March was a good month. I went kind of crazy and read as much of Susan Elizabeth Phillips as I could. Why the hell did it take me so long to discover this amazing author? I have not got drunk on a back list this bad since the first Lucy Monroe book I read. The same thing happened then that has happened now--I can't get enough! Take a look at the SEP titles I have read, and I'm not done yet, I don't want to be done! Expect next months list to be as full of SEP as this one has been.
Along with the many wonderful books I read in March, I also had 3 DNF's (did not finish)
They were,
The Lover by Robin Schone. The Lover appealed to me when I read the review someone had posted for Nath's re-reach challenge. I fell in love with Annie's Song, which I discovered via the reread challenge, so I thought this would be another good one.
Well, I didn't like it. For the great review and all the raves in the reply, it was a huge disappointment. I stopped reading when the hero licked up the heroine's hymen blood. Ick.
Before that part I had put it down twice because the love scene was odd. It was supposed to be an erotic read but it all came off so forced and uncomfortable.
The Maverick by Lora Leigh. My first ever LL DNF Correction: Wicked Pleasure was a DNF. I forgot about that one :(
Wild Card was fantastic, I loved it! Maverick being the next book in the series I had high expectations for, but I was pretty much turned off right from the first page. The hero/Heroine were always 'destroying' each other. The heroine was attracted to the hero but his tough sexuality is too much for her. The hero is an annoying sort of alpha man. "You are mine mine mine whether you want to be or not. My big penis, rock hard chest, tight ass and sunglasses make it impossible for you to resist me." *thumps chest*
You get what I'm saying, right?
Change the H/H's names and it could have been any other LL book.
The final straw with this book was being reminded over and over again about how plain or ugly the heroine is. Tiring.
The Duchess, Her Miad, the Groom & Their Lover by Victoria Janssen. Out of the three DNF's I had in March, this is the only one that went back into the To Be Read pile.
There was nothing wrong with the story, but I had a problem with the writing style, phrasing and flow. It wasn't easy to follow which started to put a negative spin on the story, so I had to put it down. In a few weeks I'll try to get back into. Normally my DNF's go to the second hand store given away, but this one I will try to read again, I hope.
Here is the list from last month,
1) Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
2) Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
3) Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh
4) First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
5) And to Hold by Pepper Espinoza6) Lady be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
7) After Shock by Jill Shalvis
8) The Zebra wore Fishnets by Pepper Espinoza
9) Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
10) What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
11) Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
12) It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
13) The Vampire's Bride by Gena Showalter
SEP's Kiss An Angel...one of only a dozen books that make up my keeper shelf. Sigh. Loved that one.
BTW - Do you already have Black's Wicked Ties?
I love it when I binge on an author. Makes it so much easier to choose the next book :) Hope you're enjoying SEP :)
3 DNF is not too bad if 1 is going back to the TBR pile :)
Now, I'm torn about The Lover... LOL.
I too read The Lover because of the review for Nath's challenge. :)
This novel was different (than what I'm used to, I should say). But I was really intrigued by this difference and even though I thought the couple "less romantic," they certainly knew each other on a deeper level than most other couples in romance, IMO. It worked for me and I really appreciated this "no-holds-barred" approach.
I guess THE LOVER is the type of book that one either like or dislike (I read many conflicting views). I haven't read anything by Robin Schone yet, but if "licking hymen blood" is anything to go by, I don't think I want to try her books anytime soon.
Wow - definitely a lot of SEPs. I've only read a couple of her books so far, but I quite liked them, IIRC.
Fun read list :)
that stinks about Maverick, i was looking forward to it. Well i am getting it from the library soon, so I will definitely read it from them before i buy it.
Jennifer,
I do have it :)
Nath,
Skip The Lover. I know you, you wont like it.
Taja,
Welcome to my blog :)
Jace,
Oh yes, he was licking it up alright. He new about it it because it was also all over his fingers. Geez, that's gross.
Li,
She is my new favourite author!
Kris,
Do you want my copy of Maverick?
Aww, sorry you didn't like The Lover :). That would have been me that read it for the reread. I guess I kinda forgot about the scene you mentioned. That was kinda icky, but overall, I really liked the book. I guess I like things that are different. Lestat had a similar scene like that in Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice, except he was lapping her monthly. That was really really ewwww! LOL
"drunk on a back list"... such a great phrase! I recently went on a back list bender with Lisa Kleypas.
Thanks for popping over to the site and entering our contest!
Sure, thank you very much. email me at froggykm at gmail and i will get you my addy.