Bedroom Business by Jennifer Crusie

This book actually includes two of Jennifer Crusie's earlier books - Getting Rid of Bradley and Charlie All Night, although it is not easy to see that from the front cover!

In Getting Rid of Bradley, Lucy Savage has just experienced the final insult from her now ex husband when he fails to even turn up at the divorce court. After going to the diner where they were supposed to be having lunch together so that Lucy could at least get some kind of information about what went wrong, Lucy finds herself being shot at, and then she thinks mugged. However her "mugger" is actually Zack Warren, who is investigating her ex-husband for embezzlement.

Zack is a good cop, who has excellent instincts, and he believes that Lucy is in real danger, so decides that she needs 24 hour protection, especially after her car is blown up. It is really only after he moves in that things get uncomfortable for Lucy, mainly because she can't stop thinking about how she wants to be with Zack!

I really liked Zack, although the pretense under which he moved in and stayed seemed a bit thin. His decisiveness around the fact that he was meant to be with Lucy was sweet. Lucy was kind of just there for me - she didn't really sparkle in her own right.

One thing I did like was that the author didn't take all the obvious steps on her way to the conclusion. For example, there was a little bit of flirting involving Lucy's sister Tina and Zack's partner Tony, but it never turned into a happy every after for all of them.

I rated Getting Rid of Bradley 4/5.

In Charlie All Night, hot shot radio producer Allie McGuffrey has recently broken up with her boyfriend, who also happens to be the star DJ that she helped create, and now she has been moved from the morning slot to the 10pm to 2am shift with a completely new DJ. After being told this she goes to the local bar, only to see her ex there. Whilst trying to keep her pride in tact, she picks up one of the men sitting at the bar and pretends that she is with him. He turns out to be Charlie Tenniel, the new DJ. As he has just arrived in town, he is invited to stay with Allie and her flatmate Joe. Allie decides that she needs a one night stand, but it quickly turns into more for them both.

Charlie soon becomes the next big thing on radio, but one night during an argument that is accidentally broadcast on air, Charlie and Allie challenge each other to live without sex for a month. Shortly after, Charlie has to move out, but their relationship changes from one that is sexually based to one where they just spend time hanging out. I really liked this side of the story, although whether it is realistic is a different matter!

But Charlie didn't really come to town just to do the radio show. He was asked to come and investigate some thing at the radio station - an anonymous informer has told the station owner that drugs are being distributed from the station. So whilst all he wants to do is spend time with Allie, there is an investigation to undertake as well. I never really got why Charlie was the one who was asked to investigate. He wasn't a police man or anything like that.

Once again, I really liked Charlie. The way that Crusie writes her heroes makes me really want to meet someone like that. Smart, funny, sexy, intelligent and handsome all rolled into one...mmm...yes please!

The interesting twist to this story was the very serious subject matter of the end of the story. I suspect that this kind of depth is something that still would be unusual in category romance even now, 10 years after this book was originally published.

This was my favourite of the two stories. Both are very short as they were both originally released as series romance, and therefore there wasn't the room for plot development as there might be if she wrote the same book now.

I rated Charlie All Night 4.5/5.

A fun couple of books to read. Overall rating 4/5

You went to sleep where?

I don't normally post about other things except for what I am reading, but this made me laugh a lot so I am going to share it here!

On Wednesday night of this week, I went to see Rob Thomas in concert! Given that this is the first concert I have been to in probably 13 years I was pretty happy that I got to go, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Lots of the other people at the concert were pretty happy to be there as well, including one of the women who was sitting in the row behind us. She arrived literally two minutes before he came on stage, and she started screaming and wolf whistling (there were lots of "Oh, he is SOOOO sexy" kind of comments going on!) I hope you are getting the idea - she was EXCITED with a capital E!

And then....nothing. Everything went quiet, no more sexy comments, no more wolf whistles. Turned out that she had gone to sleep! She woke up half an hour later, and was obviously refreshed by her powernap, because we got really EXCITED again!!

I was astounded. How could anyone go to sleep in the middle of a concert! Bizarre! I mean I used to pretend to be asleep in some strange places, but don't think I really was asleep!


Oh, and the concert was great fun! I might even try not to wait that long until I go to the next one!

Painted by the Sun by Elizabeth Grayson

Shea Waterston is somewhat unusual for her time. She is a widow who travels around the West working as a photographer in the 1870’s with her companion, Mr Owen Brandt. When she is not taking portraits and photos of the Wild West to satisfy the folks back east, she is spending her time trying to track down her son who she gave up several years ago. He was sent West on an orphan train, where young children were sent from the crowded Eastern cities out to the west where families could adopt them.

When we first meet Shea she is in Denver, attempting to take a photograph of a hanging that is just about to occur. With this photo, she should have enough money to continue to the search for her son. Unfortunately Judge Cameron Gallimore is not happy about this and refuses to allow Shea to do this. When she insists, he confiscates her camera and throws her in jail until the hanging is over. Whilst when he is performing his duties as a judge, Cameron is called upon to pass the death sentence for some of the crimes that are committed, he does not like this part of his job at all.

Shea leaves Denver, and thinks that is all there is to it, until on her way back from photographing a mining camp, she comes across a group of men her about to lynch the judge and she saves him, but gets shot in the process. Of course, Cameron feels compelled to look after her and so takes her to his home that he shares with his sister Lily, who was badly burned during the war and doesn’t leave the house because she is sensitive to how people might react to her scars, and his son Randall.

Eventually Shea decides to winter in Denver and before too long, Shea and Cameron and becoming more and more enamored with each other. Shea also becomes attached to a young boy, Ty, whose father is drifting to the wrong side of the law.

Elizabeth Grayson is the author of month in my Historical Romance Chat group, and is a new to me author. Also pretty new to me is the Western Historical sub genre. The best thing about this book is that I learnt something new! I had never heard of the orphan trains.

As far as the romance goes, the gradual build up to the realization of love and also of a physical relationship was very nicely done. Cameron was a man with demons left over from the Civil War and the period of the book which dealt with how his sister, in particular, found out what he really got up to at the end of the war was very well written. The subplot with Lily’s growing confidence was also very well done. On the downside...there were so many coincidences in this book! Coincidentally, it was one or two too many for my liking!

Overall this was a book that I enjoyed, although it didn’t really grab me! One day I will read more from this author…..one day!


Rating 3.5/5

Books by the Bed - February 2006

Following on from January's Books by the Bed post, I did do as I suggested and actually cleaned up, so in theory we started with a clean slate for February! And yet.....

A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving - still there. I got about two chapters into it (and those are really l-o-n-g chapters), but the story didn't grab me at all. I have however heard such good things about it, that I still really want to read it!

Painted by the Sun by Elizabeth Grayson - A new addition, Elizabeth Grayson is author of the month in the Historical Romance Chat group that I a member of.

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons - This book actually did go back on the shelves for a little while, but not for long. I am supposed to be doing a group reread on this, one chapter a week, with some of the other members at Paullina Simons forum, so expect this one to be hanging around for while. Not that I mind...it's a great book.

The Last Battle by CS Lewis - the last book in the Chronicles of Narnia. I was supposed to have finished this by the end of January. Oh well..I'll get to it eventually!

You'll notice that A Breath of Snow and Ashes is no longer there, and no, I haven't finished it. In the comments to the January post, Carolyn wrote:

I noticed your comment about Breath of Snow and Ashes- I'm curious to hear what you think when you're finished! I read the book because I've been devoted to the rest of the series, but this one just didn't capture me the way that the others have.

Carolyn, I think it is fair to say that I haven't been captured either!! I read all of the others in two or three days at the most, and couldn't put them down, but with this one I am just not all that inspired to pick it up! I will eventually, but I don't know when!

The Fugitive Queen by Fiona Buckley

It is 1568 and Ursula Stannard (nee Blanchard) has been away from the court of Queen Elizabeth I for nearly 3 years, living a quiet country life with her third husband Hugh. She has also gained a ward, Penelope Mason, whose family we met in earlier books. Ursula's quiet country life is interrupted when she is summoned to court to reprimand Penelope as it appears that she has developed an unfortunate attachment to an unsuitable man (not for the first time).

In order to both remove Penelope from a potentially embarrassing situation, and to provide her with a better dowry in order to help her make a good match, a parcel of land in Yorkshire is given to Penelope, and it is suggested to Ursula that it would be a good idea for her take the new property owner to her property to inspect it. It is of course not coincidental that Bolton Castle is within a day's ride, and that Elizabeth has a private message that she wishes to have delivered to Mary, Queen of Scots who is "a guest" there under the watchful eye of Sir Francis Knollys. William Cecil also wishes for Ursula to see whether she can find out anything more about the death of Henry Darnley, Mary's husband who died in rather suspicious circumstances.

So, Ursula heads for the wild north of England, with a party that includes several of William Cecil's men, for protection, her loyal servants Brockley and Dale, her daughter Meg, and the far from happy Pen. Before too long, there has been a kidnap attempt on Meg, one of the soldiers is dead, and then when they finally arrive at Tyesdale to find the property has not been well maintained and there is some suspicion that the steward has been stealing.

As usual, wherever Ursula goes there are plots to be discovered and investigated, and this book is no different. It appears that there is a plot to help Mary escape from her captivity, and Ursula is drawn into it further than she would like.

This is the seventh book in the Ursula Blanchard mysteries, and I would have to say that it was one of the most enjoyable. With Pen, we meet a young girl who falls in love very easily which causes numerous problems throughout the book, and yet this is nicely balanced against the mysteries of who could have been responsible for kidnapping Meg, and killing the soldier, as well as who is implicated in the plot to aid Mary's escape.

There is only one more book in this series to go before I have caught up with the author, and will have to start waiting for new books to come out. I hope there is a new one soon! You can read previous posts about this series here.

Rating 4/5

The Sea by John Banville

The winner of the Man Booker Prize 2005, The Sea was nominated as the February read for a group I am in, and given that I am supposed to be co leading the discussion, there was an assumption that I would actually read it!! However, a few of the other people read it before I got to it, and to say that the response was not overwhelming is a fair comment. I therefore kept on putting it off until I could do so no longer, thinking that I wasn't going to like it either, but it actually wasn't too bad.

If you want a crisp outline of the plot, I probably can't do that. In effect this is the story of a man who, in dealing with an extremely pivotal point in his life, is looking back to another pivotal point years earlier.

If you want likeable characters... I don't think I can give you that either. The main character Max is an art historian, and there are lots of references to artists and classic literature to show this to us. The other main characters are Anna his wife, who's role in the book is as a catalyst, and the Grace family, Mr and Mrs Grace and their two children Myles and Chloe.

Do you want lots of actions, lots of events? Hmmm....nope, not much action either. Lots of introspection and memories. Over half way through I was still struggling to figure out what the book was about.

Having said that, whilst The Sea is a meandering trip through two events in a man's life, the writing is beautiful, with many descriptions and evocative word pictures. By the end of the book I was engaged, and was even reading it while waiting for the lights to change on my drive to work. I had however figured out the two big secrets early on, leaving just one that I didn't realise before time.

One of the main reasons that this book was nominated was because last year we read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and I thought it would be fun to compare a book that was nominated with the eventual winner. It will be interesting to see what others thought! I also read the 2004 Man Booker winner, Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst, and wonder if maybe I am not cut out for fine literature as this book didn't blow me away either.

Overall, not bad, but I would like a Pulitzer or Booker or other major prize winner to really draw me in, and hold me there, and blow me away. Maybe the next one will.


Rating 4/5

The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters

Amelia and Emerson are back in Egypt, and this time their son Ramses along with their servant John accompany them.. However the season has not started well for them. The new Director of Antiquities has gleefully assigned them a site that is less than glamorous (no pyramids!) for our experienced archaeologists, and they are not happy! To make matters worse, Amelia is convinced that one of their old acquaintances has been murdered, and she is convinced that there is a Master Criminal behind the murder. Soon there are disappearing and appearing mummy cases, besotted servants, and numerous other events all keeping both Amelia and Emerson on their toes, both in the investigation and archaeologically!

The third installment in the Amelia Peabody series, The Mummy Case sees the real introduction of Ramses as a character in his own right. Whilst he appeared briefly in the last book, he is a major character here. He is a very precocious little boy of about 6 years of age...always getting dirty, finding his way into and out of trouble and able to talk himself out of any situation. At first I wondered if this was going to get in the way of me enjoying the story, but in the end I got used to it. To be honest, if Ramses was not like this, then he would have no place in the story between the two forceful personalities of his parents!

I have to admit to getting slightly lost in the some parts of the resolution of the mystery but overall this was another satisfying read from Elizabeth Peters. Her books are not only unique, but they are highly entertaining as well!

You can read my previous entry about the second Amelia Peabody mystery here.

Rating 4/5

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

I haven't read an Anita Shreve book in years before picking this book up to listen to at the library a few days ago. I had such fond memories of reading Fortune's Rocks and The Pilot's Wife that I guess I had expected much more than what I got from this book.

Twelve year old Nicky Dillan and her father Robert Dillan have been living in an isolated house outside the town of Shepherd in New Hampshire for about two years, having moved from New York after her mother and sister were killed in a car accident. A short time before Christmas, Nicky and her father were snowshoeing through the woods near their house when the hear a sound. They go off to investigate and find a baby who has been abandoned there, and so they rescue the baby.

Becoming minor celebrities in town, it isn't too long before the mother of the abandoned baby comes to thank them for rescuing her baby, but before she can leave again, a snow storm sets in and she ends up staying with them for a couple of days. The days from when the baby was found up to the end of the storm are a real catalyst for Nicky and her dad, bringing changes for both of them.

This novel was, I think, meant to be a study of grief, but also about facing the consequences of your actions. On those levels, I guess it worked, although at times it felt a bit superficial.

Once again, I had issues around the perspective of the novel. For reasons we are not told, the story is told by Nicky when she is around 30 years old, but all the events are told in present tense, so there seems to be some confusion about this perspective at some point in the novel. Maybe there was some differentation between timeframes in a written book, but I certainly couldn't tell in the audio book.

Another thing that I really noticed in this book was a lot of the dialogue was followed by "he said", "Robert said", or "she said". For example if Nicky were to say "But Dad..I don't want to go to my room", it would almost always be followed by I said. Of course it was Nicky who said that...who else would call him Dad!. Occasionally there were other descriptors, but it was overwhelmingly noticeable that these were all throughout the story, to the point that it distracted me. To an extent it felt as though the dialogue wasn't sufficiently strong enough to stand alone without the reader being specifically told who was doing the talking..their characters voices were not individual enough within the text let alone before we add a narrator's interpretation.

Snow plays a crucial role in this story, and I have to admit that all the scenes where Shreve was describing the snow, and the conditions through the snow storm felt really real, although having never experienced anything like those conditions I wouldn't know for sure.

Overall, this was an okay read, that had the potential to be really interesting, but just didn't quite make it! Oh well....I could always reread Fortune's Rock if I really wanted!

Rating 3/5


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Puss Reboots

No Man's Mistress by Mary Balogh

Having read More Than a Mistress earlier this month, I was looking forward to reading the story of Lord Ferdinand Dudley, younger brother of Jocelyn Dudley, Earl of Tresham.

Ferdinand arrives in the village of Trellick in time for the village fair, and finds himself entranced by both the village, and one particular village girl in particular. After dancing with her and quite rashly kissing her, they part ways. The next morning, Ferdinand thinks that maybe that was a mistake, for she may be one of his new neighbours, perhaps even the vicar's daughter. He has recently gained ownership of Pinewood Manor and has come to see what kind of money pit he has acquired, as the person he won it off of whilst gambling had never seen the property either.

There is, however, a rather large problem to deal with when he arrives at Pinewood Manor. He finds that it is already occupied by the same village girl, who is Miss Viola Thornhill. Ferdinand has the deeds to the property in London, that say that he owns the property, whereas Miss Thornhill insists that she is the rightful owner, having been given the property two years previously. There is a stand off from which neither party is prepared to backdown, and they both end up staying in the house until such time as the appropriate documentation can be obtained and this misunderstanding cleared up once and for all. Of course, this is far from a satisfactory situation, especially in relation to the damage that will be done to Miss Thornhill's reputation.

Initially all Miss Thornhill's friends do their best to drive Ferdinand away, but he gradually wins them over with his friendliness and charm. However, Miss Thornhill has a secret from her past that she is trying to keep hidden, and is not as innocent as she appears to be. Then again, Ferdinand is not quite as worldly as he appears either.

I have to say that this book was a disappointment. For once, I think that there were some crucial differences between this book and the other Mary Balogh's books that I have read in terms of plot, so I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. The fact that Ferdinand was VERY inexperienced sexually and that Miss Thornhill..well, just wasn't, was something quite unusual, and yet it just didn't work. The reasoning behind why Ferdinand has "saved" himself was explained, and yet just didn't really cut it, and similarly the reasons for why Viola had done the things she had done were explained, but I guess weren't compelling enough for me.

I wasn't drawn into the world of this book, with many of the secondary characters either very one dimensional or just plain annoying. For example, with Viola's mother, there was very little in the way of explanation of why she had done the things she had done. In fact, the most interesting characters to me were the ones that we had previously met in More Than A Mistress.

Overall, the first REALLY disappointing Mary Balogh that I have read.

Rating 2.5/5

A Chance Encounter by Mary Balogh

In following Standing in the Shadows with this book, I feel as though I have gone from one extreme of the romance genre to the other. The former is contemporary romantic suspense, this one Traditional Regency. Where the former has numerous sex scenes, full of detail, A Chance Encounter is very subtle, with the suggestion of undoing buttons and bodies pressed together. Nothing explicit at all.

Elizabeth Rossiter has been employed as first a governess and then a lady's companion for the last 6 years, and she is quite happy with that arrangement. At least until she crosses paths with Robert Denning, Marquess of Hetherington, a man she would rather not have to ever see again. For six years ago, Elizabeth left London with her reputation in ruins and her heart broken.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book, particularly the first half of the book as Robert and Elizabeth meet again, and then the details of their previous relationship are revealed. There is a big surprise regarding their previous relationship that is very well done, and changed the complexion of everything that had been read before and then after for me. The other thing that was done very well was having little snapshots of events from six years ago interwoven with the current events, so we only got to see little by little exactly what had gone on six years previously. Having said that, by the end of the book I was actually just wishing that the two of them would sit down and have a conversation, sort out the big misunderstanding and get on with the happily ever after!

This was a very early Mary Balogh title (originally written in 1985), and you can tell, but it was still enjoyable and I am glad to have read it.

Rating 3.5/5

Standing in the Shadows by Shannon McKenna

I was drawn to reading this story after reading Rosario's review, especially seeing as this was the only McKenna book that my library had.

I have to say....man, is it hot in here or is it just me! Phew! The sex scenes in this book are just hot, hot, hot! I have to admit to not having read much romantic suspense so for me these scenes were probably the hottest scenes I have read in a very long time, if not ever. And yet there was still plenty of story in there.

Connor McCloud is a man who has been on the edge for a very long time. An ex cop, Connor's partner was brutally murdered, and Connor very badly injured. Since then he has really been letting himself go, doing PI work for his older brother, existing.. not living. Then he hears that his former enemy, Novak, has escaped from prison, and he just knows that he will be coming for him, and his former associate's daughter Erin Riggs. Connor has been obsessing over Erin Riggs for over 10 years, and will do anything to protect her.

Erin's father is cooling his heels in jail, and she is busy trying to keep her mother and sister from falling apart completely, but there are lots of things that aren't going well for her either. She's lost her job as an art expert, she's barely scraping by, especially seeing as she keeps on having to bail her mum out of financial trouble. There is however a light at the end of the tunnel. A reclusive millionaire has been asking her to evaluate some pieces, giving her enough cash to help her out.

As soon as Connor hears that Novak is free he assigns himself as bodyguard to Erin, regardless of whether she wants him to or not. In the course of protecting her, Erin and Connor stay in an out of the way hotel, and here the seduction starts. The police are soon telling Connor that Novak has been killed, but why does he still feel as though someone else is pulling all the strings. Maybe he is going mad, but maybe he isn't.

First the down sides of this book. Connor is a bit of a jerk at times, and very controlling most of the time. Also, in terms of the bad guys, it was almost as though we were given little vignettes of what was happening with the bad guys - a murder here, another person who is no longer required killed there before finally we reached the conclusion where all the protagonists were in place. I am also not sure how much of the backstory was told in the previous book, Behind Closed Doors, which may have enhanced the reading of this book further.

About those sex scenes - I think that in a large block of the book we just moved from one sex scene to the next, with not much plot development. Fortunately the rest of the book made up for it, but I was wondering for a little while!

However on the good side, we did see tenderness for Erin by Connor, and I do think his attitudes were pretty well explained by the author. Erin managed to hold her own against his pushiness sometimes, and played a crucial role in the climactic final sequences of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this foray into romantic suspense, and I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of McKenna's books.

Rating 3.5/5

Night by Elie Wiesel

I have thought quite a bit about what to write as a review of this book. It is the new Oprah Book Club pick, which means that we should expect to see it at the top of the bestseller lists for a little while to come. For a very short book, coming in at about 120 pages, there is certainly much to learn from it.

It is the story of a young Jewish man's life during WWII - first and foremost about the events of the Holocaust but also about a young man's loss of faith, and his coming of age during a very turbulent time in history.

Night starts off in a little town called Sighet in Transylania, where many Jews lived, almost untouched by the horrors of war. Life was going on as normal until one day all the foreign Jews were expelled from the city. One of them, Moche the Beadle, escapes and comes back to warn the Jews of Sighet of what he has seen, and what is to come, but they will not listen to him. Life continues and nothing happens for a couple of years but during 1944 the war is coming closer and closer. Elie's father still has a chance to obtain exit visas to enable his family and himself to emigrate to Palestine, but he says he is too old to start again, so the Wiesel family stays. Eventually, the German's come and in due course forced transportation of the Jews of Sighet begins with Elie and his family ending up at the reception centre for Auschwitz at Buchenwald. His mother and sister are separated from them and never seen again, whilst Elie and his father must fight to stay together, to stay one step in front of the selection process, for selection means death in the camps of Dr Mengele.

I am not going to write more of the horrors of the concentration camps that are described within the book. The images are those that we are familiar with, and yet should never become immune to or complacent about, but I leave them to be discovered by other readers. Suffice to say, they are horrors and horrifying to think that human beings can do that kind of thing to one another for any reason.

I do however want to write a little about the loss of faith, and the coming of age aspects. When we first meet Elie he is an extremely conscientious student of the Jewish faith, and yet, when all around him people are counselling each other to keep faith, Elie's reaction is the opposite:

Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my Faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.

It was interesting to me as someone who grew up in a fairly religious household to read of the struggles of another to come to terms with a god that would allow these events to happen. It was also challenging to read about people having to do whatever they could to survive..sometimes at the expense of friends and loved ones.

This book also reminded me of a trip that I made to the former concentration camp at Dachau, just outside of Munich. This was a day that made such an impression on me. The atmosphere felt palpable as we walked through the gates of Dachau - oppression, death and fear in the air even after 50 years of non use.

This little book was very confronting, challenging and ultimately a rewarding read. I look forward to getting hold of the remaining two books in the trilogy called Dawn and The Accident. I should add that the version that I read was not the newly published Oprah book that is apparently an updated translation, with an all new introduction by Elie himself. When, and if, this version makes it to Australia I will probably buy it as this is definitely a book that could be read over and over, with new lessons to be learned each time.

Rating 4.5/5


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Subliminal Intervention

A Pawn for a Queen by Fiona Buckley

If Queen of Ambition was all about Ursula fighting her attraction to her manservant Brockley, then A Pawn for a Queen should have been subtitled We Need to Get Ursula Married Off Again and Quickly. Whilst there is still some references to the closeness between Brockley and Ursula, fortunately it was not as common as it was in the last book.

With Ursula a recent widow, the prologue is about her getting ready to get married to an unnamed man. When the book begins properly, it is to find Ursula being asked to go off to Scotland to follow after her cousin Edward Faldene who it seems has been involved in gathering supporter's names and promises of support for Queen Mary Stuart should she ever gain the throne in England. This is of course treasonous to Queen Elizabeth I, and Ursula needs to find Edward and stop him before he gets caught and faces traitor's punishment. Only problem is that Ursula does not have the Queen's approval to undertake this journey or the investigation.

So begins a cross country chase, taking Ursula from her home through to the wild Scottish lands, and into Edinburgh. Unfortunately, Ursula catches up with her cousin, only to find him dead in his bed, having been murdered. Ursula being Ursula, she must investigate, and soon finds herself involved in life at the court of Mary Stuart.

At various points in the adventure, several of the main characters tell Ursula that she should be getting married, as do several of the minor characters. Luckily for her, she manages to attract willing men whereever she goes. Unluckily, one of them is Sir Brian Dormbois, who is a very engaging villain in more ways than one. Buckley gave the book a very interesting twist, with Ursula behaving in a very unusual way for a 16th century lady, but it all works out in the end.

There is also a big twist in the end of this book regarding Ursula's parentage. Whilst I understand why the author chose this twist, it seems to me to have been a rather obvious thing to have done. Once again though the ground work has definitely been laid very nicely for future books in the series.

Overall, this was a very entertaining read in a series that I enjoy.

Rating 4/5

Full Bloom by Janet Evanovich & Charlotte Hughes

Finally...the Full series by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes seems to be hitting it's straps! I am not sure if that is because they have moved away from Max Holt and Jamie Swift who featured in the last three books of the series, or for some other reason, but I really enjoyed this book.

Annie Fortenberry has converted her family home, which used to be a bordello, into a bed and breakfast, with special events also being held. One of the events coming up is the wedding of Max and Jamie. Annie has been one of Jamie's close friends for many years so it seems natural that when Max and Jamie want a simple, quiet ceremony for close family and friends that Annie's home should be the option chosen.

However, for Annie, life is about to get about as far away from simple and quiet as you can get. Not only is her home haunted by a very unhappy spirit, the gardener she inherited from her grandmother along with the house is on a permanent bender, and sexy bad boy Wes Bridges has just entered her life, and from their first unlikely meeting things only get hotter. Wes is not what he appears to be though. He has been hired by Annie's mother in law to find out what happened to Annie's husband three years ago, when he just disappeared. Before too long, Charles's body has been found and all evidence points to Annie. She has to prepare for the wedding of the year and defend herself against murder charges.

I guess I have come to expect complete silliness from these books, but most of the time in this book it was kept enough in check to be entertaining, not just annoying, which can't be said for some of the books in this series!

The next book in the series, Full Scoop, comes out in April. Whilst I still won't be rushing out to buy it, I will definitely be putting my name on the waiting list at the library. In the meantime, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that it is like this one, and not some of the other books in the series.

Rating 4/5

Family Baggage by Monica McInerney

Harriet Turner knows all about journeys. After all, she’s arranged hundreds of them for the travel agency her family runs in the Australian coastal town of Merryn Bay. But when her work colleague and foster sister Lara disappears on the eve of a big overseas trip, Harriet finds herself in uncharted territory.

Left alone in England with a coachload of eccentric tourists on a themed tour of locations from the Willoughby TV detective series, Harriet has her hands full. But as the bus trundles through the picturesque Cornwall countryside, the tour becomes another kind of journey for her. She finds herself facing big questions about her family and her childhood; about her feelings for the guest of honour on the tour, star of Willoughby, Patrick Shawcross – and the biggest puzzle of all: what has happened to Lara?

Monica McInerney is probably Australia's version of Maeve Binchy. The fact that she is an Irish-Australian author makes that a very easy comparison to make, however, she writes stories that are full of charm and wit, without being too sickly sentimental, although occasionally it is a very fine line! This book was nominated as an A Great Read by one of the women's magazines here, and it was easy to see why. Whilst the book was over 500 pages long, it didn't actually feel that long once you got past the first 100 or so pages.

For those first 100 pages or so though, I actually didn't think that I was going to like this book. There were so many loose threads that were going to need to be tied together. This tour of England that Harriet had been called in to do at the last minute is her first tour since the last disastrous tour where Harriet had had a nervous breakdown, bought on by the deaths of both of her parents, separately, not too long before. Her foster sister Lara was supposed to meet her at the airport but hadn't shown up, the guest of honour thought he was doing an interview not a four day tour with a group of elderly but very enthusiastic fans. Meanwhile back in Australia, her brother James was in hospital, his wife Melissa was busy upsetting everyone, her 16 year old niece Molly was contemplating having sex with her much older swimming coach, and friend of the family Gloria had kept a huge secret for 24 years and had had just about enough.

There were points where I wondered how there would be any kind of congruency within the various threads to tie them tegether neatly, but the author managed it quite nicely in the end. I will say that there were not really many surprises - most of the events in the book were signposted from pages away, but overall it was a satisfying and emotionally involving read.

I read The Alphabet Sisters by the same author last year and probably enjoyed that more, but this was certainly an entertaining enough read. Family Baggage will be released in the US in July of this year.

Rating 4/5

Two Little Lies by Liz Carlyle

Having been slightly disappointed with the first book in this trilogy, One Little Sin, I have to admit that I was a bit worried before I started hearing reviews for Two Little Lies. Thankfully when the reviews did start rolling in, they were pretty well all positive, and I have to agree! Two Little Lies hit the spot! I shouldn't really have been worried I guess. Having only discovered Liz Carlyle in November last year, I have read quite a few of her books in a short time span and haven't been disappointed in any of them before One Little Sin.

In One Little Sin, our hero Quin and his two friends Sir Alisdair and Merrick McLachlan are visiting a country fair, when they are forced to find shelter in the tent of a fortune teller. When she reads their palms, she tells them that they are about to have to face up to what they have done in their pasts (very rough paraphrasing of course).

Quinten Hewitt, has recently inherited his title (Lord Wynwood) and property and also now has his mother pressuring him to do the right thing and marry a suitable young lady, have children and ensure the continuation of the Hewitt line! Quin becomes engaged to Lady Esmee Hamilton, but at the betrothal celebration an unexpected guest is Viviana Alessandri, Contessa Bergonzi di Vicenza, a very famous opera singer, and more importantly Quin's former mistress, the only woman that he ever really loved. When they were together about 9 years earlier, they were both young, and neither were quite honest about their feelings and their dreams, and both had looked back wondering if they had let a good thing pass them by. Theirs was however a very complicated love. Quin believed that Vivi did not want to marry him, Vivi that he would not marry her as she was unsuitable to be the wife of a future Lord. Indeed Quin did think this, but if he had known the whole truth it may have been that he would have fought for their love, and it wouldn't really matter. Vivi didn't give him that chance.

The night of the party Quin and Vivi agree to meet the next morning in secret. Unfortunately, after being caught in a compromising situation with Vivi, Quin's engagement is called off, although Esmee insists she was going to call it off anyway, and Quin and Viviana must work out what it is that they want from each other, and how they tell each other the truth about what really happened all those years ago.

I was so caught up in the story that I read this book in one sitting, and really, really enjoyed it. There was only one thing that bothered me, and that was the fact that the first 100-150 pages of this book were occuring concurrently with the events from One Little Sin, for Quin's fiance Esme was the heroine from the previous book. If I had only just read One Little Sin it would not have been anywhere near as distracting, but it has been a couple of months and so whilst I knew what was coming I was trying to rack my brains to think how they got to that point! However, whilst this was a minor distraction, it also made me to want to pick up One Little Sin and reread it! I do actually have a bit of a problem with my Liz Carlyle collection at the moment. I borrowed nearly all of them from the library and so rereads are not that easy to do! I feel a Liz Carlyle shopping spree coming on, even though I have already read most of them!

I really liked the secondary characters in this read as well. Quin's sister Alice and Lucy, the maid who was assigned to look after Vivi when she was in England the first time, and with whom Vivi was reunited, were both well written and definitely added value to the storyline.

Overall, this was an outstanding read, and if you are a Liz Carlyle fan then I would definitely be saying get this and read it as soon as you possibly can! I cannot wait for Three Little Secrets to come out in April.

Rating 4.5/5

More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh

Jane Ingleby is on her way to her third day of work at a milliners shop, walking across Hyde Park, when she sees two men who are about to take part in a duel. She screams and tries to stop the duel, causing one of the men to lose concentration, and he is shot in the leg. As she is late for work on only her third day, she loses her job. Her boss says that if she can get a letter confirming that she was delayed by the unlikely events that she used as her excuse (I mean, everyone knows that no one duels in Hyde Park anymore!) she will not be able to get her job back...and Jane really needs to earn some money!

Never one to hold back, Jane makes her way to the home of Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, the man injured in the duel. Tresham is none too happy. How dare an impudent working class girl interrupt his duel, causing him to be injured. When Jane asks him for a letter so that she can get her job back, he refuses, instead giving her employment for three weeks as his nurse, including a place to live. Jane needs to be earning money and therefore agrees.

Tresham is a cold, domineering man, who very few people will stand up to, but Jane has no fear. Indeed Jane isn't quite what she seems. For that matter neither is Tresham. As they get to know one another we find out that Tresham is in fact a very artistic man, whose abilities were quashed by the former duke, his father.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot, right up until the ending. The scenes where the delightfully impudent Jane stood up to the moody and imperious Duke were very entertaining, the changes in the relationship between Jane and Jocelyn were very tender, and very well written, as you would expect from Mary Balogh. There was enough backstory to keep things interesting, without using one of the standard storylines that you see in Regency romances, for example spies.

And yet, at the end of the book I was left feeling that this book just didn't quite hit the mark. A really major event happens off page just before the end, and I can't help but feel that as a reader, I wanted to be there for it, not told about it later. There was probably more to it than that as well, but I guess that was enough of a flaw in the book for me for it to affect the rating.

Having read and enjoyed numerous Mary Balogh books, I can say that she normally writes at a consistently high standard. There is a sequel to this book called No Man's Mistress which features Ferdinand Dudley, the brother of our hero in this book. I will be looking out for it to see whether I can be more satisfied with the next book.

As I enjoyed most of the book, the rating is still relatively high, but with a better ending it could have been higher.

Rating 4/5

The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll

The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll was quite an unusual read for me! Just deciding what to classify this book as has taken me a while. I have seen it classified as historical romance on one website, and yes, there is definitely a strong element of that here, including a relatively standard plot progression, but there seemed to be more of a basis in actual history in the book than you normally see in most historical romances (which tend to feature a historical setting, but not a whole lot of historical content!).

So, how about historical fiction. Certainly, it is strong enough to stand up in that category (and I saw it shelved in fiction when I went to the bookstore yesterday) with many of the key events based on real events, including the horrifying climax. There are however a lot of witches, spells, potions and enchantments that feature throughout the book so maybe we need to have a category called Historic/Romance/Fantasy for this book.

This mix of styles is part of the reason why I enjoyed this book so much!

Ariane Cheney has inherited the title of Lady of Fair Isle following the death of her mother. With her mother gone, and her father off exploring the world (who knows if and when he will return), it is Ariane's responsibility to look after her sisters - the emotionally damaged Gabrielle and the sensitive Miribelle, whilst also looking after the people of Fair Isle, and guarding the secrets that have been passed from generation to generation. For a lot of the ladies of Fair Isle are white witches, in a time where witchery is a crime, and witch hunters have been known to roam the land. Ariane's great skill is healing, Gabrielle's is using painting and art to create magical environs, and Miri's is that she can talk to the animals, and that she has dreams foretelling the future. Due to events that happen before the start of this book we know that Gabrielle has not painted for a while, due to losing her magic because of an encounter with a man. Gabrielle is becoming a much harder person, laying the foundations for the next book, and causing problems during this book for Ariane and her beau, who Gabrielle calls The Ogre.

Enter Justice, Compte de Renard, who has decided that Ariane is to be his bride. Poor Ariane has so much already going on, that another persistent suitor is the last thing she needs. The book opens with the Compte waiting patiently at the church for his bride to turn up, after he has ordered her that she will marry him after only their second meeting. He will take care of all the arrangements. When a straw mannequin dressed in the wedding dress he provided is taken from the carriage, Justice realises that it is not going to be as easy as he thought to bend Ariane to his will. He goes to visit Ariane at her home, and gives her an enchanted ring. He will leave her alone with the proviso that if she needs him, she places the ring on her finger, and holds it near her heart. If she calls him with the ring 3 times, then they must be married. Ariane accepts the ring, along with the guarantee that he will not continue to bother her, with no intention to use the ring once, let alone 3 times! More interestingly though, and more troubling for Ariane, where did he obtain such enchanted rings, and how can he read her eyes and thoughts so easily if he has no knowledge of witchcraft, whilst being able to guard his own thoughts from her at the same time.

However, there are dark clouds on the horizon. The Dark Queen, Catherine de Medici is planning foul deeds, and she is also a witch, a dark witch at that. Before too long Ariane is called to assist a wounded soldier (Nicholas Remy) who was trying to make his way too Fair Isle. He is carrying a pair of gloves that he believes Catherine used to murder his Queen, Catherine's rival. He needs Ariane's assistance to prove it so that he can stop the wedding between Henry of Navarre and Catherine's daughter. Catherine is however determined to get the gloves back, even if that means sending the witch hunters to Fair Isle to flush out the wanted man..even if it means that all the women on Fair Isle have to die.

This was a very compelling read. The romance between Ariane and Justice was well written and satisfying. Seeing Ariane relax and become a normal young lady at times with Justice instead of the Lady of Fair Isle with all her responsibilities was refreshing for the character. There was plenty of intrigue, and the stage has definitely been set for the next two books in the trilogy featuring the two other Cheney sisters, but also with setting up their nemesis in at least one of the two books.

If there was one criticism to be made of this book, it would be that it was a touch too long, but that is minor when compared to the strengths of the rest of the book.

I had never read any Susan Carroll before this book. I will however be on the lookout for more from her, especially the sequel The Courtesan which is not available here in Australia yet. The third book, The Silver Rose is due out in March of this year.

Rating 4 out of 5

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson

The inside flap reads:

Imagine that on the night before she is to die under the blade of the guillotine, Marie Antoinette leaves behind in her prison cell a diary telling the story of her life - from her privileged childhood as Austrian Archduchess to her years as glamorous mistress of Versailles to the heartbreak of imprisonment and humiliation during the French Revolution.

Carolly Erickson takes the reader deep into the psyche of France's doomed queen: her love affair with handsome Swedish diplomat Count Axel Fersen, who risked his life to save her, her fears on the terrifying night the Parisian mob broke into her palace bedroom intent on murdering her and her family, her harrowing attempted escape from France in disguise, her recapture and the grim months of harsh captivity, her agony when her beloved husband was guillotined and her young son was torn from her arms never to be seen again.

I guess that this would be considered a warts and all kind of telling story of one of the more famous figures in history. Whilst Erickson is obviously a fan and a student of Marie Antoinette (she has also written a non fiction book called To the Scaffold that is also about Marie Antoinette) it is not a one-sided account. She does not neglect to tell of the excesses that Marie Antoinette had around her, even when she thought that she was economising, right down to the fact that it was decided that the Queen should have her satin slippers resoled so that she could wear them at least two to three times. The delusions that Marie Antoinette held were never more evident than when she was trying to plot her escape from France disguised as servants and she ordered a grand new carriage, "a spacious new travelling carriage with a stove and dining table so that we can eat on our way. It is a large and handsome vehicle painted dark green and yellow with upholstery of white velvet." And yet, these episodes were not portrayed as meanness as the famous "Let them eat cake" that is attributed to her would suggest, just in the way that this is all she has ever known. On her journey through life, she changes from a pampered princess to a beautiful queen and then to one of the most reviled people of her time.

I learnt quite a few things whilst reading this book, and enjoyed it for that. It also bought back memories of my trips to Versaille and Vienna. It did not however really grab me in a "I can't put this down" kind of way. There are several of Erickson's non fiction books that I will be trying to track down as she has a very easy to read writing style, which I think was hampered a little with the diary style of writing, particularly when it came to writing background type information.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but not a great one.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Spell of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

For me Spell of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning was a welcome return to form. I have read all of her books and love Kiss of the Highlander and then The Dark Highlander. When I read The Immortal Highlander a little while ago I wasn't quite so impressed and was thinking that maybe I had read enough Monings. However I borrowed Spell from the library and was really glad that I did so! It hasn't replaced Kiss as my favourite, but it was a darn site better than The Immortal Highlander in my opinion.

Cian MacKeltar was one of the most powerful Druids of his time..only problem is his time was in the 9th Century. As a result of his enormous ego in relation to his powers he ends up being tricked into a situation which results in him being trapped inside of one of the great Unseelie relics, The Dark Glass for the last 1100 years. The Dark Glass offers immortality to the holder, as long as the tithe of pure gold is paid every 100 years at Samhain.

Jessica St James is an archeology student who is struggling to make ends meet. One of the ways she does this is to assist her professor. One night her professor asks her to make sure that a crate is received safely. What she doesn't know is that the crate has The Dark Glass in it. It is something of a surprise when she sees Cian, preserved 9th century alpha male, looking back at her through the glass.

There are however quite a few people who want to get hold of the treasure, not least of all Lucan Trevayne, the man who captured, and kept Cian in his cell for hundreds of years. Lucan has managed to track the glass down, and now Jessi is in mortal danger. Cian needs to get them somewhere safe and soon. After Cian gives Jessi the words to enable her to release him, at least temporarily, from his cell they are forced to go into hiding, until Cian can work out a way to protect them both for the next 20 days, as that is when the next tithe is due to be paid. If Lucan is not able to pay the tithe, then Cian's imprisonment will be over. One of Cian's most useful powers is The Voice, which enables him to ensure that people will do exactly as he says which enables them to get hotel rooms, flights and provisions.

The only problem for Cian and Jessi is that whilst Cian can be released at least every day they do not know how long he will be free before he simply disappears back into the mirror. This leads to several comical scenes such as when he disappears as they are grocery shopping.

Cian is alpha male through and through, but still very likeable, and willing to do anything to protect Jessi. Jessi is probably one of the more likeable heroines that the author has written. Whilst she is a struggling student working two jobs to get by, she is not an orphan, and she does maintain family ties, something that was missing with a couple of the more recent heroines.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, and there was enough room left over at the end of the book to show loyal readers that there will be more books in this series.

Rating 4 out of 5

Bubbles Ablaze by Sarah Strohmeyer

The third book in the Bubbles Yablonsky series, Bubbles full time hairdresser, part time journalist) and her Mel Gibson lookalike boyfriend Steve Stilletto (press photographer) are finally going to consumate their relationship. Bubbles is in the very comfortable hotel room at the Passion Peak romantic getaway when she gets a fax from her editor Mr Salvo saying that a prominent businessman has been murdered at a nearby mine and she should get over there to get the story.

When Bubbles arrives at the mine not only does she find the businessman with a bullet hole in his chest, she also finds Stilletto knocked unconscious in the bottom of a coal car. Before too long they are both caught up in a mine explosion. It appears that someone wants them out of the way. The hunt is on for the person who set them up, but also for the story. This time, however, instead of working together, they are working for competing news bureaus, so not only are they dealing with whoever wants them dead, but also trying to race against each other.

Bubbles is still pretty entertaining, however the books are certainly not as fresh as the first one, Bubbles Unbound was. Whilst there were plenty of twists and turns in this story about coal mining magnates, casinos, and small time American towns that are stuck in a 1950's timewarp, at the end of the book I was left thinking, but what about Steve's reporter, and what about their competition. Maybe these will be recurring themes so I just have to read the next book, but there were just a few too many loose threads for my liking!!

You can read previous entries for Bubble's adventures here.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Books by the Bed - January 2006

Following on from my previous Book by the Bed post, it seems that there are some books that never actually move, although there are several new ones there this month as well!! Maybe I should just clean up and start again. Next month maybe!

The book currently by the bed are:
Destiny of the Light by Louise Cusack - Still no idea where this one came from, what it's about, if I should read it!

The Ruby Ring by Diane Haeger - Can't wait to get to this.

Dragonwyck by Anya Seton - Loved Katherine, hope to enjoy this one just as much when I get to it.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - Started this one although haven't been really grabbed yet. In the early stages it feels a bit like hard work.

Lady of the Knight by Jackie Ivie - one day I will read this!!

Spell of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning - over half way through, and really enjoyable!

Mr Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll - I'm sorry Sue!! I really am reading it, I promise!

Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon - I was listening to this in the car but one of the conversion parts for my CD player is broken, so I am still not all that far into this book. I have so loved the rest of the series, but can't seem to get into this one at all.

Books by the bed list for December is here

The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis

This is the sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia that I have read. Only one more to go, The Last Battle.

Whilst I did enjoy this book, I think that my poor non creative brain would have handled this better if I had of read the series chronologically instead of in the published order. Oh well... next time I read it I will read it chronologically!!

This book is basically the story of the creation of Narnia. Digby and Polly are two friends that live next door to each other in London. Digby's horrible Uncle Andrew used magic to send Polly to another world, and so Digby had to go to find her. They find themselves in a place that is like a door between many worlds. As they want to explore they choose to enter another world, and find themselves in the world of Charn, a place where the inhabitants have gone into a permanent sleep. The only way for them to be awoken is for a magic bell to be rung. Polly doesn't want to ring it, but Digby rings it anyway and they find themselves face to face with Jadis, who we know is the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Jadis escapes with the children back to London, causing chaos, so Digby and Polly have to lead her away from their own world and back to another.

When they end up in the world that we know as Narnia we find out how the lamppost came to be where it is, and how it is that the animals could speak, and we meet the inaugural King and Queen of Narnia, King Frank and Queen Helen.

This was another enjoyable read. I am looking forward to reading the last book in the series.

Here is the link to the other posts about the Chronicles of Narnia.


Rating 3.5 out of 5

Manhunt by Janet Evanovich

Alexandra Cross, successful New York business woman has done the unthinkable. She has swapped her condo with jacuzzi for a hardware store and a log cabin in Alaska. Now, she has to live with this decision. Never mind that she knows nothing about hardware, hunting, fishing or living in Alaska. Luckily her neighbour is sexy Michael Casey who runs one half of a company that runs transport between California and Alaska. He is also a dab hand with an axe, gun, knife and just about everything else that Alex will need while she gets used to life in Alaska and everyone knows the man to woman ratio is favourable for manhunting up there. One reason why Alex has chosen Alaska is because she figures that she needs a husband. At 30 her biological clock is ticking. She knows what she wants (brown hair, stable, not too rich) and Michael didn't really fit it.

This isn't the first of the pre Stephanie Plum novels by Evanovich that are being rereleased that I have read, so I must be more used to what to expect, because I quite enjoyed this one whereas a couple irritated me no end. It still feels like the bare bones of a story with many things raised and not resolved at all, or quickly resolved. Alex and Michael meet and practically instantly are kissing.. well maybe not that quickly, but you get the idea. Lucky she finds perfect husband material in the first man that she meets, although it takes her a bit longer to figure that out. She finds a black teddy under his bed, we never know where from, although I guess that we are supposed to assume that it came from his ex wife who has moved to Florida with his son, a development that came up very quickly!! You want cliches...you've got them in bundles.

If you want fluff to occupy a couple of hours then this will do.

Rating 3 out of 5

The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons

The Summer Garden is the third book in the trilogy that began with The Bronze Horseman and continued in The Bridge to the Holy Cross (published as Tatiana and Alexander in some places). At this stage it is only published in Australia and New Zealand but hopefully will be published elsewhere soon.

Just a brief overview of the first two books. In the first book, we meet Tatiana on the day that war is declared in Russia in WWII. She is sent out to the shops to get as much food as she can, and along the way she meets Alexander, a young soldier. We then live through the siege of Leningrad with Tatiana and Alexander as they try to survive and their love grows. Along the way, Alexander is injured, family members die, and they become closer and closer to each other. Eventually we find out that Alexander is really an American whose parents moved voluntarily to Russia in the 1930's. Tatiana and Alexander eventually marry and plans are made to escape the USSR.

In the second book, Tatiana is in the US, but Alexander was left behind. She is trying to get on with her life, but she believes that he is still alive and searches for him. We also hear some of what was covered in the first book but from Alexander's point of view which is really good!!

Those are REALLY brief synopsis, but I don't want to spoil for anybody!! Onto this book then.

Tatiana and Alexander have suffered the worst the twentieth century had to offer. After years of separation, they are miraculously reunited in America, the land of their dreams. They have a beautiful son, Anthony. They have proved to each other that their love is greater than the vast evil of the world... but they are strangers. In the climate of fear and mistrust of the Cold War, dark forces are at work in the US that threaten their life and their family. Can they make a new life for themselves in this new land? Can they be happy? Or will the ghosts of yesterday reach out to blight even the destiny of their firstborn son?

Before I start in earnest I will say that whilst there are several things that I didn't think were perfect about this book. However, there is something about the way that Paullina Simons writes that draws me so completely into the world of her characters that despite the faults I come away from reading her books feeling so excited and immersed, and this book was no different. I also can NOT pace myself with her books..I have to devour them and ended up staying up until 2am three or four nights until I finished it! What a ride!!!

Firstly, I felt that there were many situations within the book that were a bit rushed. A couple of the 'bad guy' characters were introduced, did their thing, and then were gone again very quickly. Secondly, the relationship between Tatiana and Alexander at times seems to me to be very oppressive and possessive, at times over the edge, but then once the conflict at that time is resolved then they come back to simply being devoted and so completely in love - an impossible love to achieve in real life? Maybe. And dare I say it, there were possibly a few too many references to love scenes - gasp! A lot of the love scenes weren't detailed at all, just references. I understood that physically was the one way that they could reconnect before they did so emotionally, but every now and again I wanted to move on past the touching!

Despite those things, this book overwhelmingly is a triumph, and more than a fitting conclusion to the amazing story of Tatiana and Alexander. Initially, the little family travels across the US, living in Maine, Florida, California and Arizona amongst places as they try to find where they belong. We also get to hear about Anthony's life, and see all of the Barrington's as they go forward with their lives, always mindful of the past, but with an eye to the future.

I love this whole trilogy, and will definitely be rereading the whole series at some point so that I can, perhaps, slow down and enjoy the series without being so compelled to have to know what happens next!! I highly recommend that people rush out to the shops and get the first book and start reading!! Funnily enough, it was really difficult to write this review because there are so many things that I wanted to talk about but I don't want to spoil for anyone and so have held myself back a little!!

I was so close to rating this a 5 out of 5 even though I did have a couple of issues, but I think that these have to be taken into consideration. I am therefore going with a very strong 4.5 out of 5.

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Recipe Index

Recipe Index


Sides and Light Meals

Baked French Potatoes (Jamie Oliver)
Cheese Twists
Couscous Salad

Curried Sausage Rolls (Justin Narayan)
Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Salad
Spanish Eggs with Chorizo, Potato and Tomatoes
Spinach, Tomato and Bocconcini Salad
Thai Chicken Balls
Vietnamese Lamb Rump

Soup

Potato, Leek and Ham Soup
Pumpkin Soup with a Twist

Seafood Chowder

Tomato and Rice Soup (Meliz Berg)
Vegetable, Bacon and Risoni Soup
White Bean and Chorizo Soup (Bill Granger)

Main Meals

Baked Prawn Nasi Goreng

Baked Zucchini, Tomato and Tomato Risotto (Bill Granger)

Baked Tuscan Chicken (Adam Liaw)

Bangers and Mash Pie

Beef and Broccoli Noodles (Pippa Middlehurst)
Beef and Shiitake Stir Fry (Kim McCosker)
Beef and Vegetable Red Curry (Annette Sym)
Beef Stroganoff (Tom Kerridge)

Boeuf Bourguignon(Julia Child)
Butter Chicken (Annette Sym)

Cajun Risoni with Chorizo
Chicken and Leek Pie (Curtis Stone)
Chicken and Onions Braised in White Wine and Mushrooms with Tiny Baked Potatoes (Susan
Loomis)
Chicken Burrito Bowls

Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken with Chilli and Basil (John McLeay)

Chicken Kiev Tray Bake
Chicken Parmagiana (Annette Sym)
Chicken Pasta - 6 Veg Herby Ragu (Jamie Oliver)
Chilli for a Crowd

Chorizo and Sun Dried Tomato Tortilla 

Creamy Mustardy Pork (Jamie Oliver)
Crispy Skinned Pork Belly with Caramelised Apples
Curried Sausages with Herbed Mash
Deluxe Chicken and Noodles (Anna Gare)
Easy Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Easy Skillet French-Style Chicken
Fettucine Bolognese (Curtis Stone)
Garlic Prawns
Greek-style Lamb and Eggplant Bake
Green Curry Chicken Pie
Guiness Lamb Shanks (Jamie Oliver)
Gulyas (Goulash)
Gyoza (Pork Dumplings)
Honey Chicken with Stir Fried Greens
Jollof Rice

Kimchi Fried Rice
Low Fat Barbecued Prawns with lime, chilli and coriander
Maple Mustard Chicken Tray Bake

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Burrata (Theo Randall)

Mediterranean Vegetable tart (Tom Kerridge)

One Pot Pastistio (Georgina Hayden)
Open Canneloni with Pork Meatballs (Michael Moore)
Pasta Carbonara (Lucy Knisley)
Pork and Pineapple Curry
Pork Nachos
Poulet Cocotte Grandmere (Grandma's Chicken Casserole) (Gabrielle Gate)

Poulet Vallee d'Auge

Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognaise
Pulled Pork Ragu
Red Wine and Garlic Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
Roast Chicken Dinner
Roast Chicken with Lemon Cream Gravy (Katie Quinn Davies)
Roasted Chicken with Roast Potatoes and Tomatoes (Bill Granger)
Slow Cooked Pork with Chorizo and White Beans
Slow Cooker Chicken

Smoky Sticky Pork Ribs
Southern Fried Chicken (Tom Kerridge)

Spaghetti con Zucchine alla Nerano (Stanley Tucci)
Spanish Tuna Pasta Bake

Steak and Pepper Casserole 

Steak with Mushroom Sauce
Teriyaki Salmon with Udon Noodles
Thai Pork Burgers with Pineapple Relish (Curtis Stone)
Tomato Pasta Sauce


Desserts

Amalfi Lemon Cheesecake (Theo Randall)

Apple and Custard Crumble

Baklava Cheesecake (Georgina Hayden)
Balsamic Pavlova with Strawberry Cream (Kate Bracks)

Burnt Basque Cheesecake
Chocolate Caramel Flan (Nadiya Hussein)
Chocolate Mousse Pie (Annette Sym)

Chocolate Mousse Cake (Donna Hay)
Classic Baked Cheesecake (Donna Hay)

Earl Grey Tea Chiffon Cake

Filo Cream Parcels (Nadiya Hussain)
Creamy Gingernut Cheesecake
Gingerbread Souffle (Eric Lanlard)
Hazelnut Chocolate Pudding

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Lemon Cheesecake (Jamie Oliver)

Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
Lemon Meringue Tart (Mary Berry)
Lemon Tart (Donna Hay) 

Milk Tart  
Pancakes
Pavlova Board
Poached pears

Raspberry Clafoutis (Mary Berry)
Raspberry Jam Slice (Merle Parrish)
Rhubarb and Apple Pie
Salted Caramel and Vanilla Baked Cheesecake (Donna Hay) 
Salted Caramel Sauce 

Spicy Ginger and Apple Self Saucing Pudding
 Tarte Tatin
Torrijas (Baked Milk Pudding Dusted with Cinnamon and Honey)(Frank Camorra)
Triple Berry Jellies
White Chocolate Cheesecake



Cakes, Biscuits, Slices etc
Anzac Biscuits
Apfelkuchen 

Baklava Slice
Baumtorte

Banana Bread

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (Lucy Knisley)

Beesting Cake
Blueberry Muffins with Crispy Topping
Bung-in Chocolate Cake (Kate Bracks)
Caramel Banana Upside Down Cake
Choc Banana Bread (Bill Granger)
Chocolate Brownies (Bill Granger)

Chocolate Eclairs (Emelia Jackson)

Chocolate Kisses (Anja Dunk)
Christmas Pudding

Coffee Cream Cake
Double Choc Zucchini Bread
 Easy Pain au Chocolat

Eggless Chocolate Sponge Cake

Florentines (Mary Berry)
Ginger, Walnut and Carrot Cake (Nigella Lawson)

Granny's Fruit Cake
Honey Log Roll
Hot Cross Buns

Hummingbird Cake
Jam Drops (Matt Moran) 
Jelly Slice
Lamingtons
Lemon and Ginger Muffins

Lemon Angel Food Cake (Mary Berry)
 Lemon Syrup Cakes (Kate Bracks)
Lemon Thins

Maple Butter Date Loaf
Merle's Slice  (Merle Parrish)
Mini Strawberry Tarts
Monte Carlo biscuits (Arnotts)
No Knead Bread 
2 Hour No Knead Bread
Pineapple Fridge Tart

Plum and Mascarpone Karpatla (Polish Mountain Cake) - (Nicola Lamb)
Plum Pudding Muffins

Polish Honey Cake (Belinda Jeffery)
Puff Pastry Cream Squares
Raspberry Flecked Sour Cream Cake (Nigella Lawson)
Red Velvet Cupcake Swirls (Marian Keyes)
Rhubarb Cake

Rusks 
Scones (Merle Parrish)
Scones (Sally)
Soft Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Sour Cream Banana Cake
Triple Choc Brownies
Vanilla Slice with Passionfruit Glaze

Vanilla Portuguese Custard Tarts
White Chocolate, Lemon and Raspberry Brownies
Wookiee Cookies
Yoghurt Cake (Susan Hermann Loomis)

Cocktails

Christmas Cosmo (Stanley Tucci)
Cowboys
White Russian
Mudslides

Queen of Ambition (An Ursula Blanchard Mystery at Queen Elizabeth I's Court) by Fiona Buckley

It is the summer of 1564 and Queen Elizabeth I and her court are on progress through the land. In a couple of weeks time they will be staying at Cambridge and there is much excitement. There is also a suspicion of danger as a group of young students have requested permission to perform a playlet for the Queen which would involve the kidnapping of a woman and Robert Dudley being his chivalrous self and rescuing the woman by performing a mock sword fight with one of the students. Sir William Cecil is concerned that there will be drawn swords in such close proximity to the Queen and so sends Ursula Blanchard to inveszigate to ensure that the Queen is not in danger.

Jester's pie shop seems to be the meeting place and central focus of the students involved and so Ursula is sent to work in the shop for the bullyish owner Roland Jester. Jester's daughter Ambrosia also works there with a couple of other employees. Ursula manages to make arrangements to meet with one of the young men, Thomas Shawe, who has some concerns about the playlet, but before he can meet her, Thomas dies in what looks like an unfortunate accident. However it turns out that Thomas and Ambrosia were involved and her father would not allow them to marry. The fact that Thomas had agreed to meet her, but is now dead was a bit too much of a coincidence for Ursula and she sets about investigating his death.

Whilst I do enjoy reading this series, it is in no way a perfect experience. The books are written in first person and sometimes the way she chooses to reveal information to the reader is a bit irritating. Ursula tells us that she has found something out, but it is not revealed for a few more pages.

A couple of other things in this book that I didn't really like were the insistence of the author to labour home the fact that Ursula feels some kind of attraction to her manservant Roger Brockley despite the fact that she is his boss and that they are both married - Roger to Ursula's maidservant Fran Dale, and Ursula to Matthew de la Roche. Ursula is waiting for the all clear from Matthew so that she can rejoin him in France as there has been an outbreak of the plague where he lives, and she does not wish to expose her daughter or herself to the plague. The way that Matthew is dealt with at the end of this book seems like a very good way to deal with the problem of how to have a respectable married woman travel all over the countryside to spy for the Queen without arising suspicion, but seems a little drastic for my liking. The disintegrating relationship with Rob Henderson also left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. Rob has been Ursula's ally several times during the series, and Ursula's daughter Meg lived with Rob and his wife while Ursula was at court, so for their friendship to change in the way it did seemed a little heartless to me.

The plot in this one is pretty complicated, including a very laborious code breaking exercise, but the twist in the plot is very well done, and added immeasurably to the reading experience for me. The books are full of historical detail, and are pretty well written as well, so it is off to the library for me some time this week to get the next book in the series, A Pawn for a Queen.

Rating 4 out of 5

2006 Reading Resolutions

My reading resolutions for this year are to read 200 books. In 2005 I read 168 so this should be a challenge.

Of those 200 book, at least 25 of them need to be books that I already own that I have not read yet! I have loads of books on my bookshelf that I have been meaning to get to soon, but haven't quite got to.

I also want to maintain this blog, and continue to read a variety of genres and styles.

I'll be a happy reader if I can do that!