Review: The Last Honest Woman by Nora Roberts

The Last Honest Woman by: Nora Roberts
 Source: Audio Book - Library
 (Mills & Boon 2011)



Blurb:
Never tell the whole truth, nobody wants to hear it. As the widow of an infamous racing car champion, Abby O'Hurley shunned publicity. Now a single mum, struggling to keep her family and farm afloat, Abby has invited charming, disarming and ruthlessly cynical biographer Dylan Crosby to tell her story. Abby's doing it for the sake of her sons, but she needs to keep Dylan from uncovering her darkest secrets. She'll tell him just enough to close that chapter of her life, even if Dylan wants more than she's willing to give...

Review:
I can usually count on a Nora Roberts book to be a decent read but honestly, the only reason I was able to finish this book was because I really wanted to give the whole series a try. From the start I wasn't able to connect with Abby. I had a hard time with parts of her character that seemed so incongruous I felt like there were two characters instead of one. One minute she was strong, the next she was a weak helpless female that needed a man desperately to help her with everything. She was brave, and scared. She was a mystery but she was the most open and honest woman ever invented. She made my head hurt.
Dylan was overbearing, pushy, and opinionated. At least his characteristics were consistent but geez, it certainly didn't endear me to him and I would have kicked him out of the house for his unprofessional behavior.
Not one of my favorite Nora Roberts books.
   
Sexual Content: m/f


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book

2= A struggle to read to the finish

3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable

4= I ended it with a smile on my face

5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I
finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Challenges: 

 

Review: Enchantment by Pati Nagle

Enchantment by: Pati Nagle
Source: Librarything Early Review
(Evennight Books 2011)


Blurb:

Holly Parker's life changes forever when she visits Enchantment Spring with her older sister Madison. They hike through the woods, and when they reach the spring, Holly's disappointed. A concrete coffin full of water? She expected a pool surrounded by flowers, birds, dancing dragonflies.
But fine. They eat the lunch they packed, and lounge around in the sunshine a while. As they get ready to leave, Holly dabbles her fingers in the water.
And sees a face beneath the surface.  

The joy of first love fills her, but Holly's happiness turns to horror when she learns that the government plans to demolish Enchantment Spring. Her passion for Ohlan 'the beautiful water spirit who inhabits the spring' is so strong that she'll gladly risk her life, standing between the spring and the backhoes, to save him.

Review:
The whole time I read this book I kept feeling hopeful. Hopeful that the story would pick up. Hopeful that I would find meaning somewhere in the story. Hopeful that the characters would develop beyond that of the man from the spring that smiles a lot and the girl who seems to have everything figured out in her life except where to go to college and that pesky plan to destroy the spring where her soon-to-be lover lives.
My hopes were dashed. The story doesn't pick up until 3/4 of the way through and neither myself nor the characters feel any richer for having experienced it.
To give the book credit though I thought the idea behind the story was great. The author could have done so much more with what she had to work with. I also think the book was written well and was easy to read.

At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book

2= A struggle to read to the finish

3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable

4= I ended it with a smile on my face

5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I
finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Challenges: 

 

Quickie Review: Bloodlust by Larissa Ione

Bloodlust by: Larissa Ione
Cost: Free, Barnes & Noble


Blurb:

Sometimes, you don't need romance…

Sir Brynn of Lochland has a serious problem. He's been captured by an evil vampire queen who wants to use him as her newest blood slave. But Brynn doesn't have a submissive bone in his body, and he intends to fight her every step of the way.

Can Brynn's willpower remain intact when pitted against Sorla's superior vampire strength, seductive skills, and underhanded cruelty, or will she ultimately take possession of both his mind…and body?

* * * CONTENT WARNING: This is a VERY graphic erotic horror/fantasy novella. Expect blood, sex, some M/M content, and bad, bad words.

Review:
I was happy this one was so short. I don't think I would have finished it otherwise. I have no complaint about the way this was written, it was the content that disturbed me. And I'd like to note that I have enjoyed other titles by this author but this one was so graphic it wasn't really my cup of tea. It was more on the horror side than erotic. 



On a side note I was amused to find the reviews below on the author's website for this book:

"I'm sure it's good, but no way am I going to read it." — Larissa's mom

"It's not the worst thing I've ever read." — New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Tyler

Sexual Content: f/m, m/m


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book
2= A struggle to read to the finish
3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable
4= I ended it with a smile on my face
5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Thursday's Quickie Review: Shapeshifter's Craving by Lee Pearce

Shapeshifter's CravingBy: Lee Pearce
(pub. Ellora's Cave 3/15/2010 25pp.)

Cost: Free
Review:

Characters
Kate, princess to the shapeshifters, and Aiden, her bodyguard, experience their first sexual encounter on the river shore after Kate gets it in her head to ask Aiden why he's never made a pass at her. Awaakwaaaard. Not for the characters really, but it was awkward to read it. Kate has the personality of a 13 year old girl and Aiden has probably been been lifting too many dumbbells since he then not only immediately makes a pass at her but then gets down to business right there at the side of the river. I'm not really sure where her brothers and sisters (who were swimming with them earlier) went during this interlude. I'd prefer to give it the benefit of the doubt and think they were alone during coitus.


Plot
The problem, though, is Aiden has a secret and Kate has a decision to make. I won't spoil the secret but Kate's decision is what animal she will choose to become her single shapeshifting form. Because apparently you have to pick one... You can't just continue to shift into anything you want... 


I don't know why. 


I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation...


But Kate STILL hasn't chosen one. Even though ALL her brothers and sisters did ages ago. SHE'S LATE. RUDE.


Overall I am glad this was a short book. The sex was less than exciting. I kept wondering if I was reading it too fast and missing some parts. I went back and reread it...and nope. I think my brain might have filled in a lot the first time around because the second read through was worse. The love story was subpar. All the elements for a great story were there but I think it missed making a connection with the reader.


Sexual Content: m/f


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book
2= A struggle to read to the finish
3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable
4=I ended it with a smile on my face
5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.