A Royal Pain

A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry

I bought the ebook when it was discounted for Barnes & Nobles NOOK Daily Finds a few days ago.

My review:

Bronte is coming out of a failed relationship and decides that she needs a rebound man. Conveniently, she bumps into a delicious British doctoral candidate and convinces him-- without much difficulty-- to fill the role. The rebound relationship with lots of hot sex threatens to become more, but Bronte is stunned and dismayed to learn that her handsome Transitional Man is actually a duke and member of the royal family of England.

This is a delightful piece of bubbly chick lit. Megan Mulry's writing is very good, but habitual readers of chick lit should be prepared for extended passages of description and narration that do not involve dialogue. Like all good chick lit, however, it includes lots of great clothes, lots of killer shoes, and enough champagne to go around. The narrative-heavy sections moved the story along appropriately and the transitions flowed well, so the change from narration to more dialogue-heavy passages and back were not distracting. Several subplots were worked into the book, however, and the story line involving Bronte's relationship with her parents wasn't well-integrated into the main story until close to the end.

The ending will bother some readers, who will take issue with the choices Bronte makes and the reasons that she makes them. Still, anyone who enjoyed the movie The Prince and Me or Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number will love diving into this fun little fantasy of contemporary royal romance.

P.S. Lots of swearing. Bronte likes to swear.

Stars: 4

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I'm glad I snatched it up. It's not great literature, but it was a super-fun read. It definitely whisked me away to another place and sometimes that's what I'm looking for in a book. This would be a great vacation read or a good book for curling up on a rainy Saturday with a cup of tea or glass of wine.

Dead Ever After

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

I borrowed the hardcover from the public library.

My review:

Charlaine Harris had a lot to wrap up in the final installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series. Virtually every character from the entire series who isn't "definitely dead" makes at least a cameo appearance in this farewell novel. With so many story lines to conclude, the book naturally feels a little scattershot.

Though there is the requisite murder mystery and plenty of people are trying to put Sookie permanently out of commission, this thirteenth book goes back to the lighthearted narration of earlier books in the series. The last several Southern Vampire books took a darker turn, but with Dead Ever After, Harris has returned to the resilient, determined Sookie that garnered this series a devoted following.

In a departure from previous books, however, this novel is not told exclusively from Sookie's perspective and in fact begins with a couple of sections narrated in the third-person. These "elsewhere" passages resurface throughout the book and distract rather than add. The information the reader gleans from these "asides" could easily have been worked into the main narrative flow through characters' conversations with Sookie or others, as in previous books. 

Still, this is a mostly-satisfying conclusion to a beloved series, and long-time readers will be glad to have some "open resolution" for their many Bon Temps friends.

Stars: 3

Naked in Death

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts

I downloaded the audiobook from the public library's OverDrive service.

My review:

Nora Roberts is more than a talented and successful romance author; she does suspense, mystery, and crime very well, too. While there is romance and sex in Naked in Death, it takes a backseat to the serial killer mystery and actually manages to contribute to the main story.

In Death is a futuristic series but I think will hold up well even as we move farther into the future; this book was originally written in the mid-90's and aside from the limited use mobile technology, I still found the portrayal of 2058 fairly plausible. Technology was advanced and integrated into everyday life but had not changed long-established cultural norms or movements. Lt. Eve Dallas' America is still recognizably America, just with better transportation, security, and medical services.

I mean, we'd better have our flying cars in 45 years, darn it.

The story itself was compelling; the crimes were grisly and the psychology of Eve and the killer were interesting to unravel, as well. I had a pretty good bead on whodunnit about halfway through, however, and I am usually really bad at that, so the case may not intrigue seasoned mystery buffs. Still, the excellent writing and characterization will probably be enough to hold their interest.

Stars: 4.5

Runability: 5

Susan Ericksen does a simply amazing job with the narration. This is hands-down one of the best audiobook productions I've enjoyed, and it is the perfect running soundtrack. I have a hold on the next in the series and can't wait to start it.

When Love Calls

When Love Calls by Lorna Seilstad

I purchased the ebook from Barnes & Noble.

My review:

Hannah Gregory's parents have unexpectedly passed away, leaving her in charge of her two younger sisters and faced with the necessity of dropping out of law school. To support the family, she decides to become a "Hello Girl," or switchboard operator. Before she is able to secure a paycheck, the bank dispatches a young lawyer to foreclose on the farm, and Hannah is annoyed to find that he keeps crossing her path.

Lorna Seilstad is a Christian writer who creates lively, interesting characters with believable motives. Early-20th-century Des Moines, Iowa, may sound prosaic, but romance is all the more charming amidst the everyday settings of work, picnics, and church services. Seilstad manages to capture an energetic and optimistic time in history, when the nation was full of progress and hope for the future.

The biblical message is not veiled, but neither is it lobbed at the reader like a brick. The parallel with the story of Ruth feels a little forced, but then, similarities between everyday life and biblical stories are usually not exact in every detail, so it is a realistic way of drawing applicable lessons from a scriptural text.

Rating: 4.5 stars; we'll round up to 5

Lincoln Cole is my kind of literary heartthrob. This young lawyer is hot! I feel that Seilstad has really reached her potential in this book and has created two leading characters who are equally flawed and equally delightful. Both Hannah and Lincoln learn and grow, which I love. I can't wait for the next books in the Gregory Sisters series; unfortunately, I have about a year to wait!

North and South

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

I downloaded a free ebook copy from Project Gutenberg.

My review:

A rather privileged young lady from the agrarian, rural southern England suddenly finds herself considerably less privileged and forced to move with her parents to a textiles manufacturing town in the north. Cultures, priorities, and personalities clash, illnesses and financial problems strike, and Margaret's mettle is tested... and sometimes found wanting.

This is a Victorian "issues" book. The story line and plot were unoriginal but engaging and grew more compelling as the story unfolded. The long discussions of societal theory were longer than necessary, however. The discussions and perspectives had to be included and debated in order to develop the plot and characterizations, but tangents were often over-long. Characters grew and learned throughout the book, but the ending felt hasty in a manner reminiscent of Louisa May Alcott's "romance" books.

Fans of Victorian novels will enjoy this portrayal of two English cultures of the day, but there is a reason that it is a B-list classic instead of one of the big titles that everyone recognizes. It will not have the broad, era-transcending appeal of Anne of Green Gables or Frankenstein.

Stars: 3

 

As a modern American from a region with a manufacturing heritage, I found myself frustrated with the impractical and elitist attitudes of some of the characters, even though I know that it was an accurate representation of many good people's views in that time and place.

To Tame a Highland Warrior

To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning

I downloaded the audiobook from the public library's OverDrive service.

My review:

The second in KMM's Highlander series, To Tame a Highland Warrior is exactly what it says on the tin-- a bodice-busting romance set in 1500's Scotland with an impossibly hunky kilted lead. Do not look for historical accuracy here, and do not even expect a great deal of internal integrity. There are no egregious contradictions, but it just does not bear a whole lot of scrutiny. Be prepared to suspend a lot of disbelief and enjoy it for what it is: a hot and heavy romantic fantasy.

The plot line is basically The Bachelorette set in a Scottish castle. Beautiful maiden refuses to wed, Da thinks it's time and sets her up with three guys. He tells her to pick one by the time he gets back from a trip.

Enjoy it for what it is-- sugary, sexy brain-candy. Karen Marie Moning was clearly still developing her voice as an author in the early stages of this series, and I anticipate that the later installments will start showing more of the dark brilliance that characterizes her Fever books.

Stars: 3

Runability: 4

Phil Gigante reads the male parts for most of the audio editions of Moning's work, and he is very talented. His falsettos are a little grating, but his male characters' voices are spot-on. There was enough lighthearted action to keep this one (and me) moving along during a run.

Where Angels Fear to Tread

Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster

I downloaded a free ebook copy from Project Gutenberg.

My review:

This is E.M. Forster's first novel, though he is better known for A Room With a View. I only remember that novel vaguely, having experienced it during a whirlwind semester of literature classes when I was reading well upwards of a hundred pages of classics a day. Since that book had made little impression on me, I wasn't sure what to expect from Angels. The description made it sound frothy and quick, however, which suited my mood perfectly.

I don't normally care for books where each character is vaguely ridiculous and annoying, but I did like this one very much. I rolled my eyes at each and every person, and I was able to sit back in my smug superiority and watch the comedy of errors and manners unfold. Forster creates realistic and flawed people, and then he has events unfold precisely as you would expect them to in real life-- not resolved beautifully and not an utter disaster, but somewhere in between. Cultures clash, heads butt, and I had an enjoyable read.

Stars: 4

I may go back and re-read A Room With a View this summer, and I will certainly make a point of reading some of Forster's other works in the future.