That Scandalous Summer
The reckless widow found obliterated drunk in the rosebushes? Too much for my delicate sensibilities. This plot might have worked better in Gatsby's era, maybe, but I grew too bored to continue. The slump continues...
Nell is a sharp one, and she is so indelible in her 'guttersnipe' role that it is really hard to picture her as A Lady - since much of that transformation is dealt with lightly and offscreen. Also it was so confusing that they originally talked about BABY Cornelia being stolen, when later in the story it turned out she was six. A little detail that messed me up quite a bit til the bitter end. But they are a fun pair, the conniving rake and the clever survivor, who can barely keep their hands off each other, grinning all the while.
So this was really fun - I saw a like-minded UF reader (~hi Lisa~) gave it five stars so jumped in. I am not generally a huge fan of: steampunk, werewolves OR vampires, but go figure - all the supernatural elements kind of blended together in a snappy Kate Daniels way, if that makes sense. Sometimes more is less...or something like that.
Holy endless back and forth with this couple. Good lord, life is too short, even for an immortal vampire.
Once upon a time I was gleefully enchanted with this series. It was just so over-the-top unapologetically BANANAS, and lent a real joie de vivre to: Bumfuck NY, leather tuxedos, combat boots, tattoos, servants and the caste system, cringeworthy slang, outdated rap, bourgeois labels, albino villains and baby powder. Ah, those were the days. I loved those damn white boy vamp frat boys, and their homo-erotic tension. And their weird 1960s style Greek goddess-esque Chosen women, all pure virgin vessels designed only to be besmirched by the warriors. I mean, this was some good old-fashioned pulp fiction - compulsively readable, laugh out loud outlandish, and totally hot.
Sadly, for me, the magic is gone. Way too long and boring, and chockablock with exhausting series bait.
Lydia is not quite a Kelly Lebrock, on account of her badass brains and right hook, but I have to include her because she's so amazing. Super fun, super witty, with a cranky bickering couple that made me laugh.
Not a huge fan of this one, though I liked the initial interactions. Too much bland miscommunication and stupid blackmail plot. It was a slog to the end.
Reread: hard to believe this is by Brockway - very dark and angsty, and full of unhappy humorless characters. Tortured souls with uber-lustful feelings - lots of hectic color in the cheeks and flaming indigo eyes and burning to ash, etc. Everyone was very very hot and worked up all the time (alas, only a few heaving bosoms). Jack is also a TERRIBLE sleuth, thanks to his overactive yet thwarted libido.Anne, our dear widow, was a bit tough to take, thanks to a touch of a martyr complex. Darling, your husband was an insecure tool, please move on. She also got crazy there at the end, so much so that I couldn't make heads nor tails of the increasingly nonsensical plot. But all this over the top-ness makes for a super fun read.
DNF, DNL 1. Let's start at the end. WORST HEA EVER. Have fun on the road with a baby, dumbasses.2. Pronouncements like: "I could die in this bed with him right now, wrapped in his arms and I would never know I had died." 3. "I just got raped by a crazy-jealous reaction." "Goosebumps rape me." Is this what kids say these days?
Did not finish, did not like. I don't like knuckledragging alphas or the helpless women who love them. I also don't like when men wear sweatpants and you can see their erections - it's not sexy, it's a Wednesday afternoon at The Golden Banana. This is the second book in as many days that's featured a hero sporting that particular look, much to the delight of their ladyloves.
My first Mayberry with not a hair shirt in sight, and no widows or widowers either. Phew. So that was good. This was a low-key easy readin' kind of story, and I thought that Mackenzie's recovery and issues were nicely handled, ie, there was no unnecessary added drama. Once she decided to go for it, she very rationally came to terms with her new normal, which I liked a lot. I just wasn't particularly interested in either of them all that much. So that's the three stars. Also, who doesn't spay or neuter their dogs??
Ravishing the Heiress
I knew I wasn't going to like this one, because I am no fan of awkwardly plotted scenarios where the husband blithely whores around while the wife remains the martyred virgin for years and years (see also The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James).
BUT.
Who knew it had a secret weapon in its pocket...eating hazelnuts!?!
Alice, that extra star is for you, the true heroine of this sad romance between a selfish oblivious jerk and the doormat who loved him.