Category Archives: Book Review

Watch Me

24 Monday Sep 2012

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Watch Me is the first in a new series by Lisa Renee Jones based around a reality TV show. Meagan Tippan is the producer on a dance competition show. This is Meagan’s baby, her idea and hard work. Several mishaps have caused people to say there is a curse and if Meagan can’t fix things her show will be canceled. Sam Kellar is head of security for the studio and it is his job to help things run smoothly. But the sexual tension between Meagan and Sam may make things explosive.

Meagan is very prickly about her independence. Sam, with his Special Forces military background, is very alpha male and he immediately sets her on edge. Jones’s characters are well-developed for such a short book, with enough insight to make their actions understandable. The relationship that develops between Sam and Meagan is sweet, although sometimes I got tired of her pushing him away. Jones does a great job making her actions reasonable but still that kind of thing can get old. Sam, though, handles it well and the resolution of their issues is satisfying.

Fans of reality TV and sexy romances will find this the perfect book. The behind-the-scenes look at making the show is fun and interesting and there are more stories to come so readers will get other perspectives in the future. Since this is a Harlequin Blaze title, there are a lot of steamy scenes between the two leads, so be warned if this isn’t your cup of tea.

The Reunion

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

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Dan Walsh’s The Reunion is an amazing story of love, faith, family and hardship. Aaron Miller is one of those people that quietly influences the people around him. But he hasn’t always been like that. In the Vietnam War, he was injured while heroically saving the lives of three young soldiers. When he got home, he had the typical adjustment issues of veterans, except society turned its back on that war and those it left behind. Without the help that he needed, Aaron quickly found himself addicted to drugs and alcohol, without his wife & kids, and living on the streets. When he finds God a few years later and gets back on his feet, it is too late to salvage a relationship with his family. More years pass and he is now the handyman in a trailer park, but still managing to touch the lives of those around him. When a reporter writing a book on Vietnam vets comes looking for him and his story, is he willing to be brave enough to be found?

This is a quick read, smoothly told from multiple perspectives, with a conclusion that leaves readers more than satisfied. The characters have depth and believability, with such detail that it makes you feel like you know them personally. The pain and heartbreak that these people experienced is so realistic and raw that it leaps off the page and settles in your chest. I just wanted to find these people and give them a hug, to do anything I could to make it better for them. I was so caught up in the story that I found it hard to remember that this was a work of fiction.

Walsh does a fantastic job of weaving a multi-faceted tale that will please a large audience. I feel comfortable recommending this story to anyone – young, old, male, female. Those who enjoy a well-told story will find something they like in The Reunion.

How to Date a Henchman

11 Tuesday Sep 2012

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In Mari Fee’s How to Date a Henchman, Gina is the receptions for EnClo Corp, only she has no idea what the company does and her curiosity is getting the better of her. Today, though, some of her questions may be answered because the mysterious owner, Mr. Sparks, is coming for a visit. When he arrives he also brings along his oh-so attractive associate, Burke. Burke is what is known as a henchman, because Mr. Sparks is actually the supervillain Static. EnClo is the hub of their latest scheme and, with a superhero on their trail, the last thing he has time for is an attraction to the receptionist.

This is a novella (about 26,000 words) and I’m not sure if it is the start to a series, but I really hope so. How to Date a Henchman gives readers a humorous take on how a super-hero world would work and how a regular person could get caught up in it. Their world is just like ours, except that it contains people with powers, and Fee does a fantastic job of giving readers a look into it. I loved how she brings up problems that could arise in such a world, like an increase in your insurance rates due to damage because of a fight between super-people or the danger a henchman faces just running daily errands for his boss. How people treat the superheroes like they treat famous athletes and actors, complete with magazine layouts and endorsements, is hilarious. This is a new take on their world, one where their daily lives are just like ours and the differences between heroes and villains aren’t black and white, and it is fantastic.

The characters are entertaining, with plausible issues to give them depth. The interactions between Burke and Gina are flirty and sweet, and Static is a hoot. He’s sarcastic, brilliant, twisted and so much fun. Burke and Gina’s level-headedness is the perfect foil to his eccentricity. Together they make an amazing team and an entertaining read.

Being short, this is fast-paced, but it packs a punch for so few pages. If you are looking for something a little off-beat, without losing its believability, this is a perfect choice.

Charming Blue

09 Sunday Sep 2012

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Charming Blue is an update to the story of Bluebeard. He used to be one of the Charmings, as in a Prince Charming, but he’s spent that last couple of centuries in an alcoholic haze. He believes that is the only way to protect others from himself, considering that he’s killed fifteen women. Jodi Walters has a magic that allows her to fix things and she spends her time working with the magical in the LA area – helping them get jobs, homes or assistance adjusting to our world. When she’s approached by Contankerous Belle (yes, she is related to Tinker Belle) to help Blue, she’s very skeptical. In addition to being a fall down, stinking (literally) drunk, he killed his wives. But there’s a stalker in LA that is claiming to be Bluebeard and Tank needs Jodi’s help figuring out what is going on. What she finds out could change how everyone sees Blue, including himself.

I love the retelling, modernization, updating, etc. of fairy tales. I don’t mean when an author uses the same theme, but when it is actually the same characters. Bluebeard is a more obscure one, which Grayson’s story points out, and I think that allows her to give readers a more imaginative book. Her make believe world isn’t too complex and it follows along with some well known ideas, but gives them a unique twist. She brings a world full of magical creatures with just enough differences, due to misrepresentation by fairy tale authors, to keep everything interesting.

Blue isn’t your normal hero – most days he is drunk, smelly, and disgusting. It is used as a shield and it is an effective one. When sober he does clean up exceptionally well, as to be expected, but that still leaves a man that is disturbed and awkward with people after years of a self-imposed exile. With Jodi’s help, Blue works on the stalker case and begins the process of bringing himself back from rock bottom.

Charming Blue will appeal to a wide range of readers – it’s a great mix of fairy tale, romance, paranormal, and mystery. The characters are interesting, with compelling problems, and there’s a touch of whimsy with the magic involved. It’ll make you take a second look at the stories you’ve been told all your life.

(This is a story in Grayson’s Charming series, all modern updates to classic fairy tale characters – Sleeping Beauty, her Prince Charming, Snow White’s stepmother, and CinderElla’s Prince Charming have all been featured so far. Each book can stand on its own, however they all share a supporting cast of characters.)

How to Disgrace a Lady

06 Thursday Sep 2012

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Merrick St Magnus is a second son without clear direction, who survives on his charm and what money he wins from bets. He’s notorious for his womanizing and daring activities. Alixe Burke firmly believes herself to be on the shelf, and she’s happy to be there. When her parents throw a country party in the hopes of luring eligible men, Merrick gets an invite based on his association with Alixe’s brother. The two find themselves in a compromising (and totally innocent) situation, but since his reputation is well known, her father offers a deal. He has until the end of the season to make her the toast of the Ton, and secure her a suitable husband, or Merrick has to marry her himself.

How to Disgrace a Lady is the first in a new trilogy by Bronwyn Scott called Rakes Beyond Redemption. Readers are given the typical – an outlandish rake trading on his looks but hiding something from the world and a beautiful bluestocking who doesn’t want a Ton lifestyle. Working within a well-used structure, Scott still keeps it engaging by giving her readers interesting characters and a fast-paced story. Proving that just because it has been done before, doesn’t mean that it can’t be done with style.

I like Merrick. He’s funny, charming, and bold, but of course all the best rakes are. He’s not all that happy with where he’s heading, which opens him up to the influence of the right woman. Alixe is sweet, but she’s also saucy, with a daring side that Merrick brings out. His reputation, most of it deserved, makes him a less than appropriate suitor, but then, in true romance style, reformed rakes make the best husbands.

Merrick’s friends, Ashe and Riordan, also make an appears which sets up the next two books in the trilogy (How to Ruin a Reputation due in October and How to Sin Successfully due in November). Though you don’t get a lot of detail, you learn enough to know these two have problems of their own.

If you are looking for a historical romance, this is a perfect choice. The characters are fun and appealing, and they’ll have you turning pages well after you should be asleep.

When Lightning Strikes

05 Wednesday Sep 2012

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In Brenda Novak’s When Lightning Strikes, Gail DeMarco is about to watch her dreams go up in smoke. Her Hollywood PR agency is going to fold unless she can convince superstar Simon O’Neal to help her. It just so happens that Simon needs her too. In order to gain custody of his son, he needs to clean up his image and Gail is just the one to do it. To make it believable, though, they must fake a storybook marriage.

For all his star power, Simon is not happy. His life has not been easy, although that is not an excuse for bad behavior. It’s to be expected in a romance that Gail is the perfect foil for him – that through her love and understanding (and toughness) he gets back on his feet. In real life, he’d need a little therapy too, but in Whiskey River she’s enough to help him heal and that’s ok by me.

Gail can’t imagine that Simon would really be interested in her under normal circumstances but once she sees the wonderful man he hides underneath, she’ll take what of him she can get. That kind of happiness is worth some pain.

Novak does an incredible job of bringing her readers characters that are believable in both their good and bad moments. They have depth and heart, pain and folly, and are all the more lovable for it all. The story flows so seamlessly, with a great mix of highs and lows, that it keeps you going until the end.

This is technically the first book in Novak’s new Whiskey Creek series, although there is a free novella available called When We Touch that introduces the group of friends that will be featured in the series. If you haven’t gotten it yet, I recommend you go out right now to download it – both of these books are fantastic. I haven’t read one of Novak’s books before, and if the rest are anything like this, I have been missing something great.

When Lightning Strikes is a lovely story about two people finding their own worth in a world so ready to tear them to pieces. It’s a great beginning to what I expect to be an amazing series. Whiskey River is on par with Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold or Jill Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor – places full of heart and soul and the wonderfulness of love.

For Men Only

26 Sunday Aug 2012

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In Sally Goldenbaum’s For Men Only, Ellie Livingston first met Pete Webster on what she dubbed the blind date from hell. Now Ellie is giving cooking classes to men and Pete is in her first class. Will spending so much time together change things?

This book was originally published in 1994 and shows its age just a little. Ellie’s big problem comes from her wanting to make a success of herself and having some issues with the attitude that women belong in the home, not in the work place. I was in college then, not trying to make my way in the job market, but I remember the time as being more open than this. I expected to find the book written in the 80s instead of the 90s based on this issue, but it has been almost 20 years so I may not be remembering things as they actually were.

Pete’s views are more understandable and stem from a childhood of neglect, plus a wife that left him and their kids for her career. I didn’t really see it as so much of a belief against women’s equality as I did one of a man that had certain expectations of what he wanted his family dynamic to be like. And it is one that is very understandable and accepatble based on his history. I don’t think it is explicity stated that he wants a wife to stay home and not have a job, but he does want someone that will be there for him and his kids when they need her.

Overall, the book is very enjoyable. The characters are well-developed and believable, just remember the time the book was written. Ellie and Pete have good chemistry and their interactions have just enough steam to heat things up. For Men Only is a touching and humorous read, with enough heart to keep readers going.

Etiquette for the End of the World

19 Sunday Aug 2012

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In Jeanne Martinet’s Etiquette for the End of the World, Tess Eliot’s world as she knows it has ended – she’s suddenly without a boyfriend or a job.  Low on funds, she takes an offer to ghost-write a how-to manual for a survivalist group who believes the world as everyone knows it will end on December 21, 2012.  Although she doesn’t start the project as a believer, doing research leads her to information that could prove that society may be in jeopardy after all.

The cover touts this as ”Bridget Jones for the New Millineum” and I see the similarities.  Both are full of quirky characters and outrageous situations.  And like Bridget, Tess starts her journey with a new relationship involving a man that seems too good to be true and who is definitely hiding something.  The romance is secondary, though.  The main plot of Etiquette for the End of the World involves a mystery over the feasability of one of the ways civilization may end and how WOOSH, the group that hired Tess, may be involved.

The funniest parts of the book are the snippets of Tess’s how-to manual that are scattered throughout – with titles like “How to Rob Someone with Style” and “Dating as if Your Life Depended on It (Which it Acutally Does)”.  Although told with a large dose of snark and humorous from the perspective of a post-apocalyptic world, there is some great advice in them, especially “Twelve Rules to Live and Die By” found at the end of the book.

Etiquette for the End of the World is a humorous, light-hearted book that takes on the latest doomsday theory – the end of the Mayan calendar.  Martinet does a good job of keeping the story moving quickly and making it playful without it getting ridiculous.  If you are looking for a fun distraction, this is the book for you.

Two new reviews

18 Saturday Aug 2012

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Two new reviews have been added to BookTrib:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://juliejohnson.booktrib.com/reviews/within-reach/

http://juliejohnson.booktrib.com/reviews/deserving-of-his-diamonds/

Kevin’s Story

16 Thursday Aug 2012

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In Kevin’s Story, Kevin Ross is a deaf man who has built a successful cookie business.  He is now looking for the perfect model to be the Kevin’s Kookies girl.  Enter Suzy Keller.  She easily convinces him that she’s the perfect woman for his national marketing campaign but can she convince him she’s the perfect woman for his heart?

This is another book that I wish I could give 3.5 stars.  It was originally released in 1986 and it feels like it is 25 years old, but not in a bad way.  There is just a kind of vibe about it that marks it as an older story – something in the way the words are put together but again this isn’t a bad thing, just something readers may notice.  There is nothing overt about it that gives a time frame, although I did notice the lack of technology (like cell phones or laptops).

The only issue I had was with some of Suzy’s actions.  She’s fun-loving, humorous and caring, very earnest and sometimes a little naive.  However she can be pushy about her relationship with Kevin.  Readers are given his side of the romance too, so you understand that he is conflicted about it, but Suzy refuses to take no for an answer and disregards Kevin’s wishes. She does it with flair but if she was a man there might be a call for a restraining order.

For his part, Kevin is immediately attracted to Suzy and finds it hard to fight that.  He doesn’t believe that a deaf man who grew up in foster care (and worse) deserves someone like her and that he will only hold her back from having a fantastic future.  Suzy overrides these concerns at every turn, believing that they are made for each other and can handle anything that life gives them.  She is his biggest cheerleader, believing that he is an amazing man that has a lot to offer.  I was touched by the way that Suzy champions Kevin at every turn, showing him that he is an asset in their relationship regardless of his deafness.

At it’s heart, Kevin’s Story is a very sweet tale about a woman showing a man how valuable he really is.  I may have had a little trouble with the way she goes about it sometimes, but overall I enjoyed it and freely recommend it.