Kelley Armstrong: Exit Strategy

Title: Exit Strategy
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher/Series: Spectra
Original Date of Publication: June 26, 2007
Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense
Part of a Series? Yes - Nadia Stafford Series


Exit Strategy is the first book in a new series by Kelley Armstrong, or at least I assume it is the first book in a new series. As far as the romantic element goes, it leaves a lot to be desired, but in a good way. There is a well-done UST (unresolved sexual tension) between the main female character Nadia and Jack. The plot of the book is original, and Kelley once again shows her talent for writing an excellent mystery in the midst of a story of real-seeming characters with realistic personal problems. I've always admired the way Kelley could make a werewolf or a witch seem real to me, and she continues the trend with Nadia the cop-turned-assassin.



I suggest this book to people who are fans of the Women of the Otherworld series, as well as those who enjoy fast-paced mysteries with a hint of romantic undertones. The assassin plot is believable, and I highly enjoyed seeing the opposite side of the spectrum in a mystery. It is a nice change from the police/FBI novels I'm used to.



From an author's point of view, keep an eye out for the chapters from the perspective of the victims, and the killer. They were my favourite part of the book because they allowed an insight into things the reader may not have been able to see otherwise. For the romantics out there, make sure to pay special attention to the one in the theatre.

Review: The Rest Falls Away and Rises the Night

Title: The Rest Falls Away and Rises the Night
Author: Colleen Gleason
Publisher/Series: Signet Eclipse
Original Date of Publication: January and June 2007
Genre/Subgenre: Paranormal-Historical Romance
Part of a Series? Yes - The Gardella Vampire Chronicles

I read these two one after the other, so I'll review them together rather than separate them. I tend to view this type of series as one continuous book rather than several complete books anyway, which is one reason I've been so resistant to them. I prefer books that can stand alone. However, The Rest Falls Away has a very positive review by J.R. Ward on the cover, and J.R. Ward is currently my favourite romance author, so I thought I'd give Gleason's series a try.

I wasn't disappointed. The heroine is basically Buffy the Vampire Slayer of the Nineteenth-Century (from the television series, not the movie). She is strong and capable in ways that are not off-putting in the least. I'm normally annoyed by more than one man in the heroine's life, but it does not bother me in this series. Like Bitten, I think it's pretty clear who she's going to end up with in the end. Because this character doesn't show up in Rises the Night until page 180, there's something a little flat in her relationship with the other guy. Still, I don't feel much irritation over drawing out the romance of one heroine and heroine over several books because I like the hero and heroine and I'm interested in how things will play out. I'm bitter about having to wait, though.

Review: Scottish Ecstasy

Title: Scottish Ecstasy
Author: Rebecca Sinclair
Publisher/Series: Kensington Books
Original Date of Publication: 1993
Genre/Subgenre: Historical Romance
Part of a Series? No

I have several weak spots when it comes to romance. One is that I am a sucker for heroes with names like "beast" and "devil", so Alasdair "the Devil" Gray reeled me in. There's also just something about the portrayal of Scottish men in romance novels that's just so cute and sexy at the same time.

This is a good book. The author tends to drag her scenes on endlessly, which becomes a good thing about 200 pages in when the sex starts, but it was a bit irritating before that. It seemed more like self-indulgence on the part of the author than genuine good writing. Of course, it's all subjective.

The heroine's accent got annoying, and all the "yers" and "mauns" seemed to make me even more conscious of the cornier bits of dialogue (though there weren't that many, really). Still, overall it was enjoyable.

Review: Devotion

Title: Devotion
Author: Katherine Sutcliffe
Publisher/Series: Jove
Original Date of Publication: 1996
Genre/Subgenre: Historical Romance
Part of a Series? Sort of...Miracle is about this hero's twin brother

Devotion is a lot like Flowers from the Storm, though in my opinion it's better because the heroine is smarter, more articulate, and more real. It's a refreshing change: the heroine is outspoken and sexually aware (though still a virgin), and the hero is a near-catatonic lump for a good portion of the novel. The ending is a bit different than most formula romances, but I liked it. I really enjoyed this novel and it also has the virtue of being a very quick read -- I polished it off in five hours or less, and I'm no speed-reader.

Review: Too Close to Home

Title: Too Close to Home
Author: Maureen Tan
Publisher/Series: Silhouette Bombshell
Original Date of Publication: 2006
Genre/Subgenre: Contemporary Romance
Part of a Series? No

This is surprisingly gritty for a Silhouette -- I guess "Bombshell" is supposed to be a darker series. Too Close to Home features child abuse, murder, and a morally problematic ending, even for me, who likes heroes based on literary representations of Satan, and who openly has a crush on Hannibal Lecter. In a way, the very last line of the novel makes it seem as if conservative family values are offered to cancel out the problematic part -- hey, we're having a baby, so it's okay that _____ (I won't give it away).

At least the book has me thinking, instead of shrugging and moving on to the next one. Silhouettes and Harlequins (which are now apparently one and the same, and it seems I was the last to know) generally don't satisfy me-- they're not dark enough, not meaty enough. Too regulated. This one had that feel in a way, but also surprised me by being darker than I knew was possible under this publisher.

Review: Thief of Hearts

Title: Thief of Hearts
Author: Katherine Stone
Publisher/Series: Warner Books (A Time Warner company!)
Genre/Subgenre: Contemporary/Medical Romance
Part of a Series? No

If I had to sum up this novel in one sentence, this is how I would do it:

There are too many italicized words and too few sex scenes.

Here's the long version -- I love what this book tried to do, but I feel like in a lot of ways, it fell short of its goal. The good twin is dying and the "evil" twin is living in seclusion, writing erotic novels (that's his profession). The heroine, who is close to the good twin in a little sister kind of way, must visit the evil twin and ask for his help, since he's the only matching donor. Doesn't it sound hot? It is in some ways and it is not at all hot in others. It's too gentle and family-oriented. The characters, despite their family-angst-ridden pasts, are surprisingly flat. Perhaps the only thing I liked was Jesse, the evil twin-- I thought the explanation for his hostility and seclusion was well done, anyway, though I don't need to watch ER to know that going through a bone marrow harvest without anesthesia and then getting up and walking away is frankly ridiculous.

Note: In a twist of fate, this novel, which I criticized for its lack of sex, shares its title with at least one porn film, which I discovered while Googling for a cover image.

Review: Wicked

Title: Wicked
Author: Shannon Drake a.k.a. Heather Graham
Publisher/Series: Harlequin
Genre/Subgenre: Historical Romance
Part of a Series? No

Wicked was entertaining, but not nearly as angsty as I would have preferred. The intelligent, analytic hero and heroine, so like the characters in Amanda Quick novels, give the book a lightheartedness it might not have otherwise had, since the subject matter is pretty dark. The novel centers on a man whose parents had been murdered and who, when hearing of their deaths, went berserk on the battlefield and apparently disfigured himself so much that he's worn a mask ever since. It was the mask that sold me on the book in the first place. Something about a man in a mask...mmm. After all, all romance heroes are wearing masks, aren't they? There are a lot of Beauty and the Beast moments in this novel, which I enjoyed, and the Ancient Egypt angle is always fun. If it had only been a bit more dark, a bit more tortured, this could definitely have become one of my favourites.