Charmed & Dangerous

Charmed & Dangerous
by Candace Havens
Rating: ★★½
isbn: 9780425219003
Publication Date: April 12, 2007
Pages: 287
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher: Berkley

Another Candace Havens, set in the same universe with the same characters, just a different MC. And boy did it NOT hold up well to the test of time. I remember liking Bronwyn (the MC) because she was her own person and powerful and didn’t let anyone intimidate her. And she’s till all those things, but the rest of her is just so emotionally shallow and her romance was written … well, I’ve read more believable romances in 80’s teen fiction. The non-romance part of the book didn’t do so well either. The antagonists were all juvenile in the extreme (they all kept saying “Die Witch!”) and it was all just so silly.

I also got extremely irritated with the author re-writing history: Like a Charm takes place before Christmas and the characters’ relationship is resolved and their embracing their HEA well before then. But this book takes place 3 months later and there are scenes with Kira and Caleb where they’re still in the hand holding stage and haven’t yet “done the nasty”.

Anyway – not a great book.

Like a Charm

Like a Charm
by Candace Havens
Rating: ★★★½
isbn: 9780425219263
Publication Date: February 5, 2008
Pages: 289
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher: Berkley

I’ve had a few books by Candace Havens on the shelves for over a decade, and the other night I decided I had to re-read them; I remembered the broad strokes, but not much else. I started with this one, Like a Charm and it held up surprisingly well, for the kind of story it is.

Like a Charm is a paranormal romance, but really the romance is only about half the story, the rest is about the MC, Kira, picking herself up and putting herself back together after a horrific work related experience that left her traumatised and seriously ill. She goes back to her hometown and reconnects with the residents and her family, and while she’s there, the town librarian dies, a woman who was like a second mom to her. Kira is bequeathed an extraordinary inheritance, and must weight accepting it against going back to her highly successful law career.

Of course that other half of the story is Caleb. Caleb has all the requirements of a romantic hero: of course he’s hot, and he’s a carpenter, BUT only on the side, when he’s not running around the world being a highly successful investigative reporter, and of course he’s rich, although you’d never know it unless he’s in a suit. And of course he’s a gentleman of the southern variety, holding doors, paying for everything – but only in the most enlightened and charming fashion. I’m used to this sort of stuff in what few romances I read, and I accept that it’s a winning formula for a reason. But where things got really out-of-date, was the whole first time in bed scene. It was just soooo cheesy.

As is obvious, I enjoyed the non-romantic half more. It was largely an ode to books and libraries and the book-title-author name dropping was fun. It was a light, fun read that went fast.

I’ve decided to use this for the Raven/Free Square on my Halloween Bingo 2021 card. It’s full of magic and I-see-dead-people and is set in a small town run and protected by a coven of witches.

Mama Rides Shotgun (Mace Bauer, #2)

Mama Rides Shotgun
by Deborah Sharp
Rating: ★★★
isbn: 9780738713304
Series: Mace Bauer #2
Publication Date: October 1, 2009
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Midnight Ink

Mama's fixin' to get hitched to Husband #5. But first, she coerces her daughter, Mace, to saddle up for some country-gal bonding on the Florida Cracker Trail.

The trek takes a deadly turn when Lawton Bramble—wealthy rancher and one-time beau of Mama's—keels over in his Cow Hunter Chili. Lawton had a horde of enemies and a famously bad ticker. Could a grudge-wielding rival have "spiced" the cattleman's chow?

With (or maybe despite) the help of her sisters and her sexy ex-beau, Detective Martinez, Mace sets out to corral a low-down varmint who's determined to kill again.

Re-read update: This book did not hold up well on re-read. I had the same issue with the re-invention of the first book’s history, and the rest of it, even though I didn’t remember who the murderer was, I found extremely tedious and meandering.

Here’s hoping the third book holds up better.

Killer Wedding (Madeline Bean, #3)

Killer Wedding
by Jerrilyn Farmer
Rating: ★★★★★
isbn: 9780380795987
Series: Madeline Bean #3
Publication Date: June 7, 2000
Pages: 256
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: HarperCollins

Although not about to say "I do" anytime soon, hip party-planner Madeline Bean is no stranger to the phenomenon known as the LA wedding; the good, the bad and the kind where the party lasts longer than the marriage. Still, Maddie never expected to be the guest of Vivian Duncan, the West Coast's grande dame of wedding consultants, at a lavish affair held amidst the dramatically lit fossils in the Nature Museum's Hall of Dinosaurs.

While checking out the glittering event, Maddie, with her keen event planner's instinct, realizes something is not quite right, but what? The groom is on time. The bride is beautiful. And a corpse wearing a Cartier bracelet is dangling from the triceratops skeleton. Ah, yes.

That. With people disappearing and the bride in tears, Maddie just may be the next species to become extinct...unless she can reveal the murderer fast.

Quicker than she can whip up a white chocolate wedding cake, Maddie follows the trail deep into dark jungles---urban and otherwise---amid tantalizing tales of smuggled gems, while fending off a nervous bridegroom, a crazed carjacker, and a half-naked ice-sculptor and his trusty chainsaw. Along the way, she discovers something old, something new, something deadly and something a wedding pro should never, ever do.

I love this book, it holds up so well to re-reading. Part of what makes the story so fascinating is what the author shares in her acknowledgements at the start of the book. A chance meeting with a fascinating gentleman in a crammed hotel breakfast room, and the background of this book is born.

Maddie and friends are temporarily shut down while they battle a non-compete clause being upheld by the company that bought out their now defunct catering business. The premiere wedding planner in LA wants out and thinks if she acts like Maddie is buying her out, then Maddie actually will. All of this culminates in Maddie and co. being invited to a wedding at the Natural History Museum, where she finds a dead body draped over the main dinosaur display. Trying to be nice and lend a helping hand to the deceased’s family, she stumbles on an amazing story involving smuggling and a fabulous treasure, of sorts.

What also makes this a great story is that it was written at a time when a cozy could be a cozy without being so far up its own prudish backside that it doubled as a See Jane Run story for children. Sex scenes are modest, but the author isn’t afraid to use f bombs judiciously and where they’re most effective. This book’s characters read like they could be real people in the real world, and they’re the kind you’d see yourself liking.

It’s nice to see an old favorite can remain a favorite after 20 years.

Fair Game (Alpha and Omega, #3)

Fair Game
by Patricia Briggs
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 0441020038
Series: Alpha and Omega #3
Publication Date: March 9, 2012
Pages: 293
Genre: Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace

You know what’s really aggravating about deciding to re-read an old favorite series? Discovering that you don’t actually own a print copy of the first book. That’s been remedied – though I had to settle for a paperback, grumblegrumble, but I couldn’t wait. So I grabbed what I thought was the next book in the series, Fair Game. It isn’t, by the way, the next book. I skipped over one; it was late, I was tired and angry about Cry Wolf, and, oh, who cares, it’s a re-read.

Reading my original review, I didn’t care for this book as much as the others. Yet, when I think back on the series, this is the one I remember best. Re-reading it, I find that I rate it higher than I originally did; 4 stars instead of 3.5. It’s still all kinds of dark and deeply disturbed in plot, but I didn’t find Charles’ inevitable crises, and his reaction to it, quite as irritating as I did that first time. Likely because this time I knew it was a crises that wouldn’t last beyond the book itself.

I’m looking forward to re-read all the books in the series – after my copy of Cry Wolf arrives, that is. There’s a new one coming out next March, and I need to catch up before it arrives.

Lost Among the Living

Lost Among the Living
by Simone St. James
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780451476197
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Pages: 318
Genre: Fiction, Paranormal
Publisher: NAL / New American Library

England, 1921. Three years after her husband, Alex, disappeared, shot down over Germany, Jo Manders still mourns his loss. Working as a paid companion to Alex's wealthy, condescending aunt, Dottie Forsyth, Jo travels to the family's estate in the Sussex countryside. But there is much she never knew about her husband's origins...and the revelation of a mysterious death in the Forsyths' past is just the beginning...

All is not well at Wych Elm House. Dottie's husband is distant, and her son was grievously injured in the war. Footsteps follow Jo down empty halls, and items in her bedroom are eerily rearranged. The locals say the family is cursed, and that a ghost in the woods has never rested. And when Jo discovers her husband's darkest secrets, she wonders if she ever really knew him. Isolated in a place of deception and grief, she must find the truth or lose herself forever.

And then a familiar stranger arrives at Wych Elm House...

Of the 5 Simone St. James books I’ve read (and she’s published), this is the one I’ve liked the least. Not to say it’s not a very good, well-written story–it is–it’s just much less gothic-y than at least 3 of the others.

This book felt like it was slow to start, because of that last line in the synopsis; they should have left that off, because I spent the first x% of the book waiting for the stranger to appear. Only after that happened did I feel like the book picked up speed. This story also felt somehow less creepy; maybe it’s just that I’ve read all the books too close together, and my threshold is lower. Old creepy mansion: check. Dark gray, misty atmosphere: check. Ghosts: check. But still, somehow, not that creepy.

Lost Among the Living was also a lot more of a straight-up mystery: while the other books had a mystery aspect to them, the focus was on the hauntings. Here, the focus is on what happened to Frances, the parallels between her life and Jo’s, and what Jo is going to do with her life going forward. There’s also a lot less (read: no) sexual tension in this book, and I do find that spices a read up, even when romance is not the point.

This sounds like a rather negative review, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book; it’s a great story and it’s well written and it pulled me in. My small dissatisfactions stem from the expectations I had from previous reads that I unfairly applied to this book and the author isn’t writing cookie-cutter plots. Indeed, the next book’s preview is at the end of this one and it’s the first one she’s written that takes place in present day, with an alternating timeline in the 50’s. Not sure if I want to go there, but I have the next year to adjust to the idea.

The Counterfeit Heiress (Lady Emily, #9)

The Counterfeit Heiress
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★
isbn: 6781710024695
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #9
Publication Date: January 1, 2014
Pages: 292
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

This should have been a lot creepier than it was and the dialogue failed in a lot of places, leaving Emily sounding like a boasting second grader at times and Colin a condescending but kindly nanny.

Even though the story didn’t quite meet the level of creepy it was capable of, it was still a good story and definitely not one that’s been overused. Cecil’s odd childhood friend grew up to be an adventuress who always appeared in the news from a different spot on the globe. Then one night at a masquerade in London, Cecile is introduced to her friend, and it’s an imposter. The imposter turns up dead the next morning and everyone is off in search of a killer and, incidentally, to find the real Estelle.

I’m not sure if I’ll read the next one or not – it does feature Jeremy Bainbridge and he’s one of my favourite characters, but the odd dynamic between Colin and Emily really threw me off.

The author does include a note at the back explaining the historical connections to the creation of this plot, and I always enjoy these; I always learn a little something from each one.

Perhaps if the next book is on sale…

Behind the Shattered Glass (Lady Emily, #8)

Behind the Shattered Glass
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★½
isbn: 9781250024701
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #8
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Pages: 288
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

This was one of the better ones, story wise, in the series. Emily and Colin are back on their home turf, and for some reason, I just prefer the home-ground settings. More of the characters a reader has become used to, I suppose.

I deducted 1/2 a star for two reasons: some of the plotting was just weak and loose; characters would lie about their whereabouts and when confronted with reports proving they lied, continue to lie about it and insist upon their story, only to off-handedly admit to lying later on. The second reason was the revelation of the killer – it could have been brilliant (the motivation was well thought out and strong) but the build up to the denouement blatantly manipulated the reader, leaving at least this reader feeling like I’d been tricked and deceived.

This is the last book in the series that I own. As far as I know there are at least two more recent ones, and I’ll probably pick them up if I find a good deal on them used, but I don’t feel compelled to search out the 9th book.

Death in the Floating City (Lady Emily, #7)

Death in the Floating City
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312661762
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #7
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
Pages: 309
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

I’m giving this 4 stars but really, it’s probably closer to 3.5 but it held my interest in a way few books have recently.

The story takes place in Venice and the author did a fantastic job with setting the scene, but still, for some reason, I was missing something that gave me that sense that I was there. Lady Emily is feeling rather self-important about her role as an investigator in this one too and that rather got on my nerves.

The book used a dual time-line plot between ‘present’ day (Victorian era) and the 1600’s, with alternating chapters; I normally detest these and I started reading with a certain amount of hostility about it. By the middle I was reading it with dread but completely immersed in the story and by the end I was looking up at the ceiling blinking rapidly and trying to get the tears to go back where they came from. The Victorian era plot was only just so-so and the big reveal about the murderer relied on hidden knowledge not shared with the reader. It’s truly the 17th century story that elevates this book an extra star.

A Crimson Warning (Lady Emily, #6)

A Crimson Warning
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312661755
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #6
Publication Date: August 7, 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

Newly returned to her home in Mayfair, Lady Emily Hargreaves is looking forward to enjoying the delights of the season. The delights, that is, as defined by her own eccentricities—reading The Aeneid, waltzing with her dashing husband, and joining the Women's Liberal Federation in the early stages of its campaign to win the vote for women. But an audacious vandal disturbs the peace in the capital city, splashing red paint on the neat edifices of the homes of London's elite. This mark, impossible to hide, presages the revelation of scandalous secrets, driving the hapless victims into disgrace, despair and even death. Soon, all of London high society is living in fear of learning who will be the next target, and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, favorite agent of the crown, must uncover the identity and reveal the motives of the twisted mind behind it all before another innocent life is lost.

SO much better than the last one. Emily has stopped wallowing and is almost the same character I grew fond of in the first two books. She’s still a bit more obedient than I’d like, but I have to remember this is the Victorian age and no wife would get away with telling her husband to pull his head out of his ass.

Jeremy and Ivy are back in this book too. Ivy doesn’t do much for me either way, but I do love Jeremy’s wit and silliness. The author inserts journal entries from Ivy throughout the chapters that honestly added nothing to the story for me. She did this in her last book, using Emily’s mother-in-law’s journal, and that worked as a way of getting to know the woman in a way we wouldn’t have realistically been able to by relying on the narrative. But here… meh.

The plot though… the plot was good. I thoroughly enjoyed this story line and found it extremely relevant given society’s re-discovered fondness for public shaming. The mystery behind who was behind it all was done well enough; I neither knew who the culprit was nor was I surprised when it was revealed. The motivation was rather Machiavellian in the end and I enjoyed it.

This one has restored my enjoyment in the series; there are assuredly better examples of its kind out there, but so far this series is holding its own just fine.