Distracting the Duchess by Emily Bryan

Genre: Historical Romance
Published: 2008
Pages: 306
My Rating: 4.5 stars

 "I'm going to have to shorten his willie." With such witty promise in the opening sentence, Distracting the Duchess does not fail to deliver. It is an amusing romp through the world of art, romance & espionage.

Lady Artemisia, widowed Duchess of Southwycke, shocks polite society in her passion for painting nudes. She is independent, sassy & smart. Knowing society's intolerance of females in business, Artemisia conducts her dealings behind a nom de guerre, Mr. Beddington. 

When Trevelyn Deveridge, the youngest son of an earl, arrives at the Duchess' home masquerading as Thomas Doverspike, Artemisia mistakes him for her new life model & commences work on Mars, the God of War. Looking for an entre to the Duchess' man of business, Trevelyn figures this is as good a way as any to get information but he may just have met his match in the Duchess of Southwycke. 

Emily Bryan's characterisation in Distracting the Duchess is delightful, also a strong point in her 2nd novel, Pleasuring the Pirate (my first read from this author.) I thought the secondary characters were well developed & enjoyable. My one small criticism was the language used to simulate Ambassador Kharitonov's Russian accent; slightly annoying but a very small irritation in the scheme of things. 

The intimate scenes in Pleasuring the Pirate may be a little more polished but I loved the humour & innuendo in Distracting the Duchess. The witty banter between Artemisia & Trevelyn had me laughing out loud & Artemisia's 'naughty' thoughts at the most inopportune moments were downright hilarious & refreshing. 

I'm not knowledgeable enough to cast an opinion on whether Distracting the Duchess' historical details are accurate (as other reviewers have) & I don't particularly care. I read Emily Bryan's novel for the pure, light hearted entertainment value that I'm sure the author intended & the fact that Trevelyn pops into my thoughts after the last page has been turned means the author has done her job, and well! 

Sizzling romance, suspense & intrigue made this one a winner for me. 

I can't wait for my copy of Vexing the Viscount to arrive.

Teaser Tuesdays

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this weekly event.

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

"I was taller before the accident. The fire contracted me like beef jerky during the curing process."

P.56 The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

The Love Bites Reading Challenge

What's not to like??

Paranormal romance; how can I resist

Another challenge; why not

The very cute challenge button; SOLD

All you need to do is read three paranormals with a romantic theme between 1st April and 30th June 2009. That's it! No other rules. Visit Royal Reviews, the host of this challenge for more details.

My first read for this challenge will be Forbidden Magic by Cheyenne McCray

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

My Rating: 4.5 stars Published: 2002 Pages: 291 I actually enjoyed Living Dead in Dallas, the 2nd in this series more than Dead until Dark, hence the 4.5 star rating. Of course you have to embrace the book for its pure entertainment value, if you're looking for literary brilliance you will be sorely disappointed. Living Dead in Dallas is somewhat oddly structured with a main plot that takes up the middle portion of the book & a side plot that works as bookends. Sookie is "hired out" by Eric to Stan, the nest leader in Dallas. With Bill as escort, she must use her telepathic abilities to try and locate a missing vampire. The Dallas trip proves to be a page turning, action packed introduction to other supernatural creatures & a bunch of extremist religious kooks called the Fellowship of the Sun whose mission it is to rid the world of vampires. Living Dead in Dallas is vampire underworld meets hometown 'down & dirty' with a Maenad who feeds on pride & drunkeness thrown in to keep the plot twisting & turning. The story builds to a climatic ending (in more ways than one) with hot & hilarious action between Sookie & Eric. Laugh out loud funny, the orgy scene while grossing me out, had me in absolute stitches. Hope book 3, Club Dead is just as entertaining.

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4.5 stars Copyright: April 2004 Pages: 532 Stolen is gruesome & twisted & I loved it! In this wonderful sequel to Bitten, Kelley Armstrong maintains the intensity, pace & suspense that I thoroughly enjoyed in Women of the Otherworld Book 1. The reader is introduced to an assortment of supernatural beings in Stolen, the new characters & the new location allows for further expansion of the storyline & the exciting 'otherworld' already created. As part of her job in the pack, Elena investigates reports of werewolf activity & illicit mutt action & while following a lead meets with witches Paige and Ruth. Events spiral out of control and Elena is abducted & held by an organisation collecting supernatural beings for research; witches, shamans, half-demons, vampires & werewolves. Elena spends much of the book as a captive in an underground facility but this is by no means all the story; drama, mystery, loss, sadistic baddies, introspective moments & great characterisation makes for a page turning tale. What I did miss in Stolen, was the warmth and further development of the Stonehaven pack story & Elena & Clay's relationship. But as a sucker for 'hot & steamy' the reunion between Elena & Clay after Elena's escape from the bunker more than satisfied my 'romance' requirements. Pensive & vulnerable, passionate & playful; a wonderful combination. I'm looking forward to reading Paige's story in Dime Store Magic, but I have to admit, I have my doubts whether Paige will measure up to Elena. Kudos to Kelley Armstrong for a to-die-for supernatural series.

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Published: 2004

Pages: 416

With endorsements by Charlaine Harris "you'll love this" & Kelley Armstrong "A wonderfully fun romp through the supernatural world, a spellbinding blend of sharp wit and vivid imagination" I was sure I was going to 'lurve' Dead Witch Walking. This was also my chosen March read from the Romance Readers Group so I really did want to love this pick!

The first few chapters I was unconvinced; witches, vampires, demons, pixies, fairies, werewolves, leprechauns, actually I was seriously weirded out. I love the fantasy and paranormal genres but for me the whole concept of Kim Harrison's world took a while to gel, I did however enjoy the author's amusing writing style. Bio-engineering gone wrong; the Angel virus, spread in genetically modified tomatoes greatly decreases the human population, bringing supernatural creatures out of the shadows; except elves (the virus knocked them all off.) After "The Turn" Inderlanders (witches, vamps, pixies, fairies etc) integrate with human society; an imaginative concept but Harrison took some time explaining this new world leaving my brain in a genetically modified 'funk'. Rachel Morgan is an earth witch and runner for Inderland Security (IS), a law enforcement division that brings down law breaking surnaturals. The Federal Inderland Bureau (FIB), is the human equivalent force in competetion with the IS. Fed up with her assignments Rachel leaves the IS with Ivy, a non practising vampire and Jenks, a smart-mouthed pixie. Unfortunately Rachel incurs the wrath of her ex-boss, who puts a contract on her life and most of the book is a relentless, action packed ride of danger and threats to Rachel's life.

While Rachel is the central character she is not the most developed; clueless at times & reckless to the point of self destructive, but I loved the spell crafting side of her character. For me, Jenks was the star of Dead Witch Walking, his sarcastic wit added comic relief to the story much like his smatterings of pixie dust. He quickly moves from pixie body guard to full partner in the Rachel/Ivy/Jenks freelance operation. There is no romance in the book unless you count the slightly kinky flirtation thing happening between Ivy & Rachel. Maybe with the late entry of Nick (questionable human) the scene may be set for romance in future novels. This novel doesn't leave you hanging, the main plot concludes nicely in Dead Witch Walking but there are plenty of loose ends to be tied up in further novels in this series.

I have been told to stick with the series, Dead Witch Walking is the debut novel for Kim Harrison & the first in the Rachel Morgan series. Apparently the 2nd improves and the 3rd and 4th will blow your mind. I just don't know whether an adrenalin junkie witch, fairy assassins and humans wimping out at the sight of pasta sauce is for me.

Magic Study by Maria V Snyder

Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: Study Series #2
Published: 2006
Pages: 400
My Rating: 4.5 stars 

In the sequel to Poison Study, we follow Yelena, in exile, back to her homeland of Sitia where she is to study under the fourth Magician, Irys. 

After a reunion with the family that she hasn't seen since she was kidnapped at the age of 6, Yelena travels on to the Citadel to begin her training; to develop, harness and control her magic. 

The writing in Magic Study is definitely more refined, descriptive without being tedious and on a whole more enjoyable. There were none of the annoyances present in Ms Snyders writing that I found so irritating in Poison Study. 

While the whole magic theme wasn't quite as fascinating as the details on poisons in Poison Study, it was extremely enjoyable nonetheless. 

Once again danger and adventure are Yelena's constant companions so the story moves along at a good pace. Yelena becomes embroiled in the hunt for a rogue magician who is torturing young girls and stealing their souls to increase his own power. This takes place while Yelena is in the process of discovering some unique and powerful abilities. Control of her magic is a slow developing skill, as is the dawning of understanding of the difference between self-reliance, independence & arrogance. 

 I thoroughly enjoyed the appearance of familiar characters from Poison Study in this story, the loveable Ari and Janco and of course Valek. Valek's re-appearance allows the love interest between Yelena & Valek to subtly develop. I wasn't quite as attached to the new cast of characters in Magic Study but I did like Moon Man and the boy Fisk. 

The shortage of characters to love was more than made up for by the inclusion of Kiki, Yelena's horse. Kiki plays an intricate part in Magic Study, she's a delightful addition to the story & the magical connection between Yelena & Kiki touched my heart. 

Yelena's journey in Magic Study is one of growth & self discovery & I can't wait to see what awaits Yelena and readers in Fire Study.

Mistress of the Sun Giveaway

Amy from Passages to the Past is giving away a copy of Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland. Visit her blog to enter this comp... closes March 16th or just visit her fantastic blog on news and reviews of all things historical!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Series: Vampire Academy #1
Published: 2007
Pages: 332
My Rating: 3.5 stars 

Synopsis: St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

My Thoughts:

Vasilisa (Lissa) Dragomir is a Moroi princess, a member of the vampire royalty and her best friend Rose is Dhampir, Lissa's guardian and narrator of this story. 

Rose is fiesty, fiercely loyal, a bit of a flirt & 'shadow kissed.' This proves to be an interesting narrative tool, the rare gift allows Rose to experience Lissa's emotions and also allows the reader to follow Lissa's story. 

 Richelle Mead likes to write about things based in folklore & Moroi and Strigoi are vampires from Romanian mythology. The vamps in Vampire Academy are of three types; Moroi, mortal, well-versed in elemental magic, Dhampirs are half human/half vampire trained to protect Moroi from Strigoi, and Strigoi are the immortal, 'evil undead'. 

This novel blends paranormal fantasy with the contemporary setting of St. Vladimir’s Academy, a boarding school that teaches Moroi to develop their magic and trains Dhampirs in guardian skills. Lissa & Rose ran away from school two years ago for reasons which are revealed later in the book & upon capture by school guardians the two resume life at St. Vladimir's Academy. For me, learning about magic appeared to be a poor second to the trials and tribulations of teen-relevant issues; gossip, bitchy cliques, rumours, parties, drinking and teenage angst. Having teenagers myself, it seemed an accurate portrayal of many older teenagers. There are references to sex (non-explicit) underage drinking, cutting, drugs and the bad language seems fairly typical. 

 This is a YA novel & I can see why many would enjoy the edgy elements to this story but I guess I was hoping for more. I enjoyed Mead's take on vampire society and there was certainly enough action to keep the pages turning but the book was riddled with spelling errors which I found irritating. I really wanted to love this one but ultimately I was a little disappointed. With room for improvement I'm hopeful that Frostbite will sway me to the dark side & continuing on with this series.

Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

Genre: YA Fantasy
Published: 2005
Pages: 361
My Rating: 3.5 stars 

Poison Study is the first person tale of Yelena, a woman sentenced to death for murdering Reyad, the only son of a General Brazzell. With only hours left until her death by hanging, Yelena is brought before the Commander's security chief, Valek & offered a stay of execution...but only if she agrees to become Commander Ambrose's food taster.

The setting for this fascinating story is Ixia, a military dictatorship. Ixia is divided into military districts, each district controlled by a General, all Generals reporting to Commander Ambrose. Magic, once practised in Ixia & Sitia (a country to the south) is outlawed in Ixia after the takeover.

The story was certainly unique but I found Ms Snyder's writing style stilted & choppy, especially early in the book. The uniform descriptions, coloured stars (embroidered or otherwise) identifying residents of different military districts were tedious, bordering on torturous. BUT, once that was covered I really did become caught up in the tale.

Ms Snyder creates wonderful characters, Yelena is smart, resourceful & determined to survive, Valek is intriguing, and I fell in love with Ari & Janco. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the many lethal poisons & Valek's distinctive methods for teaching Yelena the skills required to detect these poisons. The romance was definitely a sub-plot, late in the book & I was a little disappointed that it wasn't developed, it just happened.

All in all this debut novel is an enjoyable read; political intrigue, fighting, murders, powerful magic, poisons & subtle romance. The final pages of Poison Study set the scene for Magic Study & I'm intrigued to learn how Yelena's story evolves.

The Dag's Dictionary by Richard Glover

Having been unwell for a couple of weeks and feeling pretty low, an online visit to the Book Depository and a trip to the second hand book store at Mt Gravatt was in order. Nothing like a bit of book therapy to chase the blues away. I picked up a book I needed for a goodreads reading challenge and a few more books that I didn't actually need but did want. I also found a little book that had me giggling in store (and getting strange looks from other customers) so I bought it for no other reason except it made me laugh. Now I'm not too sure whether this book tickled my fancy because I have a warped sense of humour or whether an overindulgence in cough medicine increased the funny factor or maybe it is just plain funny. Anyway I thought I'd share a couple of highlights from this little book that really cheered me up & you can decide whether there's anything that appeals to your sense of humour.

- "a very funny book of words that should exist - but don't"

Published: 2001

Copyright: 2004

Pages: 160

This is a funny, tongue-in-cheek mock reference book for those who appreciate clever puns or anyone with a warped sense of humour. "With over 300 freshly minted words, The Dag's Dictionary is a hilarious trip into the delicious oddities of human behaviour." Set out in alphabetical order with illustrations splashed throughout.

Testiculation (tes tik' yu lay' shun) n. The male habit of giving one's testicles a quick squeeze or prod at 3 minute intervals throughout the working day, just to check they haven't suddenly disappeared, or been pecked off by wild birds.

Snoregasm (snaw' gaz um) n. The particularly delicious and abandoned moment experienced after you've pressed the snooze button on your alarm clock.

Poultrygeist (pol tree' guyst) n. Any scary man dressed up in a chicken suit

Autopia (or toe' pee ah) n. The sense of joy and elation when you find a vacant parking space right outside the place you need to go.

Forgiftfulness (faw gift' ful nes) n. The pratice of buying the perfect Christmas present in September and then forgetting where you hid it.

Botax (bow taks') n. The percentage of expression lost by those who've had botox injections.

Digger mortis (di gah' naw tis) n. An affliction suffered by council road crews, whereby they appear to be leaning on their shovels, but have in fact died at some point during the day.

Clarifart (kla ri' faht) n. To move your bum on a vinyl office chair or leather couch in order to produce yet another farting sound, so that everyone might understand that the first alarming noise, produced a moment ago, was not an actual fart.

Pantsformation (pants' for may' shun) n. The ability of a pair of pants to transmogrify into something hideous and the wrong size, once you get them home from the shop.

Male-adjusted (mayl' ad jus tid) adj. Pertaining to the male belief that the more of the product you use the better will be the result, whether it's washing powder, shampoo or Viagra.

Horrorgami (hor ah' gah mee) n. The vain attempt to re-fold a road map back the way it came, especially in high wind or while still driving.

Kindyscretion (kin dee' skre shun) n. The loud, inappropriate, but usually truthful comment that your child makes at the worst possible moment. For example, are you doing a poo mummy (while in a public toilet)

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

My Rating: 5 stars Published: 2001 Pages: 448 What a great debut novel. A strong plot with an edginess that really works & great characters with realistic flaws. Kelley Armstrong's writing has personality & character, and a darker tone than many paranormals I've read but Elena's childhood experiences and the betrayal she endured as an adult makes this slightly darker tone seem quite appropriate. The book is narrated in first person by Elena, a humanly flawed, tough, passionate, sarcastic character. Elena, the only female werewolf in the world (this is not as trite as it sounds) has abandoned her pack to pursue a life among humans. In 'Bitten' there are two types of werewolves; born & bitten. There are no 'born' female werewolves as the werewolf gene passes from father to son & Elena is the only woman ever to survive being bitten. The Pack calls Elena home to help them fight an alliance of rogue werewolves (mutts) and although Elena is obliged to rejoin her family, she is determined not to be swept up in Pack life again, no matter how natural it feels. I would not have said I was a huge werewolf fan (until now) but I loved Armstrong's fresh take on werewolves. Any werewolf that does not belong to a Pack is a 'mutt'. Pack wolves live under a strict heirarchal system, they protect each other & abide by a moral code. Mutts live on their own, hence answering to no-one & they don’t hold territory, so therefore they experience none of the compulsions of pack werewolves to protect their existence from the human race. Armstrong's werewolves are a wonderful blend of subtlety, balance & raw animal instinct, in other words I found them quite believable. They age more slowly than humans, but are not immortal. They are stronger than the average human, can run faster & heal more rapidly but they can be killed the same as any non-supernatural being; no silver bullets here. Certain werewolves have empathic and even telepathic bonds with one another but the connection is really no more supernatural than the bond between twins. The sex is not gratuitous, it is used to explain the complexity & evolvement of Elena's relationships within the human & werewolf species and without giving anything away, I did find one aspect of this a little confronting. I also struggled with the dynamics between Clay & Elena. Clay betrayed Elena when they were lovers at college, biting her & forcing her into life as a werewolf, & as an adult human with additional trust issues. Far from turning me off, these elements added to the story's realism and believability for me. I liked the pace of Bitten and the action packed plot but I particularly loved Elena's search for her true self. I've already ordered Stolen, the next in the Women of the Otherworld series.