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So far as a romance novel goes, Lucy Burns has the very broad requirements and none of the nuances. It ends happy. There is a guy. She ends up with him. The romance was nonexistent as no emotions or depth came across when I read it. The story primarily focuses on Lucy Burns finding salvation.

As a heroine, I wasn’t particularly enchanted with her. I was unable to sympathize with Lucy past her little girl stage. She came across exactly as she thought of herself: shallow, empty, and not particularly kind or nice beyond the relationship with her neighbor, her neighbor’s child, and Luke Marshall.

I suppose Lucy redeemed herself in the end, but I didn’t really connect to those inner changes. She was obviously disenchanted with herself, her job working for the devil, and with people and life in general. There was no growth to her character.

Luke Marshall was vague as a hero. We learn he teaches creative writing at a university, is writing a manuscript based on his perception of Lucy Burns, and sings off key when drunk… oh and he’s blind, which means he can’t see the gorgeousness that is Lucy at all.

Things in the book that I didn’t like at all:

• Lucy getting so wasted she urinated on herself in her hall closet during a Tupperware party. What romance novel could happen without that?
• Her pretty blasé attitude over an innocent man accidentally going to hell by walking down into her basement. If there was regret, it was a twinge and nothing more.
• Her blasé attitude over the coffee shop goth-girl (admittedly not the friendliest of people) finding herself going to hell by trying to escape the some unrobed KKK members by running down into the basement…
• Reading the lyrics/song titles of Teddy Nightingale and random excerpts from Luke’s novel. One or the other happened in every chapter. It was overkill.
• The backdrop of two movies duking it out in theaters that also appeared every other chapter or so. The movies were Adoring JC (Jesus Christ) and Absolutely Adolf: What were you thinking?

Rating: 1 Stars

Buy: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns

WWJAD is quick fun read. The story is flirty and cute just like the hero, Lord James Shermont. Read it in the bathtub, on the beach, while waiting in line at the post office, wherever, it’s sure to make you smile and leave you eager to turn the page.

Eleanor Pottinger (yes it is unfortunate that is her real last name) is a fan of Jane Austen. We meet her trying to get a room at a Jane Austen convention only to be told the room she booked has been given to somebody else. Luckily there was a newly renovated suite that was available…if she didn’t mind ghosts!

Of course Eleanor changes her mind about ghosts the minute they materialize. Sisters Deidre and Mina from the time of Jane Austen need Eleanor’s help. They are stuck as ghosts and can’t move on without her help. Eleanor jokingly offers to help if they can guarantee she can meet Jane Austen. They agree and before Eleanor can cry “Just Kidding!” Deidre and Mina have transported Eleanor back into the past.

When Eleanor wakes up she is stuck in the Regency era and is believed to be the girls’ widowed cousin Ellen who was arriving from America. Eleanor plays along and gets away with it because they haven’t seen the real Ellen since childhood. The ghosts tell Eleanor her tasks are to keep them out of the clutches of Lord Shermont, a rakehell of the worst sort, and to make sure their brother, Teddy, doesn’t enter into a duel with Shermont over their reputations.

Eleanor was once foolish enough to try and make a Mr. Darcy out of a Wickham, is she smart enough not to do the opposite? What would Jane Austen do?

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Buy: What Would Jane Austen Do?

Let Sleeping Rogues Lie is as scintillating as the title sounds rolling off the lips. Sabrina Jeffries weaves a tale of deception, half-truths, and omission. Sordid pasts litter throughout the story, many alongside the main characters, and a few directly related to the main characters. The only thing to watch out for is the mention of child abuse, which was inflicted on the male lead and drives him in ways he’s only beginning to discover.

Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, never thought to be titled. He was after all, the second son. His father must have bemoaned the facts of his heir and spare, a simpleton and rogue respectively, but no more than Anthony bemoans his dead brother’s idiocy. Dying and leaving his daughter without a guardian was quite possibly the worst move imaginable on Wallace’s part. Now poor Tess is being held by Anthony’s aunt and uncle, the Bickhams.

The Bickhams, Eunice and Randolph, are without a doubt the worst people in all of England. Becoming parents of one biological offspring did not make them kinder. Cruel to their own daughter, their offenses against Anthony as a young boy, still give him nightmares. Anthony can’t stand the darkness, the loneliness of the night. Perhaps, this is why Anthony is such a rakehell, filling his nights with the company of willing widows and whores. Only delving further into his character will tell.

Determined to win custody of his niece, Anthony fights for respectability. He quits his partying, and his lascivious behavior, even going so far as to curb his drinking of strong spirits. Now he must gain Tess a school, to prove the advantages of money and title against those of a seemingly stable home life. Unfortunately, it is coy Miss Madeline Prescott that gets in his way by helping him.

First he’s offered up as an expert in rakehells and rogues to the headmistress of Tess’ new school. He must show his responsibility by showing up promptly every day for two weeks and teaching the young misses about fortune and virtue hunters. And in offering her help, Madeline wants Anthony to do her a favor. She needs to clear her father of scandal with the testimony of one man, a man known to be in Anthony’s wild party circles. Anthony curses his rotten luck even as he yields to the temptation that is Madeline Prescott. On her part, Madeline is just as affected by Anthony as he is by her.

Can a love built on deception last? Would the truth break the fragile bonds growing between them or make them stronger? Only trust and faith will tell.

Rating: 3 Stars

Originally posted 2008-08-14 05:29:14. Republished by Old Post Promoter

J.C Roat and Rick Bremseth, both former SEALs who helped with the research for SEALed with a Promise, might tease Daughtridge about writing mush, but it is mush I definitely like. SEALed is very hero-centric. I closed this book with an urge to call up my best friend to get her dad to find me my very own Do-Lord. In the immortal words of LolCat “I can haz SEAL?” or maybe it was cheezburger, I tend to forget. This book is definitely recommended for the Save the Contemporary project Dear Authors and Smart Bitches are hosting together.

Dry-witted Emmie was a blast. She was smart, intelligent, analytical, observant, goal oriented and true to character. A professor of ecology, Emmie is well read and knowledgeable in many areas. She’s the definition of an avid scholar. She dresses down to hide herself and makes it an art form to remain unnoticed, which is why it’s so disconcerting that Navy SEAL Caleb “Do-Lord” Delaude does. Emmie is here to support her best friend Pickett in her upcoming nuptials - she is not here looking for a brawny jock, especially the brawny jock who’s the best man.

Caleb Delaude is extremely smart. He’s down played his intelligence to fit in better amongst his peers. Able to retain facts after reading or glancing at print, he also has an uncanny ability to see things others can’t. He’s great at picturing layouts from a map, knowing where to place people in any situation and sometimes he gets strange moments of déjà vu where the present and near-future collide. Caleb finds himself fiercely attracted to Emmie and before he knows it he’s worming his way into her life… but only because he needs her connections for a revenge plot… right? Strange how the operative changes all because of a slip of a thing!

Rating: 4-4.5 Stars

Buy: SEALed with a Promise

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For the more modern readers Impossible Dreams by Patricia Rice shouldn’t be passed up. The writing is witting and captivating, sure to leave smiles whenever one closes the book. Impossible Dreams is another rare find that includes children; Constance and Matty.

Set in North Carolina, Maya Alyssum is a fun-loving hippie who runs her sister’s New Age shop in the town of Wadeville when she is not busy seeing to her private school, The Impossible Dream. Did I mention she’s got purple hair and is also very pregnant?

Local entrepreneur and Nordic god, Axell Holm is as straight laced as they come. He always wears a suit to work, drives a safe car, and eats his vegetables. Imagine his shock when he steps into this other world to warn Maya that the mayor is intending to shut down her school for a shopping center. He can’t have that, not when it is the only thing to make his daughter, Constance, smile these days.

But helping Maya retain her school brings down all sorts of problems on his head. The ABC board investigates his liquor license, his mother-in-law, Sandra intends to fight for custody, and more until the only weapon left in his possession is to marry the flighty purple-haired woman who has done the impossible and turned his life upside down.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Happy Readings!

Originally posted 2008-11-18 03:48:20. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Jane Austen fan or not you can not help but love Abigail Reynolds’ Pemberley by the Sea. I devoured this four hundred plus page book within days, it was so good. Based on the plot and characters of Pride and Prejudice, this novel is truly one of the best renditions of the tale. Taken to a modern level, Pemberley by the Sea explores science and art equally.

Let’s start with the heroine: Cassie Boulton is a marine biologist on tenure-track with a small liberal arts college. She spends her summers in Woods Hole working on research and taking in the salt marshes. Life hasn’t been easy for Cassie, there are things in her past she doesn’t want anybody to know for fear they’d think of her differently. Cassie presents herself as the golden girl; she was the top of the class and one of the few lucky ones to land a prestigious job and research grant right out of school.

Cassie’s best friend is Erin, who is looking to join biotechnologies instead of academia. Erin is the conventional pretty one: long limbed, blue eyes, and blonde. Erin has been unfortunate enough to have in her past one particularly nasty boyfriend so when she meets Scott at a local dance, Erin convinces Cassie to come pass judgment on him over lunch the next day. This is where Cassie is formally introduced to Calder, our hero, though of course if you know the story of Pride and Prejudice you know they’ve met before at the dance.

Our hero Calder Westing, hates the publicity and fangirls that follow him due to his last name. His father Joseph Westing is a senator, his brother is in the House of Representatives and Calder he’s the first Westing to eschew politics all together. Instead, he writes under a pseudo name and publishes his books despite his father’s disproval. Calder is intrigued by Cassie from the very beginning but his quiet, withdrawn and taciturn nature gets in his way from expressing himself. This must be a first for a published author. Wink.

Cassie can’t believe Calder is actually interested in her. She thinks he tolerates her presence because he’s watching out for Scott and because he’s bored. She’s surprised to find herself drawn to Calder and unable to resist his kisses. When they make love it overwhelms her but when the passion clears Cassie is horrified to have given in so easily. She doesn’t do casual sex and she just gave herself to a man who is surely going to think of her as another notch on his bed post. Upset she leaves Calder behind and makes excuses to not see him.

My favorite part in the whole novel has to be the bioluminescent water play. My second favorite section is reading Calder’s book Pride and Presumption as he struggles to explain in writing where verbal communication failed him. This part is so sweet it just jerks your heart. With Cassie reading his true feelings and feeling the same in return, I wondered how on earth the novel could continue for a few hundred more pages. But it does and the novel beautifully unfolds as Cassie’s fears, Calder’s fears and his family all try to break apart the lovebirds. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet had it easy in comparison. Even Jane and Bingley had it easier than Scot and Erin if you can imagine!

Contemporary lovers, Jane Austen fans, I recommend wholeheartedly this book to you. Abigail Reynolds will draw you in and keep you there through all the twists and turns. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I hope this gets made into a movie and that Matthew MacFadyen plays his contemporary counterpart like Colin Firth did with Bridget Jones’s Diary as Mr. Darcy.

Rating: 5 Stars hands down.

Originally posted 2008-11-03 09:16:10. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Dating da Vinci is a wonderful novel that deals with some very hard issues in a very compassionate and interesting way with very engaging writing. It basically boils down to the question- can one love again when one’s soul mate is gone? Ramona Elise Griffen tries to answer this question all throughout the novel as she writes her dissertation on the language of love.

Ramona is still grieving strongly for her dead husband of two years. His office and his studio spaces are still designated as his and not often trespassed upon. His clothes still hung in her closet and the jar of peanut butter he was eating is still in the pantry. Joel’s absence was very much pronounced throughout her (and her two boy’s) life. The boys were handling it better, joining things again, participating in sports and Ramona was stuck in limbo.

Besides caring for her kids, Ramona teaches immigrants how to speak English, providing them with all the skills they would need to make it out in the real world. Many of her former students still call her a friend and live nearby or run into her on a fairly regular basis. Joel’s life insurance is about to run out and the money she earns as a teacher will soon to be her family’s sole income. So this is just one more worry Ramona must face.

The novel starts on the first day of a new class of immigrants and Ramona spies an odd name mid list. Thinking that the woman in admissions was playing a joke on her, Ramona is surprised when a flesh and blood Leonardo da Vinci enters into the classroom late. His Italian good looks floor her as she had imagined an older graying haired man in his place. Young, vital, da Vinci brings Ramona back to life, slowly dragging her out of her world of grief.

I really liked reading Ramona’s paper as she wrote it. I especially enjoyed the trivia on the term French kissing and what the French actually called it… soul kissing. What a wonderful term! A soul kiss is so much more than a French kiss in my opinion. It means so much for both parties and evokes an intimacy simple lust can not create on its own.

I thought it was so cute that she was Mona Lisa to his da Vinci which is what makes the rest of the story so disappointing. Spoilers ahead… highlight to read.

As the novel progresses, da Vinci starts to come off a bit strange to Ramona. At the same time her sister’s current boyfriend sparks an awareness. Ramona is certain where her relationship with da Vinci is based mostly in fantasy, should she ever start one with Cortland it would be real. I thought this strange, but you’re brought around to agree before novel’s end.

I personally felt that Cortland was a good second choice; he was attentive (to Ramona at least), sensitive, good-looking, rich, and most importantly already a father in his own right. But with a title like Dating da Vinci I grew quite attached to Leo as he was introduce. His weirdness is all explained with a more than adequate explanation.

Later after Ramona feels bad about dumping him she finds his journals. The first one is all about calories and exercise, like a diet journal. The second one she ran across had musings in it that make your heart melt all over again.

I so much wanted to see da Vinci and Ramona together and not getting it really threw me. I would have given this novel a solid 4 Stars had they managed to overcome their differences. As it is, everything ends happily for both Ramona and da Vinci and all the loose ends are wrapped up. It just wasn’t the ending I’d rooted for as I read.

This novel reminded me a lot of P.S. I Love You in tone and feel… overwhelmingly sad in parts and exceedingly joyful (heartwarmingly moving) in others. If you enjoyed P.S. I Love You, you will enjoy Dating da Vinci.

Rating: 3.5 - 4 Stars

Originally posted 2008-11-01 17:47:34. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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This week has been full of movie-going. I saw Bride Wars the other day and it was quite good. I really enjoyed it. I didn’t find Kate Hudson’s character, Liv, all that wonderful, but her relationship with her fiancé, Daniel, was delightful. Emma played by Anne Hathaway was a wonderful character, even if she started off like a shy dormouse and doormat. She learns to stick up for herself and her wants and needs.

Emma and Liv have been friends since a very young age. They met at the Plaza over tea with their mothers and saw a bride emerging like a fairy princess. That day on, they were the best of friends and played weddings taking turns as bride and groom. Now they are older and their boyfriends have proposed. Excited and overjoyed with the prospect of finally getting to create their own dream weddings, the two young women go to Marion St. Claire, Manhattan’s most sought after wedding planner, played by Candice Bergen.

Everything is going fine until an error on Marion’s assistant’s part. Now Liv and Emma must share the date of their wedding. Instead of a double wedding, they choose to have separate weddings. One of them must decide not to get married on that day so they can attend the other’s wedding ceremony and reception. When Emma finds out Liv has automatically assumed that Emma would back down, she gets mad and refuses to give up the location or day of her wedding. This decision however means they can’t be each other’s maid of honor and must fight each other to get the best of everything from DJ to cake. And it is war – a funny outrageous war, but enjoyable nonetheless.

You find out just how the couples work and support each other during this time. The men obviously are confused by the whole thing and remain friendly with one another. As Daniel supports Liv with kindness, love, and understanding; Fletcher belittles, argues, and upsets Emma. Good thing Nate, Liv’s brother, is around to watch over both women… and one in particular.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Buy: Bride Wars

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I recently was able to reacquaint myself with an old friend… Years by LaVyrle Spencer. I find Spencer’s writing to be so thoroughly engrossing that even after finishing a novel, the story of the leads cling to you. In this particular novel, set near the end of WWI in the middle of American farmland, the cast of characters are motley but endearing.

The hero is a young man of 33 years of age.  He has been a farmer and has been content to be a farmer since the age of a young boy. When he was merely 17 or 18 he met and married a young girl of similar age passing through the Midwest on a political campaign. The girl was bipolar and not at all suited to life without constant stimulation. After the birth of their child her despondent mood increased until she up and vanished to the west coast. After the passing of several years, Theodore heard of her passing, but even had he wanted to remarry ninety percent of the women where he lived were related to him.

His son is 17 years old and is anxious to see part of the world and yet perversely content to be a farmer. Kristian’s restlessness is not released until after the new schoolmarm arrives to Alamo, North Dakota. His grandmother, Nissa, lives with Kristian and Theodore in their farmhouse and his Uncle John comes by for every meal. John is slow, but not stupid. He’s singularly incurious and doesn’t feel the need to question things. John by the way is just one of many uncles.

The heroine, Linnea, is a young vivacious woman of just 18 years. She’s earned her teacher’s certificate and has set her heart on being a teacher (on her own and away from her family.) Little did she know that she was hired because the school board thought she was a man. Theodore is most surprised at finding a girl still wet behind the ears at the train station. His house has always been offered to the teachers because of its close location to the school. Immediately he rebels at the thought of hosting a female in his home - he’s had enough heartache and feminine wiles to last him a lifetime. For being a grown man - he still caters to his ma so when Nissa declared Linnea was staying he had no choice but to let her.

To his dismay, Teddy is drawn to Linnea’s freshness, spirit, and innocence. His old soul is given new life around her, but he knows his attraction is wrong. He may not be able to read, and he may not know half the words Linnea throws at him when they argue, but he can count… at nearly twice her age, he’s old enough to be considered her father. On top of that his son is just a year younger than the pretty schoolmarm, wouldn’t it be more accepted to see them pair off? Teddy throws in the path to love as many obstacles as possible because Linnea has an uncanny ability to see to the heart of a matter.

Can love bridge the age gap? This question is met and answered in a timeless story that entwines joys and sorrows.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

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This article is a guest post by Malena Lott.

When I wrote Dating da Vinci, a tale of love, longing, and la dolce vita, I couldn’t wait to figure out how Ramona Elise (Mona Lisa) could learn to be happy again. Even though, as the author, the story is coming from my mind, in many ways it feels like you are simply channeling the story of a lost soul who was born in your imagination instead of the real world.  I suffered along with her, and got to share her adventures. She was experiencing her “renaissance,” her awakening. How cool, I thought, if we could do that in real life.

So as a tie-in to the novel, I’ve started a 10-week life coach series called “Create Your Own Renaissance,” with new posts each Monday, (began Jan. 5^th) focusing on living an authentic life in six life areas: body, mind/spirit, career, home, relationships and creativity. I’ve facilitated personal and professional development workshops for nearly three years and I’ve loved meeting great women who are at various crossroads in their lives. We all learn from each other’s experiences.

I finally figured out how to channel that barrage of information into action to improve in the areas of my life where I thought I needed. Of course we are all works in progress. But I am closer to the real “me” than I ever have been. I’m really loving life and accepting the areas (laundry, cleaning, toddler tantrums) that aren’t fun, but necessary. And 2009 is going to be a big year for me. I don’t know how or why. I just feel it. I sincerely believe we can all put the universe on our side. I don’t think anyone else plugs us in to it. We plug ourselves in, and it’s up to us to stay connected. It’s flow. It can be a great year for all of us if we go for it.

You are invited to create your own renaissance, beginning with the first blog on how to create SMART goals, (www.malenalott.com) and each week I’ll share a new topic in each life area with advice from renowned experts. It’s self-paced and free. To get even more involved, you can sharing your journey on the discussion board on the Dating da Vinci Fan page on Facebook. I’ve put my goals there for everyone to see, so by golly, I’m going to stick to them and make them a reality.

I’d also love to visit with your women’s group or book club about the series and my novel. We can Skype (skype.com) or I can call in to your group. So many wonderful ways to stay connected these days. We can motivate each other, lift each other up and help each other forge a path to greater living. Sounds good to me. I want la dolce vita - the sweet life. How about you?

Originally posted 2009-01-09 14:08:10. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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