In the book, The Perfect Match, Kimberly Cates introduces us to some very interesting characters. Rowena has ended up as the family failure in a family of overachievers. Her odd talent seems to be matching pets with future owners. She comes to a little town in Illinois to open up a pet store. Cash is a deputy who is busy juggling a full work load with raising two little girls by himself. One daughter is physically challenged, the other is trying to find her place in the family. They meet when Rowena has this Newfoundland dog that she needs to find a home for.
This book is for people who love unusual relationship in their romance novels, who like characters that take time to get to know each other, and lovers who have responsibilities and everyday duties - who can't drop everything to be "in love." (Oh, I guess one could call them "normal?") And people who love animals - will like this heart warming story. (Okay, that sounds overly goopy - but it is true.)
A really nice story about people who you start to care about, and the kids are a stitch too. I'm curious to see what Cates' other books are like. A fun read.
Flowers and bee
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Killer Mousse
It is always extremely refreshing, when a lead character in a mystery series is not stupid. They may take chances and get in trouble, but the reader doesn't want them to just fall, trip or meander upon the solution. Oops - you mean the murderer was right under my nose? Yeah - stuff like that gives cozy mysteries a bad name sometimes.
But I think I have found one that keeps up the "high reader standard" for favorite characters. Meet Della Carmichael - a former English teacher who is trying to create a new career for herself in cooking, in the book Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells. She has started a cooking school, but now she has a chance to branch out further - on TV! She has a cable cooking show starting and she wants her first episode to be just right. Unfortunately having someone die on her set on live TV, wasn't what she had in mind.
What is LA's cop's widow to do? Especially when she thinks she is going to get accused of the murder? She has some police connections and know how. Now she has to figure out the murderer before her show gets cancelled! And a little romance doesn't hurt either.
Wells writes a nice tight mystery, and a great commonsensical character. According to her website, she is planning another in this series. If it is as good as this one - I will be excited to read it. A fun and frothy good time.
But I think I have found one that keeps up the "high reader standard" for favorite characters. Meet Della Carmichael - a former English teacher who is trying to create a new career for herself in cooking, in the book Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells. She has started a cooking school, but now she has a chance to branch out further - on TV! She has a cable cooking show starting and she wants her first episode to be just right. Unfortunately having someone die on her set on live TV, wasn't what she had in mind.
What is LA's cop's widow to do? Especially when she thinks she is going to get accused of the murder? She has some police connections and know how. Now she has to figure out the murderer before her show gets cancelled! And a little romance doesn't hurt either.
Wells writes a nice tight mystery, and a great commonsensical character. According to her website, she is planning another in this series. If it is as good as this one - I will be excited to read it. A fun and frothy good time.
Lori Foster's Fighting Men
I'm not into fighting and wrestling. At most, I'll watch a few rounds during the Olympics. But I've found out to my surprise that if Lori Foster writes about heroes who are ultimate fighters, I'm there. Who knew?!
Lori Foster writes excellent characters. Period. And her male characters are particularly engaging. In this series of three (they can be read independently), all of her heroes compete in the SBC (Supreme Battle Challenge) - a fictional fighting conference. I did not think I would like them quite frankly, but because she develops them so nicely - you kinda fall in love with the big lugs. She has done this before in her books. And I really think that is her writing "technique" - take interesting characters - in this case - some unusual situations (and more fighting terms than one can absorb), and mix it up, until these characters develop into someone you want to meet and definitely someone you want to root for.
Causing Havoc is the book that starts it all - with Dean "Havoc" Conor coming back to the family that he has been separated from since he was a small boy. He is not quite sure what to make of his new relationship with his grown-up sisters, but he really likes the look of his sister's sassy best friend, Eve.
Simon Says is the next book. Simon Evans is Dean's trainer and manager who is getting back in the ring. While training, he meets Dakota, a gal who knows a lot about fighting and who is not intimidated by walking into a gym of sweaty guys. She gives them some tips! But why is she there? She says she needs to find him - his real dad wants to meet him. He's not interested in his so called "father" who abandoned him - but he is interested in her.
Hard to Handle is Harley Handleman's book. Harley wants to challenge Simon, but he keeps getting injured. He is trying to take a break and re-focus on his fighting when he encounters Anastasia. When strange things start to happen and Harley decides to help her out, he has got to decide whether the distraction of a relationship is worth it.
After this group of books, I have decided that wherever Lori Foster wants to take you - I need to take a chance and follow her lead. If the main character is not your favorite, the secondary ones will keep you engaged. And I am always fond of romances that have a group of friends and family around the couple. (How many lovers do you know who have no one outside of themselves?) So come and read about Lori Foster's "village" of folks. Try it - you'll like it. A really fun read. I am looking forward to whatever she surprises us with next!
Lori Foster writes excellent characters. Period. And her male characters are particularly engaging. In this series of three (they can be read independently), all of her heroes compete in the SBC (Supreme Battle Challenge) - a fictional fighting conference. I did not think I would like them quite frankly, but because she develops them so nicely - you kinda fall in love with the big lugs. She has done this before in her books. And I really think that is her writing "technique" - take interesting characters - in this case - some unusual situations (and more fighting terms than one can absorb), and mix it up, until these characters develop into someone you want to meet and definitely someone you want to root for.
Causing Havoc is the book that starts it all - with Dean "Havoc" Conor coming back to the family that he has been separated from since he was a small boy. He is not quite sure what to make of his new relationship with his grown-up sisters, but he really likes the look of his sister's sassy best friend, Eve.
Simon Says is the next book. Simon Evans is Dean's trainer and manager who is getting back in the ring. While training, he meets Dakota, a gal who knows a lot about fighting and who is not intimidated by walking into a gym of sweaty guys. She gives them some tips! But why is she there? She says she needs to find him - his real dad wants to meet him. He's not interested in his so called "father" who abandoned him - but he is interested in her.
Hard to Handle is Harley Handleman's book. Harley wants to challenge Simon, but he keeps getting injured. He is trying to take a break and re-focus on his fighting when he encounters Anastasia. When strange things start to happen and Harley decides to help her out, he has got to decide whether the distraction of a relationship is worth it.
After this group of books, I have decided that wherever Lori Foster wants to take you - I need to take a chance and follow her lead. If the main character is not your favorite, the secondary ones will keep you engaged. And I am always fond of romances that have a group of friends and family around the couple. (How many lovers do you know who have no one outside of themselves?) So come and read about Lori Foster's "village" of folks. Try it - you'll like it. A really fun read. I am looking forward to whatever she surprises us with next!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Twenty Wishes
Debbie Macomber's latest book Twenty Wishes continues her Blossom Street Series. This time the lead character is book store owner, Anne Marie, who is recovering from her husband's death. She gathers together a group of friends who all happen to be widows, for a Valentine's party. After a few drinks and laughs, she comes up with the idea of making a list of twenty wishes - something to hope for and dream about - just like when you were kids. It is not necessarily a "to do" list, but a wish list. The other gals like the idea, and to Anne Marie's surprise, they start taking the idea seriously.
Some of the wishes are fairly simple like - wanting red cowboy boots. But some are harder for Anne Marie to put down on paper. She has been very unsure of herself since her husband died. Their relationship was not the best when it ended and she has been wrapped in her sorrows for a while. This list making is offering her a chance to leave her grief behind. As part of a wish, Anne Marie volunteers to work at a school as a lunch buddy, and becomes involved with the life of her new young friend, Ellen.
Macomber's characters are always interesting - but you wish you had more time with some of them. She starts out with four, and really only focuses on three of them. Perhaps another book? But she does a great job with plotting, and bringing unconventional twists to their lives. The women are all recovering from their losses, and it is interesting to see the individual perspectives on their former marriages, their twenty wishes and dreams for the future. A fun read. And a neat idea...hmmm - twenty wishes...
Some of the wishes are fairly simple like - wanting red cowboy boots. But some are harder for Anne Marie to put down on paper. She has been very unsure of herself since her husband died. Their relationship was not the best when it ended and she has been wrapped in her sorrows for a while. This list making is offering her a chance to leave her grief behind. As part of a wish, Anne Marie volunteers to work at a school as a lunch buddy, and becomes involved with the life of her new young friend, Ellen.
Macomber's characters are always interesting - but you wish you had more time with some of them. She starts out with four, and really only focuses on three of them. Perhaps another book? But she does a great job with plotting, and bringing unconventional twists to their lives. The women are all recovering from their losses, and it is interesting to see the individual perspectives on their former marriages, their twenty wishes and dreams for the future. A fun read. And a neat idea...hmmm - twenty wishes...
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Third Circle
The Third Circle by Amanda Quick continues her Arcane Society books. In this one set in Victorian England, our heroine is Leona Hewitt who has psychic talents as a crystal worker. Our unconventional hero is Thaddeus Ware who is a very powerful psychic mesmerist. Their first meeting happens to be when both of them are in a house trying to investigate the owner's collection of psychic energy objects. She is looking for the crystal stolen from her family long ago. And so is he. He tries to outmaneuver her, and in the process finally finds someone who can resist his powers. This is the start of his interest in her.
When they realize it might be best to join forces against the bad guys, who also turn out to be members of the Arcane Society, they develop a partnership that may or may not last. Both are withholding information from each other, and both are wondering where this relationship is going to take them.
Quick does a great job with her heroes and Thaddeus is among them. She moves the Arcane story along - filling in the little bits and pieces that will lead it to the next book in the series. This could be read as a stand alone book, but the storyline will make you want to read the others, to catch up with the series. A very fun frothy read.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Comfort Food
Did you ever wonder about the lives of the people behind your favorite cooking shows? Does it look perfect on TV? But is it really? Or is it all just an illusion? Take a peek into the life of a cooking show host in Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs.
Augusta "Gus" Simpson is feeling a bit introspective about her life. She is going to turn 50, is going to renew her contract for another season of her cooking show and she is a bit worried about her grown daughters. She's used to being the organizer, the caretaker, but something has been missing lately. She keeps thinking about the old days when her husband was still alive, and those years she struggled after he died. But she really has a nice life - so she shouldn't complain.
But then the other shoe drops. Her network has decided her show might not be renewed, her staffers start leaving and she finds out that the network is not one big happy family. She is asked to revamp her show to get better ratings. They think her show needs some va-voom. And then they bring in a former Miss Spain - Carmen Vega- to liven things up. Gus needs to play nice to survive. But will the new "family" format work? Can cooking together save Gus' relationships with her daughters? Will Carmen keep stealing the best lines and the best ingredients? Will someone end up with a knife in their back?
Stay tuned for all that and more. A real fun beach read. Enjoy.
Augusta "Gus" Simpson is feeling a bit introspective about her life. She is going to turn 50, is going to renew her contract for another season of her cooking show and she is a bit worried about her grown daughters. She's used to being the organizer, the caretaker, but something has been missing lately. She keeps thinking about the old days when her husband was still alive, and those years she struggled after he died. But she really has a nice life - so she shouldn't complain.
But then the other shoe drops. Her network has decided her show might not be renewed, her staffers start leaving and she finds out that the network is not one big happy family. She is asked to revamp her show to get better ratings. They think her show needs some va-voom. And then they bring in a former Miss Spain - Carmen Vega- to liven things up. Gus needs to play nice to survive. But will the new "family" format work? Can cooking together save Gus' relationships with her daughters? Will Carmen keep stealing the best lines and the best ingredients? Will someone end up with a knife in their back?
Stay tuned for all that and more. A real fun beach read. Enjoy.
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