Title: Marriage at the Millionaire’s Command
Author: Anne Oliver
Publication Info: Harlequin Presents, June 2008 (US)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

This story overflows with heart and soul. Tender and passionate, moving and inspiring, I can’t understand why Harlequin insisted undercutting the book with that generic, boring title. None of the Presents line titles are unique, made as they are of marketing buzz words that apparently appeal to the reading public. But, really, how can they stick any old mix of millionaire/billionaire, secret baby, virgin mistress, forced bride and claim to do justice to the magic between the pages? This story is a must read for romance fans. It will leave you with that heart-bursting feeling of love, true love, and the conviction that happily ever after really can come true. Isn’t that why we read romance?

To be fair, I suppose I should disclose that I heart secret baby plots and am having a severe bout of babylust at the moment. It most likely is affecting my judgement, and causing this overpowering urge to make Mr. Wonderful read this book, in hopes he will catch my baby fever. Also, I downloaded a bunch of ebooks onto my computer and didn’t remember any of the back cover blurbs, so I was pleasantly surprised by the “secret” baby in this book. The unknown aspect made unwrapping the story that much more delicious.

PLOT: (This book debuted with slightly different character names in the Aussie/UK and US versions, as one can read in the varying synopses and notes on Ms. Oliver’s website.)

Carissa Mary is a struggling pianist who waits tables on the side to make ends meet. When her fiance breaks up with her, her stepsister convinces her to live a little and find a hot man to “tune her piano.” Carissa, still a card carrying Virgin at 26, screws up her courage and agrees. Cue hero, haunted songwriter Ben Jamieson who struggles with the recent death of his best friend. Jamieson is tall, dark and handsome and thoroughly sexy, as all good heroes should be. After one night of heart-stopping passion, Carissa runs home.

To pay the bills on the antique house her grandmother left her, Carissa puts out an ad for a boarder. Ben, seeking a place to crash for a few months for some solitude and soul-searching, where no one knows him, sees the ad and knocks on her front door. Mortified, Carissa only accepts him as a boarder grudgingly under one condition – hands-off. Neither can help the burgeoning attraction.

Seven weeks later something else is burgeoning. Carissa is terrified of caring for Ben because he’s said from the first he isn’t the sticking around type, so she throws him out without telling him her little secret. Ben, angry but willing to comply, intercepts a message from the OBGYN’s office and realizes he’s being duped. True to the title, the millionaire commands marriage. Both are too afraid of rejection and of love to admit to themselves, let alone each other, that there is more to the marriage than duty. Can their rocky relationship survive when tragedy strikes?

Every story has already been told. The difference is in the telling of it. Secret-baby plots are standard fare for the Harlequin Presents line (and we readers gobble them up like chocolate), but this book stands out in the beautifully descriptive storytelling. This is my first sampling of Ms. Oliver’s outstanding gift, but it has earned her a place as one of my favorite Harlequin authors.

This book took 2nd in Romance Writers of New Zealand’s Clendon Award in 2004.

Series Title: Immortals After Dark
Author: Kresley Cole
Publication Info: Pocket Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3

Werewolves and Vampires and Valkyries, oh my!

Does fated, eternal love warm your soul? Do men who snarl “MINE” make your toes curl? Does the thought of dominating Alpha Males who are hopelessly in love with their mates make you sigh in rapture? If you answered yes, then Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series is for you. Action-packed adventure, complex world building, and endearing characters all make for a delicious read. Cole weaves a captivating tale that will keep you turning the pages for more.

Mythology: The Lore is the name for the magical immortal races that live alongside, but hidden from, the human population. The major players include Valkyries, Lykae (werewolves), Witches, Demons and Vampires. A person is “set” in his or her immortality typically in mid-twenties, before which the person is mortal. Only beheading or boiling to death in a magical fire can kill an immortal. Lost limbs can be completely regenerated. Lykae, Vampires, and Demons search their entire lives for their fated mate, who is the center of their universe and, in the case of a Vampire’s Bride, returns his manhood.

What I like best: Creative, layered storytelling. Fast-paced drama. Cole shows the powerful transformation of love in each of her characters, building compelling story arcs. Her heroes are tortured but lovable, and her heroines are intrepid and strong (which Jane writes about on Dear Author). And the books are hawt. Smokin’.

What I “bumped” on: The Accession, when all Immortals must fight each other to the death, occurring every 500 years, is essentially the Gathering. Has someone been watching too much Highlander? And Vampires that gain memories from their victims by cutting off the immortal’s head while drinking their blood? Essentially the Quickening. Yeah, Highlander. Silliest movie I’ve ever seen. I also would find living in a Lore community exhausting. Personally, I want to live in peace. Not a single species in the Lore knows the meaning of the word. Don’t we have enough violence in the world?

Book 1: A Hunger Like No Other (March 2006)

Werewolf King Lachlain MacRieve escapes from the Vampire Horde after 200 years of torture, only to find that his fated mate is his worst enemy. Half-Vampire/half-Valkyrie, Emmaline Troy has always felt like an outsider in her Vampire-hating Valkyrie coven. When she goes to Paris in search of information on her deceased parents and is kidnapped by a crazed werewolf, she must learn to overcome her insecurities and find inner strength to seize her destiny. Both struggle as they learn to trust and to love, overcoming their prejudices, their families’ objections and the evil forces that stand in their way.

I really appreciate how Cole distinguishes the Do-Not-Cross line for acceptable hero behavior. Tortured Lachlain may threaten to take Emma by force, but he never would actually hurt her. He is, in fact, horrified when he realizes how much his actions have distressed her and immediately sets about trying to right them. On occasion I find that Alpha Males driven on instinct come off as being less intelligent, which I find off-putting (this is in no way unique to Cole’s writing). Neanderthal, he iz no sexy. However, I love the fierce need Cole’s heroes have to protect and provide for their mates. It’s swoon-worthy. I really liked Emma. She has amazing personal growth through the book, changing from a shy girl who lets people push her around to a brave woman who stands up for herself.

Book 2: No Rest for the Wicked (October 2006)

Sebastian Wroth has cursed his existence ever since his brothers turned him into a vampire against his will 300 years ago. When Valkyrie warrior Kaderin the Cold Hearted, cursed to feel nothing for the last 2000 years, shows up to finish him off, he is relieved, but suddenly the unthinkable happens – his body recognizes her as his Bride and he comes back to life. Kaderin is similarly affected – she can suddenly feel. Sebastian may have finally found a reason to live, but the ruthless vampire-killer isn’t having any of it. Sebastian is forced to follow her in entering the Talisman’s Hie, a deadly Amazing Race for Immortals, with enough action-adventure to make Indiana Jones proud. (Mmmmmm, Indy!)

I loved intelligent Sebastian. He’s my kind of man. If we judge romance novels based on how much we want to date the hero and be best friends with the heroine, this one is batting 50/50. Kaderin is a ruthless competitor, which I, to be honest, find intimidating. Even when she gets her emotions back, she doesn’t lose her killing edge. Where is her compassion? However, compassion seems to be an emotion lacking is most of the Immortal races, especially the Valkyries. So I can’t hold it against her. She is what she is. At the same time, I felt that Sebastian gave everything for Kaderin, and she didn’t meet him in the middle.

I bumped on the idea of destiny. A major lesson that Kaderin struggles with in the book is that one’s fate cannot be escaped, so one should meet it bravely. The Valkyrie queen tells a young Kaderin this as she heads off to centuries of torture at the hands of the Vampires, because it is her fate. Kaderin, upon hearing the prediction of her own doom, realizes the truth of her queen’s words and tells Sebastian “It’s my destiny to go, and I’ll meet it head on,” (p302). So, why doesn’t this acceptance of destiny make Kaderin realize that it was her sisters’ fate to die on that battlefield 2000 years ago so that she can let go of her guilt and find peace with their deaths? Nope, she still sacrifices herself, even though now she has something to live for – true love. Fortunately it works out, but I feel the lesson wasn’t learned. What is Cole trying to say about fate?

Book 3: WIcked Deeds on a Winter’s Night (October 2007)

Lykae warrior Bowen MacRieve has been desperately searching for a way to bring his dead mate back to life. So when he learns that the prize for the Talisman’s Hie is a chance to go back in time, he throws himself into the race with all the deadly ruthlessness of someone with nothing left to lose. Young witch Mariketa the Awaited was prophesied to do great things, but she has yet to gain any control over her powers. She enters the race to prove herself, only to be entombed with murderous incubi and no food or water for weeks by a ruthless competitor. When Bowen returns and claims she must be his reincarnated mate, how can she possibly stand to be connected to her worst enemy? Mari can’t stand to be second in Bowen’s heart, while Bowen struggles with guilt at being unfaithful to his dead mate. They both learn to overcome their prejudices and to seek truths within themselves while meeting each other in the middle.

Bowen was one of my favorite characters in A Hunger Like no Other, but his personality changed dramatically between that book and this one. In the first he was charming, suave, and knew how to talk to the ladies, while Lachlain was gruff and inept at reading Emma. In this book he was more like Lachlain. He lost his charming edge. I still like him; he was just different. Mari was a great heroine – funny, ballsy, kind.

Book 4: Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (April 2008 )

Conrad Wroth is a crazed murderous Vampire. He was turned against his will 300 years ago by his brothers, in order to save his life, and he went, quite literally, mad. When he comes to kill them in revenge they trap him and try to bring him back from the brink of bloodlust by chaining him in an old mansion. In his madness he hallucinates, but one of the hallucinations helps to bring clarity to his raving mind and he eventually realizes his vision is real. Ballet dancer Neomi Laress was murdered in her house 80 years ago. No one has been able to see her since she became a ghost, until a mad vampire arrives. She helps him heal and eventually makes a devil’s deal to get her body back.

This book lacks the action-adventure of the first three, simply because both hero and heroine are trapped in a house for most of the book. I turned the pages just as fast. Conrad is a fascinatingly complex character. Cole uses present tense during his scenes of madness to great effect, and as his mind slowly clears she changes to past tense. Imagine a hero and a heroine who can’t touch each other. Talk about a barrier to overcome. Cole capitalizes on dialog and imagination to create delicious sexual tension. Great writing!

Book 5: Dark Desires After Dusk (Coming May 2008!!!)

I can’t wait to read the next one!

Title: Seducing the Spy
Author: Celeste Bradley
Series: The Royal Four Series, Book #4
Publication Info: St. Martin’s Press, August 2006
Genre: Regency Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3

Five years ago Lady Alicia Lawrence falls from grace and is abandoned by family and friends in a scandal, earning her the reputation of a liar and the moniker “Lady Al-three-cia”. She overhears a plot to kidnap the Prince Regent and seeks out Lord Stanton Wyndham. As a member of the secret Royal Four spies who run the country, Wyndham is honor-bound to investigate, even though his magic power of lie-detection doesn’t work on Alicia. She poses as his mistress to go to a scandalous orgy house party in the country where the kidnapping is supposed to take place so that she can identify the man whom she overheard plotting. Wyndham suspects her claims are just a ploy to regain entrance into society after five years of poverty. Even after Alicia saves the day and the hero’s life, proving her truthfulness, he still doesn’t reform. But of course, at the very end they get married and live Happily Ever After, as all good Romance Novel protagonists should.

Let me start off by saying that the heroine, Alicia, is my absolute favorite character in recent memory. I adore her. She is everything I wish I could be: smart, funny, sexy, and confident. Ms. Bradley’s writing is fabulous. The dialog is sharp. I was fully prepared to give the book five hearts, an almost unheard of score, but for the hero. He is an Ass. The bright, spunky, freedom-loving heroine deserves so much better. I liked him at first, but he never grovels at the heroine’s feet begging forgiveness for his crappy behavior.

What I desire in a work of fiction is for the protagonist to be challenged and ultimately reborn as a new, better, stronger character because of his journey through the book. He must take the Hero’s Journey as Joseph Campbell so succinctly puts it. In a Romance Novel the transformative power that acts on, challenges, and remakes the hero and heroine is love. Both should realize and embrace new Truths during the book. This transformative process of love is expressed beautifully in Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (1923):

“For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth…. All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart. But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing floor, Into a seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.”

In my humble opinion, Wyndham needs to be thrashed more by the transformative process of love and exhibit a greater reformation afterwards. Instead, he writes a simple letter to the Heroine admitting his love, and she easily forgives him. He needs to GROVEL. Still, the book earns three hearts for the fabulous heroine and the great writing style. I look forward to feasting on Ms. Bradley’s other books!

Picturesque buildings topped with mansard roofs and turrets, decorated with stone carvings and painted in peach, cream, apricot, rose, saffron, and buttercup, line the curving cobblestone streets on the small ancient island of Gamla Stan, “Old Town”. Along the waterfront float white archepelago boats, while bicyclists and pedestrians wander over bridges connecting the fourteen colorful islands that compose the city. Stockholm is beautiful. Forget London – Stockholm has the romantic setting, cosmopolitan culture, and court intrigue to make it an excellent setting for a Regency-style romance novel. Take Gustav III for example – the king instituted a renasaince of high art and culture, building a royal opera and theater in the 1790′s, and creating a noble society where the opera was the place to see and be seen. He was murdered by assassins at a masquerade at the opera, which was the inspiration for a Verdi opera. What better backdrop for a novel?

My Great Grandparents traveled back to Sweden in 1914 and my mother and I are loosely following my Great Grandfather’s trip journal. It took them sixteen days to reach to Stockholm by boat and train:

…after having traveled the whole night we arrived there the next day, August 6, at 10 o’clock in the morning, hungry and tired after having traveled 2 nights without any sleep to speak of. On our arrival there the town was full of refugees and in a mild uproar because of the war.

Fortunately it only took my mom and I forteen hours or so to reach Stockholm by plane. Today is our third day in the city. On Thursday we visited the “New” Royal Palace, so called because it has only been in existance for 250 years, as opposed to the previous Tre Kronar Castle that existed in its various forms since the 13th century, until it burned down and the new palace was built. It is fairly boring as palaces go, square with little detailing or carvings. There are no formal gardens attached. We walked around a few of the nearby small island parks, admiring the bike lanes and the historic boats and the fabulous architecture that makes me drool. I adore Stockholm!

Yesterday we walked to Skansen, the world’s first living history museum founded in the 1890′s, where historic buildings from all over Sweden were relocated. A few of the buildings were open with historians in traditional garb available to answer questions. I wish there had been more. It differs from an experience like Sturbridge Village or Colonial Williamsburg in that the buildings represent It also has animals from around Sweden, many of which are endangered. In the late afternoon we took a two-hour boat tour under the bridges of Stockholm and finally saw the modern part of the city. I prefer the historic districts, of course. It rained.

Today we will see the Vasa Museusm, the 17th century worlds-largest warship that, Titanic-like, sank on its maiden voyage. Fortunately it sank into some brackish mud that preserved it. Then we are taking the train to Uppsala, the original capital of Sweden built on a pagan sacrifice spot.

The weather is colder than we had anticipated, and we may have to indulge in the scandinavian’s talent for knitted wool sweaters. Fortunately for us, everyone speaks english here. I’ve finished two books by Stephanie Laurens, my new favorite Regency author. Her heroes are the epitome of true romance alpha-males: possesively protective, always honorable, gentlemen to the last. I intend to write a post on all her wonderful books, but it will have to wait till I get back from my travels.

Apparently I spoke too soon about my accolades of Susan Johnson, and am inclined to say, again and again, that force is Not okay. Her writing style is impeccable; her prose magnificent. Her characters, sadly, have become increasingly overbearing, pugnacious, and violent, making the Happily-Ever-After (HEA) endings contrived. In Wicked, the characters tiptoed along the fine line between consent and force. In Again and Again, they fell decidedly over it. Simon Blair, Duke of Hargreave, and Lady Caroline were childhood sweethearts, but were torn apart when he slept with her maid and she ran away and got married. Five years later they meet again by chance and pick up their relationship of constant bickering and mistrust. Simon is more a villain than a hero – he rapes Caroline, abducts her and forces her to marry him, holds her against her will, and cheats on her. Their relationship is emotionally and physically abusive, so how on earth are we to believe the HEA ending? Simon doesn’t regret or repent his actions; His promise of fidelity is made in an emotional state, not likely to last. Neither character experiences a change of heart, and I doubt they could make it through a single day without fighting. Though there are definite feelings of tenderness for each other, more than I can say for some paranormals I have read, there is still little romance in this romance novel. It is quite distressing to find women writers justifying and glorifying such violent relationships. I can’t fault Susan’s writing talent, but her treatment of spousal abuse is abominable. <3

I thought about writing the above title with some different spelling. It would be appropriate, given today’s book, but I’ll spare you all. Aren’t I considerate? I can’t even write that without blushing. Today’s book, Wicked by Susan Johnson, I picked up thinking it would be a nice, fluffy, happily-ever-after regency that I would forget the details of as soon as I finished it, just like all the others. The back of the book read like any other Regency Romance – Earl of Rochefort, libertine, and Serena Blythe, innocent, meet in unusual circumstances, have scandalous and life-threatening adventures, and steal each other’s heart. It wasn’t the least bit fluffy. It was graphic, explicit, sexy. I’ve never blushed so much in my life, especially reading a book. Susan Johnson is a word artist, painting vivid pictures with each masterful sentence. She captures history with equal finesse, going so far as to include endnotes on historical details. I would strongly recommend any romance author to read this book and take notes on how to write passionate scenes without being vulgar. This is the kind of book that makes me think I should settle for being a career reader, for I could never attain Susan’s deft verbosity.

That said, I have complaints about it’s suitability as a Romance novel. The happily-ever-after ending was rushed and patently unbelievable. The Earl of Rochefort is the embodiment of an unrepentant rake, and he swears fidelity way-too-easily at the end of the book. Serena accepts his oath because she wants to believe it, but I sincerely doubt his ability to keep it. It was the first romance novel I’ve ever read where the hero is unfaithful through the book. Usually the rake (the hero is always a rake) gives up all other women upon meeting the heroine. The Earl did not, even sleeping with a maid right before deciding to follow Serena and propose to her. How romantic. Not. He needs to have a moment of epiphany where he realizes all his mistakes and how he has treated the heroine awfully and feels repentant in order for his transformation at the end to be in any way believable. He doesn’t. It isn’t.

Second complaint: some of his behavior is remarkably close to rape. In the first place he gets Serena drunk before he sleeps with her, and toward the end of the book he simply sleeps with her despite her verbal “no”. So what if she “wants” it. No means no. Candy and Sarah have some interesting posts on Alpha Heroes when they cross the line, but unfortunately I have to disagree with Sarah. How are we to ameliorate the statistic that 1-in-4 women in this country is raped sometime during her lifetime if we (as mostly women writers and readers) help create a culture where the line between force/coercion and consent is blurred? This isn’t unique to this book and really deserves a separate post, which I’ll get to eventually.

End of story, I enjoyed the book, learned a lot about writing and what it could be, but wouldn’t recommend it to just anybody – it should come with an adult-only warning sticker. <3 <3 <3 <3

Wanted: Loner alpha-male w tortured past. 6’5″+ and ripped. Scarred body/soul. Prefers leather pants. Often found coming to honor-bound aid of brothers in arms. Incapable of trust.

Sherrilyn Kenyon, aka Kinley MacGreggor, likes ‘em big and mean. Her heroes are dark, brooding and bad-ass. Though I could be critical and say her heroes are all the same, I love reading about them over and over in her kick-ass novels. At least her heroines are usually unique. She is known to her fans as the Author Goddess, and I have to agree after reading that she can turn out a novel in as little as two weeks when she’s in the mood. I have been remiss in writing about her books, forgetting to include them in my previous Paranormal Prowl post, but I’ll remedy that now.

The Dark-Hunter Series:

Based on Greek mythology, where the very first vampire legends were born, Sherrilyn creates a complex world of rival gods and goddesses and the pawns, human and immortal alike, caught between them. The Dark-Hunters are the Goddess ARTEMIS’s chosen band of warriors that fight to protect humankind from the soul-sucking Daemons, who are cursed children of Apollo. These warriors all suffered some horrendous act of betrayal, resulting in death, and called upon Artemis for vengeance in return for their eternal service. They have some of the traits of vampires- can’t go out in sunlight, inhuman strength, pointy teeth, no souls- but do not need to drink blood.

One of the things I like most about this series is that no character is completely good or evil; Sherrilyn keeps the reader guessing, slowly revealing their true nature by sprinkling clues throughout the series. The characters are complex, be that Artemis who is destructive in her selfishness but sometimes shows she is aware and embarrassed by her actions, to Apollymi, the Atlantian Destroyer Goddess, who would destroy the world if she were let free but helps the heroes from time to time. I admit getting a bit confused about Sherrilyn’s mythology: If Apollymi has only one “lost” son, then how is Stryker also her son? What happened to Stiix being Acheron’s brother and identical twin? (this caused trouble in Night Embrace. He doesn’t show up on any of the website character lists – did she change her mythology after that and conveniently delete him? and wouldn’t that bring Apollymi’s total to three sons?)

My favorite of these books might be Kiss of the Night because it was the most unique out of the series, and so I can still remember what happens in it. Former Viking Berserker Wulf is cursed with being immanently forgettable: no one not of his blood can remember him five minutes after meeting him. Unfortunately he has one remaining family member left, college student Chris, making him hell-bent on insuring Chris stays alive and, most importantly, sires more children. This relationship is hilarious. During a routine Daemon-slaying night he encounters Cassandra, last remaining Apollite of royal blood, who manages to remember him after a few tries. They end up stuck together after being duped by the gods, and run for their lives from elite warrior Daemons out to kill Cassandra. We learn much more about the Daemons and Apollites in this book; how they feel about the curse, and how they live their lives honorably within its confines. (Daemons are Apollites who decide to pray on human souls rather than die painfully on their 27th birthday as decreed by the curse.) Unfortunately we hear no more from this couple in the remaining books in the series, unlike other couples who come back as secondary characters. <3 <3 <3 <3

Sherrilyn has divided the Were-Hunter and Dream-Hunter novels into separate series, but they are interrelated and supposed to be read together in chronological order with the Dark-Hunter novels. Were-Hunters are half-human, half-animal shape-shifters. My favorite of these books is Dragonswan, probably because I’m partial to dragons, and the main character is half-dragon. Unfortunately she wrote it as only a short story; It would have made a better longer novel. I like Sherrilyn’s soul-mate mythology of the Were-Hunters: the fates chose one mate for each of them for life. If they do not claim their mate within three weeks of the mating mark’s appearance, the Were-Hunters are doomed to be alone for eternity. How depressingly romantic!

The Lords of Avalon Series:

For this series, written under her pseudonym Kinley MacGregor, Sherrilyn bases her mythology on the legends of King Arthur and Avalon. There are currently three books, with a forth coming out soon. They are misnomered historical romance – there isn’t anything historical about these magical fantasy stories. Set after the fall of Arthur, Morgan leFey rules over an evil Camelot and the Merlin (also a woman) rules Avalon, both of which have retreated from the human world. Morgan is very similar to the Dark-Hunter’s Athena (the bitch Goddess), though she is completely evil. The demarcation between good and evil is much clearer in these books, with the exception of the tortured protagonist, who is both. I enjoyed these books, even though the characters are much less complex; The heroines are weak, the heros are tortured, and the bad guys are evil- end of story. A bigger complaint I have is that in Sword of Darkness the hero knocks-up the heroine without first discussing her desire for motherhood – through his magical abilities he is somehow in control of the situation. Can anyone say My body, my choice?

The Brotherhood of the Sword Series:

Also written as Kinley MacGregor, these are set in the middle ages but lack magic, so are appropriately labeled Historical Romance. Same heroes as always – tortured, brooding, loners with a keen sense of honor and loyalty to their equally tortured and brooding brothers in arms. I’ve read Born in Sin and Return of the Warrior. Not as good as the above series, but enjoyable nonetheless. Better than her BAD series, but probably just because I prefer the middle ages to the contemporary period.

Other books:

The only exception to my adoration of Sherrilyn is the first book of hers that I read which was published early in her career when publishing houses didn’t want fantasy: A Pirate of Her Own written under her pseudonym. The novel lacks her action-packed scenes and strong characters that come out in the rest of her novels. I also read book one of her new BAD series, Bad Attitude. It didn’t enchant me as much, but then I’ve never been one to drool over boys in uniform. The heros work for a secret branch of the military, the Bureau of American Defense (BAD). I found the romance between the main characters to be a bit more crass than I prefer. Does it being a contemporary affect whether I think the romance is crass or not? Quite possibly. I had the same impression with both Alexis Morgan’s Paladins of Darkness and Christine Feehan’s Ghost Walkers, both series based on American military special ops. Maybe it comes from trying to stick romance into an action/thriller plot – it isn’t quite plausible to stop for a love scene when the characters are running for their lives. Oh well. Someone must like them for so many authors to be writing about the same topic. Military spouses?

Alexis Morgan’s Paladins of Darkness series is imaginative, action-packed, and hot. Paladins are warriors who fight along the Barrier to prevent the Others from crossing over from their world into our own. The Barrier is found along fault lines, and every earthquake and volcanic rumble brings it crashing down. Not only are they kick-ass fighters, the Paladins have another special talent that makes them the finest warriors on the planet – they can come back from the dead. Each time they come back, though, they lose more of their humanity, until eventually their Handler must put them down for good. Fortunately I managed to read these books in order (there’s a first time for everything), because they don’t stand-alone. The series plot is revealed slowly, and we don’t know much more by the end of the third book about the illegal trafficking of the mysterious blue stones from across barrier. What’s the best thing about the series? It’s set in Seattle!

At the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Conference, Alexis said that one of the big themes was that these fighters resurrect their honor through finding the woman they love. She must have meant humanity, not honor. The Paladins dedicate their entire lives to protecting mankind, and they always stand up for those who can’t defend themselves. If that isn’t the mark of innate honor, I don’t know what is. The Paladins are not particularly dark or threatening to anyone other than an Other. The Viking berserker rage that is harder and harder to control the more times they die is the only sign of their increasing inhumanity.

Do all paranormal romances have to have “Dark” in their title?

<3 <3 <3 <3

In Dark Protector we meet the Paladins and the secret military organization they work for. Devlin Bane is the leader of the Seattle Paladins and one of the oldest. The lovely and smart Dr. Laurel Young is his Handler, healing his wounds and making the decision each time he dies whether he has enough humanity left to go on living. Discovering a traitor within the organization, he races against time to save the woman he loves. I was a little disappointed by the very professional military baring of Devlin, not scary or dark at all. Also, I was confused that Devlin proposes at the end of the book, and Laurel says yes (I’m not giving anything away- it’s a romance novel, what did you expect?), but no mention of marriage is ever made again and they are described in the next two books as lovers, not fiancés. What happened? My other complaint is that my library copy smells like mothballs. Gross.

Dark Defender was my favorite of the three (even though it isn’t set in Sea-town) and has the best cover of any romance novel I’ve seen in a long time. No man-boobs! Blake Trahern is the most far-gone of any Paladin, but he’s more like a ferocious teddy bear. The treachery among the Paladin organization is widespread, and Blake must return to St. Louis when the Regent he confided in, the man who took him in off the street and introduced him to his warrior heritage, is brutally murdered. The man’s daughter, Brenna Nichols, is in danger as well, and it is up to Blake to save her from the same fate. Brenna has loved Blake since she was a little girl, but she never knew the secret world to which both he and her father belong. While they flee and fight for their lives, they learn that love conquers all. Whoot!

In Darkness Reborn the Other who saved Dr. Laurel Young’s life in the first book, Barak, tries to fit into this new world where everyone hates him. He is assigned to work with Lacey Sebastian researching earthquakes, forcing the lovely Lacey to chose between loyalty to her Paladin brother and the man she loves. I found myself super curious to learn more about Barak and his Other world, but sadly we don’t find out much in this book. Why are the Others coming across the barrier? In the first book Alexis said the Others brought contamination into our world, causing among other things global warming – is that still true? Hopefully the next book will reveal more.

Stephanie Rowe
Stephanie, another new author and client of agent-to-the-stars Michelle Grajkowski, writes a hilarious tale of Otherworldly beings with witty dialog and imaginative characters much in keeping with Katie MacAlister’s Aisling Grey, Guardian series (another client of Michelle’s). Publisher’s Weekly aptly calls her books “paranormal romance adventure comedy”. Can’t wait for The Immortal Badboy, which comes out in November 2007!

Date Me Baby, One More Time is about Justine, immortal guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth, and Derek, millionaire founder of Vic’s Pretzels, who fall in love while trying to kill each other, she to protect the Goblet (currently an espresso machine named Mona) and he to end the curse that kills every male member of his family at the age of 30. Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3.

Must Love Dragons is about Justine’s roommate, one-time hottie Teresa who was stuck permanently in dragon form when she drank from Mona (the aforementioned Goblet of Eternal Youth). Teresa makes a deal with Satan in order to meet her cyber-lover Zeke, who turns out to be an ex-dragon slayer. Despite their mutual attraction and mutual instincts to kill each other, they manage to outwit Satan and the assailants who are hell-bent on killing Teresa and taking over the Otherworld. Ratin: <3 <3 <3 <3.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot is about Becca, Satan’s right hand, who teams up with badboy fighter Nick in order to save Nick’s sister and stop Satan Jr. from taking over the Otherworld. One of Nick’s powers is his vast range of emotions that he can share with empty and soulless Becca. I really enjoyed the love scenes in this book, because they were all about emotions and feelings, not anatomy. Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3.

Lori Handeland
I ended up reading book 5 first, because once again the book itself makes no mention of where it comes in the series and I found it pursuing the library shelves. Would it kill them to write “book 5″ on the cover or make a list of the books to read in order on the inside? Anyways, the books are relatively “stand alone”, as is typical of paranormal romance. That means that the books are related and characters sometimes carry through, but each novel has a different hero/heroine pair as the main characters.

In Midnight Moon, Cassandra experiences a devastating tragedy, goes into the witness protection program, and becomes a voodoo priestess in New Orleans. Heartbroken and grieving, she employs fortune hunter Devon Murphy to guide her through the jungles of Haiti to discover a secret zombie ritual to bring her daughter back from the dead, and finds instead something worth living for. This was a very well-written, creative paranormal romance, but honestly some of the voodoo/zombie stuff was a little gruesome. I also didn’t believe the two main characters really fell in love; it seemed much more like plain-old lust, which doesn’t leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. Rating: <3 <3 <3

Spirited, headstrong and virginal, Elizabeth vows never to marry like her hero, feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. Unrepentant rake Lord Wallingford is drawn against his better judgement to the girl who spurns societies strictures, despite his irritation at the upheaval she brings to his life. They fall in love, get married, have babies, and live happily ever after. The End.

Regency Romance is a subgenre set in England in the 19th century, derived from the works of Jane Austen. Novels typically feature witty dialog and take place during the London social Season with balls and fancy gowns and machinations of the Ton. Despite the completely predictable characters and plot, you gotta love a good regency. They are just like the story of Cinderella – true love and happy endings.

I have been remiss in my book reviews of late, after announcing that I would do an overview every week of my readings (which lasted all of one week). Here are the Regency authors I have discovered lately:

Victoria Alexander
An award-winning television journalist, Victoria writes a mean Regency romance. I was expecting something silly and unoriginal when I picked up two of her books while browsing the Ballard Library shelves, and was happily surprised to find clever banter, endearing characters, and believable love. Yummy, warm and fuzzy, happily-ever after.

A Little Bit Wicked is about scandalous widow Lady Chester and rakish Viscount Warton who, despite vows never to marry on both sides, fall in love and get married. The characters were refreshing, original, and robust. Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3

In The Marriage Lesson Lord Helmsley finds himself saddled with the responsibility of chaperoning three young ladies into society and finding them suitable husbands. Though he is also looking for a mate, he wants one meek and biddable to whom he will be the moon and stars, nothing like the brash, independent Lady Marianne who spurns proper behavior. Faced with her threat to find adventure with or without his help, he reluctantly gives her “lessons in life” and ends up losing his heart. The end is very silly, with Lord Helmsley cooking up all sorts of idiotic ruses to get Marianne to agree to marry him. Rating: <3 <3 <3

Jenna Peterson
Jenna is a relatively new author who attended the UW before moving to the midwest. While we doubt her sanity for leaving, we still must love her for being from the best city in the world, namely Seattle.

Scandalous is Jenna’s first book and a satisfying read. Upon discovering that her fiance has a wife, Katherine finds herself married off to his rakish brother Dominic. Her careful plans to find a husband who will never endanger her heart go awry as she finds passion, deception, and ultimately happy-ever-after. The characters are full-bodied and endearing. Rating: <3 <3 <3

Katie MacAlister
Katie started off her fabulous career writing historical novels with Noble Intentions, Noble Destiny, and The Trouble with Harry. Once again I started out of order with the second book, but the series is loosely connected so it didn’t matter much.

Noble Destiny is a tongue-in-cheek romp through regency London with Katie’s typical witty flair. Shallow, eccentric Charlotte returns to London after being widowed to find herself ostracized by her beloved Ton. She traps Lord Carlisle into marriage in an attempt to regain her rightful place in society and renew her fortunes, only to discover that she really married for love. Rating: <3 <3 <3