Home Fires - Luanne Rice

Title: Home Fires
Author: Luanne Rice
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 1995
Pages: 304
Genre: Romance

I think I am getting ready to contradict myself here...I don't want to...but...here's the deal. Do you remember when I expressed my views on Kirstin Hannah's On Mystic Lake? I didn't like the book because the main character was in the midst of trying to convince her husband to not file for divorce, and then she goes and falls in love with someone else.

Well, Home Fires is somewhat like that - the heroine of the story is still married - but she has decided that divorce is the only way (she caught her husband with another woman). While still married, she falls in love with Thomas, an island firefighter. But for some reason, this book didn't bother me as much as Kristin Hannah's. I guess maybe because Luanne Rice's character had already made the decision that the marriage was over - she wasn't waffling back and forth between two men. You could really tell that there was no hope for the marriage to reconcile.

Luanne Rice's characters are vibrant and full of rich emotions. They come alive through the pages, and you feel like you know each one of them intimately. She definitely writes from the heart and draws the reader into the tragedy and loss that her families face. Home Fires is about family loyalty, passionate love, and overcoming extreme odds to find the greatest gift of all - love.

Anne returns to her childhood home to try and recover from her four-year-old daughter's death and the abandonment of her husband. Soon after arriving, a fire breaks out in the family home and Anne escapes. But she remembers something that has her rushing back into the house to retrieve (nope I'm not telling what, you are not getting a spoiler from me - LOL). Firefighter Thomas Devlin rushes through the flames to save her. Thomas is the local clockmaker and volunteer firefighter. He is somewhat of a recluse. He came to the island to heal after being unable to save his wife from a fire in which he was badly scarred.

This book is about the coming together of two scarred people - one on the inside and one on the outside - who find healing, hope, and love.

However, they are not the only characters in the book who have a story to tell. Anne's sister Gabrielle and her neice, Maggie also have their story. Maggie is a troubled child who is trying to find her way through her teenage years. She is hanging with the wrong crowd, and you get a real picture of her struggles to turn her life around.

I love the gentleness, understanding, and compassion that Thomas shows Anne. He is such a tender good-hearted man, and his ability to help Anne through the grieving process brought tears to my eyes. She is such a broken soul and Luanne Rice's ability to express the depth of her despair is phenomenal.



Rating: 3/5
Pages: 304
Completed: 3/27/09

Home Fires - Luanne Rice

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/homes-fires-luanne-rice.html

The Vampire Shrink - Lynda Hilburn

Title: The Vampire Shrink
Author: Lynda Hilburn
Publisher: Medallion Press
Published: 2007
Pages: 392
Genre: Paranormal/Vampire
Series: Kismet Knight - Book #1

Lynda Hilburn is a "new to me" author and I am glad that I picked up her book. What a great new twist to the vampire genre. It vaguely reminds me of the early Anita Blake novels - but Kismet is definitely a character like no other. The writing style is unique, and Lynda Hilburn creates a dark, dangerous, fascinating world.

Being a doctor of psychology, Kismet is a firm believer that the paranormal does not exist, or if it does - it is only in her patients' minds. She is stubborn, has a quick wit, and a quirky sense of humor. The Vampire Shrink is told in first person, and is a fast-paced, action-packed, paranormal adventure. The characters are well-developed, and the storyline kept me immersed in the book until the very end - yes, I read this in one sitting.

Kismet is a psychologist who, after having a patient talk to her about wanting to become a vampire, decides that this would be a great thesis for a new book. So, she takes out an ad stating that she is a vampire psychologist thinking she would get vampire wannabes. Little did she know that she was stepping into a world filled with paranormal beings, murder, and a drop dead gorgeous, 800-year-old vampire named Devereux. After being attacked in her own office by a vampire, Devereux, being the Master Vampire of the city, wants to help Kismet any way he can.

Not only does she get a couple of angry bloodsuckers after her, she is also involved in a murder investigation when one of her clients shows up almost drained of blood. That's when we get introduced to the very handsome FBI profiler, Alan Stevens, who warns her that vampires are indeed real. Throughout the story, Kismet's feelings grow not only for Alan but for the gorgeous vampire, Devereux. But will they be able to find out who is draining their victims dry before Kismet becomes the next one?

I couldn't help but fall in love with both the charasmatic Devereux and the sexy FBI agent, Alan. They both add there own unique qualities to the story, and I ended up pulling for both of them where Kismet was concerned. The secondary characters were engaging also. She has one client who is a vampire, but hates the sight of blood!! How extreme is that? It was a fun, exciting, edge of your seat read, and I am glad I went along for the ride!!! I can't wait to read the second book in the series to see what trouble Kismet finds herself in next.



Rating: 4/5
Pages: 392
Completed: 3/22/09

ANOTHER REVIEW:

Lea over at Closetwriter reviewed both A Vampire Shrink and the next in the series, Dark Harvest. You can read her reviews here.

The Vampire Shrink - Lynda Hilburn

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/vampire-shrink-lynda-hilburn.html

Night's Touch - Amanda Ashley

Title: Night's Touch
Author: Amanda Ashley
Publisher: Zebra
Published: 2007
Pages: 346
Genre: Paranormal/Vampire/Witches
Series: Sequel to Night's Kiss

Another Amanda Ashley's book that I enjoyed but didn't like the ending. What is up with that? LOL. I like my endings to be neatly wrapped with no questions hanging in the air. That didn't happen with this one. However, I can't say what my questions are because it would be telling some spoilers with the book - and I hate to do that. Let's just say that it didn't end to my satisfaction, and it made me say, "What??...This is the end??" It ended so abruptly that I was caught off guard.

Cara is the daughter of Roshan and Brenna from Night's Kiss (which I reviewed earlier here). She is a twenty-two year old virgin who is a librarian. Nothing wrong with those two aspects of her life - in fact I liked that she was so innocent. She wanders into the Nocturne Club looking for a diversion from her sheltered life. Instead she finds "a dark, seductive stranger whose touch entices her beyond the safety she's always known..."

Vincent is a relatively new vampire with only a year under his belt. This is the first time I have ever read about a hero that is so young in vampire years. However, he has unimaginable powers because he was brought over by an ancient vampiress. "Cara's beauty and bewitching innocence call to his mind, his heart...his blood."

Cara doesn't know her parents are vampires - they have kept it hidden from her for twenty-two years (can you really do that?). After she discovers their secrets, she has a hard time accepting them, which I think I would too. However, after going over everything in her life - her parents actions, aversion to sunlight, never eating, etc. - she doesn't see the same characteristics in Vincent. Is she blind? Even after her father tells her that Vincent is a vampire, she doesn't believe it.

The suspense in the story was good. However, I kind of saw it coming. I liked all the characters in the book - especially revisiting Roshan and Brenna. Vincent was a great hero, and his feelings about revealing himself to Cara were realistic. Some of the happenings in the book weren't explained thoroughly - at least for my liking. But everything flowed smoothly.

I am hesitant to give this book a 3 rating - however, I did enjoy the read - it was fun, suspenseful, and I liked the relationship between Cara and Vincent. So, I'll let my rating stand.

(By the way, do you like to koalas?? LOL)



Rating: 3/5
Pages: 346
Completed: 3/17/09

Night's Touch - Amanda Ashley

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/nights-touch-amanda-ashley.html

Celebrate the Author - Hannah Howell

It's time to Celebrate an Author for the month of March. Happy Birthday Hannah Howell!! I absolutely love her Highlander books and look forward to reading more of the them in the months to come. I am a relatively new person to Ms. Howell's books, so I have a lot of catching up to do.

This month I finished reading Highland Captive which is a reissue of her 1990 book, Elfking's Lady. Since I am so new at reading her books, I am glad they are starting to reissue her older ones that are hard to find. The story is about Aimil, Parlan MacGuin, and a horse named Elfking.

Amil is abducted by a feuding clan - the infamous warrior Parlan MacGuin. Known throughout as Black Parlan, he has a reputation as a fierce warrior using it to "claim lands and lovers." Aimil sets out to hate him, but finds him honorable and alluring, and she cannot deny her desire for the man that holds her captive.

She is betrothed to Rory, but knowing his reputation, fears that it will not be a safe union. So she decides to give up her virtue to Parlan, not only for her horse but hoping that Rory will call off the wedding. You see, Parlan wants her horse - a fine stallion that will not only serve him in war, but increase the value of his future horses. So he bargains with Aimil - her virtue or her horse. I know it sounds kind of silly that a horse would mean so much to Aimil - but I think the main reason she gave up her virtue was her fear of Rory. Not only that - but she is estranged from her father - receiving no love from him at all. So, she feels the only thing she has left is her horse.

Rory gets wind of the abduction, but it doesn't get rid of his desire for Aimil. He has an old score to settle with her family, and he intends to get revenge through marrying Aimil. So, the feud begins.

I really enjoyed this story. I love reading medieval romances set in the Highlands and this didn't fail to entertain me. Aimil is a strong character whose spirit never seems to break - even when she is imprisoned with her brother at the hands of the MacGuins. She knows what she wants and goes after it. The only time you see her falter is when she is in the presence of her father. Parlan is a warrior, but his sense of honor is what makes him a true hero. He doesn't try to break Aimil's spirit - in fact, it is her spirit that draws him to her. From the very beginning - watching her escape from within the walls of his home, he is enchanted by her. His ingenious plans to keep Aimil by his side had me smiling throughout the book. Their passion "threatens to spark an unstoppable blood feud - or it will forever fill their hearts."



Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 359
Completed: 3/15/09

Celebrate the Author - Hannah Howell

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/celebrate-author-hannah-howell.html

Proximidade Award

I am so excited!! Pabast over at Reading Mama bestowed on me this fantastic award. I love the meaning of this award and am so thankful to have received it.

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award.

It is so hard to pick just 8 - I follow so many blogs that have given me great enjoyment. Here are just some of the ones that I frequent daily:

Samantha at Sam's Book Blog

Nicola at Alpha Heroes

Lezlie at Books 'N Border Collies

Cindy at Cindy Reads Romance

Beth at Just Your Average Carpool Queen

Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner

Naida at The Bookworm

Joy at Thoughts of Joy

and also included on this list is Pabast - I really enjoy your blog and your friendship!!

Proximidade Award

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/proximidade-award.html

Mailbox Monday - March 16th

I haven't posted to Mailbox Monday in a few weeks because I haven't received any books - trying to slow my buying down - LOL. However, I have bought a few ebooks in the last couple of weeks - I should probably include those even though they don't arrive in my mailbox.

Here's what showed up last week: (the links are to Amazon so you can check out the books if you want)

The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn - Denver psychologist Kismet Knight doesn't believe in vampires - until a new client shows up at her door - a drop dead gorgeous, 800-year-old vampire.

Night's Touch by Amanda Ashley - (from the back of the book) "Cara DeLongpre wandered into the mysterious Nocturne club looking for a fleeting diversion from her sheltered life. Instead she found a dark, seductive stranger whose touch entices her beyond the safety she's always known and into a heady carnal bliss..."

Simple Wishes by Lisa Dale - Adele wanted to put her lonely childhood and hometown behind her. She went to New York and built a life for herself until it all came crashing down after one terrible mistake. Fleeing to a cottage she inherited from her mother, she meets an artist and woodworker, Jay Fletcher. "Adele's heart begins to soften toward him, but secrets from her mother's past threaten to send her fleeing back to the city."

Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson. This is a reissue of a historical romance she wrote in 1991. It is about the Comanche people and one man's feelings for a white woman. "Despite the hatred intensifying between their peoples, Loretta and Hunter gradually find their prejudices giving way to respect, then flaring into feelings too dangerous to express."

Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear - from the back of the book - "The strength of this book lies in Spear's depiction of pack power dynamics...her wolf world feels at once palpable and even plausible."

Then I won three books from Julie Leto over at Plotmonkeys. They are three Halequin Blazes by her:

Something Wicked
Stripped
Witchy Business - Written by Julie Leto, Rhonda Nelson, Mia Zachary

So all in all - a pretty nice haul.

To see other Mailbox Mondays - go to The Printed Page.

Mailbox Monday - March 16th

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/mailbox-monday-march-16th.html

Seaview Inn - Sherryl Woods

Title: Seaview Inn
Author: Sherryl Woods
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2008
Pages: 383
Genre: Romance

Sherryl Woods is a "new-to-me" author and was recommended to me once again by the ladies of Robyn Carr's Yahoo Group. What a wonderful bunch of women - friendly, enabling, and die-hard fans of Robyn Carr.

I went to the library, but they didn't have a big selection of Sherryl's books. I was able to get my hands on one that wasn't in the middle of a series - that being Seaview Inn. It is a gentle romance that focuses on family relationships (between mother-daughter, grandparent-grandchild, and father-children).

I found myself pulling for Luke in this story - both in his relationship with his kids and his relationship with Hannah. He is a strong character that has a few issues - while he was serving in Iraq, his wife left him for his best friend and business partner, and his kids are angry that he left. After he was done with his rehab from an injury he received in the war, he escapes to Seaview Key where he grew up. It seems like the right place to go until he makes some decisions about his life and what he wants to do with it. He finds solace in helping Grandma Jenny and her granddaughter, Hannah, rennovate the Seaview Inn for its grand reopening.

Hannah is a high-powered public relations executive with the burdensome task of convincing her grandmother to sell the Seaview Inn and move to a retirement home. After her mother died of breast cancer, Hannah knew that her grandmother could not keep the Inn running. So, she took some time off from her job to go to Seaview Key and take control of the situation. However, her grandmother has other plans - she wants to repair the Inn and reopen to the public in just a few short weeks. Like Luke, Hannah has some issues of her own - she is a breast cancer survivor, she hates coming back home (there are bad memories of her mother and father divorcing), her daughter is coming home from college pregnant, and her grandmother isn't cooperating with her plans.

I didn't find Hannah as engaging as Luke. She got on my nerves a little bit about not being able to make decisions about her life. However, she did grow on me as the story progressed. I liked the way she handled her daughter's situation. I think the underlying fear that Hannah had to deal with was the fear that her cancer would come back. She really didn't want to move forward with her life - her mother's cancer came back so she was certain hers would too.

My favorite character (after Luke) was the grandmother. She pulls no punches and tells it like is is. She's feisty, and I found her honesty and getting to the crux of a problem very refreshing.

This was a good story about family relationships, forgiving the past and not letting it affect your future, and dealing with breast cancer.

One of my favorite quotes:

"You can't let the past cripple you. If you do, then you're destroying the present and the future."

Rating: 3/5
Pages: 383
Completed: 3/9/09

Seaview Inn - Sherryl Woods

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/seaview-inn-sherryl-woods.html

Divorced, Desperate and Dating - Christie Craig

Title: Divorced, Desperate, and Dating
Author: Christie Craig
Publisher: Love Spell
Published: 2008
Pages: 353
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Trilogy: Book #2

This book was recommended by Jamie over at Robyn Carr's Yahoo group and I can say that it didn't disappoint. I wasn't aware that it was part of a trilogy - book three is to come out sometime this year. Book one is called Divorced, Desperate, and Delicious and it is going on my TBR list (close to the top - LOL). Divorced, Desperate, and Dating is a humorous romance mystery. I loved the quirky characters in this book - the secondary characters added a lot of fun to this story. I look forward to reading about them again in the other two books. For a really fun read - you need to try this one!

Jason is a man who doesn't commit. He was raised in foster homes and learned at an early age to never need anyone. He even has a cat he has never named. Sue has a habit of picking the wrong man - men with issues - from her ex-husband to her current boyfriend - there is something wrong with each of them. (I won't tell you what - part of the fun is finding out!!). Then comes Detective Jason - she experienced the best kiss of her life with him four months ago. He asked for her phone number, but he never called. Yet here he is again - showing up on her doorstep the day she receives a death threat. What does he want? Why does he want to help? Surely he can't be interested - he never called.

Someone is out to kill Sue copying the acts in her current murder mystery that she is writing and Jason has sworn to protect her. But who is going to protect their hearts? This book has it all - humor, passion, mystery, and romance. I loved watching the relationship build between Sue and Jason - both are scared to take that next step. Jason is afraid of needing someone, and Sue is afraid Jason is just another man with issues. The humor in the story comes from the secondary characters and witty dialog. The mystery behind the story - who is trying to kill Sue - definitely had me guessing up till the very end. For some reason, I just didn't see it coming. Which to me, signifies a good book.

Lacy, Kathy, and Sue belong to the Divorced, Desperate and Delicious Club - where they get together and discuss men, sex, and who is and isn't getting any. The first book is about Lacy and Chase - this one is about Sue and Jason - so I guess the third one will be about Kathy. I can't wait to go back and read Lacy's story - from the snippets we get in this book - it sounds like it should be a good story.

Thanks Jamie for recommending such a fun book!! I look forward to reading the others that you suggested.

Rating: 3.5/5
Pages: 353
Completed: 3/6/09

Divorced, Desperate and Dating - Christie Craig

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/divorced-desperate-and-dating-christie.html

Morning Light - Catherine Anderson

Title: Morning Light
Author: Catherine Anderson
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2008
Pages: 412
Genre: Romance/Psychic
Series: Coulter/Kendrick #8

Don't you just love the cover of this book? It really caught my eye when I saw it on the shelf. This one is going to be a little hard to review. It was somewhat different from Catherine Anderson's other books that I have read. I thought it was a good book, but it received very mixed reviews on Amazon. I think she deviated from her usual writing and that upset some of her fans. However, since I am quite new to this author - I didn't have a preconceived idea of her writing style - therefore it didn't affect me as strongly.

Loni MacEwen was born with second sight. She has vowed to ignore her visions - they have brought her nothing but heartache and notoriety that she didn't want. However, when she begins having visions of a little boy lost in the wilderness - she can't help herself - she just has to warn the boy's father that he is in danger.

Clint Harrigan is a hardworking rancher, quite content with his life - the only thing missing is a wife. He immediately takes an interest in Loni until she comes out with this story about his son being in danger. She has to be mentally unstable...lunatic...how can she "see" this boy when he doesn't even have a son.

However, when Loni's predictions start to unfold on the news the next morning, Clint begins to believe. Together they ride into the wilderness to find the lost boy. "What begins as a race against time becomes a shared journey of trust, understanding, and unexpected love..."(blurb from back of book).

There are several issues with this book that some people objected to. One issue is the religious tone of the book. Catherine Anderson delves into the Catholic religion and both of her main characters are very spiritual. Some called it preachy - but I didn't think it was. She talks about how psychics are viewed in religion (Catholic religion) because both Clint and Loni needed to come to some kind of acceptance of who Loni is and her abilities. She talks about the power of prayer, and trusting in God. So, if reading about spirituality is not for you - then I don't recommend picking up this book.

The other issue that bothered some folks was the paranormal aspect of the book. Loni has second sight and comes from a family of psychics (her mother and grandmother). I will have to admit that some of the abilities are a little "out there." Like the ability of her mother to "see" Loni and her sister during intimate moments. But my belief is that this is a work of fiction - the imagination of the author - and all kinds of paranormal abilities are depicted in books. I didn't mind the paranormal aspect of it at all - in fact, it was one of the things I did like about it. I thought Catherine Anderson did an excellent job weaving a blend of paranormal, spirituality, and suspense. Clint's dedication to his beliefs made him a strong hero. Loni learns to open up and believe in herself. There was some humor interwoven throughout the story - like when Clint learns of Loni's night blindness and the witty dialog between the Harrigan family members. I loved Loni's grandmother too.

Yes, I do believe that this book isn't for some people - and that's okay too. But for me, I really enjoyed the book. I fell in love with Clint - a man with morals, looking for the right woman to share his life with, a rancher, loves animals, rugged - man of my dreams. Loni is a great heroine too. She is a little lost, but it doesn't make her weak. She has a strength inside that helps her overcome heartache and move on with her life. Catherine Anderson did not disappoint me with Morning Light and I look forward to reading more of her work. Even though this is part of a series - I don't believe anything was lost by not reading it in order.

Rating: 3.75/5
Pages: 412
Completed: 3/3/09

Morning Light - Catherine Anderson

http://worldaccordingtobooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/title-morning-light-author-catherine.html