What are you reading? - December 2011

Last month of the year already! What are you reading in between Christmas preperations and general December madness?

I'm reading Last Call by Jennifer Schmidt right now and liking it. It's a fun, light read with a little bit of seriousness sprinkled over it - just enough to keep things interesting.

I'm about 1/2 way through To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt

So far I've read Hell Kat, a futuristic erotica by Viva Anna and the anthology Bad Boys in Black Tie. Both were duds for me.

I just finished High Heels and Homicide by Kasey Michaels, my very first Kindle book.

4: How did you find reading on your Kindle?

I finished Tender Rebel, 2nd of the Malory books by Johanna Lindsey and I was less than thrilled with it. I wasn't blown away by the first in the series either and am seriously rethinking continuing with the series. It seems like all her hero and heroine's do is marry and then fight and argue with one another with nothing but misunderstandings. The heroine made the most inconceivable and unreasonable demands too, I could barely stand her. Now for something completely different, I'm beginning Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

am reading darkfever after seeing on so many people's favourites lists. It's pretty entertaining so far, though certain parallels with Charlaine Harris's Sookie were hard to ignore at first.

I finished The Comeback Kiss by Lani Diane Rich good but it could have been a bit better. Also started She's No Princess by Laura Lee Guhrke.

Julia

ktleyed, I started the Malory books with A Gentle Rogue. I would suggest giving that one a try before you abandon the series... It was my favorite and I think the only reason I liked the first two..

5 Samantha,

I actually read it on an iPad, with a downloaded Kindle app. I liked reading on it as you can adjust the font size. I think I still like a book in my hands though. Also since the iPad is a tablet it's not as portable as a Kindle but it certainly is handy. I think it's great when you want to read the next book in a series; you don't have to go look for it or wait for it to arrive. So here I am -- grandma in the 21st Century!

Right now I am reading High Heels and Holidays by Kasey Michaels in book form. I wanted to read this book in order. That's why I downloaded the last book.

9> I think I did the same thing! Gentle Rogue was my favorite, too.

Last night I finished Sexiest Vampire Alive by Kerrelyn Sparks. Started The Bite Before Christmas by Lynsay Sands & Jeaniene Frost. Read the Frost novella first and enjoyed it as always. Will start Sands' tonight.

9 & 11 - thanks for the advice, I'll give it another try for James' story.

I read Laura Lee Guhrke's Scandal of the Year last night, which was quite good. Maybe my first 5-star romance read of the year. I'll have to go back and check.

I just finished The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon and am now beginning The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway.

Went back and checked. Yep, first 5-star read of the year. I don't know if that means I'm being tougher on books or if I just read a lot of mediocre ones this year. My Dearest Enemy and Broken Wing came close at 4 1/2.

I recently read Barbara Pierce's A Gentleman at Heart and enjoyed it, but felt I was missing some family backstory. The heroine's sister apparently had a book previously.

Plowed through a Harlequin Regency Historical, The Viscount's Bride by Ann Elizabeth Cree. Had potential, clearly there's an earlier book I missed, but this one ended up being rather disjointed and pretty much a yawn. Next.

I recently finished Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh, which was a nice read, but now I am confused over the timeline of this series.
I've only read two books so far, but I'm going to guess the siblings were all thrown to a different time in the prologue...

The climax was kind of a let down though.

**SPOILERS**

Liliana was very worried over how to defeat her father without sacrificing someone, but then Micah just snapped his neck and it was over so quickly.

**END SPOILERS**

Also, I never thought of "petting" as a sexy verb. Made me think of puppies and kittens instead of sexy caresses.
I loved the unique characters though.

Let's s see, I finished She's no Princess by Laura Lee Guhrke and Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas both were very good.

Next is The Charade also by Guhrke.

Julia

I finished new-to-me author, Kimberly Logan's A Kiss in the Dark. It's a few years old, but I think it was her first book. It was cliched and flawed, but enjoyable and I flew threw it. The h/h get together because they join forces to find the hero's lost sister who ended up in the very rookery the heroine grew up in. Most of the book takes place here and I don't think there's a single event that takes place in ton society, although the hero is an earl and the heroine a scandalous viscountess. I found it refreshing.The book also has quite a few children, which I usually don't like in a book, but didn't mind here.

Currently, I am reading Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins. It is the character Preacher's story. I always wondered about Preacher and his life story. Beverly has 2 more outlaws to do in the infamous July Posse.

I just finished Bowled Over by Kasey Michaels. It was the last book of her Maggie Kelly series. They were all cute. The heroine wrote historical romantic fiction and her fictional regency hero comes to life, along with his sidekick. They all then solve a bunch of murders together and, of course, she and the hero live happily ever after.

The series is funny with recurring characters. The premise is nice and quirky and it was fun to see how regency era characters adapt to 21st century New York.

I've just started Zoe Archer's Warrior - the first in her Blades of the Rose series. The heroine and hero have just set off adventuring across northern Mongolia - how's that for an unusual setting?

I'm not sure how I feel about the paranormal aspects, but for now, it's a bit like reading The Mummy or Indiana Jones, both of which I love, so I'm just going to go with it.

Has anybody else read these?

22 - Sounds interesting. Is it a historical? I'm not much for paranormal in historicals, but I'm all for unusual settings. Anything to spice it up.

I read Julia Quinn's first book last night, Splendid. It was enjoyable, but you can tell it's her earliest effort.

I don't know what it means that I'm posting twice in a row before anyone else has jumped in. Maybe I need to get out more? Anyway, I read Devilish Pleasures of a Duke, another Boscastle book by Jillian Hunter and found it just so-so. It's pretty steamy but the backstory is not very satisfying, especially the hero's and the intrigue is minimal and seems to be thrown in towards the end for effect. I guess I felt rather lukewarm about the h/h's relationship and didn't feel invested in their HEA. Oh well, I've invested enough into the Boscastles over the years, I'll probably still keep reading them. But it was another 3 1/2 stars read.

>23 gracer:, Gracer

Warrior is historical. It's set in the late 1800s (1874). It's been quite unconventional so far. The hero is a former Army officer, but a collier's son rather than an aristocrat. The heroine was raised by her father in Mongolia and can ride & shoot, but isn't particularly well-versed in social graces.

I'm enjoying some of the links to magic/paranormal (to explain Napoleon's escape from Elba, for example). But for some reason, I do have an easier time accepting paranormal & magical elements in contemporaries/futuristics.

Last night I started No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole. Liking it so far.

I finished The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway and am now starting Storming the Castle a novella by Eloisa James between book 1 and book 2 of her most recent fairy tale series.

25 - Sounds intriguing. Let us know at the end how you liked the book.

26 - I started on the IAD series long ago, snapped up the first five books and only read the first one or two. It's been on my list to reread.

I read an older Georgina Gentry, To Love a Texan, that I swear I've read before. But I hadn't entered it into LT, so I can't be sure. It was an enjoyable, battle of the sexes type read with humor. I rarely read romances set in the American West, so it was a nice change.

I also read a relatively recent book by newish author, Jennifer Haymore, called Confessions of an Improper Bride. It had me captivated until almost the very end where I found the resolution extremely unsatisfying. Has anyone else read this? Would like to discuss, but don't want to spoil it for others. I think the author has potential and my complaint with the book may not be shared by others, but it was a huge letdown for me.

I finished a short story by Eloisa James, Storming the Castle which was okay, very implausible even for a fairy tale and a sequel to A Kiss at Midnight. Now I'm reading Reforming a Rake by Suzanne Enoch.

28> Ages ago I started A Hunger Like No Other and hated it so much I stopped after 1 or 2 chapters! Someone in this group convinced me to give it another try and I liked it well enough, but it took me a while to get around to reading the next in the series. I really liked it though, and I've requested the next one from the library.

I just discovered Loretta Chase so I'm reading her this month. Finished Last Night's Scandal, Isabella, The English Witch, and Captives of the Night and am on The Last Hellion now. I'm enjoying her stuff!

>flemmily,

I recently read her Silk is for Seduction and really enjoyed it. And, of course, Mr Impossible and Lord of Scoundrels are both among my favorites. Hope you continue to enjoy!

I'm about 2/3 of the way through Victoria Alexander's His Mistress By Christmas, a late Victorian holiday romance, and am finding it absolutely delightful. I enjoy books set in the late Victorian/Edwardian era (this novel takes place in December 1885) as opportunities for women greatly expanded at this time. Alexander takes advantage of this by making her heroine, Lady Veronica Smithson, a free-thinking widow who cherishes her independence and has no desire ever to marry again. Her hero, Sir Sebastian Hadley-Attwater (what a great name!) is a global explorer who's never felt the urge to settle down and marry until he meets Veronica. The resulting tension between the leads is delicious and frequently very funny; charming, well-delineated secondary characters add to the farce. If the rest of the book holds up as well as the first two-thirds, this will prove one of the best Christmas romances I've yet read.

Has anyone else here read much by Alexander, an author who's new to me? Do you have any recommendations on which books by her I should read next? I want to check out her backlist soon!

I just finished New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb. For those who read the In Death series, the book resolves some interesting issues. I liked it very much.

I am currently reading Love, Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas. The author's note indicates it was her first novel and has just been reissued. It takes place in post Civil War Massachsetts. The hero is a confederate veteran and the heroine is a properly prim Yankee. It is slightly too long on some details but a pretty good first effort.

Currently I am reading In the Spaniard's Bed by Helen Bianchin. This book made me realize that the homosexuals in Presents are usually portrayed as weak and spineless. That really marred any enjoyment I would have found in this book.

I'm beginning Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March.

starlightgenie, I find I can't read Harlequin Presents at all, by any author. The tropes insisted on by the publisher for that line just offend me in every way. I actually find the grotesque stereotyping of Mediterranean men as furiously possessive, unreasonably jealous macho asshats as disgusting as the doormat heroines and spineless and/or evil gay men. The fact that the line has now branched out into caricatures of Russians and South East Asians makes me sick.

I finished His Mistress By Christmas and really enjoyed it all the way through. I felt the conclusion was a bit rushed and there were some slightly eye-rolling bits with the heroine's aunt and grandmother, but over-all this was a really fun read. Just to stay in the holiday spirit, I'll probably start Carla Kelly's Coming Home for Christmas next.

marietherese, I totally understand that Harlequin Presents are definitely not for everyone, and I agree with all the reasons you mentioned. I don't know what it says about me that they are my favorite out of all the Harlequin and Silhouette lines, but I like to think I know the difference b/w fiction and reality.

I just finished Reforming a Rake by Suzanne Enoch I really liked it, great ending too! Now I'm beginning In Bed With a Highlander by Maya Banks.

I've been travelling a lot this month (for vacation and work) so have had a lot of plane time to read. Since I can't list all the books, here's the ones that stood out (both good and bad):
Storm's Heart - I really love this series so glad I found it...Thanks to this board!
Never Love a Highlander and Seduction of a Highland Lass - both good contributions to a solid trilogy
Unclaimed - I loved it!
Never a Gentleman - Really disliked the hero and thought the heroine was too cliched.

I finished The Charade and Maybe this time by Jennifer Crusie and also And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke which was so, so good.

Started Crazy in Love by Lani Diane Rich this morning.

Julia

Just finished Stranded with Her Ex by Jill Sorenson. It was a nice read and loved the unusual setting (Farallon Islands) but I wish I could understand more about the villain's motive. Why skin a baby seal??

I am reading Wish List, an anthology of Christmas stories. I just finished the one by Lisa Kleypas and moving on to a short story by Lisa Cach. So far, so good.

I'm re-reading Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series -- they are quite as charming the second time through.

>caramellunacy - I liked Warrior the most of the quartet.

I'm partway through Suzanne Enoch's Jellicoe series.

I finished In Bed With a Highlander, it was just like a Julie Garwood novel only not as endearing. Now I'm beginning Take A Chance on Me.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Julia

47> The same to you.

I'm looking forward to opening my SantaThing present tomorrow!

I just finished A Historical Christmas Present, a nice anthology of Christmas stories.

I wish all of my fellow romantics a blessed and happy Christmas!

False advertising!!! I just finished Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole and I just have to say, "false advertising!" I thought this would be a good book for the season, but NO! It takes place in a jungle! There's no snow in the jungle! The story itself was good enough, but it took me forever to finish . . . maybe because I was in the mood for something else, something more . . . wintery? I'll probably eventually give the next book in the series a try, but I'm not in any hurry.

#50 BookLizard - I felt the same way as you!

I've got the 3rd in the Lucky Harbor series Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis. I loved the first two, so I'm really looking forward to this. I've also got a couple of Maya Banks books to read, In Bed with a Highlander and Long Road Home.

I started reading Wuthering Heights again yesterday.

I finished Take A Chance on Me by Susan Donovan, I really enjoyed it and now I'm reading Married to the Viscount by Sabrina Jeffries.

33 - Victoria Alexander is hit or miss. I have a couple of her older, harder to find titles that I have enjoyed, but I found the Effingtons so-so. I have quite a bit of her backlist but never seem to have the urge to read them. And I don't pick up her books anymore. But if you read more and find a real gem, please share. It'd be nice to know what's good.

34 - I saw New York to Dallas awhile back and forgot to get it. I do want to read it though. My mom and I both read the series and we have most of them.

38 - Presents are my favorite imprint, too. I know they're cliched and often cardboard cutouty, but I enjoy the fantasy. I rarely read category though. They're too hard to get rid of. I have a few older ones, mostly interconnected series that I want to complete and read, but they're low priority.

41 - And Then He Kissed Her is definitely a keeper. I find Laura Lee Guhrke hit or miss, but when she's good, she's good! I think the only ones I didn't love were His Every Kiss and She's No Princess. There are a couple Girl-Bachelors that I haven't read, though.

45 - I've read the first four Jellicoe books and really enjoyed them. This was a few years ago, though. Are there more?

I've read a few books since I last posted. Here they are with some comments:

Non-Romance:

World on Fire by Amy Chua - very good, talks about globalization and capitalism and how the existence of market-dominant minorities (her big example are ethnic Chinese in a number of Southeast Asian countries) creates resentment and leads to potential ethnic conflict. Very interesting.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - really enjoyed this one. I read Remains of the Day a few years ago and loved that, too. Ishiguro has a small backlist so I'm thinking of reading the rest of his books. Then I rented the movie and, of course, didn't enjoy it as much. It's a shame that in every movie adaptation they leave so much out. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have understood what was going on, let alone enjoyed it if I hadn't read the book first. Has anyone seen the movie but not read the book?

Romance:

The Devil in Disguise by Stefanie Sloane - new to me author that I picked up at a Salvation Army on vacation. It was forgettable.

I finally started The Rarest Blooms Quartet by Madeline Hunter. I thrifted the first book to complete the series. So far I've read the first two. Ravishing in Red was okay as was Provocative in Pearls. I peeked at Castleford and Daphne's book, which is the one I really want to read, but have to get through Celia's story first.

I think that's it. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

gracer - in the Girl bachelor series by LLG, another great one in that series is Secret Desires of a Gentleman, I think it was almost better than And Then He Kissed Her, it has a real Sabrina (as in the movie with Audrey Hepburn) feel to it.

I finished Lord of Fire by Gaelen Foley and am now beginning Open Season by Linda Howard.

56 - That's one I haven't read. It is in TBR, however.

I've started Sinful in Satin, third in the Rarest Blooms Quartet. It's okay so far. I also powered through Tomato Red, my bookclub read. It was a fast read and some of the prose was fun, but I found the story kind of meaningless.

gracer, so far I'm liking most of LLG's books. Even the ones that are not very good are at least good.

Vacantion does wonders to my tbr pile. I finished Crazy in Love by Lani Diane Rich, The Wicked Ways of a Duke and Secret Desires of a Gentleman both by Laura Lee Guhrke as well as Game for Seduction by Bella Andre.

Started Death in Venice by Thomas Mann though it's a short book I can see it dragging into the new year.

Also started Game for Love by Bella Andre.

Julia

>gracer
There's one more in the Jellicoe series, book five is A Touch of Minx.

Julia, that is true.

icedtea, good to know. I will keep a lookout for it. Is it a clear end to the series or is there room to continue?

I finished the Rarest Blooms. Sinful in Satin was good, but not great. Dangerous in Diamonds was by far the best. I can't decide whether to get rid of the first three and just keep that one, however. I think they were all good, but I think authors tend to put more into one or two books in a series. I have seen this in the Wallflowers, Bedwyns, and others.

There will be one more book in the Jellicoe series. I think it was supposed to come out this year, not sure what happened though.

Julia

I finished my last book for this year Death in Venice by Thomas Mann also finished Game for Love.

Started With Seduction in Mind by Laura Lee Guhrke.

Julia

I finished Married to the Viscount by Sabrina Jeffries, my last book of the year. It was so-so, not bad. Now I'm beginning How to Abduct a Highland Lord by Karen Hawkins.

Aw, man! Now you made me want to stay in tonight just so I can finish the book I'm reading in 2011! LOL

Happy New Year everyone!

Julia