What About All Those Eagerly Awaited Books?

Each month, the AAR staff post their picks of soon-to-be-released books that we’re excited about. These are not necessarily books we’ll read for review, but they may be new releases from much-loved authors or books that simply sounded intriguing when we heard about them. I cannot speak for everyone, but I know some picks end up being everything I hoped for, while others…weren’t. And, since life tends to be a little hectic here in the Cat Palace, a few of my picks are sitting in the TBR bookcase.

I got curious and started looking back over last year’s books and here is what I found:

A Killing Frost by Hannah Alexander (Jan. 2009) – This author(actually a husband and wife team) has been an autobuy for me for several years. This book was to mark the beginning of a new series for them, but then Steeple Hill canceled its women’s fiction line later in 2009, leaving the series homeless. I did read this book and while it was not my very favorite from the author, I did enjoy it and reviewed it here.

The Courtier’s Secret by Donna Russo Morin – This February 2009 pick is currently in my TBR, and I’m still looking forward to reading it. This is a book by a debut author and I just thought it sounded interesting.

As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason – This book, last in the Gardella Vampires series, was a March 2009 pick of mine and I LOVED it. The entire series is truly fabulous, and it ended on a very strong note. Our reviewer had an opinion similar to mine, and the book got a DIK review here. Gleason also writes as Joss Ware, but has a novella coming soon under the Gleason name.

His Substitute Brideby Elizabeth Lane – I pick up just about all of this author’s releases, so naturally I gave this turn of the 20th century story a whirl. I read it for myself rather than for review, and I did end up liking it. It’s not earth-shattering, but it was a smooth, pleasant read.

Silver Fallsby Anne Stuart – This was one of my May 2009 picks, and I did end up getting it assigned for review. Not horrible by any means, but the heroine was way too much of a doormat and that ended up bothering me even more later than it did when I reviewed the book. Seriously, Bella Swan from the Twilight books has more backbone than this lady did.

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn – Another book I LOVED. In fact, it was my favorite read of 2009. I just thought the timing in this book was perfect.

Reynold de Burgh: The Dark Knight by Deborah Simmons – I love a good medieval, but I have to admit that this August 2009 pick was one that didn’t really pan out for me. It wasn’t awful, but I just couldn’t get into it.

The Heart of Christmas anthology – I’m a sucker for Christmas anthologies, and this one was well done. I enjoyed it quite a bit and you’ll find my review here.

To Love a Wicked Lord by Edith Layton – I wasn’t the reviewer on this book, but I enjoyed it as well. Knowing that this was the author’s last book made the experience bittersweet for me, but it was a lovely read.

Forever Waiting by DeVa Gantt – This is the last book in a series that was a guilty pleasure, and I pounced on it in December 2009 when it came out. I consider the entire trilogy to be “good bad books,” and this was no exception. It’s one of those books I really shouldn’t like because it’s full of over the top melodrama, historical accuracy issues, and rather old-fashioned characters. However, I just could not stop reading. The stories are addictive and the whole series will probably get another reading one of these days. Definitely eagerly awaited by me, and the perfect escape!

So, how have your eagerly awaited books panned out? Did they meet expectations or have you been disappointed along the way?

– Lynn Spencer