Tag Archives: Romance

Some Kind of Wonderland by Richard Bowes

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for mad hatters and march hares ellen datlow book cover

Title: Some Kind of Wonderland
Author: Richard Bowes
In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, LGBTQI, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Things I learned working on Wonderland led to my nice gig as a location scout and fixer for movies and TV shows shooting in New York.

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Synopsis

Some Kind of Wonderland is being reshown after fifty years of being forgotten. But as an old film resurfaces, so do old memories and a love that lasts the measure of time.

Thoughts

I enjoyed this short story far more than I was expecting. I thought that it would be a slightly lame recap on the filming of a rework of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. And it was that. But it really wasn’t lame. The description of the film, the characters and their issues (both within and without the film), even the setting were such a beautiful contemporary and modern approach to an old classic.

I really enjoyed the mystery and layout of the romance throughout this story. Especially since the retelling and unravelling come about fifty years after the beginning of the tale. The slightly surreal story and way in which it is told mirrors the incredibly tripped out feeling of Wonderland. The finding of oneself and being true to who you are are so very clearly reflected in both of the tracks of the story.

 <- Mercury ReviewAlis Review ->
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Beloved Beast by Lois Greiman

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Beloved Beast
Author: Lois Greiman
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: She turned her head slightly.

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Synopsis

Swift is a pickpocket, but a chance meeting with a man of the clergy could change her fate forever.

Thoughts

This short story really made me think of Oliver Twist. There’s a somewhat innocent pick pocket. A not so nice man in charge, and a protector who ends up saving the day. Alright, I don’t think that a protector actually saved the day in Oliver Twist… I remember a vaguely sad and disturbed ending (although it has been a long time since I’ve visited the story).

Although this is a romance story in a collection of Scottish romance, I didn’t find it to be that… well, Scottish. Sure it’s based in Scotland and the man wears a kilt. But unlike some of the other stories in this collection, it just felt a lot more modern and less about the highlands. Which I thought was great. You need a break in the repetitive settings and themes every now and again.

 <- The Curse of Wolf Crag ReviewHis Magick Touch Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Christmas for One by Amanda Prowse

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for christmas for one amanda prowse book cover

Title: Christmas for One
Author: Amanda Prowse
Series: No Greater Love #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Christmas, Contemporary, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Head Zeus
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Juno nodded.

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Synopsis

As a child, Meg always dreamed of the perfect Christmas…

This year, she can make it come true for her own little boy. There will be turkey and all the trimmings, a glittering tree, and a stocking hung up by a roaring fire. Who cares if there’s no devoted husband in the picture? She and Lucas will be just fine on their own.

But then a chance meeting with a stranger in New York unravels everything she’s planned. Will Meg finally get everything she wished for? Or will she be alone this Christmas after all?

Thoughts

I bought this as part of the Black Friday sales, thinking it would be an interesting little Christmas read. I didn’t realise that it was part of a greater series until I was about halfway through, but it didn’t really matter since it stands by itself beautifully. And beautiful really is the best word to describe this novel. It is simple, easy, sweet and has the picturesque backdrop of Christmas in New York and London.

A lot of the romances that I’ve been reading recently involve a paranormal aspect of some kind. So it was kind of nice to settle into a contemporary romance that didn’t require magic and mayhem to make the storyline work. Rather, it was all about the love and romance between two people. And the fact that it could truly happen to anyone made it somehow sweeter. I love the realism in the story, and it made such a great break from these tales that involve a magical mating bond and fate, and destiny…

Most romances that I read feature a young adult (normally in their mid to late twenties) who might have a history, but aren’t significantly attached to anyone or anything. Now, I am in that age bracket, and I don’t have dependents that rely on me either, so I do enjoy the ways in which I can relate to these stories. BUT it was really nice and a great change of pace to read about a woman who has a son. Not only did this romance feature her and Ed, but it also meant that there was a constant extra stake in their relationship – the son.

Although this novel features Christmas, it isn’t necessary to read at that time of year. It is a great, sweet, kind and warm-hearted story that will be thoroughly enjoyable all year round.

 <- A Little Love ReviewWill You Remember Me? Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Abby’s Christmas Spirit by Erin McCarthy

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for abby's christmas spirit book cover

Title: Abby’s Christmas Spirit
Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: Cuttersville #2.75
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas,Contemporary, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella, Poem
Publisher: Erin McCarthy
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: “Psychic visions, or just like a checklist?” Bree asked.

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Synopsis

When Abby Murphy returns home to Cuttersville, it’s to buy back her grandmother’s house that was sold… and to meet the man she is convinced is destined to be her future husband. Being a psychic gives her that crystal ball advantage and she’s seen the face of the man she’s going to marry since she was seventeen. In the years since her first vision, she has spent many a night inserting herself into his dreams in some very sexy ways. So imagine her surprise when she discovers that her destiny lies with the man she can’t stand, the man who bought her grandmother’s house, the skeptic ghost hunter, Darius Damiano.

But sometimes reality can be even better than dreams…

Thoughts

This didn’t quite go as I had expected. Where the previous two Cuttersville novellas and Murphy sisters featured a kind of slow seduction, Abby was incredibly gun-ho. She also got twisted up and confused far more than either of her sisters, and it ultimately took a lot more to get to her happy ending.

Like the other novellas I have read so far (the novels in the Cuttersville series have only just arrived on my doorstep), this story left me with a happy, contented smile on my face. It was simple, it was cute and it didn’t involve a lot of in depth thinking. The slight snags along the way weren’t completely unexpected, and they weren’t so intense that you didn’t think you’d eventually get your happy ending anyway. I honestly just love the simplicity of stories like this, and I can’t wait to go back to the beginning of the series and sink my teeth into A Date with the Other Side.

 <- Christmas Bree ReviewSeeing is Believing Review ->
Image source: Erin McCarthy

Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the magical christmas cat book cover

Title: Christmas Bree
Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: Cuttersville #2.5
In: The Magical Christmas Cat (Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: What the hell are you doing here?

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Synopsis

Ian has an offer for Bree’s house… but, with the magic of Christmas and a meddlesome feline, their about to find out that there is a lot more at stake than real estate.

Thoughts

If you’re in the mood for an easy, cute, a little bit funny read… then this is certainly the sort of novella you should be picking up. It’s one of those find-your-true-love, Merry Christmas type of stories that may not rock your world, but certainly leave you with a big, happy smile on your face when you have finished reading them. Which, let’s be honest, is something that we all need sometimes.

In Charlotte’s Web, there was a hint of Bree’s future beau, and I like that, twelve months later, they finally reconnect. From the glimpses in the previous novella, and Bree’s initial reactions to Ian, I was expecting a lot more reluctance and build up to the moment when the romantic leads end up together. And then it falls apart even quicker. And ends up perfect in the blink of an eye. It really is one of those stories that has an immensely fast paced romance that forms in a moment.

Not that the fast pace is a problem, but I could see how this could have almost evolved into an entire novel on and of itself. I was kind of disappointed that it ended so quickly. There was so much that happened that I finished this novella with both a smile stretched across my face, and a bemused look of what-do-I-read-next.

 <- Charlotte’s Web ReviewAbby’s Christmas Spirit Review ->
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Like a Red, Red Rose by Susan Wade

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for snow white, blood red book cover

Title: Like a Red, Red Rose
Author: Susan Wade
In: Snow White, Blood Red (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: Only now the roses blushed, their petals a rich, true pink.

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Synopsis

Blanche and her mother live on the outskirts of the local village, but when Blanche begins to fall in love, everything quickly starts to unravel and secrets will be revealed.

Thoughts

There’s something about fairy tales that I love. Have honestly always loved. Probably because they were what I grew up on. But there is also this lyricality and sense of surrealism that I just don’t get from any other type of writing. Recently, I read a series of fairy tales from The Grimm Brothers, and Like a Red, Red Rose worked in exactly the same way for me. It had that sense of darkness (which I always love) and the surrealistic lyricism that I know and love.

Because there is a dark twist in this fairy tale, these don’t necessarily make the best of bedtime tales. For a normal person. I’m not normal, and I freaking love dark twists to in any and all stories that I sink my teeth into. When this is partnered with a story of roses, love and tragedy… be still my beating heart.

In the introduction to this, it says that Wade wanted to write a Rapunzel / Beauty and the Beast style story. One which had a heavy emphasis on the roses that feature prominently in both (or at least the earlier versions). What she got was something completely different. And far more grimm-ly in its telling and creation. Now I can’t wait to see what else is in store in this collection!

 <- Snow White, Blood Red ReviewThe Moon Is Drowning While I Sleep Review ->
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Curse Me Wicked by Elle Jasper

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Curse Me Wicked
Author: Elle Jasper
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Romance,
Scottish romance, Werewolves
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Skin burning.

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Synopsis

She’s been set out to the moors of Scotland to deal with a client and a curse. What she finds will not only endanger her life, but change it completely.

Thoughts

I enjoyed the werewolf theme in this story. It was fairly typical but set amongst the gorgeous moors of Scotland. I also didn’t find it all that romantic, even though it was in a romantic collection of short stories. Lucien is a werewolf, finds his mate and just turns her. There is no courting, no anything. He just recognises the woman who is supposed to be his soulmate and decides to change her entire life.

The outset of this story was incredibly promising. Written in first person, with a background of the magical law enforcement. It’s exactly the kind of voice and story that I like. Then there was the fact that they were finding their mysterious client on the moors of Scotland, and the job had something to do with curses. Completely drew me in. But then they met the man, and things just rapidly got… average. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a good story. But with such a promising beginning, I was expecting a much more intense ending.

 <- Forever Knight ReviewAt Last Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

The Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the nutcracker barnes and noble book cover

Title: The Nutcracker
Author: Alexandre Dumas
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Classics, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Fall River Press
Year: 1844
5th sentence, 74th page: Take care, then, dearest mechanic, to have the young man who has never been shaved, and who wears boots, in readiness in ten minutes, together with the nut Crackatook.

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Synopsis

The nutcracker doll that mysterious Godfather Drosselmeyer gives to little Marie for Christmas is no ordinary toy. On Christmas Eve, at the clocks strike midnight, Marie watches as the Nutcracker and her entire cabinet of playthings come to life and boldly do battle against the malevolent Mouse King and his armies. But this is only the start: read on for a tale of enchantment and transformation, enter a world by turns fantastical and sinister, a kindom of dolls and spun-sugar palaces, and learn the true history of the brave little Nutcracker. Adapted from a dark fairy-tale by ETA Hoffmann, Alexandre Dumas’ romance of childhood imagination inspired Tchaikovsky’s world-famous ballet. Brilliantly adapted by translator Sarah Ardrizzone and illuminated by Kitty Arden, this is the perfect Christmas gift for readers of all ages.

Thoughts

I can’t believe it has taken me THIS DAMN LONG to realise that The Nutcracker is actually a novel. Or at least, that it wasn’t originally a ballet. Once I realised this though, it took me absolutely no time to rush to my nearest book store and buy an adorably illustrated version of this classic.

It took me a little while to get past the preface of the story. I just didn’t find it overly engaging, and was waiting for the moment that the nutcracker appeared in the story. But the second that it did? My goodness, I couldn’t put this down! I was only going to read a few pages, I ended up reading the entire novella in one sitting and then going to sleep super late at night… far later than I had intended since I did have to work the next day…

There is everything that I love from the ballet which I know far better. Yet there is more. There is a darkness in this telling that makes Mary and the Nutcracker’s triumph so much more beautiful. I had one of those amazing book hangovers when I put this down and am finding it stupidly difficult to find another book to compare…

 <- More Christmas reviewsMore classics reviews ->
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Forever Knight by Jackie Ivie

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Forever Knight
Author: Jackie Ivie
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Romance,
Scottish romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Very little made it through to men aware only of the thump of heartbeat in their ears.

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Synopsis

In a misguided attempt to save his brother, a rough Highlander takes a Lowlander woman as his ransom. As their story unfolds, he quickly realises that he has fallen into a cleverly laid trap. And one that he’s quite happy to be stuck in.

Thoughts

This story took a number of unexpected turns. The only part that really went as expected to be honest, was the fact that the lead male and female ended up together. After all, this is in a collection of romance stories (I wonder if I’ll ever read a romance that ends… not so romantic…??)

This is the fourth short story in the collection, The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance, and I’m already beginning to notice a bit of a trend… timid, gentlewomen (English or other), falling for a rough, tumble and brawny Highlander. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy this trope, but this is why I only read a few short stories in a month. Yet, there was something a little more sassy within the Lady of this story – she is literally put in a dungeon for her sharp and voracious tongue.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns throughout this. Primarily, whenever I thought that the story was going in one direction (they were about to have a night of passion for example), it takes a new turn that not only lengthens the story beautifully, but also enables it to surprise me. And even though they may not be earth-shattering surprises, they’re ones that made it impossible to put down… I actually walked into the wall while I was reading this tale…

 <- Wolfish in Sheep’s Clothing ReviewCurse Me Wicked Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Gifts of the Magi by Jean Johnson

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for an enchanted season book cover

Title: Gift of the Magi
Author: Jean Johnson
In: An Enchanted Season (Nalini Singh, Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy & Jean Johnson)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: God forgives when it’s with good intentions.

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Synopsis

Rachel is trying to run an inn with her fiance and things haven’t quite been going as planned. Then, just before Christmas, three strangers arrive on the cusp of a blizzard and things start to get… miraculous.

Thoughts

It took me longer than it should have to realise that this novella featured the three wise men. Although, in this case, they’re not necessarily men. But, the story was still amazing, and that moment at the end of the story, when I finally clicked as to who they were made it all the more enjoyable. Not only as an ending to a fantastic novella, but also as an ending to a great Christmas collection.

Unlike most of the romance stories that I read, this one isn’t about those initial, fall madly in love, love at first sight moments. It’s a love story about a couple that have been together a long time, are about to get married, and sometimes struggle to find the passion in amongst the daily grind of life. It’s the point that I’m at. Those first moments of a relationship are beautiful, but it isn’t until that first courtship is over, that relationships find their staying power and pace. So it was incredible to read a novella which takes this and still inspires love, passion and makes you swoon a little.

I liked the Christmas theme in this story. And although I’ve never experienced my own white Christmas, it was fun imagining one near a wedding and being swept away by this.

 <- Beat of Temptation ReviewAn Enchanted Season Review ->
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