REVENGE GIFTS
Cindy Cruciger
ISBN: 0-765-35225-7
Romance
Book #08-009
Tara Cole has a successful mail-order business selling an unusual product: gifts for people who want revenge against those who have wronged them. Among her most successful items are lacy pillows stuffed with cat hair (for people who are allergic to cats), boxer shorts guaranteed to set off metal detectors at the airport (for cheating husbands), and Candy-A-Day (a daily chocolate certain to help expand your worst enemy's hips). Tara's friend Kathy warns her that revenge is bad for her karma, but Tara has a pretty good life, even if her house is filled with ghosts who create chaos in her kitchen.
When a very cute guy named Howard shows up, wanting to buy into Tara's business, she's quick to assure him that she works alone, but she can't help being attracted to him. Unfortunately, just about the time Howard enters Tara's life, so does a series of increasingly larger black animals, harbingers of imminent disaster and evidence that someone has laid a curse on Tara. Howard may be attracted to her, but could he also be the one responsible for Tara's change of luck?
Cindy Cruciger has written a charmingly funny romantic suspense caper, redolent with the sizzling heat of the Florida keys in mid-summer. Tara is possibly the most curmudgeonly heroine in the history of romance novels, but her dry wit and acid tongue are hilarious. Tara and Howard (AKA Muffin) are steamy lovers, and Cruciger peoples her novel with other unique characters, such as the improbably debonair but deeply disturbing Darius, demented harpy Miss Good Voodoo, terrifyingly efficient Kimberly Case (Tara's nemesis from her previous job), and taciturn, scary Rique, the cook at Crusty's Bar, which Tara runs for her friend in exchange for free rent and use of a boat. Not to be overlooked are the ghost of Uncle Les, who turns the lights on and off at the most inopportune times, the kitchen poltergeist, who smashes eggs at night, and Zeke the kitten, cuddly and adorable.
REVENGE GIFTS is a perfect beach read, a quick-moving page-turner with something for everyone. This book is highly recommended, and readers will certainly be on the lookout for the next dishy confection from newcomer Cindy Cruciger.
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, December 24, 2006
The Smoke Thief, by Shana Abe
THE SMOKE THIEF
Shana Abe
ISBN: 0-553-58804-4
Paranormal
Book #06-153
Clarissa Rue Hawthorne has made a name for herself in London as the Smoke Thief, a jewel thief as elusive as she is daring. Of course, no one knows that Rue is the person behind the thefts, and she likes it that way. Nearly ten years ago, she escaped Darkfrith, her hometown, and the clutches of her people, the drakon, a clan of shapeshifters with the ability to change into dragons. Unfortunately for Clarissa, her escapades have caught the attention of the very people she most wants to avoid, except that they are under the assumption that the notorious thief is a halfling male.
Christoff, Marquess of Langford and leader of the drakon, must catch the Smoke Thief before the clan is exposed to the mortal world. Kit is under pressure, because his clan is dying out and he must mate with a full-blooded female in order to carry on the line. Setting a trap for his prey, Christoff baits it with the Langford Diamond, gambling that the lure of the valuable jewel will be irresistible to his target. No one is more surprised than Christoff at the identity of the Smoke Thief, but when Clarissa proposes a plan to save the drakon, hunter becomes captive and Kit and Rue join forces for the good of their people.
Shana Abe has gifted readers with a gem of a story, taking an unusual premise and stamping it with her own magical touch. Kit and Rue are a sizzling combination, as wily and sensuous a couple as ever dreamed up by the greats of romantic fantasy. Abe's light touch with the lore and legend of the drakon makes for easy reading as she weaves their history into her plot. Kit is a wonderful hero, fully in charge of his people, charismatic and compelling, yet completely devoted to his chosen mate even in the face of all obstacles.
Rue's servants make for an excellent supporting cast, and, indeed, Zane gets his own story in Abe's next book, THE DREAM THIEF. The scenes in the menagerie are beautifully written, illustrating the growing trust and affection between Clarissa and Christoff in the midst of the animals' plight and their search for Herte, the Langford Diamond, the key to the drakon's survival. THE SMOKE THIEF is a magical read, as ethereal as smoke and incandescent as dragon fire. It takes a talented writer to carve out new territory in the realm of the paranormal romance, but Abe does the job with elegance and panache. THE SMOKE THIEF is a truly memorable love story, destined to be a classic.
Shana Abe
ISBN: 0-553-58804-4
Paranormal
Book #06-153
Clarissa Rue Hawthorne has made a name for herself in London as the Smoke Thief, a jewel thief as elusive as she is daring. Of course, no one knows that Rue is the person behind the thefts, and she likes it that way. Nearly ten years ago, she escaped Darkfrith, her hometown, and the clutches of her people, the drakon, a clan of shapeshifters with the ability to change into dragons. Unfortunately for Clarissa, her escapades have caught the attention of the very people she most wants to avoid, except that they are under the assumption that the notorious thief is a halfling male.
Christoff, Marquess of Langford and leader of the drakon, must catch the Smoke Thief before the clan is exposed to the mortal world. Kit is under pressure, because his clan is dying out and he must mate with a full-blooded female in order to carry on the line. Setting a trap for his prey, Christoff baits it with the Langford Diamond, gambling that the lure of the valuable jewel will be irresistible to his target. No one is more surprised than Christoff at the identity of the Smoke Thief, but when Clarissa proposes a plan to save the drakon, hunter becomes captive and Kit and Rue join forces for the good of their people.
Shana Abe has gifted readers with a gem of a story, taking an unusual premise and stamping it with her own magical touch. Kit and Rue are a sizzling combination, as wily and sensuous a couple as ever dreamed up by the greats of romantic fantasy. Abe's light touch with the lore and legend of the drakon makes for easy reading as she weaves their history into her plot. Kit is a wonderful hero, fully in charge of his people, charismatic and compelling, yet completely devoted to his chosen mate even in the face of all obstacles.
Rue's servants make for an excellent supporting cast, and, indeed, Zane gets his own story in Abe's next book, THE DREAM THIEF. The scenes in the menagerie are beautifully written, illustrating the growing trust and affection between Clarissa and Christoff in the midst of the animals' plight and their search for Herte, the Langford Diamond, the key to the drakon's survival. THE SMOKE THIEF is a magical read, as ethereal as smoke and incandescent as dragon fire. It takes a talented writer to carve out new territory in the realm of the paranormal romance, but Abe does the job with elegance and panache. THE SMOKE THIEF is a truly memorable love story, destined to be a classic.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
The Perfect Wife, by Lynsay Sands
THE PERFECT WIFE
Lynsay Sands
ISBN: 0-8439-5499-X
Historical Romance
Book #06-164
Avelyn has been indulged by her loving parents for as long as she can remember, but all that is about to change. Her betrothed, Paen de Gerville, is back from the Crusades and intends to claim his bride at long last. Fearful that Paen will not appreciate a curvy wife, and tormented by her three nasty cousins, Avelyn vows to lose weight before her wedding so she can be the beautiful bride she's certain her fiance is expecting. To that end, Avy has her maid alter her wedding gown to a smaller size, and instructs her to cut off the excess fabric. Of course, when her wedding day arrives, the gown is much too small, and Avy's mother refuses to let her wear the only other gown available, a red, wrinkled thing that makes Avelyn look like a round, ripe cherry. The only solution? Bind Avy and sew her into her gown.
Paen is ready to settle down to hearth and home, until he meets his bride and realizes there's something very wrong with her, and not just the fact that her posture is ramrod straight and she apparently cannot bend in the middle. Paen soon realizes the cruelty Avy has experienced at the hands of her cousins and resolves to show her how much he desires and approves of her. Unfortunately, his new wife is astonishingly clumsy and beset by one gaffe after another, and Paen begins to figure out that no one could possibly be that accident-prone.
THE PERFECT WIFE is a perfect romance: funny and sweet, touching and tender, with the perfect balance of humor and sensuality. Readers are certain to enjoy Avy's efforts to become the wife she thinks Paen wants, while Paen puzzles over the mystery of how to bring out the best in a woman who seemingly has everything he's ever wanted in a wife. The end of the book is somewhat reminiscent of Catherine Coulter, especially in the characters' speech patterns, and readers will have to decide for themselves whether or not that's a good thing. For most, however, THE PERFECT WIFE will be the perfect diversion for a cold winter afternoon.
Lynsay Sands
ISBN: 0-8439-5499-X
Historical Romance
Book #06-164
Avelyn has been indulged by her loving parents for as long as she can remember, but all that is about to change. Her betrothed, Paen de Gerville, is back from the Crusades and intends to claim his bride at long last. Fearful that Paen will not appreciate a curvy wife, and tormented by her three nasty cousins, Avelyn vows to lose weight before her wedding so she can be the beautiful bride she's certain her fiance is expecting. To that end, Avy has her maid alter her wedding gown to a smaller size, and instructs her to cut off the excess fabric. Of course, when her wedding day arrives, the gown is much too small, and Avy's mother refuses to let her wear the only other gown available, a red, wrinkled thing that makes Avelyn look like a round, ripe cherry. The only solution? Bind Avy and sew her into her gown.
Paen is ready to settle down to hearth and home, until he meets his bride and realizes there's something very wrong with her, and not just the fact that her posture is ramrod straight and she apparently cannot bend in the middle. Paen soon realizes the cruelty Avy has experienced at the hands of her cousins and resolves to show her how much he desires and approves of her. Unfortunately, his new wife is astonishingly clumsy and beset by one gaffe after another, and Paen begins to figure out that no one could possibly be that accident-prone.
THE PERFECT WIFE is a perfect romance: funny and sweet, touching and tender, with the perfect balance of humor and sensuality. Readers are certain to enjoy Avy's efforts to become the wife she thinks Paen wants, while Paen puzzles over the mystery of how to bring out the best in a woman who seemingly has everything he's ever wanted in a wife. The end of the book is somewhat reminiscent of Catherine Coulter, especially in the characters' speech patterns, and readers will have to decide for themselves whether or not that's a good thing. For most, however, THE PERFECT WIFE will be the perfect diversion for a cold winter afternoon.
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