readforpleasure

• Rated 3 stars

“An imaginative tale of an innocent who stumbles into a magical world. The story is fun and full of interesting allusions, but a little insubstantial. I enjoyed the idea of an invisible world around us, but wished the theme were better developed. It was Gaiman’s first novel, and it came from a TV series, so I’d like to read his later books and see what his style has become.

"Neverwhere" is full of allusions to urban legend, Arthurian and Greek legend, fairytales, horror classics.... I enjoyed the references, but many of them felt like superficial flourishes. The allusions that added the most to the story were about London geography and Tube maps, reinforcing the sense of an invisible world beneath our feet.

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/07/neil-gaiman-neverwhere.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Friday, November 9 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Harmony's Way is not my favorite of the series.

Harmony is described as a fearsome killer and all-round alpha-kitty, but she's pretty passive when it comes down to it, and she folds in a crisis. Lance is a great character but underdeveloped.

Overall, the Breeds are a strong series. The drama is overwrought but not purple, and Leigh's voice is exceptionally strong. But don't start with Harmony's Way.

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/06/lora-leigh-harmonys-way-novel-of.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Secret Services is a light read, but stylized and charming, like a Daisy Dalrymple mystery with explicit sex. The 1920s setting is unusual for a romance, and the writing is solid.

Secret Services is set in 1929 England during the buildup to World War II. Much of the book takes place at a "gentry at play" country house party, but the focus is on espionage and romance. Outside the bedroom, the story has the feel of a period film: an attractive couple in a series of gentle high jinks, all in the service of catching a rather inept group of spies.

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/06/margrett-dawson-secret-services.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 1 stars

“"The Gilded Web" is sadly not up to Balogh's standard. It's a re-release, so don't be fooled as I was: "Web of Love" and "Devil's Web" are the same vintage.

Among the problems in this early work:
- Edmund and Alexandra aren't a convincing couple
- Alexandra is utterly flat--no personality
- The dialogue is stilted
- Irritating secondary characters occupy too much of the book.

Balogh acknowledges in a "Dear Reader" letter that:

"The Gilded Web was first published in 1989 -- a long time ago. I was surprised when I read it again recently to discover how much my writing has changed in the intervening years."

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/06/mary-balogh-gilded-web.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“The Wonder Spot is a series of chapters in the life of Sophie. We first meet her at age 12, an ordinary girl growing up outside Philadelphia; the book ends with her near 40 in Manhattan. And that's about it. Banks drags us through Sophie's life, detail by detail, occasionally fast-forwarding a few years. Bank writes well, and I smiled at the occasional turn of phrase, but Sophie is most interesting early on, as a child; the college and adult chapters blur together.

It's hard to get a sense of Sophie as a distinct personality. Her voice is bland, and she doesn't seem to mature or learn from her experiences over the years we observe her. You can pick up the book at any point without losing the thread (or worrying that you've missed something).

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/07/melissa-bank-wonder-spot.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 3 stars

“Landing is a well-written story full of references and allusions. Pros: the main duo aren’t simply stereotypes--they’re nicely fleshed out in their different milieux. Cons: the "odd couple" contrasts are rather heavy-handed, and I don't entirely believe in the romance or the ending.

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/08/emma-donoghue-landing.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“"Hollow Chocolate Bunnies" is as weird as it sounds. Gumshoe detective novel meets Alice in Wonderland meets Noddy in Toyland.

I enjoyed the incongruity of an adult (sometimes very adult) story set in a land of toys. The book stays fast paced and fun. Each time I tired of a plot point or an extended toy joke, the story took a new twist. I'm not sure I'll look for the sequel, but I enjoyed the ride.

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/05/robert-rankin-hollow-chocolate-bunnies.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 1 stars

“"A Wicked Gentleman" is dull. It's too bad, because Nell seems intelligent for the first few pages, and Lord Harry Bonham sounds delish. But the plot is seriously tired.

Nell isn't the most interesting character, but she shines at instantaneous dislike and lying for no good reason. She and Harry keep up a series of empty hostilities, and for 100 pages nothing happens.

The ending is atrocious. Harry has a lightbulb moment: all their troubles can be solved by marrying. I can't be the only reader who thought, "If only they'd thought to get married... you know, back when they were thinking of getting married!"

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/06/jane-feather-wicked-gentleman.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Prince of Ice is my favorite of Holly's erotic fantasy novels. It stands alone, though it's related to her Demon series. The Demon books are set in Victorian/steampunk border towns where humans coexist uneasily with demons (yama); Prince of Ice is set entirely in the yama world.

Prince of Ice is structured as a fairytale. I enjoyed the deliberate anachronisms much as I enjoyed Robin McKinley's "Beauty". The sex is strange and frequent, but much of it's rather sweet, as both Xishi and Cor discover love and lust.

More detailed review here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/06/emma-holly-prince-of-ice.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“A well-written, humorous but sincere story with intelligent characters and smooth plotting. It's a very light, quick read but not empty-headed. I like Jameson's writing, and "Big Trouble" is more interesting and less formulaic than her other romance, "My Hero".

More here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/06/marianna-jameson-big-trouble.html”

readforpleasure wrote this review Sunday, November 4 2007. ( reply | permalink )