Angela Booth's Writing Blog: Books

Book Review: Lying in Bed (Romance)

Title: Lying in Bed
Author: Jo Leigh
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze, January 2013
ISBN: 9780373797349

Lying in Bed is perfect if you're looking for something light and fun. The basic story's simple: FBI agents Ryan Vail and Angie Wolf are undercover at a "couples" getaway, which is led by marriage guidance counsellors. Their aim is to snare a blackmailer. To do this, their cover is that of Mr. and Mrs. Ebsen: a wealthy woman, and her leaching, cheating spouse.

The setup sparked my interest at once, especially since the getaway is taking place at a luxury resort and spa, with treats like "Tantric Massage In-Room Tutorials."

Ryan and Angie and Ryan are attracted to each other, but have been fighting it. Ryan's a well-known womanizer, he gets close to no one. Angie is aware of this.

When Angie is told that she'll have to step into the assignment at the last minute to take the place of Ryan's FBI partner who's caught up in a case, Angie accepts, but panics. Similarly, Ryan panics when he wakes up in their bedroom at the resort and finds Angie lying in bed next to him.

Although he has no idea how he'll do it, Ryan is determined that the assignment will be a success, no matter what kind of temptation Angie presents. He's also determined that he'll get a promotion as a result of that success.

Inevitably, whenever Ryan's close to Angie, he reacts physically. The first time this is a real problem is when they're cuddling in large bean bag as part of an exercise. Delilah, one of the counsellors, calls this position: "home base... It's where you go when you need to feel safe." Needless to say, neither Ryan nor Angie feels particularly safe in this position.

The novel's sex scenes were fine. However, I had trouble believing in both Ryan and Angie as undercover FBI agents, and couldn't warm up to either of them. That said, the book held my interest, and was an enjoyable read.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on January 13, 2013 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, books, contemporary, harlequin, romance

Book Review: The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne

Title: The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne
Author: Jayne Fresina
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca, January 2013
ISBN-10: 1402266006

If you adore books which make you laugh out loud, you'll love The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne. I expected a straightforward historical, but this book was much more than that; it was a delight.

Mariella (Ellie) Vyne and James Hartley have carried forward the long-running feud between the Vyne and the Hartley families since they were children. Neither has anything good to say about the other. Ellie thinks that James is a useless rakehell, James thinks that Ellie's an outrageous woman who needs a husband who can keep her under control, preferably by spanking her regularly.

Generous beyond belief, Ellie supports her entire family, which consists of her married sisters, and her step-father. According to them, money magically appears. They may know that Ellie provides the money, but they ask no questions. They also bully Ellie unmercifully.

Ellie's found the solution to her money problem by disguising herself as a man, the "Count de Bonneville". As the Count, she visits gaming hells and wins, sometimes cheating at the cards. She's thought about marriage, but although she's been engaged, she's never been able to bring herself to go through with it. She won't allow a man to take control of her life.

The real story begins when Ellie goes too far. As the Count de Bonneville, she accepts an expensive diamond necklace as payment for a gambling debt. The debtor is James Hartley's mistress. The mistress tells James that the Count stole the necklace.

James learns that the Count is in a room at an inn. James breaks into the room, and finds Ellie in bed, in the Count's shirt, and nothing else. Of course, James thinks that Ellie is the Count's mistress. Ellie refuses to tell James where the Count is. She says the Count heard James' arriving, and escaped out the window.

The fun starts when someone else claims to be the "Count de Bonneville", and asks James for a thousand pounds. Ellie's request for "servicing" from James is beyond humorous.

This book is a farce, but in the best way. It's genuinely funny, and you'll enjoy all the characters. You'll especially like James' man, Grieves. He's wonderful; an early version of Wooster's Jeeves.

Rating: 4 (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on January 11, 2013 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, books, historical, humor, romance

Book Review: The Importance of Being Wicked

Title: The Importance of Being Wicked
Author: Victoria Alexander
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.; January 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4201-1707-3

The story begins in 1887, when Fairborough Hall suffers a fire. The wings of the home suffered little damage, while the main part of the house, including the ballroom, was burned out. The ballroom becomes important later in the story.

The Hall's the country home of Winfield (Win) Elliott, Viscount Stillwell, our hero. The architectural firm Tempest and Garret is recommended to him, to restore the Hall to its former glory.

Our heroine, Miranda, Lady Garrett, is refreshing because she's a woman doing a man's job -- she's an architect. Unfortunately, she has to hide the fact that she's running Tempest and Garret from her family, particularly her brothers.

Miranda's been running the company since her husband's death, because she wants her employees to keep their jobs.

Win isn't comfortable hiring Tempest and Garret. He distrusts Miranda, and believes that she's hiding something. However, Tempest and Garret are the only firm which can start on the job quickly. He decides that he'll hire the company. At the same time, he'll hire someone to investigate Tempest and Garret -- and Miranda.

The two are immediately at odds with each other. She manages to talk him into modernizing the Hall, by installing electricity, and she makes friends with his mother. This annoys him.

Miranda's been busy since her husband's death, so although she's out of mourning, she hasn't bought any new clothes. When she gets a new wardrobe, Win starts looking at her differently. They slowly fall in love.

What I liked about the story

I loved the flashes of humor, the banter between Win and Miranda, and Win's three engagements which didn't take. I also enjoyed the fact that Miranda was working; she was running a business. She was a different heroine: capable, and concerned with more than her wardrobe and getting a husband.

What I didn't like

Although I liked Miranda, I couldn't believe that she kept the fact that she was an architect from her family. Nor did I believe that she had no idea that her late husband was hopeless with money, and that someone was investing in the firm. This entire aspect of the story line made no real sense.

In general however, the story was light, and lots of fun. It kept me turning the pages, and I read it in a couple of sessions.

Rating: 4 (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on January 11, 2013 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, books, historical, romance

Book Review: Highlander Most Wanted (Historical Romance)

Title: Highlander Most Wanted
Author: Maya Banks
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Ballantine Books (March, 2013)
ISBN-13: 978-0345533241

The legions of Maya Banks' fans will be thrilled with Highlander Most Wanted, the second book in her Montgomerys and Armstrongs series. The heroine of this book, Genevieve McInnes, is the hooded woman who helped to save Eveline Montgomery in the previous book.

(If you haven't read the previous book, Never Seduce a Scot, you can read this book as a standalone. However, reading Never Seduce a Scot will give you a better understanding of the characters, and you should read it anyway, because it's wonderful.)

There's a good reason Genevieve's hooded. Although one side of her face is perfect, the other is hideously scarred. Ian McHugh slashed her with a knife to ruin her beauty. However, the scars on her body mean less to her than the scars on her soul. Although she's still alive, she believes that the woman she once was is dead.

Genevieve's misery began when Ian McHugh saw her at court and became obsessed with her. When she was on the way to her betrothed, he slaughtered her escort and stole her. He's kept her a prisoner and tortured her over many months. Her family believes that she is dead, and she feels it's better that they never know what happened. Her rape and dishonor would kill her father.

Now that the monster Ian McHugh is dead, and his father Patrick has run away, the McHugh clan are left to face the wrath of the Montgomerys.

Although the McHugh clan have shunned and ill-treated her, Genevieve's deeply compassionate. With the Montgomery clan on the way to the McHughs to destroy them, Genevieve commits herself to speaking up, and to trying to save McHugh lives. She wants nothing for herself, other than to be allowed to leave, and if she's very lucky, to be delivered to a nunnery.

No one writes historical romance better than Maya Banks. The warrior Bowen Montgomery is instantly attracted to Genevieve, but he's suspicious, and doesn't trust her. Although she's saved McHugh lives, the McHughs hate her. They call her her Ian McHugh's whore. She doesn't deny it.

Reading the book is a real effort at times, because just when you think that things couldn't possibly get any worse for Genevieve, they do. If any other author had written this book, it would descend into melodrama. Maya Banks never allows that to happen. The book's engrossing, and you'll love both Genevieve and the hero, Bowen.

It seems impossible that Genevieve will ever find any happiness. Little by little however, Bowen begins to see the woman underneath the walls Genevieve's built around herself. He comes to respect her more and more, and eventually to love her.

I couldn't tear myself away from this book. I read it in one sitting, staying awake long into the night. If you love Highland romances, you'll adore this book. I've read every one of Maya Banks' highland books, and this is the best yet.

Rating: 5 (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on December 31, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, books, highland, historical, maya banks, romance, series

Book Review: Relentless Seduction (Passion)

Title: Relentless Seduction
Author: Jillian Burns
Genre: Romantic Suspense (Passion)
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
ISBN: 9780373797370 (#733)

Relentless Seduction is a fun romp through New Orleans during Mardi Gras with two people who are complete opposites.

Nerdy Claire Brooks is a microbiologist; handsome Rafe Moreau owns a "vampire" bar called Once Bitten. Don't get excited: the bar attracts individuals with plastic teeth, tattoos and piercings rather than bloodthirsty supernatural beings. The bar's smoky with incense; a naked woman with a snake wanders around.

Claire feels hopelessly out of place. However, she's determined to find her best friend, Julia, who's missing. Some 24 hours earlier, Julia sent Claire a picture of herself outside Once Bitten, and that's the last anyone has heard of her.

Rafe's tending the bar, and he doesn't like Claire questioning his customers. However, he steps in when she's almost attacked. He puts her in a cab, but she won't leave until he promises to call her if he discovers anything.

Although Rafe doesn't want to help Claire to find and save Julia, he does. He helps her investigation; she ends up staying with him, and falling in love with him.

What I liked

Rafe. He was gorgeous. I also liked the setting; Ms Burns made New Orleans both exotic and real. The suspense was good too; there was plenty happening, so it was easy to turn the pages.

What I didn't like

There's steamy passion between Claire and Rafe. However, although I liked both characters, Rafe felt real, whereas Claire strained belief. She acted totally out of character. For example, Claire dresses like a tramp to go into a seedy, dangerous bar alone -- one that even Rafe's nervous about entering. She's an academic, and initially is described as frumpy. While I can imagine a friend helping her with her costume, I couldn't believe that she'd organize the clothes and makeup herself, and then brave the bar alone.

Claire acts foolishly and out of character several more times. Each time she did it, it dragged me out of the story, and spoiled my enjoyment.

On balance however, Relentless Seduction was an enjoyable read.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on December 23, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, books, Harlequin, romance, romantic suspense, steamy

Book Review: The Reluctant Countess (Historical Romance)

Title: The Reluctant Countess
Author: Wendy Vella
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Loveswept, January 2013
ISBN: 978-0-345-54007-2

If you're a Regency romance fan, you'll enjoy The Reluctant Countess. It's a sweet Regency, hewing to the genre. There's nothing here to cause angst, just a pleasant read.

Although he has no real evidence, Patrick, Earl of Coulter, decides that there's something not quite right about Sophie, Countess of Monmouth. He was with her husband just before he died: there was no mention of a countess.

Nevertheless, the Earl of Montmouth's sister, Lady Letitia Carstairs, is introducing Sophie to the ton, and she'd hardly do that if the countess were an impostor.

Despite his suspicions Coulter is attracted to Sophie, and before too long he's on her side. He saves her from manhandling by her odious cousin, Viscount Dumbly. Then he catches her doing hand stands in the park, and realizes that her "son" may not be her son at all.

A couple of subplots add to the fun. There's the doll collector Amelia Pette, whose mother is a horror, although the mother has reasons for acting as she does. Additionally, Coulter's friend Viscount Sumner, has problems when his mother and sisters arrive in town.

All the characters are standard Regency staples. Sophie's stutter was a pleasant change to the usual Regency heroine, as was her shyness, which the ton ladies and gentlemen took for arrogance and coldness.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on December 22, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, historical romance, regency

Book Review: Amber Road (Historical)

Title: Amber Road
Author: Boyd Anderson
Genre: Historical
ISBN: 9781742759395
Published: January, 2013
Imprint: Bantam Australia

The place and the era: Singapore in February 1942. The battle of Singapore lasted just seven days. Winston Churchill called it the worst disaster in British history, because as the largest British military base in South-East Asia, Singapore was felt to be impregnable.

I was excited about Amber Road, because other novels I've read which featured the fall of Singapore concentrated on the English characters. The heroine of Amber Road, Victoria Khoo, is Chinese. This gave the book an entirely different perspective.

Victoria's only 17, and lives a privileged life. She's Scarlett O'Hara, vain and self-absorbed, and her entire world is about to be gone with the wind. She wants and expects to marry golden boy, Sebastian Boustead, who's just "come down" from Cambridge. She gets a nasty shock, however. Sebastian's welcome home party is also an engagement party; his fiancee, Elizabeth Nightingale, arrives on the ship with him.

After growing up with Sebastian, who's her brother's best friend, Victoria looks on him as hers, and a little thing like a fiancee has no effect on her plans. After the fall of Singapore, she figures that Elizabeth's too weak to last long. Elizabeth will conveniently die, and Sebastian will be hers.

Although I enjoyed the book, I never felt that we got to know the characters: what made them tick. Victoria's focus on herself is absolute, and she's an innocent. She's a young girl of her era, so she misinterprets the actions of those around her: her family, Sebastian, Elizabeth, the various Japanese officers, as well as Joe Spencer, an Australian intelligence officer (probably) who's fallen for her.

I say "probably" about Joe Spencer, because much of the story is told from Victoria's point of view, and Victoria doesn't know much. We get some commentary from her father and brother, but mostly we're in Victoria's head. She doesn't understand the motivations and feelings of the people around her, and she rarely understands what's happening in Singapore.

The story is good, but reading the novel is frustrating. It could have been fantastic, if the author had given us more from people like Joe, Mr Khoo, Rose the brothel keeper, and Elizabeth. Instead, mostly we're stuck with Victoria, who gets into dangerous situations without realizing her danger.

In short, great characters, great era, but many missed chances. I'd love to see a sequel to the book, focusing on one of the minor characters.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on December 21, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Book Review: The Escape Diaries: Life and Love on the Lam

Title: The Escape Diaries: Life and Love on the Lam (ebook)
Author: Juliet Rosetti
Genre: Romance, Humor, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Loveswept (December 10, 2012)
ASIN: B008ENAWJ4

You have to fall in love with a book with begins with the sentence: "My mother-in-law sends me poisoned cookies." If you enjoy the Stephanie Plum books, you'll adore Mazie Maguire, the heroine of The Escape Diaries: Life and Love on the Lam. The book is laugh-aloud funny, especially in the first few chapters.

Poor Mazie's been incarcerated for four years for the murder of her cheating husband, Kip Vonnerjohn. She was framed efficiently: she seems to appear on a hidden video, as she shoots Kip in the head.

In what would have to be the strangest prison break ever, Mazie goes on the run after a tornado slams someone's roof across the prison's electrified fence, shorting it out. Mazie climbs up one side of the roof and down the other, and she's free.

That's when the fun starts. Mazie steals a van. The police and Federal Marshals are hot on her trail. Mazie gets shot at -- in one scene, a wall of toilets (yes, toilets) falls down barely avoiding her. She's almost caught at a farm, and manages to escape by climbing a grain elevator, then dropping four stories onto a manure heap.

She's saved by a man who turns into her lover, Bonaparte "Ben" Labeck. He's part of the camera team for a TV news crew. Ben's delicious; I wish Ms Rosetti had included him in more scenes.

What I loved about the book

* The writing. Ms Rosetti's word play reminded me of PF Wodehouse;

* The madcap incidents -- the wall of toilets, Mazie's drugged and buried alive -- there's never a dull moment;

* Muffin, the fiendishly aggressive Shih Tzu/ Bichon Frise, which settles down and becomes Mazie's pal in mayhem;

* Mazie-Mania.

What I didn't like

* The book was too short. The characters were such fun, the book ended too soon;

* Not enough of Ben.

I'll definitely read this book again, for the word play. I zoomed through it so quickly this time, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5 stars)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on December 19, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, books, caper, humor, novel, romance, romantic suspense

Book Review: The Other Side of Us (Romance)

Title: The Other Side of Us
Author: Sarah Mayberry
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin (January 2, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0373718241
ISBN-13: 978-0373718245

The Other Side of Us is sweet, sexy and emotional -- and it has DOGS. :-) I fell in love with the pooches, a Mini Schnauzer, and Long Haired Dachshund. The romance between the pooches was just as charming as the one between the people. No spoiler, but there's a surprise at the end of the doggy romance you'll adore.

So, on to the people...

Oliver Barrett and Mackenzie Williams occupy adjoining properties on the Mornington Peninsula. (Australia) He's a sound engineer; she's a TV producer.

You'll adore Oliver, who's recently separated from his wife. They were married for six years; she was cheating on him for five of them. He's a wonderful man, you'll believe his soon-to-be-ex wife insane.

Mackenzie's undergoing rehabilitation after a horrendous car accident. Ambitious and driven before her accident, she's lost her confidence.

Mackenzie literally doesn't have time for Oliver during the first few chapters; she slams her door in his face. However, when he helps to save her home from flooding during a big storm, she realizes what a bitch she's been.

Their romance progresses rapidly, helped along by the two dogs. (I'll be reading the book again, because I loved the dogs so much.)

Both Oliver and Mackenzie are wounded, they help each other to heal. They also help each other to discover their creative souls. The author, Sarah Mayberry, does character development well: you can feel that Oliver and Mackenzie are good for each other.

When the romance derails, you feel for both of them, but of course there's a HEA; it's a ROMANCE.

I loved everything about this book. It's a satisfying read. My only quibble, and it's a minor one ... I was disbelieving that Oliver's ex, Edie, could get away with cheating for almost the entire marriage. We only get one scene with Edie, I would have liked another short scene or two from their marriage so that I could understand him better.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5.)

(A review copy was provided.)

Posted by Angela Booth on December 18, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: australia, book review, dogs, dogs in books, harlequin, new releases, romance

Book Review: Running Wild -- The Men from Battle Ridge

Book Review: Running Wild: The Men from Battle Ridge (Romantic Suspense/ Western)

By Linda Howard and Linda Jones

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Western

Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 27, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0345520785
ISBN-13: 978-0345520784

We're in present day Texas. Carlin Reed flees her homicidal stalker. He kills Carlin's colleague, mistaking the woman for Carlin. Carlin eventually ending up in Battle Ridge, a small town in Wyoming.

Although she's tired of running, Carlin knows that she must be wary. Her stalker, Brad, is a cop with "hacker"-level computer skills. If he finds her, he'll kill her. She doesn't know what else to do, except run.

Kat, the owner of the Pie Hole eatery in Battle Ridge, hires Carlin, and gives her a place to stay. Zeke Decker is Kat's cousin. He owns a ranch an hour out of town, and needs a cook and housekeeper. Kat recommends Carlin, because she won't be able to keep Carlin on over the winter. However, Carlin overhears Zeke referring to her as a "stray", which makes her angry.

Of course, Carlin ends up at the ranch. We watch as she and Zeke use sharp banter to cover their intense attraction. Carlin settles in at the ranch. She agrees to stay over the winter, because she's running out of money.

Eventually of course, Brad comes for Carlin.

What I liked about the story

* I liked both Carlin and Zeke. Both are strong characters, with kindness at their core. Several scenes were wonderful: Carlin's terror when she thinks she sees Brad in the supermarket; her culinary disasters; Zeke teaching her how to shoot. I also liked the setting: you could feel the cold winter, and the wide open spaces.

* Zeke was all alpha male; Carlin was likable. It took them a little too long to meet. The book's initial setup scenes, between Zeke and his housekeeper Libby, and Brad stalking Carlin, took too long. However, I read the book in one sitting, and kept turning the pages with real interest;

* Humor -- the banter, and the dialogue in general, was terrific.

What I didn't like

* The "hacker" skills weren't credible, but this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story;

* There was too much thinking. After every scene, Carlin or Deke, depending on the point of view character, would stop and think. This stopped the story dead, pardon the pun;

* As with many romantic suspense novels, the book had something of a split personality. There wasn't a lot of real suspense, and the romance could have used a little more intensity.

Quibbles aside however, I'm looking forward to reading much more about Battle Ridge. I'm a sucker for small town stories.

Rating 4 Stars (out of 5.)

Disclaimer: I was provided with a review copy.

Posted by Angela Booth on December 17, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book review, Linda Howard, romance, romantic suspense, western, Wyoming

Book Marketing: 5 Easy Strategies You Can Use Now

Want to market your book? These days, there are so many strategies that you may procrastinate, because you want to use the BEST strategy.

There is no "best". Instead, look for simple and easy strategies you can mix and match right now. These strategies are not only essential, they're will also build your brand and platform.

1. Book Clubs

This is an amazing strategy, one which few authors use. Book clubs are everywhere these days, offline and online. I'm sure you've received invitations to join clubs. You may even be a member of one.

So, to promote your book, create some end-matter questions and other materials for readers who want to use your book in their book club.

Your material will engage readers. They'll talk about your book with their friends, and word of mouth is the most valuable form of marketing you can use.

Be sure to add your book club materials to your blog, too.

This brings us to another easy strategy...

2. Blogging

Your book club materials, when posted to your blog, will intrigue readers. If they haven't bought your book, they'll give them a reason to buy. If they have bought your book, the materials will give them a starting point for writing a review.

I recommend to my writing students that they create a blog as soon as they decide that they want to write a book. A blog is instant publishing. Your blog will stay online for years, through many books, building your brand and platform.

Your first blog needs to use your own name, or your business's name. However, you may also want to create a blog just for that book. Make sure you link your "book" blog to your "name" blog.

3. Readers' Sites

Readers' websites like Goodreads and LibraryThing are a wonderful marketing resource for authors. Create your authors' page on Goodreads as soon as your book is published.

You can also use these sites to give away free copies of your books. And if you're lucky enough to get reviews on these sites -- be they good or bad -- you'll get sales.

4. Write Your Next Book

Each book you publish sells other books. Many authors have realized this. In this new era of digital publishing, it's very easy to edit your book to include details (and perhaps an excerpt) of your latest book.

On sites like Amazon, once you have sufficient sales, you'll get promotions from Amazon "readers who bought (this book) also bought."

5. Create a Mailing List

Create a mailing list for readers. Not only can you give your subscribers updates on your writing projects, you can also run contests, and answer readers' questions.

Here's a final tip. Marketing is an on-going activity. Don't expect results too soon, when you're starting. Results take time. Think in terms of one reader at a time. Your book marketing efforts will snowball. Start that snowball with our easy book marketing strategies, and you'll be thrilled with the results.

Posted by Angela Booth on December 07, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Technorati Tags: book marketing, how to market your book, how to publish a book, how to self-publish, marketing a book, marketing a book online

Hate Ebooks and Ereaders?

I've been chatting with some writers who "hate" ebooks and ereaders.

That's OK. I did too, hard as that may be to believe. I bought one of the first Kindles when they came out, and couldn't use it. I'm a fast reader, and the stupid buttons aggravated my RSI.

FORGET ereaders, I thought.

Then the first iPad came out; I ordered one immediately. (What can I say, reading a computer like a book was always a dream... And the Steve Jobs presentation was great.)

So I downloaded the Kindle app for the iPad and now I have a stack of paper books I can't force myself to read. I LOVE the fact that I can tap the page to page forward.

I also love that I can get instant gratification. (Often.) As more and more publishers convert their backlists to digital formats, I can download books I'd usually have to reserve at the library, or get through inter-library loan, because they're out of print.

If you hate "ebooks" give them a try. You don't need to buy a Kindle device, you can read ebooks on any computer. You may find, as I did that it takes you a couple of weeks to become a convert.

After around 18 months of reading primarily on my iPad, paper books are rarely worth the trouble. Aside from how awkward "real" books can be to hold, there's the storage issue. I have thousands of books already, they're all through the house. Most I won't be parted from, for one reason or another. But when I buy books now, I buy the digital versions. I adore having thousands of books to read, anytime, anywhere.

Posted by Angela Booth on October 17, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Book Review: Just a Cowboy and His Baby

I love anything with horses and cowboys, so reading Just a Cowboy and His Baby (Spikes & Spurs) by Carolyn Brown was a no-brainer for me. Something about Carolyn Brown's style also appeals; I've read and enjoyed all her books. She's one of the few authors I regularly reread.

Here's the story in a nutshell. Gemma O'Donnell, the hairdresser we've met in other books of the Spikes and Spurs series, is out on her own, competing on the rodeo circuit. Not only is she riding broncs, she often beats the men.

Gemma is determined, and professional, she's the kind of no-nonsense, goal-oriented heroine I love. Although she's homesick for her home and family, she's not about to give up. She's determined to win.

She's attracted to sexy Trace Coleman, her main competitor. She develops a relationship with him after she's tossed from a bronc, and twists her ankle.

Trace is just plain nice, he's not a rodeo-rider sleaze. However, he did have a one-weekend relationship the previous year, and this comes back to bite him.

The bulk of the book covers Gemma and Trace touring from rodeo to rodeo. While I enjoyed this, I kept waiting for the baby to show up. It's the title, after all, Just a Cowboy and His Baby -- so, where's the baby?

Gemma and Trace's relationship is well under way; they're perfect for each other. There's just a minor quibble, Trace is determined to use his winnings (if he beats Gemma and wins) to buy a ranch, which is 200 miles from Gemma's family.

The baby finally appears, some three-quarters of the way through the book. By this time, Gemma and Trace know each other well. A tarot reader told Gemma she'd have a cowboy and baby before Christmas, and she does.

Who will love this book?

If you want erotica, you won't get it. The love scenes are great, but not super-hot. If you're after suspense, you won't get that either, Gemma and Trace have few conflicts.

On the other hand, if you love cowboys, and Carolyn Brown's books, you'll love Just a Cowboy and His Baby (Spikes & Spurs).

Will I reread it? Yes, I will. It's not my favorite of the series; so far, my favorite is Love Drunk Cowboy (Spikes & Spurs). However, it's a fun and very enjoyable read.

Posted by Angela Booth on October 08, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Review: The Sleeping Night, Barbara Samuel

You know you've found a great writer when you read one of her books, then go on a mission to hunt down and read everything else's she's written. That's what happened when I read Barbara Samuel's The Sleeping Night.

I'm not sentimental; I can't remember the last time a book made me break down in tears, but this book did it. Several times I had to resist the urge to stop reading because it was too painful. I'm glad I kept on, because it was worth it. The Sleeping Night is wonderful, precisely because the characters' struggle is so agonizing.

(That said, if you hate books with unhappy endings be relieved -- there's a happy ending. :-))

Isaiah High is an African American soldier who returns to the small town of Gideon, Texas, after World War II. He knows he can't stay. The town killed his father. Even so, Isaiah can't keep away from Angel. He's been in love with Angel Cory since they were children, but she's white.

Angel and Isaiah wrote to each other during the war, but he eventually stopped writing. Each has kept the other's letters as a talisman. They can't reveal their love; it would get them killed. The letters between Angel and Isaiah are poignant. They can be themselves in letters, and say -- obliquely, and in sub-text -- what they could never say face to face.

Angel's father, Parker Cory, a man Isaiah respects and loves, has died and was buried a few days before Isaiah returns.

Her father's death puts Angel in a bad position. No one in the town wants her to keep working in the small store her father owned. Angel is determined that she will no matter how much the town shuns her: it's her source of pride, independence, and income.

The town, and Angel's aunt Georgia, expect her to marry arrogant, creepy Edwin Walker. Angel won't do it. She says: "He's been crazy as a mad dog as long as I can remember."

Edwin Walker, and others in the town, are evil. The book is flooded with a sense of constant danger. Angel lives alone. Isaiah has given her a gun, but one night Walker and his friends arrive and set fire to the store...

Here's what I loved about The Sleeping Night. Firstly, the characters. Both Isaiah and Angel are strong, caring, and genuine. I also loved the town of Gideon -- it was real, you felt as if you were there, in that time. The story made me understand what prejudice is, at a visceral level. At times I coudn't breathe, I was so shocked, and ashamed, that people can treat each other the way they did.

Most of all, I loved the love between Isaiah and Angel, which was always there in the story, even when they weren't together.

Read The Sleeping Night. I intend to read it again. And again. In a word: it's superb.

Review copy via NetGalley.

Posted by Angela Booth on June 18, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Book Review: Blue Sky Mountain, Linda Lael Miller

Fans of Linda Lael Miller know what to expect from her books, and they won't be disappointed with Big Sky Mountain.

You'll love the opening, which is a twist on the "runaway bride" device. This time it's the groom, rugged Hutch Carmody, who calls off the wedding, and at the last minute too -- the bride's ready to walk down the aisle.

Parable, Montana, has never seen anything like it. The almost-bride and her pals soon take to the social media sites to shred Hutch. (This is the funniest part of the book.)

Hutch's old flame, Kendra Shepherd, wasn't at the wedding, but she's back in town with her tiny, recently-adopted daughter, Madison. Although Madison's the result of Kendra's dead husband's adulterous affair, Kendra loves her as the miracle child she's always wanted.

Kendra's tempted to run when she discovers that she'll be seeing Hutch. She's got good reason to consider him a heartless womanizer, but she faces him. She's determined to stay and raise Madison in Parable.

There's no surprises in Big Sky Mountain. Hutch and Kendra are wary of each other. They need time to grow as people before they can sort out their feelings, and this is where Miller shines. She's wonderful at creating great characters you enjoy, not just in her leads, but in all the secondary characters too. Kendra builds her real estate business and raises her daughter, while Hutch works on his ranch, and you feel so at home living vicariously in Parable, that you don't want to story to end.

That's what I loved most about the book: the sense of Parable as a real place, with real people, and their joys and tragedies.

Although I enjoyed Hutch and Kendra, and there was conflict between them, there was something lacking in Big Sky Mountain. I like a little suspense in my books. Nothing menaced Hutch and Kendra, unlike the situation in Miller's The Last Chance Cafe, in which Chance and Hallie faced real danger.

I shouldn't quibble. Miller fans will appreciate Big Sky Mountain, and it's a great introduction to her work if you're new to her books. I haven't yet read Big Sky Country, which is the first book in this new series, but it's on my reading list.

Posted by Angela Booth on June 12, 2012 in Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Angela Booth's Writing Blog

For freelance writers, writing fiction, nonfiction and copywriting. Have fun, and become a better writer. Copyright (c) 2004 to 2013, Angela Booth. All rights reserved.

Angela Booth

Angela's ebooks

Pages

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Recent Comments

Writing resources

Self Development Links

Favourite Blogs

Digital Publishing

Books