In Search of Karen Hawkins!!!!!

December 31, 2010

Have you ever had one of those moments when you get a brilliant idea? You know what I'm talking about - those brilliant ideas that turn into big projects that eventually make you start pulling out your hair and shouting what was I thinking? Well, I had one of those moments. I was just sitting innocently in my chair pondering what article I should write for my blog. It had to be something special - something about the Holiday season. Nah, overdone. Something about the end of the year? Nah - already did that. Wait a minute! Wait a minute! It's 2010 - what about some sort of farewell to the decade?

Then that irritating Beatles song popped into my head... "you say goodbye, and I say hello...hello, hello..." I know, I'll compile a list of romance authors who have passed away since 2000 and a list of debut authors for the same time period. I don't know what I was thinking. At the time it seemed like a good idea.

And then, while in the middle of compiling - I happened to mention I was working on a decade list and do you know what was said to me? "You know, some people think the decade ended in 2009." Well, of course my brain exploded and I immediately ran to the web. OMG! You would not believe the raging fight going on out there over what year the decade ended! I always suspected that humans are silly creatures, now I know for sure that we are. Anyway, I have sided with the 2010 people - their argument sounded more logical and Wikipedia says 2010 is the end of the decade, so it must be right!

When that earth shattering decision was resolved, I continued on with my project of compiling my authors for my decade - 2000-2010. 2000-2010...2000-2010! You know, numbers are a funny thing. In fact I try to avoid numbers whenever possible. Let's take the years 2000 and 2010 for instance. If you subtract 2000 from 2010, what do you get? 10! If you add 10 to 2000, what do you get? 2010! So, logically 2000-2010 is ten years, right? Wrong! Here's what you do, write the years down in a column starting with 2000 and ending 2010. Now, how many numbers do we have? 11. Oh those wacky ancients that invented the zero! And by the way, if you want to find out more about zero, read the non-fiction book: Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife.

Anyway, I have my decade list, however because I am including the year 2000, I'm calling it my Elevencade list.

I am also sure that I have left people out; however, these are the ones that I'm familiar with and this is my list.

GoodBye List:
Joan Aiken, 2004
Barbara Cartland, 2000
Nancy Cato, 2000
Elizabeth Chater, 2010
Virginia Coffman aka Virginia DuVaul, 2005
Celeste De Blasis, 2002
Dorothy Dunnett, 2001
Julie Ellis aka Susan Marino, Susan Marvin, 2006
Virginia Ellis aka Lyn Ellis, 2006
Rita Gallagher, 2004
Elizabeth Guest aka Suzanne Simmons, Suzanne Simms, Suzanne Simmons Guntrun, 2008
Mollie Hardwick, 2003
Jane Aiken Hodge, 2009
Isabelle Holland, 2002
Flora Kidd, 2008
Edith Layton, 2009
Alice Chetwynd Ley, 2004
Marjorie Lewty, 2002
Elizabeth Mansfield aka Paula Schwartz, 2003
Patricia Matthews, 2006
Betty Neels, 2001
Patricia Oliver aka Olivia Fontayne, 2002
Elisabeth Ogilvie, 2006
Maureen Peters aka Catherine Darby, Veronica Black, Belinda Grey, Elizabeth Law, Sharon Whitby, Judith Rothman, Levannah Lloyd, 2008
Belva Plain, 2010
Jennifer Rardin, 2010
Alexandra Ripley, 2004
Marlene Suson, 2005
Dawn Thompson aka Dawn MacTavish, 2008
Ronda Thompson, 2007
Elizabeth Thornton, 2010
Meriol Trevor, 2000
Sheila Walsh, 2009
Anne Weale, 2007
Kathleen Winsor, 2003
Kathleen Woodiwiss, 2007

Hello List
Really sorry for leaving out any new stars! This was an interesting list to compile. Some of these authors are still out there, still writing... some have changed genres and some have disappeared (What Happened?). I was actually surprised that there were so many new authors and that so many of them were still writing... especially when I whine about the shortage of books to read. And these are just the ones I'm familiar with!

Louise Allen 2000 - upcoming 2011
Zoë Archer 2006- 2010 latest book
Kristi Astor aka Kristina Cook 2004 - upcoming 2011
Jennifer Ashley aka Ashley Gardner, Laurien Gardner, Allyson James 2000 - upcoming 2011
Alexandra Bassett 2005 - 2006 (What Happened?)
Naomi Bellis 2006 - 2008 (What Happened?)
Renee Bernard 2006 - 2010 latest book
Jessica Bird aka J.R. Ward 2002 - upcoming 2011. Jessica seems to have vanished, but not JR Ward
Emily Bryan aka Mia Marlowe, Diana Groe 2006 - upcoming 2011 under Marlowe moniker
Anne Campbell 2077 - upcoming 2011
Fiona Carr 2003-2004 (What Happened?)
Kathryn Caskie 2004 - 2010 latest book
Kresley Cole 2003 - upcoming 2011
Evangeline Collins 2009-2010 latest book
Tiffany Clare 2008 - upcoming 2011
Victoria Dahl 2009 - upcoming 2011
Claudia Dain 2000 - 2010 latest book
Tessa Dare 2009 - 2010 latest book
Sylvia Day aka Livia Dare, S.J. Day 2005 - upcoming 2011
Robyn DeHart 2005 - upcoming 2011
Sarah Elliott 2005 - 2009 (What Happened?)
Charlotte Featherstone 2005 - upcoming 2011
Jeaniene Frost 2007 - upcoming 2011
Shana Galen 2005 - upcoming 2011
Jennifer Haymore 2009 - 2010 latest book
Karen Hawkins aka Kim Bennet 2000 - upcoming 2011. (When I saw the date on her first published, I was stunned. Karen Hawkins has been around forever or at least I thought she had. I had to do some searching and going through my books - her bio says she sold her first book in the 90's, however I could find only 2000 copyright dates. Even the Kim Bennet book has a copyright of 2000. So after a half a day of searching I have decided that for now we are stuck with the date of 2000. Of course, you know this means that Eloisa James has been published longer. Time is a funny thing.)
Susan Gee Heino 2009 - upcoming 2011
Elizabeth Hoyt 2006 - upcoming 2011
Kalen Hughes aka Isobel Carr 2007 - upcoming 2011 under Carr moniker
Madeline Hunter - 2000 - upcoming 2011...thought she'd been around longer!
Judith James 2008 - upcoming 2011
Julia James 2008 - upcoming 2011
Sophia James 2004 - upcoming 20011
Alissa Johnson 2008 - upcoming 2011
Sophie Jordan 2006 - upcoming 2011
Lydia Joyce 2005 - 2009 (What Happened?)
Shirley Karr 2005 - 2006 (What Happened?)
Jennie Klassel 2003 - 2005 (What Happened?)
Vanessa Kelly 2009 - upcoming 2011
Tamara Lejeune 2005 - 2010 latest book
Rose Lerner 2010 upcoming 2011
Caroline Linden 2006 - 2010 latest book
Sara Lindsey 2010 - 2011 upcoming
Kimberly Logan 2005-2008 (What Happened?)
Julie Anne Long 2004 - upcoming 2011
Beverley Kendall 2010 - upcoming 2011
Sally MacKenzie 2005 - upcoming 2011
Sarah MacLean 2009 - upcoming 2011
Joanna Maitland 2001 - 2010 latest book
Anne Mallory 2004 - upcoming 2011
Lisa Manuel aka Allison Chase 2004 - upcoming 2011 under Chase moniker
Michelle Marcos 2007 - upcoming 2011
Delilah Marvelle 2008 - upcoming 2011
Jolie Mathis 2006 (What Happened?)
Melissa Mayhue 2007 - upcoming 2011
Christine Merrill 2006 - upcoming 2011
Amanda McCabe 2001 - upcoming 2011
Mary Reed McCall 2001 - 2007 (What Happened?)
Monica McCarty 2007 - 2010 latest book
Margaret McPhee 2005 - upcoming 2011
Courtney Milan 2010 - upcoming 2011
Lucy Monroe 2002 - upcoming 2011
Sophia Nash 2004 - 2010 latest book
Miranda Neville 2009 - upcoming 2011
Kaitlin O'Riley 2007 - upcoming 2011
Sharon Page 2006 - upcoming 2011
Olivia Parker 2008 - upcoming 2011
Diane Perkins aka Diane Gaston 2004 - upcoming 2011
Jenna Petersen 2006 - upcoming 2011
Paula Quinn 2005 - upcoming 2011
Laura Rendon aka Melody Thomas 2001 - 2004 (What Happened?)
Pam Rosenthal 2003 - 2008 latest book - still writing
Nonnie St. George 2003 - 2004 (What Happened?)
Samantha Saxon 2005 - 2006 (What Happened?)
Melissa Schroeder 2004 - upcoming 2011
Eve Silver aka Eve Kenin 2005 - 2010 latest book
Hope Tarr 2006 - 2010 latest book
Sherry Thomas 2003 - 2010 latest book
Dawn Thompson 2006 - passed away
Lisa Valdez 2005 - 2010 latest book
Tracy Anne Warren 2006 - upcoming 2011
Minda Webber 2005 - 2008 (What Happened?)
Christine Wells 2007 - 2010 latest book
Emma Wildes 2006 - upcoming 2011
Lauren Willig 2005 - upcoming 2011
Mary Wine 2005 - upcoming 2011
Veronica Wolff 2008 - upcoming 2011

On My Radar - January/February 2011

December 28, 2010




The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander
http://www.victoriaalexander.com/
Release date: January 25, 2011
9781420117059, also ebook

Abandoned at the Altar by Laura Lee Guhrke
Scandal of the Year series, 2
http://www.lauraleeguhrke.com/index.htm
Release date: January 25, 2011
9780061963162

Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt
Maiden Lane series, 2
http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/index.php
Release date: January 25, 2011
9780446558952

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James
Fractured Fairy Tale series, 2
http://www.eloisajames.com/
Release date: January 25, 2011
9780062021274

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries
Hellions of Halstead Hall series, 3
http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/
Release date: January 18, 2011
9781439167557

Society's Most Disreputable Gentleman by Julia Justiss
http://www.juliajustiss.com/
Release date: January 18, 2011
9780373296286

Unveiled by Courtney Milan
http://www.courtneymilan.com/
Release date: January 25, 2011
9780373775439

The Countess by Lynsay Sands
Madison Sisters series, 1
http://www.lynsaysands.net/
Release date: January 25, 2011
9780061963049

For the complete list see Upcoming List!!!Hey Delia!!!

Memories Schmemories, Continuing Saga Update!! Silken Threads by Patricia Ryan

http://www.patricia-ryan.com/

There is a reason why Silken Threads (published in 1999) by Patricia Ryan won the 2000 RITA award for best historical novel. It's good! Oh sure, when I reread the book I did notice some anachronistic terms; however the book is so steeped in medieval atmosphere that I chose to ignore them.

This story takes place in 1165, a time period woefully neglected. We have Graeham Fox, a bastard soldier of fortune, and Joanna Chapman, a widow and a down-on-her-luck silk merchant. Here's the quick plot: Graeham is sent to London on a mission to rescue a woman from her husband. Along the way he is set upon by a bunch of brigands and has the crap beat out of him. He is rescued by Joanna's brother Hugh and taken to her house to recover. Well, as luck would have it for Romanceland, he suffers some broken ribs and a broken leg which requires him to stay at Joanna's house for two months. It is at this point, and this is a really early point, that the story becomes really good. You see, Joanna's house is located behind the house of the woman he is to rescue and from a window, Graeham can keep an eye on the coming and goings of that house. Anything ringing a bell yet? For all of you who have watched Hitchcock's Rear Window, you should be hearing a giant clanging in your brain... because this story is a take-off of that wonderful movie.

Neither one of the main characters are aristocratic, and Graeham has ambitions that make a HEA very hard to come by. The romance is based on lies and distrust but the characters that travel by Graeham's window are what makes this tale a better than normal romance. What makes this book really great are the characters that share the pages with Graeham and Joanna. There's the quite sympathetic leper, Thomas; the whore; the shopkeepers; and London. Yes, London... in this book, all of the rich textures of London are there, including the smells.

This is one of my favorite books, and if I have any complaints, it would be the quick wrapping up of all the stumbling blocks that Ms. Ryan set up along the way. And, I wish that she still wrote historicals. I followed her Nell Sweeney books and read her Louisa Burton's, but I loved her historical writing the best. If you have never read a book by Ms. Ryan, I'd recommend going to the library and checking this one out.

Time/Place: Medieval England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Warm, with a hot bath scene.

Hungry for You by Lynsay Sands

December 17, 2010

Oh those wacky Argeneaus!
http://www.lynsaysands.net/

Hungry For You by Lynsay Sands is the 15th zillion book in the Argeneau series. Actually it's the 15th, but who's counting? I've found that the books in this series are either good or ho-hum, and this one is a good one, although not the best.

Hopefully, if you're reading this book you are already familiar with how the vampires/immortals in this particular series operate, because there is only a minor explanation toward the end. The hero for this one is Cale and his life-mate is Alex. Alex is the third Willin sister to get her story and find the love of an immortal. Because Ms. Sands has introduced the "life-mate" plot, there isn't too much of a question of whether these two are going to end up together, although there was an introduction of the word "love" and whether Cale also loved Alex, his life-mate. So, I found that to be rather interesting.

This book is different from the others in the fact that the bad guy isn't a vampire, there's no murder, and mostly no blood or gore. Notice I said mostly. And no mad rush to save anybody. There is a lot of humor though. And if the humor of the secondary characters Bricker starts to get on your nerves, there is also the humor created when Cale tries to maneuver through cooking and managing a microwave. These moments reminded me a little of Knight in Shining Armor, except there's no time travel, just an immortal who's been around for 1000's of years and has long since given up food and forgotten how to cook (although after a couple of microwave accidents, I started to wonder why he wasn't reading the instructions that come with frozen food). I did have a chuckle out loud moment when Alex tries to sneak up on a room full of vampire/immortals.

Even though there was no chasing evil villains in this book, I found it to be a fast-paced read. And if you are following the Argeneau series, this one is a good one and I think you'll enjoy it.

Time/Place: Now Canada
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot

His Christmas Pleasure by Cathy Maxwell

December 15, 2010

We have a winner!!!
http://www.cathymaxwell.com/

What can I say? I loved this book! I loved both the heroine, Abigail, and the hero, Andres. His Christmas Pleasure is filled with just the right amount of humor and enough pathos to ring a tear from one's eye or eyes, whichever the case may be.

I don't know where to begin, except to say that Abigail, a really delightful heroine, doesn't always make the right choices in men. And her heart is broken by one of those smarmy guys that just oozes charm. Andres, a hero with a lot of baggage, comes to the rescue. This couple steel away into Scotland and are married at Gretna Green. And it is a bumpy, enjoyable ride to the HEA.

What I loved about this book most of all was the humor. There were at least two scenes that were laugh out loud moments, so, that's always a plus for me. Then there are the two main characters. They are both searching for something; they're lonely people, they are honest with each other and they discuss what they are going to do about problems that might arise. By the way, one of those discussions about marital relations was a hoot. Now, when I say they are honest with each other, I mean they are mostly honest with each other. Andres has some major lies/secrets that he doesn't tell Abigail about, but this is not a major misunderstanding blowup. This is a couple that have individual yearnings and desires, a need to prove themselves. One of the almost tear-jerking moments occurs when Andres tells Abigail about his home in the country. A home, by the way, that he's never seen. He has created this wonderful fantasy in his head about his beautiful country house. And he precedes to create this story for Abigail and eventually has her believing it. When I read this part, I thought OMG, he's going to crash big time! And he does. The reality and the dreams just don't match. Let me tell you, when he sees his reality, a crumbling estate and no money, it has to be one of the most painful moments I've read in a novel in a long time... But don't despair! This is one romance couple that work through most of the hardships that get in their way. And I found myself rooting for them every bumpy step of the way to that HEA.

If I had any quibble with this book, it was with Andres' willingness to give up too easily and that the ending was wrapped up too neatly... but don't let that stop you from reading this.

Overall, this was a delight to read and I've found another book that I didn't want to end. This is a funny, heartwarming story with a truly adorable couple. It is filled with everything a romance should be filled with, and I'm adding it to my favorites list.

Time/Place: Regency England/Scotland
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot

Lords of Passion by Virginia Henley, Maggie Robinson, Kate Pearce

http://www.virginiahenley.com/
http://www.maggierobinson.net/
http://www.katepearce.com/
OK, I once made the statement that I was never going to read another anthology again, but oh well I lied. Lords of Passion has three authors involved, Virginia Henley, Kate Pearce and Maggie Robinson

Let's start at the beginning with Virginia Henley's Beauty and the Brute or as it's called in my house A Plethora of Aristocrats. Of all of the authors out there in Romanceland, Virginia Henley is never a surprise and this short story is no surprise. This short story almost made me take my - no more anthology vow again.

I had a number of personal problems with this story, first of all it's based on a true story and it's filled with real people...lot's and lot's of real people. There's the Duchess of Shrewsbury, Lady Anne Lennox, Princess Caroline, Prince Frederick, Earl of Albemarle, Marquis of Blandford, Duke of Marlborough, Dowager Duchess of Marlborough (Sarah Churchill), Lady Diane Spencer, to say nothing of the main characters, Sarah Cadogan and Charles Lennox - later the Duke and Duchess of Richmond. And for all you history buffs, the parents of the Lennox sisters (a story in itself.) Every time one of these people showed up in the story, I had to run to my non-fiction books and check them out. And let me tell you these people showed up a lot. I have come to believe that Virginia Henley is a name dropper. So, I found all of these whacky nobles to be a bit of a distraction.

And then my ick factor really kicked in big time! Now, since this was based on a true story we have a heroine and hero who were married at 13 and 18, then according to Ms. Henley consummated their marriage at the grand old age of 16 and 21. Now, I can read this in a non-fiction book and not be upset, but when I'm presented with the bedroom antics of these two, along with Ms. Henley's usage of time-period appropriate sex slang...all I could say was eewwww! I strongly dislike the slang "m...s" (on page 53, 63, 74), almost as much as I dislike the term "p" and they are both in this book over and over again. Plus, Sarah doesn't have normal "m...s", it's "high m...s". What is she, deformed? Why do we always have to go just that one step more? Give me a break! And then there is the 21st century choppy language...that also got on my nerves. As you can tell, we have a groan story here.

Time/Place: 1719 England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Ick

Then I wiped the sweat from my brows and gave a sigh of relief. How to Seduce a Wife by Kate Pearce was second and it saved me from swearing off anthologies again.

This story had me smiling, especially in the beginning when Louisa is more interested in the pirate book she's reading then in having sex with her husband Nicholas. I thought this part of the book was a hoot. Of course, Nicholas sets out to seduce his wife and of course he succeeds by making her fantasies come true. This was a fast read, filled with some really hot sex.

Time/Place: Regency England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Really Hot!

Then we come to Maggie Robinson's Not Quite a Courtesan. This was the winner of the group. I loved this story, which by the way didn't have the feel of a short story. I also think it was a first for me, I didn't want this short story to end or maybe I wanted it to be a long story. We have Darius, whose family business is dealing in pornographic antiques and Prudence, an uptight widow whose silly cousin is married to Darius' equally silly brother.

This story is filled with some really funny stuff, from the dialog to the inner thoughts of Prudence, all great fun!

Time/Place: Regency England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot!

Warning: This is a trade sized paperback, so, it's one of those that don't fit on the books selves and cost a little more.

Chosen for the Marriage Bed by Anne O'Brien

Button button, who's got the button!
http://www.anneobrienbooks.com/

Yes, there is a rant coming on. I innocently sat down, looking forward to reading a book set in a different time period. Chosen for the Marriage Bed by Anne O'Brien at first glance has a very lovely cover. Nice illustration, lush coloring, nice. But wait! What's that I see? Buttons! Quick! Pull out my history of clothing books... ok, ok, the button has been around for a while, so I can relax. But we all know that once one gets started finding flaws, one continues to look for more. Bingo! What's that I see on the other side of the hero's doublet? Right across from the buttons. Buttonholes? No, no my children. What you see is what appears to be rivets/snaps... something metal. You know what a rivet is, it keeps our clothes together and in case you don't know it was patented in 1884. Yes, fellow romanceland readers 1884 not 1460. I don't know why I'm surprised - after all, we live in a world that passes off Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a thin, black-haired ruler, who was in fact a corpulent red-haired despot. So, why should I expect anything different? I'll tell you why: because Harlequin is making a pretty good living off of me and mostly women like me, and I would think that they would want to be more responsive to their public.

I know, I know, this isn't the first time that a cover on a historical novel has been wrong. And, sorry to say it won't be the last. I also am aware that probably in some photography studio there is a hanger full of theatrical costumes with snaps on them. I just wish that the artist who is responsible for the rendering would take the time to paint/photoshop out those modern conveniences. Obviously no one else at the publishing house is going to do anything about it. Illustrators, raise up! Cast off those shackles! You have a brain! You studied art history! You saw those portraits hanging in museums! NO SNAPS! Click your heels three times and repeat - no snaps, no snaps, no snaps. And while I'm on a roll, what's with the JoAnn fabric braiding on the collar? Plus, the heroine has a shaved head in the book... but, you guessed it... not on the cover. Somehow, I feel insulted by Harlequin, a publishing company who's motto must be: "Oh, just slap any old costume on the cover, they'll never know." Wrong!

Now, to the inside of Chosen for the Marriage Bed. We are going to divide this book into halves. The first half I liked; the second half, not so much. When I started to read this book, I was drawn to the heroine. I really liked her. She was smart, honest, not afraid. Oh sure, she and her maid dabbled in the black arts and she seemed to be just a tiny bit superstitious. We know that because she wears a number of plants and weeds on her person, and we get a detailed description of what these plants and weeds are used for. And, I am willing to accept that people in the 1460's were a tad bit superstitious. However, these superstitions were written in such a way that I thought for a while the book might take a paranormal turn. That wasn't the case. They were written as everyday beliefs, with hardly a raised eyebrow, and I'm not really sure that was the case. So, that part of the book was a little discordant for my brain to handle.

In the first half of the book, our couple meet and marry and get to know each other. I liked the first half couple as they adjusted to each other, talked to each other and were honest with each other. In fact, I was looking forward to seeing where the author would go with the story at this point, because there wasn't any tension being created. Well, the answer wasn't too long in coming. Elizabeth's brother is murdered while the wedding celebration is going on. And Elizabeth's e-v-i-l uncle blames the hero, Richard, for the death. Now, it is at this point that the heroine, whom I liked before, turns into a TSTL heroine. She wants revenge! Revenge! Revenge! And, she doesn't really care who she has to step over to get her revenge. She shoots an arrow at her uncle and gets him in the arm, at a crowded market... with tons of people around. Now, according to the author, this incident is based on a true story. Well, I'm sorry. While this may be based on a true story, that doesn't mean it's not silly. She also at this point becomes a doubter, then she's trusting, then she doubts, then she trusts. I developed whiplash from the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde personality of the heroine. And then the hero is called away by the king to fight in some big battle, but before he goes his castle is surrounded by men with no banners. He sneaks the women out to a convent, goes to his other estate, gets troops, goes back to the castle, the bad guys are gone, the bad guys are at the convent, the hero goes back to the convent, saves his wife, lets the bad guy go. And, never goes to join the king in battle - that part was sort of forgotten. In fact, there is a new king in the epilogue and the bad guy is still there, alive, having an audience with the king, and then the story ends.

As I said, liked the first half... second half, not so much.

Time: 1460 England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: warm

One Night in Scotland by Karen Hawkins

MacGuffin Alert!
http://www.karenhawkins.com/

Anyone who has ever seen a Hitchcock movie or any mystery should know what a MacGuffin is. A MacGuffin is that thing, that something, that focus, the mysterious object that everyone is after. We may never know what it is or what it does, but that's not important. In fact, sometimes the story is over and we never know what that thing was that people were dying for. However, the MacGuffin is the reason everyone is together... looking for it, hiding it, sneaking in rooms for it. Well, there's one in this story and like a true MacGuffin, in the end it isn't really relevant to the romance of the two main characters, but it gives them a reason to be together.

This is the first in the Hurst Amulet series, One Night in Scotland, by Karen Hawkins. I'm assuming that the Amulet, aka MacGuffin, will be a continuing plot line in all of the books, which also seem to be connected by the Hurst family. When I picked up this book, I did so with a little trepidation. I have read Karen Hawkins' historicals since she was a little tadpole, and I always liked them. For the most part, they are light-weight reads, with strong humorous elements in them. However, Ms. Hawkins' last few publications have had a rushed feel about them, and I've been very disappointed. I thought perchance I had lost another author to contemporary land, but then I read One Night in Scotland. Much of Ms. Hawkins' trademark humor is back, and even though the book drags in the middle, I have to say that the heroine in this book, Mary Hurst, was fantastic. She was the most amusing character I've read in a long time! Yes, she's feisty, but in a good way. I just loved the dialogue that came out of Mary's mouth. I also felt that Angus, hero, was a strong counterpart to her and as a couple they were great! I only wish there had been more of these two interacting with each other.

There were some things that I had a little bit of a problem with. I did get a little tired of the continued comparison to the former wife and I felt that the quasi-villain was a little weak. And the middle of the book seemed to slow down. Now, while I was disappointed in the almost-villain, the other secondary characters were strong and actually quite a hoot.

Although this book is not quite as good as some of Ms. Hawkins' earlier works, this is still a fun read, with a great, funny heroine. Just ignore the slow middle and enjoy the rest of this light-weight, fast paced book. Good start to a new series.

Time/Place: 1822 Scotland
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Warm

On My Radar!! December/January

Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Connie Brockway, The Lady Most Likely, anthology
Release date December 28, 2010
978-0061247828
http://www.juliaquinn.com/
http://www.eloisajames.com/
http://www.conniebrockway.com/

Laura Lee Guhrke, Wedding of the Season, Abandoned at the Altar series
Release date December 28, 2010
978-0061963155
http://www.lauraleeguhrke.com/index.htm

Vicky Dreiling, debut, How to Marry a Duke
Release date January 1, 2011
978-0446565370
http://www.vickydreiling.com/

Yes, pretty slim pickings this month thanks to a certain publisher (They Who Must Not Be Named), who changed their formatting to ebook only. I will be waiting for the trade paperback.

For complete list of upcoming releases, see http://sidneykay.blogspot.com/2007/12/upcoming-releasesend-of-december.html

2010 Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Move 'em on, head 'em up, Head 'em up, move 'em out, Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide!

What's that I see coming around the bend...why it's 2011. So, you know what that means...it's time for the end of the year wrap-up! Are we excited yet? And, yes I am aware it's really not the end of the year.

This has been an exciting year...started my Memories Schmemories, which I found to be enlightening, at least for me. I received the wonderful Bodacious Blog award from Tracy over at Tracy's Place http://ahhhhhromance.blogspot.com/and found some marvelous fellow bloggers at DIK Ladies Rule (love that name) http://dikladiesrule.blogspot.com/ ...great time! Joined some of my fellow sufferers in trying to write 50,000 words in a month as part of National Novel Writers Month http://www.nanowrimo.org/. Found out I'm a slow writer, but it's been fun and I'm looking forward to rereading my work. I know there is some cringe worthy text in there.

So, now it's time for my 2010 majestic awards to go out, this year I have added a few new ones. Isn't this exciting? Head em' up, move em' out!

Favorite Reads for 2010 (doesn't mean they were published in 2010) In no particular order:
Mad About the Duke by Elizabeth Boyle
The Tenacious Miss Tamerlane by Kasey Michaels 1982 (Memories Schmemories)
The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Medeiros
Bewitching by Jill Barnett 1994 (Memories Schmemories)
Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt
Last Nights Scandal by Loretta Chase
Ruthless by Anne Stuart
The Rake by Mary Jo Putney 1998 (Memories Schmemories)
A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch
The Kiss by Sophia Nash 2008 (Memories Schmemories)
In For a Penny by Rose Lerner
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas 1994 (Memories Schmemories)
The House Party by Anne Stuart 1985 (Memories Schmemories)
A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh
His Christmas Pleasure by Cathy Maxwell

Breaking News!
Congratulations to Courtney Milan and Kieran Kramer! Nominated for Best First Historical Book over at RT (Romantic Times) Reviews. See, Ms. Kramer I knew there was an award nomination in the air, just didn't know which one. I was also pleased to see a number of other books that I've actually read were nominated, congratulations to all of those authors! For complete list of nominees: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/

2010 Favorite Debut Authors or New Discovery Authors. All of these authors are to be congratulated, first of all for getting published and secondly for being so good! Some great writing ahead!
Rose Lerner http://www.roselerner.com/
Sarah MacLean http://blog.macleanspace.com/index.html
Courtney Milan http://www.courtneymilan.com/
Sara Lindsey http://www.saralindsey.net/
Kieran Kramer http://kierankramerbooks.com/

And here fellow readers is my list of 2010 Disappointments
Castles in the Air by Christiana Dodd 1993 (the only thing saving this book is the extra arm.)
Patience by Liza Valdez (every year I patiently updated by database waiting for this one and sad to say wasn't even able to finish it. )
Christmas with the Duchess by Tamera Lejeune (another DNF for me. I love Tamera Lejeune silly, funny, quirky stories...but this one was so disappointing, I couldn't even write about it. Couldn't review.)
Desires of a Perfect Lady by Victoria Alexander (this book had the honor of winning my first zzzz award.)
In Bed with the Duke by Christina Dodd (I waited for years for another historical from Ms. Dodd. I was very disappointed in this book, in fact, I believe the writing in this book caused me to go into one of my rants. )
Faith by Deneane Clark (groan. )

This year we have a best dog award, which from now on will be called The Gus Award:
And the winner of the 2010 Gus Award is: Gus from Dreaming by Jill Barnett, 1994 (Gus was the best part of the book, thank you Gus! Gus, Gus, Gus! What a funny looking word Gus is.)

Favorite Cover Award
Mostly, I ignore the covers of books, but every once in a while one catches my eye. And, let me say this about that, I'm one of those people!! I don't care if the top of the head is cropped off.

The Rohan family books by Anne Stuart, Reckless, Ruthless and Breathless.
I thought these covers were well executed, had wonderfully lush color and great costumes. Loved all three covers.
A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh.
A nice simple classy cover, with nary a boob in sight.
In for a Penny by Rose Lerner.
A deceptive cover for a romance book and one that might have been overlooked because of the cover, however it is lovely.
Never Less than a Lady by Mary Jo Putney,
Loved that turquoise dress!

2010 Favorite Romance Families
The Weston family by Sara Lindsey
The MacKenzie brothers by Jennifer Ashley

2010 Creepiest Villain
Harcroft from Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan, I found Harcroft utterly fascinating...and in the end he didn't turn out to be a hero in waiting!

And now the one you've been waiting for...the 2010 Mr. Toad Award:
Jarret from A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries, any book that makes me reach for a ruler deserves some kind of award.
Mathew from Patience by Liza Valdez, Mathew's Mr. Toad does every thing but walk and talk. Maybe it did, I never finished the book.
William from The Libertine by Judith James, only in Romanceland can a man take a zillion women into his bed and not get Mr. Toad Pox.

The Duke's Temptation by Jillian Hunter

I'm stymied!
http://www.jillianhunterauthor.com/

Yes, folks...I said I'm stymied. And here's why. A Duke's Temptation by Jillian Hunter is giving me fits as to how to rate it. There were parts of this book that I loved, loved, loved and then there were parts of this books that had me scratching my head and uttering that profound word: "HUH?"

Let's start with the love feast. This book has a little bit of everything, it has a little gothic overtones, a little paranormal, murder, mystery, fun, laughs, quirky characters. Samuel and Lily are one of the best romance couples I've read in a long time. They talk to each other, they have a good time, they at no point in the story feel that they are not good enough for each other, they are mostly honest with each other. And, biggie here: when he proposes, she accepts!!! Samuel is a writer, and this part was fascinating, his characters come alive (sorta.) He and his quirky staff enact his stories while he's in the process of writing, part of his writing technique...and I found it very amusing. Samuel is an interesting character, he's a vegetarian (we don't know why) and he's scarred from a fire. Now, this fire wasn't explained very well in the book, I suspect it will be part of a plot in another book in the series which I also suspect will be about his sister. But, I don't know because Ms. Hunter's website doesn't say anything about who is next in the series. Lily was a delightful heroine and I had some laugh out loud moments with her. I loved it when she called Samuel Mr. Coachman.

Now, let's talk about the issues that had me scratching my head. Her parents and brother. I don't want to spoil too much of the book, but let's just say I found their reaction to what she witnesses to be truly dumbfounding. Obviously, they've known their daughter for a long time, so why they choose to believe her fiance over her had me creating creases in my forehead. I know, I know, it's a plot device used to get her from where she was in the first half of the book to her final destination in the second half of the book, but I thought it was one of the weakest parts of the book. And then toward the end of the book there were some events that had a rushed disjointed feel about them.

So, I'm stymied. There are parts of this book that have some very strong writing and are filled with wonderful quirky antics and people. Those parts of the book make me want to take it to a Desert Island along with an A...but then there are parts that take an amazingly different romance story and make it average. Light bulb over my head! That's what bothers me, those parts that I don't like I would have to classify as typical romance and they don't fit in a book that for the most part is not your normal run-of-the-mill romance story.

I'm looking forward to the next installment of the Bridal Pleasures series, and hope that Ms. Hunter continues down the quirky road.

Time/Place: Regency England
Rating:Almost
Sensuality Rating: Almost Hot!

When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer

Too many Harry's!!!
http://kierankramerbooks.com/

I could have had a really big problem with this book, first of all the title, When Harry Met Molly, Yipes!!!! When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies, so I knew from the start that I'd be comparing the two. Secondly, I just finished the whole Harry Potter series right in the middle of starting this story...I had Harry's coming out of the whazoo and when I'd read this book, I'd have to adjust my mind from a sixteen year old wizard to a manly man. On the previous book, I had a problem, but with this book I was able to make the adjustment. And, I'm glad I did. And, I'm also glad to say that I think we have another winning author.

There were a lot of concepts in this book that called for ye' ol' stretch of the imagination, but this was a feel good book from the beginning to the very end. And even with all the silliness, there are moments that we can see into the characters of the hero, Harry and the heroine, Molly.

These two people have known each other from childhood and irritated each other for the same amount of time. One of these irritating episodes brings about a life changing aftermath for both of them. So, they both carry grudges, insult each other, bicker, constantly get on each others nerves...a set up for a perfect romance.

I thought this book was interesting on a number of different levels. First of all, of course, it is a funny, silly, farcical read and you should smile a lot throughout. But, what I found interesting was the almost hidden darkness of the characters, especially the men and their casual attitude toward women. I'm hoping the author intends to explore this in some of her future books, especially the secondary characters Lumley and Maxwell.

However, in the end, this is a good romance about two antagonist, who also turn out to be best friends. And, it was nice to read a fun debut book. Looking forward to more from Ms. Kramer.

Time/Place: Regency England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot

Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah Maclean

Beware silly titles! They can be misleading!
http://blog.macleanspace.com/index.html

I thought when I purchased Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord, that it would be a light-heartened romp. I was led to believe this by the title, which is one of those cutesy titles that the publishing world is so fond of at the moment. Also, I liked Ms. MacLean's last book Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake. That was a fun read.

This story had a promising start and I thought I was in for a some laughs. The whole plot-line of Nicholas (the hero) being bombarded by marriage minded women was amusing. And, then he escapes into the country to find a missing girl and the momentum slowed down. Even then there were some funny scenes or shall I say scenes that could be funny, however, I found Isabel's unwillingness to trust Nicholas grating. And let me say this about the heroine: a-n-n-o-y-i-n-g. She was stubborn, she didn't trust Nicholas, she didn't ask for help (and believe me she needed help,), she couldn't admit she loved Nicholas. Annoying. When Isabel was first introduced I thought I was going to like her, I was ready to be entertained by her...but once she was introduced to Nicholas, I just wanted to punch her in the face. And, I really didn't like the Nicholas' disappearing act toward the end of the book. What was the purpose of that?

Except for a very interesting plot-line involving Georgina and her brother the duke, the secondary characters were mostly cardboard characters. I'm assuming there is a story in the works involving Georgina and her brother, because those loose ends need to be tied.

This wasn't a bad story and I really like this author, it was just a slow story which had the misfortune to have a really annoying heroine in it.

Time/Place: 1820's England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot

Rules of an Engagement by Suzanne Enoch

Thrills! Chills! High Sea Adventure! Nah.
http://www.suzanneenoch.com/

This is what you get when you are trying to finish the Harry Potter series before the movie opens at the theater. I keep thinking that it must have been the excitement of Harry Potter that made Suzanne Enoch's Rules of an Engagement so dull. Rules of Engagement is part of the Adventurer's Club series and Bradshaw, the hero, is the brother of Robert from England's Perfect Hero and Tristan from The Rake.

This is not one of Ms. Enoch's best efforts. In fact, I was down right disappointed and yes, I blame Harry Potter! (Not really.) You would think that a book filled with cannibals, adventure on the high sea, pirates, privateers, typhoons, and Tahiti would be exciting. Nah. In fact, all of these plots (and these were just a few of the plots, because there were some snooty aristocrats, a very self-centered father and an almost villain doctor thrown in) never seemed to build to any climax. The cannibals look at the "adventurers" grumpily, so the "adventurers" leave the island. The doctor has impregnated two girls, but he later apologizes. The French pirates may try to murder our hero, so our hero drills holes in the pirate ship and the ship sinks. The typhoon approaches, we have a dance, then sex and then the typhoon is over. We land on Tahiti, find the one-eyed native "King George," listen to a lame story about a mirror and get tattooed. There were so many plots in this book and they just left me flat. I felt as if the author keep changing her mind as to the direction she was taking the story.

And the only glimmer I could see was the almost romance between Bradshaw and Zephyr. If there had just been more of their moments together I would have enjoyed this story a whole lot. They talked, they bantered, they laughed together... too bad they were left in the shade.

I was really bummed out. I had to force myself to finish this book. The romance was short-changed in favor of a million-kazillion plots that went no where. Back to Harry!

Time/Place: 1800's South Pacific
Rating:
Sensuality: Almost hot

On My Radar!!

Kieran Kramer, Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right...Impossible Bachelor series...Release date November 30, 2010
http://kierankramerbooks.com/

Lynsay Sands, Hungry for You...Argeneau series...Release date November 30, 2010
http://www.lynsaysands.net/

Cathy Maxwell, His Christmas Pleasure...Scandals and Seduction series...Release date November 30, 2010
http://www.cathymaxwell.com/

Kasey Michaels, How to Wed a Baron...Daughtry Family series...Release date December 1, 2010
http://www.kaseymichaels.com/links.html

Anne O'Brien, Chosen for the Marriage Bed...Release date December 1, 2010
http://www.anneobrienbooks.com/

Virginia Henley, Maggie Robinson, Kate Pearce, Lord of Passion... anthology...Release date December 1, 2010
http://www.virginiahenley.com/
http://www.maggierobinson.net/
http://www.katepearce.com/

For rest of upcoming publication see: Upcoming list, Hey Delia!