Kresley Cole's latest two books were GREAT. Although, I agree with dear author when they say that her titles are becoming too tongue twister like! Can she stick to two to three words?
I got pretty lucky my bookstore got both of them at the same time and because we're in Australia we're not confined to the strict release dates, as we don't affect the number of books sold on the ny times bestseller list or whatever. My bookseller had only the second book with the purple cover with Caine left but she dug up the first one, with the dancing ballerina ghost for me! Yay. I didn't even know I was buying the second one, until she mentioned it I was so confused by the titles.
Private Arrangements was good. The language, writing, characterization and plot were as good as everyone said, tho I felt that there was too much hyping up in the review sites that even if it was good it was not extra super spectacular, which is what it made it sound.
I also liked Elizabeth Hoyt's latest, that I would highly recommend. I read it in one sitting.
My sci-fi bookstore has just emailed me to say they have the JR Ward so I will go get it today and spend tonight reading it. I have a super large TBR pile cos when I picked up the Kresley Coles I went nuts and bought 8 books!!!
Wow, how lucky you are to be in Australia! Here in France I can get books only through Amazon France and they don't release books before Amazon US does.
So I read the first Cole a while ago but only got the latest one this morning. I've just started it and i'm enjoying it a lot. I also loved the one with the ghost dancer. My favorite is still the first one though, A Hunger Like No Other. Lol about the titles. I read somewhere that authors have very little say in them and it's probably the publisher who chooses them. In any case, I felt the titles of these last two books were too similar, it's easy to get them mixed up. Not a good marketing move IMO, you want them to stand out.
Still haven't read Private Arrangements. I think I'll want to bash the hero on the head from what I've read on the net so I'm staying away from it.
Speaking of historicals, I enjoyed Madeline Hunter's latest, although I felt it was a bit of a rehash of The Rules of Seduction. It had the same kind of plot: hero rescues heroine by marrying her, neither of them expects love but both are pleasantly surprised the way things turn out. Still I had a good time. Can't wait for the next in the series but it only comes out next year unfortunately.
I'm trying to decide whether to read the new Chase or not. Someone wrote that it was similar to Captives of the Night, only not as well done and with less depth of character. CotN being one of my favorite Chase books, I don't want to read a pale version of it.
Another reader had this to say about it: "There are many lovely scenes in the story, but I think everything - plot, background, characterisation, could have been more fleshed out. It's certainly much better than Not Quite A Lady, Miss Wonderful and Mr Impossible. But I still prefer Chase's earlier books (Lord of Scoundrels and the other 3 books loosely connected with it) as I think the plots and characterisations were better. Your Scandalous Ways is good, but I get the feeling that it's a mite simplified for some reason, and it had the potential to be much, much better. I liked it, but I wanted (or expected) more..."
And it's the feeling I get when I read 90% of historicals these days.
Re-Hoyt's latest, it was a meh, read for me. After the intensity and angst of The Serpent Prince it felt flat for me and the romance not fleshed out enough. The writing was good and the characters interesting by themselves but everything put together didn't make a compelling story for me. I struggled to finish it and I'm not looking forward to the next one in the series: overlooked wallflower spinster in love with a rake who hardly even know she exists...not my cup of tea. Although Hoyt has the skill to make it different and interesting for me. I'll wait to see the reviews.
Will you tell me what you think of Phury's book? I'm especially interested in knowing if he fulfills his role as Primale and sleeps with several Chosens or if he only sleeps with Cormia.
The one book I really can't wait for is Kleypas's Seduce Me at Sunrise. I read another excerpt from it and almost melted. That book is going to be great, I can feel it.
Let's see, what else....
Ah yes, I read Jo Beverley's latest. I liked it a lot except for the plot twist. I won't spoil it for you because it's a major plot point. I'll just say that it's the thing that ties the book to the Malloren's series. So I just tried to pretend that it wasn't connected in any way to it because it made me think less of two of my favorite characters from the series.
I'm trying to think of other books that I've read since we were last in contact but my memory is drawing a blank. I've mostly been on a vintage Harlequin binge. I'm a sucker for these books from the 70s/80s. I collect them, they're pure guilty pleasure and almost always un-pc. Kresley Cole's books reminds me of them.
Ok, I read everything I could get my hands on re-LE and have decided not to buy it. I used to read Ward for the romance and apparently she's jumped the shark. D
I can't wait for the next Cole either but unfortunately it's only coming out next year. We were treated to a back to back release this year but then we have a looooong wait.
Have you read Gena Showalter's new Lord of the Underworld series? I'm enjoying it. If you like Cole I think that you might like it. I think Cole is better but Showalter's still good.
Read the Loretta Chase yet? I haven't bought it yet.
The book I'm reading at the moment is an older one which I bought because of a rec on a message board. It's called Into the Dark Lands and it has a nice and dark love story although it's not romance per se, it's fantasy: the "hero" is immortal and is so in love with the mortal heroine that he can't bear to see her grow old and die. So he performs a ritual to render her immortal and it involves the killing of a few people. There's no sugar-coating. It's a kind of gritty Beauty and the Beast story.
Into the Dark Lands sounds really cool. Haven't gotten to the Loretta Chase - its supposed to arrive anytime this week!
Who is the next person in the Kresley Cole series?!?! I am excited for the Rydstrom book.
I have the Gena showalter but I haven't started. If you like I can just tell you what's been happening in the JR Ward. Seriously the romance is backstory. Although she still does good love scenes.
Thanks about your offer re LE. There's one thing I'm very curious about and that's how Phury's feelings for Bella are dealt with. At what point in the book does he 'switch' to Cormia? With the romance being alloted such a small number of pages, it's hard to imagine that it would have been done well.
Re-Cole, she has a short story about the other vampire brother (Murdoch IIRC) coming out in an anthology. I can't remember if it's coming later this year or in 2009 though. I don't know who'll be getting a full-length novel after Rydstrom though.
Into the Dark Lands is the first book in a series of 4 and there's a big cliffhanger at the end. Just thought I'd warn you in case you decide to pick it up!
I got pretty lucky my bookstore got both of them at the same time and because we're in Australia we're not confined to the strict release dates, as we don't affect the number of books sold on the ny times bestseller list or whatever. My bookseller had only the second book with the purple cover with Caine left but she dug up the first one, with the dancing ballerina ghost for me! Yay. I didn't even know I was buying the second one, until she mentioned it I was so confused by the titles.
Private Arrangements was good. The language, writing, characterization and plot were as good as everyone said, tho I felt that there was too much hyping up in the review sites that even if it was good it was not extra super spectacular, which is what it made it sound.
I also liked Elizabeth Hoyt's latest, that I would highly recommend. I read it in one sitting.
My sci-fi bookstore has just emailed me to say they have the JR Ward so I will go get it today and spend tonight reading it. I have a super large TBR pile cos when I picked up the Kresley Coles I went nuts and bought 8 books!!!
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So I read the first Cole a while ago but only got the latest one this morning. I've just started it and i'm enjoying it a lot. I also loved the one with the ghost dancer. My favorite is still the first one though, A Hunger Like No Other. Lol about the titles. I read somewhere that authors have very little say in them and it's probably the publisher who chooses them. In any case, I felt the titles of these last two books were too similar, it's easy to get them mixed up. Not a good marketing move IMO, you want them to stand out.
Still haven't read Private Arrangements. I think I'll want to bash the hero on the head from what I've read on the net so I'm staying away from it.
Speaking of historicals, I enjoyed Madeline Hunter's latest, although I felt it was a bit of a rehash of The Rules of Seduction. It had the same kind of plot: hero rescues heroine by marrying her, neither of them expects love but both are pleasantly surprised the way things turn out. Still I had a good time. Can't wait for the next in the series but it only comes out next year unfortunately.
I'm trying to decide whether to read the new Chase or not. Someone wrote that it was similar to Captives of the Night, only not as well done and with less depth of character. CotN being one of my favorite Chase books, I don't want to read a pale version of it.
Another reader had this to say about it:
"There are many lovely scenes in the story, but I think everything - plot, background, characterisation, could have been more fleshed out. It's certainly much better than Not Quite A Lady, Miss Wonderful and Mr Impossible. But I still prefer Chase's earlier books (Lord of Scoundrels and the other 3 books loosely connected with it) as I think the plots and characterisations were better. Your Scandalous Ways is good, but I get the feeling that it's a mite simplified for some reason, and it had the potential to be much, much better. I liked it, but I wanted (or expected) more..."
And it's the feeling I get when I read 90% of historicals these days.
Re-Hoyt's latest, it was a meh, read for me. After the intensity and angst of The Serpent Prince it felt flat for me and the romance not fleshed out enough. The writing was good and the characters interesting by themselves but everything put together didn't make a compelling story for me. I struggled to finish it and I'm not looking forward to the next one in the series: overlooked wallflower spinster in love with a rake who hardly even know she exists...not my cup of tea. Although Hoyt has the skill to make it different and interesting for me. I'll wait to see the reviews.
Will you tell me what you think of Phury's book? I'm especially interested in knowing if he fulfills his role as Primale and sleeps with several Chosens or if he only sleeps with Cormia.
The one book I really can't wait for is Kleypas's Seduce Me at Sunrise. I read another excerpt from it and almost melted. That book is going to be great, I can feel it.
Let's see, what else....
Ah yes, I read Jo Beverley's latest. I liked it a lot except for the plot twist. I won't spoil it for you because it's a major plot point. I'll just say that it's the thing that ties the book to the Malloren's series. So I just tried to pretend that it wasn't connected in any way to it because it made me think less of two of my favorite characters from the series.
I'm trying to think of other books that I've read since we were last in contact but my memory is drawing a blank. I've mostly been on a vintage Harlequin binge. I'm a sucker for these books from the 70s/80s. I collect them, they're pure guilty pleasure and almost always un-pc. Kresley Cole's books reminds me of them.
Reply
I am reading the Jo Beverley and liking it. She doesn't usually disappoint although some are better than others.
I cannot wait for Rydstrom's story! He is one of my faves in the Kresley Cole world. Any idea when its coming out?
I read a review about the latest Loretta that talks about how good it is, so I will get it and let you know.
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I can't wait for the next Cole either but unfortunately it's only coming out next year. We were treated to a back to back release this year but then we have a looooong wait.
Have you read Gena Showalter's new Lord of the Underworld series? I'm enjoying it. If you like Cole I think that you might like it. I think Cole is better but Showalter's still good.
Read the Loretta Chase yet? I haven't bought it yet.
The book I'm reading at the moment is an older one which I bought because of a rec on a message board. It's called Into the Dark Lands and it has a nice and dark love story although it's not romance per se, it's fantasy: the "hero" is immortal and is so in love with the mortal heroine that he can't bear to see her grow old and die. So he performs a ritual to render her immortal and it involves the killing of a few people. There's no sugar-coating. It's a kind of gritty Beauty and the Beast story.
Reply
Who is the next person in the Kresley Cole series?!?! I am excited for the Rydstrom book.
I have the Gena showalter but I haven't started. If you like I can just tell you what's been happening in the JR Ward. Seriously the romance is backstory. Although she still does good love scenes.
I will check out Dark Lands.
Reply
Re-Cole, she has a short story about the other vampire brother (Murdoch IIRC) coming out in an anthology. I can't remember if it's coming later this year or in 2009 though. I don't know who'll be getting a full-length novel after Rydstrom though.
Into the Dark Lands is the first book in a series of 4 and there's a big cliffhanger at the end. Just thought I'd warn you in case you decide to pick it up!
Reply
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