The Wedding Wager - Deborah Hale

Publication
2001, Harlequin

In short
School For Love...Or School For Scandal?
What had she agreed to? Leonora Freemantle had wagered high stakes that book learning, not birthright produced a gentleman, but now with the roguish Sergeant Morse Archer under her tutelage, she was no longer sure of the outcome. Would it be polish, passion...or public outrage?
If Leonora Freemantle couldn't spruce him up enough to pass muster with the Society swells at Bath, she'd be hastily married off. But not if he could help it, Rifleman Morse Archer vowed, for this beautiful bluestocking with her highbrow ideals and innocent charm was effortlessly teaching him the true language of love...!

In words
I know a lot of books are not entirely correct in a historical context, but this time I could not let it go. The whole plot and therefore all characters are utterly unbelievable. Furthermore, the characters are cardboard and do not develop. I don't get the romance either.

In numbers
Voice - 1 (max 3)
Characters - 1 (max 3)
Romance - 0 (max 2)
Plot - 0 (max 2)
No minus points
Total - 2
D- = 4.5/10 = 2 stars

Cooking up Trouble & Kiss the Cook - Molly O'Keefe

Publication
2003, Harlequin Duets, Cook Brothers # 2 & 3

In short

Cooking Up Trouble
Mark Cook shouldn't mind that a Hollywood heartthrob is intruding on his family's ranch to learn how to be a cowboy. Or that Mr. Moviestar is getting a bit too close to his best friend, Alyssa Halloway. But, damn it all, he's jealous to the point of distraction whenever he sees them together! And to compete with a gorgeous actor for Alyssa's heart, things are gonna get dirty down on the farm...

Kiss the Cook
No one has ever been able to hook heartbreaker Billy Cook like wild Kate Jenkins. Her passionate kisses made him fall in love thirteen years ago, only for her to turn around and break his teenage heart by leaving town. In fact, she's the reason he vowed to be a confirmed bachelor! Now pregnant, Kate is back in Montana to deliver her baby, claiming her wanderlust days are over. And Billy can't help wonder if his vow was a bit too hasty....

In words
I've reread these books several times now. I can't pinpoint exactly why I like them so much, but they are a comfort read to me. The characters are great, the relationships are believable and the writing is just plain fun. I plan on checking out more books by this author in the (near) future.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 3 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Sensuality - 1
Humor - 1
No minus points
Total - 11
A- = 9/10 = 4.5 stars

Dark Prince - Christine Feehan

Publication
1999, Love Spell/Leisure, Carpathians # 1

In short
Prince of the Night
He came to her in the night, a predator - strength and power chiseled his features. The seduction was deep and elemental; he affected her soul. His need. His darkness. His terrible haunting loneliness. Her senses aroused, she craved the dangerous force of his body. Burned for him. And he had only touched her with his mind.
Lady of the Light
She came to him at dawn, his bleakest hour. As the beast raged inside him, threatening to consume him, he vented his centuries-old despair in an anguished cry that filled the waning night. And she answered, a ray of light, piercing his darkness. A beautiful angel. Her compassion, courage, and innocence awakened in him an exquisite longing and tenderness. He knew he must possess her, for only she could tame his savage side and lift the dark shadow from his soul. Apart they were desolate, bereft. Intertwined physically and spiritually, they could heal one another and experience an eternity of nights filled with love.

In words
It was a struggle to finish. After reading three of her books, I must conclude Christine Feehan just isn't my cup of tea. Didn't like the couple: they are a couple almost from the start of the book and there is no romance or development of their relationship whatsoever, and you do not get to know either of them as a person. Didn't like the plot: because apart from the last 40 pages or so there is no plot. Didn't like the voice: too many repetitions, too many adjectives and bordering on purple prose at times. Frankly, I found the whole thing boring and it would have been a DNF if I hadn't wanted to do a review.

In numbers
Voice - 0 (max 3)
Characters - 0 (max 3)
Romance - 0 (max 2)
Plot - 0 (max 2)
Sensuality - 0
Minus points - purple prose / character behaviour TSTL
Total - -2 (never ended up in minus before)
F = 0/10 = 1 stars

With Seduction in Mind - Laura Lee Guhrke

I wasn't gone, but my router was, thanks to a thunderstorm... Almost a week without telephone and internet, I couldn't believe how hard that was. Now several reviews straight after one another.

Publication
2009, Avon Historical Romance, Girl-Bachelors # 4

In short
HER PROPOSITION . . .
London Society is harsh for a young woman with no family connections who has to work for a living. But when Daisy Merrick is sacked from yet another job, the feisty and outspoken miss comes up with a plan that could give her a future beyond her wildest dreams. There's only one problem. Her success depends on a man, the most infuriating, impossible, immovable man she's ever met.
HIS RESOLUTION . . .
Sebastian Grant, Earl of Avermore, is England's most infamous author. Known for his notorious reputation, he is more interested in play than work, and has no intention of cooperating when Daisy shows up on his doorstep with a mad plan. The provoking, fire-haired beauty stirs his senses beyond belief, and Sebastian knows he has only one way to stop her. Seduction.

In words
Nothing very special about it, but also nothing wrong with it. It is just a very enjoyable read.

In numbers
Voice - 2 (max 3)
Characters - 3 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Sensuality - 1
No minus points
Total - 9
B = 8/10 = 4 stars

Naked Edge - Pamela Clare

Publication
March 2010, Berkley Sensation, I-Team # 4

In short
The day Navajo journalist Katherine James met Gabriel Rossiter the earth literally moved beneath her feet. Nearly killed in a rockslide while hiking, she found her life in the tall park ranger's hands. Although she can't forget him, she thinks she'll never see him again. She is crushed when she recognizes her rescuer among the law enforcement officers raiding a sweat lodge ceremony one night, throwing her and her friends of Mesa Butte, land they consider sacred.
Gabe long ago swore he would never again lose himself to a woman - not even one with long dark hair and big eyes that seem to see right through him. But from the moment he first sees Kat, the attraction he feels is undeniable. Appalled by what he has been ordered to do, he's determined to get to the bottom of recent events at Mesa Butte - and to keep Kat safe.
But asking questions can be dangerous - almost as dangerous as risking one's heart. And soon Kat and Gabe's passion for the truth - and each other - makes them targets for those who would do anything, even kill, to keep Native Americans off their sacred land...

In words
This was my first book by Pamela Clare and it certainly won't be the last. I wanted to start all over again right after finishing it. The writing is wonderful, I couldn't put it down. The characters were great and memorable. This is a true romantic suspense - both the romance and the suspense were great, and that doesn't happen often. If you like romantic suspense, this is a must.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 3 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Special Setting - 1
Sensuality - 1
Thrill Factor - 1
No minus points
Total - 12
A = 9.5/10 = 5 stars

Power Play - Nancy Warren

Publication
November 2009, Harlequin

In short
Keep her hands to herself? Not easy for Emily Saunders, who's in Elk Crossing, Idaho, for a family wedding. She's double booked in the same hotel room with a sexy cop attending - of all things! - a hockey tournament. As a massage therapist, Emily's soon itching to soothe Jonah Betts's gorgeous muscles - both on and off the ice. Jonah can't believe his luck - a sexy single woman sharing his cozy room, albeit temporarily. Okay, her orange bridesmaid dress is a disaster and her family is convinced he's actually her boyfriend. He's ready to go along with it even as he makes his play…. Until Emily is suddenly calling for a TIME-OUT! Will Jonah's fantasies be permanently iced?

In words
Even though the events take place in six days, I believed in the romance. I had finished the book before I knew it and just wanted more!

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 2 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Sensuality - 1
No minus points
Total - 9
B = 8/10 = 4 stars

Tribute - Nora Roberts

Publication
August 2008, Putnam/Jove

In short
Cilla McGowan, a former child star, has found a more satisfying life restoring homes. So she comes to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley to save the dilapidated farmhouse that once belonged to her grandmother - a legendary actress who died of an overdose more than thirty years ago.
Plunging into the project with gusto, Cilla's almost too busy and exhausted to notice her neighbor, graphic novelist Ford Sawyer. Determined not to carry on the family tradition of ill-fated romances, Cilla steels herself against Ford's quirky charm, though she can't help indulging in a little fantasy.
But it's reality that holds its share of dangers for Cilla. A cache of unsigned letters found in the attic points to a mysterious romance in her grandmother's life - and may be the catalyst for a frightening, violent assault. And if Cilla and Ford are unable to sort out who is targeting her and why, she may, like her world-famous grandmother, be cut down in the prime of her life.

In words
Nice read, but NR has so many great books that I found this one average. Especially Cilla's character seemed to be a bit flat - I couldn't warm up to her. For my taste, there could have been a few more sex scenes. As always, the hero is memorable. NR writes her hero's so well, especially the beta-types like Sawyer. His dog is equally adorable and not at all too fantastic - if you have ever been the proud owner of an equally weird dog.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 2 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Humor - 1
No minus points
Total - 9
B = 8/10 = 4 stars

Miss Wonderful - Loretta Chase

Publication
2004, Carsington Brothers #1

In short
Alistair Carsington really, really wishes he didn’t love women quite so much. To escape his worst impulses, he sets out for a place far from civilization: Derbyshire - in winter! - where he hopes to kill two birds with one stone: avoid all temptation, and repay the friend who saved his life on the fields of Waterloo. But this noble aim drops him straight into opposition with Miss Mirabel Oldridge, a woman every bit as intelligent, obstinate, and devious as he - and maddeningly irresistible.
Mirabel Oldridge already has her hands full keeping her brilliant and aggravatingly eccentric father out of trouble. The last thing she needs is a stunningly attractive, oversensitive and overbright aristocrat reminding her she has a heart - not to mention a body he claims is so unstylishly clothed that undressing her is practically a civic duty.
Could the situation be any worse? And why does something that seems so wrong feel so very wonderful?

In words
What a wonderful book. I think the way Alistair tries to deal with his war trauma - his obsession with clothes - is so cleverly written. The relationship between Alistair and Mirabel is so believable. Part of the plot (about the steward) could have been left out, but the entire book is so good and rich - great characters, humor, witty conversations - that I simply don't care. As a whole, the Carsingtons are one of my favorite series and I reread them every year.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 3 (max 3)
Romance - 2 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Conversations - 1
Humor - 1
Sensuality - 1
No minus points
Total - 12
A = 9,5/10 = 5 stars

Not Quite a Lady - Loretta Chase

Publication
May 2007, Avon Historical Romance, 978-0-06-123123-0
Carsington Brothers #4

In short

IRRESISTIBLE FORCE
Darius Carsington is a spectacularly handsome rake with a rare intelligence and no heart, a man who divides his time between bedding loose-moralled women and writing scholarly papers. He finds society's “perfect darlings”... exceedingly boring. But there’s something intriguing, and not quite perfect, about faultless Lady Charlotte Hayward. He senses a crack under her polished surface, and finding it is a temptation he can’t resist.

IMMOVABLE OBJECT
Lady Charlotte is so beautiful, charming, and gracious that no one has noticed what an expert she is at Not Getting Married. Early on, she learned a painful lesson about trust... and temptation. In the years since, she’s devoted her life to all she ought to be - and she’s not about to let a man like Carsington entice her to do everything she shouldn’t.

A SPLENDID COLLISION
But the laws of attraction can easily overpower the rules of manners and morals, and sometimes even the best-behaved girl has to follow her instincts, even if it means risking it all.

In words
I have no idea what it is with this one compared to the other three in the series, but it is lacking something for me. The biggest problem I have is with Darius: I cannot seem to 'get' him. His character, his person remains somewhat unclear to me and therefore the romance seems to be suffering too. For the rest, again great writing and humor.

In numbers
Voice - 3 (max 3)
Characters - 2 (max 3)
Romance - 1 (max 2)
Plot - 1 (max 2)
Conversations - 1
Special setting - 0
Humor - 1
Sensuality - 1
No minus points
Total - 10
B+ = 9,5/10 = 4,5 stars