Entries Tagged 'Cursed Lead' ↓
February 27th, 2010 — 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, ARC, Amnesia, Bride Stealing, Captain, Children, Cursed Lead, Duchess, Countess, Marchioness, Dukes and Earls, G-I, Great Britain, Love Triangle, Memory Loss, Revenge, Scarred Hero, Soldier, Widow or Widower
I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a fan of the love triangle for many reasons. The first and foremost reason is because I feel it's just a ploy by an author to fuel the angst and drama of a mediocre story. Haymore proves me wrong. She does not do this. The love triangle is a valid part of the plot and wholly integral with the storyline. She approaches the love triangle in a very unique manner. I don't want to spoil anyone, because it's so different than anything I've encountered before in my readings.
Another reason I have trouble with the love triangle situation is the waffling. I simply don't get it. I'm told this is because I haven't been in one and until I have triangles are hard to appreciate or sympathize with. If you're like me you probably think it's very black and white and very little gray. In my head, I know it's gray. I know that it is possible to love two people at once, but the Grinch side of me feels that if you can't make a choice between them then you don't love either one enough and should let both go. Haymore made me feel the conflict that Sophie, who is in the middle, goes through. I appreciate her position and I sympathize with her, something that is way out of the norm with me.
I have a feeling that a second read through will make it a better read, because I know where it's going. I was looking at all the wrong things in the book the first time and therefore was anxious and worried about how the plot was developing, certain that Haymore was going to bungle it. I just couldn't see how it was going to work out.
Haymore surprised me, the ending surprised me, and that says something. It made me reevaluate the whole book and all my complaints and worries held no weight.
A fan of the love triangle will be placing this novel on their favorite shelf. Someone who like me, needs a little persuasion about the loving the love triangle can read this and appreciate it. Who knows, it may hook you so completely you can't wait to grab a hold of another love triangle!
A brief summary:
Sophie loved Garrett since she was 16 years old and was devastated when he didn't return home from Water-Loo. Tristan is her best friend and together over many years they healed from their mutual loss. One night after their marriage Garrett returns. Everything as they knew it is changed from property to titles, from money to marriages--Haymore explores Regency law and Regency hearts.
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars
Buy: A Hint of Wicked
Originally posted 2009-05-31 03:48:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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February 13th, 2010 — Cursed Lead, Defining the Genre, Great Britain, Highlander
What is highlander romance?
Highlander romance is a subgenre of historical romance. Not to be confused with the show, highlander romance is all about those sexy warrior men. The setting for these romances usually takes place in Scotland or Wales. You may be familiar with the 2008 movie Made of Honor; it was a movie that pitted the typical Highlander, Scottish, hero against a trust fund city slicker. An exemplary novel of this genre is Julie Garwood's The Bride. Overall, Highlander romances are as formula based as any other genre in romance or fiction.
What are the Clans/Tribes involved in Highlander romance?
I am sure there are more, and if you know of them inform me and I’ll flush out this section!
- Celtics
- Saxons
- Scottish
- Welsh
- Highlanders
- Lowlanders
The lore behind Highlander Romance:
Most Highlander romances will use a Romeo and Juliet theme where the clan/tribe/family rivalry and hatred separate the two lovebirds. They will either fall in love in spite of the mutual dislike or be forced into it by another typical plot line such as the girl’s family being indebted to the hero or his family. The debt will be settled by marriage and unwilling or not family honor must be upheld. Luckily for the main leads, they end up liking each other.
There are also plenty of curses and cursed heroes and heroines alike in Highlander romance. A cursed hero will be destined to lose his love or perhaps has already lost his love and finds a new one. He might be cursed to never find love, get married, bear children, etc. The heroines could face similar curses.
Highlander romance also includes a lot of vendettas and bride stealing.
If you would like to add to this section or review a Highlander romance please contact me!
Originally posted 2008-07-09 21:12:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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February 7th, 2010 — 3 Stars, A-C, Book Review, Business, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Divorced, United States of America
Jennifer Crusie is a staple of contemporary romance. As such I felt the need to expand my acquaintance with her. Before this, I had only read Bet Me. So you see, I really needed to fix this oversight. I got Manhunting from the library and breezed through it in just a few short days.
Kate Svenson is a brilliant business woman in financial planning. She thrives on helping small businesses create and execute business plans that stabilize and expand their business. It’s been years since she’s worked on small scale though. Working for her dad, Kate does work for big business now and making oodles of money. She should be on top of her game, but three broken engagements in three years point to something wrong under the surface.
Her friend Jesse Rogers, a woman who Kate helped a long time ago with her cake decorating business, sets Kate down to do what Kate does best—make a plan! Not just any plan, but the plan that will help Kate find her perfect man and take a vacation while she’s at it. Her qualities are good on paper but the men she meets are anything but perfect. In fact her experiences at the Cabins make quite a joke.
Jake Templeton is the landscape manager and silent partner at the Cabins. His brother Will runs it and is the face. Will, like the rest of the family (which never makes an appearance), is tired of Jake’s lazy lay about ways. He wants Jake to take more interest in the hotel but Jake is determined to stay an ex tax attorney and not indulge in a single ambition. One failed marriage has cured him of what ambition he had.
Jake and Kate are thrown together a lot. Kate is certain he’s not her Mr. Perfect. Jake’s certain Kate is just like his ex-wife. They’re both about to find out how wrong they are…
Kate and Jake are kind of flat characters for me. They read like any other contemporary romance novel leads. Nothing in particular set them apart for me. The whole novel was like eating candy. It was good while you read it but ultimately lacking in nutrition.
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy: Manhunting
or Buy: Manhunting (Audiobook)
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January 22nd, 2010 — 3 Stars, Book Review, Cursed Lead, Great Britain, Knight, Magic Users, Medieval, Warrior
The story of Gawain and Aislyn is one told before in the Canterbury Tales (The Wife of Bath's Tale) under different names. Gwen Rowley remakes it in Knights of the Round Table: Gawain. Where the original had the knight rape a lovely young maiden and sentenced before King Arthur and Guinevere into solving a riddle about what women really want or meet his death, this tale is more humorous and full circle. I laughed out loud several times while reading this novel.
It starts with King Arthur and Sir Gawain riding to the King’s certain death. Having been bested a year ago by a young knight from another court, Arthur was deeded the task to find out what women truly desire. A whole year and a book full of answers that contradicted each other later, there was no hope for King Arthur. Gawain is determined to see his uncle survive this second meeting with the knight.
An old crone comes across their path and offers the answer for a price… Gawain must marry her, if her answer is deemed correct. He accepts much to King Arthur’s dismay and her answer turns out valid. Gawain marries the hideous crone and endures ridicule, scorn, shame, and more at her hands and by his fellow courtiers. But the crone makes him laugh, something he’s not done in the five years since Aislyn’s death.
Aislyn is determined to teach Sir Gawain a lesson. He left her five years ago in anger after she’d bared her heart and soul to him. Sir Gawain knew nothing of love and his contempt of women was widely known. She would have given King Arthur the answer freely, but then the idea of punishing the feckless and faithless Gawain was too irresistible to pass up. She wasn’t marrying him because he still could make her heart leap at the sight of him… that would be unwise, after all he had turned on her, he would do so again.
Unfortunately for her, Aislyn is stuck in her crone form by Gawain’s aunt at court and she can not speak of her true identity. Only a kiss born of love and received in love would break the enchantment even partially. One kiss and she could be young and beautiful for half of the day, her punishment for the cruelty she subjected upon Gawain. But half a day could be enough to last a lifetime, if she could conjure up the courage to stay.
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy: Knights of the Round Table: Gawain
Originally posted 2008-12-08 20:04:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 9th, 2010 — 4.5 Stars, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Cursed Lead, Dukes and Earls, Farming, Foster/Orphan, France, Great Britain, Gypsy, Interracial, Invalid, Lisa Kleypas, Spinster, Victorian, Virgin Heroine, Warrior
Seduce Me at Sunrise is darkly passionate, sensual, and utterly devastating. Kev is the type of hero that is pure indulgence. He'll make your hips grow just looking at him... or should I say reading him. In summation he is fierce, broody, and desperately in love. Half Romany, half Irish, Kev was raised by his abusive uncle. The man turned him into a cruel heartless Romany warrior, hurting him emotionally and physically until everything soft inside him died... or so Kev thought. Left for dead by his clan and taken in by the Hathaways provides Kev with another chance. It's unclear his exact age when this happens, I would say sometime between his teens and early twenties. While recovering under the Hathaways' roof Kev notices Winnifred, young, delicate, and fragile. She is everything good and kind and gentle. In her presence the vicious side of him quietens. He decides to stay and in doing so changes his whole life.
Tragedy strikes the Hathaway a few short years later leaving the older siblings in charge of the younger ones. Fate takes a hand again when scarlet fever strikes two members of the family. One is Win. Both survive, but Win is left weakened. Two years of being weak and helpless watching others live life while she stays in bed incite Win to get herself better at all costs. She makes plans to go to France to a unorthodox clinic (they make you exercise gasp!) which Kev tries to stop from taking place. Win offers him a choice - tell her he loves her or she goes. He can not bring himself to say it, because if he did he could never refrain from claiming her... which he doesn't want to do because he doesn't think he's good enough for her. Lots of circular logic, but there you go.
Win is at the age of spinsterhood upon her return from the clinic. She's twenty-five if I remember correctly and more than ready to begin her life. She refuses to take anything for granted and plans to marry (Kev) and have children (his).
The emotional drive of this novel is completely fulfilling and can get you high on endorphins. For example:
When Win leaves to go to France she says to Kev:
"I am running after you, and life, in desperate pursuit. My dream is that someday you will both turn and let me catch you. That dream carries me through every night I long to tell you so many things, but I am not free yet I hope to be well enough someday to shock you again, with far more pleasing results."
Or Kev when he finally declares himself:
"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."
Edward Cullen eat your heart out. Blissed out sigh.
And while some of the motivation is a little hard to grasp, it's so good, you can't help but be drawn in by the magic spell Kleypas weaves.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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Originally posted 2009-03-23 05:39:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 30th, 2009 — 4 Stars, 4.5 Stars, ARC, Bastard, Children, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, D-F, Politician, Revenge, Sailing, Scarred Hero, Soldier, Teacher, United States of America
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
Filed under cursed lead because of Do-Lord's visions.
Originally posted 2009-04-09 05:45:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 8th, 2009 — 4 Stars, ARC, Big Misunderstanding, Category, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Entrepreneur, Executive, United States of America, V-Z
Coming on Strong in three words: kinky, flirtatious, sassy. Bonus on the cover for the sexy as sin hunk. If you're looking for a heroine who owns her sexuality and turns her hero into a pile of mush this is your novel. Weber has a way with words and is very clever. I'm positive you will devour this novel with enthusiasm and delight. I know I did.
Mitch Carter is in trouble. Somebody is sabotaging to his hotel; nothing overt, at least not yet, but he needs to find the culprit before the opening. Meanwhile, his event planner has canceled and he is in desperate need for a new one. Desperate enough in fact to hire the woman who dumped him at the altar for the job.
Belle Forsham has never forgotten Mitch and the stupid way she acted. Her only excuse is that she was young and vulnerable. When Mitch's sister played with her nerves and fears, Belle chickened out of the wedding. Now it's years later and the opportunity to be with Mitch has come again. Grabbing at this second chance, Belle plans to give it all she's got and knock Mitch right off his feet... and if by any stroke of luck she can get him to help her father so much the better.
Problems continue for Mitch after Belle's arrival. He finds himself as strongly attracted to her as he was before. Grown-up Belle packs more of a punch to his gut, tightening him knots right from the very first. Despite his attraction, Mitch is determined to keep it just business between them... and pardon the pun, but it's going to be harder than he expected.
For a Big Misunderstanding plot that is sexy and full of quirky humor pick up Coming on Strong.
Rating: 4 Stars
Originally posted 2009-03-20 05:17:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 10th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, Book Review, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Ghost, Headaches, Ireland, M-O, Paranormal, Survival, Suspense/Thriller
I managed to sneak another romance novel in time for Halloween that has a spooky overtone. Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary takes place in a fictional town in Ireland with a lot of real cities and sights thrown in for good measure. This little mystery romance has a paranormal edge with the hero having what the Irish call, “The Sight.” So we get the spectral ghosties in Wild Sight to complement the passing of the Samhain, which actually falls within the books timeframe.
Samhain, if you don’t know, is an Irish holiday or at least a word derived from the ancient Celtic month bearing a similar name. On this day the veil between the spirit world and the human world is thinned and can be breached – kind of like the witching hour superstitions but allocated to a date instead of a time. The corresponding days to our calendar is Halloween or All Saints Day, October 31st and November 1st. It also marks the end of summer.
The Sight, which Donovan O’Shea possesses, manifests itself in different ways for everyone. For Donovan he comes near or in contact with an object or place of an event and he receives a vision. These visions leave him with buzzing, headaches and take place with a swirl and bright flash of colors. His mother possessed it too, but it’s not elaborated how the Sight is different from her to him. We do get to see a little bit of another version of the Sight by a character in Donovan’s past.
Donovan at age seventeen left Ireland behind as fast as he could. He’s now a naturalized American citizen, a CPA to be exact on the east coast. The start of the novel has us meet him a month or so after he’s arrived back in Ireland. He’s here to visit his ailing father, who has suffered a massive stroke, that’s left him partially immobilized and without the ability to properly speak. Donovan is hurriedly trying to sell off the old family land, has started the process to sell the pub his father owned to a third partner, all in his attempts to get the hell out of Ireland before the Sight takes him.
Too bad for Donovan, he’s a little too late.
Rylie Powell is in Ireland trying to track down her MIA father; the very same father she has never met, the one who abandoned her and her mother a very long time ago. She had once promised her mother never to track him down as sometimes the reasons people leave are reasons you don’t want to know. But now that her mother is dead, Rylie doesn’t feel obliged to keep that secret. She feels guilty about her step-dad’s acceptance of her need to come face to face with her real father, but not guilty enough to not go. She takes the directions her hired PI gave her and tracks down her father’s pub. When asking to meet with Dermot O’Shea a tall hunky guy unfurls himself from a corner booth.
She never imagined step-brothers… Older, seriously gorgeous half-brothers.
For Rylie and Donovan it’s instant lust that they fight as they search out the truth of her parentage. Donovan is dead certain his father is not her father (he’s right of course or there wouldn’t be a novel). Rylie wants to believe him, because she doesn’t want to feel sexual desire toward a half-brother. But she fears he’s wrong as she has a history of being attracted to the wrong men and who could be more wrong than Donovan?
As Rylie unravels the mystery of her parentage, a murder twenty years old is exposed on Donovan’s land as archeologists try to uncover ancient Celtic history. Dermot is implicated and Donovan must find out the truth – even if it means evoking the Sight on purpose. He really must be crazy.
Rating: 3.5 Stars if you don't like mysteries with your romance and 4 Stars if you do.
Originally posted 2008-10-29 10:40:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 7th, 2009 — 3 Stars, A-C, Alien, Another Planet/Dimension, Book Review, Cursed Lead, Dragon, Highlander, Paranormal, Queen or Princess, Succubus, Survival, United States of America, Werewolf
Dark Highland Fire is about two distinctly polar opposites getting together and overcoming obstacles that should under normal circumstances lay them low. Rowan is a fiery demi-goddess akin to the vampire as she needs blood to survive. However her blood-taking is about life not death so at most she is a cousin of the vampire. Her actual species is called Dyaad and they are descendants of the Goddess Morgaine.
Rowan is full of sass, sharp tongued, and has a streak of violence in her. Her version of her tribe’s magic is geared toward destruction. This is important to remember as for why this is the case is revealed at the end of the novel. There’s one thing that irritated me about Rowan, the heroine of Dark Highland Fire. She claims to not need anyone but the novel starts out with her brother, Bastian, saving her by transporting them to Earth’s dimension and then again, same method, to the Scottish Highlands.
Bastian is a perfect character that at the author’s will be applied like deus ex machina to any situation to get other characters to safety. He’s used this way more than the two times mentioned so far. Overall he’s a good brother to his sisters and I hope will be the focus of another book in this set of Highland novels even though he's not a MacInnes Werewolf. (Speaking of the MacInnes werewolves cameo appearances of Carly and Gideon abound in this book!)
Gabriel is a lackadaisical werewolf. He’s third in line and happy to stay there – no plots to overthrow his brother or father. When Bastian spies him, the cool Dyaad Drakkyn decides to leave his injured sister in Gabriel’s hands. Gabriel questions this decision and is said to have a streak of stubbornness inside him to rival Rowan – which he was going to need. Successfully he manages to get Rowan to do the things he wishes for instance drink his blood to heal, stay put in his apartment for safety purposes. He hasn’t quite figured out that as the next Dyana of her people, Rowan is more than capable of holding her own (at least when she doesn’t let fear paralyze her and smother out her flame.)
Lucien is a Dragon, heir to the throne and has fallen in lust at first sight with Rowan. His father backs his decision to go after the little fire princess and claim her as his own. Dragons apparently don’t understand the words no and not interested. He’s the reason Rowan is on the run and afraid. Though honestly from the daemon creatures mentioned throughout the novel with powerful magic sound more scary. I guess their weak and overly ripe bodies are the reason they inspire more disgust than fear though that’s there too in most cases.
If you’re familiar with the first novel in the series then you know that werewolves mate for life and this ritualistic act is like a marriage. Rowan and Gabriel initiate and finalize this unwittingly during some steamy sex scenes. Once created it is impossible to break though Lucien is going to try his best to do so – Rowan is his and the wolf will pay. Find out if Rowan and Gabriel make it in this fast paced multidimensional novel!
Rating: 3 Stars.
Originally posted 2008-11-10 14:09:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 6th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Book Review, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Detective, Magic Users, Paranormal, United States of America, Vampire
Linda Wisdom is the creator behind the latest paranormal sensation. Her hit characters Jazz Tremaine and Nick make an appearance in Hex Appeal, a fun little pun on sex appeal. The novel is a sequel to 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover
and contains the old gang plus some new faces. I particularly loved the slut shoes, Delilah and Croc. They were a hoot, chasing after guys in all directions.
Don’t know the characters? I’ll introduce you!
Jazz is short for Jasmine and she’s a witch. She’s over 700 years old and I have to know her beauty secret for eternal youth! Jazz is a curse eliminator and forays between the preternatural community and the mortal one to do her job. When she’s not eliminating curses she’s driving for Dweezil, an ugly bad tempered creature, but at least the pay is good. In short, Jazz is quirky, funny, and feisty.
Nick is Jazz’s long time vampire honey. Sure they’ve been on again off again a few times, but Nick is the one for Jazz and vice versa. Currently, Nick is working as a detective in the preternatural community helping to solve crimes that the mortals simply couldn’t deal with. He drinks his blood from a beer bottle and likes to watch sports. He’s also good in bed.
Krebs is Jazz’s mortal roommate. He likes computer programming, web design, and horror films. He’s petrified of Jazz’s bunny slippers and ghost dog, who likes to hump everything in sight. Not that Krebs can see the dog; no that would be too easy. Jazz will have to get on that so Krebs can avoid the canine.
Irma is a ghost stuck with 50s hair and clothes. She watches pay-per-view, cries during Casablanca, loves to smoke, and can be a general pain but she’s got her uses. Irma can go through wards witches can not and makes a helpful side kick when she isn’t determined to be whiny.
Fluff and Puff are Jazz’s ultra scary bunny slippers. They terrify the preternatural community and Krebs on a regular basis. They love licorice, carrot cake, and Jazz – well when she isn’t punishing them for things they didn’t do! They would never eat a wereweasel because they’re disgusting and to imply otherwise is a grievous insult.
But potential murdering bunny slippers aside, Jazz has a lot more to deal with in Hex Appeal. Somebody is tampering with her dreams! She and Nick fight after a dream that was so vivid Jazz could feel the pain of it even after she woke up. If that weren’t bad enough she was turned mortal for 48 hours and mugged. Who hates her enough to do something to heinous? She was subject to mortal problems like acne!
As things start to pile up on Jazz and Nick, they have to figure out who is the cause behind all their problems, solve a murder, deal with the vampire police, and a couple of grouchy bunny slippers. All this before time runs out!
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-10-26 15:39:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 29th, 2009 — 4 Stars, A-C, Book Review, Captain, Category, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Ghost, Journalism, Paranormal, Pirate, Rogues and Rakehells, Sailing, Suspense/Thriller, Travel, United States of America, Writer
Hurray a ghost romance! Double hurray there’s pirates! Oh I was so excited to start this novel and it was a thrilling and sexy story.
The first sexual contact? Burns your fingers it’s so hot!
Tyree's ghosty capabilities include walking through doors, levitating off the bed, solidifying into a sexy sinful lord of the night, and invisibility from most of the populace.
Pirate Captain Tyree St. James cursed to a life of wandering the earth for two hundred years or until a woman loves him so much she is willing to die in his place after accidentally killing his best friend and his love Elizabeth. Terrified a woman would be foolish enough to do that Tyree is steers clear of women and romance. Now he’s been tempted… sorely tempted… by Clara Fergussen.
Clara is the great-great (and so on) grandniece of Tyree’s best friend and curser Captain Sullivan Fouquet. Ironic – but this novel is littered with the relatives of several of the parties apart of the two captains’ lives two hundred years ago. She’s there to research Fouquet and dreams a very erotic pirate dream her first night in Rose Cottage only to find out the next day Tyree is real… if delusional.
The heroine’s stubborn refusal to believe Tyree is both a credit and a discredit. It makes Tyree’s story more poignant, her sacrifice more believable, but it also is highly annoying after about halfway through. Luckily Tyree is sexy enough and there are plenty of pulse heightening moments to overlook the heroine’s obstinacy.
The fire crime mystery is anti-climatic. It’s not wrapped up enough for me – especially with the fire captain, Andre Sullivan. How exactly does he fit in other than looking like a dead ringer for the late pirate captain?
Who knew eye-patches were so sinfully delicious? The one week whirlwind romance is exactly right.
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: Ghost of a Chance
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October 17th, 2009 — 4 Stars, Architect, Cursed Lead, Doctor, Ghost, Memory Loss, Movie Reviews, United States of America
One of my favorite movies is Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. I first saw Mark in the romantic comedy of 13 Going On 30
. He plays the slightly dorky but still hunky guy very well. His face is very expressive and paired with Reese Witherspoon’s spunky perky attitude and good looks it’s a match made in heaven. Pun intended.
Just Like Heaven fits well with all of the hospital television dramas like ER
, Grey's Anatomy
, Scrubs
, House
, etc. If you like one or all of those shows you'll be sure to enjoy Just Like Heaven. Elizabeth Masterson, played by Witherspoon, works hard. In fact, work is all she does. Despite having moved to San Francisco to be closer to her sister and her sister's family, she's not swung by to see them all that much. Because let's face it Elizabeth is dedicated to her work to the point that she's lost all contact with things outside of work. She wants the attending position and is competing for it with another doctor.
The movie starts off following her through one of her many overworked, overtired, entirely too stressful days as she struggles to be the best doctor she can be. By the end of the day her biggest worry is taken care of and she finally gets ready to leave to meet her sister and nieces for dinner. On the drive to their suburban home, tragedy strikes. Elizabeth finds herself in a head-on collision with a semi-truck. Fortunately, she survives. Unfortunately, she's a ghost.
David Abbot, played by Ruffalo, is a depressed architect. His life has seen tragedy as well. Grieving for a lost love, David scours San Fransisco for an apartment with a decent couch. Having found one, he learns the renting contract is more than slightly bizarre. It's rented on a month to month basis, but considering his other options, David immediately accepts and moves in. Just as he's settling into the new place Elizabeth startles him. Several cat and mouse encounters later, David is sure he's either crazy or that Elizabeth is a ghost. A ghost that can't even remember her name (to begin with) and certainly can't recall her life. Determined to get rid of her, David reluctantly agrees to help her solve the mystery of her limbo existence.
Similar to Ghost
with Whoopi Goldberg, this movie has the two characters interact without being able to touch. Luckily David can see Elizabeth or Jon Heder, from Napoleon Dynamite
, who plays an occult bookstore attendant would have to act as the messenger between David and Elizabeth. Well he does have a scene where he interprets the vibes between them, but nothing like Golberg's character in Ghost. Heder plays his part exceptionally well with a good sense of humor. Whether you liked him in Napoleon Dynamite or didn't like him in Napoleon Dynamite you will be hard pressed not to love him in this movie.
Overall this movie is a that weaves grief and humor together so sweetly you can't help but fall in love alongside the characters.
Rating: 4 Stars
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Originally posted 2008-10-18 10:36:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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September 22nd, 2009 — Cursed Lead, Defining the Genre, Gothic, Jane Austen, Suspense/Thriller, Widow or Widower
Gothic romance is a genre you can't find all too easily today. It was a popular genre a few decades ago and lovers of this romance sub-genre will have to troll secondhand bookstores to find titles. Classics of this genre are novels such as Wuthering Heights and Scarlet Letter. Well known authors of Gothic romance/horror include Ann Radcliffe of the past and Stephen King of the present.
A typical Gothic romance revolved around conflict and mysteries. It made the heroine choose between two male characters for love. One is bright, sunny, cheerful and charming. The other was dark, mysterious, secretive, and brooding. Plotlines of cursed leads and daring adventures took place on wind-swept moors, and places that were haunted. The heroine would embark on a thrilling journey to discover if her hero was worthy of love. Her task usually boiled down to find out if the hero really murdered his first wife, brother, mother, insert other relation.
It is interesting to note that Radcliffe introduced this brooding male as the Gothic villain, which developed into the Byronic hero. She is considered a pioneer of the genre. The movie Becoming Jane
shows a meeting between Radcliffe and Jane Austen but there's not basis for this meeting. However it does provide an interesting backdrop on the dual rise of the two types of popular novels.
As Gothic or dark romanticism developed it became more distinctly separated. The first direction of Gothic novels glorifies gore. The second took on the key aspects of modern romance. This new evolution made the focus on the romance instead of the mystery. These are the romances that disappeared after the eighties.
So what is a Byronic hero?
Trivia: The name of this hero comes from the English poet Lord Bryon.
The hero himself is highly intelligent, urbane, sophisticated and introspective. In other words he's arrogant, mysterious, seductive, and moody (see bipolar). We see male figures like this all over, you could make the argument that Mr. Darcy is a Byronic hero on top of being a Regency hero, as Byronic heroes dislike social formalities and functions. Of course Mr. Darcy doesn't have a troubled past or flippant air towards the wealthy and privileged, as he is one of that set. While Mr. Darcy was disliked he was not a complete social outcast and exiled from polite company. All these things are attributed to the Byronic hero.
What's a good modern Gothic romance?
Some titles of the modern Gothic romance include: Bells of Widow's Bay by Miriam Lynch, Castle Midnight by Evelyn McKenna, and Satan's Rock by Marilyn Ross.
Authors to look for include (past and present authors): Victoria Holt, Dorothy Daniels, Theresa Weir, Phyllis Whitney, Barbara Michaels, Allison Knight, Mary Stewart, Joanna Challis, and Megan McKinney, Kay Hooper, Eve Silver... to name a few.
Trivia: In the 1980s Harlequin had an all Gothic line of books. See here for Gothic titles. Harlequin Intrigue also contains several titles that could satisfy your craving.
Originally posted 2008-09-24 15:10:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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September 5th, 2009 — 4 Stars, A-C, ARC, Contemporary, Cowboy, Cursed Lead, Friends, Mistaken Identity, Ranching, Secret Baby, United States of America, Western
Lucky in Love is a riot. Brown had fun putting phrases together that read like classic stereotypical western and modern feisty romance rolled into one. You’ll find expressions like: “my hide tacked to the smokehouse door,” “she belongs like a horse apple in a church social punch bowl,” and “heartache bigger than Dallas” to name a few. They were probably my favorite part of the book and never failed to make me smile or laugh out loud when they appeared.
Anthony “Beau” Luckadeau is lucky at everything but not lucky in love. He plans to prove them all wrong by proposing to Amanda, though his heart has long been lost to Amelia Jiminez, a one night stand at his cousin’s wedding. When he does propose everyone forces a smile and shakes his hand but nobody is congratulating him (not that he notices) because Amanda is the worst wife Beau could have picked. She hates ranching, barns, his friends, his workers, his home, and his nickname. It’s not classy enough for her.
Amelia Jiminez on the other hand is none other than sassy Camellia “Milli” Torres. She’s in Oklahoma to help her Granny and Poppy out on their ranch while Poppy is healing from surgery. She and her toddler Katy would never have stepped a foot out of Texas if she’d known Beau was Poppy’s neighbor. If making him dance in the dirt under fire of a .22 rifle doesn’t force him to keep his distance nothing will… and part of her doesn’t want him to stay away which makes him all the more dangerous.
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: Lucky in Love
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August 25th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, ARC, Cursed Lead, Estranged, France, G-I, Gentry, Gothic, Great Britain, Italy, Jane Austen, Paranormal, Regency, Seas, Travel, Vampire, Virgin Heroine
Amanda Grange picks up where Pride and Prejudice ends. Jane and Elizabeth are getting ready for their double wedding, both eager and anxious about the life spreading out before them. On the way to the wedding, Elizabeth experiences a brief foreboding chill but shrugs it off as wedding nerves. The ceremony goes smoothly, Darcy’s vows stirring deep emotions in both.
It’s when they leave the reception that things start taking a turn for the worse. Through the reflection in the glass of their carriage Elizabeth spies a flash of torment crossing Darcy’s features, but a quick look at the real man shows smooth features. Elizabeth believes she has imagined it… unexpectedly he changes their wedding tour plans and routes them from the Lake District to a direct route to France over the channel.
Elizabeth is unconcerned about this change, but wholly concerned with Darcy. She can’t help but compare her expectations to the reality of her marriage to Darcy. He does not visit her bedchamber the first night or the next or the next. When they are together during the day Darcy is everything attentive, kind, and devoted, but at night he disappears.
As Elizabeth struggles to find reasons for this strange behavior, she meets a dizzying array of friends, family, and strangers over the continent. Some people and places inspire a great deal of trepidation in Elizabeth and she spills her worries to Jane in a series of letters.
It’s not until the last one hundred pages that things really begin to unravel and Darcy’s mysterious behavior is revealed. I was surprised by how flawless the transition was from Austen’s Regency romance to Grange’s Gothic flavored romance. Grange has a talent with words and uses this talent to create a believable paranormal filled with stunningly chilling atmosphere and mystery.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre
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