Bam:

Ghosts, magic and shapeshifters, oh my! If I keep repeating that phrase will I get through the books in time? First: that might have been the biggest box of books EVAR. Are you trying to make me go blind? Second: I am in the middle of busy season, but feel REALLY bad about not reviewing more often. Third: I am employing the lightning review technique used for the last box. Since there were so many books, I’d like to make sure I get through as many of them as possible, so everyone can share the love! Here we go again with Shuzluva’s Superfast Box Review!

Book: Heart Fate
Author: Robin D. Owens
Grade: D+

In Brief. The story of Tinne Holly and Lahsin Burdock is the 7th book in the HeartMates series by Ms. Owens. Clearly, I’m well behind the curve here since I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series. Lahsin is on the run from her husband as her powers are beginning to appear. She seeks shelter in a hidden corner of Druida City that can only be found by those truly in need. Tinne has just been forced to divorce his wife Genista and seeks refuge in the same hidden spot. Tinne knows that Lahsin is his HeartMate but can’t tell her for some reason that I wasn’t quite clear about, and I’m not spoiling anything here, because there is a list of characters and their relationships prior to the first page of the story.

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Greetings and Salutations… here’s a dueling review by my two favorite people, Bettie Sharpe and Tumperkin reviewing Ms. Carrie Lofty’s smashing debut!

Tumperkin: Hey Bettie! It’s nice to be doing a review with you. I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for what seems like years. Shall I kick off with a wee plot summary?

Plot

Tumperkin: Will Scarlet is working for the Sheriff of Nottingham when he meets Meg of Keyworth in the midst of the violent ambush of a nobleman. The two strangers escape together and whilst they feel a mutual antipathy, they realise that for the meantime, they need to stick together. Will has been set up to take the blame for the nobleman’s murder and needs to clear his name. As for Meg, she is on her way to Nottingham to rescue her sister Ada from the Sheriff’s clutches. But being blind, she needs help. Gradually the two adversaries learn to trust one another as they fight each other, their enemies and their attraction to one another….

Fair summary, Bettie?

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Bam,

I know you’ve been buried up to your eyeballs in WIP, school and such. I’ve decided to lend a helping hand and review a few things ’cause I’ve got so much time on my hands. NOT! However, I try to read a bit every day and have finished the odd book now and again. The reviews might not be the most timely things, but at least I’m reading and reviewing. Right?

First up is Bonnie Dee’s The Countess Takes a Lover, a tried and true formula of the experienced, jaded lord tutoring the the novice (and awkward) into a sexual and social awakening, with a twist: worldly female decides to tutor bookish man on sensual and not-so-sensual arts. While I loved the idea of TCTaL, some of the pacing dragged a bit…but I want to give you the who/what/where before I get into that:

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Previously on Antiques Roadshow: Vampire Edition: Victoria goes to Italy to inspect some vampire happenings, Max is acting squirrelly, there’s some shit about some vampires trying to get a hold of A MAGICAL ITEM that will enable them to rule the world, Victoria and Sebastian argue and make out a lot, and Max does something really, really bad.

And now: Victoria acquires more responsibility and drama than she could ever handle, Max comes out of his funk still brooding and growly, Victoria’s mom and her cronies descend upon Italy to provide hilarity and shenanigans, Victoria and Sebastian argue and make out a lot, those damn vampires are still trying to get a hold of A MAGICAL ITEM that will enable them to rule the world, Victoria starts looking at Max in a totally different light (tramp!), we find out something about Sebastian that I already totally called from Book 1, AND Max has to make A VERY BIG DECISION that will change his life forevah. Oh, and Victoria is still crying and moaning about Philip even though she now has a stable of mens to worry about. Jesus, girl, shake the dwelling and get over it!

Do I gotta warn you people about spoilers?

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Grade: C-

Although historical romance is my thing, this is the first Mills & Boon historical I’ve read. I’ve not consciously avoided them. It’s just that when I’m in a bookshop or on Amazon, there’s always something else I want. Plus my supermarket only stocks contemporary categories so while I’ll pick up the odd Mills & Boon/Harlequin on impulse along with my bread and eggs, it’s always one from the Presents line.

However, having given poor reviews of a recent Presents and a (relatively) recent Blaze [Bam’s Note: This has not yet happened.], I thought I would give Mills & Boon /Harlequin one more go and try one of their historicals. There was lots of choice but in the end I picked this one because there was a Liz Carlyle quote on the back cover, indicating that this book was ‘…spellbinding and seductive - Deb Marlowe will enthrall you…’

So, did Deb Marlowe enthrall me? In a word, No. However, all in all, this book is a reasonably credible effort. It is liberally peppered with anachronistic language and behaviour but (and this may be unfair) I rather expected that of a Mills & Boon historical. The fact that I was prepared for that meant that I found it less irritating than I might otherwise have done.

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