Musings of A Bookworm and Movie Lover

I just read Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I started it Sunday and finished it yesterday. What a great book. Definitely an A+. Sherrilyn just has a gift for making characters that you shed tears for and fall in love with. Julian really touched my heart and I felt for him in his pain. SK also has a great way with telling ancient history so that you're riveted. I admit I'm a history buff anyway, but she just brings it to light in a vivid and interesting way. And she seems fairly accurate in a way that Xena and Hercules aren't always. Her books make me want to go out and buy a book on ancient history and dive in headfirst. At first I was wondering if I shot myself in the foot reading the other Dark Hunter books first, but I'm glad I hadn't read this one. It gave me something to tide me over until Night Play comes out in August. This book has so many layers. I enjoyed the romance but also there was a family drama played out through Julian's relations...

I read Lawless a couple of weeks ago. It was wonderful and engrossing. Diana Palmer just gets better and better. I love her ability to make us fall in love with her characters, flaws and all. I enjoyed Christabel and Judd, but I especially love Cash Grier. He's such an amazing character. He's got a seductive, enigmatic air. He also had a tenderness about him that was appealing. I must admit for a little while, I was more enamored of Chrissy and Cash as a couple then Judd and Chrissy, but eventually Judd proved his worthiness. Thanks to the little tidbits about Cash, I am doing something I rarely do. I'm going to buy a hardcover book, Renegade. This is Cash Grier's story and I must have it. I know it's expensive, but Cash is worth it, and I'm dying to read his story and see him get his happy ending with Tippy, who was briefly introduced in Lawless. Lawless had wonderful exposition, storytelling, and sensuality. There's definitely something about...

Elements that I love in Romance Novels 1.Tortured heroes/heroines that overcome their demons in a realistic way and find someone who loves them and respects them despite their infirmities. 2.Scarred/flawed heroes/heroines. 3.A pure, true love story at the heart of the romance with a sensuality that evolves out of a deep, lasting connection between the hero and heroine. 4.Lots of interesting secondary characters with potential for their own stories. 5.Great conflict-internal or external. 6.A wonderful, rip-roaring adventure tale intermingled in a beautiful love story. 7.Virginal hero/heroine 8.Warriors or ex-warriors 9.Educated, intelligent heroes/heroines who get to solve problems and help people. 10.Pregnancies. I love books that have these! I think it's very much part of the happy ever after fantasy. 11.Men who are great fathers or who are wonderful with their children. 12.Beta heroes. I love them. Caring men who are masculine but not arrogant or overbearing. 13....

My Romance Novel Pet-Peeves 1.Rakes with no reason d' etre-just sleazy men sleeping with anything in a skirt. And the heroine is just panting for them. Did it ever occur to the heroine that it's really gross that this guy slept with half the ton, or town? 2.Really mean heroes who treat heroines like crap. Uber-alpha hero. 3.Stupid, silly heroines who mindlessly go from one scrape to another. Women are just as intelligent and capable as men are, and even if we need to be saved, it doesn't have to be because we need a keeper. 4.Transplanted modern-day heroes and heroines in a period piece. Please try to make the dialogue and behavior fit the period! 5.Rape between hero and heroine (Seduction is okay). 6.The Secret Baby. So tired! 7.When the characters think they just want to sleep together and never envision a future until practically the end of the book. 8.Adultery--The big no-no! Instant wallbanger if one of the characters cheat on the other! I grit my t...

You know I ought to be better about editing my blogs because I realized that I listed the wrong book by Jill Gregory as most disappointing read, which I later decided was superceded by Out of Sight by Cherry Adair. It was actually Cold Night, Warm Stranger. D-Oh!!

My Desert Island Books 1.The Shadow and The Star by Laura Kinsale 2.Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale 3.Rules of Engagement by Christina Dodd 4.A Well-Pleasured Lady by Christina Dodd 5.Lone Rider by Lauren Bach 6.The Mercenary by Cherry Adair 7.Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas 8.The Texan's Wager by Jodi Thomas 9.Night Fever by Susan Kyle (Diana Palmer) 10.The Last Mercenary by Diana Palmer 11.Enamored by Diana Palmer 12.Born in Sin by Kinley MacGregor 13.Taming the Scotsman by Kinley MacGregor 14.Dance With The Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon 15.Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard 16.Night Shadow by Laura Renken 17.My Lord Pirate by Laura Renken 18.Forbidden by Jo Beverley 19.Perils Of The Heart by Jennifer Ashley 20.A Heart So Wild by Johanna Lindsey 21.Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase 22.Angels Wings by Anne Stuart 23.Ritual Sins by Anne Stuart 24.Lord of Danger by Anne Stuart 25.A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart 26.The Soldier and The Baby by Anne Stua...

I thought I'd take a page from the AAR (All About Romance) site and give you a short overview of my romance reading tastes. Favorite Romance: Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale Favorite Romance Author: Anne Stuart Christina Dodd Favorite Funny: Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Most-Hanky Read: tie between Never Love a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath and Dance With The Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon Most Luscious Love Story: Anything by Lisa Kleypas Most Tortured Hero: Zarek from Dance With the Devil Feistiest Heroine: Jessica Trent from Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase Favorite Hero: three way tie between Samuel Gerard from The Shadow and The Star, Zarek from Dance With The Devil and Carter McKoy from The Texan's Wager Favorite Heroine: Jessica Trent from Lord of Scoundrels Favorite Couple: tie between Jessica Trent and Sebastian Ballister from Lord of Scoundrels and Bailee and Carter McKoy from The Texan's Wager Favorite Family: The Drakes by Laura Renken Mo...