review: Curse of the Bane (The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles #2) by Joseph Delaney

Book: Curse of the Bane (The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles #2)
Author: Joseph Delaney
Release Date: 09/01/06

Excerpt:

The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, rid the county of witches, ghosts, boggarts, and other creatures of the dark. And there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown. Deep in the catacombs lurks a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat; a force so evil that the whole county is in danger. The Bane!

But the Bane is not their only enemy. The Quisitor arrives, intent on hunting down anyone who meddles with the dark. Thomas Ward and the Spook must prepare for the battle of their lives.

Review:
As of late with series the second book hasn't live up to the potential of the first. This cannot be said about the second book of the "Last Apprentice" series. In it Joseph Delaney has proven himself to be a stead fast author whose works has weakened, but appears to be getting better and better.

The tale takes place a few months after the first. Tom and the Spook must journey to Priestown for the funeral of the Spook's brother. There the Spook plans to finish some unfinished busy. Namely finally get rid of the "Bane" once and for all. Things go far from planned. The Bane has basically gotten to most of the town residents and not only that the "Quisitor" has come to town. And he has Alice. Things aren't looking up for Tom and the Spook.

First thing first how they manage to advertise this series to kids is beyond me. This book and series is clearly and utterly YA. I say this because it deals with adult themes and it gets really scary at some points. Here i am at 25 years old and in certain parts i wanted my dog with me. The author goes on to create a driven plot where nothing is as it seems and you're really not certain of anything. Bonus yet is that Alice keeps becoming more and more key to the story. Alice is the type of character where you're not that sure what she's about, but you want to keep routing for her. She knows what she wants and dammit she is going to get it.

The bane is also an interesting creation. In it the author seems to have taken the early idea of the Devil in beast form. The Bane is conniving, tricky, and an interesting horror character different from your normal monsters. He is also extremely scary and you find yourself rooting for Tom to kill.

Tom himself is growing in this book. He's no long the unsure kid as he was in the last book. He knows what he has to do and faces it like a man. The interesting thing with him is that he keeps showing hidden powers within. It probably helps that his mother is more than likely a powerful witch and his best friend one as well. He's become your harry potter of horror.

I'm sure i can say more, but many other reviews have said so. Plus as i have dusted for the first time in months my head is a bit stuffy.lol

Final rating: 5 Bunnies. Brilliant writing, characters, and plot development.

Book Review: Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Book: Nefertiti
Author: Michelle Moran
Release date: 12/29/2009

Except:
Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped by all that her strong personality will temper the young Amunhotep’s heretical desire to forsake Egypt’s ancient gods, overthrow the priests of Amun, and introduce a new sun god for all to worship.

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people. Her charisma is matched only by her husband’s perceived generosity: Amunhotep showers his subjects with lofty promises. The love of the commoners will not be enough, however, if the royal couple is not able to conceive an heir, and as Nefertiti turns her attention to producing a son, she fails to see that the powerful priests, along with the military, are plotting against her husband’s rule. The only person wise enough to recognize the shift in political winds—and brave enough to tell the queen—is her younger sister, Mutnodjmet.

Observant and contemplative, Mutnodjmet has never shared her sister’s desire for power. She yearns for a quiet existence away from family duty and the intrigues of court. Her greatest hope is to share her life with the general who has won her heart. But as Nefertiti learns of the precariousness of her reign, she declares that her sister must remain at court and marry for political gain, not love. To achieve her independence, Mutnodjmet must defy her sister, the most powerful woman in Egypt—while also remaining loyal to the needs of her family.

Love,betrayal, political unrest, plague, and religious conflict—Nefertiti brings ancient Egypt to life in vivid detail. Fast-paced and historically accurate, it is the dramatic story of two unforgettable women living through a remarkable period in history.




Review:
In the course of reading this book i've received two work reviews, got addicted to "glee" and lost my only little boy bunny Brighton. Funny enough these events somehow coincided with certain events in the book which made reading this book rather interesting.

It is true that i took a long time reading this book. This wasn't from lack on interest. In fact it was the complete opposite. I was so enthralled with it that i wanted to pace it out longer.Every once in awhile you come upon a book unexpectedly and they change your whole reading habits. This happened with Jane Austen and my love of classics, Summer at Castle Auburn and love of medievals, Harry Potter and magic, and the jedi apprentice with science fiction.

"Nefertiti" brought on a urging to read more historical fiction. It also has brought on a small Egyptian obsession. I was always interested in Egypt, but this book made me want to know more. Michelle Moran crafted such a beautiful and compelling story that i felt like i was there with Mutnodjmet. I felt her loses, anger, and sadness. It was almost like losing a friend when i finished the book. The last time i felt that sadness was when the Harry Potter series finished. It also left me with a hunger to read more. I hadn't even finished the first 100 pages before i had gone out and bought the sequel. Along with any other Michelle Moran books i could get my hands on.

The book title may be called "Nefertiti", but the story is really about Mutnodjmet. A historical figure i never knew existed till reading the book. Mut character is one that you can't help rooting for. Being the younger sister of the Queen of Egypt couldn't have been easy and Michelle portrays this quite clearly. Yet she still adored her older sister. You follow her through her ups and downs and ups again. The best thing to do is not to read historical record though. If you follow through with history things could get a bit confusing. Based on history you almost with Mut's story was real since it clear she had a happier fate in "Nefertiti" than possibly in real life.

"Nefertiti" was an interesting take on a highly unusual Egyptian time and family. It was a time of change and just as Mut and Nefertiti was changing the whole Egyptian world was changing with them. It was an extremely enjoyable read and one i would highly recommended to everyone. I merely picked up this book in passing because the cover intrigued me and i'm extremely glad i did.

Final rating. 5 stars for perfection.

"Never Dare a Duke" by Gayle Callen review

Never Dare a Duke by Gayle Callen
Release Date: Dec 1, 2008

I do believe this one of those times where you can successfully judge a book by it's cover. The cover of "Never Dare A Duke" is beautiful and captivating. It was what really drew me in. I'm glad it did. 

This is because Gayle Callen's book became the first romance i've read in a long long time where i literally could not put it down. The dogs even missed a walk because i couldn't stop reading. It was that good to me. Now it didn't contain any tragic or tortured hero. Nor were the chapters leaving on cliff hangers. Instead Gayle created an amazingly witty heroine whose sole desire is to find some scandalous past on the Duke aka Chris Cabot. 

Abigale's desire for this is to save her father's floundering newspaper and prove that women could write just as well as men can. So when her best friend Gwen asks her to accompany her to the Duke's sisters house party Abigale readily agrees. Together they set forth to find out the Duke's scandalous secret. Unfortunately things don't work as well as they plan. This is because everyone and anyone is so tight lipped about Chris's past. So Abigale makes a bargain with Chris that they should "pretend to be together". She does this in order for him to get away from the overbearing misses and for Abigale to secretly investigate Chris. Now Chris, of course, is extremely intrigued by Abigale and doesn't believe her for a moment when she said she wants nothing from him. This leads him into doing a little investigating of his own. These two separate investigation leads Abigale and Chris in finding more than they ever expected from each other. 

Abigale's and Chris relationship with each other was really brilliant. You could sort of say it was Nancy Drew meets Pride and Prejudice with a touch of Emma. Neither of them trusted each other to say the least. This is especially true of Chris. Yet during the course of the book they start to realize that each other is not as they seemed. That they both were wrong in the initial judgement of each other. This later leads them to having a more open and trusting relationship. One where they are on equal terms. 

I noticed that Abigale seems to get a lot of strife from other reviewers because they don't think she learned her lesson. I actually think she did. Her character had a lot of "Emma" in her and it took for her to see the possible consequences of her actions to realize they were wrong. She also makes up for them. After the horrid article was written about Chris she makes a point of writing one that contradicts it. She does this even though Chris swears he would never forgive her for doing so. Abigale loves Chris so much that she doesn't care. So not only does she write the article, but she makes sure that the world knows it was a lady journalist who did. Thus freeing herself to be what she truly wants to be while helping the damage done to her beloved name. Chris later uses this "lady journalist" scandal to propose to her in a really cute way. 
Final Rating:
5 Bunnies. Great set of main and side characters, interesting plot, and for being a non put-downer. 

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K.Rowling
Release Date: June 2, 1999

I haven't read this book in awhile and decided to read it again. Even though this book isn't one of my top three favorite harry potter books it shall always be special for me. This is because this was the very first harry potter book i had ever read from. It all started with me wanting to read the series, but my parents convinced that it was "the devils book". Well i finally got too when i was fifteen. I was babysitting a set of twins and they were reading this book for a bedtime story. So of course they wanted me to read the next three chapters to them. I started with the chapter called "mudblood and murmers" and read all the way past the deathday party. I had to be corrected a few times on pronunciation, but i soon became hooked. I ended up re-starting the book at the very beginning when i put the twins to bed and read for the next two hours. As soon as i got home i told my parents that i had read part of the second book and planned on getting the rest. Needless to say there was nothing they could do about it since i had already started the series. The next night my father went out and got the first movie on dvd and the rest is history. ^^ So i can officially claim this book and a set of twins was my entrance into the Harry Potter fandom. I'm still the only one in my family that has read the books though. 

This Harry Potter is really set more to a mystery than many of the other books. I say this because for most of the book Harry, Ron, and Hermione are only getting small clues into the mystery of the chamber of secrets and petrified people. It also flows more like a mystery than the other. Something i find rather funny since i believe McGonagall mentions that harry potter can't resist following on a mystery. 

In relation to the other books this was really setting things up for books 5-7. You have the first horcrux, the first glimps at voldemort's past, the introduction of the founders objects, the information the voldemort put some of himself into harry which becomes pivotal to the main storyline, volde's love of snakes, the mention that harry believes Snape can read his mind, and if you want to stretch things the early mentioning of death eaters. 

In regards to my thought they still remain the same as i said in my review for the first book. After reading and being a fan of the series for so long i now see it as a whole. Therefore it shall always be loved and get five Bunnies from me.

 

Animal Reviewers #1 "Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Klepas.

Leah Bunny speaking here. Today me and my fellow quadruped's are here to review "Lisa Kleypas" "Love in the Afternoon". I was introduced to this book when i was sick and was laying on mommy's bed. Mom was reading her own Lisa book and she thought i'd like one of my own to read.
                                           

Mommy laid this book in front of me because she thought i would like it since there were a lot of animals in it.

So i decided to give it a try. I have to admit i was throughly engrossed with it. Very good. 

I just had a few issues. Why no strapping man bunny with bulging bunnyceps and strong tall ears? A hedgehog? Really?  A tall dark and handsome bun would have been much better pet for Beatrice.  Just think of all the fun she could have had. Plus people love bunnies and would not have though she was strange. There is a mention of a bunny though so i give Lisa props for that.

Now some members of the canine portion of the family weights in.

Coda: Even manly dogs like me can appreciate this book. For instance take in the imagery of war. Nothing is manlier than war. Then you add in a war hero dog and you have a manly story indeed.

Izzy: *fan girl talk* Albert was so cute!! in this story. I want a picture of Albert to put upon my bed and under my pillow.

Daisy: I'm only just turned 11 months. I can't read. Mommy just shoved the book to were i was sunning myself. 
 



 

"Love in the Afternoon" by Lisa Kleypas

Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
Release date: June 29. 2010

Review:
The first line of a review is always the hardest to write therefore i'm going to open it up with a fact: I finished and read the book mostly in the afternoon(s) and thus the title was quite appropriate. Nothing like a heatwave to make a favorite chair or spot of the bed seem like heaven with a book. 

On another note i have to admit this was the first Hathaway book i read. I have the first three on my shelf having bought them at a book sale. After finishing this book i have to wonder why did i never pick up the other three because i loved it! I particularly liked Beatrix. I could totally see myself in her more so than any other heroine. Having six rabbits, 5 dogs, and nursed various baby wild bunnies to health i could easily identity with her on her animal obsession. I could also identify with her on her connection with nature. There is nothing more calming than being out in the woods. 

Beatrice of course is described as being an odd ball in her neighborhood. I supposed in 1857 she would have been as well. In a time where girls were expected to sit proper, wear corsets and hop skirts, and be as feminine as possible she is oddly out of step. In stead she'd rather run around in her pants and boots. Training horses and helping hurt animals. Decidedly not womanish at all. It only makes since that the person she eventually marries should know her before seeing her and be a bit odd himself. 

That brings me to the point of Christopher. He's portrayed as a tortured and hurt hero. He was a well to do dandy before getting sent to war, but while there he inevitably changed. It was only the letters from "Prudence" and his dog Albert that kept him sane and moving. Course Prudence being the stuck up bitch she was refused to write to him after his initial letter telling about the war. Therefore unknown to Christopher he was receiving letters from Beatrice and not Prudence. Christopher was a great hero, but for me he was overshadowed by Beatrice. If only he was slightly more tortured or haunted. Mean. I know. lol I can't help it. I like my men tortured and having some EMO moments. Christopher didn't experience enough of them. Though credit where credit is due Christopher wasn't entirely "healed" at the end and that gave his illness a more realistic approach. 

The two had a really cute romance and i rather liked the interaction. They each pushed and pulled at each other which created great dialog and friction. It also gave some depth to their relationship. You didn't feel like things were going too fast, nor that they were progressing too slow. The relationship went perfectly. Points also to Lisa for prolonging their relationship into a couple of months. That fact makes it even more believable. 

Final grade: 5 Bunnies. Positively brilliant in almost every way. Only few small nit picks and complaints. I do hope that Mark Barrett and Aubrey get a book. ^^ 

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone review

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone review
Release date: 1997

There is no point in putting a summary of the plot of this book because everyone and their brother has read it or heard about it. Therefore this review is most going to concentrate on my thoughts and stuff. 

I wish i could say I began my Harry Potter obsession with this book, but i can't. I actually read part of the second book first. Instead i can officially say that the movie adaptation of this book got my parents away from the belief that the series was "from the devil and evil". That's a long story and better saved for the review of the second book. I actually saw the movie of this before i read it so i kinda of knew the plot before hand. Therefore for those characters introduced up to book two the movie gave me my imagined characterization of them. 

Though i was sort of introduced to the magic through the movie i still fell head over heels in love with the series with the book. Mainly because it was the first Harry Potter adaption that i read fully. Books like this are rare. I can truthfully say that i have never read a book series before or after that comes close to what J.K. Rowling created. 

The Sorcerer's Stone really introduces the magic. You almost feel as Harry does learning everything about the magical world. It's breathtaking. I will be the first to admit that i wish the world was real so i could go and enjoy the magic. I'm that type of fangirl. ^^ 

The interesting thing about the book is that you can read it either as a author first learning to write or as the thoughts and perspective of a eleven year old boy. I prefer the later. This way you can read the series as a boy maturing in mind and thought. The writing is really simple in this book, but yet brilliant at the same time. 

I say brilliant i mean Brilliant. There are many one liners and thoughts that become major players later in the series. Some notable ones is the mention of Sirius Black, hints at the prophecy regarding Harry, the observation that Snape "really hates" Harry, Snape swooping around like an overgrown Bat, Harry's mouth touching the snitch, the Centaurus mentioning mars (the planet of war)hinting at the upcoming war, the hinting of immortality and Voldemort, the obvious harry understanding the snake, hagrid mentioning Lily's and James's friends, and a few others that i made mental notes, but forgotten (Might need to physically write them down next time). These drops just shows how great an author J.K.Rowling is. 

Nothing really much to say. After all. There are only so many times you can say "brilliant" without it becoming repetitive and redundant. 

So 5 stars with gold sparkles, fireworks, and marching bands. ^^ 

 

The Wallflowers 1 "Secrets of a Summer Night" by Lisa Kleypas

The Wallflowers 1 "Secrets of a Summer Night" by Lisa Kleypas 
Release Date: Dec 1st, 2006

Excerpt:
Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born. 

Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle's most intriguing -- and persistent -- admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition ... but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction. 

Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon -- and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon's passionate embrace and tempting kisses ... and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.

Review: 
So after much persuasion and a delight jaunt into Lisa's world with "Love in the Afternoon" i decided to start the Wallflower series. Instead of started at the very end like i did with the Hathaway series i decided to start at the beginning. 

I have to admit i wasn't as big of a fan of this book as i was of "Love in the Afternoon". It was an "ok" book for me. I rather liked the entire Wallflower set together. I adored and laugh at ever one of their scenes.I also really liked the banter between Simon and the Lord of Westcliff. The thing is that i found Simeon and Annabelle to be merely ok when they were alone or together. I really can't even state why. They were merely "ok" characters. Nothing about them stood out to me to make me like or really hate them. I guess the best way to phrase it would be they were like your feelings of most side characters in a story. Your fine with them, but don't really care about them one way or another. It's only when they're with a group of their friends do they stand out. In that manner of phrasing i wish there were more scenes with Annabelle and the rest of the wallflowers and Simon and Westcliff. 

The most significant thing that stood out to me in this book was that the main characters weren't in the aristocracy. Something that was an interesting change. Instead Simeon is an entrepreneur and the son of a butcher. He's at the head of the industrial revolution and the great change that is about to be heralded in to the world. A world were the aristocracy has always ruled and are now becoming obsolete. It actually took me a bit to get my head around this since most historical's i read are when the aristocracy are in high fever. I also have to admit it took me a bit to get used to all the "American" talk in a book set in England. Something rather strange since i am an American. I'm just not used to see them mosey their way the English environment. 

All in all this book was 3 1/2 Bunnies for me. It had a nice story and some great moments, but not enough to be four stars.  

 

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction Review

Darth Bane #1: Path of Destruction
Release date: June 6, 2006

Excerpt: 

Once the Sith order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy. Until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy–and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith, and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before. 


Since childhood, Dessel has known only the abuse of his hateful father and the dangerous, soul-crushing labor of a cortosis miner. Deep in the tunnels of the desolate planet Apatros, endlessly excavating the rare mineral valued throughout the galaxy, Dessel dreams of the day he can escape–a day he fears may never come. But when a high-stakes card game ends in deadly violence, Dessel suddenly finds himself a wanted man. 

On the run from vengeful Republic forces, Dessel vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army, and ships out to join the bloody war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, he is destined for a far greater role in the ultimate Sith plan for the galaxy–if he can prove himself truly worthy. 

As an acolyte in the Sith academy, studying the secrets and skills of the dark side at the feet of its greatest masters, Dessel embraces his new Sith identity: Bane. However the true test is yet to come. In order to gain acceptance into the Brotherhood of Darkness one must fully surrender to the dark side through a trial by fire that Bane, for all his unquenchable fury and lust for power, may not be strong enough to endure . . . especially since deception, treachery, and murder run rampant among the Sith disciples, and utter ruthlessness alone is the key to survival. Only by defying the most sacred traditions, rejecting all he has been taught, and drawing upon the long-forgotten wisdom of the very first Sith can Bane hope to triumph–and forge from the ashes of that which he must destroy a new era of absolute dark power. 



REVIEW: 

Wow. That was my initial reaction when i finished reading the book. It's been so long since i've read a 5 star book that i've almost forgotten what one was. Seriously, if your a scifi fan this book had everything. 

Now before reading this book my favorite sith of all time was Darth Vader with Darth Maul following close behind. After this book it's Darth Bane all the way. Darth Bane would look at Vader. laugh. And then proceed to force choke the life out of him. Afterwards he would take a walk by the pond causally sipping corellian whiskey acting like nothing happened. The dude is that bad ass. 

Seriously i love the jedi. Always have and always will, but in this book i was rooting for the sith. I really applaud the author in expanding on the sith from just "their evil dark side users". Karpyshyn really devolves into their Psyche and their reasons for doing things. You also get their view on things. Bane starts out the book as poor miner with no hope of getting of the mining planet Apatros. Luck comes his way and along with a dead republic officer he gets off the planet and joins the sith army. In his squad the "Gloom Walkers" he quickly distinguishes himself. After a particularly hard battle he gets invited by Dark Lord Kopecz to become a sith apprentice at the top academy on Korriban. There he goes through a series of trials and starts to become disillusioned with the "Brotherhood of the Sith". Eventually leaving to go find answers from the "true sith". He goes Lehon, the lost planet of the sith, and discovers a sith holocron from Darth Revan. From it he becomes the ultimate bad ass. And i was squealing like only a fan girl could from it. 

I'm not going to give away the ending since it was so good you have to read it for yourself. It just leads you thinking thinking "wow". 

Another thing i have to point out before i close is that this book really gives you another perspective on the jedi. We're so used to seeing them as good and righteous, but in this book you get to see them as a bit pompous and arrogant as the sith. Seriously the jedi changed a lot from the days of the sith. Jedi Master Farfalla in the book wears golded armor encrusted with rubies. The jedi masters also go by "Lord". A long way from the plain brown cloth jedi of the prequels and sequels. 

Final rating: 5 Bunnies. Awesome characters, amazing and gripping storyline, new insights to character groups, and all around general enjoyment. 

 

Lady Rouge and A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior

A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior
Release date: April 27, 2010

Excerpt: 
The Rules: 

A lady should always make polite conversation . . . 

Theresa Weller understands the rules of decorum, and is appalled when Colonel Bartholomew James disrupts a perfectly civilized dinner. This rude, insensitive man is the complete opposite of everything a gentleman should be—but with one searing kiss, Tess can think of no one else. 

A lady should never lose her temper . . . 

Aggravated beyond bearing by a man who speaks his mind, Tess wishes there was a guide to men like Bartholomew. Surely, with such an assortment of handsome, polite suitors to choose from, Tess should not ache for him. 

And a lady should never pursue a gentleman. 

She invites him on carriage rides and dares him to dance, and almost makes him want to return to Society. Bartholomew knows Tess wants to be seen as a proper miss, but deep down, he knows she is precisely the sort to spark his desire . . . A most improper lady. 

REVIEW: 

FIVE STARS all the way. Suzanne Enoch is the queen of writing tortured/wounded heroes as far as i'm concerned. *Bows down*. The book is so utterly good that i'm finding it troublesome to write this review because everything about it was just so perfect. I have nothing to complain about. The pacing of the romance was good. Tolly was *la sigh* and Theresa has to be one of my most favorite heroines of all time. I think the thing i really love about this story is that their romance rings true even thought it took part in over a short period of time. 

After nearly being killed and left for dead by some Indian "Thuggie" Tolly comes back to England a wounded man in both body and mind. He wants nothing, but to be left alone. At the beginning he was determined to get that no matter how rude and how much he made people hated him. Theresa was the stickler for propriety at the beginning. That all ended with Tolly rubbed her the wrong way at dinner with her cousin (whom is married to Tolly's older brother) and she left it lose at him. This starts a battle of the wills between the two and an eventual friendship. This friendship later turns to love. The best part for me in the book was when Tolly got the operation on his knee, knowing he could possibly lose his leg, because he wanted to be able to dance with Theresa. I fell in love with him hard there. Then Theresa barging in on the surgery and helping the doctor... WOW. I could never do that. I would be with Tolly's brother, sister, and Amelia (Theresa's cousin) outside. 

Another thing that i really loved about the book was the ending. You know Tolly and Amelia get's their "happily ever after" without it being all perfect. Tolly's reputation is still up in the air. The only thing is that people accept him enough to not shun him anymore. To me this was perfection since it wasn't a perfect ending. It was as close to real life as you can get. And i thank Suzanne for this. 

Next up it's been confirmed that Bradshaw Carroway get's a book!! *squee* 

Rating: 5 Bunnies. Perfect plot, characters, romance, and just everything *\^o^/*

Lady Rouge
Release Date: 1997

Excerpt:  
When the dripping wet ragamuffin showed up on his doorstep late one night, Alexander Cale, Earl of Everton, quickly discovers that the cheeky lad was actually an enchanting––but infuriating––chit! Kit is astonished that the devastatingly attractive Earl saw through her disguise in record time. But his charms is something she can ill afford, yet cannot resist. When danger threatens both their lives, only love can can save them 

Review: 
Perhaps i went into this book with too much expectancy of it being as good as Suzanne's "Lessons in Love" trilogy because it feel flat to me. The first couple of chapters had me hooked. Then the plot started to slow. Get no-where. And basically repeat itself over and over again. Kit was "who is the Englishman trying to stop the shipment of weapons to my father, I hope no-one finds out i'm a girl,I love wearing mens clothing and hanging out with the guys, and gosh Alex is hot". Alex was "i want to sleep with Kit, Is Kit a spy, If she is can i trust her, & i hope no-one finds out Kit is a girl". It basically got really really dull and flat fast. Suzanne really could have wrapped up the story a 100 pages earlier and have gotten the same result. There is a thing called editing. If the book feels like your going no-where or repeating yourself then editing is your best friend Suzanne and all authors. Lesser pages doesn't mean a lesser quality book. Perhaps i'm being a bit harsh here, but i was expecting something better than repetitiveness and redundancy.   

Rating: 3 bunnies

  

"Playboy Boss, Live in Mistress, Nothing but Trouble, & A Firefighter in the Family"

Playboy Boss, Live in Mistress
Release date: June 2008

Excerpt:
 

  
Playboy billionaire Alexander Wentworth is the man who has everything and regularly acquires more—more wealth, more power and more women…. His personal assistant Sienna Raleigh, however, is determined to keep things strictly business—no matter how tempted she is!

But when they are forced to work and live together, Sienna soon discovers that Lex is just as demanding away from the office. He wants her to be his mistress, and he isn't a man to take no for an answer!

Review:

I first have to admit i rarely if ever read this type of romance. In fact i think it's the only second one i ever read. Mostly because i find these short ones not to be in my taste. "Playboy Boss, Live In Mistress" actually wasn't that bad. In fact i really enjoyed it. It's not one that i'd read over and over again, but it was a good one time read. The thing that made it only a one time read was that once Sienna submitted to her attraction of child hood friend Lex the book got a bit sex filled and less story filled. Plus there were many elements that seemed to be just shoved in. There were many instances where i had to re-read a paragraph because it simply didn't make sense. I felt like a page was skipped in printing or something. Like one moment Sienna was talking about Lex, then money,and then some never before mentioned paintings made it way into the paragraph. It seemed like kelly though "hmm what does the story need. Oh i know. A mystery" and then proceeds to shove it into the story instead of progressing it in. In fact the whole "missing paintings" didn't even make one ounce of sense. I felt like our beagle puppy when she doesn't understand something "turning my head from side to side". 

The thing that made the book enjoyable was the abundance of brilliant one liners and paragraphs like {"Oh look. He'd found a flight attendant. Now he was smiling crookedly at the woman; murmuring to her. Now she was smiling back. Surprise surprise".} on page 18. 

Overall a 3 Bunnies.  Nice story, but there was elements in it i didn't like. The story also became less of a story and more of a sex filled soap opera.   

Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson 

Release date:  April 27, 2010

Excerpt:
TROUBLE... 
Chelsea Ross's acting career has been a total bust. The closest she ever came to stardom was her brilliant performance as "Pretty Dead Girl #1." But leaving Hollywood to become the personal assistant to a famous hockey player could be her stupidest career move ever. 

MORE TROUBLE... 
Injured superstar Mark Bressler's glory days are over. The one time bad boy jock could at least be civil to the pint-sized, pink-haired bombshell who the Seattle Chinooks hired to be his P.A. If Chelsea didn't need the money, she'd be skating away from the world's biggest jerk-on-ice as fast as her feet could carry her. 

BIG TROUBLE! 
Chelsea can deal with Mark's rotten attitude and dark moods. The problem is those biceps and that red-hot hockey-toned bod! And when the bad boy starts to put the moves on her, Chelsea knows it's time she banished him to the penalty box...if only she could resist the kind of trouble he has in mind

Review:



Hmmm My theme song for this book is "Where is the love" because seriously. For a romance book it was rather lacking. In fact i found the whole Chelsea/Mark relationship rather lacking. It was just missing something. The relationship never really progressed pass assistant/ employer who are in lust with each other. Maybe it's because i'm not used to contemporary books but this felt really odd for. Sorry this is such a pitiful review, but i really have nothing to say about the book. Nothing. It was just an ok read whom i have no thoughts about. 

 Rating: 2 bunnies

A Firefighter in the Family by Trish Melborn
Release date: June 2008

Excerpt:
  As a kid, Randi Cooke couldn't wait to follow her father and four brothers into a firefighting career. But after a terrible accident at her very first fire, she fled her Florida hometown. Three years later an arson investigation brings her back to face her estranged family…and Zac Parker, the friend and lover who betrayed her when she needed him most. 

Zac Parker had a home with the local fire department, until a false accusation cost him his career. Now he and Randi have to work together to find the culprit in another suspicious fire. He let her down once before. Can he earn Randi's forgiveness and give them both a second chance?

Review:
Ok I'll be the first to admit that i've read about 1 contemporary romance to every 20 historical. This is not a genre i typically read. I won this book in a prize package for a "finish the paragraph contest". I decided to try it because it to mix things up and because it had a dog in it. I adore animals in every form. Now that is cleared up i shall proceed to my thoughts. 

I wasn't all that thrilled with the book, but it was quite better than i expected. I really liked the hero/Zac and Heroine/Randi in this book. I just really wish the author could have expanded the book more. It really felt rushed and i guess it had to be since it was only 209 pages. The premise of the book is that Randi comes back to her Florida hometown to investigate the burning of the nearly completed Horizon Vista Resort. Poor Randi quickly finds out that every single member of her hometown didn't want the hotel coming in and therefore are all possible suspects. The number one suspect is her ex-boyfriend Zac. Randi quickly learns that Zac had quite the fire department and opened up a bar on the other side of the would be hotel. This compounded with the fact that her brothers, who are the head firefighters in the area, hate her for being the leading cause of their father being stuck in a wheelchair; quickly makes Randi want to leave town and the investigation. Things don't get better for her when she starts getting threats against her and her dog. 

Zac wishes to clear up his name as being an arsonist after being falsely accused of starting a fire a few years ago. He sets off to help Randi discover the arsonist and perhaps earn her forgiveness for siding with her brothers over her fathers accident years ago. 

The story ends with Randi finally discovering the arsonist was a serial arsonist and one she never suspected in her life. The arsonist holds her at gun point and Zac quickly charges in and saves the day. Randi then decides to stay in town and become a firefighter again. 

Now in all honesty this book was kinda of all over the place. Randi never really did that big of an investigation till the last two/three chapters. It was sort of a bunch of events made up so Zac and her could run into each other. These types of events weren't really well done either. The characters were also rather one dimensional. One Randi seemed to have more than one emotion. I could really sympathize with her when she was freaking out about Thor(her dog) possibly being hurt and then not wanting to let him go when she discovered he was safe. I would also see her complete disbelief that the serial arsonist was a person she had looked up too and trusted all her life. 

My overall rating is 3 Bunnies 
Semi-good plot, well written heroine, use of animals as character, tiny injects of humor, and a believable romance.