Saturday, June 18, 2011

Review - When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey

Alana Farmer enjoys a privileged life in London.  She spends her time either in fencing lessons with her uncle, or helping out at an orphanage.  Everything changes on her eighteenth birthday, Alana discovers that her uncle is not a relative, but the assassin hired to kill her.  She is also the princess of Lubinia and must return to reveal herself to her father, the king, and help stop a rebellion.

I finished reading this book two days ago but have been procrastinating in actually writing the review.  I have mixed feelings about this book.  There are aspects of this book I really enjoyed and felt like the old Johanna Lindsey is finally coming back.  But on the other hand, there are things that pop up that are not quite Lindsey and make me question if there are ghost writers.  I question this because there seems to be such a disparity in the way Lindsey's newest books are written.  Some seem to have depth, feeling, and actual stories (A Loving Scoundrel) while others feel rushed, are amateurish, and boring (That Perfect Someone).  Also, in When Passion Rules, the way the love scenes were written just didn't feel like an authentic Lindsey work.  Looking around at other reviews, I see that other people have the same opinion.

I had a couple of issues with this book.  The big one for me was the timeline.  I tried to keep track, and I think once Alana is in the castle to the end of the book happens over one week.  Within this time, she willingly becomes Christoph's lover and they go from mistrusting each other to falling in love.  It felt too rushed for me, and I would have preferred if it was spread out over a month or two instead.  Also there were  a couple of WTF moments.  First, while Alana is Christoph's prisoner, he takes her outside of the castle to a fair in the countryside.  The main reason really was for Alana's former guardian to get a message to her but it still seemed highly unlikely that a guard of Christoph's standing would take an imposter to a country fair.  The other one was Christoph's wannabe mistress, Nadia.  What is it with the need to write in nasty, bitchy, always older than the heroine, mistresses?  When we first meet Christoph, she wouldn't take no for an answer, to the point of being pathetic.  Not sure why she had to be written this way, other than to show the reader how irresistible Christoph is.

Having said that, I did enjoy this book.  At one point I was reading this before bed and was getting really tired.  I kept telling myself that I would just read to the end of this chapter and go to sleep.  But every time I got to the end of the chapter, I had to go on and read the next one.  I did this for about three chapters. Alana started out a bit too much of a Mary Sue/Pollyana with her sweet disposition, love of children, and excelling at everything she does.  But she eventually grew on me once she left England and started her journey to Lubinia.  The hero, Christoph, has some flaws, but over all even as an alpha male, he does show humour, tenderness, and he's hot!  I was a little worried that Alana would have it really easy convincing the king that she is his daughter and be immediately welcomed into the castle.  So I was happy when the story turned instead to her being imprisoned for being an imposter with Christoph in charge of her.  Although I don't think When Passion Rules is comparable to Lindsey's best novels, it is getting pretty close and is a vast improvement over her latest books.  If you loved Once A Princess, you will like When Passion Rules as it does have some similarities.

Giveaway - Johanna Lindsey


Congratulations to Aurora!  You have won one copy of When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey.  Please check your email for more information.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Friday Book Trailer

Today's book trailer is for one of my favourite books from the Midnight Breed series; Ashes of Midnight.  This series by Lara Adrian follows the vampires who are members of The Order.  Their main purpose is to protect humans and vampires from Rogue vampires - blood addicted vampires.  Lately, though, they are having to deal with one evil entity who's sole purpose is to rule the world.  The vampires are hot and the heroines are intelligent, independent, strong and willing to fight.  Ashes of Midnight follows the story of Claire Roth and Andreas Reichen.  One time lovers, Andreas now despises Claire and only wants revenge.  Can I just say that I love stories that have old lovers who despise each other come back together?  The newest book, Deeper Than Midnight, will be out at the end of this month.



Friday, June 10, 2011

Reading Slump


And I think my reading slump will continue on until I get Johanna Lindsey's newest book next week.  The books I picked up at the library last week just aren't holding my attention.

Against the Law by Kat Martin - I stopped reading at chapter 16 but left my bookmark in, so I might return and give it one more try.  So far Lark hired Dev Raines to help her find her niece that had been adopted a couple of years ago.  Within a couple of chapters they find her in her adoptive parents house, along with the dead parents and nanny.  They take the girl and leave.  Now Lark is raising her neice, but where are the CAS workers and anyone else you would think would be involved in this?  I'm pretty sure you can't just take a child, even if she is your niece.  The back cover leads the reader to think the story is about finding the child, but she is found even before the book is half way through.  It then begins to concentrate on the drug smuggling business the adoptive father was involved in.

Black Magic by Cherry Adair - I'm only on page ten, I don't think I am in the mood for a paranormal story right now, so I might come back to this book another time.

The Hellion and The Highlander by Lynsay Sands - A cute, readable historical set in England and Scotland during the Crusades.  History takes a back seat in this novel which is more character driven than plot.  I did finish reading it, there were a couple of humourous moments involving the heroine's inexperience in the bedroom.  However, after awhile, her lack of experience in certain acts became cringe-worthy rather than funny.  I lost interest in the story around chapter thirteen and skimmed through the rest of the book.

Conversations With The Fat Girl by Liza Palmer - This story is about two best friends, Maggie and Olivia, who grew up being the fat girls.  Olivia goes on to lose her weight through surgery, becomes engaged, and wants Maggie to be her maid of Honour.  I couldn't finish this book because I found the main character, Maggie, to be too immature for her age.  Although she is 27, I found her reactions to her "crush" at work to be similar to a fourteen year old.  Maybe it was because the author was trying to convey the sense that  Maggie did not have those experiences as a teenager.  I don't know, it just felt off.  I also found it unbelievable that Olivia, who is portrayed as being sweet and nice as a fat girl, suddenly becomes a raging bitch because she is thin.  I get that people change when their perceptions of themselves change, but I can't see someone suddenly treating everyone around them as insignificant and beneath them just because they have lost weight.  Perhaps if the author had kept Olivia's sweet character, but brought out her insecurities in a different way, I would have found it more believable.

Moonlight Road by Robyn Carr - Gah!  Why did I bother trying this author again???!!!  I obviously did not learn from the first time.  Once again, this book is chock full of previous characters, everyone is related to someone and practically all the female characters are pregnant.  Note to self - do not bother with this author again.

     

When Passion Rules Excerpt

Check it out!  I found an excerpt for Johanna Lindsey's When Passion Rules at audiobookstand.com.  Only 4 more days!

Don't forget to check out my giveaway for Lindeys' newest book.  You have until June 17, 2011 to enter.

Friday Book Trailer

Today's book trailer is for one of my favourite historical authors; Lisa Kleypas (she is also on my list of favourite contemporary authors). 

Kev Merripen has longed for the beautiful, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway ever since her family rescued him from the brink of death when he was just a boy. But this handsome Gypsy is a man of mysterious origins—and he fears that the darkness of his past could crush delicate, luminous Win. So Kev refuses to submit to temptation…and before long Win is torn from him by a devastating twist of fate.
Then, Win returns to England…only to find that Kev has hardened into a man who will deny love at all costs. Meantime, an attractive, seductive suitor has set his sights on Win. It’s now or never for Kev to make his move. But first, he must confront a dangerous secret about his destiny—or risk losing the only woman he has lived for…




Sunday, June 5, 2011

Library Trip

Well I didn't have much luck getting The Game of Thrones at the library on Friday.  Apparently everyone else also wants to read it right now.  So I am 6th on the waiting list.  I did come across a couple of books that interested me, which is good because I have been in a reading slump since finishing Rachel Gibson's Any Man of Mine.  These books should keep me pretty busy over the next couple of weeks:

    

Friday, June 3, 2011

Friday Book Trailer

Once again I am not doing a true book trailer, but a trailer for a show based on a book.  This time it is The Game of Thrones.  I started watching the show last weekend online and was immediately sucked in.  I am now caught up and ready to watch the 8th episode.  Of course now I want to read the book and must have it immediately.  So I am off to the library to see if the first book is available.