Quickies R Us

I've been doing a lot of re-reads lately. So, I decided to whip up some quickie reviews. Get ready for one-sentence reviews.

Ready, set, go!


Dark Melody by Christine Feehan: A sensitive, beta-ish Carpathian vampire (I know, I know...weird, huh?) falls in love with a pregnant musical psychic with a heart condition, and then they get chased by bad guys, and then he turns her into a blood-sucking lifemate, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

(I never said they weren't going to be run-on sentences).

Dark Legend by Christine Feehan: A totally hot and masterful Carpathian vampire claims his mate, who happens to be a bad-ass doctor, and then they adopt an abused young woman, and then they get chased by bad guys and some vamps, and then they have steamy hot sex underground, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Dark Guardian by Christine Feehan: A tiny human cop who is being stalked by a deranged psycho killer falls in love with a Carpathian vampire, and then they get chased by bad guys, and some bad vampires, and finally the psycho killer, and then Lucian turns Jax into a blood-sucking lifemate, and then they kill all the bad guys, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Ready by Lucy Monroe: A sexy ex-ranger develops a "sexual obsession" (aka, falls madly in love but he's too stupid to realize it until the bitter end of the book) with a writer who has a stalker, and then they get chased by a bad guy, and then they catch the bad guy, and then he knocks her up and they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Willing by Lucy Monroe: A super-intense Native American ex-ranger develops a "sexual obsession" (you know, that whole falling-madly-in-love-but-he-is-totally-clueless-until-the-end-of-the-book-thing) for the daughter of his business partner, and then some bad guys try to blow everyone up, and then the good guys find the bad guys, and there's a totally hot losing-her-virginity-scene (swoony!) and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

And Able by Lucy Monroe: An ex-ranger with a southern accent gets a "sexual obsession" (blah blah blah...you know the scoop) for a computer geeky gal with crazy curly red hair, and then some bad guys try to kill her, and then Claire and Brett fly a kite, and then they get the bad guy, and then he knocks her up and they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens (part of the Penelope Project!): An independent virgin heroine with glasses (named Penelope) decides to investigate the disappearance of some young boys, and enlists the aid of Barnaby Adair, and finally figures out that sex might be fun, and so she has a naughty love affair while uncovering a thievery ring, and then they get chased by bad guys, and then they catch the bad guys, and then Penelope and Barnaby dance a waltz at their wedding and live happily ever after. Grade: A

Hoping to find a blood-sucking lifemate with a sexual obsession and a happily ever after,
Penelope

Consistency In World-Building: Don't Mess With True Love, Sucka

I've been pondering the strong opinions folks have concerning JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and why there are such feelings of betrayal by some of its readers. When this series started out, it created some rabid, truly enamored fans (I was one of them). But over the course of time, some folks got very disgruntled (me included). Some people felt the series had jumped from romance to urban fantasy. Some folks felt the heroes were getting gypped by being paired with wishy-washy heroines. Some folks were pissed with inconsistencies with time lines and world-building details.

My introduction to paranormal romance was Christine Feehan. I read the entire Dark series in chronological order. Some readers totally dig the caveman mentality/lifemate thing, and some readers think she is way too melodramatic and over-the-top. But one thing I'll say for Christine is that she is consistent. Those damned Carpathians have one lifemate, and that's it. They don't turn gay half-way into the story. They don't have menages. They don't identify a lifemate, then walk away. From the very first book, Dark Prince, she sets up her world-building details for this race and she sticks to her guns for the whole damned series. (Which is 22 books long so far). This concept of having one lifemate, for all of eternity (they are immortal) is incredibly romantic. Which is why I suspect most of her fans love these books. It's not for the bloody vampire fights, for Christ's sake. It's because no matter what else is going on in the world, our lives, the book, we know that the male hero of her story will move heaven and earth to be with his mate, to protect her, to love her. Period.

When the Brotherhood series started, it had that same vibe about "mates"....the heroes became obsessed with their mates, released yummy smelling scents (hee hee), fed them by hand, worshipped them, etc. There are definitely more layers of complexity and gray areas in the Ward series, but the fact that a very basic world-building detail (indisputable mating of one male vampire to the heroine) has been bobbling around, is a problem. A very big problem. Because romance fans want something they can count on. Even if it's a big-ass, scarred vampire with a tortuous past loving his mate beyond anything else in this world. We can get through the torture, the pain and suffering, because we know in the end, the hero will find his salvation through love with his mate.

I don't have a problem with series growing and changing over the course of time. Some of Feehan's heroes have been beta males, some are warriors and some are not, some are brutally dominant, some are more thoughtful. But the basic premise for the Carpathian people....one lifemate, no cheating, no second chances....stays consistent throughout the series. It's the glue that holds it together, and why Feehan fans remain steadfastly loyal. If you create a paranormal series with certain world-building details, and your readers totally buy into that whole thing, then you can't start messing around with it. Cause folks will be all.....what the....????

By the way, Feehan's 22nd installment of the Dark Series, Dark Predator, is coming out Sept. 6. Zacarias' story!

Here's hoping everyone has a super-duper weekend!
Penelope

Kick Ass Babies, Lesbian Pirates, and Old People In Love

Another great trio of books this past week! I'm starting off 2011 with a bang!

First up, Mari Carr's Do Over. It was recommended to me at Goodreads (by Samantha...thanks, Missy!) as a nice "older" couple story. Faith and Troy have been married for 25 years, and Troy decides to surprise his wife with an incredibly romantic re-hash of their lives together....revisiting the location of their first kiss, church where they were married, etc etc. OK, seriously, this dude is the man! He is so sexy, sweet, thoughtful and romantic, I just wanna bottle him up and chug him like a bottle of Corona. (That's a weird image, but work with me, people...). This story is very romantic and wonderfully emotional. And super sexy! I can't wait to read more of Carr's stories. Excellent!

Grade: A

I have a confession to make. I'm not really into gay sex stories. I know they're all hot and hip and happenin' and trendy right now, but I sort of don't care that much. Someone once said the reason why gay male stories are so hot is that two c*cks are better than one. ☺ I think that is an awesome and hilarious statement, but nevertheless, I can't get myself that worked up about the whole thing. I know, I'm a sad Vanilla girl. (French vanilla with bittersweet chocolate sauce, but it's still vanilla). So, imagine my unmitigated surprise when I read a lesbian story, and I liked it! In fact, I thought it was smoky hot, funny, adorable, entertaining, suspenseful and very well written. KT Grant's The Princess's Bride is a cute, sexy take on The Princess Bride...with a saucy wench pirate, a sexy daisy of a princess, lots of "dewy" moments, an evil licentious villain, and a totally satisfying HEA that involves a lesbian lover's hide-away on an island. Hee hee...gotta love that ending! Who knew I'd be digging a lesbian pirate story? Amazing!

Grade: A

Finally, the latest Ghostwalker book by Christine Feehan is out...Ruthless Game. This is a solid showing for Feehan, not my favorite Ghostwalker story, but still a good addition to the series. I found the relationship between Rose and Kane not quite as intense as the other couples. One of the things I love about this series is the fact that the alpha Ghostwalker boys are sooooo over the top. Over the top alpha-warrior-kick ass-sexual dynamos-hot for their gals-will kill anyone who gets in their way, etc. etc. You get the picture. Kane and Rose have a new baby, and they still don't seem quite as crazed as the other Ghostwalkers. Which I guess is a good thing. The best thing about this book.....the babies!!!! Oh, holy crap, how cool is the final scene at the wedding where the Ghostwalker next-generation is sitting there in their onesies, totally communicating telepathically and watching everyone with their super-intelligent, beady little eyes! I cannot wait to see what CF has in store for these bambinos. I'm picturing a toddler covered with knives, guns, machetes, walky-talkies, and a crew cut. And maybe a stogie hanging out of his mouth. Barking orders in baby talk. Yessssss! Can't wait to see them in action...Ghostwalkers, The Next Generation.

Grade: B+

Happy Wednesday,

Penelope

Review of Water Bound by Christine Feehan

Water Bound by Christine Feehan

Okay, I'm the first one to admit Christine Feehan's stuff is sometimes over the top. Her Dark series is extremely melodramatic, her alpha male heroes are one step short of cavemen, her 80-pg. love scenes go on and on about creamy skin and velvet sheaths. Nevertheless, I love her books.

Why?

Well, Christine Feehan knows something about what women want, and what is the essence of romantic fiction. One man, filled with purpose and integrity and courage, whose entire life centers around one single woman....his lifemate. He would kill for her, die for her. This theme, which is repeated over and over again, is incredibly romantic. It works. It makes for extremely satisfying HEAS, too. My only concern with Feehan is that the violence against women has escalated over the last couple of years, and in my opinion, is not necessary and detracts from the core of her books.

Because of that, I was nervous about starting this next series. I refused to read Hidden Currents because of the disturbing content, and I was pretty pissed off since I'd stuck with the whole Drake sisters series, and was really looking forward to Elle's book. I figured this spin-off series would also be too violent for me, so I was gonna pass on it. However, in a moment of boredom at the grocery store, I saw Water Bound and decided to give it a go.

I am so, so, so glad I did! This book is not typical for Christine Feehan...it's more subtle, more emotional and incredibly satisfying and romantic. I think it's the most romantic book she's written.

First of all, she took a chance on creating an autistic heroine. Rikki is strong and capable in spite of her autism. She is also loving and protective of her "sisters." The first scene in the book where Rikki and Lev "meet" underwater is absolutely amazing....their instant connection is surprising to both of them. I just loved this scene! Honestly, I sometimes forget how spectacular Feehan is in terms of her paranormal creativity. Rikki's affinity for water is one of the coolest things I've ever read....the water sparkles, plays, takes on a life of its own. The descriptions of Rikki connecting with water are astounding. What a great, unique paranormal concept. After an overload of vampire/werewolf descriptions, the water angle is fabulous, mesmerizing, inspiring.

Lev is one of my favorite Feehan heroes. He recognizes right away that Rikki is "different." He is patient with her and takes the time to learn the things he has to do to accommodate her special needs. This is one of the most romantic, wonderful gestures a hero could ever do. It made me fall in love with Lev. He's a trained, cold-hearted killer who learns to love and trust through his relationship with Rikki.

For both of them, falling in love is a huge leap of faith. Rikki has to step outside of her comfortable limits, which is a huge undertaking for someone with severe OCD issues. Lev wonders if he can truly shed his skin as a cold-blooded killer and become a "normal" man with a new identity.

It's simply a wonderful love story.

The only thing that bugged me a little bit was waiting for the conclusion to two separate conflicts at the end of the book...the arsonist problem and Lev's assassin. Didn't need two conflicts here....one would have sufficed.

I was very surprised by this book. It's not your typical Feehan story...but I thought that Rikki and Lev are a truly original and wonderful couple. I hope that the rest of this series continues on this path.

Grade: A

Next week.....Dark Peril is out! Yippee!

Having an awesome reading week and loving every minute of it,

Penelope

Coming August 2010: Dark Peril!

This sounds awesome!!!!.....I can't wait. I was wondering if Christine Feehan was planning on writing a book for Dominic. He has been super heroic and selfless in other Dark books. Also, Solange deserves a happy ending....Jiminy Cricket! She's been through the freakin' wringer.

Here's the blurb for Dark Peril, coming out August 2010...

DARK PERIL

Dominic of the Dragonseeker lineage, one of the most powerful lines the Carpathian people has, ingests vampire blood laces with parasites in order to be able to go the very heart of the enemy camp and learn their plans. It is a one way mission. He knows he has little time once the parasites and the blood go to work. He plans to get in fast, relay the information to the leader of the Carpathians living in the area and go out fighting—an honorable way to end his life.

Solange Sangria is one of the last of the jaguar people, a royal pureblood. Her people, once many are now nearly extinct, a dying species that cannot recover from the choices they made over hundreds of years. She has long been alone, fighting to save the remaining women who are able to shift, from the hands of Brodrick the Terrible, her own father who slaughtered her family and everyone she loved. Wounded, weary, she plans one last battle, hoping to stop the man who has made an alliance with the vampires, accepting she will not come out alive.

They are two warriors who have lived their lives alone. Now, at the end of their time, they find each other, a complication, neither saw coming.

Review of Street Game by Christine Feehan

Street Game by Christine Feehan

First let me say that this book broke me out of my recent reading funk. Although it was uneven in certain spots, overall this was a very enjoyable book. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, I became so absorbed in this story, that I forgot I was reading. It was only when my family started harassing me for dinner (for the love of God, couldn't they go to McDonald's or something??), that I was popped back into reality.

Street Game is the latest installment of Feehan's Ghostwalker Series, which I have really been enjoying. Here's my take on this series and Street Game....

1) Feehan is a master of paranormal. The characters' abilities are incredibly cool....invisibility, reading people's locations/emotions from their energy patterns, telepathic brain surgery...and the list goes on. How's this for romantic? Everyone has an energy pattern that displays certain textures and colors, but the hero and heroines' pattern, according to one of the Ghostwalkers, is woven together. Sigh.

2) The male bonding/camaraderie scenes with the Ghostwalkers are superb! Superb! Trash talking, super loyal, sometimes aggressive...yummy alpha male testosterone-jacked stuff! Seriously, JR Ward's got nothing on Christine. Maybe Christine will dye her hair blond, start wearing all black, and sport some stylin' black sunglasses. Hee hee. :)

3) There is a great build up of suspense and anticipation during their missions, in particular when they have to grab Sergeant Major Griffen--I literally could not put the book down. The final mission of the book is also excellent, and exhilarating to finally see Jaimie using and enjoying her powers.

4) The first scene where Jaimie and Mack make love is this really cool fusion of psychic paranormal powers and the physical response between them. I loved it.

5) Now onto the "uneven" parts....I am getting sort of tired of the whole Whitney thing. I realize this is the over-riding story arc that is supposed to tie all of the books together, but I'm sick of Whitney, and I just wish someone would blow him up or something.

6) Feehan loves deep POV. The heroine spends pages thinking about how she lost herself with Mack, how much she loves him, how scared she is of his possession....and the hero is thinking about how he can't live without her, she is the light of his life, she destroyed him when she left...etc etc. It's just too repetitive. Enough already. We got it the first time. Stick with the action!

7) I was not feeling the emotional connection between the hero and heroine as much as past Ghostwalker couples for one simple reason. Their relationship was in the past. Feehan forgot the golden rule...show, don't tell. We need to feel their connection now, not hear about the past ad nauseam. Even the sex scenes were not as hot or intense as others in the series.

8) I was totally irritated with the scene where Mack is "interrogating" Jaimie while she is diligently working at the computer, and he is forcing her to take her clothes off. This was just plain ridiculous. Oy!

My overall take on this book...it was uneven, but still a great read for Feehan fans. Fabulous at spots, slow and repetitive in others. Feehan did an awesome job getting us primed for the other Ghostwalker stories. I personally can't wait for Kane's book, and I really liked Javier, too.

Grade: B

Penelope

Review of Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan

Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan

Wow. Wow. Wow.

In a million gazillion years, I could have never guessed that Christine Feehan would completely, irrevocably, inexplicably, undeniably redeem herself with this beautiful love story. I am in complete shock. This book was wonderful, and....sweet! And, the hero was....a beta male, not an alpha male!!!!! A freakin' Carpathian beta male hero....will wonders never cease??? This is completely unlike any other book in the Dark series, and in my not so humble opinion, one of the best. I LOVE Razvan, the gentle Carpathian hero. I LOVE Ivory, the kick-ass survivor heroine. Their love story is truly beautiful. Feehan has not lost the magic, but she sure as hell is taking a convoluted path with her other violent books. (See my rant against violence in romance novels).

Finally, the mystery surrounding the constant miscarriages in the Carpathian race is answered. Finally, a solution has been found. And I LOVE the mother earth angle! Feehan outdoes herself in several regards with this book. One is the gorgeous description of the gem cave...it is breathtakingly beautiful. Another is the tension-filled battles, which are at once gory, horrifying, and invigorating. I also love the relationship between Ivory, Razvan, and the Carpathian wolves (that's right! Carpathian wolves!!!! Feehan's creativity knows no bounds!- what a totally cool concept!). I always like the books where she brings back old characters we have grown to love, and the magnificent scene where Savannah's twins must be saved rocks the house. Syndil, Shea, Natalya, and Skyler are fabulous here. Girl power! ;)

My only criticism (which is more like a unfulfilled wish) is that I wanted Skyler to have a bigger role in this book. She is my favorite character of this whole series, and I can't wait for her and Dimitri's story. 

Well, Holy Guacamole, Christine Feehan just hit one right out of the damned park. I hope and pray this is a kinder, gentler approach to her novels, and that the trend will continue. This book is really wonderful, and I think that Feehan fans everywhere will be overjoyed to read it.

Grade: A

Penelope

Wazz up?

On the news front....

Eloisa James has a new chapter for A Duke Of Her Own on her cool website....it's cute! I hope she is planning a book for Tobias. Hmm...maybe I'll email her and ask? I also just joined her facebook site. Stalker much? 

Also, Christine Feehan's newest Dark book is out....Dark Slayer. I have been really looking forward to this one, since it's Razvan and Ivory's story. However, in light of the recent debacle Hidden Currents, I decided to wait and get some feedback on this baby before purchase. (My unread copy of Hidden Currents is in the basement gathering dust where it will probably be discovered by archaeologists in the year 2098). Based on four customer reviews on Amazon, Dark Slayer is looking good. I'm going to wait for a few more opinions before I take the plunge. Anyone out there read this book yet? If so, please let me know if it's good and not filled with too much disturbing violence. I'm up to four prilosecs a day, and my stomach can't take much more. 

I'm also about to read an advanced copy of A Christmas Ball by Emily Bryan, Jennifer Ashley, and Alissa Johnson. I LOVE Christmas romantic fiction, especially anthologies. Can't wait to read this one since I love Emily Bryan and Jennifer Ashley. Looking forward to checking out a new author, too. 

I'm about halfway through Jeaniene Frost's Destined For An Early Grave. I think J. Frost is my "favorite new discovery of 2009!" (aside from my Williams and Sonoma margarita maker, that is!). 

Hope everyone is having a great week. Today was back to school day for my kiddies! I will finally have time to work on book #2 of the Klaus Brothers Series, Sweet Magik. I'm hoping to have that one out for Christmas 2010, as a follow up to Sweet Inspiration, which will be out this December. And now, I'm off to celebrate the first day of school by purchasing a gigantic frappacino at Starbuck's! 

Happy September,

Penelope

Blast From The Past: Review of Dark Symphony by Christine Feehan

Dark Symphony by Christine Feehan (2007)

Although I am hugely disappointed in the violent turn of events Ms. Feehan has taken of late (see my post Excessive Violence in Romance Novels: Who Needs It?), her earlier Carpathian vampire novels are still among my favorites. This week, after commenting on an Amazon reader board about "dogs in romance," I decided to re-read Dark Symphony, one of my favorite books in the Dark Series. For those of you not familiar with Feehan's Carpathians, I'll give you a brief overview. These books are high on the melodrama, contain extremely long-winded, graphic sex scenes, and the heroes are super-alpha "vampire"-like Carpathians, who pledge undying loyalty to their "lifemates." Yeah, they are pretty much over the top, but if you buy into this whole thing (which I do), then they are extremely romantic. Dark Symphony is one of my favorites for several reasons. 

First of all, this is one of the Dark Series with no vampire fight scenes. Most of the Dark books have a bundle of foul vampires, with their talon-like nails, rotting flesh, hideous teeth, etc etc. Basically, they're not pretty. It adds a whole different paranormal dimension to these books which is okay if I'm in the mood for a vampire fight scene...

Vampire: I'm going to kick your Carpathian butt. 

Carpathian: You are an abomination, you must die to protect mortals and immortals alike.

Vampire: Come and get me, Skippy. 

(Can you tell I'm sort of in a weird mood?)  Anyhoo, the bad guys in Dark Symphony are humans and shapeshifters, not vampires. And it just goes to show that Feehan doesn't really need all that crazy paranormal business to write a great book.  The Scarletti family is a hoot, and Christine Feehan's humorous side (which does not reveal itself very often in her ultra-serious, melodramatic books) is a breath of fresh air. There are several places where I actually laughed out loud while reading this book. Antonietta is a very original Feehan heroine...a blind and very talented pianist, she is confident and self-assured. (Most of the human heroines freak out when they learn their lifemates plan to "convert" them into Carpathians, but Antonietta was not hesitant. Her attitude...."Bring it on!") Love her! Also, I like Byron. Unlike some of the really intense heroes (Darius, Gregori, etc.--who I also love!), Byron is more understated and rational thinking. (Some of the Carpathian males are sort of like cavemen dragging their unwilling women folk home to their lair--not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that, mind you!). 

And finally, the reason I wrote about this book on the Amazon boards is because of the cool dog. Yep, that's right....I LOVE romance novels with cool dogs, and Celt, a borzoi, is loyal, fierce and protective of his charges. You can tell Feehan is into animals, and her description of Celt and all of the shapeshifting beings (owls, dragons, Jaguars, wolves, etc) are fascinating. 

I have re-read Dark Symphony many times and it never fails to get me in a good mood. I highly recommend this classic Feehan, and pray that she returns to some good old-fashioned romance in the future. Grade: A

Penelope

Excessive Violence in Romance Novels: Who Needs It?

Books are powerful things. They can make us fall in love with fictional characters. They can make us cheer for heroes and loathe evil villains. Scenes from novels linger in our memories forever. A truly gifted author can do that to her readers...she has power. Readers learn to trust an author...learn to care for the characters she creates, savoring their triumphs as their own. 

A long time ago, I was an obsessive mystery reader. I read all sorts of disturbing mysteries and barely batted an eyelash. And then I had a son. Suddenly, scenes of children being abducted, abused, and tortured were no longer palatable. I was exhausted and barely able to function. I needed something to make me feel good, lift my spirits and remind me that there is life outside of dirty diapers and mashed peas. I read my first romance novel and I was hooked. A guaranteed happy ending. Loving, intense sexual relationships. If I wanted to immerse myself in violence, abuse and depressing current issues, all I had to do was read the front page of the newspaper. Instead, I chose to lose myself in a romance novel, and I have been an addicted fan of this genre ever since.

One of the very first paranormal romance writers I discovered was Christine Feehan. I read one of her Carpathian vampire novels and was intrigued by this new landscape. Vampires are sexy? Although there was violence in this world, because it was not based in reality, but rather a paranormal setting, I was able to stomach it...especially since the complete devotion of these Carpathians to their lifemates was such a romantic notion. However, I noticed over the years that Feehan's books were becoming darker and more disturbing. The Ghostwalker series especially. Rape and violence against women was becoming a common theme in her books. 

Which brings me to Hidden Currents. I have been a faithful fan of the Drake Sisters series since the beginning. And finally, Feehan released the final, seventh installment of this paranormal series, Elle's story. I have been looking forward to this book all year. I started to get nervous after reading several comments from reviewers who received an advanced copy of the book. They liked it, but the torture and abuse and difficult subject matter (human trafficking) were hard to take. Uh oh. I ordered the book from Amazon. I wanted closure for the series...I was cheering for Elle and Jackson. They deserved a happy ending. Reader reviews started to trickle in on the Amazon website. Here are some of the comments..."[Feehan] let her readers down," "very disappointed," "disgusted," "made me sick," "simply awful," "degrading to any woman who has been raped," and worst of all, "I wish I hadn't read it." Many of these readers prefaced their comments by saying they were long-time Feehan fans. There are also some 5-star reviews from readers who loved this book regardless of the dark material.

So, I made a decision. Maybe I'm a big wuss. Maybe I'm missing out on some great books because I don't want to read such disturbing stuff. But I don't want a scene replaying through my head as I fall asleep where a character I have grown to care about is forced to endure horrendous abuse. I'm putting my unread copy of Hidden Currents on the shelf, and it's going to stay there. Every author has her own prerogative to write whatever she wants. Likewise, a reader has the prerogative to choose as well. I miss the old Christine Feehan books, which really focused on romance. I guess I'll have to be content with re-reading the old Dark series. In the mean time, I'm going to immerse myself in the many wonderful, non-violent romances being released, and continue to celebrate this genre I have grown to love.

Penelope

A Couple of Snoozers

I have read a bevy of great books lately, but I've also slept through a couple. Mary Balogh's Then Comes Seduction is not her best work. Katherine Huxtable is just plain boring and so is the story. Margaret's story, At Last Comes Love, is next in line and looks more promising. I'm looking forward to it since I love Balogh and was disappointed in Then Comes Seduction.  My worry that the Huxtables could never compare to the Bedwyns is unfortunately coming true.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next installment.

I also read Christine Feehan's Burning Wild this past week. Not her best effort, I must say. First of all, the beginning of the book details Jake's horrific child abuse at the hands of his parents.  Call me funny, but I just don't think child abuse and romance mix all that well. (This is one of the reasons I don't love contemporary romance...I don't want to be reminded of the horrors of real life, I'm looking for escape.) The rest of the book is basically...well, boring. Hard to believe that a shape-shifting Christine Feehan book could be boring, but there you have it. Too much whining, introspection, how can I learn to love after my shiteous upbringing, blah, blah, blah. And Emma is too good to be true. I am looking forward to the release of the final Drake Sisters novel, Hidden Currents (Elle's story), which will be out on June 30 (my birthday!).  Also, Feehan's newest Carpathian novel Dark Slayer will be released in September of 2009. Dark Slayer is the story of Ivory Malinov and Razvan, and should be a fascinating book. I can't wait!

After finishing Jacquie d'Alessandro's Tempted at Midnight, I went back to read some of her oldies.  I just finished re-reading Red Roses Mean Love (1999), and I want to heartily recommend this book to those of you who have not checked it out.  D'Alessandro is truly a brilliant historical romance writer, and this touching, humorous story is a keeper! 

Please leave a comment with any and all suggestions for me, especially if you have read a romance lately that you adored!

Thanks, Penelope

Review for Dark Curse by Christine Feehan

Dark Curse by Christine Feehan

Christine Feehan has developed a winning recipe for her dark paranormal romance series. Take one sexy alpha-male Carpathian vampire, add a gorgeous female with an iron will, throw in an intriguing history of the Carpathian people (including a language that appears to roll off the tongue), and finish with heart-stopping vampire battles and incredibly steamy sex scenes. Feehan's baked herself a winning series that continues to fascinate her fans and keeps them clamoring for more.  Dark Curse is the 16th entry of the Dark Series, and I was spell bound by this installment. Lara Calladine is from the Dragonseeker line, and Nicolas De La Cruz is one of the domineering, arrogant and irresistible Carpathians.  This book has a couple of things that veer off her regular path which make it extraordinary, in my oh so humble opinion.  First of all, I love the council meeting with the warrior males...it's such a treat to see all of these characters we have grown to love together in one scene.  I also adored the council meeting with their female counterparts, especially Shea struggling to uncover the medical mystery surrounding the deaths of their infants.  I'm digging how Feehan is portraying the females as powerful members of this race with their own special talents and abilities.  I cannot wait for Dark Slayer, which will be out in hardcover in September 2009. Check out Feehan's website for more info and to watch her amusing videos.  I hope that Feehan will not make her fans wait too long for the story of Skyler and Dimitri...there's nothing I like better than two tortured souls finding salvation with each other, and this pairing should produce an incredible book in this series. Grade: A

Loving her own life, Penelope

Review for Murder Game by Christine Feehan

Murder Game by Christine Feehan

Murder Game is Book 7 of the Ghostwalker Series by Feehan.  For those of you who love dark paranormal romances, this series is for you.  And I do mean dark.  Feehan is not for the faint of heart.  She handles some seriously disturbing themes in her books, and this one is no exception. Tansy Meadows (love the flower names!) and Kadan Montague are the two enhanced Ghostwalkers who fall in love, and lust, in this intense novel. Feehan is an absolute master of the paranormal...discovering the range of abilities for her Ghostwalkers is always a fabulous adventure for the reader. (My favorite part of this one is the modifications to Kadan's fingertips, allowing him to stick to any surface and crawl like Spiderman).  I know it sounds ridiculous, but you're a believer once sucked into Feehan's world. Tansy is forced to experience a sort of mental torture as she touches objects used by the perverse killers playing this murder game. The violent images she must endure may be too much for many romance readers. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book.  If you're a fan of dark paranormals, then Murder Game is a must-read.  It also continues (in the same tradition as the television show Lost, I suppose) to reveal some answers about the mysterious Ghostwalkers and their creator Whitney, while introducing more questions to be addressed in future installments.  I also recommend starting with the beginning of this series (Shadow Game) and working through the books in order, since there is a lot of fascinating back story. Also for your amusement, check out Christine Feehan's website to see her video ads for the Ghostwalker Series...they're a hoot!  Grade: A- (minus is for excessive violence)

Sincerely, Penelope