The Taming of The Duke by Eloisa James

The Taming of The Duke by Eloisa James
(Essex Sisters 3)

I didn't even know that there were two other books about the main characters sisters, and you really don't have to know that to read this book.

Lady Imogen Maitland is a widow and in the position of taking a lover. A man who knows how to keep quiet.

But she is still under the watchful eye of her former guardian, rafe, the duke of Holbrook. he believes that she still needs someone who watches her. But she laughs at the idea that a lazy drunk of a man can do anything. Why should he have anything to say what she is doing.

Then the illegitimate brother shows up, and Gabriel is everything Rafe should be. and they even look the same. He interests her and he would suit perfectly for her need. He agrees to escort her to a play in disguise, but who is it really she is with, Gabe or Rafe?


I needed some fun and this was just the right book for that.

I wans't sure that a could like drunk who wasn't described in a nice way, but I did started to like him. Imogen was an allright heroine, but dunno if I liked her or not. I guess I did because I wanted her to get a happy ending, and get her ideas of affairs out of her mind. And then I learned about her previous marriage. An to get back to Rafe, I have sure not read about a drunken hero before, and it's not like they had AA meetings back then.


The brother Gabe, well he was kind of boring, and not onyl because he was a professor of divinity. Reading about her sisters Annabell and Tess, well that made be wanna read her two other books. And i guess I want to know what will happen to the fourth one, Josie. Oh and Griselda needs some loving too.


This book fitted my needs, regency and romance. I smiled, and giggled. I actually liked it a lot. She has an easy way of writing, and that makes it easy to read too. A good book when you don't wanna think at all, just get lost.


3,5/5

The two other books are:
Much ado about you
Kiss me, Annabell

Hush: An Irish princess tale by Donna Jo Napoli

I didn't finish this book. I read at the end that it was based on this old Icelandic tale about a Irish princess that gets taken as a slave, and then becomes the concubine of her master, and she never utters a word. Sounds interesting so I borrowed it.

So I started it anyway (even though I had doubts about a happy ending), I hadn't read a YA book in a while. I do know a lot about the 900th century, Iceland and Ireland, but does everyone? She could have explained more.

Then I got this bad feeling and decided to look at the end, and the middle. Violence and rapes, and this is meant for teens. Ok, perhaps, but when Melkorka learns to understand the man who did it, and like him.. No that is where I decided to stop reading. That is not right.

The end left you cold too, the worst most have been yet to come. Ok she could have followed the tale, but made exceptions or something. I just didn't have what it took to finish this book.

Dedication by Emma Mclaughlin & Nicola Kraus

Dedication

After hearing from her best friend back home, Kate jumps on a plane and heads back to her where she grew up. The reason is her long lost boyfriend, Jake Sharpe, one of the music industries most bright stars.

Eleven years ago, before prom, he disappeared without a trace or sound. What she was left with was songs on the radio, and all about her. Now he has returned to Vermont, with her celebrity girlfriend, and she has the chance to once and for all confront him on what he did.

She will soon turn 30, and to live fully as a grown-up and put Jake behind her she needs to visit her home town. And she is not the only one Jake let down those years ago, there is also his band. Can she put everything right?


First of all I read this one in Swedish and I was not that fond of the title, cos I guess the meant "My lost innocence", but that word is the same as virginity, and yes it will be read like that. It was one of those chick-lit titles they give when they translate that can look weird sometimes.

But to the book, it was ok, and I needed to know what was going to happen. I even stayed up late for it, but that didn't make it any better than ok in the end. It was kind of strange in a way. Of course I understood why she needed closure, I would have been pissed off, but couldn't she just have done it earlier, before he was a megastar? The same with his band.

The book also jumped from place to place, we saw like 6 years of her life go by as they first noticed each other, and the started dating. Between that was the present as she came back home to get a hold of him. That I liked in a way, cos we got to see how it all happened.

The bad things, was it meant to be funny or not? Because I didn't laugh, did I even smile? Maybe it got lost in translation.

The way the spoke in the book, now that was good, you could feel her grow up. Still I would have wanted more on why Jake was like he was, in the end, and her parents. No I never warmed up to them. What I did like was the end, I will say no more. But since most of the book could be cliché sometimes, then they did manage to surprise me once.

Even if it make me read on I will give it 3/5.
It makes you read, but I wanted more.

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre (ARC)

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre
A Corine Solomon Novel

18 months ago Corine Solomon left her lover and crossed the border to Mexico. She was fleeing her past and her gift, as a "handler". Which means that when she touch something she can know its past, and sometimes its future. She used it to find missing people - and that is now why people want to find her.

That is how her ex, Chance shows up in her store. He has an ability that gives him luck. Someone they both care about has gone missing and he needs her to find that someone, not to mention that he needs her too. Their search leads them into a world of dark magic, demons, zombies, witches and people that show her that she is not as alone as she first thought.



I really did enjoy this book, and I knew it from the start. It is that kind of book that makes you want to continue reading, you feel the urge to know what is going to happen. It's an easy book to read, and it was just what I needed. It sure lifted my spirits after reading some not so good books. i felt that good books are still being written and this is one of them.

First of all I liked Corine, she is colourful (and then I am not talking about her clothes). I didn't know what to think about Chance at first, just as she struggled with her own emotions for him. But then I did want to see them together. Though I do confess that sexy cop Jesse Saldana sure stirred the blood when he showed up. He was a lovely surprise in the book.

This book sure had a bit of everything thrown in and perhaps that is why I liked it. It did feel different, and a good book needs that to stand out. What is better than dark magic, and then zombies too. Yes even those fitted in.

I do like a book that makes me giggle, and smile. Oh it has some really good bits in it, one that involved a conversation about some cakes and ice-cream after dinner sure made me giggle while I read it.

So if you are on a lookout for a book invloving paranormal, romance, danger, and some fun times then this is the book for you.

How I am supposed to say something bad now..... ok, the cover, when Corine was described in the book I sure thought about her a certain way and that cover doesn't seem like her. The jeans, yes, but not the blouse. Lol, yes this really seems to be the only negative thing I can think of.


I will give this book 4/5 because I enjoyed it a lot, and I would recommend it to others.

It also made me want to read more of Aguirre's books since I haven't read her sci-fi books yet.

Blue Diablo comes out on April 7th

The Iron Tree by Cecilia Dart-Thornton

The Iron Tree by Cecilia Dart-Thornton
Book 1 in The Crowthistle Chronicles

In a desert land young Jarred lives with his mother. His father left long ago in search of something, or just to hide. And Jarred wants more out of his life so he leaves with a bunch of friends in search of adventure, and to find his father. Instead he find the love of a woman when he meets Lilith who lives in the marches of Slievmordhu. Now he wants to travel no further, instead he wants to win her love.

But she has a suitor, and a terrible curse over her that will make her go insane like her mother one day. But she cannot give up the love she feels for him.

It's hard to review this book since I read the first part 6 months ago and finished it this week. I was honestly not that impressed to continue.

She is a good write, and she creates good stories, countries and such. She puts in a lot of old fairy tales and things that we might know, so when a ghost or something shows up we might just know what they are and how to get rid of them. So I do like the marches, and she was a way of writing. It's good romance fantasy.

But then I did turn into a picky reader and this is not the fantasy for me. Nothing happens! They mostly sit in that march and wonder what to do, or we see her jealous suitor, or the march life continues.

I do need more things to happen, and the end didn't made me happy either. I even had a sneak peak at the next books ending, which didn't have me happy either. So who knows about the last book then.

Maybe she is trying to hard to put in every single element of fantasy in the book, and the results is just confusing at times. I did get lost if I stopped reading for awhile. There was to much of everything, and too many long boring descriptions. I read that she was compared to Tolkien, and I just thought blasphemy! He is not that boring.

And I couldn't connect to Jarred because he was too perfect, and Lilith, plainly boring again. The only one that seemed real was the crazed suitor.

Oh a warning! Read the beginning and you know the end. I hate that.

But if is does seem interesting, than do read it. There are all kinds of fantasy and this wasn't my cup of tea.

1/5 *

The rest of the series are:
The Well of Tears
The Weatherwitch
Fallowblade

Odalisque by Fiona Mcintosh

Odalisque by Fiona McIntosh
Book 1 in the Percheron saga.

The land has a new Zar, 15 year old Boaz take the throne after his father dies, and by his side is his mother who will do anything for the power this brings her. In a cut-throat court he must reign, and see who is wants him harm and who is his friend.

The warrior, the Spur Lazar, the old kings jester Pez, and a beautiful odalisque Ana, purchased in the foothills will porve to be the only true friends the young king has, and can trust in the beginning of his reign.

And the world will also herald the coming of the gods themselves to do battle again against each other.


What am i to say?! I borrowed this book from a friend, and she loved it. But I couldn't begin to imagine how boring and icky it would be. I speeded through it just to finish it.

Boaz was an idiot, he could have done what he wanted cos in the end he was the ruler, but no let innocents get executed and his old friend castrated.

Lazar, ok, dunno about 35 or so falling madly with some fresh 15 year old. And she should learn to hold her tongue.

I didn't hate anyone, but I didn't like anyone either. I guess you were supposed to like Lazar and Ana, but...no. Nothing in them made me like them, or anyone for that matter.

I am not saying this was bad fantasy, it was exotic, and my friend loved it. That just shows that her and I have different taste in fantasy. I like mine more epic, high fantasy, and this one at times could have been some harem in Turkey, if it wasn't for a tiny bit of magic.

Not the fantasy for me, but she did write well so it's up to each to decide.

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

The Greatest Knight

This is the story about the greatest knight that ever lived, William Marshal. Born in the 12th century he rose from a penniless knight to an influential man of his time. He saved queen Eleanor of Aquitane and became a tutor to her children. But every star must fall and not all at court liked him, and rumours were spread. He had to flee from court, but he always tread a path that lead him to success.

It's a story about a real person, and Chadwick mixes historical facts with fiction on how things could have happened.

There is also a second book called The Scarlett Lion, and there we again meet an older William, trying to hold it all together while as always there is fighting around him in England.


So why did I not like this book?! I love Chadwick, but I fear it was because this was based on truth and I could just look up what was going to happen. Who would die, who would marry who and all that. I am not particularly fond of books like this.

Yes it was a great book and Chadwick knows how to write historical fiction. She makes it a world i would like to live in. In that this is a good book, something all historical lovers should read.

Could it be because it's from a mans point of view? I am used to reading her books from a woman point, and I didn't really warm up to William. That and the fact that I knew how things would work out made it a bit boring. There wasn't that much love either, and I love love in Chadwick's books, it was mostly about how he served a lord after a lord, tournaments and frictions with the Plantagenet princes.

Not the Chadwick book for me even though it was good. I am such a picky reader.

The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

Now why should books I have read before suffer cos they were read before this blog were started so here I go, most will not have a long review, maybe just one sentence but this one was written before.

(read May 2008)

In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything...and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.
(copied from the back of the book cos I like it :)

The books starts with a shipwreck 1857 and the only survivor is Emmaline Martin. She comes to Delhi to meet her fiancé Marcus, who would rather have seen her die than arriving in the way she did. She feels betrayed by him and at that time she meets Julian Sinclair, an English Duke. At this time the sepoys (Hindu soldiers in the army) revolts and the city becomes a death-trap. She can only do one thing and that is to flee.

The book is made up by 2 parts, the one in India and the one in London. I liked the first part better. That one had everything, war, turmoil, danger and romance. It felt refreshing in a strange way. The author wasn't exactly afraid to put her heroine in harms way. A likable heroine by the way. She could talk back and sure she could be a little naive, but that was understandable. Julian was a good hero but sometimes lacking (well only a little bit) cos I would have liked something more about his hindu heritage. As for more Marcus, well he was an idiot. Very well-made and he got what he deserved.

It's a good lovestruck that has a bit of everything in it so that many can like it. Danger, romance and loss. I wish I could have read it without stopping so much to write on my thesis. But it also works if you makes some stops. Cos then it's there waiting for you and one wants to know what happens.

India is enchanting and their love makes one forget about the danger around them. A good book in every way.

Author's site where you find a excerpt from the book. http://meredithduran.com/

Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb

Renegade's Magic, Book 3 in the Soldier Son triology by Robin Hobb

Nevare Burvelle dreamed about becoming a cavalla officer, but then the Speck Plague came to Old Thares, and his life would change forever. After being disowned by his father he fled to Getty's, a small garrison at the edge of the Speck forest. And then he was accused of horrific crimes, and fled while implanting memories in the memories of those who thought they beat him to death.

In the forest of the mysterious Specks is the treewoman he cares for, Lisana. While stuggling to keep seperate his speck self Soldier's Boy from Nevare, he will venture deep into the woods and claim his right as a Great One.

Can he save the woods and the ancestor trees from being destroyed from the Gernian invaders. And can he save those he loves in Gernia from being killed by the Specks?

While the 2 sides of him struggle for power the faith of those he care about on both sides will be decided.

I left of feeling depressed after book 2. He is incredibly fat, hated by all (except the Specks), and I just saw no end at all to this series. Hobb sure has a way of writing, she spares no one, instead the puts it out there. Life is not always fair. Innocent people are wronged, and I felt so sorry for Nevare.

Book 3 starts with him fleeing from Gettys. At least he will win I think, but he is not happy being split into two. And I like the Specs, they just want their forest, and the Gernians see them as a primitive folk who foolishly believe on magic. They can't imagine that magic is really real, instead they fight with Iron and destroy more "primitive" people. Yes there are connections, not to mention something that happens later on and really echoes another era.

So what did I think, well hard to say since I was so afraid for Nevare. If I read it again I could relax more. But it was good, no where as good as the Farseer Trilogy though.

And it's not epic fantasy cos the world is really near ours when they have real guns. But I kinda liked that twist cos it fits here.