Angie's Romance Reviews (and trades) » D-F Rated

Burn – Linda Howard

AngieZ — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:02:39 +0000

Linda Howard is an auto buy for me. My keeper shelf is filled with some of her best. Unfortunately this is not one of those. By the middle of the book I was just skimming through so that I could finish it.

Jenner is a young woman working at a meat plant who wins the lottery. The first part of the story follows her while she sets up her new life. It was interesting to follow when she had to shake off an old boyfriend and her leeching dad, but I was surprised at how easy of a decision it was for her to ditch her best friend. It just went downhill from there.

She is booked on a cruise with her new bestest friend (sorry I forgot her name) when she is intercepted by a super secret organization who needs to use her cabin. While made a captive to use said room she falls for her captor (Cael). Sounds simple, but really there is not much exciting to tell. Jenner acts like an idiot throughout much of the book and in the end she wants to go to work with the super secret surveillance organization, but that was so stupid because she really didn’t do anything or have any skills.

Grade: D

Cover: The cover really had nothing to do with the story, unless you count the fact that she did wear a bathing suit once….

Author Future Releases:

November 10, 2009 – Ice: A Novel

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

With a Twist – Deirdre Martin

AngieZ — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:15:50 +0000

I love Martin’s Blade books so I cracked this one open hoping for laughs and good times. Well 100 pages in I was getting skeptical. By three fourths into the book I just plain gave up. I am adding this to the rare list of books that I just couldn’t finish. I am sad at this because I have really enjoyed Martin’s books.

First off I really couldn’t get a feel for the attraction of Natalie (Vive’s sister from Just a Taste) and Quinn. She really didn’t have much character. There seemed to be no reason that Natalie and Quinn O’Brian (a reporter) would suddenly fall in love.

Grade: DNF

Cover: I really like Martin’s previous animated covers, this one not as much.

Author Future Releases: None at this time.

Author’s website:

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Sins of a Duke – Suzanne Enoch

AngieZ — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:35:32 +0000

I love series and I love the part in the series when you get to the staunch meddling head of family. They always fall the hardest. I did not love this story however. Having read the previous brothers/sisters books I could not wait to get to Sebastians story. I was disappointed because the story was sort of boring and so improbable that it just didn’t fly. I really wanted to like this book too…..

Perhaps I have been reading too many historicals. I will take a break from this genre lest I trash the next few ones I read. I need to find an original story that takes me out of the funk… This ain’t it, sorry.

Grade: D

Cover: Why does these nobleman, whom never see the sun have tan shaved chests?

The Dream-Hunter – Sherrilyn Kenyon

AngieZ — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:01:32 +0000

I want to start out by saying that I have every Kenyon on my keeper shelf and am always rushing out to get the next one. That said, I am going to place this copy of The Dream-Hunter on my shelf next to my Kenyon collection out of a collectors stubornness; but very sadly, I don’t think I can finish it. I have forced myself to read up to chapter 9 and I just cannot get into it. Normally receiving a new Kenyon was a sure sign that I was going to be pulling an all nighter, but when I first got this book a while ago, I had trouble reading it from the get go.

I love to read (alot) and since it is some time between new series sometimes I get lost and need a refresher. I think to understand this book you have to had recently read ALL the previous books and spent lots of time on Kenyon’s website to understand all the different races/gods/half-gods/demi-gods whatever….. Several chapters in and I was thoroughly confused and it was not an easy fix to get on board.

Other aspects of what I have read so far just don’t cut it for me.

1. Megeara’s dad was crazy into finding Atlantis, she didn’t believe it existed and highly resents him for it. Upon his death he leaves her a coin and she immediately believes him and changes her whole outlook. It is explained that he didn’t show the coin earlier because she would not have believed it THEN. Yet it took one look know and suddenly she believes? Why the sudden change? If she was not going to believe when he was alive, why believe now?

2. If Skoto/Oneroi feel nothing but pain, why are they into sex to begin with? Isn’t sex pleasure. If they didn’t feel it why are they so good at it? If you are numb to pleasure how does the male plumbing work in the first place? Maybe that is explained later.

I may try to finish this later, but honestly I have way too many books to read. I am not a stupid person and can hold large amounts of relevant facts in my head. Trying to keep up with this world is just not important enough for me. It is just a fictional story darn it. I want a few hours of entertainment, not an complex fantasy world that I need to invest in and cultivate with online websites, message boards, flowcharts and readers guides. Don’t make me work too hard for for my relaxation. I love to learn and will probably be a lifelong student, but really don’t want to have to study so that I can read a Romance Novel.

Grade: DNF

I also had a hard time with the cover. To me, it look like the models head is too squat. And what is he storing in his cheeks a golf ball? Maybe the model had an untreated abcess when they took the cover shot. Jeeze I hate being a picky bitch.

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Don’t Look Down-Jennifer Crusie

AngieZ — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:11:33 +0000

Jennifer Crusie is a wonderfully talented writer. I love her whit and great character development. I don’t however love this book.

There is very little character development and the plot was just plain stupid. There was no chemistry between the characters. They just felt flat to me.

Lucy Armstrong is a commercial director who loves working with animals, yet took over a job to film a movie with a 4 day schedule. She didn’t read the script, didn’t ask any questions but just showed up to direct at the request of her sister and ex-husband. When she gets there everything is going wrong and the male lead in the movie brings in a green beret to be his stunt double. She immediately falls in love with the green beret J.T. Wilder, but we never really know why she just falls for him in a day or two. She sleeps with him on the third night, but immediately gets pissed because she finds out he has been married two times before and didn’t tell her. He even comments on this by saying people should get to know one another before planning out their future. — How perceptive…. All I could think is buddy you better run. It only gets worse from here. There is CIA and international terrorists, a cutie pie niece, a one eyed alligator, tons of Wonder Woman references, jade dildo’s and still the book sucked.

I am really disappointed and will await Crusie’s book, hoping it returns to her former greatness.

Danse Macabre-Laurell K Hamilton

AngieZ — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 15:13:42 +0000

I just could not finish it. I put this book down after the 25th chapter. I can sum this book so far in a few sentences – spoiler alert – Anita has sex with almost anyone, thinks about sex with anyone, everyone that sees her wants to have sex with her, everyone that touches wants to have sex with her. Thats it folks……. There is a few mentions that she may or may not be pregnant, at this point I really don’t give a shit if I ever find out the result of this “pregnancy” I am that effing bored with this story.

I kept hoping she would get back into executioner mode or necomacer mode, but half way though the the book it is still all about who is sleeping or will be sleeping with her. I am so glad this was a library loan. I am never going to pay for another hamilton until she gives us a new story. I am not a prude and the sex was hot, but really I would like kick ass Anita back. Not — lets examine my relationship with all my men and review all my fantasies book after book ad nausem until I fall asleep from the boredom of predictability. Hamilton has not really had to come up with a plot for a while. Just throw in a new character and find a way for her to have sex with them and then start all over again.

The additional sad thing that is that I noticed in Hamilton’s blog in a entry dated 7/31/2006, that she is currently writing a scene where Anita has sex with someone she has not had sex with before (a long standing character). OMG – you mean Anita will be having sex with someone new????? What a freaking revelation. It just seems to be that the next books will be more of the same garbage.

Ok, I am off my rant. Maybe I will finish this book in the future with the hope that indeed there is some thread of plot in the neverending sexcapade. Somehow I doubt it.

Micah-Laurell K. Hamilton.

AngieZ — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 21:21:09 +0000

Having read every Hamilton, Anita Blake book I was thrilled to be one of the first on the long paperbackswap wish list for this one. I cracked it open as soon as it arrived and quickly read it in one sitting.

It is more of a short story than a novel. I cannot say that I have enjoyed the last few of the Blake series and this is just more of the same.

Anita is called upon to raise a dead witness when one of her co workers has an emergency. Since Anita is leaving town she needs Micah to accompany her to feed the ardour. Basically the story in a nutshell: Anita realizes she is now “alone” with Micah and totally freaks out. I guess it is ok to live with him for a year but somehow the emotions needed to be “alone” are much scarier then the nasties she routinely deals with. So anyhow she proceeds to have sex with Micah who apparently is “monsterously endowed” even though he is described as small in stature elsewhere. Some very uncomfortable sex takes place. Anita (who is a bit bloodied and bruised from the encounter) and Micah then go to raise the witness. Things go wrong, the zombie freaks out, smashes Anita to the ground. She wakes up in the hospital a few days later. End of story.

Glad I didn’t pay 7.99 for this book. I hope Hamilton gets back to her older writing style. I loved her imagination and hope Anita gets back to kicking ass against the bad guys and less time whining about her “deeper” emotions.

Grade: D