Title: Romancing Mister Bridgerton Author: Julia Quinn Series: The Bridgertons (book #4) Previous in series: An Offer from A Gentleman Next in series: To Sir Phillip, with Love My rating: 4.5 Stars Synopsis: Penelope Featherington has been in love with Colin Bridgerton for most of her life but has always known that her adoration is unrequited. Nevertheless, upon returning from a trip abroad, Colin discovers that Penelope is not what or who she seems and that she may just be the greatest threat to his sanity or perhaps the girl of his dreams…
Review: The Bridgerton books are definitely one of the best historical romance series. It is impossible to put the books down once you start so be prepared to spend a few hours without food when reading this one. Penelope and Colin are my favorite couple. Don’t get me wrong, the characters in the other books are absolutely charming and I have my favorites – Simon in The Duke and I, and Kate in The Viscount who Loved Me but Colin and Penelope whose relationship grows from acquaintance to friendship to love is simply the best. Penelope’s character appealed to me on many levels. She is intelligent, courageous, dignified and witty. Colin is a complete charmer but can be very obtuse at times. He takes his time realizing just how perfect Penelope is and is caught completely by surprise when he falls in love with her. The way in which he deals with his emotions and with Penelope’s secret is so touching. As always, Quinn’s writing is excellent and the secondary characters are well fleshed out and supply some of the funniest moments, particularly, Colin’s youngest sister, Hyacinth. Her book should be a scream. On a side note: readers learn the identity of the elusive Lady Whistledown in this book and I'm so glad that my guess turned out to be the right one. In sum, don’t be surprised if you find yourself laughing, sighing and crying when reading this book.
Title: An Offer from A Gentleman
Author: Julia QuinnSeries: The Bridgertons (book #3)
Previous in series: The Viscount Who Loved Me Next in series: Romancing Mister Bridgerton My rating: 4 StarsSynopsis: The illegitimate daughter of an Earl, Sophie Beckett is forced to work in her own home as an unpaid slave to her father’s malicious widow. One night, Sophie defies her stepmother, attends Lady Bridgerton’s masquerade ball and catches the attention of Benedict Bridgeton. Benedict will do anything to find the mysterious lady in silver but she seems to have disappeared without a trace. Soon after, he finds himself attracted to a lowly housemaid who makes him feel alive and dream of a future. But can he live without the woman who captured his heart…Review: Cinderella is one of my all time favorite fairy tale and this is one of the most heartwarming adaptations. Sophie and Benedict are a lovely couple and their story is very sweet and romantic. Benedict makes very minor appearances in the previous two books so he is more or less a clean slate and the reader has the opportunity to learn more about him. He is a very gallant hero although he does seem to be a bit single-minded in his immediate love for and desire to locate a complete stranger. Sophie is a very spirited heroine and holds her ground with Benedict but doesn’t seem able to do the same with her stepmother. This may be due to her lack of self-confidence with regard to her status in society. While Araminta is shoved off her rather high pedestal and put in her place at the end, I do wish she had gotten more of a comeuppance.Quinn’s writing style is immersing and she incorporates wit and humor so well into her story telling. The plot is a little predictable but in a good way, and I appreciated the slight social critique regarding the class divide and the fact that servants are barely noticeable and often treated as less than human. Overall, the Bridgerton series is immensely entertaining and this installment is no exception. I find myself completely addicted and seem to be reading the books back to back (very unusual for me).
Title: Living Nightmare Author: Shannon K. Butcher Series: The Sentinel Wars (book #4) Previous in series: Running Scared Next in series: Blood Hunt My rating: 5 Stars Synopsis: Nika Madison has been trapped in a nightmare for nine years but now she is slowly coming out of it and has one goal – to save her younger sister from the monstrous Synestryn holding her captive. Unfortunately, Nika’s psychic connection to her sister is fading and only one person has power to help Nika re-forge that bond: Madoc, a Sentinel Warrior with a bare lifemark who wants nothing to do with Nika. Review: Amazing read that keeps you turning the pages!As in the previous books, the overall story arc continues to develop and there are some surprising twists and turns. There is a large cast of characters to keep track of, but each has a compelling personality and story that grabs you and won’t let go. Nika and Madoc are both tortured and damaged but find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. Their chemistry is simply mesmerizing and they share some of the most romantic moments in the series. Madoc is hanging on to his humanity and honor by a thread, and is terrified of the danger that he poses to others, especially Nika. He tries to keep himself at a distance but finds it difficult to fight against the temptation that she poses. Nika is stubborn and determined with a strength of will and capacity for love that makes her impossible to resist. Overall, an exciting and action packed story but be forewarned that there are several dark and disturbing scenes that may make some readers uncomfortable. The next book is Logan’s and I am looking forward to seeing things from a Sanguinar's perspective.
Title: Mallory’s Oracle Author: Carol O’Connell Series: Kathleen Mallory (book #1) Next in series: The Man Who Cast Two Shadows My rating: 2 Stars Synopsis: Kathleen Mallory began life as a thief on the streets of New York City until she was taken in my detective Louis Mankowitz and his wife. Now a police sergeant with an expertise in computer crimes, Mallory must investigate a particularly difficult homicide – the murder of her adoptive father – which is linked to the deaths of several elderly and wealthy women. Review: I really wanted to like this book but failed in almost every respect. The writing is elliptical and convoluted with too many narrative threads that are difficult to follow and never seem to form a cohesive whole. None of the characters is particularly likeable, especially the heroine who is a borderline sociopath. Her characterization is too reminiscent of the hero in the television show Dexter, which I stopped watching after three episodes because it is impossible for me to identify with a serial killer no matter how noble his intentions. The serial killer plot is intriguing and has potential but the paucity of clues makes it virtually impossible for readers to figure it out for themselves. Moreover, the irrelevant subplots involving magicians, mediums and séances add nothing to the suspense, and detract from the murder mystery. In addition, while the identity of the murderer is ultimately revealed, the explanations for his actions are vague and imprecise.Overall, the disagreeable characters, the excessive number of superfluous conversations and the lack of action make this a difficult book to trudge through. I do, however, recommend another of O'Connell's books - The Judas Child.
Title: Eternal Kiss of Darkness
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress World (book #2)
Previous in series: First Drop of Crimson
My rating: 3.5 Stars
Synopsis: Kira Graceling is a private investigator struggling to make ends meet until the night she is thrust into a nightmarish world of vampires and ghouls. Stumbling across the scene of a horrific attack, Kira risks her life to save a stranger only to discover that he is a vampire. Mencheres, a Master vampire, is both shocked and intrigued by the fearless human who braves death to rescue him, and must soon return the favor in order to defeat his oldest enemy and save the woman he craves more than life.
Review: It took me quite a while to get into this book, which only livens up in the last 100 pages. The plot is completely unoriginal and the relationship between the primary characters lacks sizzle and steam.
Yes, Mencheres is powerful, enigmatic and sexy but aren't all vampires these days. Moreover, he spends an inordinate amount of time lamenting the loss of his visions and wallowing in self-pity. Kira is a strong and likeable character but she is far too accepting of her sudden transition into vampirism.
The secondary characters are more engaging, particularly Vlad, who will apparently be getting his own series soon. It is a pity that Ian does not make an appearance in this book as his wit and sarcasm are sorely missed.
While the Night Huntress World is well developed and the internal rules of the vampire community are interesting and unique, it was difficult to become completely immersed in the story and I felt no emotional attachment to the characters. As this was not a problem in First Drop of Crimson, I can only assume that the writing in this book was not up to scratch.
On a final note, there were some aspects of the story that appealed to the literary analyst in me, namely, the symbolism of Kira's name, the ritualistic elements toward the end and the historical background to Mencheres and Radjadef's past.
If Frost decided to publish another book in the series, I will probably read it.
Title: Romancing Mister Bridgerton
