Wait Until Midnight: Amanda Quick

"Gentle Reader,

"It could have been a scene from one of my novels.  As a rule, respectable ladies do not accept calls from Mysterious Gentlemen on business of the most grave importance--but I confess that I was possessed of lively curiosity.  The past three years had been so determinedly dull, I hoped My. Adam Hardesty would offer a tiny respite from it.  Indeed, upon first glance, Mr. Hardesty had such a formidable, thrilling presence, he quickly became the model for the villain in the sensation novel I was currently writing.

"Imagine my shock and distress then, them Mr. Hardesty accused me of being party to a plot of murder, blackmail, and general villainy!  I knew nothing of such occurrences, and proclaimed my innocence.  Unfortunately, Mr. Hardesty left unconvinced, and I had an uneasy feeling over what his search would uncover.  You see, Gentle Reader, though I live a most uneventful life now, my past contained a Great Scandal that would be ruinous if resurrected.  To protect my secrets from Mr. Hardesty's investigation, I concluded that I would need to conduct an inquiry of my own, and if that meant sharing my findings with Mr. Hardesty, so be it.  And my course of action had nothing whatsoever to do with the illicit, passionate feelings that he aroused in me--feelings that propriety would definitely frown upon...

"Yours most sincerely,

"Caroline Fordyce"

Here's yet another one to add to my Amanda Quick kick as I pick my way through my sizable "to be read" pile (or, more aptly, my "to be read shelf" now that my husband has finally gotten around to hanging the shelves in my office!).  According to fantasticfiction.com, this is a standalone novel.  I can see, however, how this could have been a series when you incorporate some of the secondary characters from Adam Hardesty's family.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find several connected stories amongst her voluminous resume.

I have noticed a trend for the supernatural in each of the books I've read by Quick.  While this can be a dime a dozen in this genre, I find her take a bit more refreshing in its realism.  The books seem to have characters fascinated with the supernatural, yet the underlying current is one of skepticism which manages to ground the readers rather than whisk them away on a fanciful cloud.  There's nothing wrong with this cloud, per se, but if that is what you're looking for with Quick, then I must say that I have yet to find it.  Her characters are worldly and far more grounded than others I've found in more supernatural stories.  This lands Quick's works solidly in the middle between realistic and paranormal -- an interesting place to be for those readers who aren't too fond of paranormal or supernatural, and yet they desire something with a bit more intrigue than a typical book of this genre.  Indeed, I feel that her books might even lean toward mystery in that aspect.  Her characters always seem to be on the hunt to uncover a secret, solve a crime or murder, or generally involve themselves in rather risky situations.  This lends an air of excitement to her works; Wait Until Midnight was no exception.  I found the pacing quite good and all of the secondary characters to be well-formed and beneficial to the plot and character development.  The murder, mystery, and nefarious plots moved the story along and kept me interested from the first page.

We are introduced to Adam Hardesty as he examines the scene of a horribly violent crime.  Someone has murdered a woman who proclaimed to be a medium.  In the all the obsession with the paranormal which marked the Victorian Era in England, was this woman murdered by a vengeful spirit from the Other Side, or was a more worldly rage her downfall -- perhaps there was an unhappy sitter at one of her recent seances?  This leads Adam to the home of Caroline Fordyce, noted author of serial sensationalist novels.  Being far more worldly and practical, Adam has not heard of Mrs. Fordyce prior to their meeting; however, he soon realizes that he'll not soon forget her.

Caroline Fordyce is taken in by curiosity as an obviously-wealthy stranger calls on her at an odd hour.  She knows he gives her a false name and his mysterious inquiries and accusations set off alarms in her head.  But there's something about this man which draws her to him.  In fact, she decides to use him as the inspiration for the villain her current novel.  By the time the man leaves, Caroline has realized that something horrible is afoot and, if she doesn't act quickly, the potential disaster could destroy everything she and her aunts had worked toward over the last several years.

Somewhat reluctantly, Caroline and Adam work together to uncover the truth behind the medium's gruesome murder -- and locate the diary which Adam knows contains secrets which could destroy his family and everything he'd achieved to secure them a safe place in the world.  Adam has secrets of his own which he must protect...but he finds himself willing to open up to the enticing, intelligent Mrs. Fordyce in a way that he never has before.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot.  There were many twists and turns which kept it fast-paced and captivating.  As far as the characters, themselves, I liked both Caroline and Adam well enough.  Caroline was interesting because she viewed so much of her world through an author's lens.  Adam felt slightly less-developed.  It wasn't until 3/4 of the way through the novel that it was mentioned how powerful and notoriously reserved he was...but if his name was so well-known then how had Caroline never heard of him?  I realize she didn't travel in the same social circles as Adam and his family, but there was a good amount of indication that he was someone to be recognized and he had a name which was more than a little bit well-known.  It was something I found a little bit odd.  I liked his history, as well as Caroline's past.  I think those lent them each their own unique flair.  As for the romance between them...I missed it a bit.  I don't believe there was enough build up of tension before they acted upon those impulses.  I love a bit of delicious torture, and I found it lacking a bit here in lieu of developing the very complex and mysterious grander plot thread.  There was little to no hesitation on Caroline's part when it came to sleeping with Adam.  There was no reason or explanation given for this either (not even a, "Well, he's hot and I'm not getting any younger!"), nor did she seem shy in the slightest.  I suppose I wanted her to be a bit more demure about it all.  I realize she was not who she claimed to be, but even her internal dialogue missed the mark.  Yet again, I also found the lack of physical descriptions of the characters throughout the book to be a bit sad.  I want to know more about their appearances than their clothing.  What were their features like?  The angle of their eyes, the length of their lashes, the shadow of a beard?  I want something to flesh them out a bit more.

I am still recommending this book, so please don't take my criticisms as a reason to stay away.  I'm merely making some observations and comparisons between Quick and some of the other authors I've read.  I enjoyed the book and cruised through it rather swiftly.  I believe this may be one of the last ones I own by Quick, so there may be an unintentional hiatus before I can obtain more.  Happy reading!

My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel: Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris

"Flirtatious repartee!  Scandalous intrigue!  Men in kilts!  And more...

"In this chooseable-path romantic adventure, you are the plucky but penniless heroine in the center of nineteenth-century society, the courtship season has begun, and your future is at hand.  Will you...

• Flip forward fetchingly to flirt with the bantering baronet, SIR BENEDICT GRANVILLE?
• Turn the page to true love with the hardworking, horse-loving Highlander, Captain Angus McTaggart?
• Chase through the chapters a good man gone mad, bad, and scandalous, in the arousing form of LORD GARRAWAY CRAVEN?
• Read on recklessly as the 'traveling companion' of the spirited and adventuresome LADY EVANGELINE YOUNGBLOOD?
• Or choose yet another tantalizing fate?

"Whether it's forlorn orphans and fearsome werewolves, mistaken identities and devious double-crosses, or long lost lovers and pilfered Egyptian artifacts, every delightful twist and turn of the romance genre unfolds at your behest!"


I saw this book as a new recommended reading a few months back from my former (amazing, nationally-ranked) public library.  I take screenshots of some of these books when the librarian's reviews really pique my interest?  A good romance novel?  Right up my alley.  A "choose-your-own-path" romance novel?  Never heard of it...super excited to try it out!  How many readers of this genre sit back and go, "Well I would've certainly handled that differently"?  I can tell you with complete honesty that I've done this more than a time or two.  This book presents a very unique opportunity to do just that!  Not only do you get to pick your path, but your choices determine which of the intriguing, charming suitors wins your hand!  It could be any of the men (or even woman!) noted above...or someone else entirely.  There are more than twenty (yes, you read that correctly) endings you can wind up living.


This book charmed me on so many levels, but I had to learn something very quickly:  THIS IS NOT A SERIOUS ROMANCE NOVEL!!!  It is fun, humorous parody.  The "descriptions" are overly cliché and read like something a novice writer would come up with, but you recognize that that's the point.  It's meant to not take itself seriously.  I can't tell you how many times I laughed while reading this (in a good way, of course).  This is satire at its most playful.  Sir Benedict Granville is a very blatant parody of Mr. Darcy from Austen's famed Pride & Prejudice (with a little bit more explicit behavior, of course); McTaggart is an amalgamation of every single (clichéd) Scotsman existing in romance novels, kilt and all (though I've not read many books with such overly-dramatized Scotsmen, I can certainly see where the parody came from and I applaud the authors -- I found it rather amusing).  Craven and his various story threads (without giving too much away) consist to varying degrees of classic Gothic writing and more modern paranormal romance.  The authors seem to have hit on so many aspects of romance novels set in the Britain in the nineteenth-century and I'm extremely impressed.


As I mentioned, I picked up this book believing it to be more serious than it was.  I adjusted my expectations accordingly (and rather quickly) and ended up enjoying this book quite a bit.  When I realized that it was more satire than serious, I thought I would feel like it was making fun of the genre (and its readers), but I didn't feel that way at all.  What good is being a reader and writer if you can't laugh at yourself every once in awhile?


I finished my first "journey" rather quickly.  Some paths are much more drawn out than others, depending upon your meandering choices, of course.  I did enjoy some threads much more than others, but that's to be expected.  This book hits upon so many aspects of the genre and archetypes that it covers a broad base of readers.  I doubt that anyone out there will adore every single one of the threads.  I caught a few tiny continuity errors (i.e. depending upon the path you chose, there might not actually be statues in the scene, but the next scene you encounter contained statues; however, if you had entered the second scene via a different page, then it all made sense), but nothing terrible.  I feel like this is to be expected when there are so many complex and intersecting plots.  I will caution you that if you're anything like me and you have a burning need to read EVERY SINGLE path this book has to offer...then it will take you a very long, long, long time.  In order to do so, I needed to adopt a complex method of tiny scraps of paper, checkmarks, and tallies.  I accomplished it (and, in the grand scheme of things, it really did only take me two days to get through it all), but it meant I had to be insanely organized and I couldn't stop for any interruptions or I would lose my place.  I didn't want to miss a single thread or ending.  That could just be me and I may just be a wee bit crazy.


For a lover of the romance genre, this is a great way to shake things up.  The structure and story are so incredibly unique and creative.  To come up with such an idea -- to treat a romance novel like a choose-your-path videogame or comic book -- is sheer genius.  I am so impressed with what this book ended up being and I loved the opportunity to laugh.  It absolutely does not take itself too seriously and it was a fantastic reminder that we shouldn't take our reading material too seriously either.


*Side note:  In researching a bit more about this book, I've discovered a bunch of other choose-your-path romance books!  I'm not sure if they're satire like this one, but I'm definitely interested to look into them.  Happy reading!

Seize the Night (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Twelve): Sherrilyn Kenyon UPDATED

Back to Sherrilyn Kenyon!  I forgot how much I loved Valerius (you can see the similarities between this review and my original one HERE).  We get a small taste of him in Talon and Sunshine's story, a (rather biased) glimpse of him in Zarek and Astrid's story, and a very good view into his character as he makes a supporting appearance in Vane and Bride's story.  He was haughty and obnoxious in the first two, but Bride's perceptiveness opens up a whole new side of him to the readers.  One which is beautifully developed in this book.  Kenyon (as I've stated on numerous occasions) has the most wonderful talent for writing dark, twisty, tormented, complex characters.  Valerius, while seemingly shallow at first glance, is exactly this.  We, like the characters in the books, meet him with an engrained prejudice.  We already have loyalty to Kyrian and our hearts have bled for Zarek.  It is amazing how quickly and deeply we fall for Val (because I can say with some certainty that I am not the only one who has felt this way).

I did go into this reading concerned about how I would like Tabitha.  She (as she professes to be) is a lot to handle.  I was a touch concerned that she would be too over-the-top for my tastes, but (as Ash knew she would be) is the perfect foil for Val.  She brings out the best in him, she knows how to help him heal.  He, on the other hand, is what she needs.  He allows her to be herself, but she (somewhat) mellows her outing keeps her safe.  I really enjoyed their story, overall.

Additionally, it was nice to see SO many familiar faces:  Kyrian, Julian, Talon, Nick, Vane, Otto, Zarek, even some familiar villains.  This was a very busy, action-packed book, which made for some volatile, cringe-worthy, heart-breaking moments.  I cannot believe how much Kenyon crammed into this one book!  Having read this one before, I knew what was coming and I still got choked up.  I won't give anything away (because that would be a real crime against this story), but be prepared for irreparable changes to take place!  Some of your favorite characters will never be the same...  You also clues to some of the secrets other characters have been carefully concealing.

This was a complex, exciting, excellent read.  Kenyon has worked her magic again and really brought her Dark-Hunter New Orleans to life.

Kiss of the Night (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Seven): Sherrilyn Kenyon UPDATED

I seem to be on a bit of a Sherrilyn Kenyon reading kick as of late.  It's been fun going back through these stories and immersing myself in the rich world Kenyon has created.  There's been a long enough gap in between my first reading (HERE) and this go, so enough of the plot was "new-ish" and made it fun and exciting.

As with my first reading, I really appreciated how much this story added to the overall backstory and plot for this extensive series.  The nuances in the Appellate and Daimon worlds were so complex and served to prove how the world -- even this fictional one -- is never quite as black-and-white as it seems.  I will admit that I may even have to go back and read the very beginning of this book again to make sure I really understand all of the twisty turns of the mythology Kenyon has created.

As for the characters, themselves, I liked Wulf and Cassandra.  Wulf's backstory was well-written and  his curse was truly heart-breaking (and creative).  I appreciated how Kenyon handled it and used it to add depth to the plot.  While I understand Wulf's obsession (and even that feels as if I am putting it lightly) with keeping Chris safe, it sometimes felt a bit too over the top (bordering on silly).  I liked Cassandra as a female lead.  She felt strong and determined, with a well-crafted backstory.  Moments of the story felt a little bit cheesy (cue sex scene involving a red rose), but that may just be my own personal taste.

Some of the writing was slightly awkward at times.  I found my English-centered brain attempting to edit these sentences as I would when reading my own world or a student's.  The biggest instance of this is the way in which some words were repeated in sentences when other words would have sufficed.  This didn't dampen my enjoyment, but I did notice it enough to feel the need to mention it in this review.

I definitely enjoyed the supporting characters; they really seemed to make this book into something very fun and interesting to read.  I think, while Cassandra and Wulf had a great story, they service as a vehicle to set up a number of other threads for the rest of the overarching series.  Ash makes an important appearance (as did Simi...and we know how I feel about her obsessive rants about barbecuing everything...) and we learn more about Atlantean mythology and get some hints about Ash's hidden past.

One more comment I will make is that we get very little about Wulf's physical appearance to go off of.  There's a good bit right at the start, but not a heck of a lot after.  In a genre where readers should "fall for" the male leads, this fell slightly short.  (When I say "physical" description, I mean facial features.  We certainly get good physical descriptions, but not much else.  I feel like we got a better sense of Cassandra from Wulf's point of view.)

I did enjoy the story.  Parts of it were very touching and I can tell a tremendous amount of work went into this book.  I had a little bit of constructive criticism to offer, but I don't think it's something to deter you from reading this installment.

Timeless Passion (Paranormal, Book One): Constance O'Day-Flannery

"SEPARATE YESTERDAYS

"When Brianne Quinlan woke up after the accident, she thought she was losing her mind. Gone were the last things she remembered: Her car, the highway, and the tall buildings that lined the road. Instead, she found herself in a meadow surrounded by trees and rolling lawns. And when she lifted her head her eyes met the magnetic blue gaze of the most remarkably handsome man she'd ever seen. As he effortlessly lifted her onto his horse, Brianne was unable to even utter a protest.

"ONE TOMORROW

"On a routine ride to survey his plantation, Ryan Barrington could not believe what he saw. Lying beneath a tree was a beautiful woman, dressed in bizarre clothing, her long copper-colored hair surrounding her like a veil. He had never seen such a fetching apparition, and he was sure that she had been sent by a friend to entice him. He thought to send her on her way, but when he lifted her into his arms Ryan knew he was lost. He caressed her creamy flesh and kissed her ripe lips feeling a rush of desire that could not be denied. He vowed to find out her true identity and make her his own with TENDER PASSION."

I've had this book for a while and finally picked it up when I decided that it was time to try a new author. I was looking forward to seeing how this author handled the whole time travel conundrum and (I won't wreck it for you, but) I think she did it very nicely. She tied the whole story together well and it was much better than some other books of this type that I've read. The ending was great!!!

Ryan was a well-written character. I liked his spark and drive. Though many male leads in romance novels are perfect and strong (which Ryan was...I almost wanted him to have a flaw...), Ryan didn't get boring for me. I do, however, think I would have liked to have seen him have more passion. I won't go into depth, but you'll see what I mean when you read it. Brianne (it took me a while, but about two-thirds into the book, I got confirmation that her name is, in fact, pronounced "Bree-ann" instead of an odd form of "Brianna". I'm not sure what made me think this, but I did. Anyway...) Brianne was a good female lead as well. I didn't much care for her in the beginning. She seemed pretty flat. However, I forced myself to give her and this story a chance and I ended up liking her much more. I suggest you do the same.

As I just mentioned, this book starts off slow. It's set in the latter part of the 1980's, so it's naturally outdated. Though this can't be helped (and the 80's were before my time); even I can tell that the author had a habit of simply picking out popular or expensive things to portray a certain lifestyle. There wasn't much heart put into it. It was as if she sat down and made a list of expensive clothing brands, cars, etc. and just gave them all to Brianne without much personal thought. This annoyed me a little bit and helped make the first ten or so chapters drag on. I will fully admit that I almost put this book down...but I didn't and I am glad! Many things made me smile and I ended up liking this author.

Some of the supporting actors were well-written as well. However, I think I would have liked to have seen more of the "villains". ***SPOILER: Duville was interesting and I REALLY wanted more from him. He was interesting and dark and really could have made a nasty contrast to Ryan had the story continued on for a few more chapters. I also feel like Caroline gave in too easily. Yes, the author explained well why this was, but it still felt a little hollow to me. Overall, I kind of get the sense that we're missing a chunk of the plot. There was no grand fruition of the evil plans Duville had for Brianne. I hate to say it, but I almost WANTED a kidnapping to occur!***

Anyway, though I feel strongly about my little rant, that didn't ruin the story for me. I still enjoyed it and found myself especially tearing up while reading the epilogue. I really like the twists at the end and--when you think about them--you'll appreciate them for what they are (if that makes any sense...probably not...)

And so, I recommend this book. I enjoyed it once I got through the slightly slow beginning. This is the first in this series and I look forward to reading more.