REVIEW: Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

Series: The Suddenly Series #1
Genre: New Adult / Contemporary Fiction
Pub Date: April 2013 (self-published)
Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Source: Pre-ordered directly from the author at an event.

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

MY THOUGHTS
Soooo... Can I tell you how much I LOVED this book? I read over half of it one evening and then put off work the next morning (good thing I work from home!) to finish it. Okay, now let's just go ahead and get this out in the open: no, the premise of Suddenly Royal is not exactly original (think The Princess Diaries, but steamier). However, in my opinion that absolutely does not take away from what an incredibly fun and engaging book this is! For me, I think that's in part because I'm one of those girls who always had that secret little dream inside of discovering that she is actually a princess. I'm not ashamed to admit that in the least! Come on, I know there are more of you out there...

I read most of this book with what was probably a very goofy grin on my face. I was hooked from page one. How could I not love Samantha?! She is smart, sassy and unafraid to speak her mind, yet at the same time vulnerable and just so real. And while far from perfect, Alex certainly made for a pretty dreamy prince. It probably didn't hurt that Chase had mentioned she envisioned Chris Hemsworth as Alex. I'll take that visual any day! Prince Yummy, indeed... ;-) But in addition to these engaging lead characters, Chase does what she is so very good at, providing a well-rounded and well-written supporting cast. Between Sam's personal assistant, Chadwick, her best friend Jess, and various members Alex's family and other Lilarian royalty, there is a great variety of people who each add something special to the story and the events that unfold. Without a doubt, the lovable (and even the less-than-lovable) characters are the other big reason why this story just worked so well for me.

What may be most telling: I loved this story so much, I would rather not even call attention to the handful of typos I came across, but fairness dictates that I have to at least mention them. I believe they were all cases where apostrophes had jumped into words where they didn't belong -- probably from some of the words that were missing them... Those pesky apostrophes! Even they could not mar my enjoyment of Suddenly Royal. I laughed, I even got a bit teary, and by the time I turned the last page I sighed in complete contentment.

Looking back, it's funny to think that had I not worked with a young lady who knew Nichole Chase and just happened to mention her Dark Betrayal trilogy to me in conversation one day, I might not have discovered her books -- at least, not as soon as I did. Suddenly Royal is easily now my favorite of Chase's books and if you have read the rest of her works, I think you will see how much her writing and storytelling have grown. The earlier mention of The Princess Diaries aside, this book really did play out like a movie in my head as I read, thanks to Chase's descriptive and easy-to-read writing, which enables you to just immerse yourself in the story as if you were a part of it. I think anyone who had dreams of becoming a princess or their own happily-ever-afters would enjoy this book. And, well, if you don't happen to be one of those girls, then you might just enjoy it for the smart characters and the steamy romance that develops between Sam and Alex.
*It should be noted that due to adult content, Suddenly Royal falls into the New Adult category, not YA like Chase's Dark Betryal trilogy.
Read this book...

• If you ever had dreams of being a princess
• If you have read any of Nichole Chase's books
• If you enjoyed the Princess Diaries

Links...

• Website
• Twitter: @NicholeChase
• Facebook Fan Page
• Goodreads Author Page

Review & Giveaway: Forgotten Dreams by Alexia Banks

Title: Forgotten Dreams
Author: Alexia Banks
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: TODAY! August 6, 2012, Crimson Romance
Format: eBook
Source: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review your debut!

Synopsis

Itching for adventure, Miami private investigator Shane Connelly heads for Swan Creek in North Carolina wine country. But she quickly discovers it’s anything but the perfect spot to while away the summer months. Her country home turns out to be a burned out hovel that she suspects is haunted. Discouraged, she plans to head home when a handsome stranger arrives at her doorstep. Before she can beat a trail off the mountain, Shane and her dashing neighbor Jesse are inexplicably drawn together as they dodge bullets, unearth ghosts, and unravel a dark town secret. In the end, Shane realizes it's not the high altitudes that are making her head spin, but her brooding lover with the penetrating dark eyes.

My Thoughts

At just 128 pages on my Nook Simple Touch, Forgotten Dreams is a pretty quick read that is easy to get into, so I finished it easily in one sitting. Therein lies my problem with this book. The story has SO MUCH potential but there wasn't quite enough detail to truly do this book justice. The characters are great -- what little we are able to see of them. Shane is a fiery redhead who isn't afraid to speak her mind and be herself, especially after she ditches her painfully dull boyfriend. Jesse is equal parts tough guy and sensitive sweetheart and it just so happens his mother also presents an interesting character of whom I think we see far too little throughout the story.

Seriously, it's really impressive just how colorful the characters are, given that this is such a short book. Multiple character development across the broad spectrum of a story is often a shortcoming with debut authors, but not a bit with Alexia Banks. If only the plot could have been as intricately drawn and fleshed out a bit more, we would have a seriously awesome read on our hands. But realistically, I understand that you can only provide so much detail in a book of this length. I'd love more of a backstory on the ghost and even Shane, herself -- more than what we see in her nightmares, anyway, which is certainly an intriguing way to learn about Shane, I must say. And let's face it, you can't properly build a relationship between two people in such a short read. Such a hot romance deserves a little more build-up and suspense. While Shane and Jesse not unexpectedly start off on the wrong foot, I wish there had been more time to make the transition to what their relationship ultimately became.

I also have to say that I would have loved to see more of the paranormal element in the storyline. There are big chunks of the story that drift away from it and I think the ghost story could have become more central to the plot than it ultimately did. There were times I was deliciously creeped out -- especially reading this late at night, but that momentum kind of died off soon after the various ghost sightings, which led me to forget that this was supposed to be a paranormal romance.

Bottom line, I think it can and should be considered a big positive that I truly wanted to be able to read more of this story. Yes, I did lower my rating because I felt like important details were missing with respect to key elements of the storyline. If you are looking for a quick read with some steamy romance, ghostly elements, and a splash of humor, you should definitely give Forgotten Dreams a try. It is a worthy debut that I hope brings the promise of more (and longer!) books from this author.

So have I intrigued you? Would you like to win an ebook of Forgotten Dreams? Well, be sure to enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter just below the rating. And below that are even more goodies in celebration of Forgotten Dreams Release Day!

My Rating
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Review: Forever and the Night

Title: Forever and the Night
Author: Linda Lael Miller
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: Orig. November 1993, Penguin Group; this eBook version April 2012, IGLA
Format: Nook Book
Source: Purchased from BN.com

Synopsis (from BN.com)

Neely Wallace, having stumbled upon an unsavory secret concerning her employer, a U.S. Senator, is on the run. Her main goal is simple, to stay alive. The last thing she needs or wants is to fall in love—especially with a time-traveling vampire like Aidan Tremayne. Aidan has some complicated challenges of his own to meet, since a number of very bad and very powerful former humans are out to drive the proverbial stake through his heart. 

My Thoughts

Linda Lael Miller was one of the first romance writers I read, and one of very few that I have kept up with from time to time over the years when I feel the urge to pick up a romance. When I noticed she had independently re-released this vampire romance on ebook, I thought I would give it a try (it's only $4.99, after all, and I love a good vampire story) and see what her story from nearly 20 years ago was like. Well, as I recently discovered when trying to re-read a book of Miller's recently after a long hiatus, I seem to be discovering that I don't care for her books as much as I used to.

To begin with the technical, something odd happened with the translation of this title to ebook. Spacing is off and there are bizarre instances when a number "1" will appear instead of the letter "I". I think there was also an instance when the word "Mend" appeared where I think it should have been "friend"? I'm not sure; it was really, really strange -- and unfortunate that it should go to mass market in that condition. But enough about that -- I do think it deserves mentioning, but let's move on to how I felt about the story.

And as for that, I felt... not much. I easily skimmed at least the last half of the book. The story was dull, most of the the characters were lifeless and one-dimensional, save one (thank goodness for Valerian!), and I am beginning to question why I liked Miller's writing. Granted, this book is nearly 20 years old, so I think I should re-read a recent work of Miller's before questioning my loyalty to her books. There was just SO much of that clichéd, over-the-top, flowery writing of the romantic scenes that I found myself rolling my eyes. If the story had been better, I could have lived with it, but the story was pretty lame and there was very little to like about Neely or Aidan, which makes it pretty difficult to find any connection with the book at all. And I am so sick of the "oh, I barely know you, but I know that I love you with my entire being" device.

So... yeah... I don't have a lot of great things to say about this one. There are two reasons I am not just giving this book one star. The first is the character Valerian. Given how little we see of him, it is amazing how much more vibrant he is than either Neely or Aidan. I expect that a future book in this series must be devoted to him, but I will not be reading the rest to find out. The second reason I didn't completely blast the book is one that would be considered a spoiler, but this book has been around so long it hardly seems worth worrying about that. Aidan Tremayne is a vampire who doesn't want to be a vampire and will do anything to change back into a mortal man. I haven't read any stories like that out of the various vampire books I've read over the years, so it was refreshing for me. I just wish it had been enough to save the story for me.

My Rating

Review: Slow Twitch

Title: Slow Twitch (Brenna Blixen #3)
Author: Liz Reinhardt
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Pub Date: March 2012, Self-published
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased from BN.com

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Summer scatters three friends, ties them back together, and makes them question who they have been and who they want to be in the future.

Brenna expected to soak up the knowledge of great Irish writers at her summer workshop in Dublin. But there are some things even the best books can't teach you, and a passionate new friend and an old familiar full of surprises challenge Brenna to follow her heart. By the time she's back in the States, she can't wait to throw herself back into Jake's arms and tell him exactly what he means to her.

She puts the brakes on that plan when it becomes clear that Jake may not be ready to shoulder any more. He visits his family's palatial home in the mountains of New York, and is exposed to all the possibilities a life surrounded by his pampered relatives and washed in money would hold for him. But is it possible to accept so much and not change who you are? Jake has to face the reality that changing sometimes means losing things...but how much is he willing to put on the line?

Saxon has been thrust into a life of drudgery and indentured service he never dreamed of after a brush with the law puts him on family-enforced probation. Who would have thought Sussex County's resident bad-ass layabout would fall head-over-heels in love with a girl, an elderly aunt, and a shot at a whole new life. The problem is, he's a Maclean to his marrow, and it's in his blood to be a selfish screw-up. Isn't it?

Brenna, Jake, and Saxon spend one summer growing up, working things out, and doing their best to weather the changes that get thrown their way. But can the love and friendships of one amazing summer last through the ups and downs of the coming years?

My Thoughts

Wow, what a finish to the Brenna Blixen series! While there were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book, frankly, there were some things I didn't like, as well, and I'm going to start with the negative. I couldn't bring myself to classify this one as YA (or even YA Mature as it is noted), though I would say the first two books probably did fit into that category. Call me uptight, old-fashioned, a prude, whatever you like, but in my opinion this last book was just too explicit to be categorized as YA or YA Mature. It's been awhile since I read the first two books, but I don't remember them being quite so daring as Slow Twitch -- well, Junk Miles came closer, I guess. (Makes me wish I hadn't read these on my blogging hiatus so I'd have reviews to refer back to.)

I just really wasn't prepared for the content in Slow Twitch. I guess the times are changing, but I don't recall any of the books I was able to get my hands on as a young adult being as explicit as this one was. And I admit I sure got tired of the F-bomb being dropped all over the place. I mean, I do remember that once kids/teens learned that word and tried it out, it frequently became a part of their vocabulary, but the use of the word just seemed ridiculously overdone in this book and got tiresome quickly. And yes, it's a self-published book, and there are a few (a very few) typos that spellcheck wouldn't catch, but closer editing would.

Okay, all of that said, I really did enjoy this book. There was a lot to like, despite the things I could have done without. I thought the three main characters really came into their own in Slow Twitch and this was, by far, the most I enjoyed reading about them. Saxon's transformation was most impressive and his point of view was the one I most looked forward to reading. (This book switches between Brenna, Jake, and Saxon telling the story.) He may have been a total screw-up in the past, but we finally see the good in him here. Jake was also more enjoyable to read about this time -- he wasn't quite as pathetic as he was in past books. Sure, by the end, we're back Brenna being his whole world, but he does grow a little bit and maybe finally realizes he does need to live his own life some. Brenna didn't change too terribly much. I did enjoy the introduction of a friend she made while in Dublin -- Evan, a crazy gal from Georgia. Evan's scenes really added a lot to the story and were a refreshing change of pace.

The end was a mixture of happily-ever-after and perhaps a bit of uncertainty for some involved. I suppose it was open enough that Reinhardt could get another book out of this series, but I would prefer for this to be the end. It's not always a bad thing to leave a little to the imagination. Bottom line, if you liked Double Clutch and Junk Miles, I am reasonably sure you are going to enjoy Slow Twitch. Just be prepared for much more explicit content to go along with the fast-paced, gripping storyline.

My Rating:

Review: Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure

Title: Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure
Author: Sophie Barnes
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Pub Date: June 2012, HarperCollins Publishers
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased from BN.com

Synopsis (from BN.com)

It's going to be a wild ride…

Lady Alexandra Summersby is not your average society miss. Not only is she more likely to climb a tree than she is to wear a dress, but she has also sworn off marriage. Alex loves taking chances, which is how she finds herself embroiled in a secret mission as she races across the country with the Earl of Trenton. But Alexandra is about to discover that the real danger lies not in duels, but in her completely unexpected reaction to Lord Trenton's company.

Michael Ashford, Earl of Trenton, is a man of duty. Honorable, charming, and a hit with the ladies, he's never had trouble staying focused—until now. Lady Alexandra is like no other woman he's ever met, and suddenly the prospect of marriage seems far more appealing. Now, to convince Alexandra that a life together could be an adventure like no other….

My Thoughts

I really ought to give up trying to find other Regency Romances that will measure up to Georgette Heyer's, which I tend to hold as the standard for the genre. These days, I know not to expect that they will be the clean reads that Heyer's books were, but I always hold out hope that they will have the detail, plot, and wit that make Heyer's stories stand out. Sadly for me, Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure falls short both as a work of Historical Fiction and a Romance.

The storyline and the events around it (and frequently, the people's reactions to said events) are so absolutely ridiculous and implausible that I found myself rolling my eyes almost constantly. Barnes tries to capture some of the language of the time but includes little else that makes you feel as if this is supposed to be set in the Regency period. Honestly, it's a modern story that is trying to masquerade as a Regency Romance. On occasion, there is some witty banter between the characters, but I didn't find that it made up for the rest of the book. Once I hit the halfway point, I skimmed most of the rest of the story to see how it played out.

Personally, I think anyone who regularly reads romance (or even someone who doesn't) would not be particularly impressed with that part of the story, either. I didn't find Alexandra's and Michael's relationship to be particularly touching or romantic. Not only that, but after just one day of knowing each other, it is implied that all of these "deep" feelings and emotions are supposed to have surfaced within each of them, causing them to question their own personal opinions of marriage, blah, blah, blah. Seriously? More like deep feelings of lust. At least try to drag out the tension and the budding relationship for a little longer and try to make me feel like Alexandra and Michael are developing true, honest feelings of love for each other.

Perhaps if either the storyline or the romance itself had been executed better, I could have bumped up my rating of this book. But as it stands now, I wouldn't recommend Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure to anyone looking for Historical Romance/Fiction or any kind of Romance. Edited to add: I probably should have realized from the title alone that this was going to be a less-than-spectacular read.

My rating:

Review: The Manning Brides

Title: The Manning Brides (Marriage of Inconvenience & Stand-In Wife)
Author: Debbie Macomber
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Pub Date: Originally 1992, this edition 2008, MIRA
Mass market, 475 pages

Synopsis

Rich Manning and Jamie Warren have always been friends--and nothing but friends. However, that changes when she asks him to father the child she so desperately wants. Rich agrees--if she'll marry him. Because he thinks their Marriage of Inconvenience could become a real marriage instead.

Paul Manning, a grieving widower with three small children, turns to Leah Baker for help and comfort. When that comfort begins to grow into something else, Paul discovers that he wants more than a Stand-In Wife.

My Thoughts

I had never read a Debbie Macomber novel before this set of books, which I happened across our local independent bookstore several weeks ago. I decided I wanted to start a light read last night and, well, that's pretty much exactly what I got and so I'm writing just one review for both stories. I've read a few romance novels, and I actually have to say I appreciate the fact that Macomber does not go into graphic detail when it comes to sex, though there are certainly enough innuendos.

In the end, I have wonder if I'm just not a good candidate for romance novels--at least not those that are like these two books. The story lines just felt so unrealistic and ridiculous--especially the way the couples were acting. I found myself rolling my eyes often, and I'm not sure that I have ever been more frustrated with characters than I was when it came to Rich & Jamie and Paul & Leah. How they could not have a clue as to what the other person was feeling, not know what they themselves were feeling and ultimately say some absolutely stupid things to each other was beyond me. Maybe I just can't relate, but I just can't envision real people acting like these silly couples. The timing of the development of the relationships also felt odd--things happened much too quickly and, to me, the various family members did not react to certain events the way I think most people would. Actually, I felt that both stories--but especially Stand-In Wife--focused so much on the couples and hardly at all on other characters (friends & family) that the stories just felt even less real.

I realize that romance novels are very much an escapist read, but I need more substance to really appreciate a story like either of these and to truly "escape." Macomber's writing is easy to read and follow, and I could at least enjoy the fact that the books both ended "happily ever after." But I think that lately I've been reading so many books that are deeper, more emotionally gripping, and better written, and I was simply unable to appreciate this title in the manner it had been intended.

My rating:


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