Julie Ortolon: Drive Me Wild

MY REVIEW

Drive Me Wild
Author: Julie Ortolon
Release: March 7, 2000
List Price: $7.99

Read: November 28-28, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Book Page | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)

~ He was a devastating TV anchorman who thought he'd seen it all ~

With the face that launched a thousand newscasts, drop-dead gorgeous TV anchor Brent Michaels returns to his Texas hometown --- to be the "bachelor" in a Dating Game fundraiser. He can't refuse his old friend Laura Beth Morgan's request. And soon, he can't refuse the shy do-gooder anything. The tomboy he remembered had blossomed into a beautiful woman. An irresistible challenge for the man every woman wants ...

~ Until he rediscovered the girl next door ~

Laura Morgan yearns to break free, just as Brent Michaels did. He'd come a long way from the boy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, the friend who kissed her once, then ran. But even as he warns her he's incapable of love, he's not running now. For Laura was stirring him like no woman had before, making him consider the "M" word for the first time, leaving him certain of only one thing: Laura Morgan could be his undoing ...

MY OPINION
My first book by Ortolon was Lead Me On and I really enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars. Drive Me Wild was entertaining, but I don't think I would reread it because of several issues I had with the story/characters.

My biggest was Laura's realization of love for Brent happened **WAY** too soon. Two days after seeing each other for the first time in ten years she realizes she's in love with him? I don't think so! Once the story moves to Houston and their relationship actually kicks off the book is good and very enjoyable, but I had a hard time getting over my initial skepticism. Also, Laura towards the end of the book and leading up to the climax fight bothered me --- she's a little too pushy and somewhat manipulative (very "somewhat," because that word seems far too strong).

Brent was an absolutely wonderful hero and I liked how three-dimensional and realistic he was. Romance heroes always have some obligatory faults, but in this case Brent's issues didn't seem added on by the author because she can't make the hero absolutely perfect --- they were believable and made him very compelling (*very*, lol ;-).

All in all --- worth the read, but glad I got it from the library since I don't think I'll be coming back to it. ... Though Brent really almost makes it worth it!

Julie Ortolon: Lead Me On

Lead Me On
Series: Pearl Island Trilogy, Book 2
Author: Julie Ortolon
Release: January 20, 2003
List Price: Retail unavailable

Read: November 14-15, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Book Page | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)

~ When a woman who is willing . . . ~

Allison St. Clair has the face of an angel. That's part of the problem. She also sells quaint tea sets in the gift shop at Galveston's Pearl Island Inn. It doesn't exactly scream sexy! Years of having men treat her like a little sister is enough to drive a healthy woman crazy. Especially when a gorgeous hunk checks in and fails to recognize that Allison's more than willing. She's ready . . .

~ Meets a man who isn't listening . . . ~

Frustrated author Scott Lawrence is hoping to get lucky in more ways than one. A little fun in the sun with a beautiful woman may be just the inspiration he needs to cure his writer's block. No fuss. No commitment. But a "good girl" like Allison? No way!

~ Then it's time for action. ~

When Allison makes her move, every bachelor bone in Scott's body tells him to swim for safety. But stronger instincts prevail, and the heat climbs higher than the temperature on the Texas Coast. Now a four-letter word called love could turn a sweet spring diversion into the most unexpected and complicated fling of their lives.

SERIES: The Pearl Island Trilogy

1. Falling For You - Aurora St. Claire and blue-blooded banker Oliver Chancellor
   
2. Lead Me On - Allison St. Claire and bestselling author Scott Lawrence
   
3. Don't Tempt Me - Adrian St. Claire and ship owner/captain Jackie Taylor
   

Suzanne Enoch: The Care and Taming of a Rogue

MY REVIEW

The Care and Taming of a Rogue
Series: The Adventurers Club, Book 1
Author: Suzanne Enoch
First Release: October 27, 2009
List Price: $7.99

Read: October 30-31, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Excerpt | Amazon.com

Can't believe I'm saying this about an Enoch book ... but it wasn't that great

Suzanne Enoch is a fabulous writer and some of my absolute favorite historical romances have been written by her, namely London's Perfect Scoundrel and Always a Scoundrel, with close second favorites being England's Perfect Hero, By Love Undone, and After the Kiss. Needless to say, I was ecstatic about this book coming out and expected it to join my "all-time favorite" bookshelf - it won't, and frankly, I'm considering whether to post it on PaperBack Swap right away, because I doubt that I will want to reread this.

The Care and Taming of a Rogue (The Adventurers Club, Book 1) wasn't bad in the sense that I didn't actively dislike it, but in almost every aspect it either fell short or just didn't click; it was boring and I was at times somewhat tempted to just put it down and forget about it. The premise was an interesting one and quite original, and I'm always a huge fan of books where the heroine is overlooked, shy, bookish, unusual, whatever. Plus, taking into account it's written by Enoch, it should be a natural five-star book, right? Wrong: The Care and Taming of a Rogue did not live up to my expectations. Both of the main characters were pretty forgettable, their relationship is not compelling and I never really understood how they got together or why they felt (or even THAT they felt) so strongly about one another, and the chemistry just wasn't there (which starkly contrasts with some of Enoch's other books).

SPECIFIC CRITICISMS
Both Bennett (29) and Phillipa (20) felt somewhat flat and one-dimensional. Bennett is supposed to be this "uncivilized explorer" who won't obey any of London society's "rules" and wants to drag his woman back to his cave ... and although we're told this repeatedly and other characters constantly describe him this way, it didn't really ring true. Yes, he was blustery and aggressive, but it ended up just being annoying and not at all endearing, adventurous, bad-boy-attractive, or any other positive thing; he wasn't as unconventional as he was made out to be (an example of where that type of unconventional adventurer-hero was well done and *did* work is Christina Dodd's Rules of Surrender).

Phillipa is a nice heroine, but nothing to write home about. We're told that she's practical and logical ... but I didn't see that emphasized very much (there was no resemblance to someone like Dr. Brennan from the TV show "Bones," who is definitely an extreme of those two adjectives). She's also supposed to be unconventional in her own way - embracing her "bluestocking" tendencies, completely bookish and somewhat anti-social (though friendly) - yet she insists on Bennett courting her according to the rules and keeps placing emphasis on teaching him how to behave in London society (no such teaching really occurs) ... while then going in broad daylight to the house he's staying in and making love for the first time with him in a kitchen larder (umm, can you say unromantic?).

Then there is their relationship, which seemed completely unsubstantiated to me and so was hard to believe. Basically he hears her voice - is attracted to her, sees her face - likes how she looks, remarks on her smelling of lemons - oh how nice, and bam! they're off. We know that Phillipa already has a little thing for Bennett in that she has been an admirer of his travel/adventure books, but why this romantic interest in Phillipa in particular? We're never really shown why he is THE ONE for her and she is THE ONE for him. [Sidenote: Why is it that aside from our heroines (and whatever friends they may have) almost all the other women in these novels are nitwit chits who only giggle, simper, and are catty when it comes to men??? Even Flip's sister, Olivia, kind of falls into this category - at least for the first two adjectives.] Bennett and Phillipa are both nice people, sure, but I just don't see why their relationship takes off so quickly, with no trouble going from hello to kisses to making love to declaring love to talking about marriage (though actually that happens before some of those other ones) ... which brings me to another point ...

There are no obstacles in their romantic relationship!!! Well save one, to be fair, which was in fact a good one: she likes to stay at home and read, he's Mr. Adventure, so how is a real, lasting relationship (i.e. marriage) going to work for them? This was an interesting twist because it was a real consideration that is similar to the problems that nowaday long-distance relationships face. However during the book it isn't really dissected, just mentioned repeatedly and put aside; then in the end, it's resolved very nicely and quickly (TOO nicely and quickly). Other than that though, which wasn't even fully explored, any hurdles placed by themselves or other characters were either completely missing or not very substantial. I *HATE* books that have those big misunderstandings or throw obstacle after obstacle in front of the main characters for no apparent reason, but can't there be a happy balance between those two extremes??

Finally, the whole "Adventurers' Club" was a little ridiculous and when that's first introduced in the beginning of the book my reaction was "What? This seems very contrived ... Maybe it's going to be made into a series?" ... Which I then discovered it is. I don't understand the purpose of the club, don't see it's use or understand how it works or why it exists, etc. - basically it's all a huge contrivance.

BOTTOM LINE
I feel very bad about giving such a negative review for a Suzanne Enoch book, but I was so disappointed! She has such talent and has written other novels that literally have me going to sleep with a smile on my face and waking up the next morning wanting to read the book all over again; The Care and Taming of a Rogue in no way compares to those books. There were some funny moments, some sweet ones, Kero (Bennett's pet monkey) was a great addition, but check it out from the library if you're set on reading it, don't buy it.

J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts): Naked in Death

MY REVIEW

Naked in Death
Series: In Death, Book 1
Author: Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb
First Release: June 30, 1995
List Price: $7.99

Read: October 7-8, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | J.D. Robb Page | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from inside front page)
Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In more than ten years on the force, she's seen it all - and knows that her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire - and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about - except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

MY OPINION
Naked in Death is absolutely fantastic - both a great romance and a wonderful murder mystery. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series and seeing the relationship between Eve and Roarke progress and continue to develop; they are both fantastic characters and complement one another very well. Definitely one of my favorite books by Nora Roberts so far, if not my favorite - it's hard to decide, because she does have some really great ones. Is automatically going on my "to-buy" list!

NEXT BOOK OF THE "IN DEATH" SERIES
Naked in Death is followed by Glory in Death, Book 2.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Match Me If You Can

MY REVIEW

Match Me If You Can
Series: Chicago Stars, Book 6
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Release: August 29, 2006
List Price: $7.99

Read: August 27-29, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Chicago Stars Series | Browse Inside | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from inside and back flap)

In This Heart of Mine you met Kevin Tucker. Now meet Kevin's shark of an agent ... and Annabelle Granger, the girl least likely to succeed.

Annabelle is tired of being the lone failure in a family of overachievers. She's endured dead-end jobs and a broken engagement. Even her hair's a mess! But that's going to change now that she's taken over her late grandmother's matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is land the Windy City's hottest bachelor as her client, and she'll be the most sought-after matchmaker in town. Nothing is going to stand in her way - not the drunk lying comatose under her car, not her family's disapproval, and certainly not the lingering effects of a broken heart.

With his money green eyes and calculated charm, Heath Champion is the best sports agent in the country. He's wealthy, driven, and gorgeous, so why does he need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? True, she's entertaining and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of his success - the perfect wife. And to make an extraordinary match, he needs an extraordinary matchmaker, right?

Thin, rich, utterly fabulous Portia Powers has spent her career making matches for everyone but herself. Her take-no-prisoners attitude has built Power Matches into the top matchmaking agency in Chicago. So what if she has more enemies than friends and she's one breath away from a nervous breakdown? Neither an upstart like Annabelle Granger nor Heath Champion's menacing, but oddly intriguing, bodyguard will keep her from getting what she wants - a Power Match for Heath ... the city's very own Jerry Maguire.

Soon everyone in Chicago has a stake in the outcome, right down to Annabelle's overprotective book club. When the matchmaker promises she'll do anything to keep her star client happy ... does she mean anything? If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town - a man who's beginning to ask himself: Exactly how perfect does perfect have to be?

SERIES: Chicago Stars Series

1. It Had to Be You (1994)
2. Heaven, Texas (1995)
3. Nobody's Baby But Mine (1997)
4. Dream a Little Dream (1998)
5. This Heart of Mine (2001)
6. Match Me If You Can (2005)
7. Natural Born Charmer (2007)

The Chicago Stars Series features characters that are somehow tied to the Chicago football team, the Stars. Book 1, It Had to Be You, features Phoebe Somerville, a sexy bombshell-type who inherits the football team, and Dan Celebow, the head coach of the team with whom she immediately clashes. Book 2 is Heaven, Texas and quickly became a favorite of mine; the heroine is an unusual ugly-duckling type, Gracie Snow, who becomes a (still unusual) swan, and the sexy and surprisingly complex Bobby Tom Denton, ex-quarterback for the Stars, is the hero.

Nobody's Baby But Mine is Book 3, starring physics professor Dr. Jane Darlington and the legendary quarterback Cal Bonner, followed by Dream a Little Dream, featuring single-mother Rachel Stone and widower Gabe Bonner, who tragically recently lost his wife and child. Book 5 is This Heart of Mine, featuring children's book author - and Phoebe's sister - Molly Somerville and handsome Stars quarterback, Kevin Tucker.

Book 6 is covered in this review and Book 7 is Natural Born Charmer, a book I just checked out from the library; the hero is new hotshot quarterback Dean Robillard whom we were introduced to in Match Me If You Can and the heroine is down-on-her-luck Blue Bailey.

OPINION
This is another great book by Phillips! It's my second by her, following Heaven, Texas, which was absolutely fantastic (5 stars). Match Me If You Can wasn't as good, but it was still excellent and after reading it from the library, I put it on my "to-buy" list, since I know that it will be a definite reread in the future.

The book had several laugh-out-loud scenes (I loved how Molly's daughter kept stealing Heath's cellphones!!), an interesting secondary romance between Portia Powers and Heath's friend Bodie (they were great - and a very interesting - pair), wonderful supporting characters (can't wait for Dean's story next, Natural Born Charmer), and the ending (or almost-ending, since there is an epilogue) where Annabelle asks Heath the two questions on the cliff is so sweet and very cute and funny.

MAIN CHARACTERS, Annabelle (31) and Heath (34)
The two main characters are absolutely wonderful and the interactions between them were from the start extremely entertaining. Annabelle is a feisty, red-haired woman, accurately described as "quirky" in the book's summary. She has a great sense of humor, is wonderfully generous and thoughtful, but is also a real spitfire who knows when to be sarcastic and poke someone who needs it (i.e. Heath). Heath is an equally great hero; he's determined, driven, dedicated, charming, loyal, and deeply in need of some relaxation, fun, and someone who is not as high-strung as he is (i.e. Annabelle).

They were really just perfect for each other and the reader sees from the beginning how well they balance one another. There were so many sweet and friendly interactions between them, with also plenty of chemistry between Annabelle and Heath to make the book into a romance. The teasing exchanges kept putting a smile on my face and when Heath would go visit Annabelle, find himself at her house, wonder why she was the first person he wanted to call with good news ... ::sigh:: yeah ...

CRITICISM
One of my critiques is that Match Me If You Can didn't have the same chemistry as Heaven, Texas - or rather, it did, but there weren't as many ... shall we say, "chemistry induced" scenes that featured and showcased the sexual tension between the hero and heroine, lol ;-).

I also thought that the Epilogue could have used some retouching - it was told from Pippi's point of view (what a nickname ... does anyone else wonder at the pronunciation of that - isn't Philippa, which I think is her name, normally shortened to Pippa?) and though I loved having that detail, it could have been told in a straight-narrator form instead, IMHO.

Finally - and this isn't really criticism, but more of an observation - I saw some striking similarities between Heaven, Texas and Match Me If You Can in the way that Phillips fashions her endings. Basically: the woman knows she's in love with him, the man won't admit his love, he proposes and gives various reasons (other than love) for why he wants to marry her, she publicly spurns his offer, he becomes destroyed and everyone tells him he's stupid, there's some chase involved and then the realization of love, declarations, etc. We'll see if this pattern holds in more of her books.

BOTTOM LINE
Read it and be prepared to laugh while you do! Not as sexually-charged as Heaven, Texas was - the hottest scene was actually one with the secondary romance characters, Portia and Bodie - but still wonderful and a definite reread for me in the future.

Nora Roberts: Born in Ice

MY REVIEW

Born in Ice
Series: Born In Trilogy, Book 2
Author: Nora Roberts
Release: November 1, 1996
List Price: $7.99

Read: August 26-27, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Trilogy Page | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from Amazon.com)
Brianna Concannon is a woman with a rare gift for creating a home, and she makes use of this talent by running a bed-and-breakfast in a picturesque corner of Ireland. Mystery writer Grayson Thane is an American who grew up in an orphanage and has spent his life alone.

A restless wanderer with a painful past, Grayson arrives at Blackthorn Cottage intent only on soaking up the Irish atmosphere and writing his next novel, but he finds far more than he bargained for. The beautiful, calm Brianna soothes his disquiet soul, and in her Grayson finds the home he hadn't realized he needed.

Brianna knows that by falling for him, she risks her heart, already bruised and scarred by a young love who left her at the altar. But the yearning to let the American melt the ice around her cold exterior is irresistible. Unless Grayson can let go of his past to forge a future with her, Brianna may have gambled her heart in vain.

SERIES: Born In Trilogy

1. Born in Fire (October 1, 1994)
2. Born in Ice (November 1, 1995)
3. Born in Shame (January 1, 1996)
   

The trilogy follows the Concannon sisters. The first book features Maggie, a glass-blowing artist of fiery temper, and Rogan Sweeney, a very successful and driven international gallery owner; opposites attract in this book. Then comes Brianna, Maggie's quietly reserved sister who finds contentment in running her inn and making strangers feel comfortable when they are far from home; her hero is Grayson Thane, a well-known mystery writer who has been a lone wanderer for most of his life and treasures the fact that he isn't tied down.

The trilogy ends with Shannon, their American half-sister, whose existence they have only learned of during the second book. She is the result of a brief affair between her mother and their father and has grown up in America, never having met the other side of her family. Shannon's hero is the wonderful and sexy Murphy Muldoon, who was featured in both of the trilogy's other books.

OPINION
Born in Ice has good reviews on Amazon.com (average customer rating of 4 stars), but it is the least preferred one of the trilogy. I myself liked it better than Born in Fire and give it a solid four stars. I love the quiet heroines and Brianna is definitely that; she's so reserved and cool at times that I would have liked to see her lose her temper in one big fiery blowout at least once in the book. Regardless of this, Brianna was an interesting heroine and despite my apprehensions from the first book, she was much more accessible than I thought she would be.

Gray was a wonderful hero and he and Brianna are perfect for each other. Their trip to New York was one of the highlights of the book;he's so sweet to her and her bafflement when he gives her gifts is very amusing. The love scene while they're in NYC was the hottest one in the book and one of the best. Gray is always so tender and loving when they make love (Brianna is a virgin, so at first she's somewhat frightened/confused by her feelings for and attraction to him) and this one rougher and hotter moment had me fanning myself a little, lol. Though of course nothing beats the scene in Rising Tides between Ethan and Grace against the tree - whew!! ;-)

The relationship between Brianna and Gray was always honest, forthright, and open, which was something I really appreciated. They are reserved with one another about their pasts, but when it comes to their relationship with each other, there were no misunderstandings, no lies, no secrets, etc. As always, Roberts has one of the characters realizing and admitting their love, while the other one refuses to admit the truth until the end - still, the end is wonderful, sweet, and just perfect for those two characters.

BOTTOM LINE
A great read that I would definitely recommend. The first book in the trilogy, Born in Fire, can be passed over, but it's worth checking out from the library if you want to read all three books of the trilogy. Now it's on to Born in Shame for me! I'll let you know what the verdict is :-)

Susan Mallery: Sizzling

MY REVIEW

Sizzling
Series: The Buchanans, Book 3
Author: Susan Mallery
Release: January 1, 2007
List Price: $6.99

Read: August 25-26, 2009
My Rating:


Author Homepage | Excerpt | Book Trailer | Amazon.com

SUMMARY (from back cover)
Reid Buchanan was always a fan favorite on the baseball diamond. But between the sheets?

A spiteful article about the former pitcher and current playboy questions his talent in the bedroom. And the newspaper's just the first bad news. Reid's grandmother Gloria's broken hip means she needs constant care - but Reid hired Nurses 1 and 2 for their bedside manner with him. So for Number 3 he chooses Lori Johnson, the first candidate who seems immune to his brand of charm.

Lori's never wasted her time with amoebas like Reid Buchanan. So why are her well-fortified defenses starting to crumble under the force of his sexy smile - and the kindness he shows her at every turn? There's only one explanation for the feelings flaring between them - chemistry. Chemistry so hot, it's sizzling!

SERIES: The Buchanans

1. Delicious (February 1, 2006)
2. Irresistible (July 1, 2006)
3. Sizzling (January 1, 2007)
4. Tempting (July 1, 2007)
   

BASICS
This is my first Susan Mallery book and I'm not sure I'm going to be giving her another try. I'm almost tempted to give Sizzling 2.5 stars, but it wasn't absolutely horrible and Mallery is a good writer, technique-wise; I mean, there are no run-on sentences, her punctuation is correct, she writes good romance scenes, the characters are pretty interesting ... I don't know, the story just wasn't as compelling as other romances I've read. I was actually anxious to finish the book, but only because I wanted it to be done already (once I pick up and start a book, I have to finish it - it's sometimes a curse).

I did like Reid a lot and I kind of went back and forth on Lori. Reid was an interesting hero and very engaging; I think that the way he changes his behavior was very believable and I liked his honesty and straight-forward manner. The scene where Reid walks in to find two surprisingly naked girls in his bedroom and then runs off to get Lori to kick them out was very funny.

MAIN PROBLEMS

1. I felt like we're plopped into the story too quickly, since we don't get to see the hero and heroine's first interaction - it's only referenced by them both.
2. Lori is pretty harsh with Reid at times. At first, she only sees him as a pretty-boy all-around-charmer ex-baseball player who gets everything he wants very easily and her opinion changes as Reid himself changes, but ... well people's essentials don't change that much, and in this case, I think Reid's change was believable because he always had that potential there, but just wasn't fully expressing it. Lori was unduly mean in certain scenes, in ways that Reid definitely didn't deserve.
3. I love stories where the heroine is a shy-wallflower-type, but here, that point was stressed a little too much by Lori herself - it got kind of tedious.
4. Something like 30 pages before the end, the book takes a very unhappy twist and it kind of puts a damper on the whole happy-ending thing. Really caught me off guard, too.
5. This is party of Mallery's Buchanan family series and unlike most romance books I've read that are part of a series, the fact that I hadn't read the previous ones left me somewhat at a loss at times. Reid's family is pretty front and center and there often wasn't enough of an introduction to who these people were or what the back story was.
6. As much as I wanted some more context for Reid's family, I thought the book focused way too much on Dani, the Buchanan sister. She's the heroine of the next book, Tempting, but there were huge chunks of pages in this one that were only about her and I was very tempted to skip them.
7. Totally minor, but the scene where Penny (Reid's sister-in-law) says she loves cooking (she's a chef) more than her daughter or her husband really bothered me. I'm not a mother or a wife, but when I become either of those things I hope that I don't love my job more than my children/husband!! And I'm not saying this in a 1950s-sexist-wife thing - my husband better feel the same way, lol.
   

BOTTOM LINE
So yeah ... wasn't a total waste of time, but I still don't know whether or not I'll be giving this author another try. Glad I got the book from the library!