Another Powerpuff Girls Review! Both Katie (Blossum) and Ana (Bubbles) got review copies so what better way to go about it than to have another one of our joint efforts? By now, you must know the drill, Bubbles writes her thoughts here, Blossum at her place and we learn what each other thought – and we usually agree on our opinions. What will happen this time?

You may (or may not) be wondering, “but what of the third Powerpuff girl, Buttercup AKA Thea”? Well, believe it or not, naughty Buttercup is spending some time with Batman. I am not sure whether they are having an affair (ooooo, the jealousy!) or if Buttercup is just trying to be the next Robin, but I am telling you, that girl is going places!

So, for this review, we were joined by Dot Warner A.K.A JenB! Aw, she is so cute (and crazy).

Dot will be posting her review today as well, it will be interesting to learn what she has to say!

Title: Hex Appeal

Author: Lisa Wisdom

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: Book 2 of the Hex series. Book 1 was 50 Ways to Hex your Lover

Summary: The second book in the Hex series features feisty witch Jazz and her drop-dead gorgeous vampire cop boyfriend in a new installment. On again, off again for over 300 years, Jazz and Nick are finally back together, but then Jazz thinks Nick has bitten her. Separated again, upset and angry, the two of them start having violent, recurring dreams in which each one figures in disturbing and menacing ways. They can’t sleep, they can’t eat, and they finally figure out they’d better get together and discover who’s poisoning their dreams—and their relationship.

Why did I read the book: I read book 1 upon recommendation of Katiebabs and when I was offered a review copy of book 2 I was glad to accept it.

Review:

Hex Appeal is the second book in the Hex series and it is as fast-paced and full of action as the first one, 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover. A lot happens here: they are still living the repercussions of last book’s adventure when they destroyed evil Clive Reeves; then there are the dreadful nightmares that both Jazz and her now steady boyfriend, vampire-detective Nick are having which are causing a backlash to their relationship – they are both dreaming of the things that scare them the most. On top of everything, Jazz’s adorable (yeah, right) bunny slippers have been accused of murder and Jazz has little time to find the real culprit before they are arrested and possibly, terminated.

Plus, she still has her day-time job as curse eliminator and her night time job as limo driver for the paranormal creatures. It’s a lot of stress for one person, but if someone can do it, it’s Jazz, damn it!

Working together with Nick to figure out who has been attacking them via dreams proves to be more agreeable than they first thought and their relationship takes a new turn. After 300 years of an on and off affair, maybe they are ready for something else?

The book is populated with interesting characters – my favourite being room-mate and Internet mogul Krebs. But really, Hex Appeal (much like 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover) belongs to Jazz. She is a very likeable character and her antics have a je ne sais quoi that makes her even more adorable. Maybe it’s the Scarlett O’Hara’s disregard for reality maybe it’s the whimsical feel of the whole book that reminds me of the Queen Betsy books by MaryJanice Davidson. In fact, Jazz and Betsy have a lot in common with their penchant for not thinking things through and just going with the flow but with a difference: the Hex book have a bit more of a clear plotline, as the story is obviously proceeding to a yet- to–be revealed but clearly defined point.

My main peeve with the story is the relationship between Nick and Jazz. I have been hoping for a bit more – most specifically a little bit more of communication between them. There are many things left unsaid, many things left in the air and 300 years of history between them that we know very little about. We see from their internal monologue that they indeed love each other a lot but very little in their actions or conversation actually point to that fact. I find that quite frustrating. It wouldn’t be a huge problem if the book wasn’t categorized as “Paranormal Romance” – I was promised romance so I want romance! Although to be honest, the story reads more like Chick Lit to me – Jazz is the epitome of Girl Power: assertive, independent and very powerful on her own. And she knows how to have fun.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: I know Katie loves the slippers Fluff and Puff but I am in love with Jazz’s new stiletto crocodile shoes: Croc and Delilah, they are such girls, they blow kisses, use makeup, change colours according to Jazz’s outfits and try to snuggle with Krebs and Nick. They are really funny and cute.

Additional Thoughts: WE HAVE ONE COPY OF HEX APPEAL TO GIVEAWAY (US AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY) . ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LEAVE A COMMENT HERE! The contest closes on Saturday at midnight (PST)! Good luck!

Verdict: Hex Appeal is a light, fun read. I recommend it for funs of MaryJanice Davidson and Marta Acosta .

Rating: 6, good

Reading Next: To be confirmed!

Title: It Happened One Night

Authors: Mary Balogh, Stephanie Laurens, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern

Genre: Historical Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: All fours stories are stand alone

Summary: It Happened One Night . . . and nothing was ever the same again!

In these four amazing tales, four heroines will come face-to-face with the men who got away . . . only to discover that, instead of anger, there is still a passionate connection that cannot be denied. And while each of their lives is quite different, and their pasts utterly unique, they will all make a common discovery – that one night can change everything . . . forever.

Why Did I Read the Book: I received an ARC from the publishers.

Review:

The idea behind the book is a very interesting one. One day, coming back from a book tour Mar Balogh came up with the idea of writing an anthology with three other writers where all four of them would be given the same premise and go from there: “a man and a woman, who have neither seen or heard from each other for ten years, meet again when they find themselves staying at the same inn for a twenty-four hour period”. The purpose is to go against the general assumption that all romance novels are the same – read one, read them all -by having four romance novelists writing their stories without talking to each other or exchanging ideas. The result is It Happened One Night and the goal has been achieved – all four stories are very different not only in the development of the premise but also in the quality of the end result: two of them are very very good and two of them are….not.

The Fall of Rogue Gerard by Stephanie Laurens

Robert “Rogue” Gerrard is a notorious rake – or at least he was for several years. About four years ago his life has taken a turn for the better and he has become a better man, not that anyone will believe it. One night, whilst traveling he is caught in a tempest and has to make an overnight stop at an inn. There, he takes refuge at the parlor only to be joined by a ghost from the past – also feeling the storm , there it was Lydia Makepeace, the only woman he has ever loved.

Robert and Lydia had been childhood friends , they walked and they talked and when he was 22 and she was 16, he started developing feelings that were too much for someone so young and because he didn’t want commitment at this point of his life, he fled, because he refused to believe she was his destiny. So he became a libertine, a gambler, etc, etc. But

“fate, circumstance, and coincidence, it seemed, were once again taking a hand in his life

”

Lydia right now, is about to do something stupid (courageous, depending on the point of view) – she is trying to help her sister getting rid of incriminating evidence of a compromising past and Robert decides he needs to help her. And Lydia who thinks she will die an old maid, decides to it is about time to get matters in her hands and seduce the rogue – he is ravished, seduced and finally understands that all resistance is futile.

This was a good, solid, entertaining story – with the premise of soul mates being present and being believable. It may be a short story but Stephanie Laurens managed to pack a lot and still make it well worthwhile a read.

Rating: 7 very good.

Spellbound by Mary Balogh

Nora Ryder is a companion who has just quit her job. She is on her way to catch the stagecoach to London when there is an accident and the stagecoach is stranded overnight. Penniless and trying to figure out how in the world she will be able to afford staying at the inn when she runs into Richard Kemp – her husband. Or is he? Richard, who was somewhat responsible for the accident is also stuck at the small village and cannot believe his eyes when he sees his wife (or is she?) a woman he has been trying to forget for a long time. He is torn: he doesn’t want to see her, he doesn’t want to be near her, he still hurts, he doesn’t want to care that she has nowhere to go and not money, but he does, so he invites her to stay with him. This is a story that starts full of hurt and angst because each believes they have been wronged by the other – ten years ago, Richard was her father’s secretary and they eloped. They got married, consummated the marriage and then her father bursts in and takes her back. Neither understands why the other hasn’t act upon this.

But it is May Day and they decide to call it a truce and enjoy the festivities at the small village and little by little their shields drop and they start to realize that every single assumption they have made about each other, about what happened on the day they married is wrong.

This is my favorite story of them all and I would say it’s worth buying the full book, specially for Balogh’s fans. The story and the writing itself are very good and what starts in a dark place , ends in light and happiness. The way the ice around their hearts start to melt was so beautiful and sometimes, even lyrical. There are no missed word, no missed steps in here and every single moment has a significant. I loved this story.

Rating: 8. excellent.

Only You by Jacquie D’Alessandro and From This Moment On by Candice Hern.

These two stories were my least favorite. It was my first story by both these writers and if I am to be honest, they haven’t made such a positive impression that I would go and read more by them.

Only You is the story of the stable Ethan Baxter who has loved Lady Cassandra Heywood, FOREVER. They were friends when they were children, but they both knew Cassandra would go on to do great things, i.e. marry a peer. Ten years on, Cassandra is a window after many years of a unhappy marriage and Ethan is the owner of an inn. He has always believed that she has been happy all these years and he dies a bit inside when he learns that it wasn’t so. She shows up at his door, trying to catch up and spend the day with him. At the end of it, he asks her to stay the night and finally learns what pleasure is.

From This Moment On has Middle-aged Captain Sam Pellow retiring from the army and is on his way to a friend’s house when it starts to rain and he must stop at an inn. And to his surprise in there walks Wilhelmina, Duchess of Hertford, his one time lover, the love of his life. He has loved and hated her for 25 years – ever since they were both poor. Sam was a fisherman and one day was lost at sea and everyone thought him dead. Without prospects , Wilhelmina becomes the lover of a painter and later a famous courtesan until one of her patrons, a Duke asks her to marry him. Sam who had not been dead (duh) , returned to find “his girl” a courtesan and has never forgiven her. They had many encounters throughout the years full of hurt feelings. There has been no encounter for the past decade though and now Willie decides it is time they have a good time together, specially with everything she has learnt over the years.

I found both these stories to have a lot potential, but both ended up being cheesy and clichéd. After reading two very good stories and learning that it is very possible to have a very fulfilling, rounded love story in a few pages, I felt rather disappointed at how the last two seemed to rush the plot to get to the “really good parts” aka, The Sex. There were also some sloppy bits of dialogue. One that comes to mind is a sequence from From This Moment On, when the heroine tells the hero that way back when she lost their child and he feels utterly sad and his reaction is and I quote: “noooooo. Oh no, Willie, my love” . Not only the dialogue was a turn off , also the fact that this could have been a much more emotional moment, but the feeling that came out of it was the writer was hurrying up through the motions to get them in bed, which happened merely two pages later.

Rating for the last two stories: 5. meh.

In any instance, the first two stories are really good and well worth the time. Maybe even the money. Who knows, maybe you will even like the stories I didn’t? It has happened before……

Title: The Magical Christmas Cat

Authors: Lora Leigh, Nalini Singh, Linda Winstead Jones and Erin McCarthy

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: It can be read as a stand alone but at least two of the stories (Nalini Singh’s and Lora Leigh’s are connected to their ongoing series Psy/Changeling and Breeds, respectively.)

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and top-selling authors Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones have a special gift for readers this year: never-before published holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories—including one featuring Lora Leigh’s genetically altered Feline Breeds—this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night…

Why Did I Read The Book: We happened to get a review copy from the publishers but I was going to buy the book anyway as I am a NaliniSinghaholic and needed my fix until her next book is out.

Review:

Well, colour me surprised. I actually thought all 4 short stories in this anthology were enjoyable, some more than others. They are all set around Christmas time but there is hardly any mention of Christmas expect for some of the epilogues. They are therefore, not Christmas-y at all. In fact, I would say that rather than “Christmas”, the key word here should be “cat” : two of stories have heroes who are feline changelings; there is one where the cat is the villain and another where the cat is a witch’s familiar.

Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh

The story: Annie Kildaire is a human; a primary school teacher and most of her students are changelings. One day one of the kids picks up a fight and she has to call his uncle
Zach to come and talk to him as the boy will not explain the reasons behind the fight. Zach Quinn is a DarkRiver soldier and a ranger at the Yosemite park and as soon as he sees Annie he feels attracted and a few moments later it hits him square in the chest – she is his mate. That visceral feeling that everything is right and from then on he starts wooing Annie: asking her out, talking about their lives, meeting her family, introducing her to his own family and his pack (with cameos by Lucas and Sacha).

The development of their relationship is fast but it doesn’t feel rushed and as with any of Nalini Singh’s pairings it is heart-warming. Annie has had a sad, lonely childhood because she was involved in an accident and almost lost her leg. Furthermore, she has seen her parents’ relationship decaying into something sour and she is scared to death of being trapped in a loveless relationship. Zach is ever so patient and yet determined, as any of Nalini Singh’s heroes.

There is very little in this story, of what makes Nalini Singh’s series unique – the world building and the Psy-Changeling conflict; I sort of missed that interconnection between her romantic elements and her overall story but I understand that this is a really short story and to be honest, at this point in time, I am taking anything that will keep me going until the next full-length novel comes out.

Verdict: I love Nalini Singh’s love stories, and specially her male protagonists – the changelings that are so strong and yet so ready to die (and to kill) for their mates.

Rating: 7 Very good

Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy

The Story: Bree Murphy is an empathic in a family of witches who has a very close relationship with her two sisters and a very close connection with the house she lives in which she inherited from her grandmother. She is a tarot reader who wears goth clothes and given her empathic gift ends up dating needy guys who take a lot and give back little.

When her younger sister who is just developing a gift for predicting the future foresees her getting together with an executive she thinks she is deluded. But destiny calls when successful lawyer Ian Carrington knocks at her door. Ian and Bree have met briefly once at a coffee shop one year ago and ever since then Ian has been having hot dreams with Bree which is driving him nuts specially because he usually goes for corporate women, does not believe in witchcraft and things Bree is the opposite of what he wants. Still, he jumps at the chance of meeting her again and getting her out of his system when one of his clients decides to make an offer on her house.

This is my first Erin McCarthy story and I was pleasantly surprised. The story that a nice feel to it , both Ian and Bree feel like real people falling in love and learning that they both have been dreaming about each other probably because they both day-dream about the same things: commitment, family, home. The cat here is her familiar who turns out to be working on his own to bring them together.

Verdict: cute, sweet love story with a real-life feel to it even though the heroine is a witch.

Rating: 7 Very Good.

Sweet Dreams by Linda Winstead Jones

The Story: Ruby is a baker who after the death of her Aunt Mildred , inherit their house in Holland Court, a friendly, perfect neighbourhood. As the story opens they are all at their annual Christmas Party and the secret santa exchanges have been made. One last anonymous present is left to be open though, and it is addressed to Ruby: a small jade statue of a cat.

She thinks the gift is beautiful but her neighbour, Zane Benedict, a quiet, sturdy professor of parapsychology recognises the statue for what it is : Il Gato Nero or Soul Collector , a cat-demon who awakens every 200 years or so to collect a soul and is only one soul away from becoming real with enough power to destroy the world. When Ruby is given the cat it means that she is the next soul to be collect and her chances of surviving are close to zero. Zane turns out to be a member of the Brotherhood of Madani, a sect who has been trying to kill the demon for centuries. Now he must find out who in the neighbourhood is working for the demon whilst at the same time, trying to protect Ruby, whom against his better judgement, he has developed feelings for. Meanwhile Ruby, unawares of what is going on, starts dreaming about the 8 previous women that were taken by the demon and is terrified when the statue starts following her around the house.

Talk about a misnomer, there is nothing sweet about this story and much less about the dreams the heroine has. There is very little romance here (a few kisses and the promise of a date when all is said and done) and a lot of horror – I was terrified as the statue moved around the house showing up at places it wasn’t supposed to be. I have no idea how this story made into a romance anthology but I am not complaining. I quite liked it and I was impressed with the fact that the writer did not try to pack some heated, fear-induced, last-chance-before-we-die sex in the mixture.

Verdict: Well done horror and suspense with a bit of romance.

Rating: 6 Good.

Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh

The Story: Haley McQuire, is a Librarian that overhears a conversation between a breed and two scientists linked to major pharmaceutical companies, interested in doing research about the breeds in what seems to be an ongoing storyline – there is just enough information here so I was not completely lost in the plot since this is my first story by Lora Leigh. Noble Chavin is a jaguar breed enforcer who has been friends with Haley for a year and knows deep inside she is his mate. He is terrified at the prospect of losing her when the villains try to kills when they learn she is a witness. He decides it is his job and his duty to protect her but the mating heat may get in the way.

To be honest, I have heard of the Breeds series by Lora Leigh but never read any of the books and was excited at the prospect of having a taste and leaning more about it. The Breeds are humans who have been genetically modified with the DNA of predators such as lions, and jaguars. There is a small introduction before the story starts that explains there is something called Mating Heat, which is the breed’s biggest secret – the fact that there is one mate for each breed that belongs exclusively to them and which causes a reaction that binds them emotionally and physically. Oh well, she lost me right there and then – specially when the Mating Heat is described as being their Achilles’ heels.

Contrary to what may look like since I am a major fan of C.L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul series, Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling and Kresley Cole’s IAD, I have a hard time accepting “Mated for Life” stories. The prospect of either the male or the female not having any choice or any saying in a relationship that is supposed to last forever doesn’t sit well with me. For me to actually buy it, it has to be firstly, well-written and believable and then have some mitigating circumstances. Like for example the fact that a mating bond will not come into place until the two accept it and that only happens when there is trust and love (CL Wilson’s and Nalini Singh’s are like that). Most of all, I don’t want the sex or the physical aspects of their relationship to be so binding as to be hurtful if they don’t have it and I certainly don’t want to read about a mating bong being the couple’s Achilles’ heels– again, I use the example of Nalini Singh’s mated couples who feel that finding their mates is the best thing that could ever happen to them – a gift that actually makes then stronger.

In Christmas Heat, Haley is interested in Nobel, finds him hot and has an emotional link to him but because she is human she doesn’t understand what the mating heat means and when he explains it to her –she has very little choice in the matter – I have no idea how she didn’t run as fast as she could: “when I kiss you the taste of that kiss is going to make you crazy for more. The hormone in the small glands beneath my tongue will be released into your system, and the mating hormone will begin to fill your senses. It’s like a drug for sex. It’s like a need that only one thing will ease, and that’s my semen pumping inside you. When that happens, a small, thumb-shaped extension will become erect from beneath the head of my cock. It will lock me inside you (…).”

Oh the horror, the horror. Is it me, or does this whole conversation sound ridiculous? I don’t know if in one of the full-length novels in the series, the love story or the mating heat are better developed and more palatable but in here, it all appeared to be an excuse for all the hot sex in the book. Which is a shame since I was able to appreciate the story up until that point and the epilogue was also very sweet.

Verdict: Well-established fans of Lora Leigh will probably like it – I am just not one of them and don’t think I will ever be.

Rating: 5 meh.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: from Nalini Singh’s of course! I loved the conversation between Zach and Annie’s mother. She is woman has overprotected her daughter because of her bad leg and who has been trying to fix her up with men that are more academicals than physical beings. This is one of the reasons why she has never wanted her daughter going near a changeling, because she is too, scared her daughter will suffer the same disillusion she has suffered with Annie’s father. But then she realises that there is no danger to Annie from Zach, that he would die to protect her and then she asks him to always look at her daughter like she is everything to him. And he just says, of course. Aww.

Additional Thoughts: Since we are talking about cats, have a look at this hilarious video that Katibabs posted last Saturday at her blog. Honestly, I was in hysterics watching it. It’s the Ninja Cat!

Later today: another review of another anthology: It Happened One Night with stories by Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern

This is too cool for words.

Fans of Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson books might have heard the good news that Dabel Brothers Publishing will be releasing a 4-part comic book miniseries based on the books this November, titled Mercy Thompson: Homecoming. Patricia Briggs herself penned the storyline, with art done by Francis Tsai (of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man and Iron Man, and Impaler fame). Check out the press release from Dabel Brothers HERE.

So, the kicker is, the first eleven pages are available for download online! See two pages of the art below:

You can download the pages HERE. (Origninally directed from Fantasy Book Critic!)

Mercy looks a little to pretty for my tastes here, and judging from the art, I think I still prefer the original covers for the books (see below)–but still, the comic artwork looks great (At least it isn’t as nearly as odd as the Anita Blake comic books depictions!). I’m excited.

Bone Crossed, pictured above, is book 4 in the Mercy series, to be published in February 2009. During the wait, I’ll be getting my Mercy fix with the comics.

Title: N.

Produced by Scribner, CBS Mobile Entertainment, Marvel Comics & Stephen King; Based on the short story by Stephen King; Art by Alex Maleev and Jose Villarrubia; Adapted by Marc Guggenheim and Stephen King

Summary: (from SimonSays.com)
Master storyteller Stephen King presents a revolutionary new form of entertainment: his short story “N.” brought to vibrant life through a series of 25 graphic video episodes. The original series tells the story of a psychiatrist who falls victim to the same deadly obsession as his patient—an obsession that just might save the world!

A Brief Introduction:

As part of the marketing campaign for King’s forthcoming collection Just After Sunset, King and the team at Marvel, Scribner, & CBS mobile have produced a series of 25 mobisodes (internet only broadcast episodes) for N., a story in this new collection. Beginning on July 28th, each two minute episode was delivered once each weekday to subscribing mobile phones, or available on iTunes in groups of five episodes. Since I have the patience of an ADHD little kid in a room full of cake, I decided to wait until all the episodes had aired, then coughed up the $5 to get all 25 episodes on iTunes. (Ok, me not knowing about the series until they were almost finished had something to do with it. Regardless, I watched the whole thing in one sitting–which I recommend as opposed to the two minute teaser torture this would have otherwise been!) Called “graphic videos”, N. is shot in the intriguing pan and scan technique, with voiceovers and an original score, creating a sort of living comic book.

And, as you’ve probably guessed, I loved every second of it.

Review:

N. is the story of an obsessive compulsive patient and his psychiatrist, who falls victim to the same disorder. The first episode opens with a letter. A woman is writing to an old friend named Charlie about her late brother, Johnny, and his supposed suicide. She believes that there is more than meets the eye with his death, and reveals that she had found a box labeled “Burn This!” in her brother’s home. Inside the box, there was a manuscript; her brother’s notes concerning his last patient, named “N.”

The next few episodes detail N.’s casefile–flashing back to Dr. Johnny’s office. N. is a manic, obsessed man–we see him adjusting objects to make them “safe”, making up rhymes, and counting, endless counting–because the fate of the world depends on him. He tells the doc that his problems began back in August of the previous year, in a place called Ackerman’s Field. He went out to the field to take pictures, and stumbles across a circle of seven stones. When he raises his camera to take a picture of the circle, however, he sees that there are eight stones, not seven. Puzzled–afraid–N. walks up to each stone and touches them, examining each one, trying to reconcile the missing stone. On each surface, N. sees the face of a monster–although it could be a trick of the light. Suddenly, N. feels an overwhelming fear and he runs back to his car. When he turns around to look at the circle one last time, he sees something in its center. A darkness that has nothing to do with cloud shadows, but a monster–and it turns and grins hungrily at N. He runs home, locks his doors, and his obsession with numbers begins. He counts his doors, his books and objects; he makes sure that everything is in even increments–six is a fix, unlike five or seven. N. relates to Johnny that the circle is a gate to another world, inhabited by monsters and darkness–and the weight is on his shoulders to keep the monsters out, by counting and protecting.

Meanwhile, Johnny’s manuscript narration continues–N.’s mania is typical of his disorder, including the delusion that the weight of the world rests on his shoulders. When Johnny asks for the pictures N. took, N. responds that none of them came out. Even when he returned to the field with a digital camera, the stones “fried” the pictures. N. tells Johnny that a few months pass, and in the winter, his fears and obsessions receded. He was able to sleep at night.

Until summer. The nightmares returned even darker than before–and N. receives an envelope, with only a key inside, with the initials “AF” attached. Ackerman’s Field. Shortly thereafter, N. dismisses the doc, telling him he’s sorry and that there’s nothing else to do. He may have already infected him. A week later, N. commits suicide.

The narration resumes with the woman’s letter to Charlie. She talks about how her brother, Johnny, became obsessed with N.’s death, even going to his funeral…and then eventually to the dreaded Ackerman’s Field. The story flips back to Johnny’s narration, and his own path to N.’s fate.

In true Stephen King fashion, N. is a story that creeps and lingers. For any other Dark Tower junkies, there are a few connections here–the stone circle as a place where the fabric of reality is worn down, a thinny. The obsession with numbers is also familiar territory–although it’s not nineteen this time, but sevens and eights. The pace of each episode is frantic, almost as manic as the obsession that sweeps each of its narrators–but again with classic King style and flair. Naysayers can say what they want about King’s stories, but I have always been a fan of his similes and imagery. At one point, N. tells Johnny that the “bad” numbers (odd numbers)–like the seven stones in the circle–let the monsters bleed through to their world, like wet vomit through a paper bag. This is right up there as one of my favorite images from King’s work, next to the rat gnawing away, frantically trying to escape the cage of sanity in Cell.

This supernatural horror story is a simple one, in the tradition of chain letter terror re-made popular in books and movies such as The Ring. It’s also left nicely unresolved at its end–which is something I generally like in horror stories, and it fits even better here as Marvel will be doing a comic book adaptation/continuation of the series in 2009!

So far as production value goes, this series is pretty damn well done. The panning method of shooting the episodes is incredibly effective, paired with the provocative art and stellar voiceovers. What could easily come across as cheesy–the image of the monster from the other side of the stone circle–is instead disturbing, and deliciously creepy. I loved the color scheme for the episodes–the darker washes of burnt oranges and grays, especially with the more lifelike, photographic quality to the pencils. Hopefully the same art team will be manning the comics next year.

The only quibble for me was with the score. Initially, the music came across as overly loud and almost TV melodramatic. The two minute segments didn’t help out any as each episode seemed to end with a blaring crescendo to maintain that air of tension. However, as the episodes went on, I found myself more susceptible to the music, making me feel eerie and uncomfortable with the loud sounds and discordant instruments. Perhaps this was the intent of the original score–to cause this shrieking discomfort of the viewer, keeping the audience terse, on edge. Certainly, it worked for me.
The same can be said for the voice pacing of each episode–as there are only two minutes per show, the characters tend to speak quickly. Not that this is a bad thing either–they are always coherent and it is easy enough to follow once you get used to the tempo. Again, the frenetic voices of the characters only adds to the manic atmosphere of the story, and all the voice actors do a wonderful job.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Here’s the widget–where you can check out episodes, interviews, etc:

All the episodes are available for free online at the official site: Nishere.com

Verdict: N. is a solid, delightful foray into the mobisode/web-based marketing field. I highly recommend it for any horror fans, or comic book fans. (It goes without saying that Stephen King fans should immediately jump on board and give this series a shot)

I am eagerly anticipating Just After Sunset (release date 11/11/08) and the comics in 2009!

Rating: 8 Excellent

Title: Lost in Austen

Produced by: UK’s ITV, 4 episodes, aired between 3rd and 24th September 2008

Main Cast and characters: Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price, Alex Kingston as Mrs Bennet,Hugh Bonneville as Mr Bennet, Elliot Cowan as Fitzwilliam Darcy , Gemma Arterton as Elizabeth Bennet,Tom Mison as Mr Bingley.

I will start by saying that I’m in love with this miniseries and watching it for the past 4 weeks was the most fun I had in ages!

Lost in Austen was a Miniseries with 4 episodes of one hour each that aired in September here in the UK. I saw a couple of commercials before it aired and being a fan of all things Price and Predudice-y they made me curious enough to watch at least the first episode and I was hooked from the get go. I was completely surprised by the quality of the show since it was produced by ITV, a channel that is not exactly known as showcasing top quality TV: ITV BBC is not.

The premise is simple: what would happen if someone somehow, got sucked in into his or her favorite book? What would happen then?

Amanda Price lives in present-day London, working at a bank, dating a guy who is far from being Prince Charming. Amanda’s boring life is only made bearable by escaping into her favorite book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She reads it pretty much every day, she knows all the lines, all the plot developments and she LOVES the love story between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett.

One day, an unsuspecting Amanda walks into her bathroom and finds…..Elizabeth Bennett! It turns out, there is a door that leads from Amanda’s bathroom into the Bennett’s house. A curious Elizabeth is dying to know more about this freakish world whereas Amanda is of course, dying to finally be able to see for herself the world she has always loved. Yes, she thinks she is going crazy but she can’t fight the excitement of seeing the things she dreams about, first hand!

They decide to swap places and Amanda walks into the past whilst Elizabeth remains in London. Amanda is immediately welcomed in the Bennett’s household and she introduces herself as Elizabeth’s friend, Miss Price from Hammersmith and explains that Elizabeth will be spending sometime at her house so that she can write a book.

Ok, so it requires a lot of suspension of belief: not only they accept this strange woman with her strange clothes, weird hair and even weirder use of language with open arms but they also show little concern about Elizabeth’s whereabouts. HOWEVER, if you can buy that there is a DOOR between a London flat and a fictional attic out of a book, I would say, believing in all the rest comes easy enough because the acting is good and the situation is so funny and you can’t help but to be intrigued and excited about how things will unfold.

Amanda soon enough realises she walked into the story just when Mr Bingley is about to make his first appearance. As any Pride and Prejudice fan will know, this is when Mr Bingley and Jane first meet and start to develop feelings for each other. And this is where we first get a taste of what to expect from Lost in Austen because Mr Bingley hardly notices Jane and falls for….Amanda!

Amanda freaks out, and decides to set things straight by trying to make Bingley become interested in Jane, but she fails (at least at first) and she starts to seriously muck things up and the worst happens when Elizabeth is not there to meet Mr. Darcy at that ball where they first dance and who ends up dancing and exchanging barbs with the man is Amanda herself.

Ahoy sea dogs an’ land lubbers! Another excitin’ weekend comes t’ a close, an’ we be havin’ another stash.

First things first–we be havin’ a winner!

The winner of Seduce Me at Sunrise, concluding our Lisa Kleypas week, is….

NAJEEBAH!

Email us (thebooksmugglers AT hotmail DOT com) wi’ yer address as soon as possible t’ claim yer prize, ya scurvy cur! (We be speakin’ like seafarin’ heartys on accoun’ o’ o’ National Talk Like A Pirate Day–yeah, it was over a week ago, but we missed it and wanted to play)

Ok enough with the pirate speak. Our Lisa Kleypas week has now officially ended, and we were so very happy to have her here. Lisa, thank you for your words, for your awesome comments, and most of all, for your work that has touched the lives of many across the world.

In other news…

New Releases

September 30th is a big, break the bank day. Some eagerly anticipated new releases:

First and foremost, the new Neil Gaiman has us rabidly salivating, eager to get our greedy little paws on The Graveyard Book. Here’s the synopsis:

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren’t really one thing or the other.

This chilling tale is Neil Gaiman’s first full-length novel for middle-grade readers since the internationally bestselling and universally acclaimed Coraline. Like Coraline, this book is sure to enchant and surprise young readers as well as Neil Gaiman’s legion of adult fans.

Already receiving rave reviews from the likes of Joe Hill, Peter S. Beagle, and Holly Black–combined with our own weakness for everything Gaiman–we Smugglers are chomping at the bit!

Richelle Mead’s latest installment to her Succubus series also is in stores this week.

Some days, a girl just can’t catch a break…

…especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there’s her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It’s not just that they can’t have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge. Seth’s obsessed with finishing his latest novel, and Georgina’s under demonic orders to mentor the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block.

Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused—especially as the situation with Seth reaches crisis point. Now Georgina faces a double challenge—rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again…

What’s more is, we’ll be having a Richelle-A-Palooza here at the Book Smugglers next week, including a Q&A with the popular author! More details to follow in the next stash.

This Week:

Monday Minis!

On Monday we’ll do a quick rundown of two new miniseries’ we enjoyed–Ana will talk about Lost in Austen, a quirky retelling/re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice; Thea will talk about N., a graphic adaptation of Stephen King’s previously unpublished story.

On Tuesday Ana will have an early review of the anthology, The Magical Christmas Cat, with stories from many notable authors, including Ana’s girl crush Nalini Singh!

Wednesday, get ready for another early Powerpuff review as Ana and Katie take on Hex Appeal by Linda Wisdom, book 2 in her Hex series. Stay tuned for a giveaway opportunity!

After Heather’s excellent week of Steampunk over at The Galaxy Express, Thea will be reviewing Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti (quite possibly one of Thea’s favorite reads of 2008).

And, to close out the week, Thea will have an early review of Anya Bast’s eagerly anticipated novel, The Chosen Sin.

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday! Until next time…

Lisa Kleypas is one of the Heavy Hitters of the historical romance genre, with several international bestsellers, and awards to her name. With her new work in contemporaries, it looks like she will be dominating that genre as well!

When we learned of Lisa’s two upcoming new releases, Seduce Me At Sunrise and A Wallflower Christmas, we Smugglers decided that we had to dedicate a full week to Lisa’s work. And, for the grand finale of our Lisa Kleypas week, we were dead set on getting an interview with this wonderful author…although we weren’t expecting to *really* accomplish this. So, when we learned that Lisa was actually going to participate, we were bouncing off the walls with excitement! (Literally, there have to be somewhere around 50 emails between the two of us that basically say “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!”, “OMGOMGOMGOMG”, or derivations thereof)

And so, we are proud to present our very own Chat With Lisa Kleypas!

The Book Smugglers: You have two books coming up within a short period of time between releases – how hectic is this moment for you? Can you tell us a bit about each book?

Lisa: I am enjoying this tremendously! I think it will be a lot of fun to have two books coming out so close together. And the tone and format of each is quite different, which keeps things interesting. The first one, “Seduce Me At Sunrise,” is a very dark and passionate story about a Gyspy hero, Kev Merripen, and his forbidden love for a fragile invalid, Winnifred Hathaway. The second book is a Wallflower novel, and it was a joy to write—probably the happiest book I’ve ever done. I think a lot of that had to do with the Victorian Christmas setting. All the heroines and husbands of my original Wallflower novels make appearances, and I also introduced a new hero, Rafe Bowman, an American entrepreneur who has come to England to marry an aristocratic English bride.

The Book Smugglers: In addition to being a historical/regency romance maven, you have recently turned to contemporary fiction and romance with Sugar Daddy and Blue-Eyed Devil. What made you decide to step out of the historicals and venture into new territory?

Lisa: After writing historicals for so many years, I felt the need to stretch a little and challenge myself. I could never abandon historicals—I love them too much—but I knew there were different kinds of characters and plots I could write in a contemporary setting. And it has been some of the most satisfying work I’ve ever done, as well as the most difficult. The hardest part for me was finding a true, authentic contemporary voice and learning to “strip down” my writing style. But that forced me to express emotions and thoughts in a different, more creative way. The surprise was in discovering how much that refreshed my historical writing when I went back to it!

The Book Smugglers: In your historical fiction novels, and even in your contemporary work with Sugar Daddy, physical settings and locations play a large part of your novels, almost as characters in themselves. What’s your research process for creating these vivid time periods and locations? Have you visited some of the places you name in your stories?

Lisa: The setting of a book is really important to me as a writer—I can’t tell the story unless I know where things are and what’s going on at the time. I load a lot of sensory details in my place descriptions—I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out street-smells, what the sky would look like at a certain time of day, what kinds of plant and animal life would be in the rural settings, and of course I’m big on food and fashion! . . . I think this has led to some fun scenes, such as the calves’-head formal dinner in “It Happened One Autumn,” or the bees-behind-the-curtain scene in “Mine Till Midnight.”

In the past I visited England twice, and that helped tremendously in a sense of the dialogue and the country’s remarkable character. Unfortunately my opportunities for travel are now more limited than they used to be, because I have two young children at home. But I read piles of research books and information on the net, and there is always so much more to learn.

For my contemporary novels, the setting was much easier because I’ve lived in Texas almost half my life, in Dallas, Houston, and also in the environs of San Antonio. So I have a keen ear for the unique features of Texas dialogue, and an affection for the eccentricities of Texans.

The Book Smugglers: Similarly, your two latest Historical novels, Mine Til Midnight and Seduce me at Sunrise have gypsies as heroes . There is a lot of information about gypsy beliefs and rituals. Are they all product of research or are there some intellectual liberties?

Lisa: I researched as much as I could, buying every book available and going on the net, but it is very difficult to research the Rom, because there are so many variations in language and ritual among the different tribes! So at times I had to guess whether one tribal custom I read about might have been appropriate for other tribes in the area. I did not invent any words or customs, however, just tried to decide which ones would have been the most widely used. And appalling acts such as the “Gyspy Hunt” described in “Seduce Me At Sunrise” really did happen, when landowners brutally attacked Romany tribes and drove them out of the area.

The Book Smugglers: Speaking of research, you latest contemporary book, Blue-Eyed Devil taps in the very complicated subject of domestic abuse and personality disorders. We were awed at the manner in which you were able to present a very complex subject in a very straight-forward manner without ever succumbing to generalizations or gross interpretations – was it a very difficult topic to target? What kind of research was done for BED?

Lisa: Thank you!– it was definitely a difficult topic to address, but I wanted so much to share this knowledge with readers in the hopes that it might help someone. Whether we are aware of it or not, we have all come into contact with personality-disordered people in the past, and will in the future. You can’t avoid them. So there are important ways in which we can protect ourselves from being taken advantage of, hurt, or even abused, by recognizing the warning signs. Before I wrote the book, I consulted professional experts personally and also emailed with some respected authorities on the subjects of narcissistic personality disorder.

Part of what interested me in the subject of abuse was that a long time ago, before I was married, I was involved with a verbally abusive guy. It never got to the point of physical abuse, thank heaven, but it started in little ways and was definitely getting worse. Because it always does, It’s a progressive disease. And no matter how sorry the abusers say they are, they’ll keep doing it. It’s sad to learn that people with personality disorders can’t ever really change, because it goes down to the bedrock of who they are. But it’s crucial for people, especially women, to understand that it’s not a question of loving an abuser more, pleasing him more, because no matter what you do, you can’t ever change him.

The Book Smugglers: On to lighter topics: You have another winner with the Hathaway series. The family is absolutely delightful and adorable, and we have to ask: which sibling is next? We have the feeling it’s Leo and he is to be paired with…the governess?

Lisa: Oh, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the Hathaways—to me they are turning out to be loads of fun, they’re all such misfits! The next romance is going to feature Poppy, who so desperately longs for normalcy. And of course she won’t get it *g*. She’s going to be paired with the mysterious hotel owner of the Rutledge, where so many of my previous characters have stayed, going back to McKenna in “Again The Magic.” And you’re absolutely right about Leo—I think from the moment the governess appears in “Seduce Me At Sunrise” you know something very intense and unexpected is happening between them.

The Book Smugglers: In A Wallflower Christmas you bring back fan favorites such as the four wallflower friends and their respective consorts. Do you have plans on writing more stories about them in the future?

Lisa: If my readers are open to that, absolutely! I love the wallflowers. Writing about them is like putting on a pair of cozy slippers.

The Book Smugglers: We heard that you next contemporary is titled Smooth Talking Stranger and is set to be released in 2009 – any information you can share?

Lisa: Yes, it is the story of Jack Travis, who just may turn out to be my sexiest hero ever. I have paired him with a feisty feminist vegetarian, Ella Varner, who approaches the macho Jack with the news that he has fathered her sister’s baby! And while her sister is off in rehab, Ella is having to take care of the baby, and she tries to force Jack to take a paternity test, and she generally drives him crazy. It is a fun story, with some deeper issues, of course, and there are some good twists and turns in the plot.

The Book Smugglers: You are a former beauty queen turned writer–now that’s quite a leap! What inspired you to start writing novels and become a full-time author?

Lisa: Well, I was always sitting in the attic reading when I was younger. I was a nerd with glasses and braces. So the beauty pageant was sort of a way I tried to prove to myself that I was pretty. The surprise was, even after the hair and makeup and winning a crown, I still didn’t feel beautiful. That came later, with self-confidence and maturity and happiness, and being able to do what I love the most—writing. So that’s it–doing what you love is the best beauty secret!

The Book Smugglers: What is your usual writing process like? Can you describe a day at work for us?

Lisa: My average day starts at four in the morning . . . I get up early to write while it’s quiet, before my husband and children get up. Then at seven I make the breakfast, pack the lunches, get everyone dressed, and at nine o’clock I’m back to work until two o’clock. That’s the time when the children get home, and I’m able to be with them, do school projects, help with homework, etc. I am so lucky to be able to arrange my day around them, and I never take it for granted.

The Book Smugglers: What are you reading right now?

Lisa: Two wildly different works…one, “Atonement” by Ian McEwan (fantastic), and two, “Desperaux” by Kate DiCamillo, which I’m reading with my daughter.

The Book Smugglers: Who are your major writing influences? Which authors do you love?

Lisa: I have always loved the work of Judith McNaught, Laura Kinsale, Christina Dodd (who is also my dearest friend!) Kristin Hannah, Jayne Ann Krentz and SEP.

The Book Smugglers: Many of your books figure in reader’s favorite’s lists – what are Lisa Kleypas’ top 5 romance novels?

Lisa: That is tough to answer! Some of them I have a special fondness because they sort of articulated a turning point in my career, such as “Dreaming Of You”, when I started writing self-made non-aristocratic heroes. So I can tell you the books that aren’t necessarily my best-written works, but they represent particular times in my life that have personal meaning . . . “Blue-Eyed Devil”, “Sugar Daddy”, “Dreaming Of You”, “Devil In Winter” and “It Happened One Autumn”.

The Book Smugglers: And finally one last naughty question: if you were to be stranded in an island and could only pick one hero between Derek Craven and Sebastian St Vincent, which one would you choose?

Lisa: That is definitely a naughty question! Really, I would be equally happy with either of them, but Derek and St. Vincent have been spoken for so strongly by other women that they are unavailable at present! So I’ll settle for Kev Merripen from “Seduce Me At Sunrise”, because he is the kind of hero who, even on an deserted island, could get you dinner, make you a hammock and build a boat, and keep you quite warm at night!

Lisa Kleypas is the RITA Award–winning author of twenty novels. Her books have been published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

For more about Lisa, please visit www.lisakleypas.com.

A big Smuggler thank you again to Lisa for taking the time to chat with us!

And, here it is folks! As promised, we have one copy of Lisa’s upcoming release, Seduce Me At Sunrise up for grabs. All you have to do to win this bad boy is leave a comment, letting us know who your favorite Kleypas character is and why! The contest will run until Sunday (September 28) at noon, Pacific Standard Time. Best of luck to you all!

Title: A Wallflower Christmas

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Genre: Historical Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: In the world of the Wallflower’s series but can be read as a stand alone

Summary: Wealthy entrepreneur Rafe Bowman has come to London to marry Lady Natalie, an aristocratic bride who will help to further his ambitions. But two things stand in his way : Lady Natalie’s disapproving companion Hannah . . . and Rafe’s passion for a woman he should not want and can never have . . .

Why did we read the book: It’s a Wallflowers book! (*Ana says* : It has St Vincent!) and another chance to do a Powerpuff Girls review with KatieBabs!

Review:

First Impressions:

Ana: I had no idea what to expect when I got A Wallflower Christmas. For some reason I thought this was going to be an anthology and was surprised – and delighted – to find out that this is a full-length novel albeit a short-ish one (about 200 pages). I was absurdly pleased when the prologue sets the tone for a Christmas tale with an “Once Upon a Time” opening by reminiscing each of the Wallflower’s story and how they all found their happily ever after and reminding the reader that there is no shortage of wallflowers and this is to be a story about another one of them. From that moment on, I was captivated by the narrative, extremely happy to see the Wallflowers’ antics again and above all completely taken with Rafe Bowman and his heroine, Hannah. Well done, Mrs Kleypas.

Thea: Having read the Wallflowers books, I was very happy to discover this new, sleek and shiny volume in the mail. I didn’t even know another spinoff series was planned! And, given my great experiences with the first four books, Ana and I decided that we would most definitely do a powerpuff style review for this newest addition. Lisa Kleypas is true to form with this novel, in a light hearted, festive romance between a strong minded young companion, and the un-gentlemanly Rafe. As with all the other Lisa Kleypas books I have read, A Wallflower Christmas is a fun, well-written romance. While I don’t think it is as good as those first four novels, it still was nice to see all the girls together again, and meddling in other people’s affairs.

On the Plot: Christmas is approaching and Rafe Bowman – Lillian and Daisy’s brother – is coming from America to England to get married. As heir to their father’s fortune and with a keen eye for business, Rafe is ready to take over the European side of the business but his father imposes a condition – he has to marry into English aristocracy and the chosen bride is one Lady Natalie.

Not really caring about whom he marries with, Rafe is prepared to please and appease his father. The meddlesome Wallflowers, who are engaged in preparations for a huge Christmas party that is to take place at Lillian and Marcus’ country Estate are worried that Rafe would not know how to handle an English lady – and decide he needs to learn everything he can about her in order to woo her. They invite Hannah Appleton, Natalie’s poor cousin and companion for tea in order for her to tell them what are Natalie’s dislikes and likes. She goes, under great pressure form her uncle, who wishes for the marriage to happen. But Hannah who thinks Rafe is not the best choice for her beloved cousin is completely hostile to Rafe, at least at first. Sparks fly….witty conversation and angst ensue, a stolen kiss happens….

and…..you know how the rest goes.

Ana: From an extremely objective point of view, the plot of A Wallflower Christmas is not the most original out there: the callous rake with the daddy issues and the outspoken impoverished companion have been done a thousand times. And yet…..

… there I was, on my flight to Portugal and I open the book and I do not see the take off, nor the landing and I have this stupid smile of my face and I can not stop reading it, not even on the queue for passport control when I was nudged a couple of times by the annoying person behind me who fully expected me (the nerve) to be paying attention to my surroundings as if keeping my place in line was more important than to read about how Rafe and Hannah were falling in love with each other against all odds and how the wallflowers are amazing and help them and how OMG here comes St Vincent (as we know, THE BEST ROMANTIC HERO EVER) and he has jewels and he covers Evie in them and they have sex for DAYS and Marcus and Lillian have an amazing scene but it all goes back to Rafe and Hannah and all of a sudden, my perspective changes, the callous, cold yet humorous rake is an amazing hero with his sad, sad childhood and Hannah is this impulsive lady that calls on Rafe’s dreadful behavior but can’t help falling in love with him no more than I can’t help falling in love with the book.

And I can no longer be objective because so many wonderful things happen, from the first moment Rafe sets eyes on her and is rendered speechless for the first time in his life to the moment he realizes he loves her but can not have her; and there is heart, there is laughter and there is warmth in A Wallflower Christmas and it’s more than I expected and it’s Lisa Kleypas once again, taking romance novels to another level, departing from a well-worn premise, making it her own and granting me, us, whomever is smart enough to get this book, a few hours of romantic delight.

Thea: In this new installment to the Wallflower’s story, the plot follows Lillian and Daisy’s brother, Rafe Bowman. Rafe travels across the pond to marry Lady Natalie at his father’s behest–as part of a business arrangement, benefiting Natalie’s family with even more wealth, and the Bowmans with a noble title, while Rafe earns the full control of the European operations of his father’s business. Natalie’s cousin and companion Hannah vehemently objects to the betrothal, even before either of them have met. Hannah is set that Rafe, judging from his reputation, is no gentleman and certainly cannot make Natalie happy–and she is sent to meet the Bowmans and report back to her Lady with her verdict. And, of course, Rafe falls for the one unacceptable woman he should not care for–not Natalie, but Hannah. Interject their story with meddlings and help from the Wallflowers and their respective partners, and you have A Wallflower Christmas.

I cannot fault the plotting for this novel at all, it is what it is–Lisa Kleypas, doing her thing. The book is paced evenly and is a quick, light read. It certainly isn’t an original storyline, but in general (in my opinion, that is) most historical romance novels follow the same conventions. While there isn’t anything new or innovative in this novel, the quality of writing is up to Lisa Kleypas’s usual high standards. I will say that I highly enjoyed seeing the Wallflowers again, and appreciated that a good portion of the story was devoted to “catching up” with what they have been doing for the past few years–all the while keeping a steady focus on Hannah and Rafe’s budding romance.

On the Characters:

Ana: Starting with the original wallflowers: it was amazing to see them all again, to catch up with their happily ever after. Their interactions with each other are as endearing as ever as are their interactions with their significant others (St Vincent!) – there is a little bit of each of them in A Wallflower Christmas and it was like seeing old friends.

But really, as much as the wallflowers are amazing (and St Vincent!), the book belongs to Rafe and Hannah. From the get go when sparks fly and they have this incredibly witty banter – gotta love witty banter – that starts because Hannah can not stand the manners or the values (or lack of) of American ands considers Rafe wholly unsuitable for her cousin. Rafe is completely taken with Hannah and she may deny it but she is taken with him as well (as it should be). Their conversation are delightful, their repartee funny and yet every single one of them carry hidden depths and moments where they share almost unconsciously, their inner turmoil, their hidden secrets. They hear each other in what they don’t say.

Rafe is another worthy addition to Lisa Kleypas’ pantheon of heroes: rake extraordinaire, so callous when it comes to women, he merely expresses a “she’ll do” when he meets Lady Natalie. Rafe was an unhappy child, always alone, under the intolerable bowman parentage, a boy destined for great things, not allowed to play. His rebellion is to be a carefree rake even though he tries his best to please his father, but that is no pleasing Mr Bowman, not now, not ever. The more he sees Hannah , the more he wants her. One particular moment of enlightenment is when he realises how fascinating she is and thinks it would tale a lifetime to get to know her, whereas with Lady Natalie one hour was enough. He is drawn to her as a moth to the light and if there is one keyword for both these characters is “warmth” – Rafe for Hannah was like a sugared cup of tea and to him, she was like a ray of sunlight.

The major conflict comes from the consequences of one accepting their love for each other: for Rafe accept to his love for Hannah is also to accept that he can not, will not please his father ever and that brings a great sense of failure to a man that has accomplished much except the one thing that matters: the acceptance of his own father. Much has been said about the common-place that is for a hero to have “daddy issues” but truly, sometimes it works, when it is well done, as is the case here. Similarly for Hannah to accept Rafe’s love is also to understand that she is the wrench that will come between him and his father – and the prospect of losing his place in the family business which means a lot to him.

But alas, one can not stop the course of true love.

Thea: In my (granted, very limited) experiences with historical romance, the plot is often pretty cut and dry–which leaves it to the characters to make or break a book. Ms. Kleypas has a huge talent for creating wonderful characters, and A Wallflower Christmas reintroduces us to some of my personal favorites.

Each former Wallflower gets a spotlight here–from Annabelle talking things over with Simon, Evie and St. Vincent holing themselves up for a couple of days, Daisy quietly giving advice to her brother and mediating tensions, and Lillian causing a ruckus over Marcus’s strange behavior. Since the hero in this story is another Bowman, there was more time devoted to the Bowmans in general–which is just fine by me, as Lillian is my favorite Wallflower! Initially I found the storyline involving Lillian’s misgivings concerning Marcus to be strange–but given Lillian’s tough exterior fronting for her very vulnerable feelings, her mistrust feels true to her character. When she does learn what Marcus has been up to, it is a touching, awkwardly funny scene–and reminiscent of their shenanigans in It Happened One Autumn, where I fell in love with both characters in the first place.

As for Hannah and Rafe, the central pair in this novel, they are both likable characters. Rafe Bowman is a dashing man, who has daddy issues. In the previous Bowman stories, some of Daisy and Lillian’s troubles with their father emerge, and it was very interesting to see things from the perspective of a brother. Hannah is an endearing heroine; she’s broke but does not have a problem with her situation, as she loves her dear cousin and is happy to be able to live as a companion. I was not swept away by these two characters or by their romance, but still found them agreeable enough.

Actually, more interesting to me (from a writing standpoint) was the character of Lady Natalie! Spoiled, selfish, and immature, Natalie can hardly live up to the Wallflower girls–and this is the most appealing thing about the character. I love that Ms. Kleypas wrote a main character that is neither Eeeevil! nor perfectly sweet and likable (as most characters fall into either category, nowhere in between). Natalie’s selfishness is not born out of meanness or a desire to squash Hannah (as say Joyce from Dreaming of You)–she simply is what you might expect a pampered, beautiful heiress to be.

Final Observations, recommendations and rating

Ana: A Wallflower Christmas is one of those small treasures. A delightful read not only because of Rafe and Hannah but also because we get to see those characters we have come to love – specially my own all-time favorite hero, Sebastian St Vincent. I may be biased because of that but there is no denying that this is a feel-good story, a captivating romance, with a fairytale-like narrative. I had a silly smile on my face for most of the read because this was just like waking up on Christmas morning to find a tree full of yet-to- be-discovered presents.

Thea: I enjoyed this book, finishing it within 2 hours on the plane. While I didn’t find it to be as great as the other Wallflower books, it’s still a trademark Lisa Kleypas read–that is, compulsively readable! Not spectacular, but very, very solid nonetheless. I enjoyed this one thoroughly.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

Ana: they are all decorating the Christmas tree. Rafe dares Hannah to sing a carol. She does, to his utter delight, and he is completely captivated by her voice, and by the woman herlsef. Because she took his dare, he ows her a forfeit. She asks for a possession of his, anything he was carrying in his pockets at that moment. He gives her a toy soldier. She is puzzled by the fact that he is carrying it around without realising that he has given her his most treasured possession. Awwww. I will not spoil it, but The Secret meaning behind it is so heart wrenching and the fact that he has given it to her is one of the most heart warming scenes I have ever read in a romance novel. The whole sequence involving this event was amazing and I think I will always remember it.

Thea: I loved the passage where a certain young ‘un has stolen a certain toupee, and has gotten it stuck up in the enormous Christmas tree. Enlisting Hannah’s aid, she climbs up the treacherous ladder to retrieve said toupee–when the ladder collapses, Hannah is stuck on a ledge until Rafe comes along to observe the ridiculous situation. It’s funny, and very sweet.

Rating:

Ana: 9 - this is one of those huggable books!

Thea: 6 – Good, A book I definitely would recommend for any Kleypas fan.

And this is Bubbles’ and Buttercup’s opinion on the book. Now, pop over to Katie’s (A.K.A Blossum ) to read her review of A Wallflower Christmas! Powerpuff girls: to infinity and beyond!

TOMORROW, FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE ONE AND ONLY LISA KLEYPAS AND A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF SEDUCE ME AT SUNRISE!

In 2005, Lisa Kleypas started a new historical romance series. Four very different women find that they are routinely ignored and shunned by London society for various reasons. Annabelle is beautiful, yet destitute; Lillian and her sister Daisy are brash and American without a drop of blue blood for all their wealth; and Evangeline, while unusually lovely is incredibly shy and cannot speak without stammering incohesively. Alone, each of them have gone to balls and assemblies only to sit on the outskirts without any prospects–until they decide that they have had enough. Annabelle, Lillian, Evie and Daisy decide to combine forces to escape their permanent wallflower status and land themselves dashing husbands, one by one.

And, to celebrate the Wallflowers, we Smugglers will take on each of our favorites–Thea with Annabelle and Lillian, Ana with Evie and Daisy!

Secrets of a Summer Night

Annabelle Peyton is by all accounts a beautiful woman–the perfect English Rose. Unfortunately, she and her mother are in dire financial straits. Her father’s death has left her family in debt, and as women in Regency England, there is naught to do about it. Annabelle is determined to find a husband but has gone for seasons without a single proposal. For all her beauty, the Peyton financial situation is no secret, and rumors circulate throughout the ton about Annabelle–all the peers seem perfectly eager to wait for her to fall into ruin, and then keep her as a mistress.

Enter the intrepid Wallflowers. At one ball, just as every other for the previous seasons, the four women find themselves seated and without a partner in sight. Lillian, brash American heiress, comes up with the brilliant idea that they should work together, starting with the eldest–which would be sweet Annabelle.

Although they go through with some hare brained schemes to trap an unsuspecting suitor for Annabelle into a proposal, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Simon Hunt–an obscenely wealthy ne’er-do-well, who seems intent on making Annabelle his mistress. You know how the story goes from there.

So, what’s cool about Annabelle? Perhaps I should have broken this down like a collectible card…

Name: Annabelle Hunt (nee Peyton)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because… Her family is flat-out broke. Why buy at full retail when you know it’s gonna go on sale in a few days? (AKA there’s no point in proposing to the beautiful Annabelle when she is bound to become a kept woman in a few months)

Why She’s Cool: Annabelle doesn’t have the snap of Lillian, or the fragility yet quiet strength of Evie, or even the imaginative sparkle of Daisy. What she does have, however, is a steely, admirable courage. Faced with ruin, dealing with her mother’s new ways of creating income, Annabelle feels the pressure of her situation fully, and yet does not despair and she does not whine and pawn her problems off on her newfound friends. Nor is Annabelle ready to accept her fate as a mistress (though it would be far easier for her to simply take the steady money and live with it).

If She Were an Ice Cream Flavor it Would be: Vanilla. Maybe bland to some, but always a classic.

What About Her Leading Man? Simon Hunt; dashing, roguish, and filthy rich. Simon has made his living with his own two hands, and is to some extent ostracized by the peers–with the exception of Marcus Westcliff, who respects and understands Simon. Tall, dark and handsome–not to mention crazy jealous, and protective of Annabelle.

Notable Moment(s): No one can doubt her courageousness in that final scene when Simon’s factory is ablaze and she rushes in to save her husband. Even Marcus, Lord Westcliff, is finally won over by Annabelle in this scene, as he had thought she was insincere and undeserving of his good friend Simon earlier.

It Happened One Autumn

As I’ve said before, Lillian is my favorite Wallflower, and one of my favorite Lisa Kleypas characters, period. This book begins as Lillian and her sister Daisy look for scents–that is, Lillian has a gift for scents, and is planning on concocting her own perfume. She would be an invaluable asset to her father’s soap manufacturing business had she been born a man. The shopkeeper sees Lillian’s talent, and offers her the last, perfect ingredient for her perfume–claiming it is a love potion.

From there, the girls–Lillian and Daisy, Evie and Annabelle (newlywed Mrs. Hunt) go to Lord Westcliff’s summer home. Lillian isn’t much looking forward to the trip as she and Westcliff seemed to despise each other on sight earlier that summer–he for his uptight domineering and judgemental behavior, she for her loud, unrestrained sauciness.

And…you know how the story goes from there.

Name: Lillian Westcliff (nee Bowman)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because… She is one of those dreadful, obnoxious Americans. Her family is filthy rich from her father’s successful business endeavors, but without a drop of blue blood to their name–they are seen as “new money” and social climbing pariahs in New York, and are similarly received in London. Mrs. Bowman’s pushy ambitions doesn’t do much to help things; she is insistent that her girls marry peers. And, then of course, Lillian herself is a wild child, speaking her mind, expressing her strong opinions, and sneaking off to play rounders with the stable boys.

Why She’s Cool: Lillian is a firecracker. She’s loud and opinionated, and hates to admit that she’s wrong. Her vivacity, her “oomf!” factor makes her irresistible. For all that she’s incredibly headstrong and often jumps to the wrong conclusions, she is so full of life that one can’t help but smile. She’s definitely not for everyone, as some readers might not like her crassness (or I suspect her treatment of the much beloved St. Vincent might have something to do with that–which, in this reader’s opinion is completely justified on Lillian’s part. After all, he did abduct her and planned on forcing marriage and other unmentionables on her). But underneath her thick, tough exterior, she’s surprisingly soft-hearted, and she will fight tooth and nail for her friends.

If She Were an Ice Cream Flavor it Would be: Oh, how about the aptly named flavor, “Rocky Road”? Sharp sometimes, a little nutty, a little soft and sweet, and very distinct.

What About Her Leading Man? Marcus, Lord Westcliff, is a staunch man, devoted to his convictions. Son of a cold father, raised by his horrid mother, Marcus has been groomed for Earldom since his youth. He expects to marry a lovely, quiet, traditional Englishwoman, as his station is expected. However, all that goes out the window when he meets Lillian, the one woman who is able to cause Marcus to lose his head to emotion–be it anger or desire. Marcus might seem a bit square and stuffy, but gradually we learn more of his past, his caring and protectiveness of his sisters, and his more progressive ideas. Hard to resist, really.

Notable Moment(s): The scene where she and Westcliff won me over–the infamous “Rounders in Knickers” scene. Lillian and Daisy convince the girls to go for a game of Rounders (similar to baseball) on a quiet field on Lord Westcliff’s grounds. Hilarity ensues when Westcliff and Hunt ride into the game–Hunt cannot keep his eyes off of Annabelle, and Westcliff cannot control his anger at the uppity impertinence of Lillian Bowman. Both Lillian and Westcliff seem to hate each other on sight…but we know how that tune plays out. Technically this scene is from Secrets of a Summer Night, but it’s my favorite. To be fair, my favorite scene in It Happened One Autumn is when Lillian is in Marcus’s library, getting completely wasted off pear brandy to take the edge off worry, anger and rejection. When Marcus stumbles in on her (completely blitzed, having finished the bottle), the scene is both funny and incredibly sweet.

Devil In Winter

Evie Jenner is in dire straights. When she was a child, her father, who is the owner of a gambling club (you might remember him from Dreaming of You – he was Derek Craven’s rival), sent her to be raised by her mother’s family so that she could have a modicum of respectability. But her relatives are abusive and see her purely as a mean to get her father’s fortune. When they decide she should marry her piggish cousin, she flees and decides her only course of action is to get a husband of her own choosing. As time is of essence here, the only possible choice is the devil himself: Sebastian St Vincent, the man who had kidnapped her best friend because he too, is in financial trouble.

The shiest of the Wallflowers walks into his house and makes an offer he cannot refuse – they are to elope and he would have his money and she would be free from her family and be able to go to her father who is dying. There is one condition – they will consummate the marriage so that it would be legal but they would not sleep together again. But their wedding night is a complete surprise for both of them, and they start to realise that appearances can be deceiving…
And…you know how the story goes from there.

Name: Evangeline, Lady St Vincent (nee Jenner)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because: She is extremely shy. Even though she has considerable fortune, her father’s money comes from his gambling club –she is not aristocracy. She also stutters which makes potential suitors wary of approaching her.

Why She Is Cool: She has endured an abusive childhood with her relatives and came out stronger for that – she may not be outspoken or spunky but she is determined and extremely loyal to her friends and father. Once she makes up her mind, there is no turning back. She is one of those quietly strong heroines. She is extremely perceptive and can see through other people’s BS quite easily. And one that can wrap the most dashing, beautiful, sophisticated rake around her little fingers.

If She Were an Ice Cream Flavor It Would Be: Strawberry – she’s a redhead, she’s someone that people overlook a lot of the time, and yet she’s definitely original. Tangy, sweet, not to everyone’s tastes, but distinct on her own.

What About Her Leading Man? Ah. Now. Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I don’t even know where to start – he is put simply, my all time favorite romance hero. Described as the most beautiful man in England, with is golden hair and blue eyes, a sex god, callous, infamous, manipulative, crude, witty and extremely sophisticated lord, the ultimate reprobate rake who on top of everything, starts out as a villain. In It Happened One Autumn – because he is an impoverished aristocrat who needs money to maintain his dissipated life style, he kidnaps his best friend’s fiancée, Lillian Bowman to force her to marry him. How could someone like this ever be redeemed? Well………all it takes is a red-headed with her quiet ways and will of steel to bring him down to his knees. Quite possibly the most improbable pairing in all romanceland, but one that absolutely works. His transformation is amazing – it starts out in their wedding night when he is shaken to the core after sex with Evie turned out to be a surprisingly amazing experience which alarmed him to no end; and continues when he realizes he has a brain which he can use, by running the gambling club that belonged to Evie’s Father. He turns quite murderous and protective when he learns of her abuse and little by little, starts falling even though he fears to love as much as he fears to be loved. When someone tries to kill Evie, he throws himself in front of the bullet aimed at her, without a second thought and as he lies there thinking he is going to die, his only concern is for her safety. He learns the meaning of sacrifice, the meaning of caring for someone and most of all he learns he is worth more than his looks and charms. And the best thing? He is redeemed but without ever losing his edge, his bad-boy persona and he carries on being rather depraved, but only with Evie. The lion who has been tamed by the lamb and is extremely satisfied about it. I better stop now, I could go on and on, believe me.

Notable Moments: I think Evie’s best moment is the one that sets things in motion. You would never expect her to just walk into the lion’s den right after Sebastian has been beaten to a pulp by Marcus and everyone thinks he is the devil, to make him an offer he can’t refuse: to marry her, so that he can have money and she can be freed from her family. It takes a lot of guts but she will prove over and over again that if there is someone that can handle the devil, it’s her.

One last thing: Devil In Winter is one of my favorite romance novels. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase is my number one, but Devil in Winter is the one I re-read over and over again.

Scandal In Spring

Daisy Bowman is the only Wallpaper that it’s still single. Sick and tired of waiting for his daughter to choose a husband, her father takes matters in his own hands and decides she is to marry his protégée, Matthew Swift.

Matthew has loved Daisy since he first saw her but he has a secretive past that could jeopardise their happiness so he decides to keep away. But Daisy, who was at first horrified at the prospect of marrying cold, ambitious Matthew , all of a sudden realises he is everything she ever wanted in a man and decides to make him jealous to get him to come out of his shell.

And…you know how the story goes from there.

Name: Daisy Swift (nee Bowman)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because: She is Lillian’s sister and therefore, another one of those dreadful Americans; heiress to “new money”, off to marry a peer as per her father’s determination. She may not be a spitfire like her sister, but she is her best friend and companion on her adventures.

Why She’s Cool: She is intelligent and inquisitive but also a dreamer and a romantic, always with a book in her hands. Her dream man would be someone quiet and well-read –not someone that is perfect, but someone that is just right for her. She is not as abrasive as her sister – quite the contrary; out of all the wallflowers she usually is the voice of reason and the most approachable one.

If She Were An Ice-Cream Flavour It Would Be: Neapolitan. she’s dreamy, kind of “in between” and taking the best of all worlds–chocolate, vanilla and strawberry together. Subtle flavors when mixed, but oh so yummy.

What About Her Leading Man? Matthew Swift is her father’s protégée who he worships above even his own sons and whom he chooses as a husband for Daisy when it’s clear she can’t get a British peer to marry her. Matthew is a self-made, self-confident ambitious American, who has wanted Daisy FOREVER. Even though he would love nothing more than to marry Daisy, he has a Secret in his Past that is an obstacle to their relationship. Attractive, strong and utterly masculine, he knows every single thing about Daisy. And he carries around a button with a lock of her hair in his pocket so that he can possess at least a tiny piece of her.

Notable Moments: The lawn games Daisy and Matthew play which starts friendly enough and turns into a fierce competition. Or when they are having The Talk when they both acknowledge how much they want each other but Matthew refuses to make a move. Daisy is furious at this decision that seems so illogical so she takes charge, locks the door and tucks the key inside her bodice. Impossible for Matthew to resist. And the rest as they say, it’s history.

So, these are the original wallflowers and their original books. But every season sees new wallflowers forgotten in the corners of London’s ballrooms. One such wallflower is Hannah Appleton and her story and how the wallflowers will help her getting the man of her dreams is in the upcoming novel A Wallflower Christmas (release date October 14th).

Come back later today to read our take in the new book! We will be posting our joint review here and Katiebabs will post hers at her place – it is another one of our infamous Powerpuff girls’ joints!