Two Reviews

Men in Kilts by Katie MacAlister
Written in the first person where the speaker is neurotic and obsessive makes this contemporary romance very entertaining. Sadly the plot is rather humdrum and although I had little sympathy for the main character her ridiculous antics (falling down a hill because of sheep  and misunderstanding that "pants" in the UK means men's underwear) were the only things preventing me from giving up on the book in disgust. While the main character is overly introspective, not surprising since the book is written from her point of view, the main male character alternates between affectionate and disinterested so the reader never gets a good feel for his point of view. The disconnect from the male character turns what was supposed to be a romance novel into desperate, obsessive, and juvenile ramblings, in book form.

A Matter of Choice by Laura Landon
Where Men in Kilts failed to provide insightful or deep characters A Matter of Choice excelled in having both its male and female leads coping with emotional baggage and society pressure. The character arcs are relatively complex, namely the process in which the two leads come to terms with their arranged marriage, their prenuptial agreement, their relationship with each other, and a psychopathic father bent on revenge. These characters were more believable to me because they showed an evolution from bickering and distrusting one another to having a legitimate trusting (and bickering) relationship.

Murder in the Sentier by Cara Black

Murder in the Sentier is a modern mystery set in Paris during July, 1994. The plot focuses on the main character, Aimee Leduc, trying to find information about her mother who left when she was a child. In her inquiries she comes across a link between her mother and a 1960's terrorist group whose various members are coming out of hiding and prison with the single goal of finding a twenty year old stash of diamonds. With multiple independent players providing shady information Aimee's questions about her mother put her in the line of fire.

Having never been to Paris I am not the best judge on how accurate the setting is but the Sentier and other districts are described in a way the reader can visualize the streets and buildings without having been there. The sprinkling of French throughout the book add more authenticity to the setting and characters. Overall I enjoyed this novel as well as a previous book by Cara Black and have a third Aimee Leduc Investigation to read a some point.

First Post, First Two Recipes, First Three Reviews

To start things off I have a rather eclectic taste in books, although generally fiction. For example, I just finished reading a historical romance, a young adult fantasy novel, and a mystery (to be reviewed later in this post);  I also started reading a contemporary mystery, a contemporary novel, a regency romance, and I'm still slogging my way through Anna Karenina. You have been warned. Besides random reviews I plan on posting equally random pieces of my novel (Blood Vipers), artwork, recipes, and possibly geologic tidbits. Two of my favorite recipes are Lemon Curd and Shortbread Cookies which pair perfectly with a hot cup of tea and a novel.

The Pirate Bride, by Temple Hogan

This book initially caught my eye since it features pirates, and not merely a male pirate but a female masquerading as a male pirate.The  plot was more interesting than most romances and the female characters had greater depth than the male characters Although amusing and a nice fluffy read, I wanted the male lead to have more depth and angst over his accidental marriage to the woman known as the pirate Red Charlie and her subsequent actions. Overall not a bad read and more dynamic than most pirate romances.

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, by Laini Taylor

I have a terrible habit of picking up books based on their covers and happily this book didn't disappoint. Featuring Barbie-doll-sized faeries and a debut novel Blackbringer was a breath of fresh air after the last half dozen books I've read where the main faerie is a human-sized changeling. The plot focused on the adventure to stop the creature Blackbringer from destroying the world and the coming of age story of the heroine Magpie Windwitch. The mystery and action surrounding Blackbringer is mellowed nicely by the burgeoning romantic interest between Magpie and Talon. Punctuated by exciting new words like "skiffle" Blackbringer has more good points than bad and leaves the reader with interest in potential sequels (which I understand have been published already)

Heat Rises, by Richard Castle

Yes, I know this is a novel by a fictional TV character but who ever ghost writes the Richard Castle novels does a wonderful job of tying every aspect of the show into the books, although perhaps too good a job. The plot was different enough from that of the show as to not be a copy but definitely had pieces that sounded like a repeat. Besides the similarities between the show and book this Castle novel is better than Heat Wave, which seemed forced and stilted. Despite the novel being written by a fictional character and the major typo in which the wrong character's name is used, Heat Rises is an amusing extension of the TV show and ends with a slight twist.