Review: Tall, Dark and Wolfish - Lydia Dare

Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare

Westfield brothers, book 2

Genre: Paranormal romance historical
Pages: 384
Published: May 2010 Sourcebooks Casablanca

The reckless, rakish younger brother of a powerful duke, Lord Benjamin Westfield transforms into a wolf under the light of the full moon—until one fateful evening when he doesn't change and his life is shattered. Fearing he may never be able to change again, Benjamin sets out for Scotland in search of a witch who can heal his inner beast. The noble werewolf is drawn to the beautiful young woman, but what does he have to offer in this broken state?

I heard about Benjamin in book 1, all I knew that he was somewhere in Scotland and his family didn't know where or why. Well this is the explanation. First he is of course a Lycan like his brothers, second, he can't transform any more after an incident with a woman. From a friend he learns that perhaps a healer/witch in Scotland can help.

Benjamin is like his brother in that aspect that he is afraid to love and be loved. He wants to control the beast and perhaps that is the problem. He is rather torn and lost when he can't change any more, and the rake in him seems to drift away cos of his loss.

But where would we be without some romance. The old healer he is looking for is a beautiful young woman and he is not called a rake for nothing. But when is love ever easy. This woman has a bunch of friends who are very protective and need her to stay with them. Even if that means sending away someone she loves. Yes they aren't that clever now are they, but they meant well, and I had trouble disliking them. I would also protect a friend, and they thought it was for the best. And they were just fun, I'd love to see them find love. Now that could be a cool spin-off.

Lord Benjamin, well I do like a werewolves, they are just so manly and not afraid to show it. Elspeth was sweet, and she truly did not stand a chance when he showed up. Of course who could resist a werewolf.

This book had the romance, and the wolves do tend to become very carnal when the moon is full as he puts it. I liked that they wanted to be with each other, and how the other girls got in the way. he had to fight some for his love. And of course he was also very stupid cos of his Lycan state, but he has to learn too,

One thing that I just had to get used to was that ye this was Scotland, so there was the accent. Luckily I had read this other book and was up to speed what it all meant. But I am glad it wasn't more of it.

This book had me reading like crazy at the beginning, I wanted her to find out about him being what he was, I mean she had to heal him. And the rest of the book I wanted to know if the witches would get in the way, or if anyone would do something stupid (heroes and heroines always do something stupid ;).

All in all a good shifter story and I do think I liked this more than book 1, I guess we just have to see if I( like book 3 even more. Nice historical setting, sweet romance, and cool shifters.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Loving it, I am not just saying this cos I love the color green, but it is the green, and then her piercing green eyes and that castle ( and yes there was some man nipples too, but I honestly watched the castle.)

Reason for reading: From the publisher

Final thoughts: Who can say no to a werewolf. 3,5

Review: The Man who Loved Pride and Prejudice - Abigail Reynolds

The Man Who loved Pride and Prejudice by Abigail Reynolds

Genre: Contempory romance
Pages: 448
Published: May 2010 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (previously published as Pemberley by the Sea)

Pride and Prejudice is the quintessential women's novel but many men love it, too When marine biologist Cassie Boulton and Calder Westing III, a modern-day Mr. Darcy, share one passionate night by the sea, Cassie thinks she may have found her happy ending. But with devastating secrets from the past and Calder's family determined to keep them apart, Calder tells her about his feelings the only way she'll let him by rewriting her favorite book, featuring the two of them as Darcy and Elizabeth.

Just  mention Pride and Prejudice, be is sequel, re-make or something else and I want to have a go at it. This one I liked and it had me at the "ball" where they meet. She asks him to dance and he says no, and then she leaves with a sense of having been judged and found wanting. She got me there.

It is the story about marine biologist Cassie who every summer comes to the cape to study the sea life and sit in her lab. This year she has her friend Erin with her and Erin meets a nice guy, Scott and dances away with him. While Cassie meets a reserved man who doesn't seem to want to be where he is. It is dislike at once, but there is also something else there, a passion that takes hold of them, but Cassie walks away because a poor Elizabeth with secrets does not get her Mr Darcy.

There is a lot of passion between these two when they finally get together, even if it is for a short time. Then the book takes a turn and they go their separate ways, but he wants to win her back and he has already called her Elizabeth Bennet. And I went awww, a guy who re-writes P&P to put them in it! So where can I meet him. He is like Mr Darcy, all hidden feelings and never saying the things he may want too. But then there is that other side to him, that gentle and caring side that we do not get to see at first. When it comes out I get happy.

There was some negative aspects though, it felt at times like the book was finished, but then it picked up another thread. I mean I do not mind cos more to read, and that is never wrong, but the passages felt new when you thought the end was near (well not that near cos I could still see the pages.) But at least the resolved everything, and I haev to give her credit for that because I like endings where I know it all.

This was a sweet book, a nice re-telling of an old story. Some characters where in it, others not. It was her own version but you could still recognize some important things, but never so much that it felt like just another re-telling. Now it was her own story, with PP inspiration,and  that worked great. What was left was a rich guy meets a nice so rich girl, and his family disapproves. And then there is Bingley and Jane.

I liked Calder, I liked Cassie, I enjoyed their love story, and sweet romance.

One thing left me thinking though, how much Abigail Reynolds knows about marine biology? Cos she was not afraid to go in to that lab and explain things. And to choose a subject like that, perhaps she has studied it.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner. I really like this one, it is so sweet and the couple looks happy.

Reason for reading: From the publisher.

Final thoughts: Sweet story, 3

Review: Mistress by Mistake - Maggie Robinson

Mistress by Mistake by Maggie Robinson

Genre: Historical romance
Pages: 352
Published: April 2010

 Scandal is only the beginning…

Charlotte Fallon let her guarded virtue fall once—and she’s paid dearly for it ever since. She swore she’d never succumb to men’s desires again. But even a village spinster’s life miles from temptation can’t save her from a sister with no shame whatsoever. Or a heart that longs for more, whatever the cost…

Sir Michael Bayard found more than he expected in his bed when he finally joined his new mistress. He’d fantasized about her dewy skin and luscious curves, assured her understanding that what passed between them was mere dalliance. But he didn’t expect the innocence and heat of her response in his arms. Nor her surprisingly sharp tongue once she was out of them…

A few days of abandon cannot undo the hard-learned lessons of a lifetime. Nor can an honest passion burn away the restraints of society’s judgments. Unless, of course, one believes in nonsense like true love…

First I'd like to say that this perhaps more is a spicy historical romance, cos these two do spend a lot of time in bed, or in other places.

In this story Charlotte is left behind by her courtesan sister. The sister was supposed to be Sir Michael Bayard's new mistress but she got married and left Charlotte to explain. Bay comes home and finds a woman in his bed, and cos of some missing jewels she stays in his house.

Ok, first I must say that I liked her writing, and the story was good, and sure a lot of passion. But, it is the big but here, I was not too fond of how things came to be. 

Bay comes home and starts touching a sleeping woman (not happy about sleep-sex!), then he says that instead of her sister she has to stay cos of those jewels. And she stays, but there I feel that it is too forced, and she is an idiot for not running away. Yes ok the scandal if her sister had stolen the jewels but still. he is a beast. There are also some other things about what he does to make her stay and this episode with his crazy old flame but I feel are too much.

Half way through the book I leave that behind and try to move on since I do want these two to get a happy ending.

I can see that Bay desperately wants love, and poor Charlotte is living as a spinster with regrets about something that happened long ago. She needs love too. They are so perfect for each other but of course they can't see it cos he calls her things and she thinks he is a fiend. But then this is a book and a book needs drama.

So I did have problems with some plotlines, oh I am so picky! But for the rest of you, I am sure you would eat this story up, it is sexy as hell, while staying within that boundary and not moving beyond into other genres, and making it too hot to handle. But it sure brings some steam, and a bit more than your average HR.

It also had some nice side characters, like the other mistresses on the street. I would love to read more about those.

Blodeuedd'sCover Thoughts: Love it, and she does have a scandouls red dress.

Reason for reading. My own copy.

Final thoughts: A hot historical romance

Review: The Ask and The Answer - Patrick Ness

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Chaos Walking, Book 2

Genre: Dystopian, sci-fi, YA
Pages: 544
Published: 2009

We were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode.. 

I was blown away by book 1, and even if this wasn't that mind-blowing it was still a great book. The first was What, what, what!! And this one was more what, what, what?

Ness has this gift for total confusion. Who to trust, who to believe, I haev no idea. Everyone is telling things, everyone is lying. There is chaos walking the planet.

Todd has made it to Haven with the dying Viola, but there he is met by Mayor Prentiss and the army and Viola is taken away. He is put into jail, and later forced to work with the now President Prentiss's son, putting the alien Spackle to work. All this while Prentiss is being really nice to him, and telling him things so that he does not knwo what to believe any more.

There is Todd chapters and Viola chapters as she goes down another road and hears another versions of the same story. All while they just want to find each other again.

I still do not know what to believe. Why were all the women in Prentisstown killed? I know the President is poison, but still, what to believe?

The thing here is that things escalate, the president is yes a monster and whatever he seems to say he does not trust women. I mean they did kill all the women in their town. But then there is those that oppose him and they are not right either. The next book will be called Monsters of Men, and this is something that Viola and Todd says in book 1 or 2, war makes monsters out of men and that is so true in this book.

This is chilling Dystopian fiction that should be read. It will grab hold of you with a bunch of questions, and how that planet will get peace I do now know. The first book was about them on the run, things happening all the time. This book is more lies and propaganda, and trying to stay human when everything is chaos around you.

I am truly looking forward to book 3, not only cos this book ends with a major cliffhanger just like book 1 did.

Cover thoughts: Not a fan.

Reason for Reading: Library book

Final thoughts: Great! I loved it.