Ruthless by Lexi Blake

Rating

Let's talk about sex, baby. It's time to get Ruthless

Synopsis The Lawless kids are all grown up and seeking revenge on the people who murdered their parents and tried to kill them in a fire. Riley Lang changed his name from Lawless in order to move about the world inconspicuously. His brother Drew Lawless, reclusive tech billionaire, is kind of famous. Both Drew's fame and Riley's low profile are part of a plot to take down the people who framed their father with a murder-suicide that was supposed to kill the entire family. A plot that is finally ready to be put into motion--enter Ellie Stratton. Daughter of the late CEO of StratCast, the company founded by the people who killed Riley's parents including Ellie's father. Riley is sent to StratCast to go after the only other founder, Mr. Castalano, of the company still there due to his involvement in the deaths of Riley's parents. Meanwhile, Ellie is trying to buy out Mr. Castalano and become CEO, Riley comes in as her attorney. While Riley is on his secret mission; Ellie has some secrets about her father's death she is keeping to herself. Little do these two know that while they are playing out their parts, a larger chess game is being played out. By the end, everyone will know the definition of Ruthless.

Characters Ellie is pretty good, but has the typical fat girl insecurities. Just because someone is fat doesn't mean they should think they are ugly and unlovable. Without that she's almost too perfect. Riley is model handsome, and so boring in the beginning that it makes my teeth hurt. He doesn't get real until right around the climax of the plot. He's too perfect and his brothers hold my interest more. Drew has a darkness and drive that I'd go gaga over, and Bran is cute but has anger issues. Mia is kinky and uses talk of her sex life to terrorize her brothers which is hilarious. Hatch is flawed in the extreme, and because of that less charismatic. Hatch is all about beating himself up for being a drunk, drinking, and strippers. The villains were given away early.

World Modern New York but could be anywhere. There was only one conversation that gave it any depth of place. There wasn't even an indication of season. The company and company products were well thought out. But I couldn't help wondering was it winter with skaters at Rockefeller Center and the giant tree, was it spring when Central park is in bloom, was it summer with everyone trying to beat the heat or was it fall with the parades and football season. Every city has it's own flavor and if a story is set there I'd like some of that to spill over in the story.

Pacing The setting up for the subsequent books can be forgiven it is the first in the series after all, but the tie ins and hints at other series were a little heavy handed. Pacing could have been a bit more slick and was the minor failing of the novel. The inciting incident was a little slow in coming.

Writing The word "cock" was used a lot. And it was a bit racy for a traditional romance novel, but for a modern adult romance novel I prefer this style. Sex is thought about and talked about by most adults in explicit terms, so why not be accurate. Some of the talk during sex was clichéd, but hey it's a sex scene there is accurate then there's writeable. Some facts and scenes were repeated like the scene with Hatch and Riley, but I get that she didn't want to give Hatch away till Drew's book.

Plot Basic revenge plot line. The twist is the villain is smarter than they give him credit for--loved that part. I liked that they stepped into a long game that started when Ellie's father was alive. I didn't particularly like the villain's flunkies, because it was obvious to me that if the heroes had been paying attention they would have unraveled the villainous plot before it blew up in their faces. Instead they play catch up, and the villain is done in by his greed rather than any plan on the part of the good guys

The Good I've read Lexi Blake, and I love her erotica. Just to be clear this book isn't erotica, it's a romance novel. There has been some debate over whether a book is erotica or a romance, and some companies have even given these books a category of their own. But the way to tell the difference is to remove the sex scenes, if it's erotica then there isn't much of a book left. You may have character sketches and a semblance of a plot but it will be like a porn if you remove the sex stuff. If it's a romance novel then the sex is just a bonus you still have the establishment of the relationship, the obstacle, the overcoming of the obstacle and the happily ever after. This book is a modern romance with some dirty words and explicit scenes--my favorite.

The Bad I'm not going to be too critical because I know Lexi will get better the more she goes along this path. My feelings on the perfection of characters is something I expound on regularly. I just don't believe in perfect characters, there's something innately non-human about them, a disconnectedness from reality that I find disconcerting. I'd like for the slight pacing problem to be fixed, a focus on what the inciting incident actually was would probably have helped. Hint, it wasn't the beginning of the physical relationship.
Recommendations

As I mentioned earlier there are two ways to handle sex in modern romance books. You can lean more to the erotica side of things which means lots of sex and a little bit of action or sex breaks in between the action. Or you can lean more to the romance side with relationship building and in depth character studies as well as good sex scenes.

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

The Riley Jensen Guardian series is erotica with sex breaks between the action. Riley Jensen is a vampire/werewolf hybrid with a twin brother, they both work for the government and when her brother goes missing Riley must do everything she can to find him. It sounds a little off putting but it's well written and Riley is a kick ass character.

Yes, Please by Willow Summers

Yes, Please falls more towards a modern romance novel. Olivia finds herself desperately seeking work after college. Her friend turns her on to a job with some special requirements it seems a CEO needs an assistant to satisfy him in the boardroom and in the bedroom. She's unlike anything Hunter has ever seen she's real, funny, and amazing. And he offers her the job, just one catch she doesn't want to sign the contract. Olivia just wants him, not all the rules and boundaries that go with being his personal sex slave. He gives her one month to entice her into taking the job, all of it. Too bad at the end of the month she's got him hooked, what's next? Will she get him to say yes and please to an emotional commitment. Don't know that part is in book number two or maybe three.

Sex is a part of life. People arrive on this planet via sex; sex is used to sell everything from a hamburger to a fragrance. Yet, people don't like to discuss it, but I would hope that's changing. There are so many issues related to sex that are hold overs from another era, myths, and idiocy that we need to talk about them. Riley deals with the double standard of sex that women have been dealing with since ancient times. A male is never vilified or ostracized for taking multiple partners, yet when a woman does it she's a slut or a whore. From a historical context, I can defend this by saying men can't get pregnant and society wanted to make sure who the father was. But it's the twenty first century, there's birth control and DNA testing, so the slut shaming either has to work both ways or stop all together.

Yes, Please and Ruthless deal with emotional commitment and sex. They both support the myth that males can have sex without emotional attachment while females can not. The truth is much more complex and beautiful. Anyone can have emotional sex and anyone can have emotionless sex. Emotions have nothing to do with sex, sure we confuse the two when we are starting out. I love having sex with him/her so, I must love him/her. But the truth is the myth isn't that guys and girls are different when it comes to sex it's that sex is the physical expression of love. This myth has ruined more lives than any natural disaster. Sex is a biological function, it is a physical activity that traditionally created offspring. Sex is about reproduction, love is love. Now, loving someone may mean showing them and enjoying all aspects of your nature from the animal to the divine, but it may not and that's perfectly okay. Being in a relationship and loving someone has more to do with open and honest communication than the mating rituals of homo sapiens.

So, let's talk about sex versus intimacy. Sex can be intimate or clinical or anywhere in between. But intimacy is a state of mind where you allow your vulnerabilities to be shared with another person. Intimacy is all about emotions and establishing an emotional connection whereas sex is just sex. Sex can be fabulous or disappointing, but it can't replace true intimacy and that's what romance is all about.

What Might Have Been by Lynn Steward

Rating

Let's do the time warp, again. This book was provided to me for free as part of a blogging tour.

Synopsis Dana McGarry is estranged from her cheating husband, and seeking a way to go on with her life. Everyone has advice: her mother, family friends, and co-workers. She finds motivation and solace after meeting an English priest. His advice is soon validated by the beginning of a new romance. Life seems to be going exactly as Dana would like. Until, a tragic accident reveals a secret that shakes the very foundation of her new love. Dana must learn where she fits and that somethings just aren't meant to be.

Characters Dana is as relatable to me as chalk to cheese. She comes from a very privileged background--a family friend owns his own fashion house for pete's sake. She is ambitious, but doesn't want things handed to her. She's smart and trendy. But she's not stuck up or a Stepford wife in the way her husband's mistress wants her to be. She's very human and likable. The rest of the New York characters not so much, especially Jack. But I loved the priest, he rocked.

World The world is very detailed as far as the map is concerned but, the 1970's flavor is covered in two conversations and a disco. There's a lack of vibe in every place from London to B.Altman. The only one that has a definite atmosphere is the stables and that's an air that hasn't changed.

Pacing The pacing was one the least successful aspects of the novel. It was more real life pacing rather than story pacing. The homosexual subplot was better paced, but lacked any emotional payoff.

Writing It was very well written. There was a consistent use of sensory input and show not tell. Ugly cries, symptoms of depression and jealousy abound. A real sense of everyone as a person was established. Backstories were established without being told outright.

Plot I'll be honest the plot was the major failing point of this novel, there were too many stories being told. Dana's work and person problems are so intertwined that neither takes center stage in the plot department, so every part of the plot seems rushed.

The Good This book takes place during a time period very important to America. Divorce was a stigma until the seventies, this period allowed society to say that sometimes marriages just don't work. And divorce is not a fault on the woman's part for not keeping her man, no matter his behavior. Women had learned they had a voice in the sixties and they used it to change the world in the seventies. Homosexuality was still treated as deviant behavior, but the subculture of acceptance was growing in the seventies. Without women like Dana and men like Andrew the world would be a very different place. And we need to be reminded of that now more than ever.

The Bad This story was a bridge from one book to another, nothing major was resolved. And that's a shame. I think Dana should have made a different decision, but that's just what I would do in her place. But even that door was not closed.

Recommendations

I'm not really a fan of a woman finding her way plot line or the inspirational genre. And I like modern romances with lots of sex, but I've read a few so I'll try to recommend something similar.

Prelude to Enchantment by Anne Mather

Read this many moons ago, written in 1974. Sancha is a career girl who is sent to interview a conte. Very much a harlequin presents from that time period. Harlequin now offers it in digital print for those of us who want to take a trip down memory lane.

Little Miss Matchmaker by Dana Corbit

If you like Christian novels, then you might want to check out Harlequin publishing's Love Inspired label. Like Harlequin Presents, Blaze, and Historical there are new books every month. I like this particular book because of the kid, I'm a sucker for them.

Even though I was born with a wooden spoon rather than a silver one I can relate to Dana. Most modern women can. It's all about having to balance ambition at work with a want for a balanced life. Dana's ultimate lessons are ones everyone can use: one must do what is right for one's self; a balanced life leads to a balanced individual; and keep learning and experiencing new things. What do you think?

Magic of Thieves by C. Greenwood

Rating

Well, it ain't Robin Hood.
Synopsis Ilan must hide from the Praetor's soldiers, that's what she remembers about her parents and the rush to leave the province. Upon detection, her mother passed a memento into Ilan's possession and she has kept it throughout her young life. She kept it from guardians who didn't know what to do with her, a greedy peddler, and fierce brigands. But while the thieves are fierce, she has made her home with them. In the Dimwood, she found a name and a purpose only to have those tested by a priest boy and the threat of her childhood.
Characters Ilan is a selfish, spoiled brat who does kindness only to use that single act of kindness as a club to beat her only friend down. The man who protects and guides her receives nothing but defiance, jeers, and pain for his trouble. She's impulsive and headstrong with misplaced loyalties and priorities--in other words she's a teenager. Because the book is written in first person point of view, Ilan is the only character worth talking about because she focuses on herself. The priest boy she saves is the next most fleshed out character, unfortunately, he is seen through her eyes so his characteristics may or may not be exaggerated.
World The world is traditional fantasy, with magic being outlawed and cutthroats living in the woods. There may or may not be another race besides humans, there's not enough detail given to know for sure. In fact, the entire story lacks in world detail. An example even though Ilan lives in the woods and knows the names of all the trees, she can't be bothered to give the reader the names.
Pacing Pacing was real life, in other words molehills become mountains that a reader has to trek right along with Ilan. All events are given the same importance from building a shelter to save a young priest's life to pouting in the woods for three days while significant events take place elsewhere.
Writing First person point of view, focus was on how the character felt not on actual details. The actual significant events were lost in a sea of every days life and teen angst. Characters, events and surroundings were filtered and reduced to what the main character deemed important. There was no sensory input other than what was seen, as the internal landscape took cardinal focus.
Plot There may be a small plot, but it's three events in a sea of minor events that are treated as major ones. Subplots and unanswered questions that are driving the real plot are unresolved and left to the next book. This book introduced and established characters, contained an inciting incident and started the ascending actions. The rest of the ascending action, climax, descending action, and the denouement are hopefully in the next book, but will probably be chopped up as well. There is a difference between arcs and plot. Arcs usually involve minor characters, or if involving the main character create a dynamic shift in circumstances and character growth. Plot: Chosen One defeats the villain and saves the world. Arc: Chosen One goes from gawky farm boy to wise, powerful, rich world changing wizard.
The Good Not much, it's free on Amazon for Kindle.
The Bad I don't know if it's greed or apathy that leads publishers, mass market or self, to cut up a plotline and shove it into several books, but it has to stop. Books that get turned into movies are fine to be cut up. A movie is maximum two hours and change long. So it's either chop it up and show the entire book in two films, or edit out details and minor plot points to fit the book into one movie. But a book can be filled with detail galore that showcase the author's world, subplots, minor character's details, and all the glorious input that make a book come alive for the reader. So when a publisher decides to cut off a book just as it's getting good, they are either saying to me that they don't care that I'm involved in the author's world and story line. Or they are saying they want to squeeze as much money out of me as they possibly can. Either way, this publishing strategy backfires on me. If the publisher doesn't care enough about me to give me a complete book, then I don't care enough about them to read books that they have published or continue the series. Readers can read thousands of other books why are publishers handicapping themselves. And if it's greed that is the motivation, then be smart about it. Don't chop a book series up at the beginning chop it up at the end. Recommendations
My recommendations are both young adult and written in the first person by the female main character, and if you haven't read them then you really should.
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Being a college freshman sucks especially when you stumble on the fact that the town is ran by vampires. This book is a little nutty like all of Caine's writing, but that's what makes it unique and awesome. All the characters are likeable or completely unlikeable there is no in between. And the book ends on a cliffhanger set up for the next book.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I know how dare I recommend The Hunger Games, as if everyone hasn't either read the book or seen the movie. Maybe, but if you've only see the movies then you'll not like my next comments. Katniss is like Ilan, a completely selfish person. But the difference is Collins makes the world and everything around Katniss awesome so, you don't care that you don't like Katniss. Katniss cares only about Prim. She only befriended Rue because she reminded her of Prim. She likes Gales, maybe romantically but only likes him. She's not a hero; she's a survivor. Want to know the difference? Read the book.
I'm not saying Magic of Thieves was a waste of paper, but it wasn't a complete novel. There were too many beginnings and not enough resolution. This entire novel could have been backstory, and I'm guessing that if I were to continue to read the rest of the series it will probably be treated as such. But nothing in this book made me want to continue on, so I gave it a two. Want to debate plot versus arc? Want to defend Katniss? Then comment below.

Daugher of the Sun by Zoe Kalo

Rating

Young Adult novels have absolutely flooded the paranormal romance, fantasy, and scifi genres. So, a novel has to be innovative and outstanding to differentiate itself from the seething masses of teen angst. This one is average.

Synopsis: Trinity was an orphan or so she thought, but an enigmatic visitor arrives just before her 17th birthday to whisk her away to an exotic island and a grandmother she's never met. While she was never ordinary at the convent where she grew up she had no idea of the secrets she inherited. An occult mystery of Egyptian Gods and monsters soon places her life and the lives of her brand new family at risk. Her life is thrown into turmoil as her best friend disappears and new love blooms. Will she discover the key to her existence and figure out what she is becoming? The answers are 5,000 years in the making find out in Daughter of the Sun.

Characters: It's pretty bad when the antagonist is a more complete person than either person on the protagonist side. I understand that Trinity and Ara are teenagers, but that doesn't mean they should be character sketches. Trinity has no idea what wants to do with her life, and never even wonders about it even though she's seventeen. I don't know how it works in England, but here in America wards of the state are no longer taken care of by the state after they reach 18. I was a wreck at 17 applying to colleges, and trying to do the best I could on my SAT, Standard Academic Testing, to make up for my less than stellar grades. I can't imagine adding stress of having to come up with an off campus living situation as well. Trinity is a complete and utter juvenile, immature in her actions and thoughts, and she's supposed to be the hero. I don't even buy that she's seventeen. While Ara is definitely seventeen, but suffers from being a character sketch as well. It's as Zoe decided to give her one good quality and one bad quality and call it a day. Her good quality is she's smart and has great recall, and her bad quality is she's a party girl. Neither girl has any hobbies or accomplishments. While on the other hand, Dr. Nassri can speak several languages, draws exceptionally well, is dedicated to her work and is extremely well put together. Yep, in my book the bad guy wins.

World: The world building is the only thing that gives this book a pass. The place descriptions read like a travel guide, you can definitely tell that Ms. Kalo went on a research trip. And the Egyptian mythology and research make a heck of a lot more sense than Gods of Egypt. The decision to focus on Egyptian mythology instead of the more conventional Greek or Roman was a smart one. The island of Cats and setting it off the cost of Turkey was unique. It made me want to visit. I wanted to swim in the crystal clear water, and be more of a beach bum than Seth.

Pacing: This was the worst part of the book by far. The book drifted for days on end with nothing major happening. I'm sure someone thought it was a build up to a reveal, but after the first scene I didn't care about the old woman and I really didn't need two more scenes to enhance my apathy. I could care less about Trinity's romance, I would have liked to know more about her parents romance. All the important stuff happened in the last half of the book, and it didn't have to. Her curiosity could have been alleviated the exact same way it was, but earlier. The drawing out and slowly revealing that Trinity isn't typical was unnecessary--Ara could have not believed Trinity's reveal if it needed to be reinforced, or Trinity could have stated the fact early rather than hint at her transformation over and over again. Readers don't have to spoon fed; we can take a sudden shock. In fact, we life for those sudden shocks. There was no twist, no sense of tension, and no urgency even in the scenes where urgency was key. The pacing decisions made no sense to me at all, I hate when something is just dropped in at the end, and not even introduced before the next book. This book had several of bombs that had one paragraph and then won't be addressed again till the next book.

Plot: This plot has it's own following on Tumblr, it's called the Chosen One plotline. There is absolutely nothing that makes it remotely unique or interesting. In this plot are the Sidekick, Chosen One, Love Interest, and Bad Guy. There's no giant cast of characters, no red herrings, and no spin that remakes the traditional ragged out fantasy cliché that would make it new and exciting. But the same could be said for many a Chosen One book.

Writing: There were synonyms, proper nouns for flora and fauna, explanations of a new concepts likes sponge diving and Egyptian mythology, and a glimpse into the world of an archaeologist. Better than "he made me feel like something that could fly." or "it was alive with creatures and green things." I hold writers to a higher standard my favorites are Adams, Pratchett, and Green so, when I say it lacked personality and flavor that's not saying it was boring--it just wasn't brilliant or quote worthy.

The Good: Did I mention it's free right now on Kindle at Amazon? No, well it is. Kalo paints a gorgeous picture that makes me want to jet off to Turkey for vacation. The mythology is interesting and clear.

The Bad: Characters are a complete wash, plot needed some jazzing up, and there was a majorly awesome incident that could have been introduced in the first half of this book and would have made it much more interesting reading if it had been added as a key problem instead of introducing it and then ignoring it in the last part. It could have put a new spin on "Are you my mummy?" But as they say thems the breaks.

Recommendations

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

The Chosen One plot line mixed with a little Highlander. It starts out promising, then lags in the middle and then picks up to awesomeness at the very end. Also a YA, young adult, with a love interest and uses a mythology to base the story off of except Cole uses the Major Arcana of Tarot Cards.

Marked by P. C. Cast

This one comes with a warning. Warning: contains explicit language and sex. House of Night features real teenagers being teenagers. There is cussing and sex, and I'm not recommending it for the age bracket it was supposedly written for. Also a Chosen One plotline with a predictable Bad Guy. But I copied down whole pages because the writing was so beautiful. Cast takes several mythologies and works it into a world of her own.

This Review is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by b00k r3vi3w Tours

Like the author? Want to know about her latest works? Please visit her website, Zoe Kalo, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you.

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Rating

Purchase here
I know I'm late to the party. I'm not a big fan of political books or traditional fantasy, but Game of Thrones is so much more than the sum of it's parts. I got addicted to the show, and then had to read the books.
Synopsis In the Game of Thrones, power can change hands in the blink of an eye. Robert Baratheon is king of Westeros married to Cersei, the only daughter of Tywin Lanaster, and content in his heir apparent Joffery. He travels from the Southern Kingdoms to the North to enlist his boyhood friend's aid. The Seven Kingdoms are at peace but, "Winter is coming" as Lord Eddard, Ned, Stark is quick to point out. Danger seethes both within the Kingdoms and without: to the North the Others, along with Mance Rayder and the Wildling horde; to the East the last of the Targaryen house, the previous royal house Robert rebelled against and won; as well as the sudden death of the King's Hand, Jon Arryn. Ned decides to accept being the King's Hand and travels south with his two daughters. A decision that has lasting consequences for everyone in the Seven Kingdoms. Characters The cast is massive. Everyone is a complete character with motivations, parts to play, but also interests of their own. Tyrion Lanaster is my favorite character both in the book and on the show. He's smart, a master of the sarcastic arts, and has all the makings of a proper villain. Most characters are victims of their own making; their virtues or vices lead them into dire consequences. The houses that are important are the Lanaster, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, and to a lesser extent Tully. But there are important characters that aren't in houses, and Castle Black where house loyalties are supposed to be left behind when the person takes the Black.
World Martin is in the top bracket when it comes to world building. Like Tolkien and Rowlings, he could write textbooks on the history, myths, religions, and science of his world. In fact, he could probably create a large series of factual textbooks. No question, Tolkien is king of world building--fantasy didn't exist before him. But Martin masters world building in a way most authors don't bother with. There are hints of a larger world than the story that is being told in every aspect of this book. An author once called these clues "red shoes", and I love that image of a tantalizing hint of a past or story untold. Red shoes: Andels, the Children, the Old Gods, the New Gods, The Wall, the Kings of the North, and the Dothraki garden of fallen gods are just a few of the things never delved into that I would find interesting reading. Pacing Pacing was the downfall of this book. Because there is so much world building and establishment of place, the immediacy and tension in the story suffers. Minor characters and places are described ad nauseum, the mystery of John Arryn's death takes way too long to solve, and the daily lives of Arya and Sansa are largely unimportant but are well established in this book. But since this a first book it can be a slower pace as world takes precedence.
Writing The writing itself was a let down, from the detailed scene descriptions I thought sex and body descriptions would be more graphic. But other than three sex scenes, a bathing scene and a post coital scene the novel is surprisingly tame when it comes to sexual content. And the scenes themselves weren't overtly erotic. I realize this is a first book, so I'll let the emphasis on world building and character introduction go, but the lack of emotional connection was unnecessary. The conflicts between characters are more vivid and finely wrought than the positive emotional connections. Dani and her husband's building connection is barely touched it's sacrificed for the conflict between her and her brother. John and Sam's friendship is two scenes, but the conflict between John and Thorne is reinforced in several scenes. The book focuses more on the hate than the love, except between John and Aria. I actually liked that relationship. Plot The plot is a big part of the story so, I'll not give it away. I will say the main plot for the entire series is about Who controls the Iron Throne, and with it the Seven Kingdoms. The subplot for this book focuses on Castle Black and the dangers winter brings.
The Good The world building is epic and detailed. The plot full of twists and sufficiently grand for a saga. The characters are very realistic, even the minor ones. Dialogue is very quotable.
The Bad Pacing was inconsistent with some relationships glossed over or barely touched for the sake of brevity, but some scenes were left in and described in utter detail that took way too long for the action that took place. The writing was very factual, the minute details described in the tourney for example made it extremely vivid, but emotional scenes lacked depth.
Recommendations
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Yes, if I was late talking about Game of Thrones, then recommending Harry Potter to a post Potter world is even more timely. However hear me out, if you haven't read the books, i.e. only watched the movies, then you are missing out. Rowling builds a world brick by brick that is filled with depth, history, and magic. She takes an entire page to describe the contents of the sweets shop. That's why I picked them to recommend in addition to Game of Thrones. Because she doesn't just tell you Harry's story, she makes you live in the Wizzarding World without having to go to Universal theme park.
Kushiel's Dart

This book is more in line with Game of Thrones as it is dark, adult themed and political. It is also a very decent series. The world is full of plots and subplots that Phedre has to navigate.

Lingerie Wars by Janet Elizabeth Henderson

This book is a five star read. It isn't a classic or groundbreaking, it is just damned good. Henderson knows what she is doing and does it well.

Rating

I bought this when it was offered for free on Kindle, but I would have actually paid the 4 bucks it's asking now if I had known how good it was. That is my highest compliment, I would have paid money. I'm the Queen of Freebies, especially when it comes to books. I'm on two different mailing lists for free e-books, and I manually search myself when they are giving me links to stuff I already own. But back to the book

Synopsis: Logan is a British military man, purr. He has dedicated his life to leaving his hippie upbringing behind him, but when his sister makes a muck of the knicker store he bought for her it's big brother to the rescue, yet again. Kirsty is a model with a tragic past, who comes back to her hometown to heal and lick her wounds. She tries to make her living at the only thing she knows--lingerie. There's only room for one lingerie store in the little town of Inventary. It's England vs Scotland in this Lingerie War.

World: The best part of this book is the world. The little Scottish town of Invertary contains quirky characters, beautiful vistas, and lots of love. There is an underwear gnome, a house breaking group of knitters, and of course Logan and Kirsty.

Pacing:The correct mix of humorous scenes, emotional angst, tension filled climax, and emotional growth. I devoured it because one thing seamlessly blended into the other with no obvious page filler.

Characters: You will fall in love with everyone, except maybe Logan's parents and the bad guy. I want to know more about them I want to read the second book. Rainbow was my biggest annoyance, but I have a feeling in the second book I will grow to love her.

Writing As the old saying goes, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard." Getting a comedic instance to read as funny to someone who has to visualize it takes talent. Henderson has that talent. Her emotional scenes ring true, and her characters are actual people not just character sketches.

Plot Not a unique one by any means, lovers at cross purposes. But even the multi-layered climax doesn't read as a set up, instead it is just a bunch of unique elements that blended together to make a tragedy. Hopefully, I'm not giving too much away, because this books is worth the read.

The Good: Hmm, everything.

The Bad: Rainbow and the villain, but even they serve their respective purposes and don't seem to be unnecessary.

Recommendations

One for The Money by Janet Evanovich

Now, I know Stephanie Plum has gotten a bad rap, and some of it is warranted but not in the first books. The first books are laugh out loud funny with interesting situations. If you've never picked up and read one I highly recommend them. Stephanie is sarcastic, loving, and lovable. Ranger is smoking hot, and Morelli is the bad boy grown to be a good man. And the supporting characters are quirky and cute.

Love, Lies & High Heels by Debby Conrad

Rusty is a rich girl that bounces around the world going from adventure to adventure. Until her dad lets her know he's dying. Luke is foreman of Sam's ranch and his best friend. So when Sam asks him to lie to his estranged daughter Luke goes along with it. Little do they both know that the old man is playing them like a fiddle. Sam's scheme will give them both what they have been looking for without knowing it: a home and someone to come home to. If that is they don't end up killing each other first. Oh, and to sweeten the deal this book is available FREE on Kindle.

All of Me by Leanna Morgan

Rating

Synopsis: What do you do when you want to hide away from life? Apparently, move to Bozeman, Montana--a la Sheldon Cooper. Tess is running from a tragic past, and so is Logan. Will they find peace together or will their inner demons deny them happiness. In helping others, they find hope. Is it enough?

Plot: Tess is a café owner and baker who doesn't like reporters. Logan is a reporter running from post traumatic stress disorder, literally at 4 in the morning every morning. They come together to help out a bride and groom in crisis. They find help with the wedding and much more.

Pacing: It dragged a little at the end, but it was mostly set up for the next several books.

Characters: Everyone was unique and likeable, but the book had a big cast so it was hard keeping track of everyone. It was easiest to identify everybody at the end when the sequels were being set up.

Writing: Average as far as romance novels go, the comedic timing wasn't great, there were no quotable moments from the authors or the characters, but it wasn't full of annoying slang or repetitive words either. Written in third person, so a generic informative author voice is expected.

World: Bozeman, Montana modern day but could have been anywhere.

The Good: Writing, Characters, the food descriptions made my mouth water, it was a cute story, and it was FREE on Amazon, for Kindle right now.

The Bad: Not that much action but it didn't really need that much, and too many subplots tried to make up for the lack of a cohesive main plot.

Recommendations:

Trouble in High Heels by Christina Dodd

She writes a consistently good story. Her characters are very much like Logan and Tess, good vanilla people. I always know I'll enjoy the book when I see her name. She writes mainly historical romance, but this one is modern with great main characters.

Double Trouble by Deborah Cooke

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Not as well known of a name, but if you like the style of comedy in this book, you'll like her. She writes funny, quirky stories with heartwarming overtones. Above all, this book is Free on Amazon, for the Kindle.