‘Devil in Spring’ The Ravenels #3 by Lisa Kleypas

Received via NetGalley 

From the BLURB:

An eccentric wallflower . . .

Most debutantes dream of finding a husband. Lady Pandora Ravenel has different plans. The ambitious young beauty would much rather stay at home and plot out her new board game business than take part in the London Season. But one night at a glittering society ball, she's ensnared in a scandal with a wickedly handsome stranger.
A cynical rake . . .

After years of evading marital traps with ease, Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, has finally been caught by a rebellious girl who couldn't be less suitable. In fact, she wants nothing to do with him. But Gabriel finds the high-spirited Pandora irresistible. He'll do whatever it takes to possess her, even if their marriage of convenience turns out to be the devil's own bargain.

A perilous plot . . .

After succumbing to Gabriel's skilled and sensuous persuasion, Pandora agrees to become his bride. But soon she discovers that her entrepreneurial endeavors have accidentally involved her in a dangerous conspiracy-and only her husband can keep her safe. As Gabriel protects her from their unknown adversaries, they realize their devil's bargain may just turn out to be a match made in heaven . . .

‘Devil in Spring’ is the third book in historical romance author Lisa Kleypas’ new series, ‘The Ravenels’.

The first book in Kleypas’ new series was ‘Cold-Hearted Rake’ which came out in 2015 – and actually, I attempted to read it but DNF’ed after about four chapters. I don’t know why, but I could not get into it – there was none of the effervescent reading comfort I normally get from a Kleypas historical, which was disappointing. I was resigned to just sitting this series out, and patiently waiting for Kleypas to move onto her next series – whatever it may be. And then she made an announcement about who would be in the third book …

Ask pretty much any Lisa Kleypas fan, and they’ll tell you that one of their all time favourite couples she’s written in Evie and Sebastian from the third book the ‘Wallflowers’ series, ‘Devil in Winter’. Sebastian was a notorious rake who had done some pretty questionable things in the past … Evie was a red-headed innocent, with a stutter and new inheritance that made her an easy target for greedy relatives – their coming together involved Evie propositioning Sebastian to become her husband and help protect her wealth and independence – what neither of them bargained on was falling madly in love in the process. It is one of the hands-down best historical romance books and pairings in the genre. Hands. Down! So when Kleypas announced that the third book in her Ravenels series would focus on Evie and Sebastian’s son Gabriel Lord St. Vincent … well, I had to come onboard.

First off – I was able to read ‘Devil in Spring’ as a stand-alone, knowing nothing of what had previously happened in the first two books. Anyone who is not familiar with Evie and Sebastian’s story could likewise come into ‘Devil in Spring’ cold.

Gabriel is much like his father was – though rather than bedding numerous women, Gabriel’s notorious for having kept an inappropriate mistress for the last two years (a woman married to the American ambassador). He is a most tempting bachelor from a prosperous family, but with no intentions of ever getting caught in a marriage trap by a young miss … except that’s exactly what happens. Only, it’s Lady Pandora Ravenel who is quite literally caught in a settee and needs Gabriel’s help to get loose – and unfortunately when they’re caught in a compromising (but innocent) position, Gabriel is impressed upon to “do the right thing” and marry Pandora.

The only person who wants to be married less than Gabriel is Pandora – because she has plans for herself, and a business to run. And actually, I loved this aspect of the story – not only does Kleypas go into meticulously fascinating detail about women’s rights in this era (wherein even the Queen has spoken out against suffrage and suggested feminists should be whipped!) but Pandora’s business enterprise in the burgeoning board-game industry is modelled on real-life game designer Elizabeth Magie, whose patent for ‘The Landlord’s Game’ was considered direct inspiration for Monopoly (of course, a man called Charles Darrow basically stole her idea and for a long time her contributions were erased. *HUFF*!)

Gabriel is infinitely intrigued by the fact that Pandora wants to marry him about as much as she wants a salad fork in her eye – but the two agree to see if it’s worthwhile dodging ruinous rumours by having Pandora and her family stay with Gabriel’s tribe at his family’s estate.

“I’ll be nice as nice can be,” Pandora said. “But don’t you remember what happened at Eversby Priory, when a goose built her nest in the swans’ territory? She thought she was enough like them that they wouldn’t mind her. Only her neck was too short, and her legs were too long, and she didn’t have the right sort of feathers, so the swans kept attacking and chasing the poor thing until finally she was driven off.” 

“You’re not a goose.” 

Pandora’s mouth twisted. “I’m an awfully deficient swan, then.”
 

Pandora is most definitely a throwback to Kleypas’s archetype ‘Wallflowers’ heroines – the shy but brilliant young lady with quirks and secrets. Her background is both tragic and admirable, and it’s easy to see why Gabriel is fascinated enough to warrant getting to know her better, only to fall in love with her …

And Gabriel takes after his father as one of Kleypas’s better rakes. He’s thoughtful and kind, secretly feeling the pressure of his family and title and in need of someone like Pandora to keep him on his toes.

I will say that in the latter half of the book a political undercurrent comes into the plot which feels like it’s setting up for the fourth instalment (in which case, I’d come back for it!) but in Pandora and Gabriel’s story it felt a little disjointed. But that’s my only complaint in an otherwise stellar historical romance outing.

I may now go back and read books 1 and 2 in ‘The Ravenels’, but more likely I’ll just keep moving forward from this point on. It does feel really, really good to be back in the reading groove with Kleypas, who is one of those authors I come to rely on for a once-a-year release and guaranteed good read. And ‘Devil in Spring’ was a good way to get back in the groove.

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5/5

'Brown-Eyed Girl' Travis Family #4 by Lisa Kleypas

Received via NetGalley

From the BLURB:

This is the fourth and final installment of the Travis series, following on from Sugar Daddy, Blue Eyed Devil and Smooth Talking Stranger.

Avery Crosslin is a talented young fashion designer with a bright future ahead of her. But when the company goes into liquidation, Avery finds herself without a job and a boyfriend who decides to leave her.

When her father falls ill, Avery is by his side day and night. But one evening she notices a young man, Joe, in distress and offers to help. Their instant attraction to one another is magnetic but even though she is unexpectedly charmed by the good-looking stranger, Avery tells him that she has to leave. He asks for her name and number, but she lies and tells him she has a boyfriend. At this point in Avery's life, the last thing she wants or needs is more complications.

The next day, as Avery returns to the hospital to thank the nurses for taking such good care of her father at the end of his life, one of them gives her an envelope from Joe. It is addressed to "Brown-Eyed Girl."

Avery knows she wants to see Joe again but she faces a dilemma. When she learns that Joe is the man responsible for her father's death she is troubled.

Is there any hope of a future for them both?

‘Brown-Eyed Girl’ is the fourth book in Lisa Kleypas’ ‘Travis’ contemporary romance series. It comes some six years after third book ‘Smooth Talking Stranger’ was released, after which Lisa Kleypas maintained she had no story lined up for third brother Joe Travis … which is why fans are so delightedly surprised and excited by the release of ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’.

I have a particular love for Lisa Kleypas’ contemporary romance series. The first Kleypas book I ever read was ‘Sugar Daddy’ and after that I was hooked, and mowed through her historical ‘Hathaways’,  ‘Wallflowers’, and ‘Gamblers’, and her second contemporary series, ‘Friday Harbor’. I love her, unabashedly. She’s one of the first authors I’d recommend to anyone reading romance for the first time – because I truly believe that a good Lisa Kleyas book can hook anyone.

But I do love her ‘Travis’ series; in particular ‘Smooth Talking Stranger’ is one of my favourite contemporary romance books. But I was like every other fan, desperately curious about Joe Travis who’d had a near-death experience in ‘Stranger’ and remained for me a somewhat tragic hero for Kleypas not giving him a HEA … now that I’ve read ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’ I can say I’m a little bit torn on Joe’s long-overdue tale.

Joe’s love-interest is wedding planner Avery Crosslin. Jaded by a womanising, absent father and a horrendous love-gone-wrong story of her own, Avery still believes in happily-ever-after, just for other people. When she meets Joe at a Texas upper-crust wedding, they both seem to fall hard … but while Joe’s keen to get something started with the curvy redhead, gun’s blazing, Avery is a hold-out to her own heart;

 I had been an entirely different person with Joe. But I wasn’t ready to be someone new – I’d grown too accustomed to being the woman Brian Palomer had jilted at the altar. If I let go of that identity, I wasn’t sure what would happen. I was afraid to imagine the possibilities. All I knew was that no man would ever hurt me the way Brian had, and I was the only one who could protect myself from that.

Their story is a delicious back-and-forth, thrust-and-parry as Joe patiently waits out Avery’s fears and burgeoning career demands. But for all that I did like Joe and Avery as a couple, they seemed to be missing that distinctive Kleypas *something* to make them as memorable as Gage and Liberty, Jack and Ella before them (I’m actually in the minority and don’t rate ‘Blue-Eyed Devil’, or the coupling of Hardy and Haven).

I think it’s partly because Joe and Avery didn’t seem to get enough page-time together. Maybe it’s just me, but I missed getting to settle into their romance a little more … and I possibly also feel that way because it felt like Avery should have had a confrontation with her ex, Brian, for how much time she spent using him as an excuse to avoid Joe.

It’s also that ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’ includes some of Lisa Kleypas’s best secondary character storylines that threaten to overshadow the main romance. One concerns Avery’s Hispanic half-sister and partner in her wedding planning business, Sofia. She has a nemesis in their colleague, Steven, whom the women assumed was gay for his impeccable style, taste and that he works in wedding planning … but after discovering that he’s heterosexual (and happily sat in a dressing room with Sofia to choose outfits once) the two have been at each other’s throats ever since – in a heady mix of sexual tension and romantic impasse.

The other secondary story concerns a Travis cousin, Ryan Chase, who finds himself in unhappy need of Avery and Sofia’s wedding planning expertise. I was really, really intrigued by Ryan, even more so by book’s end when his story finished up on a bit of a romantic challenge. Now, I know that Lisa Kleypas has said Joe’s story concludes the ‘Travis’ series … but I hope that means Ryan Chase’s will be the first book in a new contemporary series spin-off. Please? Please! I can’t go another six years like I did for Joe, hoping that Ryan gets his HEA!  

I really did enjoy ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’, especially to catch up with the entire Travis clan again. It’s another one of the reasons I love Kleypas’ family romance sagas; that we get to check back in with the happily-ever-afters of past books, and all the characters we love and miss.

If I were just basing my score on Avery and Joe, ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’ would probably get a 3/5 … but because of the stellar secondary story of Sofia and Steven, not to mention the tantalizing possibilities of Ryan Chase, I’m giving it a –

4/5 

'Crystal Cove' Friday Harbor #4 by Lisa Kleypas

From the BLURB:

In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas's Crystal Cove, Justine Hoffman has made a comfortable life for herself on the island of Friday Harbor. She is the proprietor of a successful boutique hotel, and she has the safe, predictable life she has always wanted. Growing up with her flighty, nomadic mother, Marigold, has instilled in her a deep longing for stability. But in spite of everything Justine has achieved, there is still something missing. Love. And after years of waiting and dreaming, she is willing to do whatever it takes to change her destiny.

What Justine soon discovers is that someone cast a spell on her when she was born, with the result that she will never find her soul mate. Determined to change her fate, Justine finds a way to break the enchantment, never dreaming of the dangerous complications that will follow.

And when Justine meets the mysterious Jason Black, she accidentally unleashes a storm of desire and danger that threaten everything she holds dear . . . because Jason has secrets of his own, and he wants more from her than fate will ever allow.

Justine Hoffman wants to fall in love, but can’t because she’s cursed. Every natural-born witch who falls in love is destined to lose her lover to an untimely death – it’s the price of balance that must be paid to harness magic. Justine’s own mother never recovered from her loss, and so tried to spare Justine the heartache with a spell.

But now a grown adult who has never been in love, Justine is desperate for change. 

What she doesn’t expect is Jason Black to be that change – a gaming guru who’s staying at Justine’s Friday Harbor B&B with a small team of minions while he closes a property deal. 

Jason has his own problems, and is likewise seeking to alter his fate with magic. But when Justine crosses his path, he becomes even more desperate to alter his circumstances and gain a little more time with her …

‘Crystal Cove’ is the fourth book in Lisa Kleypas’s ‘Friday Harbor’ series.

I don’t know what possessed me to pick this up. I hated first book ‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’, despised ‘Rainshadow Road’ and was so indifferent to ‘Dream Lake’ that I didn’t even write a review. This series has been a big departure for Lisa Kleypas who rose to romance fame for her historical’s. And while I loved her contemporary ‘Travis Family’ series (and I’m thrilled to learn of a fourth book coming in 2014, for Joe!) I thought ‘Friday Harbor’, with its dashes of nonsensical magic, was just plain ridiculous. But I've had ‘Crystal Cove’ sitting on my bookshelf since February, and I think it was just being desperate enough for something new of Lisa Kleypas’s that moved me to read … and I've got to say; this is a turn-around book for the ‘Friday Harbor’ series!

Unlike ‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’, which I couldn’t remember having any sort of magic in it (wait – does coincidence count?) and ‘Rainshadow Road’ which I vaguely remember had a scene in which the heroine turns a piece of glass into a butterfly (yeeeeaaaahhhh) ‘Crystal Cove’ makes it absolutely, positively clear that it’s a romance with supernatural bent. The first paragraph has Justine musing on her failed love spells, and a few pages later she’s confessing to being a witch. Yes! I loved this. Writing magic in contemporary romance is a bit like being pregnant – you can’t have just “a little bit of magic” the same way you can’t be “a little big pregnant.” Go big or go home, I say! And, thankfully, Kleypas has started to understand that in this, the fourth ‘Friday Harbor’ book.

Justine owns a grimoire and her mother belongs to the local coven. She can light candles without a match and when she meets Jason Black for the first time, she gets a feeling about him that’s all witchy-instinct. I was so happy that Kleypas finally decided to stop writing on eggshells around the supernatural element in this series – whereas in previous books it was always a weird curveball that seemed plopped into the middle of the plot, in ‘Crystal Cove’ magic is a driving force and the book is better for it. 

And it helps that instead of focusing on the boring Nolan brothers of past books (I’m sorry, but they were DULL) Kleypas introduces us to new and far more interesting characters in local B&B owner, Justine and gaming-guru from San Francisco, Jason Black. In these two Kleypas has written one of her steamiest pairings and, once again, it’s partly in thanks to her embracing the magic element that allows these characters to be a bit headier, and revel in their animal instincts.

The book also feels a little like Alice Hoffman’s ‘Practical Magic’ (to the point that I wondered if Justine’s surname was an ode to the author?). The same way that Owens women lose those they love, so too do all natural-born witches in Kleypas’s world. And where death-foreshadowing in ‘Practical Magic’ was a cricket chirping, in ‘Crystal Cove’ it’s clocks stopping;   

Cletus paused reflectively. “A week before it happened, Bo told me that wherever he went, clocks stopped ticking. His watch froze. Hell, even the kitchen egg-timer hourglass shattered when Bo got near it.” He pulled up the stay-tab on a new can of beer. “Strange thing was, Clive told me he had the same problem, right before his accident. Showed up on time to work every day of his life, but started punching in late, ’cause every clock in the house had stopped. A week later, Clive was gone.”  

Jason stared at him alertly. “They each died a week after the clocks stopped?” His gaze lowered to his stainless-steel watch. Relieved to find that it was still functioning, he let out a controlled sigh. 

Before he looked up, he heard Cletus say gently, “Boy, you’re in a mess o’ trouble, ain’t you?” 

I have been severely unimpressed and downright bored with Lisa Kleypas’s ‘Friday Harbor’ series … until ‘Crystal Cove’. Here is a book that marks a turning point in what has previously been a dragging series. Its strength lies in Kleypas (finally!) embracing the magic element, instead of throwing snippets in as an afterthought. In this book we have an intriguingly doomed romance between a loveless witch and her dark suitor – Kleypas writes one of the steamiest pairings and the entire world of ‘Friday Harbor’ suddenly has interesting prospects for future instalments.

5/5 

'Where Dreams Begin' by Lisa Kleypas

From the BLURB:

"We're strangers in the darkness," he whispered. "We'll never be together like this again."

Zachary Bronson has built an empire of wealth and power, but all London knows is not a gentleman. He needs a wife to secure his position in society—and warm his bed in private. But one alluring, unexpected kiss from Lady Holly Taylor awakens a powerful need within him beyond respectability.

An exceptional beauty whose fierce passions match Zachary's own, Holly always intended to play by society's rules, even when they clashed with her bolder instincts. But now a dashing stranger has made her a scandalous offer that does not include matrimony. Should she ignore the sensuous promise of a forbidden kiss...or risk everything to follow her heart to a place where dreams begin?

Lady Holly Taylor is in her third year of mourning. Her husband, George, suddenly died of typhoid three years ago, leaving Holly with little money and their daughter, Rose, to raise by herself. Luckily for Holly and Rose, George’s family have been more than accommodating, and insist that they will look after them for all time.

But Lady Holly is struggling in her widowhood. After three years she is now allowed to wear more modest colours, not just black shrouds. She is also expected to step back into society in her new role of widow … except Holly has no interest in the ton. If it were up to her, she’d happily go about the rest of her life missing George and raising Rose. So when Holly finds herself suffocating at a society ball, she ducks away for a bit of peace and quiet… only to find herself in the arms of a kissable stranger.

Zachary Bronson finds himself in a most difficult situation – kissing the wrong lady at a ball, in the dark. Even more damnably annoying is how lovely this mysterious woman is – how responsive and addictive. Though she flees from him, Zachary finds out his kiss in the dark was with Lady Holly Taylor – a most respectable, blue-blooded widow, not meant for the likes of him.

Zachary clawed and fought his way into ton society – investing the money he made as a successful fighter to save himself, his mother and little sister from a life of poverty. But if there’s one thing London society despises, it’s a made man. No matter what he does; how many society clubs he joins or willing ton ladies he beds, the upper crusts want nothing to do with him. Unless, of course, Zachary finds himself a biddable ton wife to fast-track him to the top. Lady Holly Taylor may be the most coveted, blue-blooded widow in London, but Zachary finds himself wanting her for far more than her status…

‘Where Dreams Begin’ was a 2000 historical romance stand-alone from Lisa Kleypas.

I unabashedly love dipping into a Lisa Kleypas romance. They are my guilty pleasure, my guaranteed-good-read. When I’m in the mood for something light, I know I can get happily wrapped up in one of her deliciously sensuous ‘golden oldies’. And I am especially glad that I still have Kleypas’s backlist to chew through, after ‘Wallflowers’, ‘Hathaways’ and the ‘Travis Trilogy’ – I have barely scratched the surface of Kleypas’s previous work.

‘Where Dreams Begin’ is an interesting book, dealing with two fairly large romantic storylines. On the one hand there’s Lady Holly Taylor – after three years she is still recovering from her husband’s death by typhoid. Theirs was an unusual union – a true love match, that was also well suited for being an advantageous ton coupling. Lady Holly doesn’t just miss George, she’s still very much in love with him…

Then there is Zachary Bronson – once a gutter rat who became a formidable boxer, now with enough money to buy his way into high society … but even with his ostentatious wealth, Zachary is finding it near impossible to break into the ton’s impervious upper crust. Zachary reminded me, ever so faintly, of Cam Rohan from Kleypas’s ‘Hathaways’ series. Both are men from disreputable backgrounds – Cam a gambling gypsy, Zachary an ex-fighter –who have risen in the social ranks, thanks to their wealth. But where Cam was content to keep his gypsy ways, and didn’t care much for the stupidity of high society, Zachary is desperate to be accepted… less for himself, more for his mother and younger sister’s sake (especially since Elizabeth will have her debut soon, and be on the marriage-mart).

Enter Lady Holly – in a chance meeting that’s only ever believable in a Kleypas romance, Holly and Zachary share an accidental kiss in the dark, which leads to Zachary hunting down the biddable mystery woman and deciding to pursue her for marriage (luckily she happened to be a respectable widow, from good ton stock). Zachary entices Holly into his household under the pretence of lessons in ladylike behaviour for his sister (with a few classes to curb Zachary’s un-gentlemanly ways too). Holly cannot resist Zachary’s monetary temptation for herself and Rose – when she feels like such a burden on George’s family. She accepts, and what follows is a long, drawn out coupling that swings between Zachary’s guilt at using Holly to rise in the ranks, and Holly’s mixed feelings for Zachary, versus her still love for dearly departed George.

It is a tangled web, indeed. Between Zachary constantly flip-flopping between wanting Holly, and feeling inferior to her, and Holly clinging to her loyalty to a dead husband…. Not to mention the collective societal *gasp!* when Holly moves into Zachary’s town-house – there’s a lot of delicious drama packed into one Lisa Kleypas novel. The thing is, Kleypas writes it so darn well – yes, it’s over-the-top and fancifully sensuous. But it’s also fun to read. Zachary Bronson is a teddy-bear in brute’s clothing, and Holly is a delightfully fiery even-match for him. Holly’s daughter, Rose, offers up some ‘kids say the darndest things!’ funnies (like questioning why Zachary once had two ladies in his bed).

Holly and Zachary are delightful – their banter before the bedroom gets top-marks, while their eventual succumbing to desire is (as always in a Kleypas book) fiery-fantastic:

“I'll follow you to the next life if I have to," he whispered harshly in her ear. "You'll never be free of me. I'll chase you through heaven and hell and beyond." He continued to whisper without stopping while his hands gripped her body close to his. "You stay with me, Holly," he muttered savagely. "Don't do this to me. You stay, damn you.”

My one complaint comes towards the end, when Kleypas feels the need to put a definitive answer to the question of Holly’s love for two men – Zachary and her dearly-deceased, George. There’s a scene I saw coming a mile away, that’s so fantastically cheesy it almost ruins the momentum of the finale.

All in all, ‘Where Dream Begin’ hit the spot for me – I was in the mood for a carefree, feel-good read and Lisa Kleypas reliably delivered.

4/5

'Rainshadow Road' Friday Harbor #2 by Lisa Kleypas

From the BLURB:

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington, with a boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a magical side - a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking glasswork she creates - and she struggles to keep it contained. But when Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none other than Lucy's own sister. Lucy's bitterness over this devastation is multiplied buy the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life.

Meanwhile, facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on the San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy so that she can more easily move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them, Lucy must ask herself if she can easily risk her heart again.

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life - even after are being broken - can be re-made into something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you

Lucy’s bad day is rapidly turning into a bad year.

First, her boyfriend of two years dumps her. But Kevin doesn’t let her down easy, oh no! He needs Lucy to move out of their San Juan apartment pronto, because her sister, Alice, is moving in… her younger sister, who it turns out Kevin has been cheating on her with.

Lucy really shouldn’t be so surprised. Little Alice has always taken what she wants and damns the consequences. A childhood illness left Alice, the Marinn family darling, precious and spoilt, so she has never had to struggle or work for anything – and she sees Kevin as just one more entitlement.

In the wake of her bitter break-up, Lucy takes solace in her glass-blowing artwork. Shutting herself away in her studio, left to work with the beautiful coloured glass making sculptures, ornaments and stained-glass windows to her broken hearts content. She moves into a local B&B, run by cousins Justine and Zöe. Lucy swears off men, and focuses all her energy on winning a New York art program scholarship…

And then fate throws Sam Nolan in Lucy’s path. Sam is a local wine grower, who lives in a beautiful, sprawling and dilapidated Victorian house with his older brother, Mark, and their orphaned niece, Holly.

The Nolan brothers did not have an idyllic childhood. The product of two dependent alcoholics, the Nolan name was blackened for many years in San Juan – and it’s only in recent times, with Sam’s successful grapes and Mark’s roaring coffee-bean industry that they’re starting to be accepted into the small town. Although youngest Nolan brother, Alex, is working hard to live up to their parent’s bad behaviour – drinking and moping in the wake of his divorce.

Sam repeatedly bumps into Lucy after her apocalyptic break-up, and he is curious about her and enchanted with her sad green eyes. Friends with Justine, Sam is more than happy to try wooing the clearly wounded Lucy. And when Kevin and Alice get engaged, Lucy becomes increasingly open to Sam’s no-strings-attached flirtations.

What do you do when the magic leaks out of life? How do you learn to take a leap of faith when history tells you you’ll just end up with another busted heart …?

‘Rainshadow Road’ is the second novel in Lisa Kleypas’s contemporary romance series, ‘Friday Harbor’.

I have a deep affection for Lisa Kleypas’s original contemporary romance series, the ‘Travis’ trilogy. ‘Sugar Daddy’ was my first-ever Kleypas read; I didn’t know she had a long backlist of historical romance novels, and thought she was an excellent contemporary romance writer, excelling in that especially lovely romance sub-genre of ‘family saga’. But once ‘Travis’ was over (though I still have my fingers firmly crossed for a Joe book) I was a little bummed to learn that she had no other contemporaries for me to plough through. Sure, I went back and read her ‘Wallflowers’ and ‘Hathaways’ series, but I really wanted another modern-day foray. So I was thrilled when the ‘Friday Harbor’ series was announced. Unfortunately, first book ‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’ left me thoroughly disappointed. Sure, I liked the story and set-up, the romance was okay (if a little tepid), but the short length of the first novel left me frustrated. But I had high hopes for the rest of this series – especially because I loved the San Juan setting, in an idyllic little town just off the Washington coast.

Lucy Marinn is our protagonist in this second instalment. The book opens in flashback to Lucy’s childhood when her younger sister, Alice, contracted meningitis and was subsequently treated like a princess by her mother and father (a trend that followed into adulthood). Flash forward and Kleypas introduces us to an older Lucy experiencing her worst day, when her long-term boyfriend announces he’s dumping her, for her younger sister. And if that sounds fairly soap-operaish, you’d be right. The dumping scene is not a great start to the book – a bit ham-fisted and totally contrived, this opener is Kleypas taking a sledgehammer and hitting readers over the head with our sympathy for Lucy. But Kleypas eventually dials it down a couple of notches, and in subsequent disaster scenes she manages to elicit genuine sympathy for poor old Lucy. It starts with a glass of beer spilled down her top, and then a bicycle accident… all these little/big annoyances that culminate in Lucy’s worst year.

But there’s a silver lining when she meets Sam Nolan, local wine grower and once blacklisted Nolan brother. The push-pull of their romance comes from Sam’s firm ‘no commitment’ rule, and Lucy’s personal vow that she’s swearing off men.

Despite her clunky ‘woe is me’ beginning, I did come to like Lucy. Her bad luck and unfair accidents turn her personal plights endearing, but more appealing is her decision to soldier on despite all the downhill turns, and the funny spin she puts on her romantic catastrophes;

“I don’t trust my instincts where men are concerned,” Lucy said. “It’s like this article I read the other day about the decline of the firefly population. One of the reasons they’re disappearing is because of modern artificial lighting. Fireflies can’t find the signals of their mates, because they’re so distracted by porch lights, streetlamps, illuminated sign letters…”
“Poor things,” Zöe said.
“Exactly,” Lucy said. “You think you’ve found the perfect mate and you heard for him, blinking as fast as you can, and then you find out he’s a Bic lighter. I just can’t handle that again.”

Sam was a little more ho-hum for me. He’s set-up as a big ladies man, the ultimate love em’ and leave em’ sort – but he comes across fairly watered-down, compared to his Lothario reputation. He’s no Hardy Cates, that’s to be sure. I get the impression that if this had have been one of Kleypas’s historical romances; Sam would have revelled in being a cad. But because this is contemporary romance, Sam comes across a little more ‘PC’, and the modern rule of casual ‘no-strings-attached’ relationships covers a multitude of sins. Sam was fine; he just wasn’t a stand out Kleypas hero like she normally excels at writing.

There is a touch of magic in this second book, that wasn’t in the first ‘Friday Harbor’ outing. Lucy has the ability to turn glass into living things (fireflies, hummingbirds etc). Sam also has a bit of magic behind his green thumb.

Lucy had struggled to understand how and why it happened, until she had read a quote by Einstein – that one had to live as though everything was a miracle, or as if nothing was a miracle. And then she had understood that whether she called her gift a phenomenon or molecular physics, or magic, both definitions were true, and the words didn’t matter anyway.

I was a little perplexed by the magic in ‘Rainshadow Road’. It’s not at all a focus of the book – it’s just another attribute to the characters. But it did feel cheesy – yes, yes; we know that true love is magic. But inserting actual magic into the story wasn’t terribly subtle, or clever. Lucy’s magic scenes pop up at random, and were so understated as to be forgotten – until the next glass-turned-hummingbird scene.

I was also a little disappointed in this book because it didn’t feel like Kleypas’s usual family saga. In all her past series, ‘Wallflowers’, ‘Hathaways’ and especially ‘Travis’ – past characters make endearing cameos, and readers are able to follow the progress of romances from past books. I love that in all those series, old characters pop up and we’re offered a glimpse into how their happily-ever-after is going. Less so in ‘Rainshadow Road’. Mark is present for a lot of the book, but his ‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’ lady love, Maggie, is in one paltry scene – and even in that she isn’t given the opportunity to bounce off of (let alone talk to) Lucy. ‘Friday Harbor’ should feel like a real family saga – set on a small island where the Nolans have a reputation that precedes them. Alas, there’s really no sense of family in this series. Even scenes with Sam’s orphaned niece, Holly, are few and far between.

Another niggling annoyance in ‘Rainshadow Road’ was the unresolved story of Lucy’s parents. In light of Alice’s actions, Lucy’s mother consoles her heartbroken daughter with an anecdote from her own life, about how she and Lucy’s father came to be married. This is quite a revelation, and I was desperate for Lucy to chase this story up, have a heart-to-heart with her dad and get some perspective on their marriage. Kleypas sets this side-story up beautifully, but doesn’t go anywhere with it. The story of Lucy’s parents is, in some ways, even better than the Lucy/Kevin/Alice/Sam saga – and I wanted some resolution.

‘Rainshadow Road’ was okay, but I’m not nearly as enamoured of this series as other Kleypas books. It’s lacking that certain something. It’s hard to put my finger on it… this series just doesn’t have that verve or spark. I do look forward to third book ‘Dream Lake’, coming August this year. The third book is about Nolan black sheep, Alex – hopefully third time will be a charm for me with this series.

2.5/5

'Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor' Friday Harbor #1 by Lisa KLEYPAS

From the BLURB:

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…


I cannot believe I am about to blaspheme like this. . . but I have now read a Lisa Kleypas book that I did not love. Dare I say; I disliked it? Eek! What has the world come to?

‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’ is the first book in Lisa Kleypas’s second contemporary romance series. The series is set in San Juan Island, off the Washington coast, and centres on long-time Sanjuanense residents, the Nolan family. There are three brothers, eldest Mark, middle Sam and youngest Alex. The brothers also had one sister, Victoria. . . until she died in a car accident. With Victoria’s sudden death comes responsibility the brothers never dreamt of – mainly in the form of their six-year-old niece, Holly. Victoria has named Mark as Holly’s sole guardian, and suddenly the perennial bachelor is thrown into the role of father.

Mark and Holly move into Sam’s bachelor-pad country house, and the two men try to make the most of their haphazard family. But six months into their guardianship and Holly still hasn’t spoken a word since her mother’s death. . . until Maggie Collins.

Maggie was widowed two years ago, and moved to San Juan six months ago to open a classic toy-shop and move on (slowly) with her life. When she meets the dark and brooding Mark, and his fragile niece, Maggie feels her heart and mind opening up to possibilities she thought were lost. . .

Let me start out by saying I didn’t *hate* this book. . . I just didn’t like it. And really, my only complaint is that the book was too short for me to really get invested. It’s only 224-pages long. That’s 224 in a hardcover edition – so the text is a little big and there’s plenty of white-space. I don’t know if it’s just me, but when I’m paying for a hardcover book, I want a little more than a measly 224-pages! It’s really more of a novella, and I think it would have been better-suited to a romance anthology. ‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’ was the reading equivalent of fairy-floss – by the last page I wasn’t in the least bit full and contented, I was just plain hungry.
Personally, I thought the story could have easily gone on for another 100-150 pages after the conclusion.

I actually really like the premise of the book – bachelor brothers thrown into parenthood (yes, it’s very ‘3 Men and a Baby’. . . but I love that movie!). And I liked the Mark/Maggie romance, even if she was a little bit Mary-Sue (a woman who owns a toyshop conveniently falling for a guy who needs parenting help). The romance is also very PG-13 for a Lisa Kleypas book. The tamer romance suits this story, but Kleypas has promised that future books will revert to her more heated pairings. Still, Mark and Maggie were cute and between them they had a lot of baggage that made for great romantic tension;

“You’re too much for me to handle right now, she said baldly. “I’m not ready.”
His fingers played in her hair, combing slowly through the curls. “When do you think you’ll be ready?”
“I don’t know. I need a transitional person first.”
“I’ll be your transitional guy.”
Even now, in her distress, he could almost make her smile. “Then who’s going to be the guy after that?”
“I’ll be that guy too.”

But the romance felt rushed in 224-pages, and considering the bleak beginning of the novel, I think more could have been made of Mark and Sam’s struggles with Holly in the wake of her mother’s death. . . Basically, I liked the ideas behind ‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’, but the short length of the book meant I couldn’t get too invested. And it’s a shame, because all of the great Lise Kleypas moments are there; ready to be brilliant, if only she had been given an extra 100 pages to play with. . .

Lifting his head, Mark smoothed her rambunctious curls and spoke in a voice roughened with affection. “Being alone isn’t safety, Maggie. It’s just being alone.”

Probably the most I got out of this book was a deep yearning to go and visit San Juan. Kleypas’s description of the place (coupled with a Google images search) paints a picturesque American sea-side town – the likes of which I thought could only be found in idealized TV shows and movies. Kleypas goes on to describe the town in finite, mouth-watering detail - including what types of food is sold at the local bakeries and cafes (bacon doughnuts and vegetable quiche!).

‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’ is the first book in what looks to be a four-part series. But because Ms. Kleypas is taking a hiatus in 2011 (NOOOOOOOO!) the next few books are scheduled for 2012 release.

• Rainshadow Road (Jan, 2012)
• Griffin Bay (May, 2012)
• Dream Lake (Sept, 2012)

I absolutely, thoroughly adored Kleypas’s first foray into contemporary romance with her ‘Travis’ trilogy – those are some of my all-time favourite romance reads! I was thrilled to learn that she had a second contemporary romance series planned. . . but book #1 of ‘Friday Harbor’ really hasn’t tickled my fancy. I’m sorry. I feel like I should hand in my Lisa Kleypas fan-pass. . . I might be willing to give this series a second chance, but only if the word-count is bulked-up and the romance heated up.

2/5

'Gamblers' series by Lisa KLEYPAS

Have I ever mentioned that I love Lisa Kleypas? No? Well let me enlighten you. . .

I adore Ms. Kleypas. She is a historical romance genius and I have devoured her Hathaways, Wallflowers and Bow Street Runners series as if their pages were chocolate-coated. I am also a devout follower of her newer contemporary romance ‘Travis’ trilogy and I’m chomping at the bit for her new ‘Friday Harbor’ series. All in all, I’m a little bit obsessed, and in a bid to feed my addiction I have been going through Ms. Kleypas’s backlist. Thus, I discovered her brilliant ‘Gamblers’ historical romance books.

The series is so named for a gaming establishment called ‘Cravens’ found in a lowly part of London, but frequented by the ton elite. The series revolves around the club’s infamous owner, and one of its most fabulous patronesses.

‘Then Came You’ tells the story of Lily Lawson. A beautiful and wild spinster who men lust after and the ton gossip about. Lily lives a seemingly hopeless life – an independent tomboy, she is the only woman allowed to gamble at Cravens gaming hell where she flits and flirts her way to enormous profit. But secretly Lily is in hell. Her daughter, born out of wedlock, has been taken prisoner and being held for ransom – and Lily is working herself to the bone to stay above water and keep up the payments for her daughter’s safe return. Enter Alex, Lord Raiford. Alex is betrothed to Lily’s meek and lovely younger sister, Penelope. But Penelope loves another and after meeting Lily, Alex is determined to have the other sister. . .

“Any other woman would be flattered by my proposal. Even grateful. I’m offering you something a hell of a lot better than some scandalous liaison.”
“In your conceited, self-righteous opinion I suppose it is! But I’m not flattered, and certainly not grateful. I’ll be your mistress or nothing at all.”
“You’ll be my wife,” he said inexorably.
“You want to own me!” she accused, trying to crawl away from him.

- ‘Then came You’

‘Dreaming of You’ is about the owner of gaming hell ‘Cravens’, Derek Craven himself. Derek came from nothing – born in the gutter, once a chimney sweep and grave-robber - Derek rose in society’s ranks and made profit between the sheets of the ton, selling his body to the bored and wealthy ladies. He built Cravens and is now one of the tons most infamous revellers – rich men want to be him and rich women want to be with him. But neither cast of society would invite him into their house during the day. . . because for all of Derek’s nightlife infamy, he is still a cockney guttersnipe.

Derek may have more money now than he did growing up, but he’s still just as hard. And one night Derek’s carousing catches up with him. A ton woman he threw overboard when he got bored wants vengeance, and sets Derek up for a beating. Knifed, beaten and bloody, Derek is practically dead in the gutter when one country mouse saves him. Sara Fielding is a famous London writer, sneaking around the low streets of London to gain inspiration for her next novel. . . when she stumbles across Derek and his attackers. Sara saves him, and to say thank-you she asks to be allowed into the hallowed gaming hell of Craven’s. . .

His body was solid and powerful, hunching over hers to accommodate their difference in height. She felt him tremble with the force of his need. He spoke just beneath her ear, his voice thick with tormented pleasure. “You have to leave, Sara. . . because I want to hold you like this until your skin melts into mine. I want you in my bed, the smell of you on my sheets, your hair spread across my pillow. I want to take your innocence. God! I want to ruin you for anyone else.”

- ‘Dreaming of You’

This series is set in 18th century London, and there’s a strong connection to the elite ton society of that time. But Lisa Kleypas takes her usual unconventional route by observing those people on the periphery of that society – gamblers, spinsters and female writers. All these people who the ton gossip about, carouse with and perhaps secretly want to be. . . but who are, for all intents and purposes, ‘outsiders’. Ms Kleypas is always at her best when she’s writing outcast characters – gypsy men in the ‘Hathaways’ series, reluctant brides in ‘Wallflowers’ and London detectives in ‘Bow Street Runners’. She does it again in ‘Gamblers’ and it makes for fascinating reading, not least of all because these characters can have a foot in both the lowly and upper societies without drowning in the politics of either.

The ‘Gamblers’ series is another Kleypas historical romance that concentrates a lot on family, and again in the unconventional sense. Family is always a big theme of a Lisa Kleypas historical romance, and really only the ‘Hathaways’ series is about an actual blood-ties family. Her other series’ are about the family we make, the people we collect and friends we love. The ‘Gamblers’ series is no different, with the family formed around gaming hell Cravens. I loved the club setting: the contrast of a riotous gaming ‘hell’ with the sweet story of those people who have found love while rolling the dice.

The ‘Gamblers’ series is Lisa Kleypas at her very best. Strong women, dark rakes and impossible social situations. I loved it!

5/5

'Love in the Afternoon' Hathaways #5 by Lisa KLEYPAS

From the BLURB:

As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted.and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man - just to avoid spinsterhood?

Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix's friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul - and it's becoming clear that Christopher won't come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru's disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru's letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep.and when Christopher comes home, he's determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix's innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love - and a passion that can't be denied.

‘Love in the Afternoon’ is the fifth and last book in Lisa Kleypas’s ‘Hathaways’ series. As a HUGE Kleypas fan-girl I can unequivocally pledge that this is one of her finest novels to date.

I was very sad to begin ‘Love in the Afternoon’. I, and many fans, have fallen hopelessly in love with the Hathaway clan. They came from humble country beginnings, thrust into ton society with the unexpected death of a distant relative which passed a Lordship title to the only male Hathaway, Leo. With the death of both their parents still fresh in their hearts, the rambunctious Hathaway clan traipsed to Stony Cross to accept responsibilities none of them were equipped for. Amelia, the eldest Hathaway, who was forced to become surrogate mother to her sibling brood. Winifred, who was still frail and feeble, recovering from an illness which killed Leo’s beloved fiancé leaving him to drown in grief. Poppy, the beautiful middle sister who only wanted to find contentment and safety in marriage, the same as her parent’s had. And youngest Hathaway, Beatrix, who found more in common with animals than the debutante’s she was forced to socialize with.
I've read all of their trials and tribulations, heartbreaks and triumphs. Amelia who found love with gypsy-man, Cam Rohan. Win and her childhood crush, Merripen. Poppy and her unconventional rogue husband, Harry Rutledge. Leo and his unlikely pairing with tight-lipped governess, Catherine Marks...

I was reluctant but insanely curious to see how it would all end with the littlest Hathaway, Beatrix.

I admit to going into ‘Love in the Afternoon’ with trepidation, mostly concerning the book’s heroine. For four novels now, Beatrix has been an entertaining and charming Hathaway edition... she was always in the background of her sibling’s books; a gentle-hearted tomboy who never met an animal she didn’t love. But I wondered how she’d be as a romantic heroine, rather than just a bit of comic relief. I think Lisa Kleypas had a very hard task in writing Beatrix’s story, in making her character more than just the affable little sister with a sunny disposition... and I am delighted to say that Kleypas not only makes Beatrix into a stunning romantic lead, but ‘Love in the Afternoon’ is an example of Kleypas at her very best.

Beatrix has been writing letters to Captain Christopher Phelan as he fights in the Crimean war. Beatrix writes of the Stony Cross forest, the smell of autumn, the local livestock auction and singing her stockinged feet by the hearth. Her words are a balm to Christopher who is miles and miles away, fighting in a war he doesn’t believe in. When he reads Beatrix’s letters of banal country life, creature comforts and home he is transported and given a moment of reprieve. From Christopher, Beatrix reads about fighting the Russians, disease spreading through the trenches, and Christopher’s faithful canine friend, Albert, who carries messages along the line.
Letter by letter, word by word, Beatrix and Christopher fall in love.
Only, Christophe doesn’t know it is Beatrix he’s writing to. Christopher is under the impression that he is writing to the beautiful and flirtatious Prudence Mercer. He does not know that Pru was bored by his letters and annoyed with his gloom. Christopher doesn’t know that it was Beatrix who happily took up the task of writing to him, offering him relief on the page. He doesn’t know, until he receives this cryptic letter;

Dearest Christopher,

I can’t write you again.

I’m not who you think I am.

I didn’t mean to send you love letters, but that is what they became. On their way to you, my words turned into heartbeats on the page.

Come back, please come home and find me.

- [unsigned.]

Thus begins one of the most charming and heart-rending historical romances I have ever read.

I loved Christopher and Beatrix’s unconventional and complicated courtship – the letters between them are beautiful to read and clearly a progression of feelings developing. It is a tangled web Beatrix weaves for herself, especially because Christopher doesn’t actually *like* her. Christopher is an upstanding gentleman, and before leaving for war he met and was unamused by Hathaway antics, especially Beatrix’s, commenting that she belonged more in a stable than a drawing room.

“You do not know Beatrix. You haven’t spent nearly enough time with her.”
“I know that she’s unruly, opinionated, and far more cheerful than any reasoning person should be. She wears breeches, climbs trees, and roams wherever she pleases without a chaperone. I also know that she has overrun Ramsay House with squirrels, hedgehogs, and goats, and the man unlucky enough to marry her will be driven to financial ruin from the veterinary bills. Would you care to contradict any of those points?”
Audrey folded her arms and gave him a sour look. “Yes. She doesn’t have a squirrel.”

The first half of the book is all about Christopher’s return home, and his hunt for the ‘Pru’ of the letters. But when he meets the vapid and narcissistic Prudence Mercer, Christopher quickly realizes she is not his beloved letter-writer.

Christopher’s hunt for Beatrix, his lettered love, is not the crux of the book however. The real, juicy storyline has to do with Christopher reconciling his time in the war with his new civilian life.
The Crimean war changed him – he has bouts of anger, night terrors and jumps at loud sounds. He is a man recovering from post-traumatic stress, without current psychological jargon to articulate his problems. Therein lays the heart of ‘Love in the Afternoon’, as Christopher struggles with himself in the wake of war. And who better to comfort, care and love him than Beatrix Hathaway whose tender patience has healed many winged and four-footed creatures.

I love, love, loved this book! I was worried about Beatrix as a womanly heroine, having read her for four books past as an entertaining little sister to the other Hathaway’s. But in ‘Afternoon’ Beatrix sheds all of her girlish attributes and is a dashing heroine. She and Christopher have a beautiful, burning love and plenty of sensual scenes that banish all thoughts of immaturity. I LOVED them!

I was sad to read the end of the ‘Hathaways’, but ‘Afternoon’ is a fitting conclusion to a wonderful series and I only feel a great sense of closure as the series ends with Christopher and Beatrix’s romance. I had a tear in my eye and breathed a happy sigh of relief at the last page.

5/5

Where are they now? ... Author updates

Charlaine Harris

Fans have been accumulating Sookie-verse updates via Charlaine’s responses on her message board. And there have been a *LOT* of hints dropped lately.

For one thing, a Sookie Companion is set for a February 2011 release. This sounds like a sort of Sookie lexicon, but will also include a short-story about Quinn (YAY!). Fans are speculating that this short-story will fill in a lot of the back-story for Quinn’s whereabouts between book’s #8 and #9. Fans are also speculating that this short-story will be as important to the overall Sookie series as ‘One Word Answer’ was to the premise of “All Together Dead” (the short story about Sookie’s cousin, Hadley).

The current working title for Sookie #11 is ‘Dead Letters’.

Ms. Harris has said that Sookie and Eric’s blood bond will be broken... but she doesn’t know when. She admits that the bond has caused her no end of grief and she sounds quite eager to be done with it. lol

Charlaine’s exact words: "Sookie will get plenty of sex when she finds her HEA, and she'll be very enthusiastic about it.” OH. MY. GOD! (definitely not Eric then?)

In further Charlaine Harris news...

Dynamite Entertainment is adapting Harris’s ‘Harper Connelly’ series into a graphic novel. The ‘Harper’ series is about a woman who, after being struck by lightning, is able to sense the dead. She can see the final snatches of their life and act as a sort of human ‘death detector’ to know where bodies are buried.
This is a rather dark series and will make for wonderful comic fodder. I can’t wait to see a graphic representation of my second favourite Charlaine Harris series. The release date is still TBA – but be sure to keep a look out for this graphic adaptation, and in the mean time give the ‘Harper Connelly’ series a read.

Diana Gabaldon

Her ‘Outlander’ graphic novel is nearly here (September 21!) and with the release of ‘An Echo in the Bone’ paperback, fans are given an eight-page full-colour sneak-peak at the graphic! YAY! As Diana said in her latest blog post, ‘The Exile’ is being touted as ‘Jamie’s side of the story’ – even though it’s told mainly from Murtagh’s perspective. But we will get Jamie’s insights, and learn things from Jamie’s POV that were missed because Claire was our narrator in ‘Outlander’.

I am frothing at the mouth for this graphic novel – Jamie in picture! ARGH!
Here is a link to the one-page sneak-peek of the Graphic Novel.

Patricia Briggs

I really loved the Graphic Novel adaptation of Patricia Briggs’s ‘Mercy Thompson’ series. It was called ‘Homecoming’ and was a visual prologue set before the events of ‘Moon Called’. If you are a die-hard Mercy fan (and why wouldn’t you be?) this was a great little back-story to how Mercy first met Adam, Stefan, Siebold (Zee) and got work in the Tricities area as a mechanic.

I *loved* the graphic novel – but general Amazon consensus wasn’t good, ending up with a 3/5 average rating. The negative feedback was mostly due to fan’s misconception about ‘Homecoming’ being a GRAPHIC novel and not actually the next instalment in the ‘Mercy Thompson’ series.

Well, Dabel brothers are giving ‘Mercy’ another shot – and this time it looks as though the graphic novel will be an adaptation of book #1 ‘Moon Called’.
The synopsis from Amazon:

Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at will. Mercy's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a bus for a vampire. This is the world of Mercy Thompson, one that looks a lot like ours but is populated by those things that go bump in the night. And Mercy's connection to those things is about to get her into some serious hot water... Moon Called faithfully adapts New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs' first Mercy Thompson novel to comics. Prepare to see the fantastic characters and supernatural settings that have made her novels a hit with fans worldwide come to four-color life!

The graphic novel is being created by: Derek Ruiz (Adapter), Patricia Briggs (Author), Clint Hilinski (Illustrator).

I’m really looking forward to the graphic adaptation of ‘Moon Called’. Sure, it’s not a movie adaptation – but this way Dabel brothers can stay true to the story and dialogue, give Briggs’s characters a physicality that she is happy with and there won’t be any butchering of the story by movie-moguls looking to create a ‘Twilight’ replica with Jacob as the hero.

Some fans are iffy about the whole ‘graphic novel’ thing – but I say don’t knock it till you read it! This is just another dimension to the Mercy world and a great new way for fans to interact with the series. If you haven’t already, I would highly recommend you give first novel ‘Homecoming’ a browse, and definitely keep your eyes open for the graphic novel of ‘Moon Called’. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy reading one of your favourite urban-fantasies in comic-book form!

There also seems to be a comic-adaptation of the “Alpha and Omega” series floating around, but it’s not available in hardcover from Amazon. I really want to get my hands on a copy! I have found copies available for order from various online comic shops.

This adaptation seems to be following the plot of the first book ‘Cry Wolf’. This is the blurb:

A rogue werewolf is slaughtering humans in the Montana wilderness and Charles Cornick must find the killer before his crimes expose the pack to the world. But is the badly wounded Alpha wolf up to the task, even with his mate Anna at his side? Cry Wolf is the latest series of supernatural adventure by New York Times best selling fantasy author Patricia Briggs. Set in the same world as her popular Mercy Thompson novels, it's filled with beloved old characters and exciting new ones. Be sure to see what happens when Alpha and Omega come together!

There’s also a small photo of the cover-art for ‘Masques’ floating around on Amazon. But I don’t know if this is the official cover. ‘Masques’ was Patricia Briggs’s first ever novel, written in 1993. With the success of ‘Mercy Thompson’ Ms. Briggs has been being given the opportunity to do a few re-writes on ‘Masques’ and re-release with a vamped cover. The book does sound heavily fantastical (not so much ‘urban’) but ‘shifters’ are mentioned in the blurb. This new cover seems a clever tactic to give Mercy fans pause and consider trying some of Briggs’s other writing. I, personally, can’t wait to give ‘Masques’ a go.

Richelle Mead

Richelle Mead recently blogged about her ‘Dark Swan’ series.

This is her third series after ‘Georgina Kincaid’ and ‘Vampire Academy’, and probably her least popular (but equally amazing). For that reason, Ms. Mead’s publisher’s at Kensington decided to hold off on releasing the 3rd ‘Dark Swan’ book this year – amidst two VA books and one Georgina.
The good news is we will get a Eugenie instalment in 2011... The better news is that we might be getting the 4th ‘Dark Swan’ book right on the tail of ‘Iron Crowned’!

‘Iron Crowned’ from the BLURB:

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear…

Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown’s ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril…

But ‘Eugenie’ fans should be prepared for a few shocks in ‘Iron Crowned’. In Ms. Mead’s own words; “We all know that the third book of a Richelle Mead series is the WTF? one, and Eugenie's no exception. That's all I'm saying.”
Eugenie has already gone through quite an emotional whirlpool with Dorian and Kiyo – not to mention she’s started a war in the Thorn Lands. I wonder how much more upheaved her life can get? Oh boy!

Gini Koch

Gini Koch is one of my new favourite authors and I have a heart-palpitating crush on her ‘Katherine Kitty Katt’ series.

Ms. Koch recently announced that DAW books have bought instalments 3 & 4 of her space-opera ‘Kitty Katt’ series!

So, the series order will be:

#1 – ‘Touched by an Alien’ - Avaliable NOW!
#2 – ‘Alien Tango’ - December 7th 2010
#3 – ‘Alien in the Family' – April 5th 2011
#4 – ‘Alien Proliferation’ – December 2011

‘Alien Tango’ in Gini Koch’s own words:

For Katherine “Kitty” Katt, Alien Super-Being Exterminator, anti-alien conspiracies, threats from outer space, and a couple of killer alligators are all in a day’s work. But internal alien schemes and some major romantic complications bring new meaning to the term ‘chaos and confusion’.

It’s been five months since Kitty joined Centaurion Division, working with the aliens from Alpha Centauri. She and Jeff Martini have grown closer as a couple and life looks rosy. But when an experimental spacecraft is mysteriously returned to the Kennedy Space Center, Kitty and the rest of Alpha Team are called out to investigate and are immediately embroiled in life or death situations that scream ‘political conspiracy’.

The team must survive repeated murderous attacks, remove a mysterious space entity from a group of astronauts, and avoid an unhinged woman with a serious crush on Kitty’s old high school boyfriend. And that’s all before the masterminds decide Kitty’s extermination is vital -- and take matters into their own hands.

I. Can’t. Wait.

Molly Harper

Molly Harper is a vampire comedy genius. Seriously. Her ‘Jane Jameson’ series was an absolute laugh-riot and a breath of fresh air on the paranormal romance scene.

There’s good news and bad news concerning Molly Harper. The good news is she has petitioned her publisher for a 4th Jane Jameson book. The bad news is she hasn’t received an answer from said publisher about a possible 4th book.... *YET*!

But the GOOD news is; Ms. Harper intends to post Jane Jameson short stories on her website – for fans, for FREE! That’s right. The first short story will be posted on July 1st this year! Don’t believe me? Here’s proof in Harper’s own words:

I receive a lot of e-mails asking when I will be releasing a new Jane Jameson book. And the truth is, I don't know. I'm not trying to mess with my dear readers. I've spoken to my publisher about a fourth novel, but nothing is concrete. Until I know something, I will post Jane short stories and updates here and at my blog. Expect the first short to be posted on July 1, 2010.

Thanks,
Molly

Don’t forget Molly Harper also has a stand-alone novel coming out July 27th called ‘And One Last Thing’. She’s an automatic-buy for me, so I already have this one on pre-order and am looking forward to it!

Lisa Kleypas

I've been lusting after Lisa Kleypas’s new contemporary romance series for quite some time. Thankfully we now have a blurb and cover-art (UK only);

‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’ from the BLURB:

The Friday Harbor series of contemporary romance/women's fiction novels is set in San Juan Island just off of the Washington State Coast. The San Juan Island setting is romantic and varied, with rocky shores, sandy beaches, rich woodlands and pasture land, and the prosperous Friday Harbor area. The series is centred around the Nolan family, consisting of two brothers and a sister, the owners of an island vineyard and restaurant. The Nolans' mother Jessica has just passed away, and a mysterious stranger attends the funeral. He reveals that he is an illegitimate child Jessica had given birth to, and given up for adoption, before she married. This family secret leads to many new questions and challenge, which test the bonds of love and loyalty, and ultimately show the Nolans what family is all about.

The book comes out November 9th this year.

There’s are also whispers that Kleypas has a new stand-alone novel coming out in 2011 titled ‘Rainshadow Road’. I am intrigued...

Kelley Armstrong

Kelley’s ‘Darkest Powers’ trilogy came to an end this year with ‘The Reckoning’, and It was a fantastic conclusion to a delicious YA series. Armstrong answered quite a few niggling fan questions and also wrapped up her protagonist’s romantic entanglements in ‘Reckoning’. But she left the door WIDE open for more books in this universe (which is also her ‘Women of the Otherworld’ universe). A new trilogy set in the ‘Darkest Powers’ world will be released next year. This new book is called ‘The Gathering’ and will follow another bunch of genetically engineered teenage supernaturals;

‘The Gathering’ from the BLURB:

Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students—for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya's determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya's home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts getting negative vibes from certain people and things. It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret—and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark.

Jeaniene Frost

So, back in March of this year Jeaniene told her fanboard that she would be proposing more ‘Night Huntress’ spin-off books to her publisher. Namely, an Ian and Vlad book (possibly even a full series for Vlad).

No word since March on whether or not Jeaniene’s proposal was given the OKay – but I’m guessing her publisher’s will be waiting to see how Menchere’s spin-off ‘Eternal Kiss of Darkness’ sells before giving her the go-ahead.

I personally didn’t like Spade’s spin-off, ‘First Drop of Crimson’. But I have high-hopes for Mencheres’ book because I think he’s absolutely delicious! And I think Ian would make a GREAT protagonist – his cameo in ‘First Drop’ was pretty much the only thing I liked about that book. Vlad I’m not so sure about – I look forward to his appearance in the 5th Cat & Bones book (coming February 22nd 2011) but I’m not 100% convinced that he could carry his own series. Jeaniene has also confirmed that Vlad appears in ‘Eternal Kiss of Darkness’, but Ian does not :(

Sunny

I love this series. It’s paranormal erotica; beautifully written and constantly exciting. I love and highly recommend it. After the release of her second spin-off book, ‘Lucinda Dangerously’, Sunny sort of hinted that she was done with the ‘Monere; Children of the Moon’ series. I, and many fans, were saddened by the news. But Sunny recently announced that a new instalment to the ‘Monere’ series is set for a March 2011 release. Its title is ‘Mona Lisa Eclipsing’ and this is the blurb:

‘Mona Lisa Eclipsing’ BLURB:

From the time she was an orphan, Mona Lisa knew she was different. As a Mixed-Blood daughter of the Monère, she rules her domain in the Louisiana Bayou. But she’s about to become the hunted as her mind begins playing tricks, and no one is who they seem.
Roberto Carderas, a dangerous drug lord of mixed Monère heritage, arrives in Cozumel to eliminate a rival. But the jaguar-shifter has encountered a much more valuable prize on the island: Mona Lisa, the first female Monère he’s ever met—and one especially vulnerable in that she has lost her memory. Now, with all knowledge of her real life as stripped away as her efences, Mona Lisa can be manipulated into believing…anything.

Convinced that Roberto is her kind and sensual protector, Mona Lisa thwarts all attempts at her rescue—including those made by her desperate lover Dante. As Roberto’s devious scheme gets underway, Dante can only hope that the touch of his warm flesh will reignite total recall in the body and mind of the woman he loves. But escape for both of them could be as forever elusive as Mona Lisa’s past.