December 20th, 2009 — 2 Stars, Big Misunderstanding, Book Review, Category, Contemporary, Foster/Orphan, P-R, Police, Rape/Abuse, United States of America, Virgin Heroine, Western
If you're a LRP virgin, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. It's free and easy! See you tomorrow! ~Keira.
I wanted to read another Western story when I selected Rogue Stallion. It’s set in Montana and is part of the Montana Mavericks series in the Silhouette line. I like the yellow and brown cover it reads and feels very Western.
The book itself is kind of average. I finished reading it because it was there, not because it was all that entertaining. It’s not bad, it’s just not that good.
The hero, Sterling McCallum, is a brooding plain clothes cop and ex-military. He grew up in foster care after sending his mother to jail for abuse. He has no family and no real close attachments. He knows he has issues and more specifically one of them is that nobody (especially a woman) lies to him.
The heroine is Jessica Larson. She grew up very sheltered, two parents, no real problems or hardships. She began a career as a social worker in her early twenties. Very early in her career, she went out alone based on a call about spousal abuse and was very badly beaten and nearly raped by the husband who blamed her for his wife leaving him. It’s not something she talks about and she took the hit publicly to protect the wife. Now she is in charge of the local unit and makes sure to send social workers out in twos or more. She too has no real family left.
Both are loners.
Jessica wants a baby, but can’t have babies herself. She couldn’t have them before the attack (supposed improbable at best) but now she definitely can’t have one of her own. Much of the book is focused on Jessica’s deep desire for children. In an effort to find Baby Jennifer’s mother Sterling and Jessica get close.
Rating: 2 Stars
Buy: Rogue Stallion
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December 5th, 2009 — Alien, Demon, Dragon, Fey / Fae, Ghost, Lycanthrope, Magic Users, Merman/Mermaid, Necromancer, Paranormal, Super Hero, Supernatural, Vampire, Werewolf
Truth or another whiny complaint from males about our reading material? Does paranormal romance hopelessly increase our expectations in a man? Let’s examine the paranormal hero to find out:
- He isn’t human. The paranormal hero is vampire, lycanthrope, demon, shapeshifter, angel, or other. Can a normal man get that irresistible dangerous edge? Yes, and he needn't even have a romantic suspense hero occupation. Role play and grab that Halloween cop uniform! Practice your growl. We love it when men growl their excitement!
- He has otherworldly powers. The paranormal hero is powerful in many aspects from his body to his personality, from his wealth to his influence and even to the impossible. Just because the paranormal hero can enter our minds, doesn't mean a real man can't guess what's in ours. Hint: A glass of wine, and a backrub will give any man superhuman powers.
- He’s ridiculously good looking. It’s our fantasy! Besides have you never heard of a gym? You expect us to be perfectly coiffed, made up with shaved legs, I think a few hours in a gym is not asking too much. Quit complaining and give me twenty! Or two hundred as twenty a six pack does not make.
- He’s an out of this world lover. The paranormal hero is a skilled lover. He’s sex walking and a giver of multiple orgasms. Nervous? Don’t worry. Real men can be phenomenal lovers too. It’s all about the E^E equation: Experimentation ^ Experience = Amazing in Bed.
- He’s too perfect. Not all the time! If the paranormal hero didn’t screw up sometime he wouldn’t be so perfect now would he? Flaws create the perfect character. Real men have flaws too.
Conclusion: Paranormal men sparkle. Real men can sparkle too.
Photo Credits: http://weheartit.com/
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September 29th, 2009 — 2.5 Stars, ARC, Guest Reviews, Jane Austen, Regency, V-Z
by Isabel G., guest reviewer
The main character, Mary Bennet, is not the most interesting person and the story was slow to develop. With that said, I am not sure this book would have mass appeal. The author does not reveal if she chooses to marry until the last fifty pages. What kept me reading, was how well the author managed to capture that time period. A person can find themselves lost in another era while reading this book. I had a real sense of what it was like for women living in that period. The characters seemed to be very careful as to how they behaved, and what they said to one another; in order to maintain propriety.
Mary Bennet feels the pressures of society, as her mother tries to prepare her to take a husband. She’s an honest woman with good morals and a strong faith in God. She’s searching for an opportunity to live without the need of marrying. This, of course, does not sit well with her mother! As time passes, Mary begins to see the happiness her sister Elizabeth has with her husband, and it changes her negative image of marriage. Although she has no interest in the idea of getting married, she begins to feel she may have no choice. Mary is willing to sacrifice her future to help another sister named Lydia.
It was enjoyable to read how loving her family was with Mary. All, except her mother, were very supportive of her wishes. Mary is also very fortunate to make a good acquaintance who offers her a job and a place where she can live on her own. Despite her wishes not to marry, a suitor approaches her and she’s forced to make a decision; that could alter her life forever. It is also interesting to see how Mary changes throughout the story. It is through Mary’s observations of how others live their daily lives and interact with one another that she begins to grow as a person and becomes less introverted.
If you enjoy historical novels, this is the book for you.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Buy: A Match for Mary Bennet
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN 978-1-4022-2011-1
Copyright 2009
Genre: Historical Romance
Page: 350 pages
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