One Good Book Deserves Another

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Series: Young's Friends, Book 4
Rating: 3 Stars
Length: 320 Pages, 4006 Locations
Formats: Paperback, Kindle



This Demon Wants More Story In Her Story

Reclusive author and demon half-breed Ellina Kostova has been beset by bad luck. Her home has been broken into three times in the past three months, books and research have gone missing, she's received weird phone calls, was almost run over by a car, and got stuck in a cat for several months. But really, besides that cat thing, which personally she blames on her trickster demon brothers, the rest can be written off as consequences of being a famous author and living in New Orleans. Her overprotective big brother, on the other hand, isn't quite so cavalier.

Guess that answers the question of why a demon...even a half demon...needs a bodyguard. Not that Ellina agrees. Not that her brother gives her a choice. Though, really, if she had to be stuck with a bodyguard, the sexy Jude Anthony isn't so bad. He's fun to look at, though that way leads to embarrassing hot flashes, scales, and horns... Yeah, that's a downer. So's the fact that the man's all about business, none too forthcoming about himself, and seems to have a distaste for touching demons. And people wonder why she's reclusive...or against having a strange man in her house loomi...er...guarding over her.

When she's attacked in a public restroom, however, disbelief in a threat all too real evaporates like so much smoke, and having Jude around doesn't seem like such a bad idea. When his seemingly icy behavior starts to melt, and his touch starts to turn from protective to possessive, though, a bigger danger looms large. Jude can protect her body...but who is going to protect her heart?

As a general rule, I don't like jumping into the middle of a series. I'm depressingly linear in my reading habits, and I don't like feeling lost in a book's previously established mythos and backstory. I can say that I didn't have that problem here. The reason for that, though, may be a bigger issue.

It's a perfectly entertaining read. For fans of lighter paranormal romance books, the characters are pleasant enough and their relationship cute enough to appeal. It entertained me on that level. Kathy Love has a breezy and light writing style I found pleasant. Ellina and Jude were likable. They had some nice chemistry. For a romance that was more fluff than substance, I enjoyed it.

That's a good thing, truly, because when I look for substance, it's in very short supply. I'm not sure what the series is like, as I went into this book cold, but What A Demon Wants was lacking on a lot of very critical issues. The world building was virtually nonexistent. There was no exposition about the created mythology, little framework for the world of the paranormals or preternaturals in reference to humans, and no explanation of what demons are, what they do, and what they're capable of doing.

Character development is similarly hampered. The fact that Ellina is half demon is briefly explained, as is her past, her career, and her family issues. None of which is really expounded on or awarded any depth (we're not even given details on that whole cat thing!). Neither is Jude's history, which is lengthy, so I certainly wouldn't expect the blow-by-blow, but it would have been nice to have a clearer idea of how he became what he is, as it's supposed to be impossible.

Plot threads were introduced, then left to dangle. Ellina's brother and his pregnant wife, Ellina's twin brothers, her father, all appear, initiate conflict or opportunity for some development, but are given nothing but cursory attention. The suspense subplot was the most evolved of all the threads beyond the romance, and that ended so abruptly and in such an anticlimactic fashion that I was almost agog. And agog isn't a good look for me.

I liked the romance, I really did. It was cute in an uncomplicated and simple way, with no real conflict or melodrama. A little sexy; a little fun. Everything quickly resolved and mostly feel-good. I appreciate that, because I'm a little burned out on melodrama at the moment. But I'm afraid if you focus on the characters in the romance, you'll notice they're very thinly developed, and if you look beyond the romance to the supporting plot threads you'll see too much potential that went unrealized. There just doesn't seem to be all that much story in this story.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romance
Series: Chinooks Hockey Team, Book 5
Rating: 3 Stars
Length: 384 Pages, 4217 Locations
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle


When he woke up in the hospital after a car accident that almost cost him his life, Mark Bressler knew his hockey career was over. Months later, the slow and incredibly painful rehabilitation process is no more crippling that the dark morass of self pity into which he's slid. Morose and beaten, he's lost everything that ever meant anything to him, and when his team wins the coveted Stanley Cup without him, it almost kills him. All he wants to do is sit in his huge house and be left alone with his Vicodan. The last thing he wants is another team-hired home health worker shoved in his face, doing everything but wiping his butt.

Chelsea Ross isn't in health care. In fact, she's an actress...sort of. Her short, busty appearance has landed her a few rolls as screaming victims in B-grade horror movies, and she's had a few other walk-on rolls in soaps and commercials. After hockey player Mark Bressler had fired, scared off, or offended all six of the health care professionals the team sent to him to help him recover at his home, Chelsea's twin sister Bo got her a shot at going in another direction. For a meager salary but a much-needed ten thousand dollar bonus if she can put up with the surly, rude bastard for three months, Chelsea is determined to use a combination of her acting skills and experience as an assistant to LA's near-elite to put up with him. Even if he is a total Tool.

Broken and wounded, Mark's bitter self pity lashes out at Chelsea again and again. Chelsea grits her teeth and takes it. Neither like each other very much. Or...you know...at all. But the sparks can't help but fly when the unstoppable Chelsea clashes with the immovable Mark, and the longer the friction, the hotter the fire.

Despite the fact that every sports-themed romance series I've read has at least one book centered around the player that can no longer play and the spunky, irrepressible woman who pulls him out of his funk, I didn't mind the plot of Nothing But Trouble. While it lacked originality, it was cute and entertaining, and had a slick, quickly-paced narrative with plenty of sharp back-and-forth dialogue that appealed.

I wasn't always thrilled with Mark, whose self pity wore on me as it progressed long into the book. A portion of his personality is understandable. He lost his career, almost lost his life, and spent months in constant, chronic pain. I can sympathize with that...to a point. Because in the end, its still a light sports romance and should be entertaining. For my tastes, Mark's attitude needed adjustment sooner than it happened here. Chelsea, on the other hand, was at turns enchanting and adorable, with a nice blend of quirky individuality and steady control. I liked her, and frankly, I liked Mark the best when he was interacting with her, though I suppose that's rather the point.

There were plenty of good points through most of the book and I enjoyed most of it as the light, fun read it's intended to be. And then suddenly, things took a less pleasing turn in the final two chapters. The formula of the romance almost demands that moment of exploding conflict between the protagonists, in fact, my overall impression of romances often rests on that conflict and subsequent resolution. The problem for me here was the impetus of the conflict seemed contrived, the conflict itself didn't seem very conflict-worthy, and Mark's reactions seemed inflated.

The resolution compounded the problem. From a story perspective, I felt Mark didn't redeem himself quite enough and Chelsea grabbed for that HEA too quickly despite it. More troubling for me was a perplexing timeline conflict that jarred me right out of the story (details containing spoilers provided below).

I have a fondness for light, sports-themed romances, and most of this book gave me several hours of reading entertainment. A couple of changes here or there and the final two chapters could have easily matched the preceding ones. I'm disappointed they didn't.