Quickie Reviews

Here are some more short reviews. These short reviews won’t be forever, but like I said, “I’m waging a war on my TBR pile.” And so far I’m winning…I think.

Sinful Surrender by Beverly Kendall

Blurb taken from Beverley Kendalls’ official website:

Millicent “Missy” Armstrong is entering her fourth London Season, but not for lack of suitors. Since her debut three years ago, Missy has received twenty marriage proposals. But she is interested in only one man—her brother’s best friend, James Rutherford. As a child, Missy looked up to James. As a grown up, her admiration has blossomed into the longings of a beautiful, sensuous woman—and she won’t rest until James admits his love—and desire—for her…

James Rutherford rues the day he let his physical weaknesses get the better of him by kissing Missy. His best friend has made it clear that Missy is off limits, and though he’s avoided her for three years, he hasn’t forgotten the feel of her soft lips pressed against his—and it seems neither has she. For no matter how much James tries to discourage Missy, he keeps winding up in her arms, sharing heated caresses that promise the most delirious pleasure…

Sinful Surrender is Beverly Kendell’s début book from Kensington. IMO, 2010 has already started off with a bang with some great releases. I’m firmly putting Sinful Surrender in that category. 😀

Missy Armstrong has loved James Rutherford since she was a young girl, and without any qualms, she knows that he is her man. And by golly, she is going to get her man. Awesome!

Missy is very determined to get James and James is equally determined that he will NOT get entangled with his best friend’s sister. I felt like hitting Thomas, Missy’s brother, across the head. I was like: Dude, can you not see the sparks between these two? He’s your best friend. Give him some credit.

Sinful Surrender is a great read, and it has oodles of sexual tension. Even though the heroine is very young and some of her actions might come across across as immature, I didn’t get annoyed with her. Her character was so well written that I believed in her actions. She is also steadfast in her love for James which I admired. However, she doesn’t chase James throughout the book; if she did, then I would have been annoyed – especially after James acts like a complete dolt to make her stay away. Missy learns that her loving him alone is not enough, and she soon learns that James is far from perfect, and she starts to think more pragmatically about him.

Each character that’s central to the story has their own personality, and I can’t wait for Thomas’ book to see how his HEA turns out with the sharp tongued Ameila – who really ruffled his feathers. 😀

I give it 4.5 out of 5.

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

I’ve had this book in my wishlist since it first came out, but it never made it into my TBR pile until a certain K.C Malone from Smokinhotbooks twisted my arm ever so painfully and told me that I HAD to get this book.

So I did. 😀

Blurb taken from Leanna Hieber’s official website:

What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death…

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is a beautifully written love story that’s very unique. It has a haunting lyrical prose, and I eagerly gobbled up the words. The heroine, Percy Parker, is an albino and all of her life she has had to endure stares, and whispers from others because of her looks. Yet Miss Percy Parker doesn’t see her unique beauty, what she does see is strange visions and ghosts.

This book is chock a block full of unique and strange paranormal events that were original, and kept me glued to the pages. The romance between Alex and Percy is sort of a forbidden romance because he is a professor and she a student.

Percy is quite timid, and Alex is sort of over-bearing, but their romance was very sweet and at times angsty, but it’s a good sort of angst IMO. 😀

My one quibble is that I don’t think enough attention was given to the evil baddies, so I hoping there will be more development in regards to them in the second book.

I give The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker 4.5 out of 5.

The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus

Blurb taken from whsmith.co.uk:

When 13-year-old Picky’s Mum forces her to look after Gran, who has dementia, she is accidentally locked in Gran’s dusty old attic. There she finds a chest full of old clothes, and tomboy Picky is forced to don what appears to be a ball-gown when the freezing night temperatures hit. As soon as the dress is pinned together, Picky is transported back to the year 1700, where a man who appears to know her as Amelia is trying to kill her. Managing to get the dress off just in time, Picky returns to the present with the dress covered in blood. Did the man kill the girl called Amelia? Will wearing the other dresses in the chest take her back in time too? And will she be in danger again should she try it?

The premise of this book is very interesting, and it’s what made me accept the book for review. Unfortunately, it ended up being a DNF. The reason it’s a DNF for me: The heroine’s voice didn’t capture my attention and I found Picky to be irritating. Her constant ‘no, seriously’ got very annoying and some of the remarks she makes regarding adults were just off. Being 13 doesn’t mean you get a pass on being rude.

While the tone of the book has an English slang that’s very original, I found myself getting bored reading The Dresskeeper. IMO, it wasn’t engaging enough and the premise sounds better than the actual execution of the book.