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 Casey and Joe have been engaged for years. Seven, to be exact, and Casey just wants to get married. So she tricks Joe into joining her on a TV show, where she will appear in a wedding gown and he is meant to marry her on the spot. Unfortunately, Casey is instead humiliated on national television when Joe refuses to marry her and tells her that he no longer loves her. Adam Carmichael, the owner of the business and Memphis’s most eligible bachelor, steps in to marry her, assuming that the marriage is fake. After the televised ceremony is over, Adam and Casey learn that their marriage is actually legal. As they wait for an annulment, both begin to find comfort in their sham marriage and wonder if perhaps they ought to give it a try after all.
I’m not really a normal Harlequin reader. I find category romances in general to be too short for real character development; they almost inevitably end up as lust = love. This one is different, maybe because it’s a “Super Romance”, but I found the emphasis was in fact totally on the relationship. Amazingly, I could really feel for Casey and Adam and their unique issues and problems. I wasn’t expecting that from a 268 page mass market paperback, but Abby Gaines must know what she’s doing. I loved watching this couple fall in love and was pleasantly surprised at the playful banter that the couple shares and their alternate attempts to woo each other. There is sexual tension, but the scenes themselves are much more restrained and later in the book than I expected.
Somehow, the author even finds time for brief subplots without making the main story feel rushed. Eloise, Adam’s stepmother, still loves her departed husband and struggles to find compassion for a man who has feelings for her. Casey’s family is ridiculously clingy and each member has to learn to stand on his or her own two feet. Adam has a legal battle on with more distant members of his family for ownership of channel 8. And somehow we still manage to get a full picture of Adam and Casey learning to love each other.
Overall, I may have to revise my opinion on at least this category of romances. I still prefer those with more depth, with an actual storyline in addition to the romance, but I was pleasantly surprised by Married by Mistake. If you’re interested in more, Abby Gaines has a website with news, excerpts, and added scenes for this and her other novels.
Amazon | Amazon UK | IndieBound | Powell’s
 Cornelia was working in the cafe one day when Martin Grace walked in, suave and sexy and the image of a modern day Cary Grant. Amazingly, he asks Cornelia to go to London with him, that day. She refuses, but he still calls. And sends her flowers. Martin Grace, however, is not the love that comes into Cornelia’s life. That comes later, in the shape of a little girl named Claire Hobbes, whose mother is not herself and whose father is not very interested in her. With the help of her brother-in-law, Teo, and her friends and family, Cornelia learns what love is.
This book promised me a modern day fairy tale, and in a way, it delivered just that, but in a very contemporary setting and tone of voice. I loved both Claire and Cornelia. I love their separate voices and the love that developed between them. I adored Claire’s stubborness and Cornelia’s dreams and the way that they meshed. From the minute Cornelia played with a baby in the first few pages, I knew what was going to happen for her in this book, but I loved the way it unfolded.
Actually, I didn’t predict all of it; some things I did not foresee immediately. In that sense, this isn’t a typical romance; Martin isn’t really the love that’s walking in, although the book makes it sound that way at first. Rather, he is the change that allows Cornelia to embrace love in her life. I liked that. Cornelia says this at the beginning, so I’m not giving anything away.
I also really liked the writing in this book. Unfortunately I have already had to return it to the library, so I don’t have any quotes, but you can certainly see the result of the author’s degrees! The prose is simultaneously beautiful and personable; it’s as if the characters are talking to you, but they’ve put a great deal of thought into their words. I loved that she threw in so many movie references while citing Cornelia’s addiction to classic movies. I haven’t watched a ton of old movies, but I have seen enough of the classics to get who she was talking about and it really enhanced my ability to visualize the characters, something that I generally struggle with.
Overall, this was a charming, enchanting read. This is another one of my finds through book blogging and I’m so grateful to have discovered so many fantastic titles lately! I have Belong to Me, the sequel, waiting for me at home, and I can’t wait to read it. Love Walked In has my enthusiastic recommendation.
Available via IndieBound, Powell’s, Amazon, and Amazon UK.
 I love the quote on the back of this book, it’s why I picked it up, so I’m just going to stick it here:
Sophie came to Temptation, Ohio,
to help her sister make a movie.
Now she’s making trouble for the town council,
love with the mayor,
and lemonade for a murderer …
Welcome to Temptation.
Population 2,158.
And falling.
I don’t know why that appeals to me, but it’s catchy somehow! Sophie is a straight-laced thirtysomething who is happy with the success of her wedding filming business and less than excited to head to Temptation to make a movie with Clea, a former porn star who has connections with her brother. Amy, Sophie’s sister, is thrilled, and try as she might, Sophie can’t really deny her little brother and sister much of anything because she wants to protect them and help them be successful. The mayor, Phineas Tucker, is in for it when Sophie and Amy arrive in town. He’s young, attractive, and rich, which to Sophie sends warning signs every time. He can’t help his attraction, though, and in the end, neither can she.
What I really liked about this book is that there is so much more to it than the romance. The romance becomes comfortable because the other issues are a little stressful, like Phin’s difficult mother, adorable child, and struggle to remain mayor and somehow keep his town happy, as well as Sophie’s trust issues and family hang-ups. There is a lot of sex, but unusually it actually furthers the plot, reveals a whole lot of Sophie’s problems, and once the first couple of scenes are past we don’t get much more description; they think about it, though. I guess that’s normal, but this is one of the racier romances I’ve read lately.
Once Sophie and Phin have a thing going on, the book sort of switches over to a murder mystery and all the small-town rivalries and obsessions are revealed in the search to figure out who did it. Sophie is victim of a few attacks and that only complicates matters more. Like I mentioned earlier, I was actually quite into the plot of this one and not just because I wanted to see how the couple got together in the end. We knew that was going to happen, but we didn’t know who was a murderer. I even enjoyed the little side story with Rachel and her struggle for her own independence.
Best of all, this book is funny! I’ve found that my favorite romance authors are those who can pull off banter between the two main characters and leave me smiling, too.
“I love this,” Sophie said, beaming at him. “I look like hell and you’re chasing me around the kitchen. This is great.”
“I am not chasing,” Phin said.
Sophie undid the top button on her blouse.
“I’m chasing,” Phin said. – p. 190
It’s just cute! I did have trouble picking an excerpt, though, because there are a lot of expletives in this book. Not used in a derogatory way, but they’re there. It’s very playful, like the rest of the book, but it’s definitely there.
I’d recommend this absolutely. I’ll also recommend this even if you’re not looking for a romance. I think there is enough here to make it a great, fun summer read beyond that. It’s flirtatious, witty, endearing fun.
This book is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.
 This review/opinion post is probably going to be dripping with spoilers, so if you are considering reading this series, you may not want to read it.
Bella has agreed to marry Edward at long last so that he can turn her into a vampire and they can spend eternity together. An unexpected arrival on their honeymoon and a bit of vampire history leaves Bella and her family in grave danger to which they have little recourse beyond Bella’s new powers and vampire friends from all over the globe.
I think we’ve all heard how ridiculous this book is. I had it thoroughly spoiled for me so I knew exactly what was coming, and it wasn’t really less crazy because of that. To be honest, it feels like an entirely different series. Bella-as-vampire is a far cry from Bella-as-human although it was SO NICE when she stopped feeling inferior and actually grew a spine. It’s a shame it took her amazing vampire powers to get there, though. Switching the narrator over to Jacob was not even as nice as I would have expected given that he is far and away my favorite character in this series. Instead, we get him complaining, too. I know books need conflict, but honestly, he complains so much about Bella that it just drove me up the wall. So much whining could have been cut out of this book and it wouldn’t have suffered at all, especially given after Renesmee’s birth (disgusting scene, by the way, and not only does she have this ridiculous name but her nickname is Nessie!) he completely switches focus and it’s like he never cared for Bella at all. I don’t like the whole imprinting concept at all, it seems like a way to cop out of more actual love story.
It also particularly irritated me that after all the worrying about Bella turning into a vampire, she’s just absolutely perfect at it. I guess she had to be good at something, but after the complaining and the stress, it turns out to be nothing. So many words are wasted worrying and lamenting over nothing in this book.
I would also like to know how anyone could not notice that their partner was chewing on the bed while they were having sex.
I did like the wedding scene, though. I don’t really think anyone should get married so young after such a short acquaintance, particularly given that Bella didn’t even really want to get married, but wedding scenes always get me, maybe because my own is happening so soon.
So, I guess that’s the end of the Twilight series for now. It’s a shame the conclusion wasn’t, well, better. I have to admit that I spent most of this book sighing over how ridiculous many of the plot developments were.
Buy Breaking Dawn on Amazon.
 Ever since she was nine years old and her father died, Josey Cirrini has been trying to make up for her awful childhood by essentially waiting on her mother hand and foot. Josey does not have a life outside of the house; she doesn’t have any friends and everyone remembers her for the devious deeds she performed as a small girl, like kicking shins and stealing chocolate cake, even though her family should be the foremost in the community. Her life changes when Della Lee appears in her closet, on the run from a destructive relationship and looking for a place to hide. Not only does Della Lee encourage Josey out of her shell, but she guides her to Chloe, who becomes Josey’s friend and who desperately needs a friend herself to help her through the discovery that her long-time boyfriend has cheated on her, and closer to Adam, the mailman on whom Josey has had a crush for the past three years.
There is almost too much sugar in this book for words. I liked it, but it’s very, very sweet and cute and it’s a book you really need to be in the mood for. Everyone gets what they want even when they don’t know they want it, except for the characters who are just bad and you know it. The best part was easily watching Josey come into her own and watching Adam fall for her (it’s obvious that he’s going to – just couldn’t happen any other way in this kind of book) since she’s been so stifled for so many years.
I enjoyed the little magic edge in this book, just like in Allen’s other book, Garden Spells. In this one, books follow Chloe around, and whenever she and her boyfriend kiss, water boils in the coffeepot, which I thought was cute. There are a couple of other magical happenings, but they are spoilery. There is also an appreciation for books in this. At one point, Chloe is viewing a house and discovers that there is a closet full of books. The owner tells her the realtor had him put them away because books are clutter, and both characters agree (as do I of course) that books could never be clutter.
This isn’t really a new story. It doesn’t do anything original. It’s just a cute, quick read, and if you’re in the mood for something sweet, The Sugar Queen may be the book for you.
 Again, this is not really a review, more my thoughts on this installment of the series!
Edward’s back in her life and Bella couldn’t be happier, but she still cares for Jacob Black, the werewolf who has become her best friend. The animosity between Edward and Jacob means that Bella struggles to keep her two worlds apart. Even worse, someone is committing murder after murder in Seattle, and Bella, the Cullens, and the Quileutes have reason to think that they’re after Bella. In the midst of trying to stay safe and protect all those she cares about, Bella realizes that she may have to make a choice with which she isn’t at all comfortable.
I do actually think this installment of the series may be the best so far. (It’s later ruined by Breaking Dawn, but we’ll leave that review for next week.) Edward has developed something of a personality, which makes me pleased that he’s not just a God-like perfect creature, although we still hear about his beauty nearly every page he’s on. He’s still very controlling, though, and that I didn’t appreciate. Bella doesn’t seem to care, but he regularly thwarts her will and convinces her to do what he likes, like when he forbids her to see Jacob and has Alice actually kidnap her to prevent that from happening. I can’t even tell you what I’d do if Keith tried to stop me from seeing someone who wasn’t harmful to me at all. The scene where he forces Bella to visit her mother on a particular weekend and worse, completely overrides her father’s objection springs to mind. What Stephenie Meyer shows us and tells us are two entirely different things.
My favorite is still Jacob. I can’t help it. If I was an obsessed teenager, I’d be wearing a “Team Jacob” t-shirt. He’s so much more interesting than Edward. He seems to actually care for Bella rather than spout endless platitudes about eternal love; we don’t need to hear his feelings so often because he shows them. What a novelty! He’s also more fun, and Bella is more fun around him. She’s better when she’s not passing out from kisses or thinking about how unworthy she is, although she does get annoying by constantly worrying at the hurt she’s causing Jacob. I wanted to kick her. If she felt so bad, she should have cut off the friendship and let him recover.
This is still the best book in the series, though. It felt smoother, and though the characters annoyed me, I felt that they were gaining more dimensions, even if they weren’t dimensions I liked. The vampire past was interesting, too, because I like world-building even if the author likes to break conventions. I’m still not sure I’ll go around recommending this series – not because anyone needs me to anyway – but I am enjoying them in a superficial sort of way, at least when I don’t want to smack Bella.
Buy Eclipse on Amazon.
 Bella Swan is still deliriously happy to be with Edward Cullen, the love of her life who just happens to be a vampire. It’s Bella’s eighteenth birthday, but it reminds her that she is growing older while Edward remains a teenager. Regardless, he wants to celebrate and whisks her off to the Cullen household for a party. At the party, Bella falls and tears her arm open, bleeding everywhere and exposing her vulnerability to the world as the vampires can hardly keep themselves away. Convinced he’s doing the right thing, the family, including Edward, leave Bella behind. This devastating separation drives Bella closer to Jacob, who has a secret of his own, and results in misunderstandings and drama as the strength of Bella, Edward, and their relationship is pushed to the limit.
This doesn’t really need a review, as there are reviews scattered across the entire internet, so this is more a collection of thoughts than a proper review.
Various other bloggers told me I would and in fact I did like this book better because of Edward’s absence. Bella whined, but at least I didn’t have to hear about how perfect he was for pages on end. I like Jacob much better than Edward. He seems more like a real person. He is, of course, in love with Bella and he’s gorgeous, but I prefer his earnest, cheerful personality. I know how the series ends, but I’d have firmly declared myself for “Team Jacob” if I was 10 years younger and paid attention to the fuss surrounding the release of Breaking Dawn. In fact, I liked this book all around better than Twilight. Yeah, their relationship is more or the less full of the same problems that bugged me the first time, but I think I’m beginning to “get” why teenage girls are so enthralled with Edward. He really will do anything for Bella and it probably is his devotion that teenagers want. I don’t think I’d want a boyfriend who would kill himself if I died, but at 13, I’m sure I would have thought it terribly romantic.
I’m a little annoyed with Bella’s self-deprecating attitude though; it seems worse here. She values herself based on the attention that others give her. She only recovers from her depression when she has a new admirer in Jacob. I think this series would have been stronger had Bella come into her own and not just followed the whims of her vampire boyfriend or werewolf best friend. That said, I haven’t finished the series, so maybe she does, at least a little. I’ll find out as I plan on continuing. I know what happens, but these books are fun, even with their irritating edges. I still think I’d have to talk to any children of mine about the messages this series is conveying, but I don’t have to worry about that and can focus more on the enjoyable factor.
Buy New Moon on Amazon.
 When Lady Anne Addison’s friend Lydia writes her, desperately seeking help with a seemingly supernatural phenomenon and with matters of the heart, Anne sets off at once. When she arrives in Yorkshire, no one is there to meet her and she must make her own way to the manor after the postman acts like he is terrified by her presence. On the way to Darkefell Castle, she is nearly witness to a horrible crime and the mystery complicates before her very eyes. Determined to find out the truth, she only has one man in her way, the Marquess of Darkefell, maddening, secretive, and infuriating but somehow so very attractive.
I expected a romance out of this book, but what I got was a romantic mystery! I didn’t mind. I loved that Lady Anne was such a curious, intelligent woman. She’s determined to get to the bottom of things and even though mysteries proliferate around her and everyone wants to keep their mouth shut, she just does not give up. I even liked the Marquess of Darkefell, although to be honest I will probably love any character who knows that Edward of Woodstock was probably never called the Black Prince in his lifetime. In all honesty, though, I liked that he wasn’t nearly so “bad” as he was made out to be by the other characters. I found him quite endearing after we learned what he did and definitely did not do.
As for the plot, I definitely felt it came together towards the end. I figured out who had probably caused the murders and I was pleased when I was correct at least in part; some bits are left unexplained, which is okay since I discovered that this is the first of a series. I certainly never expected the resolution to the werewolf side story. I also found the parts about slavery infuriating, and more so when their truth was confirmed in the author’s note. Such barbarity makes me uncomfortable and I still can’t believe that humans could treat each other so abominably. Certainly made a wonderfully complex character in Osei though and I hope we see more of him.
Overall, I’m looking forward to more from Lady Anne and the Marquess of Darkefell and glad to hear that the next book will be published later this year!
Buy Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark on Amazon.
 Determined to find out once and for all what is between her and Brisbane, Lady Julia heads to the moors of Yorkshire with two of her siblings despite Brisbane’s admonitions to stay away at all costs. She didn’t expect to find the former owners of Grimsgrave still in residence. Lady Allenby and her daughters Ailith and Hilda are the remains of a proud, old family who claim descent from the Anglo-Saxon kings of England; the kind of family which disdains diluting their blood with lesser mortals. Neither does Julia expect the mysteries she starts to uncover when she begins cataloging the Egyptian artifacts of the late Allenby heir, Redwall. All in all, something suspicious is afoot, and Julia once again must get to the bottom of it.
I gushed about the first two novels in this series. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that I’m about to gush about this one too. Regardless, before you read on please note that you should check out Silent in the Grave and Silent in the Sanctuary before going near this review!
This book is most intriguing because unlike the first two, there is no murder, only attempted poisoning. So the victim lives to tell the tale, but I have to say that the mystery here was fascinating. I was compelled to read on, to figure out what was going on. You can just ask Keith, who was with me while I was in the thrall of this book, to tell you how much I wanted to get back to it. It was a constant draw. The Allenby family is like a car wreck you pass on the highway. You don’t want to keep looking but you can’t turn your eyes away. And I don’t like mysteries.
There is just something I love about this series though. It may be Deanna Raybourn’s exquisite, witty writing. It may be the plots that I can actually follow through to conclusion and find myself wrapped up in, not confused by missing hints or sudden conclusions. It may be the characters who keep developing and growing as each book goes by. It might be the romantic tension between Julia and Brisbane, or the quirky March family, or the intense atmosphere and setting captured in each book. Or it could be all of those things. They combine to make compelling, wonderful reading that I just can’t tear myself away from.
I also really appreciated that this one had something of a resolution at the end. Deanna Raybourn has said that she will be writing more Julia Grey books, but I’m sure there will be quite a wait. I’m glad the characters are temporarily static in my mind, and perhaps even more, that I will have the opportunity for a re-read.
Do I recommend these books? Absolutely. I think they’re fantastic. Possibly not for everyone, but if you’re looking for a mixture of mystery and romance with a side of great prose, look no further. I know that I’ll be buying the next Lady Julia Grey book the instant it hits the shelves.
Buy Silent On The Moor on Amazon.
 And so the time has come for me to discuss Twilight. I’m posting this during the Sunday Salon because I want to hear what others think. I’ve read about this book everywhere, but I’d like one spot for you to give me your opinion. So please, do so here, or link me to your review so I can get a more complete view of the range of opinions. If not, well, I want to rant a little bit too.
Allow me to skip plot summary here, I’m sure we’ve all heard it before: Bella moves to rainy Forks, Bella meets perfect vampire boy Edward, love ensues. Allow me also to state that I fully, reluctantly intended to love this book. I like romance, I like fantasy type settings in general, I was a silly teenager that fell in love with every boy who ever smiled at me, and I really was in the mood for young adult books at the time.
So the surprise was that I didn’t love Twilight. I liked it. It did bring back those silly teenage years that I normally try to shove away into the corner of my brain marked “recycle bin”. Like I said, I was boy-crazy in the worst way. I think I missed something essential, here, because even that bit of me still ecstatic over cute boys did not like Edward Cullen. I don’t understand why every girl who has read this adores him – even intelligent, grown women that should probably know better. He is a stalker. He watches Bella while she sleeps! He always shows up when she’s in trouble and he gets her in danger. He doesn’t want her hanging around with the friends she made before him. He drives too fast even when it makes Bella nervous. He reacts violently when they kiss and makes her feel like she’s crazy. At first, he is utterly cruel to her. Okay, he is attractive and sparkly, but I do not see the meant-to-be going on in this book. I don’t see why he’s perfect except when Stephenie Meyer explicitly says that he is perfect. Maybe it’s because I never liked the dangerous guys, but I don’t get it even when I channel teenage Meghan.
I did find the book to be a fairly entertaining story, but I guess having one of the two central characters fall flat damaged it for me. I also didn’t particularly like the writing and hope it gets better as I go on in the series. Every detail of Bella’s life is delineated, like what she eats for breakfast and when she throws on some clothes. I don’t like the prose, either. I’m not a perfect writer, but I can’t stand seeing ellipses and dashes used incorrectly in professionally published work. I do it myself here but whenever I am writing for a professional audience I take all that out and correct it when I read other people’s writing.
Before you ask, yes, I got the next two. Like I said, I was convinced I’d like this even if I didn’t want to. Now I’m going to read them eventually and maybe I’ll understand why people love it by the end. I’ve got Breaking Dawn on my hold list at the library. I’m not shelling out money for that one, unless I find it for $1 like I did with the others.
Lastly, I want to stick out my opinion on comparisons of this to Harry Potter. Simply put, they have nothing in common except popularity and age group. I think of Harry Potter as more of a fantastical, wholesome kids’ series that promotes good stuff like family love, sacrifice, and loyalty. J.K. Rowling is perhaps not the best writer, but she is a terrific storyteller, and I love the HP books. When you get relationships, they are the awkward ones when you don’t know how kisses go but you think they might be nice, and for the most part they are built on solid foundations of friendship. This one? Well, Bella ditches and disobeys her father pretty quickly, she ignores her mother’s emails if she doesn’t feel like answering them, and she is happy to ignore all of the friends who welcomed her in favor of the creepy vampire family. Her relationship with Edward is similarly creepy and I think borderline abusive. I know that if I had a kid, I’d be thrilled that she/he read Harry Potter and would be happy to discuss it, but we’d have to have a long talk about Twilight because I think there are some issues there.
Do you love Twilight? Want to set me in my place about how wrong I am? Please, do so! If you’ve heard it all before, please feel free to ignore this post and read some of my other posts.
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