Review: A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Genre: Young-Adult Sci-Fi Dystopian

Published: 8/9/11 | Candlewick

Format: ebook | Library Book 

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone-- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all.

I was very surprised when I read A Long Long Sleep.  I actually read a review on this book while blog hopping (I forgot which blog it was) and I thought the blurb sounded very interesting.  When the ebook was available at the library, I immediately checked it out and promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward to three days before the book was due and I received an email from the library that the book was due.  I started reading it that same day and I enjoyed it. 

The story is that Rosalinda, daughter of one of the most powerful families/rich corporate CEO's of the day, is woken up from a 62 year sleep by Brendan, a grandson of the current CEO of Rose's company.  She wakes up to a world after the Dark Times, which I compare to the Dark Ages.  In fact, it is like the Dark Ages, where the Beubonic Plague and Tuberculosis outbreak resurface.  Naturally, everyone Rose loves, even her boyfriend Xavier, are long gone.  Add in a Plastine (a robot with a human corpse for a body that is programmed to be an assasin) who tries to track and kill Rose, and a dark secret that ultimately transforms Rose into a stong young woman, and you have a recipe for a really awsome book.

As much as I liked this book, I had a few problems with it.  One was the non sci-fi element of the book.  Sure, it was set in the future and there were future tech stuff that were mentioned (e.g. hover cars that travel over water, a techie notepad/tablet) and future slang like "this is so sky", "coit", "noid", and "I comm",  it didn't feel like a true sci-fi novel.  The book also lacked description.  I wanted to see what the world looked like post Dark Times.  For a sci-fi novel, this lacked a lot of description.

Another thing that I did not like about it was that this book was basically about Rose moping about, trying to navigate the futuristic high school, developing her art, and falling for Brendan.  I expected to read about how Rose would investigate the dilemma that is the reason why she had a long stasis sleep.  I expected to read about her taking over her parent's company that was under the influence of a slimy CEO.  If Rose did not redeem herself by the end of the book and stood up against her attacker and destroyed her stasis tube, I would have given this a 2!  Oh, and Rose's voice sounded like a little girl.  I really had problems with that.    For a 16 year old, she seemed pretty immature to me.  A

What was iffy about this was when it was revealed in the end that Ron, Brendan's grandfather and CEO of the corporation is in fact Xavier, Rose's boyfriend!  Ick!  Although I was expecting this to be the case, I still thought it was very, very, very weird.  Plus, Rose demands that he becomes her guardian!

What I did like about this, however was how the author showed us the emotional abuse that Rose went through - the detachment of how her parents treated her.  I actually liked that the author hinted at the abuse and how we were gradually introduced as to Rose's actual age.  Apparently, Rose has been in and out of stass all through childhood.  In fact, Rose practically raised Xavier since she was about 7 when he was a toddler.

Another surprising character that I liked was Otto, the blue alien/human that has powers but is unable to speak.  Rose and Otto have a very interesting relationship via the web where they have long conversations between each other.  The only thing I had problems with was that Otto had a girlfriend that he broke up with probably because he was falling for Rose.

All in all, this was a quick read for me that I recommend to those who love non sci-fi YA sort of romance.

My Rating

Heat Level

Review: Seducing the Princess by Mary Hart Perry

Genre:  Historical Romantic Thriller 

Published: 3/5/13 | Diversion Books

Format: ebook | free in exchange for an honest review
Buy Links

Mary Hart Perry’s acclaimed series of romantic Victorian thrillers continues with Seducing the Princess, inspired by the life of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter Beatrice. Painfully shy and lonely, convinced she is unattractive and unloved, the dutiful Princess Beatrice finally accepts that she will never marry and vows to devote herself to the queen in Victoria's waning years. In fact, her mother has secretly discouraged suitors for Beatrice’s hand. Just when Beatrice has all but given up on love and happiness, she meets Henry Battenberg, a dashing nobleman from the Continent who matches wits with the aging Victoria and risks his life and liberty to woo Bea.

But Henry isn't the only man interested in being welcomed into Beatrice's bed. The timid princess has become the target of a cruel plot hatched by her nephew, the madman destined to become the last Emperor of Germany. Wilhelm II sends a ruthless agent, a charming Scot, to seduce the naive princess and spy on the queen. How can the sheltered princess hope to fend off a man capable of murder, and perhaps worse, to get what he wants? But Beatrice is not without her own allies--her older sister Louise and Louise's American soldier-of-fortune and lover, Stephen Byrne. Will Beatrice discover which of the two men pursuing her she can trust, before it's too late? Drama, romance and peril chase the royal family from Buckingham Palace to a storm besieged castle on the Isle of Wight.

Mary Hart Perry is a new to me author and Seducing the Princess is the first book that I read.  I was thoroughly blown away!  I loved reading about Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.  Of course, I did a quick google search on her to read more about her and her life with the Queen.  I am amazed at how the author seamlessly intertwined Princess Beatrice's story with the facts surounding her love match with Henry Battenberg.

The story was well written and I empathized with Princess Beatrice.  Queen Victoria really seemed like the villain of the story.  I can just imagine how hard it was for Beatrice growing up as her mother's shadow.  The way the Queen treated Beatrice struck a chord in me and I could not help but hate the Queen for doing this to her youngest daughter.  Beatrice comes off as an obedient and meek daughter, only following what the Queen commands her to do but deep inside, she cannot wait to leave and have a life of her own.  This happens when she meets and falls in love with Henry.

Henry and Beatrice's love story was really sweet, I thought.  I love the way that he went out of his way to get to know the Princess and helping her overcome her shyness and become a strong woman.  I have to point out that all the characters are well developed and I find that this help drive the whole plot of the story.  I felt that I knew them and that I was one of the Queen's daughters.

I also loved that there was another villain in the story in the form of Prince Gregory, another cousin.  I like to think that a good story has to have a good villain and Gregory really fit the bill to a T.  Although there is a minor villain in the form of Queen Victoria, I cannot see her as the ultimate villain even if she plays a part preventing a romance between Beatrice and Henry.

I recommend this book to readers who love Philippa Gregory.

My Rating

Heat Level

 

Kathryn Johnson lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and two feline writing partners, Tempest and Miranda. The author of over 40 novels, she's written under her own name and a variety of pen names, including Mary Hart Perry, Kathryn Jensen, KM Kimball and Nicole Davidson. She also teaches fiction-writing workshops for the renowned Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. And, in 2008, she founded Write by You (www.WriteByYou.com), to coach other writers interested in reaching publication. She has been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Christy Award, and won the Heart of Excellence and Bookseller's Best Awards (sponsored by the Romance Writers of America) in 2011.

 

Her works in progress include a series of Victorian thrillers inspired by the lives of Queen Victoria's five daughters. The first novel, The Wild Princess, focuses on Princess Louise, who desperately wanted an education as a professional artist, at a time when women were not admitted into art schools. Her personal life becomes complicated when she uncovers a secret about her husband and must help protect her mother from an assassination attempt. The second book of the series,Seducing the Princess, launches April 2, 2013, and features Victoria’s youngest daughter Beatrice. Painfully shy and lonely, the dutiful Princess has promised never to marry and to devote herself to the queen in Victoria's waning years. Just when she has all but given up on love and happiness, she meets Henry Battenberg, a dashing nobleman from the Continent who risks his life and liberty to woo Bea and save both his beloved and the queen from a cruel plot. A third novel, to be published later in 2013, will star Crown Princess Vicky.

 

Connect with Kathryn

Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin | Website | Email
 

Connect with Mary

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Email

　

Facebook Event

Running March 31st to April 4th With an all day hoopla on April 2nd to celebrate the release of “Seducing the Princess”

 

Join Mary Hart Perry and Vickie Ann in celebrating the launch of Seducing the Princess. Mary Hart Perry will be doing random giveaways at this event, so keep an eye out for prizes and help spread the word!!!

Don't miss the fun! Invite your friends to join in! And ask Vickie how to get Seducing the Princess for free in exchange for an honest review on Amazon. Vickie@iobooktours.com

Giveaway

2 $10.00 Gift Cards

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: By Love Unveiled by Sabrina Jeffries

Genre: Historical Romance | Series: Restoration #1

Re-Published: 2/26/2013 | Pocket Books

Format: ebook | purchased

Baronet’s daughter Marianne Winchilsea was running for her life from those who thought she was involved in an attempt to kill the king. Forced to disguise herself, she trusted no one—especially not Garett Locke, the Earl of Falkham, the man who usurped her family home and who seemed to be her most dangerous enemy…

And what Garett saw beneath her disguise was a beautiful half-gypsy, who was enrobed in mystery, deception and burning secrets. A woman he should avoid at all costs. Somehow, in a world of treachery and passion, of sweet seduction and whispered betrayals, each would have to learn to trust the other, as a desire that could not be disguised turned into a passionate love that all the powers of the world could not defeat.

This is a reworked story that has been out of print written by Sabrina Jeffries as Deborah Martin.  Before I give my review, I just want to let everyone know that I have not read the original book so I cannot point out the differences between the two and which parts have been reworked.  That being said, I totally enjoyed reading By Love Unveiled.  I admit that it is different from what I am used to Sabrina writing but the female protagonist, Marianne is as feisty and strong as her newer heroines.

The story starts of with Marianne, masquerading as Mina, a gypsy healer (she is half gypsy) in her hometown of Lydgate where she is trying to find the person responsible for framing her father (and her) with the plot to poison King Charles II.  Garrett, the Earl of Falkham, returned to Lydgate to reclaim his family home that his uncle sold to the Winchilsea family.  Meeting the masked Mina at the apothecary spiked Garrett's interest most especially after she treated him after he was attacked by a highwayman in on his way back to his estate.

I love that Mina "masqueraded" herself in her own hometown where people actually knew her and helped her keep her identity a secret.  I actually felt Garrett's frustration when he suspected that the townspeople had information about Mina that they were not giving to him.

Mina and Garrett's attraction was also palpable as I was reading the whole book.  I felt their passion exploding from the pages and loved the pace that the author took with developing their romance.

The ultimate surprise that I had was when Mina's father wasn't dead at all!  I also liked that Garrett asked Mina's father for her hand in marriage when he was interrogating him.

The story went a little bit too fast for me when it came to the part of the confrontation between Garrett's uncle (who had his parent's killed and planted the poison in Mina's father's healing pouch), Garrett, the King, Mina and her father.  I thought that it was pretty convenient for King Charles to side with Garrett without hearing more evidence.  Granting that the uncle was already a known enemy of the king and he was already a suspect.  Still the stand-off was pretty fast.

All in all, I love the book as a whole.  I am definitely waiting for the next book in the Restoration Series to be available.  I believe it will be sometime this year (as per Sabrina's website).

Oh, and the new cover is gorgeous as compared to the old cover shown below.

My Rating

Heat Level

Review: Her Perfect Match by Jess Michaels

Genre:  Historical Erotic Romance
Series: Mistress Matchmaker Series
Publish: 3/5/13 | Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Format: ebook | purchased
Buy:  B&N | Amazon | Samhain

She will do anything for him…except surrender.

Vivien Manning, the notorious Mistress Matchmaker, is tired. Tired of the parties, tired of the lovers, tired of being her. So she decides to leave London behind once and for all and start a whole new life.

But before she goes, she must tie up some loose ends, so she makes a list which includes one man she’s never been fully able to let go:

Benedict Graystone.

Benedict was broken when Vivien broke off their affairs years ago. So when she comes back into his life… and his bed, he isn’t certain of anything except the power of their desire.

But as Vivien moves ever closer to disappearing forever, both of them begin to question if the past can be overcome and if love might be the one loose end that cannot be neatly tied up.

I was anticipating Vivien's story since I read her in the first book, An Introduction to Pleasure.  Now, reading the first chapter blew me away.  It introduced us to the depraved life of Vivien and how she has been living her life year after year after year.  The first scene actually made me empathize with her as she was trying to find fulfillment in her life.  Considering all the parties and sexual conquests, she was getting fed up with it.  We also get to revisit the previous couples of the other two books and in a way, it makes Vivien want something that they have - love.

I have to say that this is the best book in the series.  I love how Vivien struggles to finish her list before she leaves her life as a mistress for good.  I especially love how Benedict becomes entwined with the whole situation - with him helping her fulfull her wishes and not knowing the true reason why she was doing it.

Benedict and Vivien's relationship is explosive.  I could feel the heat simmering between the pages (or in my case, the reader - LOL) everytime they meet.  And although lust is the driving force of their relationship, I could see how Vivien would fall for Benedict.

I did have a problem with how Benedict's character was written.  I didn't quite think of him as the perfect libertine/bad boy for our Heroine.  I thought that with him not getting over Vivien when she left him was pretty uncharacteristic of an alpha male.  I would have expected him not to pine (sort of) for Vivien - there was a part in the book where he said he loved her in his thoughts even when they just barely got back together again.  True, his love may not have faded but I thought that wasn't too realistic.

On the other hand, I thought Vivien was the alpha in this story (I know I am contradicting myself but whatever).  I love her bravery and her will to face her fears and revisit her past; how she took charge with her life and become the independent woman that she is.  And yes, I did cry when Vivien and Benedict had their HEA.

Rating

 

Heat Level

BTW, I will be interviewing Jess Michaels on March 8 so stay tuned!

Review: When in Paris... by Beverley Kendall

Genre: Young-Adult
Series: Language of Love #1
Published: Jan 4, 2013 | Season Publishing
Format: ebook | Purchased
Buy: Amazon | B&N

College freshman Olivia Montgomery is thrilled at the chance to start over, escape the rumors that plagued her in high school. And she can finally put her juvenile crush, Zachary Pearson, where he belongs--in her past. Then her unrequited love strolls into her French class, shattering Olivia's newfound peace, and the feelings she'd thought buried for good come rushing back. Now she can't shake her unwanted attraction to the one guy who can twist her stomach into knots with just a smile...but has never given her the time of day.

Zach's good looks may have always gotten him his pick of girls, but it's the star quarterback's skill on the football field that gives him his pick of the Big Ten colleges. To escape the crushing demands of his win-at-all-costs father, Zach opts for a private university in upstate New York where...his present and past collide. And the one girl he's always wanted but can't have--and a class trip to Paris--turn out to be the ultimate game changer that has him breaking every one of his rules.

The book starts in French class when Olivia Montgomery locks eyes with Zachary Pearson her longtime high school crush.  Unbeknownst to Olivia, Zach also shares the same attraction but was giving her the cold/cool attitude because he couldn't act on his feelings.  Apparently, Olivia's mother had an affair with his uncle which resulted in divorce.  As a result, he was trying to deny his attraction to her and was pretty much indifferent.  Their friendship started when April, Olivia's best friend invited her to have dinner with another friend Troy, Zach's roommate.  April and Troy try to match them up together as it was pretty much obvious that they had something going on.  So starts the love/hate relationship between the two.  A field trip to Paris changes everything and they become intimate; with Olivia thinking that they are a couple and Zach thinking that it is only a friends-with-benefits thing.  Things blow up when they return to school when Olivia finds out that Zach is not serious with her coupled with the fact that Zach's crazy ex Ashley, keeps on calling him.  They do not talk for a while until Ashley appears in Olivia's dorm and collapses, resulting in a 911 call, which reveals all.   Zach still had been communicating with Ashley because she had suicidal tendencies and he could not, in his good conscience, not talk to her.  Olivia understands and Zach talks to Ashley's parents and says that he does not want to be involved with her anymore.  The parents agree and said that they will get help for her.  Olivia and Zach go home together and officially start their new relationship.

When in Paris... is a new genre for me - YA/Chic-Lit type.  I am actually surprised that I liked it.  Olivia and Zach really had an explosive relationship with a lot of sexual tension.  Another thing that I liked about the book was the  first-person telling of the story.  I especially like that Ms. Kendall wrote Zach's POV and I loved getting a feel of his thoughts and feelings.  His POV is also realistically male.

Olivia and Zach are a perfect match, I thought.  I love how both of them don't really know each other appart from what they assume what each other is until they got to know each other.  Their relationship progresses in a way that is slow but building up to love.  I have to admit, this sort of sounds like my love story (LOL).  

One thing that I did not like about it is that the ebook had flourishes in between Olivia's POV and Zach's POV that it cut of a few words.  I hate it when this happens, although I know it is not Ms. Kendall's fault.  This is a peeve of mine and I just have to say this.  Another thing that I thought could have been explored was Olivia finding out about her mom's relationship with his uncle.  It was not actually mentioned in the book but was implied that Olivia is mad with her mother and her is father living in an apartment.  I thought that there should have been more emphasis on this because I think this should have been the major problem and not about Ashley.  Although Ashley had a integral role in their relationship, I thought it was not a really big enough impact overall.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Heat Level: 2

Review: Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas

Reckless and wild, beautiful Lily Lawson delights in shocking proper London society - and will break any rule to flaunt her independence. And now she is determined to rescue her helpless sister from an upcoming, undesired marriage to Lord Alex Raiford, the arrogant Earl of Wolverton. Through fair means and foul, the headstrong hellion succeeds outrageously - but her handsome adversary is not to be outdone. A master gamesman, Lord Alex counter's Lily's scorn with kindness, and parries her blistering barbs with gentle words and a soft, sensous touch. For he has resolved to make the spirited miss pay dearly for her interference - with her body, her soul...and her stubborn, unyielding heart.

 

I read the Dreaming of You first and was intrigued by Lily Lawson. In the book Dreaming of You, she was portrayed as a respectable lady albeit with a dubious past.

In the first few chapters, I wasn't warming up to Lily as I should. I thought her antics (especially the one mentioned in the first chapter) were ridiculous. However, as the story progressed, I empathized with her. The hero, Alex Raiford, is not as dark as Derek Craven (who I absolutely love) however, I think he is the perfect match to Lily's headstrong character.

I enjoyed reading the love-hate relationship that Lily and Alex went through, and love their heated arguments and banters. I especially enjoyed reading about Lily getting away with tying Alex to her bed to keep him away from her sister AND the gamble at the end where Lily lost.

One thing that I would have wanted was a Prologue about Lily losing her daughter.

My Rating: 4

Heat Level: 4

 View all my Goodreads reviews

Review: Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell

London's most notorious seducer, Nicholas Challoner lives solely for revenge...

The dashing, licentious Marquess of Ranelaw can never forgive Godfrey Demarest for ruining his sister—now the time has come to repay the villain in the same coin. But one formidably intriguing impediment stands in the way of Nicholas's vengeance: Miss Antonia Smith, companion to his foe's unsuspecting daughter.

Having herself been deceived and disgraced by a rogue—banished by her privileged family as a result and forced to live a lie—Antonia vows to protect her charge from the same cruel fate. She recognizes Ranelaw for the shameless blackguard he is and will devote every ounce of her intelligence and resolve to thwarting him.

Yet Antonia has always had a fatal weakness for rakes . . .

 

At first, I did not like Antonia at all. Sure, I felt that she was acting appropriately when she said that she hated all rakes, ergo hating Lord Ranelaw however, there was just something about her that I just did not like. That is, until the end when I found out what she went through when she was disowned by her father.

I was a little surprized about what Antonia went through when she ran away with Johnny (the rake who broke her heart 10 years ago) and I was also puzzled why her brother didn't even bother to find her. I would have thought that a brother who was close to the sister would not take his father's word that his sister was dead without the body, right?

I didn't think that Lord Ranelaw was as tortured a hero as the others that I have read, but I empathized with him. There was just something about him that caught my attention and made me want to finish the book. I especially loved the part where Nicholas didn't even fight during the duel with Johnny.

 

My Rating: 4

Heat Level: 4

Review: Vampire Mine by Kerrelyn Sparks

Nothing on earth can make this vampire fall in love . . .

After 499 years of existence, Connor Buchanan has arrived at an inescapable conclusion: he is a cold-hearted SOB. He's been watching his friends—those poor romantic fools—plummet off the cliff into love like a dazed herd of sheep. But not Connor. He knows that love leads to nothing but heartache.

Until Marielle . . .

She is an angel cast down from heaven for disobedience. Trapped in mortal form, she finds a protector in Connor, a Scottish vampire haunted by a dark past. Marielle hopes to heal his broken heart and earn her way back home, but suddenly she has these . . . feelings. This strange yet pleasant physical yearning—for a vampire! Is this the work of a demon luring her into hell, or has this angel found heavenly bliss?

This book is the first one that I read in the series and I am now reading the back list! I had heard a lot about the Love at Stake Series but as I am not that fond of Paranormal Romance, I decided to skip it. However, I met Kerrelyn Sparks at the RT Booklovers Book Fair in Los Angeles in April and I got a signed copy of this book just for the heck of it.

I started reading this when I got home and I could not put it down! I enjoyed the sparks that flew between Connor and Marielle! And just imagine my surprise when I read that Marielle was a Fallen Angel and she was falling in love with a Vampire!
I did cringe at some parts where I thought the curse words were inappropriate especially when they were said in front of Marielle. However, I guess I could excuse this because Connor is a vampire? *shrugs* I did like how the author weaved in a few positive spiritual elements all throughout the story however, I thought the sex scene between Connor and Marielle was a bit awkward or I just felt awkward reading that part. I guess I was just thinking how unlikely an Angel and a Vampire having sex is.

Another element that I love about this book is the way the previous characters were weaved into the story. I love reading about the other characters and now that I am reading the back list, I am appreciating this even more.

 

Rating: 4 Stars

Heat Level: 4