Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Tuesday Review: When Hellion Buys Exactly the Right Book
You'll recall a few months ago I purchased a book that I thought was a continuation of another series by a different author--but in lucky fortunstance (yeah, I'm making up words now), it was an AWESOME BOOK, completely debut, and therefore completely sucking me into a brand new series with a brand new autobuy author for me. An Affair With Mr. Kennedy blew my little pirate socks, and I I furtively went around stalking Jillian Stone's author page, dying to know when the next one would come out.
It came out this month--or actually August 28--and the second is just as great as the first, folks. There is no sophomore anxiety of "Nothing could have possibly topped the debut"--the dog hunted. The dog hunted just fine.
A DANGEROUS LIAISON WITH DETECTIVE LEWIS is a delicious confection of romance, action, and suspense, with even more 1890 circa set toys of James Bond and a little Wild, Wild West via London to entertain you. Jillian is an artist--I'm telling you--she had me hooked within a paragraph because the opening scene has to do with two of these agents being undercover outside of a molly house. Talk about a scene grabber!
The men are immediately reassigned to new duties, and our rakish Rafe goes to Edinburgh to protect the daughter of a murdered inventor. The only problem is the heroine, Fanny, isn't going to be as excited to see her ex-fiance who broke her heart five years ago. The truth comes out and the chase begins as these two characters dodge death at every turn.
The story does read in all the good ways of a Wild, Wild West episode and a Robert Downey, Jr version of Sherlock Holmes movie rolled together, all those near misses and great escapes...and a lot of naughty quips to have you laughing even as you're breathing a sigh of relief as they live yet again.
The villain is fascinating--he's not a one-dimensional person who is evil for evil's sake. For a moment or two, you really do wonder who the bad guy really is and how good is technology and innovation if they hurt people in their pursuit of progress?
Best of all, I'm so ramped up for Agent Gunn's book this November, I'm going to go around begging to see if I can possibly get an advanced reading copy...I thought Rafe was sexy, but the scene with Agent Gun--oooh, lah, lah!
So what great books have you read lately? What are you looking forward to this fall? You already know my list...Jillian Stone and MORE Jillian Stone. Help me pass the time until November!
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19 comments:
You're killing me with these books! I'm currently reading Caroline Linden (LOVE her voice) after finishing Eloisa James' latest. But I need to get back to some good Contemporaries. Need to fill the well for what I'm trying to write. Though there is the new Carrie Lofty I really want to read. It's WWII setting with a pilot heroine and (according to Janga) it's spot on with the period details.
Carrie was at our chapter meeting earlier this month talking about this book (and others.) It's called HIS VERY OWN GIRL and here's is where you can find what Janga had to say about it.
http://www.theromancedish.com/2012/09/guest-review-his-very-own-girl.html
I plan to review Caroline next week with other KISS AND TEAL books! The KISS & TEAL program has put out some awesome books for their cause this year!
The Carrie Lofty book looks awesome. I wish there were more WWII books out there!
This book is on my TBR. I read the first and I thought it was great. I just need to find time with the writing and the family to get to it. I think I"m going to start making a "master" TBR for when I finish this rough draft and then just glom on amazing books for like a month.
*Dies of bliss*
I had to stop by and say hello to everyone at Romance Writer's Revenge. You hellions are so awesome!
I rarely comment on a review page, but I feel compelled to thank you for mentioning the villain, Mallory. I worked really hard on him and he is a character that may return one day ;)
And about Agent Gunn...he's a scene stealer! I think Pocket is sending out advanced copies now. I will ask my publicist to send you one! Cross fingers and hope they a have a few left.
Thanks again!
I'm reading Judi Mccoy's first goddess book and enjoying hearing her voice again. I just finished the newest JD Robb and it was cool. And a Simon R. Green book. All good. Fabulous? Eh. But good, yes!
OH, I forgot to answer the question.
Ugh.
I'm waiting on Reisz's THE ANGEL.
And I want Susan EE to tell us when she's coming out with her next book, the second after ANGELFALL.
Sherry Thomas's next is out at the beginning of Oct, TEMPTING THE BRIDE.
As to who I want to get writing faster... Joanna Bourne. *knocks on microphone* Hello, is this thing on? Ms. Bourne? Please, please, pretty please, write faster. Please.
*waves to Ms. Stone* You will hear Hellie's squeal of delight wherever you are when she reads that comments. :)
Marn - Who is Susan EE?
Susan Ee is a self-published author. Her debut, ANGELFALL, came out almost 2 years ago now. I'm waiting for the second. Link to the book is below. It's a mature YA. Definitely HS age stuff. The end of it was pretty chilling. But SOOOO good.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761463275/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0761463275&linkCode=as2&tag=suee-20
Hellie, I love your enthusiasm. Detective Lewis is on my Kindle. I hope to read it next week. You sold me on the series with the first book.
Terri, I especially loved the heroine of Caroline Linden's most recent book. Such a great character!
His Very Own Girl is an extraordinary book. I can't remember the last time I've been pulled so compltely into the world of a book. I swear I could hear the music and the air raid sirens.
I also loved Anna Campbell's Gothicky Beauty and the Beast tale, Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed and Susan Mallery's holiday book, A Fool's Gold Christmas. Great dialogue in this one! Shannon Stacey's new one All He Ever Needed is also a winner, truly a fun read.
Julie Anne Long's A Notorious Countess Confesses (Oct. 30) is wonderful. I highlighted at least a third of the book, I keep going back and rereading snippets. I think Adam may be my favorite Long hero ever. And Miranda Neville's The Importance of Being Wicked (Nov. 27) is also terrific--a scandalous heroine and a stuffy, but deliciously beta hero. It made me laugh and cry. So many good books. I could use Hermione's time turner to add more reading hours to my days.
Marn, I read Sherry Thomas's Tempting the Bride and loved it. No surprise there. But it's a great example of seeing a trope--amnesia--that I don't much like work perfectly in the hands of the right writer. I liked the first two Fitzhugh books better, but TTB is still an exceptional book.
Janga - You make me so jealous when you get these ARCs. *swoons with envy*
Ter - by the way, ANGELFALL just got re-released by Amazon.
But, I looked at Susan Ee's website and it seems like she is taking her sweet time with the sequel. So, maybe I'll stop watching for it.
I was just about to come back and say they just re-released it so I wouldn't hold my breath. LOL!
Yeah. I guess I probably have a year on that one now. Bummer.
Marn, you're going to get some major maxed out bliss when you get to read all the awesome books we've been chattering about! *LOL* Great reward!
Jillian! I'm so glad you could stop by!! Mallory is a great villain--I think pro-villain readers are going to appreciate him. And no kidding about Agent Gunn--I had to fan myself the first time you introduced readers to him. *LOL* I was like, "Oh, he better have a book of his own..."
Mo, your comment makes me sad that we won't have any new stories in Judi's voice, but grateful that we do have the stories we have and that we can share them with others.
I read the Potato Peel Society book...and the book was co-authored, but the main author was a woman who had died before the book came out. Her niece finished up the edits and such on the book--so she's the one you can contact. But the book's voice is so beautiful and lyrical, it just makes me sad it's the only one of its kind. A WONDERFUL BRILLIANT book, but you wish it had a few more to go with it. :) Makes me want to work harder so I have more than one book to share with the world, you know?
Marn, I don't think you're the only one pleading for Joanne Bourne to WRITE FASTER. *LOL*
I've heard of Angelfall. I think it may be at our library. Sometimes I check out books but if they don't grab me right away during the 3 week check out, I return them until I can check them out later when I actually want to read them. (I did that with The Hunger Games before I glommed that.)
Janga, I'm so glad! (And I too am a fan of Caroline Linden's latest heroine! Tessa was a great heroine!)
Okay, referencing a book that isn't out for another month is rather cruel, esp when it's Julie Ann Long. *LOL* Though I understand the highlighting part--I totally wanted to do that with her WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE, and we all know how I feel about dukes in general. :) Though I've had a fondness with them lately with Eloisa James, Caroline Linden, et al. :)
Marn--maybe Susan Ee is grounded until further notice. :)
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