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More than ever, EACH vote counts.

If you have been paying any attention to world news, you may have noticed how many of the Britons who didn’t vote in the refererndum to exit the European Union have lived to regret–bitterly regret–not voting. And how many have regretted, even more bitterly, voting to leave, in ‘protest,’ believing their vote didn’t count, that it didn’t make a difference, that it was ‘just’ an expression of their discontent, and that it would make no difference to the outcome.

Do not follow in their footsteps.

Vote–and vote while conscious that every individual voice counts.

More, make sure those around you vote, and that they too are fully cognizant of the consequences of ‘protest’ voting.

 

Review: Rock Hard, by Nalini Singh

RockHard(originally published here)

 

I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m a fan of Nalini Singh. I absolutely adore her Psy/Changeling world, and I have really liked both of her recently self published contemporary romances.

So of course I’ve been ansty as hell, waiting for the third title in the Rock Kiss series to come out–and boy oh boy, did Ms Singh knock it out of the park!

Reader beware, though: I received an ARC of this novel. There’s violence in the heroine’s past, and though very little of it is retold on page, you may want to take this into account when you read. Also, there is graphic sex and cursing.

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

The very beginning of this novel happens concurrently with the beginning of Rock Addiction, so a reader who has recently read the latter will recognize a few scenes and conversations between Charlie and Molly, her best friend. However, both novels can be read as standalones; Molly’s appearances in this novel are few and brief, firmly establishing how close the relationship between these two women is, yet not taking anything away from Charlie’s own story.

Here, have a blurb from the author’s website:
(more…)

Rock Addiction, by Nalini Singh

As a participant in the release tour, I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Nalini Singh’s new contemporary romance, Rock Addiction, the first in a five-title series called Rock Kiss, that she’s self publishing. As most of you know, part of the deal, when participating in an author’s release tour, is to write and publish a review of the book in a timely manner. Please note that neither the author nor TRSOR Promotions, who organized all the blogger events related to the release, have asked for anything but a review, period.

However, and in the interest of full disclosure, I am a fan of Ms Singh’s Psy/Changeling series. I am not a fan of her Guild Hunter series, and up to now I have only read one of her previously released category contemporary titles, Desert Warrior–and I confess that I wasn’t terribly impressed with it.

With that in mind, this is my (quite long) review:

Rock Addiction, by Nalini Singh

A few years ago, Sarah of the ever Smart Bitches and Jane of the wonderful Dear Author created a campaign to Save the Contemporary! Why, you may ask. Well, because for a while there it seemed that single title contemporary romance had disappeared off the face of the earth. We had–and still have–plenty of contemporary category length romances, but they are problematic in their own way, as they must conform to stringent requirements specific to their publishing line. And most single title, full length contemporaries for a good long while seemed to be required to include a thread of suspense–there was a stalker, an unsolved murder, a conspiracy, a ghost, vengeance…you name it. It seemed that there could be no romance without external conflict.

(Feel free to tell me my reading is limited and list all your recommendations for good, straight up contemporary romances in the comments.)

And so, imagine my utter delight in reading a contemporary romance about two adults, with nary an external conflict or contrived plot point! Yes, reader heaven indeed.

Mind you, there is conflict, and these two people have plenty of baggage, but they deal with it, both their own and each other’s, by talking–whodathunkit, right?–and by valuing and respecting the other’s feelings as much as their own.

Here’s the blurb provided by the author:
(more…)

And just to ice the cake of awesome...

we have yet another Rafflecopter giveaway to celebrate the release of Rock Addiction.

(I do apologize but I am unable to make the widget work for me. However, just follow the link above and you’ll be able to enter and get a chance to win a $100 gift card. Sweet, yes?)

Also, in case you didn’t know, you can get your very own copy from amazon by following this handy, dandy little link.

There, don’t say we don’t make it easy for you 😉

Azteclady reviews, Nalini Singh's Bonds of Justice

A couple of years ago I started reviewing every book in Ms Singh’s Psy/Changeling series, in order of publication. What with one thing and another, the last such review I posted was of Blaze of Memory1 Now that I’m awaiting the imminent release of the latest book, A Tangle of Need, I embarked on a re-read of the whole series. (Yes, I know I’m a bit obsessive, thanks.) Since I’m reading them, why not review them? And here we are.

Bonds of Justice, by Nalini Singh

Sensuality rating: Steamy.

The eight installment in Ms Singh’s successful Psy/Changeling series, this is the first one where a changeling—or even a human member of a changeling pack—isn’t a protagonist. With this novel, Ms Singh shifts the focus to humans in a very different manner than she did with the secondary plot in Branded by Fire.

But first a disclaimer: if you haven’t read any of these novels, you will probably be lost. Not only are a number of characters from as far back as Slave to Sensation mentioned, several have key (if minor, page count-wise) rôles in this novel. Beyond that, there is an overarching plot thread noted in a number of passages (some of them one paragraph chapters) that will make a new-to-the-series reader go, “Huh?” repeatedly. So, if I were you, I would just start at the beginning.

With that out of the way, here is the back cover blurb: (more…)

Azteclady reviews Cheryl St. John's, Heaven Can Wait

The pressure of commitment!

Being almost too late for this month’s TBR Challenge, I quickly checked the mountains and piles and shelves of unread books for something appropriate—a book published before 2000. After a few frantic moments—have I really read all my old skool books already???—I found the perfect tome. I give you:

Heaven Can Wait, by Cheryl St. John

Sensuality rating: Steamy

This is Ms St John’s second published novel, prequel to Rain Shadow¹. Both novels were published by Harlequin Historical back in the dark ages (1994).

 Please be warned that there’s a lot of religion as part of the story, though not in the way that usually annoys the bejesus out of me.

The novel is set in 1888 Pennsylvania. The heroine, Lydia Beker, is a member of the historical religious commune known as the Harmony Society. The hero, Jakob Neubauer, is also of German descent, but a farmer, one of the Outsiders whose heathenish ways the Colonists abhor.

This premise would be conflict enough for me, to be honest—how do you reconcile such different views of the world? It’s all good and well to long for freedom from drudgery, but the cultural shock would still be there, even if Jakob is not rich and life on a farm is no ride on the park with grooms and maids in attendance.

Ms St. John, however, added extraneous conflict in the form of a mentally unstable sister-in-law who is obsessed with Jakob.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here is the back cover blurb: (more…)

Azteclady reviews Nora Roberts', The Witness

The Witness, by Nora Roberts

While I’m not as ardent a fan of Ms Roberts as other long time romance readers¹, I definitely enjoy her writing—many of her titles of the past decade grace my keeper shelves. As of May 2012, she is one of two writers I’ll buy in hardback, budget be damned, so it was pretty much a given that I would buy The Witness as soon as I possibly could (and amazon made it not only easy but cheaper than most everywhere else, so…).

The Witness is the 200th published novel by romance genre grand dame and standard bearer, Nora Roberts. Informal research confirms that there aren’t many people in history who can claim to have done as much²—and I’ll add that this novel commemorates the milestone with a bang (or three).

Here is what the cover jacket says:

Elizabeth Fitch’s short-lived teenage rebellion began with L’Oréal Pure Black, a pair of scissorts and a fake ID. It ended in blood…

Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a night club and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives alone in the outskirts of small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she works at home designing sophisticated security systems. Her own security is supplemented by a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing.

Unfortunately, that seems to be the quickest way to get attention in a tiny southern town.

The mystery of Abigail Lowery intrigues local police chief Brooks Gleason, on both a personal and a professional level. Her sharp, logical mind, her secretive nature, her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something, even if he doesn’t know what—and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

Accustomed to two-bit troublemakers, Gleason is about to walk into the sights of very powerful and dangerous men. And Abigail Lowery, who has built a life based on security and self-control, is at risk of losing both.”

Readers beware: the last paragraph in the blurb has nothing whatsoever to do with the novel. (more…)

Azteclady reviews, Sarah M. Anderson's A Man of His Word

A Man of His Word, by Sarah M. Anderson

A category length romance (scarcely 187 pages) published under Harlequin’s Desire imprint, A Man of His Word is Ms Anderson’s print debut and (from what I gather) the first in the Lawyers in Love trilogy, with the next two titles released in July and September.

My copy comes directly from the author, via a giveaway at Novel Thoughts right around the release date. Life being what it is and reading/reviewing mojo in the state is was, I only read this book a couple of weeks ago—and just now am I writing the review.¹

Confession number one: I can’t read the heroine’s name without giggling. Yes, I know, I suck and I’m mean, but there you have it: an acquaintance has a 14 year old teacup Yorkie named Rosebud. So, after giggling a few times in a row where laughter really wasn’t warranted, I mentally changed her name to Rose—and the book flowed so much better for me!

Here is what the blurb² tells us about the story: (more…)

Azteclady reviews, The Heart of Christmas Anthology

The Heart of Christmas Anthology

After reading and enjoying Courtney Milan’s work, I have been keeping my eye out for a copy of this anthology, which contains her print debut, the novella “This Wicked Gift.” I am very, very happy to report that it didn’t disappoint—to the contrary, I enjoyed it soooo much!

But hold on, let me get this review back on track.

The anthology consists of three Christmas themed stories by Mary Balogh, Nicola Cornick, and Ms Milan. Here is the back cover blurb:

‘Tis the Season for Falling in Love…

“A Handful of Gold”

Not only is Julian Dare dashing and wealthy, but he’s the heir to an earldom. So what do you get a man who has everything? Innocent and comely Verity Ewing plans on giving Julian her heart—the most precious gift of all.

“The Season for Suitors”

After some close encounters with rakes in which she was nearly compromised, heires Clara Davenport realizes that she needs some expert advice. And who better for the job than Sebastian Fleet, the most notorious rake in town? But the tutelage doesn’t go quite as planned, as both Sebastian and Clara find it difficult to remain objective when it comes to lessons of the heart!

“This Wicked Gift”

Lavinia Spencer has been saving her hard-earned pennies to provide her family with Christmas dinner. Days before the holiday, her brother is swindled, leaving them owing more than they can ever repay. Until a mysterious benefactor offers to settle the debt. Innocent Lavinia is stunned by what the dashing William White wants in return. Will she exchange a wicked gift for her family’s future?

Starting in reverse order: (more…)

Azteclady reviews, Maya Banks' Colters' Woman

Colters’ Woman, by Maya Banks

So it has taken me years but I finally got around to grabbing a copy of this earlier title of Ms Banks’ (the version in my hands is the extended version, published in 2010—the original publication date is October 2006).

Before the review—or indeed, the blurb—a warning: this is an erotic novel, with very graphic sex scenes. Not only that, but it involves a ménage à quatre. If you are a minor or have problems with sex and unconventional relationships, do everyone a favor and read no further.

So, on to the review. (more…)

Azteclady reviews Zoë Archer's, Warrior

Apparently I’ve managed to keep up with SLWendy’s TBR Challenge for the third month in a row! (given how crazy my work schedule is, and how little reviewing mojo I seem to have these days, I am honestly amazed by this). This month’s theme, a new to me author. Drumroll and welcome to…

Warrior, by Zoë Archer

Despite having read many positive reviews of Ms Archer’s Blades of the Rose, to the point where the lot of them exist physically in the humongous, ever growing, mountain range of a TBR pile, I had been resistant to, you know, actually read them. What if I didn’t like them?

Well, I should have trusted the instinct that made me grab them in the first place, for I enjoyed Warrior very much indeed.

From the back cover:

To most people, the realm of magic is the stuff of nursery rhymes and dusty libraries. But for the Blades of the Rose, it’s quite real, and in danger of being misused by a powerful enemy…

In hot pursuit…

The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.

In hotter water…

Raised thousand of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typial Victorian lady. A good thing, since as a Blade, she’s trying to protect a priceless magical artifact. Huntley’s assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn’t easy to deceive…

Despite the wonderful covers, there is not much steampunk in this series (or perhaps it’s more evident in later installments). The premise of the series is this: (more…)

Azteclady reviews, Lauren Dane's Standoff

Standoff, by Lauren Dane

This is the fifth installment in Ms Dane’s Cascadia Wolves stories, originally published digitally only by Samhain in January 2008. It was also the first story of hers that I read. While I enjoyed this book when I read it first, rereading it this week highlights how far Ms Dane’s writing has come in the intervening four years.

First, a warning: this is an erotic romance, with graphic language and graphic sex throughout. If either offends you (or if you are a minor), you are better off not reading either the review or the novel. Thanks.

Here is the blurb from the print edition:

It’s the law of the Pack—or anarchy. (more…)

Azteclady Review: Sam's Creed by Sarah McCarty

This month’s TBR Challenge theme is catching up with a series. Well, I just had the right book languishing in my humongous TBR mountain range. It’s been nigh on four years since I read and reviewed Caine’s Reckoning, and almost as long has Sam’s Creed been languishing on the shelves, unread.

Sam’s Creed, by Sarah McCarty.

The second title in the Hell’s Eight series, Sam’s Creed is set a few months after the events of Caine’s Reckoning. To sum it up, the other seven to Caine’s eighth are following up on every rumor about stolen white women in the territory, looking for Ari Blake, Desi’s twin sister. In the course of this search, Sam pretty much stumbles across his own woman, Isabella Montoya.

A disclaimer, I think, applies here. This is an erotic romance. Not only is there sex in this book, there is quite graphic sex and quite a bit of it, with plenty of graphic language to go along with it. So, if you object to either or these, you may want to refrain from reading the review—let alone the book.

Let me be upfront about the fact that I did not enjoy this novel nearly as much as I did the previous one. Fact is, it was a rather big letdown. However, it is a testament to the appeal of Ms McCarty’s voice that I managed to sail through all 400+ pages of it in three, four sittings, without any major derailments in my reading, despite the things that irked me about the book.

First irritant, the back cover blurb: (more…)

Azteclady does Lisa Kleypas', Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, by Lisa Kleypas

At just over 200 pages, this is another one of those skinny hardback novels put out by St Martin’s Press during the 2010 holiday season. In all honesty, despite liking most of what I’ve read by Ms Kleypas¹, I wouldn’t have picked this up for myself—$17.00 for a book that’s barely longer than a SuperRomance? erm…nope. Luckily, I didn’t have to—I was one of the lucky recipients of a giveaway held by the lovely Christine (who happens to be one of Lisa’s Divas).

A contemporary romance, this one of those rare beasts with nary a suspense thread nor a psychotic ex or malicious family members working over time to thwart a budding romance. In fact, there’s basically no conflict in the novel.

But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself—here’s the jacket blurb: (more…)

Azteclady does Karina Bliss's, Mr. Imperfect

I can’t remember who recommended this book to me, but having read and enjoyed at least two other stories by Ms Bliss, I was happy to get my mittens on it. Of course, like countless other books I am ecstatic to get, it then languished in the humongous TBR Mountain Range—until SLWendy’s TBR Challenge brought it to mind. Happily so, I might add.

Mr. Imperfect, by Karina Bliss

Published in 2006, the cover claims that this is Ms Bliss’ first published novel.¹ I have to say, it’s a wonderful start to a career. Let me begin with a couple of warnings: There are some tropes in this story that usually drive me nuts—for example, if you haven’t seen a person in fourteen years, it’s not likely you can still love them. You love your memories of them and of the two of you together, but you don’t know the reality of that person in the present so…

Then there is the ‘well, because of the will’ that sets up the current conflict between the protagonists—contrived barely starts to describe it. Finally, the cute kid—I’m one of those curmudgeons who usually prefers to have no children or babies in her romances. Sue me.

Despite all of the above, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Imperfect.

Here’s the back cover blurb: (more…)

Review: Azteclady does, Dorothy L. Sayers' Whose Body?

Whose Body?, by Dorothy L. Sayers

This wonderfully complicated (yet, at its heart, quite straightforward) mystery is the first of the incomparable Lord Peter Wimsey’s novels1 by Dorothy L. Sayers. Since this novel was first published back in the early 1920s2 there have been a number of editions released, with back cover blurbs ranging from awful to adequate. This one, from amazon.com, is much better than most:

The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder—especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What’s more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in the bath.

Indeed, there is a body in the tub, and there is a prominent citizen missing. Wouldn’t it be wonderfully neat if these two were one and the same? Alas, in this case, adding one and one comes up to something in the neighborhood of minus three, and it’s up to Lord Peter to show the police the error of their ways. (more…)

From the way back machine…1

The Return of Luke McGuire, by Justine Davis (aka Justine Dare)

Originally published in October 2000, this book reminds me why I love so much of Ms Davis’ earlier work, such as The Morning Side of Dawn2. There is an ease to the author’s voice and a realism to the characters, that draws the reader in, time after time. This time, into the story of a once bad boy and an always respectable woman. Here is the blurb (a good one too, for a change): (more…)

Azteclady does Penny Jordan's, So Close and No Closer

This novel has been in the monstrous TBR shelves for…well, at least a couple of years, but probably more. I have already failed January’s installment of SLWendy’s TBR Challenge, but given Ms Jordan’s recent passing, I feel it fitting to review it nonetheless.

* * *

So Close and No Closer, by Penny Jordan

Originally released in 1989, this category romance definitely reflects the mores of the day, though both it and Ms Jordan were popular enough to warrant a Collector’s Edition re-release in 1991. There were several things I liked about this story, not the least of which is the setting, a lovely village somewhere near Cambridge, England¹.

The back cover blurb is typical of the time (though really, it doesn’t seem the misleading has changed all that much): (more…)

Azteclady does, The Nine Lives of Christmas, by Sheila Roberts

It’s been an embarrassingly long time since I’ve posted one of these, but I seem to have found my misplaced reviewing mojo. As I was reading this novel, I kept writing notes for the review in my head. So here I am, back (though I’m afraid Ms Roberts would probably prefer I didn’t start out with her book).

The Nine Lives of Christmas, by Sheila Roberts

I mentioned here that I got this book a couple of weeks ago from the always lovely Ms Faith. I’m quite glad of this for a couple of reasons (above and beyond the loveliness of the gesture). First, cost. At 214 pages, this reads more like a longish novella or category length romance than a whole novel, yet it’s out as a holiday hardback by St Martin’s Press. Youch!

The second has much more to do with the story itself.

This is a sweet holiday romance—there are two, perhaps three kisses total in it—ending in a happy for now with great potential for the future, a kind of ending I personally like quite a bit. Particularly when you consider that the story takes place in about a week total real time.

Here’s the cover jacket blurb:

Two people are about to discover that when it comes to finding love, sometimes Christmas magic isn’t enough…sometimes it takes a pesky orange cat named Ambrose.

When a guy is in trouble, he starts making deals with his Creator…and Ambrose the cat is no exception. In danger of losing his ninth and final life, Ambrose makes a desperate plea to the universe. He’ll do anything—anything!—if he can just survive and enjoy a nice long, final life. His prayer is answered when a stranger comes along and saves him—but then Ambrose is faced with having to hold up his end of the bargain.

The stranger turns out to be a firefighter named Zach, who’s in need of some serious romantic help. If Ambrose can just bring Zach together with Merilee, the nice lady who works at Pet Palace, it’s bound to earn him a healthy ninth life. Unfortunately for Ambrose, his mission is a lot harder than he ever thought. Merilee is way too shy to make the first move on a ladies’ man like Zach, and Zach thinks he’s all wrong for a nice girl like Merilee. Now it’s going to take all of Ambrose’s feline wiles—and maybe even a good old-fashioned Christmas miracle—to make them both realize that what they’re looking for is right in front of their eyes.

There is practically nothing of the plot that is not revealed by that blurb, by the way, so I’ll just move on to the execution.

The story is told in third person, and the author does something that worked for me very well. We have three narrators (or points of view): Zach, Merilee, and…Ambrose. This brought some very welcome freshness to the story and allowed me to see and know some things about characters that would have required some unwelcome exposition (telling) otherwise.

On the not so positive side, there were times where Ambrose’s ultimate selfishness (he’s not helping these two out of the goodness of his heart but to earn his last life, after all) were pushed to the fore a little too much. Perhaps the idea was to keep true to the general perception of cats, but after a bit it got on my nerves—I’m one of those readers who don’t need to have things repeated six times through a two hundred page book. Tell me (better yet, show me) once, and I’m good for the remainder of the story.

However, the main thing that didn’t work for me was Merilee—and there’s definitely reader intrusion there. (more…)

And age does not make a difference.

And age does not make a difference.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Posted in: AztecLady Reviews, book talk

when reading works for you.

 

 

 

(found via the new and improved Smart Bitches, also here demotivation.us

and before that at Mr Bookman, in the original Russian–need to scroll down and watch the slide show to see if a few times )