Pam's Review: In A Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener

In A Treacherous Court
~Michelle Diener

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publish Date: August 2, 2011
ISBN-10: 1439197083
ISBN-13: 978-1439197080
ASIN: B004G8QTYI

From the author's website:
Henry VIII’s most lethal courtier and his newly appointed artist become the only thing keeping him on the throne – and if they survive, neither will ever be the same.

John Parker is one of Henry VIII most useful courtiers — utterly merciless and completely loyal. But one small favour for his King will pull Parker into a deadly plot against the throne, one that will test his courage, his resolve, and most especially, his heart.

A commission from Henry VIII should have been the crowning achievement of Susanna Horenbout’s career, but before the beautiful and talented artist even sets foot in England, she finds herself in possession of a secret that could change its history. With Parker as her only protection against killers who will stop at nothing to silence her, Susanna has to trust the dangerous, enigmatic courtier. She’s used to fighting in a man’s world, but she never expected to be fighting for her life.

The story takes place in 1525 England. Susanna Horenbout finds herself in an unusual predicament. She is on her way to England to serve as an artist for King Henry VIII. During the journey, however, a man dies in her arms with no one else around. He leaves her with his last words which are an important message for the King.

John Parker works very closely with the King and is one of his men. He comes across Susanna because the man who died in her arms also worked for the King. Parker tries to get the dying man’s message out of Susanna, but she is determined to tell the King herself because the message was for his ears alone. When a bolt seems like it was meant to take Susanna’s life, Parker decides to stay close and guard her on the way to the King, because someone clearly doesn’t want the message to get delivered.

My thoughts:
This book was very hard for me to read. It was lacking in….something. I even stopped reading at one point when Parker and Susanna were being attacked. I think one reason is that I didn’t feel connected to the characters. I didn’t get the real feel for them, for what makes them who they are. I think another reason that I had trouble with this book was I just felt that the first two thirds dragged and was almost repetitive, in my mind at least. Even though I just finished this book last night, I’m having trouble remembering what happened; it didn’t interest me enough to stay with me. There was some romance between Parker and Susanna, but again, I just didn’t feel it.

The story finally started to flow and held my interest when there was about a hundred or so pages left. So while it definitely ended on a good note for me, this is not a book that I will be keeping on my shelves.

My Rating: Pam
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Eve of Samhain by Lisa Sanchez

Eve of Samhain
~Lisa Sanchez

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 378 KB
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Publish Date: May 25, 2010
ASIN: B003O2SDBE

Paperback: 216 pages
ISBN-10: 1936305208
ISBN-13: 978-1936305209

From the author's website:
As a college senior and server at Hanaford Park's hottest nightclub, twenty one year old Ryann Pierce's plan was simple: work hard, make lots of money, and avoid the ass-grabbers at all costs. What she never planned for was Quinn Donegan-- the living, breathing advertisement for sinful behavior that waltzed into her life.

With an angelic face, a hard body and a butt-load of charm, Quinn had a way with the ladies––a lot of ladies. Cursed with a deadly, addictive touch, his trail of indiscretion blazed across five hundred years. Tired and jaded, Ryann is a shocking revelation Quinn didn't see coming.

Filled with desire, yet unable to touch one another, Ryann and Quinn embark on a daunting journey, battling frustration physical limitations while exploring their new love. In a race against the clock, Ryann learns she must plead for Quinn's life before...the Eve of Samhain. Determined to end her lover's suffering, not even the danger dogging her every move can keep her from her mission.

The Hanaford Park series is an interesting world of magic and mythological creatures. In the first book, Eve of Samhain, we meet Ryann Pierce, a young college student who's going to school and working in a bar to pay the billz. In walks sex-on-a-stick Quinn Donegan, and she drools...until he opens his mouth. He's rude and crude, and she's not impressed with him or his Barbie-clone companion. He comes into the bar again the next night with another leggy female, and Ryann notices that both nights he disappears, leaving his dates unfocused and confused about how they got to the bar. Later Ryann is attacked by a weird dog-like demon, and Quinn rescues her. He decides he's going to protect her and they become close. She learns what he really is, and why she's attracted to him. What she's not prepared for is his attraction to her. While all this is going on, Ryann is being stalked by a monster, and her angry-goth roomate might have the answers she's looking for, if she can work up the nerve to ask.

My thoughts: I didn't care for Quinn from the get-go; he was an obnoxious ass. And although he was devoted and kind to Ryann after they got to know each other, we really don't know why he was attracted to her over every other female on the planet (and trust me, he's had a few). Rhyann was spunky, but spent a lot of time either angry, crying, or obsessing over her butt. And while I found the dialogue a bit forced, there were several spots that made me laugh:

Wait. What? Please, no. My heart leaped into my throat and my stomach dropped to the floor. Why? Why did the professor have to call on Quinn?

"Could you please explain what occurs when a woman climaxes?"

"Oh, aye. I surely can." A smug grin crawled across his face and he sat back in his seat, stretching his long legs out before him.

Pompous, egotistical bastard.

The pencil I'd been gripping snapped, eliciting a snort from Quinn Before he spoke.

"Well, then. The muscles in the woman's vagina contract, along with the rest of the muscles in her body. Her heart rate and blood pressure peak. And of course, she usually screams my name several times."
Eve of Samhain, Page 123

I did like the Celtic lore. I also liked the goth roommate, Martha, who is the heroine in book 2, Pleasures Untold. I'm looking forward to reading her story.

My rating:

Come back this afternoon for my review of the next book in the series, Pleasures Untold (Witchy Martha's book)
and a Giveaway of both e-books!!!

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Never A Bride by Amelia Grey

From the author's website:
Her name is on everyone’s lips . . .
When he left for America six years ago, the handsome Viscount Stonehurst never suspected that he would return home to England to find his lovely fiancé embroiled in the scandal of the decade. The woman he planned on making his wife has been kissing every man in London . . . except him!

But scandal doesn’t matter in search of the truth . . .
Engaged and then abandoned, Mirabella Wittingham is determined to find the man who drove her cousin to suicide, even if it means ruining her reputation and disgracing herself in the process . . .


When her plans go awry, Mirabella has no choice but to turn to her long-lost fiancé for help. But can she trust the man who deserted her so many years ago, or is he destined to fail her yet again?

______________________

This is my first book by Amelia Grey. I'd heard wonderful things about her Rogues' Dynasty series and was looking forward to reading Never A Bride.

The premise of the story was good: Mirabella's father secured her engagement to Viscount "Cam" Brackley. Cam then had no intention of marrying Mirabella until he was old, he only agreed to the engagement because her dowry would help his father pay off debts. Six years later, Mirabella's father demands he come back and marry or Cam's father must repay the portion of dowry he already received.

Mirabella, however, knows none of this - only that her fiancee has been gone and will probably not come back any time soon. She is on a mission to find out who disgraced her cousin so badly that the cousin committed suicide. In order to do that, she must get the young men of the ton alone and get her finger into their neckcloths in search of a scar the cousin had written about in her diary. Needless to say Mirabella is starting to get a bit of a reputation when Cam unexpectely returns.

Here's the thing: I liked both Mirabella and Cam, just not together. They were both lovely characters but they didn't "mesh" for me. It was like they just kept bumping up against each other but didn't quite connect. My other problem was that I guessed the "whodunit" very early into the book. I would have preferred a bit of mystery and suspense on that front. It was frustrating to watch Mirabella go through all her machinations when I already knew who it was.

We also met Cam's best childhood friend, who was unexplainably mean to both Cam and Mirabella, but we never found out why he was such a jerk - jealousy? I'm not sure what he would be jealous of as he was already titled and married and had an heir. I was a bit confused on that point.

As I mentioed above, while I did like the main characters, this book was just not a good match for me.

My rating:

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon

As soon as I heard there was a werewolf book set in New Orleans I knew I had to read it! I had such high hopes for this book and to be honest, it left me feeling frustrated.

Charlotte (CeeCee) Caissie is a New Orleans detective - tough and sexy. Max Savoie is enforcer to the most powerful mobster in New Orleans. Through a series of murders, they are thrown together and can't fight their attraction to each other. They both know it will never work, but they can't seem to stay away from each other...

The premise of the story was good - A good cop in love with a mobster; I just couldn't "buy" it. The characters were inconsistent. CeeCee is supposed to be a tough ball-breaking cop, yet she cries several times through the book and I felt like her interactions with Max were hot and cold with no in-between. Max is at times portrayed as brilliant yet in the next scene he seems childlike and dull-witted. It felt like the characters were written to fit the storyline, if that makes any sense. Their relationship kind of followed the same pattern -they'd get together and say they loved each other, then jerk away and hurt each other while hiding behind their cop/mobster roles. I had a hard time liking CeeCee, even with her painful past. She was just not very likeable. Strangely enough, I liked Max when he was with CeeCee, but not when he wasn't.

I also thought the murder storyline was weak and sort of pushed aside for most of the book and brought back at the end to tie things up.

I do plan to read the 2nd book in the series, Chased by Moonlight, before I give the series a "yea" or "nay". I'm giving Masked by Moonlight 2.5/5 stars.