Book Review: Untraceable by Laura Griffin

Saturday 28 August, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: Untraceable
Author: Laura Griffin
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: November 24, 2009
Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN: 978-1439149195
Genre: Romance Mystery, Suspense

From the Publisher:

ALEX LOVELL MAKES PEOPLE DISAPPEAR.
TURNS OUT, SHE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE.

Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened. Using every resource she can get her hands on — including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective — Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth.

As far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. But as much as he wants to believe that Alex’s hunch about Melanie’s murder is wrong, his instincts — and their visceral attraction — won’t let him walk away. As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear….

My Review:

Untraceable by Laura Griffin is the second novel I have read by Griffin but it is the first in her Tracer series.  Do check out my review of Griffin’s second book, Unspeakable, which is just as brilliantly captivating as her thrilling first novel in the series, Untraceable.  Her novels read well as stand alone novels, yet I believe her books to be so mesmerizing as to compel the reader to want to continue with the series.  I could not put this book down; it truly is that captivating a mystery. In Untraceable, the reader meets Alex Lovell, a private investigator who has a specialty at making people disappear, in this instance, Melanie Bass, who was fleeing from an abusive husband.  Suddenly Alex is being asked information about Melanie and is unable to locate her. Alex fears the worst and seeks out the help of Austin Police Detective Nathan Devereaux, her friend, Troy Stockton, who introduces Alex to the Tracers, and an elite forensics unit located in the Delphi Center.  Griffin writes a brilliant mystery taking the characters from Austin, Texas to the French Quarter in New Orleans and back again to Texas. Griffin’s characters are feisty, strong, intelligent and extremely likeable, which makes the mystery all that more difficult to solve.  Griffin adds a dose of romance throughout the novel, which adds a wonderful touch to the story line (and I am not usually a fan of romance novels).  I read the novel from cover to cover, without stopping and I am still impressed with some of the plot twists Griffin added along the way.  I eagerly await her third book in the Tracer series, Unforgivable, which is due out in December.  I highly recommend Untraceable to anyone looking for a suspense-filled mystery.

About the Author:

LAURA GRIFFIN started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense with her novels for Pocket Books. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including a 2010 RITA (Whisper of Warning) and a 2009 RT Reviewers Choice Award (Untraceable). Her debut novel, One Last Breath, won the Booksellers Best Award for romantic suspense. Laura currently lives in Austin. Visit her website for more information.

I received a complimentary copy of Untraceable by Laura Griffin from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky

Thursday 5 August, 2010 By 3 Comments

Title: Vivian Rising
Author: Daniella Brodsky
Publisher: Downtown Press
Publication Date: August 3, 2010
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-1439172025
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

Vivian Sklar has always depended on her wise and feisty grandmother—not just because Grams raised her after Viv’s mother took off twenty years ago, but because she seemed to have life all figured out. So when Grams dies, Viv feels completely alone. Everything she once knew seems unfamiliar and unwelcoming—until she finds hope in a most unlikely place: the cluttered second-story walk-up of an alarmingly perceptive astrologer. Viv thinks horoscopes are about as reliable as fortune cookies, but when Kavia’s first reading dissuades her from taking a train that later crashes, she’s hooked.

Under Kavia’s guidance, Viv begins to process her grief and rebalance her life. She faces her mother, gets her career back on track, and even shares some meaningful moments with Len, her handsome new neighbor. Every prediction seems to speak directly to Viv’s life, and so far, the stars haven’t steered her wrong. Then the stars tell Viv that the bond she has forged with the insightful yet guarded Len isn’t meant to last. Len has become her greatest source of security and comfort, but just as she settles into his arms—and into his heart—Kavia insists that a relationship with him is dangerous. Now Viv faces a choice: should she follow the path that’s been written in the stars, or trust herself to write her own story?

Witty and honest, Daniella Brodsky’s charming new novel is a powerful tale of moving on, letting go, and keeping the faith—in any form it happens to take.

My Review:

Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky is an absolute delight to read. Filled with wit, wisdom, enjoyable characters and the never-ending quest to find out what one is meant to be when one grows up. Her Grams raised Vivian and when she passed away, Vivian was at quite a loss as to how to continue on, until Kavia enters her life and while at first, Vivian is skeptical about all the astrological predictions Kavia makes, until she begins to see them coming true. Kavia takes Vivian under her wing and helps Vivian to soar. With the exception of the astrology bits, I found this book to be a jolly good and enlightening novel. Vivian Rising covers just about all the emotional bases and does so smoothly without separating the story. The characters are so vividly described and charming that I wholeheartedly fell for Richter and Len all the while rooting for Vivian as she encountered each new step, willing her the strength needed to take the leaps of faith necessary to get from one point to another. I would recommend Vivian Rising to anyone looking for a delightful, feel-good novel to get lost in. It is my opinion that Vivian Rising would make for an excellent discussion group book.

About the Author:

Daniella Brodsky is a freelance journalist and novelist. She has written five standalone novels and is the author of THE GIRL’S GUIDE TO NEW YORK NIGHTLIFE series. Daniellea has written lifestyle articles for leading publications, including Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Shape and The New York Post. She uses her magazine contacts to great effect and has been featured on Good Day New York, The WB Morning News, NPR radio, and in The New York Times, The New York Post and The Hartford Courant, as well as participating in dozens of radio appearances. She lives in Washington, DC.

I received a complimentary copy of Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: And One Last Thing… by Molly Harper

Thursday 29 July, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: And One Last Thing…
Author: Molly Harper
Publisher: Gallery; Original edition
Publication Date: June 27, 2010
Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN: 978-1439168776
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

“If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger.”

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of “administrative support” his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say “instant urban legend,” Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

My Review:

And One Last Thing by Molly Harper is a clever and humorous look into a situation that most would not be able to laugh about.  Lacey’s life changes on the morning flowers for her husband Mike’s mistress, BeeBee Baumgardner, mistakenly get delivered to her.  Rather than confronting her husband, Lacey airs her grievances in the monthly company email.  Realising what she has done and at the advice of counsel, Lacey goes out of town to stay at the cabin on Lake Lockwood, left to her by her Gammy Muldoon.  Harper details the characters and the small Kentucky town of Singletree as well as those in Buford and on Lake Lockwood.  The characters are lively, moody, obnoxious, witty, charming, flawed and creatively realistic.  And One Last Thing is an endearing novel that will have the reader laughing even as Lacey struggles with divorcing her cheating husband, a small town knowing all the details and Lacey’s struggle to pick up the pieces of what remains of her life and dignity.  I would recommend And One Last Thing to anyone who is looking for a feel good, funny, snarky, witty, and all around fun book to read.

About the Author:

Raised in Mississippi and Kentucky, Molly Harper graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism. She worked for six years as a reporter and humor columnist; her reporting duties included covering courts, school board meetings, quilt shows, and once, the arrest of a Florida man who faked his suicide by shark attack and spent the next few months tossing pies at a local pizzeria. Molly lives in western Kentucky with her husband and daughter.

I received a complimentary copy of And One Last Thing… by Molly Harper from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Spotlight: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Thursday 22 July, 2010 By 7 Comments

Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: MTV
Publication Date: July 20, 2010
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN: 9978-1439178232
Genre: Fiction, YA

*No rating due to DNF

From the Publisher:

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

About the Author:

Jennifer Echols is the author of several Romantic Comedies, as well as many other young adult novels. She currently lives in Birmingham. Visit her on the web.

I received a complimentary copy of Forget You by Jennifer Echols from Simon & Schuster to review.  Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Unspeakable by Laura Griffin

Wednesday 30 June, 2010 By 1 Comment

Title: Unspeakable
Author: Laura Griffin
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: June 29, 2010
Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN: 978-1439152959
Genre: Romance Mystery, Suspense

From the Publisher:

ELAINA MCCORD WANTS TO FIND A KILLER. BUT HE’S ALREADY FOUND HER.

Elaina McCord’s dream of being an FBI profiler is threatened by her very first case—investigating a string of murders near a Texas beach resort. The victims, all young women, were drugged and brutally murdered, their bodies abandoned in desolate marshland. Elaina’s hunch—met with disbelief by local police—is that these are only the latest offerings from a serial killer who has been perfecting his art for years, growing bolder and more cunning with each strike.

True-crime writer Troy Stockton has a reputation as an irresistible playboy who gets his story at any cost. He’s the last person Elaina should trust, let alone be attracted to. But right now Troy, along with the elite team of forensics experts known as the Tracers, is her only ally in a case that’s turning dangerously personal. A killer is reaching out to Elaina, taunting her, letting her know how ruthless he is and how close he’s getting. Now it’s not just her career that’s in jeopardy—it’s her life. . . .

My Review:

There is nothing quite as exhilarating as discovering not only a talented, new to me author, but also a series, a double bonus. Unspeakable by Laura Griffin is her second book in her Tracer’s trilogy. I have not read the first, Untraceable, which I shall remedy and then look forward to her next book, Unforgivable. Clearly, Unspeakable stands well on its own merits, yet it is such a stunning forensics suspense thriller that I must read the others in the series. I am compulsive that way when a writer is this good.
Special Agent Elaina McCord is a relatively new profiler and while she is intelligent and had hopes for a prominent placement, she was placed in the Brownsville, Texas branch of the FBI. To make matters worse, when the FBI is called into a crime of a serial killer, the local police do not want anything to do with her, and so much as tell her to go back to her office. Elaina is not one to be deterred and begins to receive some assistance from Troy Stockton, a true crime writer, who appears to have more access to the crime scenes than Elaine could ever hope to. How far is she willing to go, trusting all that is said stays out of Stockton’s next book?
Unspeakable is an exhilarating thrill ride that takes the reader on the hunt for a serial killer, introduces the reader to the superb all star team, the tracers, comprised of the best forensic experts. Personally, I was unable to put the book down and hours flew by as the clues racked up, the mystery intensified, as did the strategically placed plot twist and turns. I would recommend Unspeakable to anyone looking for an excellent suspense novel and look forward to reading more from Griffin’s Tracers series. This is an author to keep an eye on.

About the Author:

LAURA GRIFFIN started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense with her novels for Pocket Books. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including a 2010 RITA (Whisper of Warning) and a 2009 RT Reviewers Choice Award (Untraceable). Her debut novel, One Last Breath, won the Booksellers Best Award for romantic suspense. Laura currently lives in Austin. Visit her website for more information.

I received a complimentary copy of Unspeakable by Laura Griffin from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin

Tuesday 8 June, 2010 By 5 Comments

Title: The Art of Devotion
Author: Samantha Bruce-Benjamin
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: June 8, 2010
Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN: 978-1439153949
Genre: Fiction

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***Note: Author Samantha Bruce-Benjamin will be stopping by throughout the day to answer reader questions in the comment section.***

From the Publisher:

Have we all not wished to keep forever the one person we love the most?

The secluded beaches of a sun-drenched Mediterranean island are the perfect playground for young Sebastian and Adora. Emotionally adrift from their mother, Adora shelters her sensitive older brother from the cruelties of the world. Sophie does not question her children’s intense need for one another until it’s too late. Her beloved son’s affections belong to Adora, and when he drowns in the sea, she has no one else to blame.

Still heartbroken years later, Adora fills her emptiness with Genevieve, the precocious young daughter of her husband’s business associate and his jealous wife, Miranda. Thrilled to be invited into the beautiful and enigmatic Adora’s world, the child idolizes her during their summers together. Yet, as the years progress, Genevieve begins to suspect their charmed existence is nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. Soon, she too is ensnared in a web of lies.

Stunningly told in the tragic voices of four women whose lives are fatefully entangled, The Art of Devotion is evocative and haunting, a story of deceit, jealousy, and the heartbreaking reality of love’s true power.

My Review:

The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin is an alluring, and at times heart wrenching, narrative told by four women; Sophie, Adora, Genevieve, and Miranda, spanning the years 1919-1940. What unfolds in this novel of beautiful, and at times, lyrical prose is an interwoven story from the perspective of four women and how they played their parts, interacted and the lies and deceptions that bound them together. The Art of Devotion is an extremely vivid novel, filled with detailed imagery that easily makes the reader feel a part of the novel. The style of writing took a little while to get into a rhythm with, but once I did I was unable to put the book down, so absorbed into the lives I was of these women and wanting to find out what kept them together and at the same time what kept them distant. Even after finishing the novel, my mind wanders back to Sophie and her tragic life and then to Genevieve and I wonder about her, for she is the character I worried about the most. I would like to say far more, but then I would be giving away too much of the story. The Art of Devotion will make the reader think, feel, and truly care for the characters and what happened all those years ago on a Mediterranean island so far away from New York. I highly recommend The Art of Devotion and believe this to be an excellent summer reading choice for a discussion group.

About the Author:

Samantha Bruce-Benjamin was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she earned a Masters Degree in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh. A former BBC Editor, she began her editorial career at Random House. She now lives in New York.

I received a complimentary copy of The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

Thursday 27 May, 2010 By 3 Comments

Title: The Devlin Diary
Author: Christi Phillips
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: April 13, 2010
Paperback: 464 pages
ISBN: 978-1416527404
Genre: Historical Fiction

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From the Publisher:

From the bestselling author of The Rossetti Letter comes a “thrilling” (Library Journal) novel of intrigue, passion, and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge, England.

London, 1672. A vicious killer stalks the court of Charles II, inscribing the victims’ bodies with mysterious markings.Are the murders the random acts of a madman?Or the violent effects of a deeply hidden conspiracy?

Cambridge, 2008. Teaching history at Trinity College is Claire Donovan’s dream come true—until one of her colleagues is found dead on the banks of the River Cam. The only key to the professor’s unsolved murder is the seventeenth-century diary kept by his last research subject, Hannah Devlin, physician to the king’s mistress. Through the arcane collections of Cambridge’s most eminent libraries, Claire and fellow historian Andrew Kent follow the clues Hannah left behind, uncovering secrets of London’s dark past and Cambridge’s murky present and discovering that the events of three hundred years ago still have consequences today. . . .

My Review:

Intellectually stimulating, enticing, and deeply intriguing, The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips will have the reader engrossed before the end of the first page.

Claire Donovan is fulfilling her dream; she is an official temporary lecturer at Trinity College with no small thanks to Dr. Andrew Kent. All things considered, her beginning is not an auspicious one, yet she is enjoying her time and has discovered a brilliant idea for a paper. The only problem is that in her enthusiasm, she shared her idea and within a week Dr. Kent claimed the idea was his. Soon the whole college is aware of their difficulties and before clearing her name he is unfortunately found dead.

Meanwhile in 1672, Lord Arlington, the King’s most trusted minister, arrests Mrs. Hannah Devlin, a famous physik giving Hannah a choice, to be imprisoned in Newgate for practising physik without a license or go to Whitehall, no questions asked. She chooses Whitehall and discovers herself the private physician to the 22-year-old Louise de Keroualle, the King’s mistress, maid of honor to his late sister and lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine. This young woman, the King’s favourite mistress, recently birthed her first child and the King’s 13th and she is unfortunately suffering from a venereal disease, the clap, much preferable to the pox and quite possibly treatable. Hannah notices Whitehall is fairly empty save Lord Arlington and Madam Severin, yet not all is as it appears.

Phillips’ novel is a work of brilliance where she seamlessly weaves between the 17th and 21st centuries, and ultimately linking the two together in page turning plot developments and twists. Her main characters are strong, independent, and very likeable women separated by centuries. Phillips breathes life into each character from the most prominent in her novel to the most minor character; the reader will feel as though they are keenly aware of everyone in the story. The attention to detail and imagery draws the reader into London and Cambridge during the respective time periods. The Devlin Diary will immediately draw the reader in, rendering the reader unable or unwilling to put the novel down.

My one and only complaint is not against the novel nor the author, but myself. I wish I had read Christi Phillips’ previous novel, The Rossetti Letter, a problem I shall remedy before her third novel is released. While The Devlin Diary is brilliant enough to stand on its own merits, I would like to have read her previous novel to see if it truly is as masterfully written as The Devlin Diary.

It is quite impossible for me to praise this novel enough without giving away any more details. Suffice it to say this is one novel I not only thoroughly enjoyed but one I shall read repeatedly over time. The Devlin Diary will, at the very least, take the reader on an unforgettable journey with exceptionally well-written characters and well-placed settings. Without reservation I recommend The Devlin Diary to all readers and discussion groups because it is indeed that brilliant.

About the Author:

Christi Phillips is the author of The Rossetti Letter, which has been translated into six foreign languages. Her research combines a few of her favorite things: old books, libraries, and travel. When she’s not rummaging around in an archive or exploring the historic heart of a European city, she lives with her husband in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is at work on her next novel, set in France. Visit her website for more information.

I received a complimentary copy of The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran

Thursday 13 May, 2010 By 3 Comments

Title: Wicked Becomes You
Author: Meredith Duran
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: April 27, 2010
Paperback: 416 pages
ISBN: 978-1416593126
Genre: Historical Romance

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From the Publisher:

She’s been burned not once but twice by London’s so-call ed gentlemen . . .

Gwen Maudsley is pretty enough to be popular, and plenty wealthy, too. But what she’s best 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.

So why won’t a confirmed scoundrel let her be as bad as she wants to be?

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.

My Review:

Wicked Becomes You is an intriguing, witty, mysterious, and delightfully fun historical romance novel by Meredith Duran. Set in the late 1890s the reader meets Gwen Maudsley, who is known by London’s society as a charming girl with a ready smile and many friends. She also happens to be an heiress who has been twice jilted. Her first engagement was to Lord Trent who at the very least had the decency to end the engagement prior to the wedding whereas Viscount Pennington practically ran from the alter during the ceremony. Alex Ramsey happened to be present at her wedding to witness the most recent jilting and realises he is failing his best friend’s dying wish, that Alex take care of his sister’s future. Alex spends most of his time traveling while his sisters have been keeping him abreast of what is happening in London. He decides he must take matters into his hands and hopes to marry Gwen off by autumn, but Gwen has other plans. Gwen has decided she shall never marry, as she refuses to go through it all a third time yet Alex is insistent, reminding her of his promise to her brother Richard. Gwen believes, as most, the gossip about Alex and believes him something of a rake, a blackguard and wonders if she can trust him. Gwen decides she is no longer going to be conventional. Alex believes she merely needs rest and will come to her senses and heads to France where he has business and has promised Gwen to track down the Viscount to retrieve her brother’s ring. While in France, Alex receives a telegram from his sister Belinda stating that Gwen was heading to France in the company of Mrs. Elma Beecham, who clearly has no knowledge of her young charge’s intent, to confront the Viscount personally as well as to learn to be independent and unconventional. In Paris Gwen and Alex work on a scheme to try and discover whom Mr. Barrington is and why he is buying up so much land. Wicked Becomes You is a wonderfully delightful, fast-paced novel with two incredibly intelligent, witty, and stubborn main characters. Each, with their own secrets, brings a hint of mystery to this already delightful, fresh, and at times unconventional look at late 19th century society. Duran creates a story filled with several plot twists, witty repertoire, vivid descriptions, and charming as well as intriguing characters. Wicked Becomes You is a novel which the reader is loathe to see come to an end, but will take the reader for a delightful journey along the way.

About the Author:
MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. A doctoral student in anthropology, she spends her free time collecting old etiquette manuals, guidebooks to nineteenth century London, and travelogues by intrepid Victorian women. She is the author of The Duke of Shadows, Bound by Your Touch, and Written on Your Skin, all published by Pocket Books. The Duke of Shadows was the winner of the Gather.com First Chapters Romance Writing Competition. Visit her website at meredithduran.com.

I received a complimentary copy of Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review: Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky

Thursday 22 April, 2010 By 5 Comments

Title: Firefly Rain
Author: Richard Dansky
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: April 6, 2010
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-1439148631
Genre: Paranormal/Mystery/Triller

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From the Publisher:

When Jacob left home for a new life, he pretty much forgot all about Maryfield, North Carolina. But Maryfield never forgot him. Or forgave him.

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 accommodating. 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.

My Review:

Jacob Logan’s business has failed and he decides to pack up and take a break back at his childhood home in North Carolina, a place he has not been in many years, a place he has tried to forget. Thus begins Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky, a novel were things do more than go bump in the night. One fond memory Jacob holds is of catching fireflies, yet none appear to cross onto his property line. His car refuses to start, then is stolen without a trace while he sleeps, a set of toy soldiers mysteriously appear on his front door step, and most disturbing is his crabby caretaker Carl. Firefly Rain begins at a slower pace, transferring the reader from the fast-paced life of the main character’s Boston, back to his small hometown in North Carolina and from there, Dansky picks up speed and the novel becomes a fast paced thriller leaving the reader a series of clues to follow. Dansky makes certain there is just enough information about his characters, especially Jacob Logan, Carl and Officer Hanratty and a few others (no spoilers from me) to keep the reader on their toes as well as giving the reader a detailed look into life in this strange small town. Firefly Rain is similar to a cozy mystery insofar as all the information is given upfront, then all similarities end and the reader is in for a delightfully faced-paced thriller which will keep the reader engaged into the wee hours of the morning.

I received a complimentary copy of Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book review: Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran

Sunday 18 April, 2010 By 5 Comments

Title: Wicked Becomes You
Author: Meredith Duran
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: April 27, 2010
Paperback: 416 pages
ISBN: 978-1416593126
Genre: Historical Romance

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From the Publisher:

She’s been burned not once but twice by London’s so-call ed gentlemen . . .

Gwen Maudsley is pretty enough to be popular, and plenty wealthy, too. But what she’s best 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.

So why won’t a confirmed scoundrel let her be as bad as she wants to be?

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.

My Review:

Wicked Becomes You is an intriguing, witty, mysterious, and delightfully fun historical romance novel by Meredith Duran. Set in the late 1890s the reader meets Gwen Maudsley, who is known by London’s society as a charming girl with a ready smile and many friends. She also happens to be an heiress who has been twice jilted. Her first engagement was to Lord Trent who at the very least had the decency to end the engagement prior to the wedding whereas Viscount Pennington practically ran from the alter during the ceremony. Alex Ramsey happened to be present at her wedding to witness the most recent jilting and realises he is failing his best friend’s dying wish, that Alex take care of his sister’s future. Alex spends most of his time traveling while his sisters have been keeping him abreast of what is happening in London. He decides he must take matters into his hands and hopes to marry Gwen off by autumn, but Gwen has other plans. Gwen has decided she shall never marry, as she refuses to go through it all a third time yet Alex is insistent, reminding her of his promise to her brother Richard. Gwen believes, as most, the gossip about Alex and believes him something of a rake, a blackguard and wonders if she can trust him. Gwen decides she is no longer going to be conventional. Alex believes she merely needs rest and will come to her senses and heads to France where he has business and has promised Gwen to track down the Viscount to retrieve her brother’s ring. While in France, Alex receives a telegram from his sister Belinda stating that Gwen was heading to France in the company of Mrs. Elma Beecham, who clearly has no knowledge of her young charge’s intent, to confront the Viscount personally as well as to learn to be independent and unconventional. In Paris Gwen and Alex work on a scheme to try and discover whom Mr. Barrington is and why he is buying up so much land. Wicked Becomes You is a wonderfully delightful, fast-paced novel with two incredibly intelligent, witty, and stubborn main characters. Each, with their own secrets, brings a hint of mystery to this already delightful, fresh, and at times unconventional look at late 19th century society. Duran creates a story filled with several plot twists, witty repertoire, vivid descriptions, and charming as well as intriguing characters. Wicked Becomes You is a novel which the reader is loathe to see come to an end, but will take the reader for a delightful journey along the way.

About the Author:
MEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. A doctoral student in anthropology, she spends her free time collecting old etiquette manuals, guidebooks to nineteenth century London, and travelogues by intrepid Victorian women. She is the author of The Duke of Shadows, Bound by Your Touch, and Written on Your Skin, all published by Pocket Books. The Duke of Shadows was the winner of the Gather.com First Chapters Romance Writing Competition. Visit her website at meredithduran.com.

I received a complimentary copy of Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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