Thursday 24 October 2013

Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann

Hot Pursuit (2009) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: mild
Source: library 
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

What promised to be a small, easy job teaching New York’s new Assemblywoman Maria Bonavita some personal safety tips and installing security systems into her office and apartment, was blown out of the window when body parts started turning up. Good job Alyssa Locke and her husband, Sam Starrett of Troubleshooters Inc are on the job – oh, and their 10-month-old baby, Ashton, too.

Monday 21 October 2013

Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas

Worth Any Price (2003) (Piatkus)
Lisa Kleypas
Grade: A
Genre: historical romance
Sex scenes: your fingers will be burning as you turn the pages!
Source: own 
Bow Street Runners: (1) Someone to Watch Over Me, (2) Lady Sophia's Lover

Bow Street Runner Nick Gentry is a rarer breed than the reformed rake: he’s a reformed criminal. Several years ago, he was London’s criminal mastermind, catching and bringing the country’s most wanted to justice faster than the famous Bow Street Runners; now he’s one of them. Forced by circumstances to turn his back on his people and become part of the system, Nick has quickly made a name for himself in being able to solve the most precarious of problems. His latest case goes by the name of Miss Charlotte Howard.

Thursday 17 October 2013

Pretty books and other bookish news ...

No review today, because I am completely swamped. Third year law is hell on Earth, but I'm loving every long night spent glued to my desk, lecturers who speak at triple-speed and page-long reading lists for two-hour seminars; the things I do for my degree.

Instead, I thought I would share with you all my newest literary purchase, amongst other things. I was browsing in Waterstones at the beginning of this week, not with anything particular in mind, but knowing that I wanted to buy something special for myself. I spotted this on the shelf and after a brief internal debate, I couldn't help myself.

This is the new September 2013 hardback edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, illustrated by the very talented Jemima Catlin. This is my first copy of The Hobbit and unlikely to be my last; the lady in Waterstones confessed to owning about five copies, yet still being tempted by this one too! I can certainly see why. Despite first publication almost eighty years ago, The Hobbit is a timeless classic and new editions are only getting more beautiful. I've already got my eye on the Deluxe Hardback editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings!

I saw sample copies of the cover whilst I was interning at HarperCollins, but there weren't any interiors in the office that I could take a peek at. I'm glad that now that I've seen them, it's in my own copy; the illustrations are breathtaking. All illustrations are full-colour and there's at least one per double-spread; some pages have two. In addition, there's a dozen full-page illustrations, including the great dragon Smaug amongst his treasure.


Monday 14 October 2013

Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas

Lady Sophia's Lover (2002) (Piatkus)
Lisa Kleypas
Grade: A-
Genre: historical romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: own 
Bow Street Runners: (1) Someone to Watch Over Me, (2) Lady Sophia's Lover

Sophia Sydney will get her revenge on Sir Ross Cannon. Orphaned at a young age with no money or estate left when their father, the Viscount died, Sophia and her brother John were left to fend for themselves. Sophia eventually landed herself a respectable job as housekeeper for a distant cousin, but John ran off the rails and ended up being sent off on a prison hulk ship, dying of cholera and buried in a mass grave. The man who sent him to his unjust fate? Sir Ross Cannon, Chief Magistrate of the Bow Street Runners, paragon and monk of Bow Street.

Thursday 10 October 2013

Public Secrets by Nora Roberts

Public Secrets (1990) (Bantam USA)
Nora Roberts
Grade: A
Genre: romantic suspense
Sex scenes: mild
Source: own

At three years old, Emma met her father for the first time from her favourite hiding place under the kitchen sink, and fell in love. Taken away from the mother that didn’t love her, to live with her father, Brian McAvoy and his wife, Bev, Emma finally has the chance to flourish. Her father is lead-singer of Devastation, soon to become one of the biggest bands of all time, and quickly, his bandmates Johnno, Stevie and P.M. become her family too. When her father and Bev give her a baby brother, four-year-old Emma’s life is complete.


Monday 7 October 2013

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

200th post! RMMR seems to be hitting a lot of milestones lately - let's hope it continues!

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) (Modern Library Inc)
Baroness Orczy
Grade: A+
Genre: adventure / romance
Source: own
Sir Percy Blakeney: (1) The Scarlet Pimpernel

The year is 1792 and across the Channel in France, the French aristocracy are fast losing their heads in the name of ‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.’ To their rescue is The Scarlet Pimpernel, a dashing English gentleman (so it is said) and his band of equally dashing men, who are saving aristocrats left, right and centre and getting them safe passage to England with the most ingenious of disguises and ruses.


Thursday 3 October 2013

The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

The Defiant Hero (2001) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B++
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: hot
Source: library 
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero,
(3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

John Nilsson and Meg Moore first met in the warzone of Kazbekistan: John was undercover at the US Embassy, and Meg worked there as a translator. The attraction was smoking between them, but Meg was older and married with a young daughter. Several years later and though they’ve lost contact, when Meg holds the Kazbekistani Ambassador at gunpoint, John is the one she calls for.