story. And the cover is so pretty! ;p

Title: Breathing Room
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Published: 2002, Avon
Category: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5/10

I'm a pretty big fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and have read quite a few of her books. I've picked Breathing Room off library and bookstore shelves many times and put it right back after reading the first line of the blurb:

She's Dr. Isabel Favor, America's diva of self-help.

She's a self-help guru. God help me. I don't do psychobabble. I can't watch Oprah or Dr. Phil or any of those people because they annoy the crap out of me. But I was in the mood for SEP and this one was right there on the library shelf, so I decided to give it a shot. I tried to keep an open mind, really I did. But I just couldn't really like it.

Isabel Favor is a famous self-help, what, psychologist I guess. She's got bestselling books and lecture tours and whatnot, but she also has a crooked accountant who has been embezzling and scamming both her and the IRS. So her company is destroyed and she's a laughing stock because she's been preaching on the ways to keep your life organized and hers has just fallen apart. And she's been dumped by her fiance. So she goes to Tuscany for a few months to regroup and decide what exactly she's going to do now. (I bet other people who lose their jobs wish they could just jaunt over to Italy for a couple months. Sheesh.)

In Italy she meets Lorenzo Gage who is an actor, famous for always playing bad guys. The two meet and are attracted to each other, and decide to have a fling. And they think they can keep it cool and just have a fun, physical relationship. Someone should have told them they were in a romance novel. That never works.

There were some things I liked about this book. Phillips always does great dialogue--snappy and funny. I loved the Italian setting. And the characters were interesting and more complex than you sometimes have. But I just found Isabel irritating. One of those people who think they know better than everyone else. About everything.

And the psychobabble was too much for me. Troubled childhood=need to control everything. Troubled childhood=low self-esteem=only able to see himself as a villain. You want your characters to grow and change and discover things about themselves, but this just felt too heavy-handed. Like I was being beaten over the head with the message. And they talked, talked, talked, and I was bored, bored, bored.

I think this is one of those books that people either love or hate. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't sorry to see the end of it.

Title: Enchanted, Inc.
Author: Shanna Swendson
Published: 2005, Ballantine
Category: ChickLit
Rating: 4/10

A while ago I got a craving for magical heroines. Jay mentioned this one and then I was at the library and there it was, so I took it home. It's ChickLit, and I'm picky about ChickLit. I'm the perfect market for them: single, mid-twenties, working girl. But I must be an odd duck, because I can almost never relate to the heroines. But hey, it's magic. I was willing to give it a shot.

Katie Chandler is a girl from Texas who's been living in New York for about a year. At first she just thinks that city people are odd, but then she starts noticing things that can't be explained. Like people with wings and stone gargoyles that move. She finds out that magic is real, and that lots of magical beings live in NYC. She also finds that she, unlike most people, cannot be affected by spells and illusions. This makes her valuable to wizards, so she goes to work for MSI,Inc (Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc.), a company which creates spells. But only good spells, and the company is under attack by an evil man who wants to sell bad spells.

So, this is completely harmless fluff. A really fast read. And I hate to say bad things about books (I'm too nice, dammit), but then if I'm not honest, what's the point of this blog? So here goes: I thought this book was pretty lame.

It's not bad. I mean, it was cute and mildly amusing. But so fluffy as to be pretty much insubstantial. I think the only thing that kept me reading was the hero, who is this incredibly powerful wizard who is also shy and blushing. And you know I'm a sucker for blushing men. But then the ending was so annoying! So not satisfying. And it totally bated you into getting the next book in the series. I finished this one and I thought, "NOOOOOO! You wicked writer. You didn't give me the ending! You want me to buy your next book!"

And I actually considered going out and getting the second one (Once Upon Stilettos) which is already on sale, because I want to find out about the cute guy. I went to her website and found out that she has at least 4 books planned in this series. Ahhhh! But now it's been 24 hours since I finished it, and I think I can restrain myself. Phew. That was close.

Unless someone can tell me that Once Upon Stilettos was good?

Title: On the Way to the Wedding
Author: Julia Quinn
Published: 2006, Avon
Category: Historical Romance
Rating: 5/10

This is the last book in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series. Eight books about eight alphabetically named siblings--Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. I think I've read them all, but then they all kind of run together in my head. I might have missed Daphne, as I can't remember anything at all about that one.

I've read some reviews around blogland, and most people are not happy. I think it must be horribly stressful for writers of much-beloved series like this. A lot of people are invested in it to a scary degree. I didn't hate it like some people did, but it wasn't great either. Good thing I'm not a RFG.

All of Quinn's books are very light and fluffy. At the best, they have a sparkling kind of wit that is delightful and rarely found elsewhere. But for me, they can easily cross over into the silly. I can't read her very often, but she seemed appropriate for a holiday weekend. :)

This one is Gregory's story. He falls in love at first sight with a beauty, Hermione. But, though he can hardly believe it, it turns out that she doesn't feel the same way. Hermione's friend Lucy decides to help him court Hermione. Then Lucy falls in love with Gregory and Gregory falls in love with Lucy, but she is already engaged and has to marry someone else to save the family. High jinks ensue.

Good points:

• I liked that the love-at-first-sight turned out to be false. I actually do not believe in love at first sight. (Don't hate me!!) I think it's a total crock. You may be very attracted to someone the instant you see them, and I'm sure that that can often turn into love. But making it into something that can be instanteous, I think belittles the idea of love.
• The prologue rocked. Great way to set up the book.

Bad points:

• Why does Lucy turn into such a loser at the end??? SPOILER ALERT. Why does she marry Haselby? If she had any backbone at all, she would have found a way to get out of it. Instead she just goes ahead like a moron, thinking she can't do anything about it.
• Why does Gregory just keep saying "I love you" like it's the cure-all for everything? He must tell Lucy that a hundred times in the book. Yes, we all like to hear it, but it loses its impact if you never say why you love them. He just sounded like an idiot, like those were the only three words in his vocabulary.
• What was with the epilogue? Anyone else think that was weird? Poor Lucy! Jesus, Gregory, give the girl a break.

My favorite Bridgerton book is actually Eloise's story, To Sir Philip, With Love, though I seem to be the only one.

Title: Yes, the River Knows
Author: Tracy Dunham
Published: 2005, Berkley Prime Crime
Category: Mystery
Rating: 4/10

I'm not going to say much about this one, because it was pretty blah. Not bad, but not particularly good either. It's a legal mystery. Decent plot, decent characters.

The one thing I will say though, is that while the writing I thought was overall pretty good, every once in a while she'd come out with these metaphors that were just sooooo strange. Like this:

"Grasping my hand, he pulled me out of the ditch. I felt like a feather flying in his hot currents."

Uh, wha? It sounds like she's talking about sex, right? No! He's actually just helping pull her out of a ditch. Everyone is fully clothed. I guess she's talking about his emotional "currents." But, uh, come on.

One more example:

"I stopped pacing long enough to stare into Braidwood's eyes. He averted his like a rat terrier going down a hole after a possum."

Ok, am I the only one who thinks this is strange? Yeah, I'm a city girl now, but do normal people know what a rat terrier looks like going down a hole after a possum? Metaphors should help you create a better mental image of what's happening. Not pull you completely out of the story as you try to figure out what the hell the author is talking about!

Title: Miss Wonderful
Author: Loretta Chase
Published: 2004, Berkley
Category: Historical Romance
Rating: 5/10

I was really prepared to love this book. I'd already read Lord Perfect and Mr. Impossible and thought they were great. But I have to say, I was a little bored by this one. Maybe this is partly due to the fact that I was on vacation while reading it, so I was just too distracted to get into it?

The hero is Alistair Carsington, who was injured while doing heroic deeds in the Battle of Waterloo. He's a younger son, so his father says he must go out and find some way of supporting himself. So he latches onto a friend's scheme of building a canal in Derbyshire. He travels to the site of the future canal, and there he meets Mirabel Oldridge, who is the daughter of the biggest landowner through whose property the canal will run. Mirabel is very against having the canal built, as it will spoil her pretty landscaping. Alistair and Mirabel fall in love, but their opinions on the canal are in direct opposition. Mirabel hates it, but Alistair needs it to make his fortune and show the world that he can do something profitable.

The canal thing really got on my nerves after a bit. I was like, come on people, it's just a little canal. Build it or not, it's not the end of the world. You can have true love if you just get over this one little thing.

I did really like the two characters' opinions on clothes, because it was the opposite of the norm. Although Mirabel is beautiful, she dresses really frumpy and this drives Alistair, who is a dandy, nuts. It was very funny. I can relate to Mirabel, because I am a bit fashion-challenged myself. It's not that bad, but I do stick to the basics on clothes. If I could wear jeans and a T-shirt every day, I would. I'm always amazed by women who have all these complicated outfits, with all the coordinating jewelry and bag and whatever else. If my top and bottom and shoes match, then I think job well done. Maybe I need an Alistair to do my shopping and then pick out my clothes every morning.

Title: Lady of Quality
Author: Georgette Heyer
Published: 1972, Dutton
Category: Historical Romance
Rating: 3

If you've never read Georgette Heyer, don't start with this one. Harlequin has been re-releasing a lot of Heyers with new forewords by romance authors. They haven't done this one, for good reason. It was bo-ring.

Miss Annis Wychwood is beautiful and rich. However, she's never met a man she wanted to give up her independence for, so at 30, she is an old maid. She meets a young girl who is running away from home, feels sorry for her and takes her in. The girl's guardian, Oliver Carleton, arrives in Bath. He is rude and straight-forward, and he and Annis argue with one another constantly. But arguing in a flirting kind of way.

I've really loved some other Heyers, but this one was just too slow-moving. Annis was a good character--older and wiser than a lot of Heyer's girl-heroines--but she didn't make up for the boring plot.

Title: Sex, Lies, and Online Dating
Author: Rachel Gibson
Published: 2006, Avon
Category: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3/10

This is the first Rachel Gibson I've ever read. And I have to say, bleurgh. I read a really funny excerpt from one of Gibson's books on someone's blog somewhere, can't remember now where. And I thought, ooh, she might be funny. Not so much.

Lucy Rothschild is a mystery writer. She starts online dating as a form of research for her next book. On one of her dates she meets Quinn, who she thinks is a plumber but is actually a cop investigating a serial killer who seems to be choosing her victims through online dating. And Lucy fits the profile. So even though he actually thinks she might be a psycho murderer, he falls in love with her anyway, because, ummm, she's so hot! Ehhhh.

The plot really doesn't hold up and the characters try to be interesting but don't quite make it. Lucy's the jaded beauty who thinks men are all rats and Quinn is the tough cop who's all about the job. They're characters, no wait, they're cardboard cutouts!

I feel mean now. So maybe I should give up on Rachel Gibson. Or maybe I just picked a bad one?

Title: Prairie Wife
Author: Cheryl St. John
Published: 2005, Harlequin
Category: Historical Romance
Rating: 4/10

I've been working on a really long freelance proofreading project, and after staring at every word of a manuscript saying are you the right word? are you spelled correctly? are you followed by the appropriate punctuation? I needed something easy to read for fun. Prairie Wife is another recommendation from Super Librarian.

I think this might be the first romance I've ever read that's numbered. Yes, it's Harlequin #739. I don't really know how this works, are all Harlequins numbered? And why? Anyhow, I am not a book snob. I like to think of myself as the anti--book snob. I think people who look down their noses at any genre are narrow-minded. But if this is an example of a good Harlequin, I don't think I'll be reading too many. It was just too formulaic and predictable. The characters were generally likable, but not really very interesting. I did like the western setting, though.

Title: North by Northanger
Author: Carrie Bebris
Published: 2006, Forge
Category: Historical Mystery
Rating: 4/10

This is the third in Carrie Bebris's Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery series. They are cozy mysteries--not really very good, but pretty sweet. The series picks up right after Darcy and Elizabeth's marriage. In each book they encounter characters from Austen's other novels who need their help in solving a mystery. I'm sure Jane Austen would be appalled, but oh well.

The plot is very silly so I won't go into it here. The second book in the series, Suspense and Sensibility, had a lot of supernatural elements in it (I can't remember exactly, but I remember something about a magical mirror), which I really didn't like. That's mostly gone for this book, thank goodness. The writing is often trite (like the title), but pretty harmless.

I think the only reason I read these books is to see Elizabeth and Darcy as a married couple. Mr. Darcy's obviously a really great husband. And they live at Pemberley. And they have a little Darcy in this one. Awwww.

This made me want to read Northanger Abbey (the real one) again. I don't think I've read it since college and can't really remember much about what happens in it.

Title: Secrets of a Summer Night
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Published: 2004, Avon
Category: Historical Romance
Rating: 5/10

I'm way behind on my posting. I've been busy with visitors and celebrations. But I will definitely catch up this weekend.

I've never read Kleypas before. I picked this one up because it seems like every time I read a review of one of her books, it's either a rave or a complete trashing. Few romances elicit such response. But I have to say I'm puzzled, because I thought this was a really ordinary romance. Not great, but not horrible either.

This is the first in Kleypas's Wallflower series. Four books each about a woman who's having trouble catching a husband in 1840s England. The heroine of this book is Annabelle Peyton, who has no dowry, and therefore no offers of marriage. And time is running short for her. She meets Simon Hunt and is attracted to him, but she doesn't consider him husband material because he is from a lower social class. A commoner who has made a fortune investing in railroads.

The only thing that sets this book apart is the fact that the hero is not some duke or earl. The novel shows that in this time period the landed gentry was losing some of its hold over higher economic and social spheres. The Industrial Revolution was well on its way. Savy businessmen from humble backgrounds were still looked down upon maybe, but they couldn't be ignored. Once Annabelle realizes this, she goes for Simon and his big bucks. (Of course, it's a romance novel, so she loves him too, but riches never hurt.)

Two more in this series are out: It Happened One Autumn and Devil in Winter. Scandal in Spring is due out this summer. I have no great desire to read them.

Title: Scandal Takes a Holiday
Author: Lindsey Davis
Published: 2004, Mysterious Press
Category: Mystery
Rating: 5/10

This is the 16th in the Marcus Didius Falco mystery series. In this installment, our hero Falco, a private eye in ancient Rome, is hired to track down Diocles, a newspaper reporter of Rome's Daily Gazette, who has gone missing while on vacation in Ostia. So Falco bundles up the family and heads out to the seaside town. He discovers that Diocles may have uncovered a kidnapping scheme run by pirates. And maybe he's run afoul of them.

I've read all 16 Falco books and the last couple have been a little disappointing. Has Falco grown stale?! I always love the setting of these--it feeds my fascination with ancient Rome, and I always learn something interesting (this time it's newspapers and pirates). And Falco is a great character. He's cynical and tough, but honorable and has an endearing soft spot for his wife. And it's been fun to see him turn from an incorrigible bachelor into a contented family man.

But I found myself struggling a little through this one. I felt like it was the same old, same old. I imagine that for an author it's really hard to keep the life in a series this long.

I've read on Lindsey Davis's website that this is the last book she's doing with Mysterious Press. Apparently her editor there died and the imprint decided to drop her. She's moving to St. Martin's for her next books and they are also going to reissue the early Falco books, which is really great because they've gone out of print and, in my opinion, they're the best ones.

I think the next time I need a Falco fix, I'm going to reread Silver Pigs (the first Falco mystery).

Title Flowers from the Storm
Author Laura Kinsale
Published 1992, Avon
Category Historical Romance
Rating 5/10



I picked up this book because Sara Donati recommended it on her blog. (Great blogger! She's on my list of links.) I'd also read several reviews that said that this was a classic of the romance genre. And I have to say I was disappointed.
Christian, Duke of Jervaulx, a terrible rake, has some kind of stroke and ends up with, I think, aphasia (brain damage that affects language and motor skills). His family thinks he's gone loco, so they send him off to an asylum. The heroine, Maddy Timms, a Quaker, stays with him there and helps him start to recover. Christian's efforts to overcome his handicap are admirable, but after a while his "you, jane, me, tarzan" type speech started to get on my nerves. And Maddy was too sanctimonious to be at all likable--like all religious fanatics, she gave me the heejie-beejies. I guess it's a story of opposites attracting, and love helping to mellow two extreme characters, but I found it a little unrealistic that two characters so unalike could fall in love.
Please note the very tasteful cover for the 2003 reissue. Sadly I got my copy from the library, which was the hardcover with this horrible jacket. Is that Fabio, showing all his man-titty? Ugh! This is the kind of book you're slightly ashamed to be seen reading on the subway.