A Week to be Wicked had top-notch humor and steam, both plentiful even early on, so it definitely earned my approval and recommendation. Summary from Goodreads: “Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove’s confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be…anywhere but Spindle Cove. These unlikely partners have one week to • fake an elopement • convince family and friends they’re in “love” • outrun armed robbers • survive their worst nightmares • travel […]
In which I remember what good urban fantasy feels like
While impatiently waiting for the newest Kate Daniels book to come off hold at the library, I remembered that Ilona Andrews doesn’t have just one urban fantasy series, and that The Edge series in particular was recommended to me. So, I dove in. Goodreads summary: “Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic […]
A picture is worth a thousand words
It seems ironic to choose this cliched aphorism as a title to compliment a book, but Anna Gavalda wrote this novel as if she were painting. Hunting and Gathering has, ostensibly, no plot; it’s a character piece, a window into the lives of four main characters living together in Paris over the course of a few months, and a loving observation of their relationships and effects on each other. One of the main characters, Camille, is, herself, a painter. She’s very talented, and her portraits are […]
When matricide isn’t an option
Bet Me had a pair of horrible, horrible mothers. I finished the book a few weeks ago, and moreso than many other details, the utter heinousness of both the hero and the heroine’s mothers sticks with me. I’ve met supercilious and cold women like the hero’s mother, so she was at least someone who I believe exists on the planet, but Minerva Dobbs — our heroine — is cursed, having been born of the nastiest caricature of a human. If this story is to be […]