The Bequest by Candice ProctorThis book was quite a disappointment. My first and only Proctor (excluding her new mystery) was Night in Eden which I absolutely adored. So I had high expectations on this one choosing not to believe all the negative things I had read about it. Well, damn, everyone was right. It wasn't horrible but the plot and characters were just so trite. The virgin inherits a whore house (of course, a virgin) who wants to turn it into a school (yeah, right), the hooker with a heart of gold, the evil villain, the dark hero. It all seemed so ordinary and flat. Even the dialog was hackneyed and had me rolling my eyes. What a contrast to NIE's unusual setting, wonderful 3-D characters and interesting plot. TB wasn't bad but I expected so much more.
My grade: C
Granite Man by Elizabeth Lowell
This was CLASSIC Lowell with an uber-alpha jerk. I used to really LOVE these male characters she writes but I think I have grown up because I wanted to kick his a** at
My grade: D
Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer CrusieLight and fluffy with a bit of suspense. The funny snappy dialogue along with the adorable dogs made this book a fun read. This was your typical story of heroine whose life is in danger and hero cop moves in with her to keep her safe. I wasn't too crazy about the ditzy heroine. The cop hero was only OK until he does something that just melted me. He sees a filthy starving stray dog, buys a hamburger and coaxes him to eat. He takes the stray home to the heroine, just because he knew that's what she would want. He had me right there. I have a huge soft spot for big macho guys who are kind to animals.
My grade: B-
Dark Knight by Donna KauffmanThis book starts out very well. Heroine is the commander of a special forces group (Dirty Dozen - silly name) and she breaks into a cabin to neutralize a possible threat to their most recent operation. This threat is a gorgeous hunk asleep naked in the cabin's only bed. After a brief tussle she injects him with a drug and handcuffs him to the bed. This guy is no dummy and manages to turn the tables on her. In between there is lots of very witty dialogue and I really liked both characters. Somewhere around the 2/3 point when they both start revealing their pasts to each other, it started getting boring and lost its freshness. Too bad, there was lots of good potential. Very steamy too.
My grade: C
8 comments:
Gah. I used to have a masochistic thing for that kind of hero too. Thank goodness we grow up, right?
Yeah, web, that's probably why I have given up on E. Lowell.
Even though you didn't like The Bequest that much, you still have to give Whispers of Heaven a read. It's wonderful! And Lowell has written some heavy handed heroes hasn't she? I read and enjoyed the Cruise but now that Kauffman looks kind of interesting. I haven't seen it around here. Who is the publisher?
I think the Kauffman is an old Loveswept or similar line. I saw it at the UBS the other day.
Yes, it is a Loveswept #882. She used to write those and I have one in my keepers that I just love. Looking it up.... Surrender the Dark, LS #760. It's also a cabin romance like this one. Very dark, loved it. I feel a need to re-read. I have Whispers of Heaven in my TBR and have heard so much wonderful stuff about it. I should go dig it out.
Night in Eden is by far my favorite Proctor, The Bequest is my least favorite, though I liked it a little better than you.
Lowell--that whole series does not age well, falls into the Linda Howard All That Glitters category, painful.
Getting Rid of Bradley--I read that when it was new, way back when, I've since given up on Crusie, should I be whispering that??--LOL.
Never read Kauffman and I guess I wont start with this one.
NIE was excellent, wasn't it?
Lowell's newer stuff isn't quite as bad but I gave up at Die in Plain Sight. No more Crusie? I'm a bit surprised but then her humor doesn't always work for me so I can understand.
If you can find a copy of Kauffman's Surrender the Dark you must try it.
hee I only read lowell's older stuff ;) No clue why, I am the first to say they are assholyaphanotnearlyenoughgrovel men
But they amuse me, never read the RS stuff. Hmmm well I did read Amber, Jade and uh the other. Those are the newest books of hers I have read. The only one that completely pissed me off was To the End of the Earth.
The Bequest is by far not her best but I recall liking it much more than you. hee I should reread. NiE and WiH are the other two I have read and are fab.
Never read crusie but I do plan to... No Kauffman either, I would prolly like StD :)
I am peachy with never growing up *g*. Then again I would never date a lowell hero, go figure. hmmm well it would depend on how you defined date. LOL I am shutting up now...
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