Re-Reading Challenge: March 2009
(hosted by Nath – full details here)
Category: Romance – Historical (Middle Ages)
Series: No
She is the enemy of his clan, the friend of his foe, and the most beautiful prisoner he has ever seen. She is Judith Lindsay, the brazen young beauty who’s bound by blood and honor to her beloved
Juliana Garnett was one of the first romance authors I read and I want to say upfront that her books are comfort reads for me. I try to be objective with this commentary, but if I sound a bit biased, well, at least you’ll know why.
The time is 1327; the setting is
So Robert, nicknamed the Devil’s Cub, bears the guilt and his father’s ire of being the only son (and not one of his favourites) left alive. His sorrow, anger and animosity towards his father are well portrayed. He is a strong and honorable man and a laird in his own right. Despite his sorrow and anger over the senseless death of his brothers, he tries to make the hostages comfortable and shield them from his father’s maddened grief. This is a man who wants to be a scholar instead of a warrior, but circumstances leave him with no choice but to fight.
Judith is a sensible and stoic woman. Widowed and childless at age twenty-six, this English gentlewoman is wanted by neither her late husband’s clan nor her own father. She makes the best of things and doesn’t hope for too much. When she is kidnapped with Mairi (the heiress) by those dastard
What makes this book so good for me are definitely Robert and Judith. Despite an early attraction, their love for each other grows through daily interaction, sharing of thoughts and kind gestures. They haven’t known each other for very long before they fall in love – and this is what’s so compelling for me – they are tentative with those new powerful feelings, yet they are willing to go ahead to trust and love, especially Judith. Her love for Robert is so complete and unwavering, and that’s so beautiful to read.
Forming the backdrop to Robert and Judith’s love story is an account of life of that time – clan wars, political alliances, allegiances. The author did a great job making this aspect interesting and didn’t bog it down with too many details. I had enjoyed reading about the pillaging clans who would stand together against common enemies, but as soon as those enemies were vanquished, would immediately go back to the business of pillaging each other’s livestock, etc.
All in all, this is a well-rounded, well-told highland tale.
4 out of 5. I like it. It’s compelling, a page-turner. Sensuality: Subtle
Yes, I'm still around. *grin* Just been very busy with my online shop and my craft blog, which I had shamefully neglected for far too long.
Contemporary Romance Challenge: March 2009
(hosted by Brie of Musings Of A Bibliophile – full details here)
Category: Contemporary – Romantic Suspense
Series: Yes – Book 2 of the Ice Series
The job was supposed to be dead easy – hand-deliver some legal papers to billionaire philanthropist Harry Van Dorn’s extravagant yacht, get his signature and be done. But
But there’s someone else on the ship who knows the true depths of Van Dorn’s evil. Peter Jensen is far more than the unassuming personal assistant he pretends to be – he’s a secret operative who will stop at nothing to ensure Harry’s deadly Rule of Seven terror campaign dies with him. But Genevieve’s presence has thrown a wrench into his plans, and now he must decide whether to risk his mission to keep her alive, or allow her to become collateral damage…
I read this book with Taja (of Books and Games blog) as both of us have the rest of this series sitting in the TBR pile, and it’s always nice to buddy-read with someone. Please join me in welcoming Taja, my very first guest blogger.
Please be aware there are spoilers sprinkled throughout our joint-commentary below.
Overall impression
Jace: The story started off very well. Both the leads were interesting characters and I was interested in the plot. Then about half-way into the story, I began to smile. Why? Because the characters, and events that unfolded, became somewhat absurd - the story felt almost like a cartoon – and it continued that way to the end.
Taja: I read Black Ice and I loved it. (Read Taja’s review here. Mine is here.)
I got my hands on Cold As Ice as fast as I could and read it a few days after Black Ice, also in a rush. I had one “huh?” moment and there were two things that annoyed me quite a bit (later in the story) which was the reason I rated it 4 out of 5. Overall, I thought the first-half/two-thirds stronger than the last chapters.
I re-read Cold As Ice for this joint-commentary, and my initial opinion has changed a bit. I guess I was still under the influence of Black Ice when I read Cold As Ice the first time. The “huh?” moment – which was at the back of my mind and which I barely registered the first time – grew considerably in proportion. And it's actually not just a moment, it's quite a lot … I thought the story was so contrived!
So after the second reading, my impression of what I thought was the stronger part of this story, suffered a lot.
Jace: You nailed it! I thought the story was "cartoony" but “contrived" is the better word for it.
The plot and characters
Jace: In the beginning, I totally believed in Peter’s and Genevieve’s characterization. He was inconspicuous and nondescript which totally fit his secret agent role. She was a nervy but smart woman – she put on a brave face and made the best of things. I was interested to continue reading.
Taja: I loved that Peter barely registered with Genevieve as an attractive male the first time she met him. He was a "gray ghost of a man". Totally right for his mission (and a welcome change from what usually happens when the hero and heroine meet). I liked Genevieve and agree with what you said about her. I also liked that she was tall and had to wear contacts because I thought it something different. I was especially intrigued by the first descriptions of her.
Jace: Then, my first problem with the story. Peter vacillated between getting rid of Genevieve and saving her. That man was supposed to be a stone-cold agent; he never failed in carrying out his assignment! Heck, he would even have sex with a man in order to do his job. For him to hesitate in sending Genevieve off the boat (in the first place) and getting rid of her (later) was uncharacteristic, and for me, simply unbelievable.
Taja: This part didn't really work for me either – all this waffling around about killing Genevieve! I think it was supposed to show his inner turmoil over Genevieve but I believed in neither his bestest-agent-evah persona nor in his lover persona, so on the whole, Peter's drama failed to really move me because his conflict seemed a bit out-of-the-blue.
Jace: Sure, he would not hurt an innocent bystander – but he also thought “too bad, she was at the wrong place at the wrong time”. This aspect of his characterization reminded me of 2 other Stuart heroes – in Moonrise and The Widow – both couldn’t decide whether to be cold and ruthless or helping/saving the heroines. However, Peter was a much-improved version of the other two, whom I couldn’t stand!
Taja: Yes, I got that he didn't want to kill an innocent but as bestest-agent-evah, he shouldn't really care about that or find a way to get her off the yacht before it was too late, so I agree with you there. The only saving grace is that I think of Cold As Ice as a romantic suspense so I'm a bit more lax about characterization.
Jace: Genevieve spent most of the story being thrown about, drugged and trussed up, didn’t she? Frankly, she became quite a joke. I also didn’t like how mouthy she was – and you know this is one of my pet peeves.
Taja: *grin* I know about your pet peeve. And I suspected this novel would trigger it - at least near the end. The two annoying things near the end that brought the grade down the first time that I mentioned above? It's because of her. Lord, Genevieve was mouthy just to be mouthy and still hadn't a clue later on. My opinion of her changed from rather intelligent to too-stupid-to-live during the later parts of the story.
Jace: Peter and Genevieve were dancing around each other verbally – this was irritating too. They talked and talked in circles, with no real communication between them.
Taja: I enjoyed most of their conversations and Genevieve's comebacks up to a point. But I agree … I, too, didn't see a real connection between them (which made the ending all the more incredulous).
Jace: I honestly couldn’t see why Peter fell for Genevieve, and she him. Which aspect of her made him fall in love? And what did Genevieve see in him?
Taja: On page 138 there's this sentence in Peter's POV … "He just didn't know if he could live without Genevieve Spenser in this sorry world." And I just didn't know where that came from. [I mean to go back and read his POV scenes up to that point to see what I missed.] On the whole, it was like Genevieve managed to get to him and that was it.
Jace: The villain became increasingly over-the-top as the story progressed. In the end, he reminded me of a cartoon villain.
Taja: I didn't care for the way Stuart established Van Dorn as the villain. As you said, totally over the top. What I did like … he reminded me of the villains in the older James Bond movies who had batshit crazy plans to take over the world. Van Dorn's Rule of Seven fits right in with that, IMO, and I liked that. LOL
Jace: Now that you remind me of those James Bond villains ... yes! LOL Entertaining, yes. Convincing, no.
And my final grouse … Madame Lambert. I seriously couldn’t believe her to be the LEADER of a group of stone-cold, hardass secret agents. Her wishy-washy and regretful thoughts had me cringing. I suppose Stuart purposely made her sympathetic and having a heart – after all, she was getting her own story later. But come on, her characterization was just pathetic.
Taja: Again, why did Madame Lambert worry over having Genevieve killed? She gave the order to start with the mission and if she was worried so much about Genevieve she could have waited. I can't remember reading an explanation why they had to up and leave right then and not wait until Genevieve had left the yacht. (It would have been better all around if I had known the reason why they needed to move just then because it would have helped to alleviate my impression that the whole story was really contrived.)
What worked and what didn’t
Jace: These aspects of the story worked for me:
1. When Peter decided to be ruthless and showed it – that was very good. Yes, he was a cold and ruthless SOB, but he was IN CHARACTER.
2. The writing was good – descriptive, brisk and restrained.
3. It was good to see Bastien and Chloe (of Black Ice) again.
4. I’m curious about the born and bred yakuza, Takashi. I’m looking forward to reading his story.
Taja: I agree with your points, especially 1, 2, and 4. In addition, I liked some of Peter and Genevieve's conversations and I liked their verbal dance around each other (all pre-rescue, and yes, even though I couldn't really see why they were attracted to each other, and I thought the whole situation on the island highly orchestrated).
What I didn't like:
1. I thought the story was really contrived as it got going.
2. Being told again and again how Peter was the most efficient and ruthless agent ever (the same goes for Van Dorn's evilness and Madame Lambert's worrying).
3. The danger was missing because the Committee had “gone soft” and Peter's inner turmoil over killing Genevieve couldn't make up for it since I wasn't really convinced of it.
4. I liked individual parts but the whole story just didn't come together.
5. (on a less grievous note) When Peter threw Genevieve glasses away … that was just plain cruel and unnecessary even if her vision wasn't actually all that bad. I just didn't understand why he did it. It didn't serve anything.
Our rating
Jace: Overall, this story was not so good for me.
A weak 3 out of 5. I’m ambivalent about this story. It’s an average read, veering towards problematic. Sensuality: Warm+
Taja: I’m definitely grading it lower this time around. I would go with 3 out of 5 also but for one thing – I remember I was really caught up in the story the first time and I wonder if I had trouble staying with this book this time because the first time I read it was only some weeks ago. So now it's 3.5 out of 5, which means it’s a decent read to me. Maybe I should read it in one year to see what I think then. LOL
I was equal parts humbled, flattered, delighted, grateful and tickled when I found out that Ann-Kat of Today, I Read honoured me with this recognition. Thank you very much, my dear. It’s very kind of you to remember me.
In accepting this award, I should do the following:
1. List 5 of my addictions (books and reading don’t count)
2. Give this award to 5 other bloggers
My addictions
1. Bags, bags and more bags
I like them in all their guises. Notice I say “like” and not “buy” … and thank goodness for that! I just enjoy looking at them and checking out the current trends. I do have my preferences in terms of colours, designs and brands, and when I see one that fulfils all these requirements, I find it hard to resist, I’m afraid. Lately, I’m hooked on those recycling/green tote bags … you know, those that you bring with you to the grocers or shopping so that you won’t have to use plastic bags – I’ve got quite a stash of them. My defence is “hey, I’m helping to save the environment!” I’m sad, I know. And to close this topic, I’ll leave you with hubby’s frequently-heard groan – “Not another bag, is it?"
2. Bookmarks … the unusual ones
I have quite a collection of unusual bookmarks. What I mean by unusual is anything other than the printed paper variety. Every time I travel, instead of buying magnets, keychains, t-shirts, postcards (etc.), I’ll search for bookmarks. I should put up my collection on Flikr … one day.
3. Chocolates … the darker, the better
Yes, dark chocolates. Sinful, rich, pure bliss. What more can I say?
4. Crafting and craft supplies
I enjoy makin
g things with my hands. However, I’m not the adventurous crafter who wants to try every craft. I stick to what I like – crochet, cross-stitching, glass painting, origami. And I go a little crazy whenever I step into a craft store – it seems everywhere I look, there’s something begging to be bought. For the health of my bank account, I limit my shopping trip to once every two to three months.
5. Coffee
I like them all, but my favourites are cappuccino and Starbucks’s Iced Mocha. When I was working, I used to drink 4 to 5 cups a day, but have now cut back to 1 cup a day. I can drink coffee just before bedtime and still sleep soundly afterwards. I’d be miserable if I hadn’t had my coffee for the day.
The 5 bloggers I give this award to:
(I'm picking those who haven’t got it yet)
1. Brandy of BookMom
2. Christine of The Happily Ever After
3.
4. KristieJ of Ramblings On Romance, etc.
5. Taja of Books & Games
Let’s see your addictions, ladies.
Category: Romance – SciFi
Series: Yes – Book 2 of The Borderlands series
She’s the most wanted woman in the galaxy.
The war is finally over. But Wren’s life is in tatters. The only living offspring of the notorious Drakken Warlord, her genes could very well start a new dynasty of terror. And the Coalition can’t have that.
She alone holds the key to finding a legendary treasure. Having seen enough bloodshed, shy, petite Wren vows to destroy it before anyone, Drakken, Coalition or Earth, can get their hands on it – but she’ll need help.
The Drakken’s ruthless evil turned Aral toward the Coalition years ago. War is all he knows, until he finds passion and love in the most unlikely of women – the Warlord’s daughter. But will trusting each other with their secrets risk not only their hearts, but their lives?
This is the 2nd book of The Borderlands series but you need not have read the 1st book, Moonstruck, in order to understand and enjoy it. However, I would strongly recommend that you read Moonstruck too, simply because it’s a fantastic story. Also, the heartfelt story of the secondary couple, Hadley and Bolivarr, continues from the 1st book and it would be a shame to miss the first part of it.
I read this eagerly awaited book with Kat and Mel (my wonderful reading buddies) and our discussion is as follows. Please be aware it may include some mild spoilers.
Overall impression
Jace: I liked this story a lot. It was more complicated than Moonstruck in terms of the extensive plot, expanded world-building, and numerous secondary and minor characters. Despite of all the distraction, I thought Aral and Wren, and Bolivarr and Hadley, took centre stage as the primary and secondary couples.
Mel: I, too, liked this more than Moonstruck and for pretty much the same reasons you did. The multiple story lines didn't bother me at all and kept me interested.
Kat: I loved this book. I was hooked right from the start. I was so happy to see Hadley and Bolivarr again. I liked it that they got enough space to develop as secondary characters and theirs wasn’t just a random story.
The story and characters
The Drakken Horde are one of the inhabitants of the Borderlands world. Led by their leader, the Supreme Warlord, they are the fearless marauders and brutal killers who are hated and feared by all. For over a thousand years, they have waged war with the Coalition (which comprises other peoples who inhabit this world).
The Supreme Warlord has a daughter, Awrenkka, whom he keeps hidden away. On her thirteenth birthday, she is summoned to meet her father who, to her, is a terrifying stranger. The shy, scrawny and half-blind Wren meets not only her father that day, but a boy not much older than herself, Aral, who looks into her eyes and immediately she knows – a kindred spirit.
They share just that one look. It’s ten years later that they see each other again. The war has ended. The Supreme Warlord is dead. And it’s all due to one man. Wren’s protector and care-giver is dead too. Wren is on her own and on the run. Aral stops at nothing to find her, his promised bride, until she literally falls into his arms. The fugitive battlelord and the warlord’s daughter reunite.
Wren has to find Ara Ana – and make the galaxy whole. But who or what is Ara Ana? And where can she find her/it? And how can Wren make the galaxy whole? Aral is not going to leave Wren’s side; he’s determined to protect her and love her.
Jace: Was it believable to you that Aral met Wren only once while they were teenagers, and they only looked at each other, then he spent the next 10 years engineering everything so that he could claim her as his one day?
Mel: I felt that Aral saw a kindred spirit in Wren that day and that was what drew him to her in such a way that he focused all of those years toward the goal of getting her.
Kat: Usually I'd doubt that, but in this case it worked beautifully for me. I thought they were true soulmates and recognized each other in a heartbeat, so why not?
Jace: I agree. They recognized each other as victims – both sharing the same pain, alienation and oppression in the hands of their respective father. It was believable that Aral wanted to save Wren from his own father because Aral knew firsthand how evil that man was and what he would do to get what he wanted. Also, Aral himself was naturally a protector (as he protected his brother from his father all those years).
By the way, I love her full name – Awrenkka.
Kat: I like it too. It sounds strong.
Jace: I also like Aral’s name. (The author named him after the
What did you think of Wren’s transformation – from a timid, naïve girl to a strong woman who was willing to sacrifice herself for peace? Was that transformation believable?
Mel: Wren was so sheltered on that planet Barokk and was protected by her care-givers, that she never had the chance to become a stronger woman. Once she was on her own, she grew up fast.
Kat: She had led a very sheltered life and that made her insecure, but she was intelligent and strong and I loved how she grew into herself and didn't back down. I loved it too that she didn't really need a hero to rescue her but stood up for herself.
Jace: I believed in the growth of her character too. She had to learn very fast to survive by herself, and she was marvellous in her intelligence. You know, even if Aral hadn’t turn up in Zorabeta, she would have made it out of there somehow.
Captain Hadley Keyren has just taken command of her first ship. She is inexperienced and very determined to prove herself. She is to take her ship, Cloud Shadow, on an expedition to explore a remote and mysterious planet, rumoured to be the birthplace of the Goddesses. One of her crew members is Bolivarr, the amnesiac ex-Drakken wraith, also her lover.
On the way to their destination, Hadley rescues a ship in distress. There are four on board – Aral, Wren, Kaz (Aral’s second-in-command) and Keir Vantos (the pilot-blockade runner who is aiding Aral and Wren for a price).
Jace: Oh, I simply loved Bolivarr and Hadley’s story! It was so great to have the continuation of their story. They were such a great couple. I thought Bolivarr’s anguish and uncertainty over who and what he was (before his memory came back) was quite heartbreaking – he loved Hadley so much yet couldn’t totally commit to her. Hadley was so understanding and supportive of him, but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed that Bolivarr hadn’t asked her to marry him. Their emotions and conflict were well done.
Mel: Bolivarr and Hadley's romance really stood out for me. It was so nice to see their relationship grow.
Kat: I was so glad that they got their story. My heart bled for them both.
Jace: When Bolivarr regained his memory, and Hadley’s heart was breaking, my heart broke with hers. She had to stay strong and still be the captain despite all the anguish she was feeling. And she was willing to let Bolivarr go. I loved my heart being wrenched like this.
Mel: My heart was breaking right along with Hadley's! I thought it was good that Bolivarr was honest with her about his confusion in his feelings. I was also glad it worked out for the best.
Jace: Yes, the fact that he needed time to sort out his feelings made their relationship believable and their love all the deeper in the end.
Kat: I almost couldn't bear that moment. I felt so much for Hadley, when her heart broke into a thousand pieces. Thank you, Ms. Grant, for giving us moments like this!
Jace: And Ms. Grant didn't have to go all melodramatic about it either! Just a few simple sentences and we felt Bolivarr's joy and Hadley's anguish. That scene was fantastic!
Did you feel that, although this was essentially Aral and Wren's story, it was Bolivarr and Hadley's love story that was the stronger and more heartfelt one? I certainly thought so. I thought it was because we already knew them (and liked them) from Moonstruck, so they were familiar characters. Their story tied in seamlessly with the plot in this one through Bolivarr’s history.
Mel: To be honest, Hadley and Bolivarr were the more vivid couple for me. I fell hard for Bolivarr in Moonstruck so it was nice to get more from them. Usually, I dislike it when a secondary couple takes center stage but in WD it works.
Jace: What did you think about the Goddesses, Keys and Keepers? At first, they confused me a little. And what role(s) did the goddesses play in this world? They were worshipped, certainly, but did they have divine powers? So far, nothing was said about that, I think.
Mel: I was a little confused about that as well, but it was quite interesting. I hope we will find out more about the Goddesses in later books.
Kat: I wasn't confused by them but they made me curious. I’m really looking forward to read more of this world.
Jace: I thought this story was a good mix of great characters and thrilling action-adventure. I really liked all the planet-hopping and space battles.
Mel: I liked that too. They certainly did some traveling.
Kat: I was always a sucker for space adventure and I couldn't get enough of them!
WD is the first book by Ms. Grant that didn't take me some time to get into it. If one likes this genre, it's really easy to slip into her world. It took me longer to get into Moonstruck!
Jace: I thought the ending was a little anti-climactic and hurried. The elimination of the villain seemed too easy, and he was supposed to be a wily old hand at war. Wren fulfilling her destiny seemed too easy as well.
Mel: The ending was a little abrupt and I thought it could have used a few more pages to complete the story. Oh well, such is publishing and word counts.
Kat: The ending was satisfying and it left me curious for more stories. I hope that Keir will get his own too. Perhaps he and Kaz will get their happy ending in the next book?
Our rating
Jace: 4.5 out of 5. I really like it. It’s fantastic, a keeper. Sensuality: Subtle.
Kat: My rating is the same as yours, J.
Mel: I give it a 4. Sensuality: Mild.
Additional comments
Jace: K, I remember you mentioned some time back that one has to be of a certain emotional maturity to TRULY appreciate Ms. Grant's writing and the depth of her characters. I agree with you totally. One has to take the time to READ and take the journey with the characters. M, do you agree?
Mel: I do, J. Even though I haven't liked every one of her books I've read so far, I do think she's a very skilled, talented writer. Also a very gracious one. One of these days, I'll have to get through the rest of her backlist – I bought them all!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Read an excerpt of this story at the author’s website.
Read a great review of this book at ParaNormal Romance.
Read a Susan Grant interview at Harlequin’s Paranormal Romance Blog, where she gave us a hint of what to expect in the 3rd Borderlands book.
I read a grand total of 4 books this month. Which is pretty much in line with my normal reading speed – leisurely.
Here they are, in alphabetical order:
1. Bound To Please by Hope Tarr
(3.5 out of 5)
read book info and excerpt at author’s site
The premise of this story is interesting. A female laird in 15th century
This is a quick and undemanding read. While certain aspects of the story seem a little far-fetched, I nevertheless finished the book. The heroine tries very hard to be a good and fair leader while the hero has a hidden depth – all good things that contribute to the general readability of the story. I like the author’s writing-style and I’m glad I have two more of her books in TBR.
2. Open Season by Linda Howard
(4.5 out of 5)
reviewed here
3. Savor Me Slowly by Gena Showalter
(4 out of 5)
read book info at author’s site
This is the 5th book of the Alien Huntress series, and my 1st book by this author. Not reading the preceding books did not hamper my understanding and enjoyment of this story. This is a quick, fast-paced read helmed by a human hero and a half-human half-machine heroine. Their love story is touching amid all the action-adventure that goes on.
4. The Warlord’s Daughter by Susan Grant
(4.5 out of 5)
commentary coming soon
And that’s it for February.
