I LOVE Nora Roberts. I want to be her (in a non-creepy way).

    Paperback Published:  April 2001

      I put off finishing Caroline Moon for as long as possible while still wanting to devour it.  This is not my usual review where I share what I like and what I didn't like.  This is mainly going to be some gushing about the wonderful story telling that Nora Roberts produces on a consistent basis.  Roberts was my first real taste of romance writing.  I love a good story with developed characters; Ms. Roberts is one of the best story tellers and Carolina Moon is a perfect example of her skill.  Our heroine, Tory, is a strong, intelligent, scarred, honest woman.  She has survived a horrid childhood and has become a successful business woman, opening a store in her hometown.  Returning was something she felt she had to do in order to heal and grow. I haven't been to my hometown in a while and I'm not sure if I want to return anytime soon.  I enjoyed watching Tory work through her misgivings.  
Ok, I feel like I'm going to give a spoiler on the plot, so I'll give you the Goodreads synopsis.  Then I can gush some more.  


Tory Bodeen grew up in South Carolina, in a small run-down house, where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt --- and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. But she had Hope, who lived in the big house just a short skip away and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn't allowed to be at home: a child.

After young Hope's brutal murder, unsolved to this day, Tory's life began to fall apart. And now, as she returns to her hometown, with plans to settle in an open a stylish home-design shop, she is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of the past. As she forges a new bond with Cade Lavelle --- Hope's older brother and the heir to the family fortune --- she isn't sure whether the tragic loss they share will unite them or drive them apart. But she is willing to open her heart, just a little, and try.

Living so close to those unhappy memories will become more difficult and frightening than Tory could ever have expected, however. Because Hope's murderer is nearby as well ..


Cade Lavelle and Hope's twin, Faith Lavelle, are layered, interesting characters.  Cade may be a bit too perfect, but he's still believable and lovable.  Tory deserves someone that may be a bit too perfect.  The secondary characters including Mrs. Lavelle (the mother), Cade's boyhood friends, and the townspeople are interesting and add to the depth of the plot rather than detract or irritate.  The two love stories are fun and sweet and the mystery is surprising.  I usually see the "bad guy" a mile away, but I was so involved in the lives of the characters that I completely missed it.  I like that, a lot.  
If you haven't read a Nora Roberts book, or you haven't read Carolina Moon, you are really missing out.  Go read it, now!  Go...go on...run to the bookstore!  

Review of Baby It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox

Published:  Nov. 2011

     I first picked up Baby It's Cold Outside because it is set in Alaska.  I'm obsessed with Alaska lately because I believe I need to be an Alaskan Mob Princess.  I don't actually want to do any mob-type stuff; I just like the name.  I digress.  BICO was more than the setting and more than the cheesy quick read that I guessed it would be.

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)   After a frantic call, Sloan McKinley travels to the heart of the Alaskan wilderness to be there for her best friend, who's just inherited property in the small town of Indigo. The last thing she expects is to be lured by the town's matriarchs into their annual contest to get their grandsons married off.

But Sloan can't deny the appeal of the rugged local men-Walker Montgomery in particular. Soon she finds herself falling in love with the wild outdoors...and with one of Indigo's most beloved residents. There's just one question that remains: is the town's most confirmed bachelor ready to get caught?

     I enjoyed the friendship that Sloan and Grier have and the new friendship they form with Avery, the hotel worker who seems to be so much more.  I really enjoyed the tension between Grier and Mick and I'm looking forward to the series installment about Avery.  She is smart, nice, and capable, but she lets her past keep her stagnate.  I want to know more about her.   I also want to know more about Grier and why/how she ended up in Alaska.  Why not contest the will from New York? 


     I didn't love Sloan as the protagonist.  I found her to be a bit...unbelievable.  I don't know why a girl that freely tells men off in the beginning of the novel would then put up with the antics of Walker.  I didn't understand that attraction or why she would continue to return to him for more drama.  Without giving away the ending, he does have some redeeming qualities, but it took much too long to see them.  I felt like Sloan knew something more about him that I didn't get to see.  There was a lot of sexual and emotional tension between Sloan and Walker that wasn't based on any interactions that I saw in the novel.  He has baggage, as we all do, but I didn't find myself caring about his baggage.  Sloan does have a lot of baggage, but I wanted to know more about hers and I wanted to see her work that out before turning to a man that may or may not be a nice person.  


     The people living in Indigo are quite fun.  I liked the grandmothers and the quirky men of Indigo that sweetly long for love.  I enjoyed the brief descriptions of the Alaskan setting and the contest, which I would normally find annoying, didn't take up too much of the plot.  It was a background for other more interesting situations.  That was a smart decision. Overall, I enjoyed Ms Fox's novel and I will be ready to read the next book in the Alaskan Nights series.
  
3 1/2 of 5 Stars

My First Giveaway!!!

Ok, here goes.  Be gentle with me!  My first ever giveaway is for one of my favorite books - Jennifer Crusie's Welcome To Temptation.  It's great fun; I love the characters, the setting, and the plot.  I grew up in a town similar to Temptation (without the crazy water tower - we had a water tower, but NOT like Temptation's!).  I didn't know about any of the small town politicians, but I did learn about small town politics later in life when I worked as the City Secretary for 1 year during college.  Holy shmoly.  There is nothing quite like small town politics.  People are crazy!  Anyway...
Back to the giveaway!  Sign up via Rafflecopter.  I will email you on June 16th or 17th if you won!  Be sure to include your email address in your answers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


To see all of the other great blogs participating in the Shameless Summer Hop, go check out the list on Red Hot Books!

UPDATE:  We have a winner!!! The winner of the Welcome to Temptation giveaway is...infalliblyyours.

The Booby Trap by Anne Browning Walker

       A fellow reviewer brought my attention to The Booby Trap and I was quite excited to read it.  I liked the idea of research, waitressing, and some fun romance.  The story started off well and my excitement about the possibilities of the book built.  However, the book did not live up to my expectations.

Harvard Ph.D student Bambi is working at The Booby Trap for research purposes for her dissertation and to help pay rent.  She dreams of going to the Annual Women's Studies Conference in London, England.  

Enter Trip Whitley of Belles and Beaux Dating Service - a family owned and operated business.  At a business meeting to ramp up advertising, the PR firm suggests that Trip needs to be seen dating one woman for an extended amount of time to highlight the match making abilities of the company.  Trip's dad threatens that Trip's role at the company will diminish if Trip doesn't agree to the scheme and show up for an ice skating date on Saturday.  I found this situation a bit hard to believe, but I suspended disbelief and soldiered on.

Despite his anger at being forced into a monogamous relationship, Trip and his best friend Pat visit the Booby Trap for Pat's bachelor party.   Bambi is Trip's waitress and he assumes she is a dingbat and decides to drive his dad and the PR firm crazy by hiring Bambi to be his pretend girlfriend.  How better to get revenge that to be seen dating a hot bimbo?  Trip waits outside for Bambi and presents his idea.  She initially says no, but then realizes the money is exactly what she needs to attend the Women's Conference.  She also decides to use their time together to teach him a lesson about making assumptions about women.  I found it hard to believe that a Ph.D student would have time to worry about teaching a rude man a lesson over a 9 month period (the agreed-upon dating period) and be willing to spend her precious time with a man she can't stand.  

A camera crew follow Trip and Bambi on each of their dates and Bambi feels the requisite "tingle" when Trip touches her calf to help put on her skates on their first date.  On the second date, Bambi meets Trip's judgmental parents and then we meet Trip's long lost love - Madison.  Drama ensues from parental involvement and a misunderstanding/scheme by Madison.  Despite a few other issues, Trip and Bambi end up together for a HAE ending.

I so wanted to like this novel and believe the characters.  But, I didn't.  I don't see real chemistry between Trip and Bambi.  I'm not a fan of the "buy a date" trope, so that does color my reading.