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THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X by Eloisa James

April 28, 2014

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Desperate Duchesses

Eloisa James has become my favorite romance writer. She does historicals, this one set in 1799 England.

Thorn Dautry is the bastard son of a Duke, and grew up on the streets until he was taken in by the Duke and his stepmother. It is time for him to marry, but despite his power and wealth, his parentage is a burden.

He meets LaLa, an exquisitely beautiful, sweet young society woman whose father has some financial troubles. He decided she is exactly what he wants in a wife, and needs to win over her snobby mother to make his case.

He purchases a country home in hopes of impressing LaLa and her family, but it is in serious disrepair so he hires the famous Lady Xenobia India St. Claire, daughter of a deceased marquess, who solves all decorating and servant problems. But she has never taken on an entire house before, especially one with a three week deadline. She decides this will be her retirement project, because she has earned enough money for a substantial dowry and it is time for her to marry.

India is a bright, independent woman and she and Thorn butt heads regularly. But he is intrigued by her, and in working together to fix up his home they fall in love – but neither will admit to it. She’s convinced he is madly in love with LaLa, and he thinks LaLa is the type of wife he needs and tells himself that India is just a friend.

Their letters back and forth about the work on the house add an additional layer to this already multi-layered story. James excels at creating believably complex, well developed characters and richly imagined stories. People magazine said, “Romance writing does not get much better than this,” and I agree.

4/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X by Eloisa James. Avon (March 25, 2014). ISBN 978-0062223890. 400p.

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THE LUCKY SANTANGELO COOKBOOK by Jackie Collins

April 27, 2014

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I never thought of the glamorous Jackie Collins as someone who would actually cook, but who knew, she now has a cookbook named for her most popular character and based on some of the food that’s shown up in the books. Open the book to find the inside covers filled with pictures of Jackie and her celebrity pals, including her sister Joan Collins of Dynasty fame. But no worries, there are lots of food pictures inside the book too. Also sprinkled throughout are occasional notes about why the recipe was included, i.e. “English Roast Potatoes are a teenage Gino junior’s passion. He devours them…”

The first chapter is Cocktails, and the first thing I tried was a drink called The Jackie Collins, which was created by Wolfgang Puck. It includes some of my favorite flavors, raspberry and lemon, and was really delicious. This may be my new favorite drink.

Appetizers are next and include a few salads like a Caesar with white anchovies and terrific Beet and Avocado Salad with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. There are also several pizzas and mac & cheese (as an app? really?) Then comes the Pasta Appetizers, with such rich fare as Veal Saffron Cream Pasta Sauce, Fettucine with Crab and Cream, and Rigatoni with Lobster Champagne Cream. I can’t imagine Jackie Collins eating any of these.

Entrees are next and this is the most extensive chapter in the book, with about 35 recipes or so. When the weather turns cold again I’m definitely going to try Lucky’s Kick-Ass Chili with four kinds of chili peppers. The Pork Chops Milanese were delicious and easy, and I loved that they were served with an aurugla salad. I am also intrigued by the Bourbon-Marinated Flank Steak with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and soy sauce. There are some nice fish dishes, too, like Santangelo Salmon with red miso and sake butter, and a simple Sole with Parmesan Crust.

There is a chapter devoted to side dishes like The Best Mashed Potatoes Ever, which is a pretty standard recipe, but the Sweet Potatoes and Apricots is a bit more unusual – chopped dried apricots are soaked in bourbon and then added to a brown sugar enriched mashed sweet potato along with pecans. There is also a Thanksgiving “lifesaver”, Brussels Sprouts Moutarde, which is made entirely in the microwave, nothing I will be attempting; however, I can see the merit in the idea.

A short chapter with five sauces is next, including Blender Hollandaise Sauce and Lucky’s Best Besciamella Sauce and then we get to desserts, including Flourless Chocolate Cake, Moist Sugar Cake, and a Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberries, along with several other fruit desserts and a couple of sorbets.

It is a lovely cookbook and Jackie Collins’ fans should definitely add this to their bookshelves.

4/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE LUCKY SANTANGELO COOKBOOK by Jackie Collins. St. Martin’s Press (April 8, 2014). ISBN 978-1250014658. 176p.

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THE TROUBLE WITH BEING A DUKE by Sophie Barnes

April 26, 2014

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At the Kingsborough Ball

I really like historical romances, but they have to be well written – Eloisa James has spoiled me. I am delighted to have found another good author in Sophie Barnes.

This is the first book in the Kingsborough Ball series. It appears the books following all get their start at the same event, the ball given by the Anthony Hurst, the Duke of Kingsborough. This is the first party held at the estate in more than five years, since his father became ill and eventually died. A year later, Anthony decides that returning to the habit of hosting their annual event is just what his mother needs to help pull her out of mourning.

Tradition holds that it be a masked ball, and Cinderella is the theme, replete with a glass slipper carved of ice, and a pumpkin inspired carriage outside, with an artist on hand to sketch couples who deign to sit inside it.

To honor his father’s memory, the Duke realizes that he needs to change his rakish ways, find a bride and produce an heir – and he meets the girl of his dreams at the ball. She is beautiful but masked, and gives her name as “Miss Smith.” The family quickly realizes that she is lying about who she is and that she’s not on the guest list, but the Duke is smitten. Fireworks are set for midnight, and of course “Miss Smith” disappears, but the Duke is determined to find her.

Isabella is an avid reader of fairy tales, and dreams of meeting her prince. But as the daughter of a carriage driver, she knows that it’s impossible, especially as her parents have an arrangement with Mr. Roberts, who has been calling on her weekly for a year. He hasn’t proposed, but she suspects he will, and she feels it is her duty to marry him. He is a wealthy entrepreneur and will help take care of her family, and he is looking for what we now consider a trophy wife.

Barnes excels at creating tension, making the pages just fly by until the requisite happy ending, but not before throwing several obstacles in the way – as well as a bit of sex.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series, The Scandal in Kissing an Heir, especially after reading the first chapter which is included in the back of this book.

4/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE TROUBLE WITH BEING A DUKE by Sophie Barnes. Avon (August 27, 2013). ISBN 978-0062245076. 384p.

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Regency | Permalink
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FIRST MURDER IN ADVENT by Sharon Wildwind

April 25, 2014

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An Elizabeth Pepperhawk/Avivah Rosen Mystery

The protagonists, Elizabeth Pepper-hawk and Avivah Rosen, are women who have served in Vietnam, as Wildwind herself did. In Wildwind’s second mystery, set in 1972, Army nurse Pepperhawk is between assignments when she receives a call from Benny Kirkpatrick, ex-Special Forces first sergeant.

Their friend Avivah is in trouble, and with Benny and Avivah’s friend, has sought refuge in a convent in the mountains of North Carolina. When Pepper goes to help, she finds mil-itary intelligence officer Darby Baxter, her on-again, off-again love interest, with three other men.

What follows are days without electricity in a mostly empty convent, in a snowstorm. Avivah, Pepper, Darby and Benny, along with a few nuns and some members of a paramilitary think tank, struggle to survive the cold amidst murder, secret passageways and lost wills–delicious reading with tangling sub-plots. Too bad this series didn’t get more attention as the stories are quite good.

04/14 Jack Quick

FIRST MURDER IN ADVENT by Sharon Wildwind. Five Star (ME) (October 2006). ISBN 978-1594145278. 323p.

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Win The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan!

April 24, 2014

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I feel like celebrating – this year marks the 25th Anniversary of Amy Tan’s huge bestseller, The Joy Luck Club! To celebrate, Penguin Classics—together with Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley and Jessica Hische—has created a stunning new Drop Cap. They are celebrating with a very special anniversary edition of a book beloved by readers around the world.

The letter ‘T’ is dedicated to the talented Amy Tan.

This stunning edition is perfect for anyone who wants to commemorate the publication of a novel that has changed lives.

I am offering one lucky reader a copy of the Penguin Classic Edition along with a copy of the limited edition ‘T’ Drop Cap edition.

This beautifully designed new edition of The Joy Luck Club celebrates an important milestone.

If you’d like to win both editions of The Joy Luck Club –

Send an email to contest@gmail.com with “JOY LUCK CLUB” as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email.

All entries must be received by May 5, 2014. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

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EVERYTHING TO LOSE by Andrew Gross

April 23, 2014

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Set during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the massive damage done by the storm to wide areas of the Northeast, Everything to Lose is another up all nighter by Gross.

Hilary Blum, a divorced mother of a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, has just lost her job. Unable to force her ex-husband to pay her many expenses, she is at her wit’s end when she witnesses a freak accident in which a deer darts in front of the car in front of her, forcing the vehicle off the road. She runs down to the scene of the crash, finding the driver dead and next to him on the front seat, a satchel filled with money.

Suddenly caught between her inherent honesty and the need for money she throws the satchel out of the car into a dense group of trees to possibly come back for it. The amount of money in the bag could probably solve her financial problems immediately and also allow her to help her parents, who coincidentally have run into financial woes. Her decision to keep it plunges her into a maze of unforeseen consequences starting with a 20 year old murder, problems with the Russian Mafia, and into the company of a New York City detective that by coincidence has ties to the funds.

Gross ponders the subject of callous and unemotional kids which weighs heavily in the details of the novel. While he does not suggest that actions be taken to find these children and treat them, he does describe their abnormal reactions to people and situations in telling the story. The book is typical of Gross, well thought out, fleshed out characters and a plot that grabs and holds the reader. Well done, and awaiting his next novel with interest.

4/14 Paul Lane

EVERYTHING TO LOSE by Andrew Gross. William Morrow (April 22, 2014). ISBN 978-0061656002. 336p.

Comments Off on EVERYTHING TO LOSE by Andrew Gross | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Thriller | Permalink
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RUIN FALLS by Jenny Milchman

April 22, 2014

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Liz and Paul Daniels have two young children and live a fairly idyllic life on an organic family farm. Paul is a professor who is determined to live a green, postconsumer lifestyle and Liz goes along with it as much as possible.

They take their first family vacation in years, a road trip to visit Paul’s parents on their commercial farm but stop at a hotel along the way. When Liz wakes up, her children are gone, and then Paul disappears, too.

The police immediately abandon their search, considering it a domestic dispute, and Liz is heartbroken, yet furious. She is determined to find her children, and begins her search with her in-laws, who deny any knowledge of their son or grandchildren. Liz soon heads home to her husband’s computer and his office at the university and quickly realizes that she doesn’t know her husband at all. Her best friend tries to help but she has her own hands full with a son who has suffered a traumatic brain injury.

How far Paul will go to live his politics and how a determined mother can seemingly overcome almost any obstacle is at the heart of this tautly written page-turner. Milchman proves her chops with her sophomore effort and she carves out a new niche with this unusual environmental family thriller.

2/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

RUIN FALLS by Jenny Milchman. Ballantine Books (April 22, 2014). ISBN 978-0345549075. 352p.

Comments Off on RUIN FALLS by Jenny Milchman | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged: Techno, Thriller | Permalink
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THE DETAINEE by Peter Liney

April 21, 2014

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Economic collapse led folks to place blame at the feet of the elderly and infirm. They’ve been deemed to be a burden on society, not contributing enough to benefit and—in the eyes of some—draining limited resources. And so the Island came to be. Life on the Island means almost certain death. With the satellites constantly watching there is no hope for escape and the factions that inhabit the Village and the Camp fight daily for scarce food and supplies. But the real danger comes when the fog rolls in, leaving the satellites temporarily out of order. On those nights, the people in the Village hide in fear, hoping beyond all hope that they can escape the inevitable attack coming from the Camp.

“Big Guy” Clancy was a heavy for the mob once upon a time but having outlived his usefulness he, along with many others, was sent to The Island to live out the rest of his days. He’s accepted his fate, essentially giving up all hope, but when Big Guy meets Lena all of that changes.

Peter Liney’s debut is an incredibly scary premise and one that’s honestly (or sadly) a bit too believable for comfort. The advances in technology are certainly possible—eyes in the sky on constant watch and responsible for law and order—and even the awful degeneration of society has been a common theme in futuristic storylines for decades. In fact, in some ways The Detainee reminded me of Escape From New York.

I quite enjoyed The Detainee, as disturbing as it was. Clancy is a unique hero and all of his cohorts have interesting backstories. This is the first in a projected trilogy, too. I don’t want to give anything away but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what will come next in this world.

4/14 Becky Lejeune

THE DETAINEE by Peter Liney. Jo Fletcher Books (March 11, 2014). ISBN 978-1623651084. 352p.

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VINTAGE by Susan Gloss

April 20, 2014

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Violet lives and breathes Hourglass Vintage. It’s all hers. It’s her baby, her concept and creation. Even before the shop was a reality, Violet was gathering and collecting items to sell. Items that all have a story. But now she’s in danger of losing it all.

April adored the wedding dress she discovered at Hourglass Vintage but with the wedding cancelled and a baby on the way, she’s not sure what to do. With a little help, April is offered a position as an intern at Hourglass Vintage. Violet accepts her return of the dress but finds it harder to accept the changes April suggests about running the store.

Amithi’s discovery of Hourglass Vintage comes at an opportune time. Thanks to events she’s yet to share with others, things that were once dear to Amithi are a burden to her now. She’s sure these things can find a new home with Violet’s customers, though.

These three women and so many more are brought together by Violet’s little shop and they will all have to work together if they are to save it before it’s too late.

Gloss introduces readers to a slew of women from all different walks of life, each of them undergoing a pretty big transition and the one thing that connects them all is Violet’s charming shop. As the story progresses Gloss shares more of their stories, drawing the reader into each of their lives. And yes, they are all fictional creations but it’s almost impossible not to get attached to them. Vintage is a fun and sweet read.

4/14 Becky Lejeune

VINTAGE by Susan Gloss. William Morrow (March 25, 2014). ISBN 978-0062270320. 320p.

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A CIRCLE OF WIVES by Alice LaPlante

April 19, 2014

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I loved LaPlante’s first novel, Turn of Mind, and it took two years to get the second – but it was worth the wait.

Dr. John Taylor is a renowned plastic surgeon who shuns vanity procedures; instead he uses his skills to help children. But when Taylor is found dead in a Palo Alto hotel, apparently of a heart attack but with some suspicious bruises and a needle mark, a young detective, Samantha Adams, is assigned the case. Her normal caseload includes an occasional burglary or dog barking complaint, so she is a little out of her depth here but determined.

Taylor is a pillar of the community, as his wife Deborah, until it is discovered that he was a closet polygamist, with two other wives in other cities. Deborah knew about the others and shocks Samantha when she explains that she helped coordinate John’s time with them. But the other wives, Helen and MJ, had no knowledge of Deborah or each other.

Each wife and the detective get to tell their own stories here, and motives abound. And to complicate things further, Taylor’s partners, who basically made the money for the partnership by doing facelifts and breast augmentations and other popular procedures, had been pressuring him to allow them to add hire more plastic surgeons to grow their side of the practice but he held veto power and used it.

Practically every character has motive but none seem to have opportunity, creating quite the conundrum for Samantha.

The writing is crisp and the characters well developed. All the varied relationships are explored and themes of trust, love, passion, jealousy and more will give book groups lots to discuss.

This is another excellent literary thriller from LaPlante.

4/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A CIRCLE OF WIVES by Alice LaPlante. Atlantic Monthly Press; First Edition edition (March 4, 2014). ISBN 978-0802122346. 325p.

Comments Off on A CIRCLE OF WIVES by Alice LaPlante | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Book Discussion | Permalink
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