Arcane Society books by Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick

Recently, I have been reading some Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick books featuring the Arcane Society. A newsletter I received recently featured Sizzle & Burn and decided to read the book. I'm glad I did! That book made me want to go back to the beginning so I started requesting Arcane Society books from my local library. I recently checked out Second Sight, but didn't think it was nearly as good as Sizzle & Burn. I'm now reading The Third Circle, which is thus far turning out to be interesting.

For those who haven't been reading the Arcane Society books by Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick (one of her many pen names), then you really should. I found the paranormal aspects easily believable and the romance wasn't lacking either. My only beef with Second Sight was the over use of "one" at nearly every turn. Did people really talk like that in Victorian times? I found the use of "one" as a pronoun almost too much to bear, but overall enjoyed the book.

The Arcane Society books are set in past late Victorian times and also in the present. Present day settings reference our Victorian heroes and heroines from Amanda Quick's books. There's romance, mystery and paranormal/psychic threads to each of the novels and I do think that the series is well worth the read!

Tasha Alexander's A Fatal Waltz book review

A Fatal Waltz

Book Four of the (mis)adventures of Lady Emily Ashton picks up not long after the end of A Poisoned Season. In A Fatal Waltz, Lady Emily is a true friend to Ivy and attends a shooting party at Lord Fortescue's estate. A murder at the shooting party puts Robert, Ivy's husband, in the spotlight as the main suspect for the murder. In order to save her dear friend's husband from hanging for a crime he didn't commit, Lady Emily takes her investigation on the road - to Vienna, a city full of life, artists and intrigue. Will Lady Emily be able to solve the murder case before Robert's trial? Colin makes an appearance in Vienna to lend a bit of assistance to her inquiries, of course, but is in clear and present danger.

What I liked about A Fatal Waltz, and previous books in this series by Tasha Alexander, is the strong will of Lady Emily. Four books later, she still is in love with Greek, Colin and port (but not necessarily in that order). Considering the time period (late 1800s), she is the exception and not the rule. Somehow, she maintains her independence despite agreeing to marrying Colin. In the end, I admit, I was surprised to find out who the killer really was. Hindsight is always 20/20 and the clues were there, if the reader is intuitive enough to piece the pieces of the puzzle together.

One thing I love about Tasha Alexander is that she has written this quartet of books in just about two years. That averages out to one book every six months. For me, that is a big plus because it's not so long the storyline fades from mind. I hate it when I find an author I love only to find out they write a book once every few years. I like consistency and so far, Tasha Alexander has provided that to me and I thank her for that. I am looking forward to the next installment of Lady Emily and I know it won't be too far in the future that I will again be engrossed in another one of Tasha Alexander's delicious novels.

Book Review of When the Duke Returns by Eloisa James

When the Duke Returns by Eloisa James

I must confess that I am a huge fan of Eloisa James' historical fiction books. It was probably a year ago that I first discovered her and her Pleasures trilogy. From there I went right on to the Essex Sisters quartet and then found her Desperate Duchesses delicious! With When the Duke Returns we are treated to book four of the sextet.

When the Duke Returns begins with Isadore, the Duchess of Conway, at a house party awaiting her husband. However, for Isadore, the meeting of the Duke of Conway will be the first time she has met him. Betrothed as children, the two never had a formal church wedding since they were married by proxy while he was away. Simeon, the wayward Duke, returns to England because Isadore has decided it was high time that she her husband of 11 years... and she was quite tired of being a virgin. She hatches a plan to force his hand by attending one of Lord Strange's infamous house parties, knowing that word would reach her husband and he would rush to collect her to avoid scandal.

Simeon immediately realizes that Isadore is no wall flower. No, she is quite the opposite of the docile and biddable wife that his mother had written him numerous letters about while he was off chasing the source of the Nile. Instead, Simeon returns home to saucy wife, a dilapidated family pile that stinks to high Heaven, not to mention a pile of his father's unpaid bills. Simeon, too, isn't what Isadore expected. Sure, he's drop dead gorgeous, but she finds his old-fashioned notions of being the decision maker in the household almost too much to bear. She's been on her own for 11 years and is quite used to being her own boss. Realizing they'll never mesh properly, Simeon offers Isadore a solution: an annulment.

However, Isadore wants to make the marriage work and hatches a new plan to lure him to bed since you can't annul a marriage once it has been consummated.

Weaved in between the story line of Isadore and Simeon is more of the running story line of Jemma, the Duchess of Beaumont, Elijah (her duke) and Villiers. As you may remember, Jemma was involved in a high stake game of chess between the two men, that is until Villiers was nearly mortally wounded by her own brother. In this book, we see Villiers moderately recovered and learn of a new twist in the saga. Jemma, incidentally, will be the subject of the fifth book due out later in 2009.

Overall, I was not disappointed in this book at all. The idea of two polar opposites coming together (along with the revelation that though married 11 years, they are still both virgins!) makes When the Duke Returns a very interesting and enjoyable read.

Tasha Alexander's A Poisoned Season book review

A Poisoned Season starts off with Lady Emily Ashton quickly becoming embroiled in the sudden rash of cat burglaries related to Marie Antoinette jewelry. When an acquaintence is murdered after she urged him to report the theft of a jewel, Lady Emily Ashton is convinced that the one charged with the crime is innocent and sets out to prove it as a favor to the man's widow. When the cat burglar burgles her own manse, it becomes personal.

Meanwhile, rumors are circulating about the virtue of Lady Emily and suddenly society is giving her the cut. Her feelings for Colin Hargreaves continue, while the cat burglar plays a game of cat and mouse with her. To quell the rumors, the Queen steps in and gives her an ultimatum she cannot refuse. Pressed for time, Emily must solve two mysteries, while dealing with her own personal drama.

A Poisoned Season has enough romance and intrigue to thrill any reader and I really felt that Lady Emily has started to grow into her own. She has just gotten to the part where she enjoys her freedom and begins to wonder if marrying would tie her down in such a fashion that she would lose all of what she has become. Lady Emily fans will not be disappointed and once finished with A Poisoned Season I look forward to the next book in the Lady Emily series, A Fatal Waltz. Santa has been given a list of must-have books this Christmas, and A Fatal Waltz is on the top of the list.

Glenn Beck's "The Christmas Sweater" book review

I received The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck from a family member for my birthday last month and finally got around to reading it this weekend. The book touches heavily on events that were deeply personal for Glenn Beck and I must confess to several times having my eyes tear up, as the emotion evoked in the book by Eddie, the main character, was very real.

I'd previously thumbed through Glenn Beck's Inconvenient Truth book, and The Christmas Sweater is quite different from the Glenn Beck in that book. In The Christmas Sweater we follow a few years in the life of 13 year old Eddie, who had already lost his father to cancer when he was 9. Money is tight, but like Ralphie in A Christmas Story, there is only one thing he wants: a red Huffy bike with a black banana seat. Instead, what Eddie gets is a sweater.

I think most of us can imagine back to our childhood and wanting something so badly, only to be disappointed when it wasn't under the tree. This is a major connective point, I think, that draws the reader into the story. A petulant teen, Eddie learns the hard way why you should never let the moment pass when you owe someone you love an apology.

The Christmas Sweater is a bit of A Christmas Story and A Christmas Carol all rolled into one. The road to forgiveness for Eddie is not without its potholes. But in the end, Eddie realizes that love is constant. He also learns that nothing is as important as family.

I recommend Glenn Beck's A Christmas Sweater to anyone who loves a Christmas miracle or as a gift for those who need to learn forgiveness in their life. This book has truly been one of the best books that I have read this year and I can easily see it appearing on the big screen as a holiday classic if made into a movie. This book retails for about $20.

Robyn Carr's 4th Virgin River book: A Virgin River Christmas

I recall clearly how I came to pick up my first Robyn Carr Virgin River book. I was in Borders (a rare treat since I generally rely on my library for books to read) and the cover intrigued me enough to turn it over and read the back. Mel seemed quite intriguing and the story line seemed interesting enough. However, as I came to know Mel and Jack and the subsequent Virgin River folks, I came to realize that what I liked most about the Virgin River series of books is that Robyn Carr's characters are real.

Her characters are real in that they are poor (like the rest of us) and don't have a million dollar trust fund to live the high life. Virgin River's residents are exactly how you would hope the folks would be in your own little town: friendly and genuinely concerned for your well being. The menfolk in this town may have left the Corps, but the Corps never left them. This tightly knit community takes care of its own, and the few strays that happen to stop in for a meal or a drink at Jack's bar.

In this fourth book, we are introduced to a spunky military widow desperately trying to find her deceased husband's war buddy who is traumatized by the War and his role in her husband's severe disabilities. Compelled by her desire for closure, she spends weeks trying to find him. Will they get a Christmas miracle? Will both have their hearts made whole again? I won't spoil the book, but I think you will enjoy meeting up with old friends and new ones too.

Did you miss the first three books? They are still out in paper back. I do think that each could stand on their own, yet reading the series from the beginning is so much more enriching and fulfilling to understanding the characters more fully.

Link to Robyn Carr's Website
Contest to win Virgin River Christmas

Virgin River Books: Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, Whispering Rock and Virgin River Christmas. Be on the lookout early next year for more books in this series.

Faith of My Fathers by John McCain

With the election just a week away, many if not most Americans' minds are focused on the election. I know that I am voting for McCain, but couldn't resist picking up Faith of My Fathers from my local library since they'd elegantly displayed the books of both presidential candidates.

Faith of My Fathers is one of those books that you can really get into. In fact, I'd read half of it in about a week's time, and then polished off the rest on a lazy Sunday afternoon. What I liked about the book was the insight that it gave me into the mind of John McCain. I knew he'd been a prisoner of war in Vietnam and the book provided me with some details about the treatment he received. One quote in there struck a chord with me, though. He said really fell in love with America during his captivity. I can only imagine how horrible it must feel to be captured and held for 5-1/2 years, wondering if you'll ever get out alive to go home to your family. I would imagine that dreaming of American freedom is what kept these POWs going.

The book begins, however, with a few chapters on his famous Grandfather and Father. Ironically enough, all were Naval Academy grads, but none placed highly in their class at graduation. Nonetheless, they all succeeded. I have always held a great respect for our country's veterans.

Not to say that John McCain was perfect. He freely admits to arrogance and perhaps a bit too much bravado. He escaped death on the Forrestal only to be shot down later and held prisoner for 5-1/2 years. But throughout the book, you can get a glimpse into what makes him who he is. He talks about Veterans and fixing the VA system and I just know in my heart that he will do it.

Half way through the book, I logged on to Amazon and bought a copy for my dad. I hope he enjoys the book as much as I did.