Book Review - Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

I LOVE discovering wonderful authors that are new to me! I finished Victoria Dahl's Good Girls Don't earlier today and I am still smiling over how much I liked this book.  In fact, I;'ve already gotten the second and third books in this family trilogy.

Good Girls Don't is the love story between Tessa Donovan and Luke Asher.  Tessa and her two brothers, Jamie and Eric, run a family brewery together.  When the brewery is broken into, Tessa meets, and is immediately attracted to Luke.  He happens to be one of the detectives in charge of their break-in.  He's also an old college party buddy of her brother Jamie's.

Both Tessa and Luke have serious abandonment issues but for radically different reasons.  Due to said issues, both are quite afraid to leave and practically unable to trust.  This doesn't stop the immediate attraction they both feel for one another, though.  They begin what they both assume will be casual dating and quite a bit of lust.  And almost immediately, these two stubborn and scared people begin to fall for one another.

Tessa and Luke's story is sweet, sexy and at times sad.  I completely fell for these characters and Tessa's brothers, too.  If you want wonderful story telling with heart and spice - pick up this book by Victoria Dahl.   Oh, and I've already begun Jamie's story, Bad Boys Do. 

Book Review - The Expats by Chris Pavone

The Expats by Chris Pavone is a debut work of fiction.  I heard and read so much about this book before it was even released and the plot captured my curiosity immediately.  A lot of people were saying they were number 56, 27 and other random, high-numbered places on the library waiting list.  So, imagine my surprise when I put it on hold at my library and immediately got the book.

I have to admit that I am often let down by books that receive so much hype.  I liked The Expats, though.  However, I am not entirely sure how to review this book.  You see, this story of an expatriate family living in Luxembourg is so full of twists and turns that I really don't want to give anything away.  The book is written, and the story told, in a clever way that definitely had me turning pages.  Kate and Dexter Moore (this name initially bugged me as it's too close to Dexter Morgan but that's just minor on my part) are both deeply involved in their careers and yet neither spose knows the truth about the others work. 

It's Dexter's work that takes the family to Luxembourg and initiates Kate giving up hers.  While it's true that the wives in Luxembourg don't seem to work - it was no easy feat for Kate to walk away from a career that consumed her to the exclusion of truth in her marriage.  The thing is, this is true for Dexter, too.  While this didn't concern Kate at home in Washington D.C. she becomes very suspicious and almost distrustful in Luxembourg.  The reader is left to wonder if her suspicions are founded or the result of some boredom on Kate's part with their new life.  She is certainly not content being a housewife and stay-at-home Mom.

As the story continues, you realize that Kate and Dexter are neck deep in a giant mess.  Some of it is legal, some is not; some of it is of their doing and some is them being manipulated like puppets.  This really is a good story.  I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed.  Which surprised me because the book is lush in detail including much of the European landscape that had me feeling as if I were actually there.  Then it just ended and I was left wondering and wanting a little more.  Overall though, it's a book worth reading.

Book Review - The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne by Madeline Hunter

A year ago, I had not read a book by Madeline Hunter.  Now, I love her and have realized that she will be an automatic read for me when she has a new book.  This was the case with her new book, The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne.  At the end of February I found myself wondering if Ms. Hunter had a new book coming out and went to look at her website.  I was delighted to discover that there was a new book and it came out on March 6th.

Emma Fairbourne is the daughter of an auction house owner, Maurice Fairbourne, who has recently passed away.  With her father dead and her brother presumed dead - something Emma refuses to accept - she is left to run the family business.  Of course, she lives in a world where a woman running a business would be quite frowned upon.  So she devises a plan with one trusted friend and an equally trusted, but reluctant, colleague to run the auction house herself.  Naturally her plan is almost immediately put the test.

The test appears in the form of Darius, the Earl of Southwaite.  Emma learns that he and her father were in actuality, business partners.  With her father's untimely death, the Earl of Southwaite wishes to sell the auction house.  This is completely unwelcome news to Emma and she does her best to outwit Darius and his unwanted plan.

At first Emma and Darius barely tolerate one another.  Before long though, there are sparks of attraction flying between them.  Now they are faced with not only what to do about the auction house but what to do about one another.  This is a wonderful book and I adore Emma and Darius as a couple.  There are also secondary characters in the book who I assume will be featured in the coming installments of The Fairbourne Quartet.  I believe most who enjoy a historical romance will enjoy The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne.

Book Review - Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb

To those who know me - in real-life and through book blogging - I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I've read Celebrity in Death, the latest in J.D. Robb's near future homicide detective procedurals.  I have to say that the book did not disappoint at all.  Every thing I love about this series was present; the ever-evolving relationships amongst the characters, a great murder mystery and of course, the love between Eve and Roarke. 

In this 34th installment of the series - there is a movie being made about an earlier case that Eve, Peabody and the rest of the cast worked tirelessly to solve.  Now, the Icove case is being made in to a major Hollywood movie - much to Eve's dismay.  Fortunately, she is generally all right with the way the movie is coming together although it does creep her out a bit.  And the majority of the cast are decent people.  Of course, there is the bad apple, K.T. Harris, the actress playing Peabody.

Harris turns up dead in the pool at a party given by the movie big wigs.  A party Eve, Roarke, Peabody, McNab and Dr. Mira were all attending off duty.  Of course, being off-duty does not prevent the case from becoming theirs.  And while they turn up a lot of bad stuff about Harris - she is still their victim.  They do not stop until they solve her murder.

The book is written with Robb's trademark humor and insght into the human condition.  This is a stellar installment into a strong series.  One that I recently learned Robb plans to continue for the long haul.  Personally, I am very happy to know this as I completely adore the characters within this series.

Book Review - A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie is the story of Detective Inspector Duncan Kincaid's week long holiday at a Yorkshire time share.  The location seems ideal and peaceful at first.  And while Kincaid does feel out of his element - he is trying to embrace the country slow life and enjoy his holiday.  He visits the local village, takes a hike and even meets the other residents in residence that week at the time share.

The second morning of Kincaid's vacation dawns bright and full of promise.  Deciding to go for an early morning swim - he discovers a dead body floating in the jacuzzi.  The local police chock the death up to a suicide but Kincaid thinks otherwise.  Soon, once another body shows up dead, he is certain that there is a killer among the people currently at the time share.

Kincaid spends the remainder of his vacation getting to know the residents and employees of the time share and tries to ferret out the killer.  This book is full of interesting twists and I was a little surprised by the identity of the killer.  I also loved the English setting of the book.  I'm curious enough about the main characters to give the next book in this series a go.

Book Review - A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

Phoebe Swift is the protagonist in Isabel Wolff's A Vintage Affair and she is emotionally struggling through every day.  She had a successful and thriving career at Sotheby's London working with and auctioning off vintage clothing, she had a loving fiance' and a lifelong best friend who was always there for her.  Then an un unthinkable tragedy occurs and Phoebe's life as she knows it is forever over.

Lost in her own world, Phobe sets about opening her own vintage clothing store in Blackheath, a section of South London.  Once she is given credit by the bank to do so, Phoebe's store, Village Vintage is born.  Little does she know, but Village Vintage, the clothes that she acquires and more accurately the personal histories that go with many of the vintage items, are to be Phoebe's saving grace.

Through her store - Phoebe meets Dan - a journalist that writes a piece about her new store in the local newspaper.  He writes a very accurate story that has peole coming into her store more quickly than she had anticipated.  It's this local news article that prompts Therese Bell to call on Phoebe to come peruse her own vintage clothing for hopeful purchase.  Phoebe does indeed purchase many of the elderly Mrs. bell's clothing and an unlikely but extremely beautiful friendship is born between the two women.

Phoebe and Mrs. Bell quickly learn that their souls are joined by very similar losses in their lives but for incredibly different reasons.  The stories of these losses threads throughout A Vintage Affair but it is also a story of redemption and personal forgiveness.

I freely admit that I was crying at the end of this book.  A Vintage Affair is beautiful and poignant and I've already started recommending it to my friends.  I truly love this book and imagine I will definitely read it again at some point in time.  As I will also be looking for more books by Isabel Wolff to read.

Book Review - Homeport by Nora Roberts

Homeport by Nora Roberts is the first book I have read for 2012.  As a long time fan of Ms. Roberts books - I was surprised to realize that I had somehow missed reading this one.  It came out in 1998 and I was definitely reading her books by that time.  I am a little sad to say that this book was just okay for me.  I didn't dislike it but I didn't exactly like it either, if that makes sense.  I just never connected with the main characters - Dr. Miranda Jones and Ryan Boldari.  I actually liked a couple of minor characters (Annie and Andrew) better.

Dr. Miranda Jones is a well-respected authority of Renaissance art.  She is summoned to Italy by her less-than-likeable mother to authenticate a recently found sculpture.  She decides - through a rather scientific and drawn out process that the sculpture is indeed real.  Days later, she is fired - by her own ruthless and cold mother - because someone else has taken the sculpture and deemed it a fake.  Miranda is sent home, chastised like a toddler rather than treated like a grown woman; and shortly thereafter, the art institute she runs with her alcoholic brother is burglarized.

This is the point in the book where the hero is introduced and I really thought it would get better.  It didn't.  Ryan Boldari is a respected and well-known art dealer with galleries in more than one major city.  He is also an art thief.  While there is a small bit of believable chemistry between Miranda and Ryan - they mostly fell flat for me.  And while there are actual reasons for this - I don't want to list too much more in case this book might be wonderful for someone else.  For me though, this book was only okay.  It definitely took me longer to read than most other Nora Roberts books.