As I write this, I think of a favorite blogger who passed away this time last year. Her spirit lives on in the Dewey Read-a-Thon, Weekly Geeks, and The Bookworms Carnival. She loved reading. She loved books. She supported Banned Books Week and believed everyone had the right to reading material. In her honor, I’m calling this donation project The Dewey Tree. It’s a little bit The Giving Tree, a little bit Dewey, a little bit charity.

Here’s what you do:
*Gather up the books you can live without. It can be 4 books, 10 books, or 20 books!
*Find a worthy group you would like to donate your overflow books to. It can be your local library, a literacy campaign (mine will go to the literacy center I volunteer for), or overseas. There’s a great list of book donation sites here on the ALA. Find a charity that speaks to you!
*Then take a picture of your donation and email it to me (onlinepublicist [AT] gmail [DOT] com). It can be a pic of the mailing label on your package, one of your kids giving a box of books to a librarian, or you handing books over to your literacy center. Be creative and have fun!

I will accept pics (and will post favorites) until January 4, 2010.

The post then goes on to tell you where to go to enter your information to win a custom tote from her!

Dewey was such a wonderful part of the book blogging community. Her readathon was the one real book blogging major activity I took part in as a blogger, and she had a knack for bringing people together in ways that magically didn’t seem to involve a lot of drama or strife. I think this is a fantastic way to honor her memory.

I tend to donate a lot of my review copies to the local library anyway when I’m done with them—but frankly, it’s time for me to do a somewhat more thorough cleaning out of my shelves than that. So next week I plan to post my photo!

Also, anyone who orders from one of our craft stores by January 4, 2010 (errantdreams.shophandmade.com or errantdreams.etsy.com) and has participated in this project can put the words “Dewey Tree” in the “notes to seller” field of their order or payment and I’ll enclose a little something extra with your order, like a hand-sewn cloth gift bag, beaded keyring, or a randomly-chosen recently-published book! This one’s on the honor system, folks, so please be honest! It’s just a little thank-you for doing something nice in Dewey’s memory.

And thank you, Lisa, for putting this together!

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

With Christmas being ten days away, now seemed like a good time to read A Highlander Christmas. One of my favorite holidays, combined with romance and bold, brawny men (who, if the cover is to be believed, are impervious to snow) sounded as delicious as a hot cup of chocolate. Dawn Halliday, Cindy Miles, and Sophie Renwick deliver tales of receiving the most wonderful gift to get- love.

Dawn Halliday’s Winter Heat is the story of Maggie MacDonald, an independent woman who refuses to submit to cretinous Innes Monroe’s suit. When he breaks into her home and kidnaps her, she manages to fight her way free during a heavy snowstorm. Collapsing in the snow, she is rescued by the handsome Logan, who takes her to shelter and warms her. Though the two of them are snowed in, they make good use of their time and quickly become acquainted. But will their time together develop into something more? Or will they part ways after the thaw?

Reading this story, I felt a little thrown around. Innes Monroe is completely unlikeable and abusive, while Logan is his complete opposite, gallant and handsome almost to a fault. Maggie goes from abducted and almost raped to trusting and lovestruck in about two days. It felt as if Ms. Halliday felt constrained by the length of the story and was rushing to get everything in that she wanted to, resulting in rushing the emotional connection and painting the two main male characters in exaggerated caricatures. I would have enjoyed this story a lot more if the pacing could have been slowed and the characters developed more.

Yuletide Enchantment is Ms. Renwick’s contribution, and one of my first shapeshifter romances. It is the story of a Sidhe king named Daegan, and his mortal love, Isobel. He is willing to risk his position and himself to be with her and save her from a marriage she doesn’t want. I absolutely loved the mythology of this piece and the way it was used in the story, but I had some trouble liking Daegan. Again, I think that that might be a result of the length; his discussions with the Sidhe queen might feel like less of a temper tantrum if I saw something of him outside of his single-minded pursuit of Isobel.He even makes the comment that he wants her enchanted before they make love. That struck me as a little off.

I actually found myself with more sympathy for her betrothed, St. Clair. Although he seems shy around her, he’s not entirely unwilling to talk, or to share his experience of the Otherworld with her. I got the feeling that they could grow to love each other, and although they might not have the fiery intensity of her and Daegan, that wouldn’t make it any less real.

My favorite by far was Cindy Miles’ A Christmas Spirit. Paige MacDonald is spending another Christmas alone. But instead of being trapped in her apartment, she has booked a driving tour of Scotland. A few days before Christmas, however, her car dies in the middle of the countryside during a snowstorm and she takes refuge in the castle Gorloch. The only other person she’ll have to share the castle with is Gabriel Munro. Well, his ghost, to be more specific. But they have plenty of time to get to know each other; they’re snowed in. Soon, trust turns into affection, which has the opportunity to turn into so much more…

Ms. Miles neatly sidesteps the problem of crowding the story with action by narrowing the focus of the story down to Paige and Gabriel getting to know each other and opening up to each other. The emotional intimacy is what I enjoyed the most about the story; it reminds me of my husband and I and connections between the characters outside of sex make the happily ever after much more believable to me. I also loved the use of little bits of Scottish dialogue and accent to make Gabriel’s voice stand out. The one little rough spot was how quickly and neatly the misunderstanding is cleared up; it’s almost too convenient. The rest of the story was so enjoyable, though, it was easily forgivable.

This was an interesting read, but it felt as if two of the three stories could have used a lot more room to expand; because I don’t have as much perspective, character traits and pacing that could be adjusted or balanced with more room to tell me more are off-putting. That being said, there are some creative happily ever afters that mean a few lucky ladies will have many more Christmases to spend with some very sexy Highlanders.

Review book (uncorrected proof) courtesy of Penguin Group
Expected publication date: January 5, 2010

Jessica Thornton has fled England and her home to live with her brother in America because she fears for her safety, and for that of her unborn child. While traveling across the New Mexico Territory, the stagecoach she is riding in crashes and she and the other passengers are taken in temporarily by Brady Wilkins, a local cattle rancher. As she gets to know the man behind the caustic wit she finds someone who can help her to find the strength to get through difficult circumstances and heal from past hurts. But there is danger lurking at the peaceful ranch; one of Brady’s old enemies has a score to settle, and it will take both Brady and Jessica’s strength to get through it.

I’ve never read a Western or historical Western before, but if they’re all done as well as Pieces of Sky, then I’ve been missing out. Since I tend to read British historicals, it was a real treat to read a historical where marrying well was not one of the overriding concerns of the characters. Instead, the romance between Jessica and Brady is allowed to develop naturally in the context of the two of them trying to make livings for themselves. We get to watch them engaging in a larger variety of ways and mundane activities that landed gentry tend not to engage in, such as cooking, sewing, and taking care of animals. For me, it made it easier to enter more fully into their world, because they were doing some of the same things that I do on a daily basis. (It would be nice, though, if I could go to balls every week!)

It was an absolute joy to watch Jessica and Brady’s relationship develop. Because they and the rest of the Wilkins family share a house, we are given a great many quiet opportunities to observe the two together. Some of my favorite moments are when the two sit out on the front porch at night, watch sunsets, and talk together. It’s nice to get a chance to watch as trust and respect develop before some of the more demanding carnal feelings, and it made the physical passion more believable to me, because the physical underscores the emotional connection nicely.

I also enjoyed the maturity with which the two of them faced their problems. They had both been through some pretty traumatic events in their lives, but they were trying to continue on the best that they could. It was nice not to see past experiences serve as an excuse for outright immaturity. Even when a difficult situation arose during the book, it was able to be resolved by one or the other lending help and support, and the trust and affection built up to that point gave the courage needed to get through. It was a wonderful change to see conflict as a means of allowing Jessica and Brady to explore the depth and range of their feelings for each other, as opposed to creating obstacles that get in the way of their happily ever after. It made the ending even more rewarding for me as well, because I knew that based on the way they handled conflict together, there was absolutely no way that the two of them couldn’t handle whatever else life might throw their way.

Even when conflict does arise, their emotional responses feel as if they result naturally from what is going on. Too often, I read a book where the hero or heroine goes through a difficult time, and it feels as though they’ve gone a little off the deep end from the way that they react. Jessica’s response to a couple of extremely difficult events were feelings that I could easily see myself having in the circumstances. This believablilty gave the characters much more depth to me, because I didn’t have to spend time trying to overlook little behaviors that aggravated me.

The supporting characters are also excellent additions to the story; instead of a series of aristocracy that can blur into cookie-cutter uniformity, Brady’s two brothers and the women of the house each have their unique voice and personality. Even Brady’s perspective is written with such a distinctive tone, I can hear a soft Southwestern drawl in my head (which for me was like an auditory piece of chocolate!).

The one thing that did bother me a little bit, however, was the fact that one of the villains was too crazy to feel like a threat at the beginning of the book. His own half-brother has doubts about his ability to carry out his evil schemes, and the reader sees him lose touch with reality more than once. As a romance reader, I expect a happily ever after, but painting a villain as borderline incompetent takes some of the suspense away. Ms. Warner does manage to get a good deal of the suspense back, however, by taking us inside his head. Seeing the motive and the anger inside him make him a much more tangible threat.

This was an absolutely beautiful story, and I was thoroughly caught up in the characters. I smiled when they laughed, and cried on more than one occasion. I haven’t read a book that moved me that much in a very long time. All the major characters save one were extremely believable, and Ms. Warner’s love and affection for the time and place shine through on each page. If this is Ms. Warner’s first novel, then I’m looking forward to the rest of her books, because she has a great talent.

Obligatory FCC disclosure: some of these items were free review items from publishers, etc., as noted on individual review pages. I have done my best to simply include what I think highly of, regardless of where it came from or whether I had to pay for it.

For cooks:

Get your hands on a copy of Melissa Gray’s All Cakes Considered right this minute and gift it to your favorite cook or would-be baker. Seriously. It’s hilarious and fun, and produces the BEST cakes.

If your friend is a chocolate fanatic, on the other hand, try Absolutely Chocolate, by the editors of Fine Cooking. MMMMMM!

I think everyone knows at least one person who just loves to cook holiday feasts for their friends and family. If you know that person, get them a copy of How to Cook a Turkey, also by the editors of Fine Cooking. We just keep coming back to this cookbook!

The Cupcake Kit is definitely a gift sort of thing, perfect for the novice who wants to learn the very beginnings of cake decorating, or the home baker who just needs to top off some pretty cupcakes now and then.

Pestos, Tapenades & Spreads might seem like an odd topic for a gift cookbook, but I picked it because it’s the perfect size and quality for a gift cookbook. In fact, you might even be able to use it as a stocking-stuffer. Guac Off would, similarly, be a perfect stocking-stuffer gift for guacamole lovers!

The Ice Cream Deck is perfect stocking-stuffer size. And if you want to make it a theme (and encourage someone to make homemade ice cream for you!), you could also give your friend an ice cream maker to go with it!

If you know any non-drinkers, Zero-Proof Cocktails might just be the ideal stocking stuffer for them!

Kenny Shopsin’s Eat Me is irreverent, offensive, obnoxious, hilarious, and delicious, all at the same time! Not for the easily offended!

Paranormal/urban fantasy romance fans:

I highly recommend the first book from Nalini Singh’s new Guild Hunter series, Angel’s Blood. The follow-up is coming out soon and is also fantastic! The world and story are highly unique and well-detailed; the characters are first-rate; and the action is stunning. The plot is at least as important as the relationships, so your book-loving friends won’t feel slighted with this one.

Jessa Slade’s Seduced by Shadows is a beautiful and inventive new series start, with plenty of action and wonderful characters!

Another gorgeous series debut is Jory Strong’s Ghostland. It’s stylish, suspenseful, unusual, and wonderful.

For urban fantasy/suspense fans:

The anthology Unusual Suspects would be a great way to introduce a friend to some authors she might not have encountered before!

I highly recommend starting off a Rob Thurman addiction with her gorgeous Nightlife—but while you’re at it, buy up all the Thurman books you can find, because once your gift recipient starts, they won’t want to stop!

For fantasy/humor fans:

Jim C. Hines’s “Princess Novels” are a delightful blend of action, humor, dark re-workings of fairy tales, and delightful characters. Check out The Stepsister Scheme and follow it up with The Mermaid’s Madness!

For anyone with a snarky sense of humor:

Jen Yates’s Cake Wrecks. It’s drop-dead hilarious, and will definitely liven up the recipient’s holiday season!

Wendell & Tan’s Beyond Heaving Bosoms is so funny—and informative—that I’d recommend it to pretty much anyone!

Give the Bitch Her Chocolate is quirky, snarky, and offensively hilarious!

For historical romance fans:

Rene is actually our historical romance reviewer these days, but I don’t think she’ll mind my picking a few books to suggest based on her reviews!

Try out Anne Gracie’s To Catch A Bride. As Rene says, “It was lovable and laugh-out-loud, full of heart and of memorable and interesting characters.”

I imagine she’d also want me to mention Claudia Dain’s The Courtesan’s Wager, seeing as she seems to be such a fan of Ms. Dain’s writing and “wicked sense of humor!”

Rene calls An Indecent Proposition, by Emma Wildes, “achingly sweet” and “a deliciously fun read.”

Loretta Chase’s Your Scandalous Ways is “A wonderfully enjoyable read” and, according to Rene, particularly witty in its dialogue.

For romance/suspense fans:

Carla Cassidy’s Up Close and Personal is a delightful blend of action and fascinating familial relationships.

Shiloh Walker’s Chains is, in my opinion, her best work yet. It’s riveting, and strikes straight to the heart. Fragile is a close second, and a must-read for Shiloh fans.

If you’re looking for wild adventure, Nina Bruhns’s Shoot to Thrill might be more your style—plenty of action and thrills to go around!

Or perhaps psychic mysteries, visions, and explosions are more your style. In that case, try the wonderful start to Christina Dodd’s new series: Storm of Visions.

If instead you prefer tales of stalking serial killers, I highly recommend Leslie Parrish’s trilogy: Fade to Black, Pitch Black, and Black and Heart. This series was one of my favorite discoveries of this year and turned me into an instant Leslie Parrish fan!

For straight romance fans:

Go for Nora Roberts’s bride quartet series, starting with Vision in White and Bed of Roses. They’re pure, sweet, endearing wish-fulfillment fantasy, and that’s often perfect at the holidays! Her Black Hills is also a beautiful tale of family, love, and the wilderness.

For animal lovers:

The anthology Tails of Love is not only super-sweet, but it’s super-perfect. Excellent for the animal lover and romance fan in your life!

Purry Logic, by Jane Seabrook, is adorable, funny, and sweet. Excellent for the cat lover on your list!

For fantasy fans:

How about Diana Pharaoh Francis’s unusual and exciting The Black Ship? Just make sure to get its prequel, The Cipher, as well.

If you know someone who likes epic fantasy with strong world-building, then introduce them to Fiona Patton’s fascinating world of dangerous gods via The Silver Lake.

If all of those books aren’t enough, did I mention that we make handmade, beaded bookmarks? Yes, we do! And now through the end of 2009, if you place an order for at least $15 in merchandise of any kind at either of our stores (at Shophandmade or Etsy), and you’re in the continental US, just wait for a revised invoice and I’ll take the shipping charges off of it. Or go ahead and pay via paypal, and I’ll refund the shipping charges afterward. Since we generally prefer to use Shophandmade, the newest bookmarks are getting listed there, along with necklaces, hair sticks, etc. I’m not done listing new ones, so keep checking back occasionally! Here’s a peek at some of the items listed there:

Have a wonderful holiday season, filled with great happiness!

Review book (published 2009) courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Actual quotes uttered during the testing of this cookbook by me, my husband, and friends:

“Is it legal for cakes to taste this good?”

“She’s a natural storyteller.”

“We don’t have to stop making cakes from this book just because you’re ready to review it, do we?”

(With pen in hand) “What’s the name of that cookbook?”

I’ve been reviewing books since roughly 1998. In that time, I’ve reviewed almost 200 cookbooks. I can say without a doubt—and I noticed this well before I started getting any review copies from them—that overall, Chronicle puts out the best cookbooks. Don’t get me wrong; cookbooks from other publishers can, individually, be equally as good. But for the most consistent high quality and production value, I look to Chronicle. I’ve only once, I think, been “meh” about one of their cookbooks, and I’ve never given really low marks to any of them. That’s a surprising track record.

Melissa Gray’s All Cakes Considered is the best of the Chronicle cookbooks I’ve tried. And yes, I say that despite having Peggy Cullen’s Caramel in my collection, which has equally good recipes in it, but isn’t as knock-you-on-your-ass funny.

Normally, if a cookbook includes entertaining tales and stories, then that’s its focus and the recipes are secondary. If the recipes are the focus, then the stories are secondary and you’ll probably skim over them. This is the first cookbook I’ve seen that seems to ride the perfect balance line between both. Melissa’s stories of taking cakes in to work, wheedling cake recipes from family members, and experimenting to make cakes come out right are drop-dead hilarious. They’re quotable. As my regular readers will no doubt remember, anything I can’t stop quoting to my husband is beautifully done.

The cakes, however, even without the text, would be worthy of any Chronicle cookbook! They’re SO GOOD. The drunken monkey banana bread has the coolest tip for plumping dried fruit that makes more of a difference than you’d imagine. And the finished product produced a room full of orgasmic noises… with plenty of leftovers for breakfasts. (It’s full of fruit, right? Then it can be eaten for breakfast!)

The ATF ginger bread gave me nostalgic shivers—it’s a dark, not-very-sweet, molasses-laden gingerbread with bits of crystallized ginger in it, as well as dark beer. It reminded me of the traditional gingerbread one of my mom’s aunts would send us at St. Nicholas Day each year in care packages from Holland when I was a child. It was also to-die-for deeeelicious, particularly with one of the best cream cheese frostings ever!

It was incredibly difficult to choose what to make from this cookbook to take to our Dungeons & Dragons game yesterday—we figured that large crowd would be the quickest, best way to truly put these recipes to the test. We ended up making two cakes: the sour cream pound cake and the brown sugar pound cake with cream cheese frosting. They were both a HUGE hit, disappeared in vast quantities, and prompted many questions about the cookbook.

All of that would be worth a perfect score, but Melissa goes above and beyond. She also turns this into a lesson plan for learning to make perfect cakes. She starts with the basic information you’ll need to get started, then presents the recipes in an order that allows you to learn one technique at a time, starting with proper basic creaming and mixing techniques. If you’re a more experienced cook, you can take the recipes in any order you want. But if you want to learn how to make great cakes from the basics, you just follow the recipes more or less in order!

Best of all, the techniques, like the recipes, are listed in the table of contents, so you’ll always be able to find them when you need them.

How much more can I say? Well, there are quite a few gorgeous photographs. The layout of the recipes is very easy to read, and while the stories occasionally push sets of directions onto separate pages from their accompanying ingredient listings, the recipes are simple enough that I didn’t find this to be a problem. And if you need an example of Melissa Gray’s snarky sense of humor to give you a sense of how much fun this book is, I’ll just say that the subtitle of All Cakes Considered is How to keep your co-workers happy, friendly, and fatter than you! Can’t go wrong with that, now can you?

Review copy (uncorrected proof) courtesy of Penguin Group.
Expected publication date: 2/2/2010.

I’ll have to lead off with a quote from my review of Nalini Singh’s Angels’ Blood, the first book in her Guild Hunter series:

In the world of Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter novels, angels and archangels rule the earth, each one holding sway over a certain territory. Between angels and mortals reside the vampires—humans altered by angels to serve them. When vampires go rogue, it’s the job of the Hunters’ Guild to track them down and bring them back to the angels they serve.

Elena Deveraux is a natural-born Hunter, able to detect and track the scents of individual vampires, and she’s one of the best Hunters the Guild has ever had. Unfortunately, this has brought her to the attention of archangel Raphael, who rules over New York and who has a very special, very dangerous job for her. This job will land her smack-dab in the middle of archangel politics, vicious killers the likes of which she’s never seen, and a highly dangerous attraction to the utterly lethal Raphael.

If you haven’t read Angel’s Blood yet, go do it. Now. I’ll wait here.

Done yet? Okay, good. Because that was one of the best damn books I read this year—and I read a lot of very good ones. It’s a stunning blend of paranormal, fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery, action, romance, and erotica that grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go. The world is heart-breakingly original and meticulously detailed: a modern setting that’s ruled over by territorial, utterly inhuman, and highly lethal angels and archangels served by vampires.

Avoiding as many spoilers as possible, I’ll just say that by the end of the last book, Elena had changed, becoming mired in the world of angels in ways she never could have imagined or predicted. In Archangel’s Kiss, she must help Raphael determine the identity of a killer among the angels, someone who would cross the last few lines and taboos that angels have left. Unfortunately, she must do it even as she learns how to survive the deadly new world she inhabits. She’s a highly skilled and lethal hunter, but compared to an archangel she’s devastatingly mortal. Unfortunately, by catching Raphael’s eye she’s intrigued the other archangels—something that tends to shorten a person’s lifespan drastically! Particularly when the oldest and most inhuman of the archangels, Lijuan, who’s been using her powers in dark and terrible ways of late, takes a very special interest in her.

The characters in the Guild Hunter novels are mesmerizing: Nalini has a true talent for depicting the inhumanity of the angels, and yet making them relatable at the same time. She also has a fantastic ability to pit two strong characters together (Elena and Raphael) without compromising the integrity of either one of them. Her side characters are intriguing, no matter how brief their stay on stage. The relationship between Elena and Raphael is still sizzling hot, easily holding up through a second book. And the density of events, plots, and goings-on is perfect, keeping things moving at a breakneck pace without glossing over or skipping anything.

But really, the best thing I can say about Archangel’s Kiss is this: I got halfway through it before bedtime the other night. I picked it up to read “just one more page,” and stayed up four hours late to finish it. It might as well have been glued to my hands for all the ability I had to put it down!

Review book (uncorrected proof) courtesy of Penguin Group
Expected publication date: January 2010

Audrianna Kelmsleigh is determined to find a way to clear her father’s name. Accused of sending bad gunpowder to the front, he committed suicide to escape the shame. When she finds a notice in the paper from a person calling himself the Domino requesting a meeting with her father, she sets out to meet him. Lord Sebastian Summerhays, the investigator assigned to figure out how the bad gunpowder passed rigorous quality control inspections, also sees the notice and sets out to find the truth in a case that he hasn’t been able to solve. After a mishap involving a pistol, the Domino, and Sebastian, Audrianna is seen as compromised in the eyes of Society. She and Sebastian marry, but both are unsure of how the marriage will work out. Will their budding feelings survive the continuing investigation of Audrianna’s father, or will the truth of what happened with that gunpowder create a divide too deep to bridge?

I have to admit, when I first picked up Madeline Hunter’s Ravishing in Red and started reading, it felt like what I refer to as a “cotton candy romance”. Fun to read, sweet and enjoyable, but not very filling. The plot is one that I’ve run into before in several books. Heroine has family member with a problem, decides to take care of it, runs into hero along the way, and together they solve the problem so that they can live happily ever after. Ms. Hunter also combined this plot with that of the “compromised” heroine that marries the hero to satisfy Society’s idea of propriety. I don’t inherently have a problem with these plot lines; they can work quite well if done compellingly. Ms. Hunter’s characters at the beginning (to me at least) feel a little bit like cardboard cutouts. Emotionally they feel a little flat, and the storyline is predictable. I was glad that I kept reading, however, because after the first third or so of the book, things improve dramatically.

One of the things that made my opinion of this book go up dramatically was the way that Sebastian and Audrianna go about their relationship after they are married. Ms. Hunter makes the wise decision to eschew emotionally violent misunderstandings between the couple as a means of adding a sense of conflict. Yes, the two have misunderstandings and there are occasionally hurt feelings, but one or the other will generally attempt to set things to right. Their marriage is not so much about conflict, but about learning to live as a couple and acting together as a unit. This made the book feel extremely relevant to me. (I’ve been married for less than two years, and have had similar adjustments to make.) Neither of them expects the match to be a love match, but they want to make it work as well as possible. Their expectations contrasted with their growing feelings for each other make watching them discover their feelings an absolute joy for me. How wonderful to watch a couple try to be respectful of each other in what both fear may become a difficult situation, only to discover something amazing.

The secondary characters found throughout the novel also make it a joy to read, and allow the reader to see things about the hero and heroine that they might not have otherwise. Morgan, Sebastian’s older brother, has lost the use of his legs in the war, and Sebastian owes a great deal of his position and influence in Society to his brother. But their relationship goes beyond that. Audrianna is able to observe firsthand the care and devotion that Sebastian gives his brother. Morgan is also the reason that Sebastian wants to know the truth about the bad gunpowder, so that others in Morgan’s situation can know justice. Morgan’s personality, for me at least, struck just the right balance between melancholy moods and the lighter side that the reader sees when he’s with Audrianna or Sebastian.

Audrianna also has three women that she is friends with—her cousin Daphne, Lizzie, and Celia. They all live together at Daphne’s house which she shared with her husband before he was killed. The four are almost like sisters, with each pitching in to help in their own way with the trouble that Audrianna quickly finds herself in after meeting Sebastian. They decorate the church that Audrianna gets married in with beautiful flowers, and provide her with the lingerie she wears for her wedding night. They even help her try to track down the Domino, so that she can find out the truth.  And their kindness is repaid.

As the book develops, we find ourselves closer to finding out just how the bad gunpowder got to the front lines. Emotions become painful for both Sebastian and Audrianna, and the two of them tend to take solace in each other’s arms. These scenes were some of the most moving in the book for me, because instead of there being just a sexual release, there is an emotional release and bonding as well. One or the other will soothe emotional hurt with compassionate loving. I’ve never seen catharsis handled in quite this way in a romance novel, but I would dearly love to see more of it. The selflessness needed to give such comfort is vast, and I am glad to see both characters possessing that quality, trading it off as needed, as opposed to the heroine possessing it while the hero abuses it only to atone for it later.

This book, despite the clichéd beginning, is one that I am definitely going to add to my keeper shelf. The emotional maturity possessed by both Audrianna and Sebastian allowed the focus of the book to be on the development of their relationship as a married couple. Aided by a cast of memorable characters, they discover love and the truth about the tainted gunpowder. But although the truth will hurt people they know and love, their relationship becomes stronger because they faced uncertainty together. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the quartet, which is due out in February.

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

Penelope Prestwick has decided that, since she is of the age to marry, she is going to marry a duke. Enlisting the help of Sophia Dalby, the former courtesan who has married three girls off already this Season, Penelope sets her sights on the Duke of Edenham. But in order to attract the Duke’s attention, she enlists the help of Lord Iveston to appear interested in her in the hope that where a ducal heir goes, another Duke will become interested. To lend an air of authenticity to the chase, Lord Iveston places a bet on White’s betting book that he will be the one to capture her heart. As Society watches Penelope and Iveston together, wagers fly back and forth as to who will win Penelope’s heart.

I’ve been so impatient to get a copy of Claudia Dain’s How to Dazzle a Duke, since I so enjoyed The Courtesan’s Wager. And sure enough there was plenty to love about this book, from the way that the hero and heroine match wits, to the subtle machinations of Sophia Dalby. The first thing that struck me while reading this book, however, was a sense of déjà vu because of the fact that Penelope Prestwick wants to marry a duke (as did Amelia Caversham in the previous book). That repetitive feeling did not last very long for me, however, because the manner in which Penelope goes about getting the attention of both the Marquis of Iveston and the Duke of Edenham is vastly different from Amelia’s strategy.

I absolutely adore the way in which Penelope and Iveston go about courting each other. It is not so much a courtship of attraction (although that element is in there) but almost a battle of wits. Romance novels with this element are among some of my favorites, because I adore the wit and humor that can come out of this verbal sparring and intellectual seduction. Some of the more hilarious conversations take place based on their initial impressions and what they have heard about each other through gossip. Iveston sees Penelope as a bit socially awkward (she’s merely trying to be logical) and Penelope sees Iveston as eccentric and reclusive. Ms. Dain has the genius to arrange the plot so that the characters cannot help but be in contact with each other, and then simply sits back and lets Penelope and Iveston bounce off of each other. This is why, for me, the development of their relationship feels so natural. There are no contrived, clunky plot machinations to attempt to drive the story by external conflict. Instead, both of the characters act as themselves and things progress at a roaring pace from there with just a little help from Sophia at the end.

Another thing that I enjoy about Ms. Dain’s Courtesan series is the way in which Sophia Dalby goes about her matchmaking. Instead of hovering over the characters and controlling or manipulating every moment between them, Sophia is content to let the hero and heroine’s personalities do the work for her, with only brief moments in which she needs to step in and guide the proceedings with a gentle hand. Sophia’s not obvious at all about what she’s doing, either. One of the heroes from a previous novel makes the comment that he knows that Sophia had a hand in his relationship, but he’s not sure how. She can be so subtle that even though I’m a reader, I can’t always catch her sleight of hand. It’s a bit like watching Penn and Teller.

Another little joy of this book for me was watching the reactions of Society to what is happening between Iveston and Penelope. A good chunk of the book takes place at an evening party, and so there is plenty of courtship that takes place in view of the public. Bets are flying back and forth between guests, and some of the male guests are ducking in and out of the party to go place and adjust wagers made on the bets on White’s books. There’s a very funny moment when Iveston’s brother and Lord Penrith make a private wager between them, Iveston’s brother that Penelope will marry Iveston, while Penrith is backing Edenham. The conversation between the two quickly approaches hostility before they settle on a wager, and the deftness with which Ms. Dain paints their posturing made me laugh out loud.

This book was an absolute joy to read, and has definitely earned a spot on my keeper shelf. The brief sense of déjà vu at the beginning of the novel was more than made up for by the interactions between the characters and the absolute hilarity of the storm of wagers that flies around the heads of Penelope and Iveston. Ms. Dain’s love for her characters shines through in the way that she lets them drive the story, as opposed to relying on external conflicts, and when we finally reach the scene at the end of the book where Penelope and Iveston decide to get married, the manner in which Penelope makes sure that Iveston will marry her had me laughing so hard I was crying. This book is full of spirit, heart, humor, and warmth, and I cannot recommend this book, or this series, highly enough.

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group.

I’m growing rather fond of the anthologies edited by Denise Little—The Trouble With Heroes is the third one I’ve read, and I’ve definitely enjoyed all of them. Of course they still have the typical anthology issue: since the stories vary by topic, theme, and author, you’re pretty much guaranteed not to love the entire selection.

This time, the topic is the all-too-unknown down-side of heroes. We see them as mythical, wonderful figures. But what do their loved ones and helpers see them as? Who gets to see them when they’re cranky, or do their laundry because they’re always off saving the world? And what happens when a hero’s PR makes them out to be something rather different than he really is? This is a theme both hilarious and poignant, as the tales in this book reveal…

The Trouble With Heroes includes 22 stories by such wonderful authors as Jean Rabe, Laura Resnick, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. A few don’t delve very far beyond the hilarious or the most simplistic aspects of their topic, and those are my least favorites (although they’re still fun!) as they’re a bit shallow and unmemorable. I think the best stories hit the funny-bone but still manage to touch on something a little deeper or more lasting.

Kristine Grayson’s Geeks Bearing Gifts explores the world of internet dating, and what happens when a very unusual and unexpected client decides to take advantage of a small, geek-oriented dating website. David H. Hendrickson’s Beloved takes on the Biblical tale of David, from the point of view of one of King Saul’s daughters. In another ancient tale re-told, Pauline J. Alama’s Honey, I’m Home gives a hilarious accounting of the dialogue between Odysseus and Penelope upon his return home, and her take on his absence.

Adrian Nikolas Phoenix gives us The Horror in the Living Room, a must-read for any Lovecraft fans out there. What if Lovecraft were writing his stories as a cover for saving the world from horrifying monsters, and what kind of woman would dare to be his housekeeper? Another twist on a relatively modern tale is Terry Hayman’s Reclaiming His Inner Ape, in which we see what happens after King Kong’s demise. Laura Resnick’s The Quin Quart presents Camelot-meets-Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. In it, Guinevere is a sallow, blunt, intelligent Welsh woman with low poll numbers, and Arthur and Merlin hire the sons of Lot—the Quintessential Quartet—to make over her image. With, of course, long-lasting and highly entertaining repercussions!

Mike Moscoe’s Take My Word For It: Bad Idea! provides a rather odd and surprising take on a legend of a queen who kept Hercules as a slave. I loved parts of the ideas behind this one, but the tone fell a little flat for me. Similarly, while I loved the idea behind Annie Reed’s For a Few Lattes More, in which a woman meets a stereotypical cowboy who doesn’t quite save her day, it seemed a bit too obvious and contrived. In contrast, Phaedra H. Weldon’s Inspiration takes on the same theme with more finesse and style. A modern-day corporate woman is attacked by a mugger in the park, and a legendary figure jumps in to save the day. Only she’s rather accustomed to having to save herself and doesn’t trust a big naked guy with little wings on his back. But when her “hero’s” enemy arrives, she realizes that heroes do have a purpose and a place, even in today’s world.

Jean Rabe’s Merry Maid was one of my favorite offerings in this book. Maid Marian takes on a most unexpected role in the legend of Robin Hood, and Robin turns out to be something rather different as well. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it for you, but I’ll just say that I was quite surprised and thought Rabe carried out her take on Marian quite beautifully! Robert T. Jeschonek’s Ballad of the Groupie Everlasting is right up there with Rabe’s work, exploring the life and work of the muse Terpsichore and the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamlin. My other favorite work from this anthology is Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Clay Feet, a tale in which a museum curator faces off against a god over the provenance and proper destination of his statue!

Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s The Problem with Dating Shapeshifters is a gorgeous, rather mythical exploration of what it might have actually been like to be one of those poor women Zeus was always hounding after. Steven Mohan, Jr.’s The Problem with Metaphors provides a second, incredibly different take on Zeus’s amorous nature, from the point of view of an astronaut. And Dayle A. Dermatis’s If the Shoe Fits is a funny (and rather ingenious) semi-modern twist on Cinderella, in which we find out why that shoe was really so important to everyone.

As always, while there were a few stories that didn’t resonate very strongly with me, there were some that blew me away. And overall the quality is quite good—even the stories that didn’t stick with me were ones I enjoyed at the time. Certainly this is an unusual topic with a wealth of material, and many of these authors mined it to great results.

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group.
Visit Meljean Brook on the web.

Since I’m way behind here (who knew cats could have so many health problems?), I’m going to give you a taste of Meljean Brook’s Guardian series universe by quoting from her online series primer before I dive into my review:

… The Second Battle took place on Earth, and Lucifer brought with him a dragon from the Chaos realm. The angels began to falter before the dragon—but mankind, witnessing the battle taking place, joined the angels in their fight against the demons. One man, Michael, destroyed the dragon by cutting through its heart with his sword. With the dragon slain, the angels regrouped and were victorious.

After the Second Battle, the seraphim retreated from Caelum and from Earth. They bestowed upon Michael the power to protect humans, and to transform into Guardians any men or women who had sacrificed their lives to save another from otherworldly threats. In addition to immortality, wings, strength, and the ability to alter their appearance, these Guardians were given individual Gifts to assist in their fight against the demons and nosferatu.

This leads to a world filled with vampires, demons, Guardians, and more. Epic battles, and epic love affairs.

In Demon Forged, (see The Guardian Series for a full listing of the novels and stories in this series), the Guardians Irena and Alejandro are forced to deal with each other again after centuries avoiding each other. A terrible tragedy involving a bargain with a demon tore them apart just when they were falling for each other all those years ago. Now they’ll have to work together, however, to deal with a deadly betrayal, a horrific prophecy, and the possibility that Hell itself is about to spill over into the mortal realm.

It’s pretty common these days to be able to dive into the middle of a series—after all, print runs are often small enough that the first book in a series might be out of print by the time the last book comes out. I would not start with Demon Forged, however. Or at least, I’d go and read that online primer first, from start to finish. Being a reviewer often results in my starting mid-way through a series simply because a publisher will send me something out of the middle of a series first, and this time I was definitely confused. (Too bad I hadn’t realized that primer was out there before-hand! But at least now you know, dear reader!) This world is very complex and detailed—in a good way—but it was tough to catch up with this far into the series. On the good side, I loved it so much that I went out and bought the rest of the books. (*shakes fist at sky* Like I need another set of books to catch up on!)

The demon bargain that tore Irena and Alejandro apart isn’t completely detailed until more than 100 pages into the book, but it’s referred to so many times before then as background that I really wished I’d understood more about it. I understand wanting to reveal something slowly, but I just ended up feeling confused, as though I was missing something. Since this isn’t discussed in the “I’m starting with Demon Forged” part of the primer, I’m guessing it wasn’t detailed in previous books, and thus reading those wouldn’t have helped in this case.

Irena is one of the things that made this such an awesome book for me. She’s a standout character. Her 1600-plus years of life have made her knowledgeable and wise in particular ways, but she’s still also the largely uneducated, blunt, even boorish woman she was in life. She’s strong, fierce, independent, sexy, and a perfect complement to Alejandro’s smooth, educated manner.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a fascinating chemistry and subplot between Guardian Doyen Michael and human detective Taylor. While I’m sure it would have been even better if I’d had the background of the other books, it was still quite wonderful.

Add in an epic plot that threatens to destroy the very world itself; one or two shocking betrayals; and several fascinating worlds filled with dangerous creatures; and you have a wonderful book that definitely convinced me to pick up the rest of the series!