Twilight Desires (Morgan Creek, Book Three): Amanda Ashley

“Sofia Ravenwood was once fascinated by vampires—their seductive power, their inhuman strength, their dark desires.  Then one of them attached her family, and she threw out her goth attire and vowed to keep clear of her enemies. Until she heard about Ethan Parrish:  a sweet, sizzling-hot former college football player, turned into a vampire against his will.

 

“Wandering the deserted streets of Morgan Creek, Wyoming, Ethan’s sure he’ll be alone forever—a monster like him deserves nothing else.  Then beautiful, complicated Sofia agrees to meet him, fangs and all.  The need she ignites in him is more than just the pulse of her blood or the scent of her skin.  But he’s not the only bloodsucker desperate to make her his own…”

 

Here we are!  This is Ashley’s third and newest installment in her Morgan Creek series.  *In the name of full disclosure, I did receive an advanced copy of this book directly from the author, herself, in exchange for my honest review.*  The book’s official release date was August 28, 2018 (though the cover of the copy in my possession states it'll be available in September of 2018), but, knowing I review books and have reviewed her books in the past, Ashley reached out to me and kindly offered to send an advanced uncorrected proof to me.  I, of course, was happy to read it.  I did, however, first need to read the preceding two books in this series!  If you’ve read those recent reviews, then you’ll know I had some mixed feelings.  I liked some of the characters and really appreciated the uniqueness of the plot surrounding the location of Morgan Creek, itself, but some things didn’t strike me as outstanding.  I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what this book has to offer.  We were introduced to both Sofia and Ethan in the second book in the series (Sofia is Micah’s younger sister and Ethan is Holly’s cousin) – more so Sofia than Ethan.  From what I already know about them, Sofia is a bit of a spitfire and Ethan has no qualms about giving Saintcrow, his sire, any attitude or lip.  I’m looking forward to seeing how Ethan’s dynamic plays out with the other vampires in Morgan Creek – especially because he’s always believed in vampires and hated them so much – and I’m really hoping we continue to see Sofia’s attitude and spunk.  I have felt that the biggest thing this series has been lacking is a really unique, standout female lead; I’m really hoping Sofia can accomplish this task.




***




I'm about 75 pages into this book after starting it last night.  It's a much easier read and I like the pace of the story; I think Ethan's confusion and frustration coming to terms with his new life as a vampire is well-written.  So far, Sofia does seem better developed than the other female leads I've encountered and I hope it continues.  It feels like she really does have a life of her own and, while some of her attitudes and behavior is a bit immature, I think it suits her age well (she is, after all, only 19).  Ethan has an attitude and a bit of a death wish.  I like seeing a change in him when he's around Sofia.


However...Sofia has a feels "her heart swell with love" 31 pages into the story...thirty...one...pages...(Ashley 31).  I found it unbelievable and unrealistic, especially because she and Ethan had only met a couple of times at that point.  It almost makes me wonder if that was a hiccup in the writing because there haven't been any mentions since then.  One other hiccup is the fact that Ethan keeps taking her to bars and out for drinks (she likes tequila sunrises)...but she's only 19.  I am not upset over the fact that she's underage-drinking, I just can't quite figure out how it's so easy for her to get a drink absolutely everywhere they go.  Ethan hasn't even considered that it might be more difficult to take a 19-year-old out to a bar.  Granted, Ethan does most of the ordering, but no fake ID has been mentioned and no one's bothered to card her.  It's just a little too easy, almost as if we (conveniently) forgot how old she actually is.




Some moments have felt a bit scattered and contradictory.  POTENTIAL SPOILERS:  The scene where Mateo uses a human henchman to kidnap Sofia seems a bit random and ill-planned; on top of the fact that I'm not really sure why he had Sofia locked in a basement while he fed on another woman he'd kidnapped.  It seemed like a lot of trouble for not a lot of real reason.  The biggest issue I've taken thus far is with Ethan's very irrational, mercurial mood in Chapter 10.  I get being upset because Sofia hasn't called; however, he'd just had a wonderfully productive planning meeting about the changes he wants to make to Morgan Creek.  He seemed to be getting exactly what he wanted.  From one sentence to the next, Ethan transforms into a self-loathing, suicidal maniac willing to do whatever it takes to get Saintcrow to come and put him out of his misery.  It felt very sudden and I actually had to put the book down and wonder, "What the heck just happened here?"  We'll see how this progresses.




One other little plot hole I feel the need to mention:  Earlier in this review, I state that Ethan always hated vampires.  This statement stemmed from Holly's statement in book two that, when Ethan was a child, he always used to carry around objects to ward off vampires.  Last night when I was reading, Ethan indicated that he'd never really believed in vampires.  Hm.




***


I finished this book just over a week ago; however, I was in an airport on my way out of state (sans computer), so I didn’t get a chance to finish my review on this until this morning.  I ended up liking Ethan a good amount and I liked Sophia more than I’ve liked other female leads in this series.  I particularly liked the conflict between Ethan and Sophia’s older, rightfully-protective brother (and vampire), Micah.

I do have to say that I found the romance to be a bit hasty.  (***Minor spoiler:  I found the marriage between Ethan and Sophia to be pretty rushed.  I get excitement and all that, but it was borderline unbelievable.  I found their attraction to feel more natural than their actual love, if that makes any sense.***)  However, I liked their banter and the sparks between them.  I think their romance felt the most realistic to me of all of the three books I’ve read in this series.

There was a decent villain in this book in the form of a vampire who wanted to bring Morgan Creek back to its “glory days” when wandering humans were kept captive by a coven of vampires.  However, I kept waiting for more like-minded vampires to join in the fight and give Ethan and Saintcrow a better run for their money (on top of the fact that I expected Saintcrow to call upon Micah when the proverbial shit really hit the fan and Kadie went missing.  It felt strange that a vampire so in love with his mate wouldn’t call upon every single resource at his disposal when it came down to it.  Who cares of Micah and Holly were on what would technically be their second honeymoon (they went to New York first at the end of their book)?  That felt a bit odd to me.)  These like-minded vampires were hinted at and I kept waiting for something to happen with them, but it never did.  The greater threat came into play with the introduction of another supernatural being:  a witch.  There were a couple of them in this book and I would say (from my relatively limited knowledge) that they were pretty “purist” as well, which sticks nicely with the rest of Ashley’s writing.  Even though there was more tension in this book with the variety of conflicts and some decent “bad guys,” I still found myself longing for the big knock-down, drag-out battle scene.  I know if I were Saintcrow, I’d want revenge in the worst way.  Nothing would be able to stop my desire for blood; my own safety be damned.  The way this was handled made him seem a bit more fragile than one would expect from a master vampire.  I feel like I’m spending quite a bit of time on Saintcrow in this review and he’s not even the male lead.  I think this is because the series really does revolve around him.  Another reason is probably because I like him more now than I did in even his own book.  I feel like I really got to see the charm, wit, and acerbic sense of humor/sarcasm that I didn’t quite get to experience earlier.  I love it when characters develop and Saintcrow has done so.  ***Minor spoiler:  Also, the whole walking in sunlight thing was VERY convenient and I’m not too sure I cared for it.  The rest of Ashley’s vampires are very “purist” and that’s something I truly respect, so perhaps this is what rubbed me the wrong way.  I may have forgiven it for Saintcrow, but as soon as Ethan was allowed to do so, that killed it for me.  What goes hand-in-hand with this is my opinion that Saintcrow seemed overly generous with his master vampire mojo.  He let Micah drink from him, thereby instilling in him heightened powers; he drained Ethan again and let him drink, affording him additional powers and abilities (like walking in sunlight).  I feel like these were things that he should have kept very close to the chest, regardless of circumstances or who the other vampires were.  These abilities are what allow him to be so powerful, to lord his strengths over other vampires and maintain control over his domain.  Eternity is a long time and, should Micah or Ethan ever decide to turn their backs on him, they would now present a greater threat.  Something to think about.

***

Overall, I think this book was my favorite of the series.  Ethan gives Micha a run for my favorite male lead in the series.  I think Micah has a better sense of humor, but Ethan has a much better “tortured, angst-ridden, moody male” vibe about him.  I liked Ethan’s head-butting with Saintcrow, but (as previously mentioned) some of the interactions felt a bit forced or nonsensical (as in, they weren’t quite what I was expecting or they didn’t quite fit with Ethan’s emotional state).  I enjoyed the development of Saintcrow, but this proves how the series really does focus on the male leads.  Kadie and Holly really fell to the wayside in this book.  I expected a lot more from Holly as a secondary character, especially because she was the one who helped hook up Ethan and Sophia.  Instead, when it came time for Ethan and Micah to meet, she really took a big leap into the background.  I thought her rapport with Sophia (and as a calming, rational person in Micah’s life…or death, if you’re a stickler for semantics) would go a long way toward developing the plot and conflict, but it didn’t really.  I’m curious to see if other vampires from Morgan Creek will crop up in future books.  Jokes were made that the rest of Micah and Sophia’s family should be turned into vampires since they’ve already gotten a good start, but I don’t know if I expect this to be an actual hint to future stories.

I’m honored that Ashley chose to send me an advanced copy of this book to review.  I’m always thrilled whenever an author reaches out to me and I’m more than happy to contribute my own (tiny) voice to the conversation.  I recommend this book to vampire romance purists out there.  While the romance is a bit tamer than I’m used to, I think this presents a good alternative to those who find other authors a bit too “raunchy.”  There is romance; there are quality classic vampires.  If this is what you’re looking for, then Ashley’s writing is right up your alley.  I had my criticisms for each of the books in this series, but I tend to write much more in-depth reviews when I know an author will see it.  I would want the breadth and depth from anyone who was reviewing my own writing, so I feel like I’m doing a service to the writing community.  I found aspects which could have been expanded upon and some things I felt worked well.  The underlying plot of Morgan Creek is unique, interesting, and creative.  There is a ton of potential here for even more books in the series.

Happy reading!

Twilight Dreams (Morgan Creek, Book Two): Amanda Ashley

"Holly Parrish has never met anyone like Micah Ravenwood:  his dark eyes, his movie-star smile, the indefinable way he looks at her.  Even when she thought he was no more than another client for her investment firm, her lust overpowered her logic.

"But she never expected this attraction to whisk her from her busy southern California life to a silent and eerie ghost town in Wyoming.  Only vampires call the deserted place home--and one of them is Micah.  He says he's brought her to Morgan Creek for her safety, that vicious creatures are hunting her.  But how can Holly trust him?  One look and she can see the need barely restrained behind Micah's polite words.  The heat of his kiss, the pleasure of his touch--none of it can tell her whether he wants her as his lover--or his prey..."






I'm about 50 pages in and I think I already like this book more than I liked the first in this series.  I feel like this is due in large part to the fact that I have already seen a great deal more from Micah's perspective than we did Saintcrow's.  We met Micha in the first book and, given our first "meeting," I wasn't certain how much I would like him as a hero of his own story.  He actually feels more developed with a solid backstory.  Knowing what we do of his family and history (especially having a good percentage of the story told from his point of view thus far) I feel like I care about him more already.  I sympathize more with him; hopefully the trend continues.






Holly is still pretty generic.  She is pretty, smart, does her chores every Saturday, and loves to eat.  So far, she doesn't differ very much from Kadie (other than her career) and she's still pretty generic.  I hope she develops more as the story goes on.






We've also been introduced to some villains already, which is nice.  I like starting a book off with an undercurrent of conflict; it makes for a better story and a more intense read.  I think, perhaps, this is some of what the first book in this series was missing.  Granted, Saintcrow and the rest of the vampires in Morgan Creek are technically the villains, but we don't get an external villain until much, much later in the book.  This is probably why it felt like the story (and Kadie's conversations and conflict with Saintcrow) kept going in circles.  There had to be something to keep the story moving until an external villain could be introduced.  I like the villains thus far and I'm looking forward to the inevitable clash.






I'm hoping for a bit more of an explanation as to why Holly (who works solely in a formal business world) would be meeting a prospective new employee at a goth club.  It feels a bit unbelievable and REALLY unprofessional on his part.  Maybe it was a trap?  I'm hoping to find out more as I continue onward.






***




I still prefer the development of Micah's character to Saintcrow's.  I feel the sympathy toward him that was missing for me in the first book of this series.  I care about him more.  He feels more tortured, perhaps because, in some ways, he's still coming to terms with his vampire existence.  Holly, on the other hand, feels very similar to Kadie (i.e. generic).  They have the same reaction and mentality toward vampires (which I suppose is reasonable), the same obsession with food, and no real defining hobbies or traits (personality or physical) that set them apart or make them unique from a caricature of what, perhaps, someone expects a modern woman to be.  Take away their physical descriptions and professions...and they're basically the same woman.  They're both virgins (there's nothing wrong with this, but I'm definitely noticing a trend:  the men are very possessive, the women are innocent virgins, there's a lot of steamy kissing, and the sex usually winds up very vanilla (nothing but missionary) -- man, does this last one make me sound like a kink, but I promise I'm not).  Neither of them really seems to have a defining history or past.  Both of them occupy themselves the same ways (nothing more than movies and books).  Their scenes always seem to start with or involve food (usually overly-descriptive, mass quantities of food).




I still like the fact that this book has more tangible villains; it makes for a more exciting read.  Even if Holly is falling a bit flat for me, I think the plot is moving well and it doesn't feel as "trapped in a cycle" as Kadie and Saintcrow's book did.




***


Well, I finished this book last night and I can safely say that I did end up liking it more than I did the first in the series.  Kadie and Saintcrow played large roles in this sequel and, I can say with definitiveness now, that Kadie remains rather underdeveloped (as does the relationship between Kadie and Saintcrow).  Saintcrow did gain a little bit more individuality in this book (which is surprising because he was not the male lead), so it made him a bit more interesting.


I did end up liking Micah a great deal more than Saintcrow in the first book.  As a male lead, Micah was better developed, more individualized, and had a much better-explained backstory.  This is probably due in large part because he's such a young vampire that he still has living human relatives.  It helped show what he was like as a human and gave me a much better sense of who he was as a character.  (Now, I'm not saying that the only reason Saintcrow was underdeveloped was because he had no living human relatives...there are a lot of ways he could have become more well-rounded.)  He was witty and his personality suited his age.  I understood his attraction to Holly a bit better than I did Saintcrow's to Kadie, but it still fell a little bit short.  I'm stuck asking the same question:  What makes these women so damn unique?  They may be attractive and resistant to their vampiric charms, but that could be any one of hundreds, if not thousands, of women.  We see very little of Holly's family life (until the very end of the book) and nothing of her friends.  I felt like there was a big feud being hinted at when Holly mentioned that he father was a believer in vampires and hated them with a passion, but it never came to fruition.  Holly remained pretty flat, never quite setting herself apart from any other female lead in a vampire romance novel.  She loves the man; she is put off by the vampire; and she doesn't long for eternal life, but will accept it if it means she never has to leave the man she loves.  (Possibly a minor spoiler:  This is just a side note and I may be reading too much into this, but I REALLY cannot imagine any modern twenty-something picking fingertip veils for her bridesmaids...  This choice shattered the illusion for me because it felt really dated.)


I still had a few issues with the flow of the dialogue and there were some repetitive phrases, words, and conversations that simply struck me the wrong way.  This probably won't bother others as much, but I wanted to at least mention it.


I did mention before that I liked the fact that there were more tangible villains in this book.  It turns out that there were a few (we're introduced to another later in the book) and this made for a more dynamic plot.  However, I admit that the "big fight scenes" felt a little bit anticlimactic.  The action was fairly glossed over.  I didn't feel like I was watching an intense battle, rather hearing a quick account of what took place.


The last few chapters did set up the protagonists and villain for the third book in this series, which is scheduled to be released in a few weeks (and of which I also received an advanced copy in return for my honest review).  If these few chapters were any indication, we're in for our most combative male lead yet.  I am pretty certain I know who his female counterpart will be and I hope she matures and becomes a better-developed female lead than we've seen previously.


Overall, I liked this book more than the first in this series.  I appreciate that Morgan Creek is like the vampires' base -- their haven -- and I look forward to seeing how this continues and what becomes of the town now that there's no one to take care of it.  What will Saintcrow decide to do with it?  The story has potential, I just hope we get to see a more dynamic female lead.

As Twilight Falls (Morgan Creek, Book One): Amanda Ashley

"Photographing ghost towns across the American West, Kadie Andrews takes a wrong turn and ends up in Morgan Creek--a spot that isn't on the map.  It's a quaint little place, but there's something off about its complacent residents.  And when twilight falls, it takes on a truly sinister air...

"Unable to run, or to find any way out, Kadie finds herself a prisoner, hunted for her blood.  Still more disturbing, her spirit and beauty have captured the attention of master vampire Rylan Saintcrow.  When he looks into her eyes, she can see his hunger.  When he takes her in his arms, she can feel his power.  When he presses his lips against hers, she can taste his need.  Saintcrow may be the most compelling creature she's ever imagined, but Kadie knows in her heart that he is also a man.  A man who needs a woman.  To want him, desire him, crave him.  To be his willing prisoner--for all eternity..."








I haven't read anything by Amanda Ashley in quite some time, but she reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to review her newest book, the third installment in this Morgan Creek series.  My answer was, of course, yes!  She sent me an advanced copy of Twilight Desires a month or two ago and I've only just now gotten my hands on the first two books in the series.  It certainly wouldn't do to read them out of order!  I'm only a few chapters into As Twilight Falls and I've only just now realized how long it has actually been since I read a true vampire romance novel.  I don't quite count Sherrilyn Kenyon in this "true vampire" genre because her Dark-Hunters aren't actually vampires at all, they are just the beings off of which the legends were created.  When I say "true vampire," I mean Anne Rice-style or Stoker-style vampire (and the Twilight Saga doesn't count, not that I've ever even picked up those books).  These are vampires who don't stray far -- if at all -- from the traditional vampiric mythology.  There's something to be said for traditionalism and I can appreciate both sides of this spectrum:  authors who take the myth and use it for their craft; and authors who take the myth, turn it on its ear, and create something wholly unique at the risk of not actually creating a vampire at all.  Ashley is more of a traditionalist, which is something to be respected.






So far, I find the premise of Morgan Creek to be pretty intriguing.  Like I mentioned, it's still very early in the book; everything is still being developed and I still haven't learned all that much about the characters or their motivation.  I'm looking forward to continuing onward.






***




Thus far, I'm liking the premise of the town of Morgan Creek, but I do have a lot of questions and I'm looking forward to finding the answers.  I've also just met Saintcrow and I really would love to see more of his point of view.  Thus far, we've focused a great deal on Kadie and I need to really care about a male lead in order to become invested in a book. Granted, I'm still very early on in my reading, but I look forward to what's coming.  For that matter, I want to know more about Kadie.  I'm not very invested in her yet, either.  I know very, very little about her personality or her background.  I realize that a lot of writing is going toward setting up the odd, isolated town of Morgan Creek and having Kadie come to terms with the fact that vampires do exist, but I'm looking forward to finding out what make Kadie so special -- what draws Saintcrow to her?




***


I'm now a little bit more than halfway through this book.  I still like the premise of Morgan Creek -- the fact that it's a hidden vampire haven headed by a powerful master vampire.  I think Ashley put a lot of thought and care into creating a livable, believable (as far as vampire storylines go) scenario.  I really have to admit that I'm still not in love with either of the leading characters.  What makes them special?  Kadie has no really special defining characteristics or even a fantastic personality and, as far as female leads go, I'm struggling a bit with her.  The fact that she's a photographer seems to be the most interesting thing about her, though there is VERY little evidence of this in her day-to-day life.  I feel like someone who has dedicated her life to this art would look at the world through a different lens (pun intended); having her see the beauty in certain things, appreciate her surroundings or something, would lend her character a bit more interest.  For that matter, the rest of her character is pretty run-of-the-mill.  She likes shopping, chocolate, and overeating (and there seems to be a heavy emphasis placed on exactly what the characters eat at every single meal, which becomes a little bit repetitive...especially when characters like Kadie eat large quantities at a time).  She doesn't have any flaws as far as I can tell -- nothing that makes her feel more realistic.  I have yet to see what makes her so fascinating and attractive to Saintcrow.  I'm also really not sold on Kadie's internal and external dialogues.  She flashes back and forth between wanting Saintcrow and hating him with such rapidity that it's difficult to invest in.  I can understand the fact that Ashley is trying to show that Kadie is at war with herself, but having the same conversation again and again makes the story drag.  I long to see her develop more as a character.




As far as Saintcrow goes, I really want to see more of his point of view.  In the 216 pages that I've read, I doubt there have been anywhere near 50 pages from his perspective.  I'm definitely used to a more even balance and I've found this balance necessary when writing for this genre.  As unsold as I am on Kadie, I'm almost even less invested in Saintcrow.  He has SO MUCH POTENTIAL!  He could be so interesting, so tortured; instead, he seems almost robotic.  His attraction to Kadie and his love for her feel a bit flat.  Desire, I can see, but only on the most basic of levels because he's male and she's an attractive female.  As for why she's the first woman he's loved in 900 years...I don't quite know why.  He does mention that he's not sure what draws him to her, but this ends up feeling like a little bit of a cop-out.  Sure, he's dark, mysterious, sexy, and dangerous...but what beyond these things makes him a well-crafted male lead?  I'm uncertain at this point.  I hope to discover something in his past that makes him fearful of love (other than that he is a vampire and unwilling to put himself at risk).  I want to know why and how Kadie has changed him so much.  As Saintcrow's world starts to fall down around him, I hope to see more depth and range from both him and Kadie.




***


Alright!  I finished this book late last night.  The ending was tied up in a very neat little bow (like most books in the romance genre).  I was able to predict some of the things that happened...well, most of them, to be honest.  Some things were better explained than others and I found a few minor plot holes (things that probably should have been caught by an editor).  I don't know if they became more numerous toward the end of the book, but there were a few sprinkled throughout and I definitely noticed them more toward the end.  They weren't horrible or glaring, but they were definitely present (i.e. Saintcrow was able to enter a house into which he'd not previously been invited; someone Kadie was VERY close to was told by Saintcrow that she was aware he was a vampire, but when this person questioned her, he behaved shocked that she knew...and I'm certain it wasn't an act; a fledgling vampire who had NO training or instruction somehow knew about the complex blood bond between Kadie and Saintcrow, as well has how to use it, etc.).  In addition to this, there were so many repetitive conversations, internal dialogue, and phrases (i.e. "sickening thud" was used a few times within a paragraph of each other and there are a lot more adjectives which could have been used; the scenes with Kadie's mother have some repetitive phrases and the conversations felt rather trite; and if a man had an English accent it was always a "slight English accent").  These struck me the hardest and "bothered" me.  I realize what was trying to be conveyed -- Kadie's indecision and vacillation between whether or not to trust and love Saintcrow -- but it left the characters feeling flat.  Not to mention I don't feel like the attraction between the two main characters was ever fully formed.  I never saw what made Kadie so special.  I did see a little bit more of what attracted her to Saintcrow, but it rarely went past the physical.  I think part of the issue is what I mentioned before:  We see SO LITTLE from Saintcrow's perspective that he felt underdeveloped.  Other than being a vampire, I saw almost nothing that made him unique or really a stand-out male lead.  He had no flaws.  Sure, we see some very minor snippets of his past, but many of them are in Kadie's dreams, so we can't really be certain how much she imagined and how much Saintcrow put there.


Reading back through the progression of this review (because I actually had the time and patience to review as I read (thanks RAIR method!) and I can see how badly I wanted/needed more development and uniqueness to the main characters from the very beginning.  I still very much enjoyed the premise of Morgan Creek.  This Venus Fly Trap-like sanctuary for vampires was really creative and I don't think I've ever encountered anything like it before.  Unfortunately, the character development fell a bit flat for me.  There was so much potential to create unique and exciting characters, but they ended up coming up short.  I'm about to start the second book in this series, so we'll see if being introduced to the male lead in this first book helps the depth of the characterization.

Donovan's Bed: Debra Mullins

“Made for Bedding...

“A buckboard rolls through town carrying Jack Donovan’s extraordinary new bed, beautifully ornate and big enough for an entire family--or one hot-blooded woman! And lovely Sarah Calhoun is exactly the woman Donovan has in mind. The persistent newspaper editor just won’t leave him alone, and the best way he knows to shut her sassy mouth...is with his own. But Donovan makes it perfectly clear that Sarah’s far too independent to be included on his list of prospective wives. All he wants from her is a good time--though he promises it will be a very good time!

“...or a Wedding?

“Sarah is determined to uncover Donovan’s secret past, but every time she goes near the man, her ridiculous attraction to him takes over. So after his insulting offer, she retaliates by publicizing his search for a wife--and soon Donovan’s flooded with lusty widows, lovestruck teens, and lonely spinsters...he can’t turn around without tripping over another would-be bride! But when the dust settles, will Sarah have won their battle of the sexes--or lost her only chance at true love?”

Oh yes...a good old trashy romance novel. I shiver in anticipation...

...

I’m surprised at how quickly I liked the characters. Both Sarah and Donovan are feisty and witty, which makes for some interesting interactions. I took special note that Donovan made a very good “imperfect male lead”. He had his own secrets and complexities that made him good to read, but the part where Debra Mullins went out of her way to state how he wasn’t what one could normally consider handsome struck me. It was his attitude and carriage that drew Sarah to him. This made the whole scenario seem more realistic and created a plot that was much easier to read.

...

I literally devoured this book in about two days. I forgot how much I could enjoy a fun, easy read like this one (not that Mullins’ writing is simple, she just makes her plots and characters so accessible that it’s easy to fall into her books like Alice into Wonderland). Though I’m not usually one for the Western romances, I liked this one a lot. I was so immersed in the story that I completely forgot I was reading a book. This isn’t something that’s easy to make me do--especially since my RAIR method began, because I’ve begun placing myself outside of the books and have been consciously taking notes as I read.

Like I said, I’m not one for Westerns (as one can tell from any of the other reviews with the WESTERN tag on them). This one, however, felt very little like a Western. There were certainly enough elements for it to qualify, but it really didn’t feel forced or overly prominent and I think this is what made the difference for me. Everything flowed so nicely and the descriptions were beautiful without seeming too contrived or taken right out of one of those bad spaghetti Westerns that my uncle finds so absolutely fascinating...ugh... Anyway, I already wrote a little about the characters and I still feel much the same way. I liked Donovan all the way through the book. If anything, he got better as I read. He didn’t fall apart like MANY other male leads in romance novels. For this, I give Debra Mullins much credit. It’s not easy to maintain a character’s tough facade when he’s fallen in love. She definitely handled everything well with Donovan. I especially liked Donovan’s secret. I don’t want to give it away, but I was not in the least bit disappointed, nor did I think it entirely implausible. Sarah remained a good character. I think I wanted to see a little bit more fire from her toward the end, but she didn’t really disappoint. I don’t think I want anything to change about the book to accommodate this, so I can definitely live with it.

I know this is a short review, but the book is pretty self-explanatory. The plot speaks for itself in its fun and well-written nature and the characters practically pop off the pages. As you can tell, I really did enjoy this book and it was every bit as good as the first Mullins book I read. I look forward to tracking down more of her books and enjoying them as well.

The Outlaws: Jess (The Outlaws, Book Two): Connie Mason

“GUNNED DOWN

“Mere days after becoming an outlaw, Jess Gentry stared down the wrong end of a six shooter. A ready trigger-finger brooked no argument, until the black-clad figure calling the shots was shot down. Jess’s conscience and years of training as a doctor demanded he try to help. But the bounty hunter was like no other he had encountered--long ebony hair, even longer sexy legs, and green eyes a man could get lost in. And soon, while Meg didn’t plan on taking him to the sheriff, she had certainly gotten her man.

“Meg Lincoln awoke naked in the arms of an indecently handsome outlaw. An outlaw she had intended to bring in. An outlaw whose compassion and healing hands had saved her life. But his touch incited another ache--a longing she had never known. And for the first time, Meg wondered if there might be a man who was good for something other than hunting. A man worth keeping around...a certain doctor who promised to mend her soul as surely as he had captured her heart.”

After a terribly long absence, I’ve returned to romance novels! Yay! The other night, I realized that something has been missing. I looked back at some older posts and saw that I hadn’t read a truly “fun” book since Christmas Eve. Before that, it had been MONTHS since my last romance novel! How did I ever manage?!?

Now, to the actual review. I started reading this book the a couple of nights ago after much hemming and hawing over which book from my meager library I should pick up (a VAST majority of my books were left back home when I moved for school). I saw that it had been a while since I read one of my favorite authors and grabbed this Connie Mason one. Since this is the second in a series that I began reading quite a while ago, I figured why not?

As of right now, I’m a little under halfway through the book. It’s a good read. I like Jess a lot as a male lead. Having a man who’s skilled with his mind as well as his hands is always a plus in a male lead--not that many romantic heroes are purely beefcakes (anymore) because women have become very vocal that they want a little bit more from their men than rippling pectorals. Meg, on the other hand, began as a very stock female lead for me. This may be attributed to the fact that she played a very minor (rather, unconscious) role for a good deal of the beginning. I’m not sure though, because this feeling persisted for several chapters. Like I said, I’m nearly halfway through the book already, but I’ve only just begun to care for her. Needless to say, this is a little bit disappointing.

The plot, however, isn’t too bad. I’m sure I would appreciate it a lot better had I read this book closer on the heels of the first in this series. In my head, I seem to be confusing it with another Connie Mason book... : / This isn’t a big deal. Totally my fault. I suppose we’ll see where Connie Mason decides to take me!

...

Many weeks later. (This makes me feel like the announcer on Spongebob.)

This book took me an unfortunately long time to finish. I really, really wanted to love this book, but I didn’t. It was good--a decent read because I still love Connie Mason--but it didn’t satisfy my pressing need for a good ol’ romance novel. Either I’ve somehow been turned off of romance novels (which would be tragic), or the subject matter of this book didn’t give me enough. I’ve never pretended to love reading about the nineteenth century West, and I’m going to chalk my un-love of this book to that character flaw of mine. I really think I should have picked one of my more “traditional” reads to ease myself back into my sorely neglected romance reading. When in doubt, don’t ever fail to fall back on an ol’ reliable :)

To retouch on the characters, I never loved Meg, no matter how hard I tried. Jess grew a little more generic as the story went on and this really, really disappointed me. Meg’s “little secret” did make the plot a little more interesting, but I remained unimpressed. The ending was decent, if a little hollow and generic. Browsing online, I stumbled across several other unfavorable reviews of this book. Many were a lot harsher than mine, but I don’t necessarily believe these are fair. Connie Mason is a fantastic author, but this book fell a little short. Everyone is entitled to one non-amazing book. However, I’ll not let this turn me off of Mason’s writing. She retains a place on my top authors list.