Reading Recap: Week of November 6th

Another busy week (that's my excuse at least... :-) ) as I only managed 4 books, one of which I reviewed.

However, I did post quiet a few other reviews this week, from books I read earlier this year for NOR but, at the time, I was taking the break from blogging and therefore never posted them here. Well, now I'm going back through the list (maybe 10 books total in that time?) and posting the reviews on here.

There will be more to come next week, but so far I managed three this past week. They are:
~Temptress in Training by Susan Gee Heino
~Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels
~The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley


Here's what I read this week though:


I had a hard time deciding on a final rating for The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (quiet a title, isn't it?!). It was...an interesting read. And I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. However, there were times when the story seemed to drag (it took me five days to finish it; unheard of with a book that is only 300 or so pages), and I was tempted to yell at the characters quiet a few times (and wanted to slap a few more than once) due to their, well, stupidity when it came to figuring out who the Prophecy was....But, overall, I did enjoy the book, and if it wasn't for the flaw of it being a bit of a rough ride (that is, stops and starts rather than smooth reading) I may have even gave it a top rating because I did very much enjoy the storyline, which was quiet original. It is, in a way, a retelling of the myth of Persephone, but in this case the Greek Goddess has been reborn into a mortal and the idea of Hades isn't quiet the same as we are lead to believe. There is also The Guard, which is meant to protect the living from the dead, who are also reincarnations in mortal forms, with their leader, Alexi, being the lover of Persephone.....It's much easier to follower, and more interesting, when reading it yourself, believe me. And I think you should read this one; it may not have ranked as number one on my favorites list, but I did enjoy it very much and I will look for more books by this author, especially in this series. The writing, by the way, reminded me of how I picture old Gothic books being; you know how in all the historical romances we read the heroines (or occasional hero, I guess) talk about what Gothic book is currently the rage to read, well this is how I picture those books, only much easier to read and perhaps a bit more interesting. :) 3.5 STARS.





A Good Confession was the next on my a list, as I had received it from the author to review almost a year ago (right before I took my break from blogging). I feel horrible that I let it go for this long, and even worse when I had to give it a less than great review... The book falls more or less under the category of general fiction (in my opinion at least) and I had a very hard time sticking with it. By the end, I was very disappointed and truly hated the ending. I doubt I'll be picking up future books by this author; they just don't seem to be my style of books. 2.5 Stars--read my review HERE!





Next, I reached for an auto-buy author that I absolutely love--Janet Chapman. Secrets of the Highlander continues her Pine Creek Highlander series, and not only does it deliver the usual fun, sexy, and touching romance that we've come to love, but it also delivers something new: not only is our hero not the extremely tall and smooth alpha that we so often love, but Chapman also brings in some new twists to the storylines, with Native American magic (dreamwalking, etc) as well as setting up for the series that begins after this one. I absolutely loved every minute of Megan and Wayne/Jack/Coyote's story (it's a long story, but it's the same guy, don't worry!). It was full of passion and second chances, love and learning how to trust, as well as enough mystery and adventure to keep it all interesting. I love the tall, strapping Scottish alpha/laird for a hero, but I'll tell you what: after reading this one, I'd love a blushing, sweet, cunning half-Native American like Jack any day! 5 Stars!




The Fire King by Marjorie Liu was my next read, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was a new storyline (can you say Chimeras?!), and one that I'd like to read more about. I plan on reading the others in this series, though they do not all center around the shapeshifters and chimeras like this particular book does. It is a bit funny at times, a bit sexy during others, and watching Karr and Soria slowly start to open up to one another, trust each other, was truly wonderful. My only complaint is that while this was a great fantasy/paranormal book, I was disappointed in the lack of romance. Except for one very brief foreplay scene, they never got to consummate their love for each other--and I very much wanted that to happen, as I knew that it would be a big milestone in their relationship, as well as nice and steamy read for us. Does that make me a sex addict then? *Wink* LOL. No, but really I think that is the main reason why I found myself giving it a "I really liked it" rating rather than a full on "I loved it rating". How weird to think that something so primal can make or break a book, at least for me. Still I will be reading more of Liu's books, since I've read one before and I know she's capable of writing a steamy scene or two. :D 4 Stars. (By the way, the cover shown here is the reprint new one. I have the older one [see it here] and I kind of prefer it myself)




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What did you read this past week? Or, have you read any of the books I just listed above--if so, what were you thoughts on them? Let us know!





Enjoy!






Until Next Time,


*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!