Though the title of Jaci Burton’s new romance The Final Score might imply otherwise, it isn’t the final volume of her multi-sport contemporary romance Play by Play series. It is, however, a check-in of sorts for fans, with the couple getting their happy ever after being recent college graduates and relatives of previous reader favorites….
When it comes right down to it, sequels are hit or miss. When the author does a fantastic job of setting up an alternate history in book one, as Beth Cato does in Breath of Earth, it’s a really hard act to follow. In the end, Call of Fire is a good follow up, but…
You Know Me Well is a funny, bright YA coming-of-age story about love, friendship and identity – I loved it and would be happy to have it with me on my Desert Island. This is a beautifully paced novel with alternating points of view, a structure that works very well here. The protagonists are Katie…
Lowe Magnusson returns to San Francisco with a mythical amulet that he recently unearthed in Egypt. Hadley Bacall is sent to secure it from him for her father, a museum curator. Hadley’s father had four crossbar pieces that went with the amulet, and he wants to assemble the whole shebang. Unfortunately, Hadley’s late mother bequeathed…
My favorite paranormal romances are the funny ones: No larger-than-life heroes that take themselves too seriously, no heroines that can’t wait to be bonded, no destruction of the world looming. Instead, I like amusing little magics and the zany situations that occur when you throw magical elements into the mundane world. This explains why I…
This is a follow-up to an earlier book and features the best friend of the author’s previous heroine. I didn’t catch the first book, but this one had me laughing from the start, filled with some funny dialog and hilarious situations. Despite that, I never felt the humor was over-the-top, nor did it take away…
Coming to the end of an enjoyable saga is like bidding far-flung relatives and friends goodbye after a holiday or vacation. If the reader is immersed in the tale, tears and a feeling of sorrow follow the turning of the last page. And that’s exactly how I felt reading the last paragraph of the Wilkins…
Not all romance novels can be summarized in a nutshell. But if a book is borderline between two grades, then I’ll trot out the bottom line. Personally, I consider a B-grade book (a recommendation) to be a pleasant read that provides happy feelings. Bottom line. And on that qualification, Riding the Waves doesn’t cut it….
For the most part, this one works. But be prepared for major clichés, a high degree of wackiness, and painfully obvious series set ups along the way. San Francisco newspaper writer Josie Sheehan is 35 and a veteran of a string of failed relationships. In a miraculous three paragraphs, she loses 10 pounds, buys a…
I never to say never, but Chick Lit often doesn’t do it for me. I’m not a huge fan of Women’s Fiction set in big cities, so was ambivalent about reading and reviewing The Frog Prince. But the title and premise convinced me to give it a try. Meet Holly Bishop. She fell in love…