Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Do you slow down to look at an accident as you drive by? Do you watch The Weather Channel with excitement as a large hurricane bears down on a coast... and get disappointed if it loses steam before it hits? Are you a fan of disaster movies? Were you bummed when they cancelled Jericho? Did you stock up on canned goods for New Years 2000? If you can answer yes to any of the above, I have the series for you.

Miranda Evans is 16 years old. She's a normal teen looking forward to summer and getting her drivers license. Nothing much exciting happens in her Pennsylvania hometown so everyone is excited about the asteroid that is supposed to hit the moon. Teachers are giving moon-related homework and most of the town is planning to be outside to watch it happen. The astronomers are saying it's no big deal. Asteroids hit the moon all the time. Except this time... something went wrong. The impact forced the moon even closer to the Earth and all hell broke loose... tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions.

The book is written in journal style by Miranda and reminds me very strongly of Anne Frank. Although this is a fictional story, you can't help but see the similarities of two naive girls fighting for survival as the world falls apart around them. It also makes you think long and hard about the what-if's. Could this really happen and, if so, would I be prepared? Also food for thought... the harsh reality of the survival of the fittest, the have's versus the have-not's, family before strangers, where is the safest state to live, and is it ok to steal to survive? Who knew the moon could be this important? I know I'll never look at it the same way again.

BEST FEATURE: The plot. It sucked me in so hard I actually contemplated stocking some extra canned goods in the basement. You never know.

WORST FEATURE: Miranda's annoying habit of reporting what each meal was. When starvation is a real threat, food is obviously going to be an obession. Although mentioning it helped contribute to the realism, there could have been less of it.

PARENTAL WARNING: no real sex or violence to speak of, but death is a constant theme; appropriate for teens

RATING: 4 - Totally addictive.

The Lady Chosen by Stephanie Laurens

The first book in a series, this story introduces seven of London's most eligible bachelors (all former spies recently returned from the war) who form the Bastion Club. The purpose of this gentlemen's club is to provide a refuge from society and support for their search for acceptable brides on their own terms.

Tristan Wemyss, Earl of Trentham, has a more urgent need to marry than his comrades. If he doesn't marry within a year from when he inherited his title, he will keep the title, estates and numerous elderly dependents, but without the wealth to maintain them. Although he could care less about the title and its associated perks, Tristan's genuine affection for his relatives leaves him no choice but to honor the stipulations of his inheritance. As luck would have it, Tristan quickly discovers an appealing candidate living next door to the Bastion Club's headquarters where he is overseeing its renovation.

Leonora Carling is intelligent and independent. Past disappointments have taught her how to manage on her own. She wouldn't know how to ask for help even if it occurred to her to ask for it. That all changes after a series of attempted break-ins at her home cause her to seek assistance from Tristan. He is more than happy to help since he doesn't like the idea of Leonora being in danger and it offers him an opportunity to press his suit for her hand. Leonora may be stubborn, but Tristan excels at getting what he wants.

I like this book a lot better than the other one I've read by this author (Captain Jack's Woman). If you can get past the way too convenient plot device of seven men inheriting titles after the untimely demise of the title holders and/or their heirs, this is a promising series. When I compare it to the other book, the plot is better and the characters are more likeable. The writing style is still pretty jerky which is annoying, but sticking with it to the end was worth it.

BEST FEATURE: The mystery behind the break-ins. Who was the thief and what was he trying to steal from Leonora's house? The answer was never really obvious.

WORST FEATURE: The writing style. There were too many half and incomplete sentences which made reading difficult. Examples include:
- She hauled her gaze back up to his eyes. Blushed.
- Faint light from the distant hallway reached him as he closed the door, turned, straightened.
- Knew absolutely that it was only partially due to surprise. Sensed his own response to that fact. Ruthlessly reined it in.

PARENTAL WARNING: minor violence, but sexual content explicit enough to be considered adult only.



RATING: 3 - A solid start for a romance series.

Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

Beatrix is the youngest and quirkiest of the Hathaway siblings. Most of the time she prefers the company of animals to that of people. That might explain her unmarried state even though she's in her mid-twenties. She knows she should marry, but since all of her siblings married for love, Beatrix can't bring herself to settle for just anyone. When Beatrix's friend, Prudence, refuses to write back to a suitor who is a soldier away at war, she takes pity on the man and writes the letter for Prudence. When the soldier writes back, Beatrix continues the correspondence using Prudence's name and falls hopelessly in love with him in the process.

Captain Christopher Phelan was a shallow rake when he left for war, but the experiences of death and suffering have changed him. He knows that he would not have made it through the war without the letters from his beloved Prudence. When Christopher returns home as a hero and starts making plans to marry Prudence, he is disturbed by his reactions to his neighbor, Beatrix Hathaway. He used to think she was odd, but now there is a strange attraction. And for some reason, Prudence does not seem to remember what she wrote him in her letters. Chistopher is in love with the woman who wrote the letters, but he's no longer sure who that is.

Beatrix was my least favorite Hathaway, but this book changed that. I think this might be the best Lisa Kleypas book I've read to date. Kleypas writes the best quips of any writer I've ever read and older brother Leo's dialogue was especially entertaining. Of course, he usually runs away with his scenes. The part that really nailed it for me was the letters between Beatrix and Christopher. The progression of their feelings felt just right and who doesn't like the notion that someone could fall in love with who you are, sight unseen.

BEST FEATURE: The letters between Beatrix and Christopher.

WORST FEATURE: The simplification of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Don't get me wrong, I applaud the author's use of this plot device since it would have been unrealistic for a soldier to come back unchanged after experiencing war. It's also a timely topic given Iraq and Afghanistan. The problem was that the book seemed to imply that the love of friends and family could quickly resolve the symptoms. But that's the good and the bad of a romance novel, love and happy endings are not always compatible with reality.

PARENTAL WARNING: Minor violence and sexual content that isn't overly explicit.

MY RATING: 5 - If you're a fan of romance novels than you need to read the Hathaway series.

Captain Jack's Woman by Stephanie Laurens

Kathryn "Kit" Cranmer was raised to be a lady, but her rebellious streak and habit of dressing like a young man frequently land her in situations no well-bred lady should ever be in. Such as leading a gang of smugglers, just to name one example. Her success as a smuggler results in Kit crossing paths with the leader of a rival smuggling gang, Captain Jack.

Captain Jack is actually Jonathon, Lord Hendon... the High Commissioner appointed to stop the smuggling activity in the area. Since spies are one of the things being smuggled in and out of the country, Jack allows the illegal activity to continue so that they can trail the spies back to their source. In order to accomplish this, Jack needs total control of the smuggling in the area which means that he either needs to put a stop to Kit's gang or incorporate them into his own group. A power struggle is inevitable between these two strong personalities and, when Jack discovers that Kit the lad is actually Kit the young woman, he'll end up pursuing more than just spies.

This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Laurens and I wasn't overly impressed. The story is interesting and there are numerous sex scenes that practically scorch the pages they're written on, but the book is too long and the main characters were annoying. Jack is a bit of a sexist brute, but you could write that off as being historically accurate. It's Kit's character that ruins this book for me. She is spoiled and self-absorbed and her inability to maintain a coherent thought when Jack is touching her should be insulting to females everywhere. I have never hated a female literary character this much. Even Scarlett O'Hara had some redeeming qualities.

BEST FEATURE: The sex scenes. They were explicit enough and frequent enough to meet my romance requirements.

WORST FEATURE: Kit. Here's hoping that this character does not resurface in any other books I decide to read by this author.

PARENTAL WARNING: minor violence, but sexual content explicit enough to be considered adult only.

RATING: 2 - For die-hard romance lovers and Stephanie Laurens fans only. A friend recommended this author so I will be checking out the Bastion Club series next to see if I like them better.

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

This is the third book in a series that started with The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. This series does not follow a family so much as it follows a character from the prior book. In this case, the book follows Sebastian Grey who was the cousin of the romantic hero in the second book. Sebastian is handsome, charming, well-liked and the presumptive heir of an earl. If Sebastian's uncle, the current Earl of Newbury, has anything to say about it, he will never inherit the title, however.

After the unexpected death of his only son, the earl has been trying to find a new bride in order to produce another heir. The earl thinks he's found the perfect bride in Annabel Winslow, what with her wide hips and large family. It also does not hurt that her family is low on funds and getting desperate. Annabel does not want to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather and who probably had relations with her grandmother. Things get even more complicated when Sebastian and Annabel meet and become attracted to each other before they learn each other's identity. It's one thing to spurn an earl for another man and something else entirely when the other man is the earl's much-despised nephew. Sebastian does not care if he ever becomes an earl, but in the tug-of-war over Annabel, he intends to be the winner.

I really liked the plot in this story and Sebastian's character stole all of his scenes in the last book so I had high expectations for this one. Unfortunately, the book fell a little flat. Even though it was still a good read and it reveals a secret about Sebastian that I was not expecting, something was missing. Sebastian was an outstanding supporting character, but when the spotlight was on him alone, he didn't shine nearly as brightly.

BEST FEATURE: Sebastian's secret and no, I'm not going to tell you what it is.

WORST FEATURE: The incredible shrinking Sebastian. He wasn't half the man he was in the book that introduced him. What a pity.

PARENTAL WARNING: sexual content that is not overly explicit.

MY RATING: 3 - The Bridgerton Series is a tough act to follow.

Married By Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Married By Morning is the 4th book in the Hathaway series which itself is a companion for Lisa Kleypas' wallflower series. With three of the five Hathaways happily married, it's older brother Leo's turn. After losing his fiance to a fever when he was younger, Leo swore he would never fall in love again and marriage to have an heir was not high on his list either.

However, there are a couple of obstacles in the way of Leo's permanent bachelorhood. Due to a bizarre twist in his inheritance, Leo has to marry and produce a son within five years of inheriting his title or the manor house that he and his family had lovingly remodeled into a home would revert back to his predecessor's widow and daughter. That would leave them the manor house that was originally part of the estate. Uninhabitable would be an understatement. But the biggest obstacle is his younger sister's companion, Catherine Marks. Leo and Catherine have fought like cat and dog since the day they met, but lately, there has also been a growing attraction that has been difficult for both of them to deny. Leo does not want to give in to it because he's afraid to love again and Catherine is afraid that a secret from her past will damage the Hathaway family. Will love overcome their fears?

This is another favorite series of mine. Lisa Kleypas writes some of the best Romance dialogue. I was really looking forward to this book because the antagonizing banter between Leo and Catherine was always one of the highlights in the other books they appeared in. Although I knew this day was coming, it was a little sad to see the verbal battles slowly being replaced by romantic interludes. All good things must come to an end I guess... even this series. There is only one Hathaway sibling left so savor this family while you can.

BEST FEATURE: The dialogue between Leo and Catherine... especially before they admitted to themselves that they were in love.

WORST FEATURE: The premise behind Leo having to get married to save the family home. It was complicated and confusing and, since it was not the reason Leo wanted to marry Catherine, it was ultimately unnecessary. This plot device only works when the couple marries for convenience and then discovers they love each other.

PARENTAL WARNING: sexual content explicit enough to be considered adult only.

MY RATING: 4 - Another great book in a must-read Romance series.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

**SPOILER ALERT** DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOKS 3 & 4.


The fifth book in The Vampire Academy series begins where the last book left off. Rose is back at St. Vladimir's Academy to complete the trials for becoming a guardian. Although she managed to escape Dimitri, her former lover and now enemy, he has stayed in contact via letters threatening that when Rose graduates and leaves the academy's protective wards, he will hunt her down and kill her. Dimitri has reached the conclusion that they can't be together as he had hoped, but despite Dimitri's death threats and her feelings for new boyfriend Adrian, Rose still has hope. A slim beyond-a-longshot hope. Rose has heard that the brother of the man she put in prison is a spirit user who has brought a Strigoi back to life. She intends to find this man and learn the secret of restoring a Strigoi to life so she can do it to Dimitri, no matter how many lines she has to cross. Rose's best friend, Lissa, has agreed to help even though she has a few concerns of her own.

This book is about Rose's obsessive journey to do the impossible. This girl needs to get herself some impulse control. I won't ruin it by telling you if her plan succeeds, but I will say that, in the end, she ends up in the world's biggest mess. Now I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens. Things do not look good for our heroine.

BEST FEATURE: The ending. Talk about cliffhangers. The wait for the next book is going to be excruciating. Release date December 7, 2010 people!

WORST FEATURE: The agony of the love triangle. Most of the time, I have a clear favorite. Since I can't choose between Dimitri and Adrian, I don't know how Rose will manage it.

PARENTAL WARNING: Violence and minor sexual content; appropriate for teens.

MY RATING: 4.5 - The hits just keep on coming.