Review: By Design

By Design--Jayne Denker
Published by eKensington
Released May 16, 2013
Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley


She’s got loads of talent, a massive crush—and no confidence. Now she just needs a plan…

Interior designer Emmie Brewster is having one of those…decades. Her overbearing boss believes she’s only qualified to make coffee. Her boyfriend treats her like a booty call. And her widowed father is dating again—more successfully than she is. Then Emmie lands a client who happens to be the hottest man she’s ever encountered. Too bad Graham Cooper is already involved with the kind of woman Emmie longs to be. If only she had the courage…

Emmie’s always been content to dream—about having her own business, her own Mr. Right—but something about Graham makes her want to take action. Maybe it’s time she used her talent for creating beauty and order on herself. She has Graham’s admiration—does she dare go for more? With a little encouragement from her friends, and a lot of newfound motivation, Emmie’s ready to try…


I intially requested this title for review because the blurb sounded like a female empowerment romance.  You know, the ones where the woman is tired of being in a rut so makes some positive changes in her life.  After which a wonderful man enters the picture and enhances (not completes) her new life.   

And this book may have been exactly that, but I don't know.  The heroine was too whiny and self-absorbed in these pages for me to like her and I ended up stopping around page 60 on my iPad.  I seriously got tired of her poor me attitude and her extremely passive aggressive attitude.  My boyfriend is stepping out with another girl, I'll get drunk and never see him again.  Oh, well, he is cute and he is sorry I will forgive him and make dinner.  My boss is a total asshat and ignores my ideas and treats me like a servant.  I'll speak up with a client, only to cower when said boss takes me to task, so I'll go home and whine and drink. 

And this was all in those sixty some pages.  I just couldn't stand the back and forth between assertiveness and timidity.  I jumped ahead to the end to see if the heroine learned anything, and she did.  But I couldn't make myself read any more to find exactly how she did it.  


Buy links:
Amazon 
Barnes and Noble

Review: Murder on Olympus

Murder on Olympus (a Plato Jones novel)--Robert B. Warren
Published by Dragonfairy Press
Re-released April 2013
Review copy provided by publisher via Edelweiss


At first glance, the Gods of Olympus are as different from one another as salt is from sugar. Despite their bickering, they share a universal bond, a thread of commonality that unites them.

They’re all jerks.

After a stint with the Olympic Bureau of Investigation, Plato Jones is through with the Gods and their political games. Against his protests, he's drawn into a murder investigation, where the murderer's targets are the Gods themselves.

Plato has cracked some tough cases: exposing cheating spouses, capturing treasonous heretics, hunting three-headed dogs. But this time he’s in over his head. How can he solve a crime that’s impossible to commit? And what chance does Plato—a mere mortal—have against something powerful enough to kill a God?

As everyone who reads this blog knows, the majority of books I read and review are romantic in nature.  It is rare when I see and read a book that interests me outside the romance genre.  Murder on Olympus was one of those rare non-romantic titles that caught my eye and intrigued me enough to step outside my comfort zone.  Initially, my eye was caught by the title and its use of the word "Olympus".  I love Greek mythology; it was through these stories of gods and goddesses, heroes and warriors that I developed my love of the paranormal.  Seeing this title brought back that rush of nostalgia and I had to read it.   

I did enjoy this title for the most part.  Our hero was a retired investigator turned private investigator because of the bureaucracy of working for the government.  Only in this case, the "government" was Immortal instead of Federal.  The burned out, cynical PI story line is not a new one, but the addition of a cast of immortal beings, ranging from familiar favorites like Hercules and Zeus, made it feel fresher.  I enjoyed reading how Warren incorporated elements of the original myths, yet gave the characters special traits of their own as well.

Despite it being told from the view of the character, I couldn't get a good read on Plato though.  He seemed very one dimensional.  Usually first person stories are well-rounded with the conversations and interactions a character has with others filling in personality bits.  However, in this case, there weren't enough outside factors to ground this story.  Which made understanding Plato and his motivations difficult.  It wasn't a major issue but annoying enough because it prevented me from connecting to the character fully.

Murder on Olympus wasn't altogether a terrible story, it just needed some more engagement with other characters and places.  As I already mentioned, I picked it up for the mythological element and enjoyed it overall for the same reason.  This part of the story made me continue with the story despite the minor issues I had with the character.  This story was like reading an adult version of Percy Jackson or a male version of Charley Davidson; it had that same feeling of otherworldly-ness combined with self-inflicted drama. 

Buy links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

This Week's Temptations: May 21

There's a good mixture of romances out this week, plenty enough for anyone's tastes.

Audiobook Review: Never Seduce a Scot

Never Seduce a Scot (the Montgomerys & Alexanders)--Maya Banks
Narrated by Kirstin Potter
Published by Ballantine Books ; produced by Tantor Media
Released September 2012
Review copy purchased


Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her "touched." Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn't speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty -unprepared for the delights to come. 

Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions. Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.


Oh, how I love Maya Banks!  Her stories are filled with romance and laughter and always leave me feeling good.  Never Seduce a Scot story was particularly heartwarming because it featured Eveline, non-traditional character who's courage and strength were very clearly demonstrated and felt.  You didn't feel pity at Eveline for what had happened to her; you only felt awe at what she had did for herself inspite of her affliction.  Graeme was the perfect match for her because he didn't feel sorry for her, he saw nothing wrong with her.  Her disability was another part of her person, not something to hide.

I was very eager to see what narration would do for Eveline character in particular.  I mean, the heroine is deaf; not much you can narrate when one of your protagonists cannot speak.  I can say that Potter did a decent job of giving life to Eveline's expressions and mannerisms, I had no difficulty "seeing" Eveline through the story.

But overall, the narration was just okay; it didn't engage all my senses like some audiobooks have. The narrator did a good job with the Scottish brogues of many people and differentiating between the men's voices. The parts where the characters conversed and interacted were the most invigorating because the narrator came to life. But that excitement died when the narrator returned to reading the other parts of the story; the tone wasn't monotone per se, but too mellow for my tastes.

That being said, there were a few things I noted after I had finished the narration:

     First, if I hadn't read and rated this story 4 stars last year, I would have given it

     3 stars based on the production alone. I'm not sure if it's because I wasn't as

     captured by this story a second time or if the narration distanced me from the
     story.

     Second, the first time I read this, I cried at the end; in fact, I've cried at least
     once with every Banks Highlander book I've read. But not this time. It could
     be said that the second time around doesn't produce the same intense feelings
     but I've read Seduction of Highland Lass like five times and have cried  
     each time.  But not after finishing this particular production. 

     And finally, on my Goodreads thoughts, I had doubted "the accuracy of the
     heroine's limitations" (as pertains to her deafness) but didn't wonder about it
     while I was hearing it. I hadn't even remembered thinking that until I updated
     my Goodreads page and saw the note. It did make me realize what good and
     bad narration can add or subtract to the context of a story.   

Out of three titles I've listened to far, this one falls in behind Scandalous Desires but before Don't Cry for Me. Scandalous Desires remains my top pick for the Audie award in the romance category to date. Want to see other opinions on the same topic? Check out the Armchair Audies or AudioGals and read other bloggers thoughts on this year's nominees!

Narration

Story

Buy links:
Audible
Tantor 

This title also counts as a listen for the 2013 Audiobook Reading Challenge, hosted by Hot Listens and The Book Nympho.

Week in Review: May 12-18

While I am working today, check out what I did this past week!

Monday
Interview and giveaway w/M. Malone!  Hurry, giveaway ends May 19!

Tuesday
The new releases this week were few but mighty. 
3.5 hearts review of Long Simmering Spring by Elisabeth Barrett

Wednesday
3 hearts review of Gone With the Wolf by Kristin Miller

Thursday
Some awesome books about my awesome self!

Friday
4 hearts audiobook review of Audie nominee Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt


Books I got this week:
 -won/purchased/borrowed (damn Audible and their sales!)
       
    


Despite my claims that last week I would get nothing done with the blog because of Mother's Day, I actually accomplished a bit.  I knocked 6 books off my review list and only added one new title.  I even managed to listen to Hounded by Kevin Hearne (thanks to my friend Suzette for the gift!) for fun.  It's not the spectacular production I was expecting but the hero is very entertaining.  Atticus and I appear to be brothers and/or sisters from another mother.  And Oberon!  Who knew dogs could be so funny! :P   

Are you reading anything good this weekend?  Let me know if I need to add anything ELSE to my TBR list. :)  Enjoy your weekend!

D