I first started reading Jude Deveraux's books in 7th grade. I used to ride home on a bus service, and one of the girls who was with me there devoured her works. Nearly every other day I'd see her with a new book. Curiosity got the best of me, so I borrowed one. I think it was "The Conquest". I fell in love with the fierce warrior yet refined gentleman Tearle, and how he earned the love and respect of his lady love.
I stopped reading Jude Deveraux after I read her trilogy of books, "Forever", "Always" and "Always and Forever". While she has tackled the supernatural in her works before, somehow these three felt a little off for me, compared to her previous works. While it still featured a character from her Taggert and Montgomery series, it didn't endear itself to me like it did in her previous stories. Since the publishing of these books, I haven't picked up her work.
Early this week, I was browsing for something to read when I came across some books from her Edilean series, particularly the trilogy of "Moonlight in the Morning", "Stranger in the Moonlight" and "Moonlight Masquerade". I liked the premise of the stories, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Reading "Moonlight in the Morning" made me remember why I loved Jude Deveraux all those years ago. The sweet yet protective hero? Check. The stubborn, independent yet romantic woman with hidden talents brought out by the right circumstances? Check. The friends and family and small town shenanigans that round up the story? Got it. This book has all the elements that made me fall in love with the Montgomeries and Taggerts all those years ago, and this time, it's with a new clan altogether.
I look forward to the rest of the series, and I think I will dive into the other books in the Edilean series.
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Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Love, Laughter and Lucky Marbles by Kate Hewitt
Nothing makes for a good read quite like a romance novel. The guaranteed happy-ever-after is bound to uplift any woman's mood after reading it.
I came across Kate Hewitt's anthology of short romantic stories "Love, Laughter and Lucky Marbles" while browsing the shelves for something good to read. Here's what the blurb says about it:
A lucky marble... a red clown nose... a fish shop... a trip to A&E. Sometimes love is found in the most unlikely ways and places! Enjoy this collection of ten short stories celebrating the funny side of falling in love. All stories have been previously published in various magazines around the world, and are written by USA Today bestselling author Kate Hewitt.
Each story can't be more than a thousand words, and after finishing the first one, I couldn't help but be reminded of George Asakura's "A Perfect Day for Love Letters". While a manga, it also evokes the lighthearted feel of finding love and falling for that special someone.
The stories in Kate Hewitt's anthology are quick-paced and light, perfect for a pick-me-up at the end of a grueling day. Most romance novels run for longer, presenting the reader with everything from the meeting, a conflict, some other scenes and the eventual ending up together.
"Love, Laughter and Lucky Marbles" focuses mostly on the discovery of love and dispenses with most of the other elements in a typical romance novel. It may not be as exciting as lengthier novels, but it still is fun to read. There are ten stories in all, and I'm hard-pressed to point out which one is my favorite. I had fun reading all of them, and wouldn't think twice of re-reading them on another day.
Bella Andre: The Sullivans
I came across Bella Andre's books by accident. I was actually looking for Jaci Burton books over on Goodreads when I read a comment where someone suggested checking out Bella Andre's series, The Sullivans.
The Sullivans is about a family of eight siblings: Marcus, Smith, Chase, Gabe, Ryan, Zach, Lori and Sophie. Each book tells about each sibling's journey to finding true love.
I've always enjoyed books that had families or connecting stories, which was what drew me to this series in the first place. Currently, there are five books out (Chase, Marcus, Gabe, Sophie and Zach).
What I like about each book is that it gives an insight to the personality of each character, both the Sullivan sibling and their partner. Their situation is believable, if sometimes a little unusual. Bella Andre writes their stories that make it appealing and endears each character to the reader.
The Sullivans as a family draws the reader in as well. It's not hard to imagine such a boisterous and close-knit family, and I don't blame you if you want to be part of a family like that. The men seem larger than life, and so far from what I've read, I like Zach and Gabe the best.
I'm already taken by the rest of the Sullivan siblings and look forward to reading the next books in these series. Note that these books contain really steamy love scenes, but even without them, the books are an entertaining read.
If you want to give Bella Andre's books a try, her story "Love Me" is free for download via the Amazon website. Even if you don't have a Kindle device, you can still read it. Enjoy!
The Sullivans is about a family of eight siblings: Marcus, Smith, Chase, Gabe, Ryan, Zach, Lori and Sophie. Each book tells about each sibling's journey to finding true love.
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| From left: Chase, Marcus, Gabe, Sophie and Zach's stories |
I've always enjoyed books that had families or connecting stories, which was what drew me to this series in the first place. Currently, there are five books out (Chase, Marcus, Gabe, Sophie and Zach).
What I like about each book is that it gives an insight to the personality of each character, both the Sullivan sibling and their partner. Their situation is believable, if sometimes a little unusual. Bella Andre writes their stories that make it appealing and endears each character to the reader.
The Sullivans as a family draws the reader in as well. It's not hard to imagine such a boisterous and close-knit family, and I don't blame you if you want to be part of a family like that. The men seem larger than life, and so far from what I've read, I like Zach and Gabe the best.
I'm already taken by the rest of the Sullivan siblings and look forward to reading the next books in these series. Note that these books contain really steamy love scenes, but even without them, the books are an entertaining read.
If you want to give Bella Andre's books a try, her story "Love Me" is free for download via the Amazon website. Even if you don't have a Kindle device, you can still read it. Enjoy!
Dana Marie Bell: Paranormal romance author
I recently discovered Dana Marie Bell, a paranormal erotic romance writer. I'm not much a fan of paranormal books, even though I read Sherrilyn Kenyon and Nora Roberts. However, I liked the premise of "Cat of a Different Color" when I first read it, so I decided to give the book a try.
After reading it, I got interested in the other books of the series and decided to get them as well. I didn't expect to like the Halle Puma series, but I did.
The Halle Puma series is about the Pride of a town called Halle. Half of it's residents are weres, or shifters. In this world, weres live alongside humans, much as wizards and witches live alongside humans like in Harry Potter. And like in HP, their existence is not known to humans.
It's also interesting to see an established hierarchy within the Pride, as it is with the other groups --- the wolves, coyotes, foxes and the bears, although the foxes and bears are mostly by groups of families rather than community.
Big communities are headed by the Alpha. The second-in-command is the Beta. In charge of the physical well-being of the group is the Marshall and his second. Last of the hierarchy is the Omega, who connects emotionally with the members of the community. Shifters mate, and while it the mate for a lifetime, some shifters can have two mates. With the Puma, the Alpha's mate is called "Curana", while wolves call her "Luna".
I'm a fan of series. I like reading books that have connections, especially if I meet a character in one book that catches my interest. The Halle Puma series is just that, running five books and even having a spin-off of another series. I love the dynamics of the group, how they treat each other with respect and can joke around without offending one another. Dana Marie Bell's writing is also fluid and realistic, it's not hard to imagine how the characters would be in real life. I do get overwhelmed by the dialogue sometimes, like I'm not sure who's talking and what they are talking about, but that's pretty few in between scenes, as they're mostly fast paced.
I just finished the first of her Heart's Desire series, "Shadow of the Wolf". I hope she continues with the series. I can't wait to read more about the Beckett brothers. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the Halle Shifters series. For more information about her books, you can check out her website and her blog.
After reading it, I got interested in the other books of the series and decided to get them as well. I didn't expect to like the Halle Puma series, but I did.
The Halle Puma series is about the Pride of a town called Halle. Half of it's residents are weres, or shifters. In this world, weres live alongside humans, much as wizards and witches live alongside humans like in Harry Potter. And like in HP, their existence is not known to humans.
It's also interesting to see an established hierarchy within the Pride, as it is with the other groups --- the wolves, coyotes, foxes and the bears, although the foxes and bears are mostly by groups of families rather than community.
Big communities are headed by the Alpha. The second-in-command is the Beta. In charge of the physical well-being of the group is the Marshall and his second. Last of the hierarchy is the Omega, who connects emotionally with the members of the community. Shifters mate, and while it the mate for a lifetime, some shifters can have two mates. With the Puma, the Alpha's mate is called "Curana", while wolves call her "Luna".
I'm a fan of series. I like reading books that have connections, especially if I meet a character in one book that catches my interest. The Halle Puma series is just that, running five books and even having a spin-off of another series. I love the dynamics of the group, how they treat each other with respect and can joke around without offending one another. Dana Marie Bell's writing is also fluid and realistic, it's not hard to imagine how the characters would be in real life. I do get overwhelmed by the dialogue sometimes, like I'm not sure who's talking and what they are talking about, but that's pretty few in between scenes, as they're mostly fast paced.
I just finished the first of her Heart's Desire series, "Shadow of the Wolf". I hope she continues with the series. I can't wait to read more about the Beckett brothers. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the Halle Shifters series. For more information about her books, you can check out her website and her blog.
