Saturday, April 24, 2010

Book Review of Wicked Becomes Her by Meredith Duran

Wicked Becomes You

The blurb:
Gwen Maudsley is pretty enough to be popular, and plenty wealthy, too. But what she's known and loved for is being so very, very nice. When a cad jilts her at the altar -- again -- the scandal has her outraged friends calling for blood. Only Gwen has a different plan. If nice no longer works for her, then it's time to learn to be naughty. Happily, she knows the perfect tutor -- Alexander Ramsey, her late brother's best friend and a notorious rogue.

Unbeknownst to Gwen, Alex's aloof demeanor veils his deepest unspoken desire. He has no wish to see her change, nor to tempt himself with her presence when his own secrets make any future between them impossible. But on a wild romp from Paris to the Riviera, their friendship gives way to something hotter, darker, and altogether more dangerous. With Alex's past and Gwen's newly unleashed wildness on a collision course, Gwen must convince Alex that his wickedest intentions are exactly what she needs.

Review:
I have to say that Wicked Becomes Her is my first Meredith Duran romance novel and once I finished it, I immediately wanted to read her earlier books!

Wicked Becomes Her works so well -- I love historical romance novels with smart, funny, daring and supremely loyal women. Gwen Maudsley is one of my favorite romantic leads with her hidden depths, quick wit, sharp mind, and loyal soul. I loved that she's abandoned at the altar twice and has to face the ton's gossip - and responds with a flash of spirit! Meredith Duran had me chuckling from the start!

The other romantic lead measures up as well. I love it when the heroes appear dissolute but prove otherwise. And when I come across a book with dialogue that has me laughing out loud and characters as fun as Gwen and Alex, I carefully keep the book to enjoy another day.

If you enjoy historical romances and are looking for a fun, romantic escape, get yourself a copy of Meredith Duran's Wicked Becomes You. Put your phone on silent and turn off your blackberry - you won't want to be interrupted!

ISBN-10: 1416593128 - Paperback $7.99
Publisher: Pocket; Original edition (April 27, 2010), 416 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author, courtesy of her website:
Meredith Duran grew up enamored of British history. At thirteen years old, she made a list of life goals that included writing romance novels, trying sushi, and going to London to see Holbein's portrait of Anne Boleyn. Now a doctoral student in anthropology, she is happy to report that all three goals have become her favorite things to do. When not studying, doing fieldwork in India, or working on her next novel, Meredith can be found in the library, browsing through travelogues written by intrepid Englishwomen of the nineteenth century. Learn more on Meredith Duran's website at http://www.meredithduran.com/index.html

Thank you so much Ayelet and Simon and Schuster for this review opportunity!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Book Blog Tour of Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky

Welcome to the Book Blog Tour of Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky!

Firefly Rain

The blurb:
After a failed business venture in Boston, Jacob Logan comes back to the small Southern town of his childhood and takes up residence in the isolated house he grew up in. Here, the air is still. The nights are black. And his parents are buried close by. It should feel like home -- but something is terribly wrong.

Jacob loses all his belongings in a highway accident. His car is stolen from his driveway, yet he never hears a sound. The townspeople seem guarded and suspicious. And Carl, the property caretaker with so many secrets, is unnervingly accomodating. Then there are the fireflies that light the night skies. . .and die as they come near Jacob's home. If it weren't for the creaking sounds after dark, or the feeling that he is being watched, Jacob would feel so alone. He shouldn't worry. He's not.

And whatever's with him isn't going to let him leave home ever again.

Review:
Richard Dansky's Firefly Rain doesn't read like a debut novel. The main character, Jacob Logan, draws the reader in from the start. Jacob comes across as intelligent, articulate, and logical. When strange things seem to happen around him, it's hard to tell whether he's succumbed to the pressure or whether his imaginings are real. Richard Dansky handles the uncertainty with considerable skill.

Although hints are dropped throughout the book, the significance of the fireflies is not revealed until nearly the end of the novel. The characters, action, and pacing work together well to give us an unusual mix of thriller, suspense, and horror. If you're a fan of the genre and looking for a fun, diverting read, I highly recommend Richard Dansky's Firefly Rain.

ISBN-10: 1439148635 - Paperback
Publisher: Gallery; Reprint edition (April 6, 2010), 352 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Richard Dansky is a renowned video game writer who was selected by Gamasutra.com as one of its Top 20 Game Writers. He is the central writer for the Tom Clancy-themed video games and the author of numerous short fiction stories, as well as the Trilogy of the Second Age for White Wolf's Exalted role-playing game. He lives in Durham, North Carolina. Firefly Rain, his first novel, was BookSense Pick.

Participating Sites:

Revenge of the Book Nerds: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
My Life In Not So Many Words: http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Crazy Books & Reviews: http://www.lindsayphotobook.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
The Cajun Book Lady: http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/
I Heart Monster: http://www.iheartmonster.com
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Just One More Paragraph: http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Lucky Rosie’s: http://www.luckyrosiescreations.blogspot.com/
Pam’s Private Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
Star Shadow: http://www.starshadowblog.com/
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
My Book Views: http://my-book-views.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
Simply Stacie: http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer: http://ramblingsofacoffeeaddictedwrter.blogspot.com/
Books And Things: http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Book Tumbling: http://booktumbling.com/
Jen’s Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
Dan’s Journal: http://grumpydan.blogspot.com/
Avid Reader: http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net/
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
I’m Booking It: http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/
Must Read Faster: http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/
Maria’s Space: http://www.reesspace.blogspot.com/
Gnostalgia: http://gnostalgia.wordpress.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/

Taking Time For Mommy: http://takingtimeformommy.blogspot.com/


Thank you so much to Sarah and Pocket Books for this review opportunity!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Book Blog Tour of Necessary Heartbreak by Michael J. Sullivan

Welcome to the Book Blog Tour of Michael J. Sullivan's Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness.

Necessary Heartbreak: Book One of the When Time Forgets Trilogy
The blurb:
Michael Stewart has weathered his share of hardship: a troubled childhood, the loss of his mother, even the degradation of living on the city streets. Now he's raising his teenage daughter, Elizabeth, on his own and doing hte best he can at work and at home. But he's turned his back on his faith -- that is, until the morning Michael and Elizabeth volunteer for a food patnry at their local church.

While storing boxes in the basement, they step through a mysterious door. . .and find themselves in first-century Jerusalem, during the tumultuous last week of Jesus Christ's life. It is a dangerous and violent place, where doing what your heart tells you is right can get you imprisoned -- or worse -- and they are thankful to take refuge with a kind widow. But when they come face-to-face with Judas Iscariot and the condemned Christ himself, Michael realizes that before they can escape Jerusalem, he must experience history's most necessary and shattering heartbreak -- and that pain and loss must happen if Michael is to be set free: to live, love, and reclaim the blessings he has in the present day.

Review:
I would recommend Necessary Heartbreak to a reader with a Christian sympathies. The book turns on the discovery that Michael and Liz have somehow stepped back into time to the last week of Jesus's life. As they travel back in time, Michael and Liz somehow find themselves part of major historical events. As the stories come alive, their reactions to Jesus, the disciples, and their sacrifices and suffering drive the story.

Though the idea behind the book is interesting, the book did not resonate with me. While I found the descriptions of Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate interesting characters, the time travelers struck me as self-centered and largely unsympathetic. While the book was not to my personal taste, I would recommend it to someone with an interest in the subject matter and with a more Christian sensibility.

ISBN-10: 1439184232 - Paperback $15.00
Publisher: Gallery; Original edition (March 30, 2010), 256 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Michael J. Sullivan is a sports journalist and author whose previous titles include seven sport-themed books for children. In the New York City area, where he lives, he has hosted several sports radio shows and has worked with ESPN and Sporting News. Visit him at www.whentimeforgets.com

Participating Sites:
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Dragonflies ‘n Daydreams: http://dragonfliesndaydreams.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
I Read: http://sumanam.wordpress.com/
Just One More Paragraph: http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
Broken Teepee: http://www.brokenteepee.blogspot.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
The Avid Reader: http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net/
Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews: http://sharonsgardenofbookreviews.blogspot.com
Simply Stacie: http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/
Bibliophile’s Retreat: http://bibliophilesretreat.com/
The Book Tree: http://thebooktree.blogspot.com
You Wanna Know What I Think? : http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/
Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
Book Tumbling: http://booktumbling.com/
I Heart Monster: http://www.iheartmonster.com
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Pam’s Private Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
My Book Views: http://my-book-views.blogspot.com/
Write For A Reader: http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
This Book For Free: http://thisbookforfree.com
Mad Hatter Mom: http://madhattermom.com/
Books Reviews by Buuklvr81: http://www.buuklvr81.blogspot.com
Arms of a Sister: http://www.armsofasister.com/
Books and Needlepoint: http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/
A Room Without Books Is Empty: http://detweilermom.blogspot.com/
Country Bookshelf: http://www.countrybookshelf.blogspot.com/
Bellas Novella: http://www.bellasnovella.com/
I Heart Books: http://luv-books.blogspot.com/
Loving Heart Mommy: http://www.lovingheartmommy.com/
Thank you so much to Sarah and PocketBooks for this review opportunity!