Aayesha the Book Hogger

*sigh* Reading Betty is such a pleasure. It's like floating in a big blue pool of water, with the sun shining on you, sipping a cool glass of lemonade. She was exactly the break I needed after reading two asshole, physically abusive heroes, with the gentleness of her h's and their chivalry and politeness. GOD I love Betty.

 

I'm very conflicted about this book. I didn't like the first part all that much, but I loved loved loved the ending!! One of the most beautiful and satisfying HEAs in Neelsland. *sigh* That's why I'm setting for a 3.5 star rating.

 

Let me talk about the heroine first. She had spirit, I'll give her that. I found myself giggling quite a bit at the tongue-lashings she gave the hero, when he acted all high-and-mighty and had the audacity to 'look at her down his nose'. I generally don't like feisty heroines, but I liked this one very much. Although I wouldn't describe her as feisty, per se, just high-spirited. She wasn't a doormat, she didn't allow the hero to treat her like crap. She stood up for herself, all the while not coming off as bitchy. Now this is the kind of heroine I like.

 

 

I also liked the way she wanted to steal him away from his fiancée (who was very unsuitable for him). And I respected that she never did anything about it. 

What was very surprising was even though she perversely went out for walking right before a storm just because Christian (the hero) had told her not to, I didn't dislike her at all. I was actually kind of cheering her on.

 

 

She was very admirable; being kind, independent, brave, soft, warm-hearted, witty and feminine all together. She was a unique BN heroine, one I won't forget easily.

 

 

Now I'll move onto the hero. I quite liked him in the beginning, where he was amused at her appearance, helped out with mopping the cottage (imagine that! This is why I love Betty!), so gently takes care of her when he rescues her from the storm; no angry words or lectures, and rescues her from Rat-Faced Rapist and takes her for lunch. Or was it tea? I forget. Anyways, it's the way he behaved that counts.

And then he turns into an utter asshole whenever Estelle, his fiancée, is mentioned. I abhorred some of the taunts he struck poor Eliza with. And then when he so rudely tells her that he is attracted to her and doesn't want to be and all that shit (my mind has blocked out most of that conversation), I hated him.

 

And then the Eliza goes to Holland with her patient. And *swoon* Christian is perfect then. The perfect besotted BN hero. 

 

 

I loved how he defended Eliza against his fiancée, I love how angry he was when she refused to go out to dinner with them all, I loved how he spoke to her and took her for a walk and took her for lunch. But most of all I loved how he declares his love in the end. But I won't go there just yet.

 

The OW first. She wasn't at all as vicious as BN's OW usually are. She was actually quite nice (if a trifle 'boring') and she had no hidden motives or an inner agenda. She was pretty straightforward and not as spoilt as your regular OW. It was quite convenient that BN miraculously makes her and Other Research Doctor fall for each other, and even more so when she makes Eliza (and Christian too) hear their declaration of love. It's let's-break-engagements time!

 

NOW we move onto the ending. 

 

 

 

Can I just say how much I love Betty Neels? This was one of the sweetest endings I've read by her, with Christian leaning so adorably against the wall, with his hands inside his pockets, declaring his love, and Eliza so bravely telling him that she loved him. *sigh* This one's a keeper.

 

 

As for the writing, I really don't need to say anything, do I? I mean, it's Betty Neels after all. She's fabulous.

 

 

I love the details in her writing. And I forgive her for making the Highlands look like a dreary place, because she more than made up for it with the ending.

 

 

Oh. Dear. GOD. Oh God oh God oh God.

 

This hero was even worse than the one in 'The Child of Judas'. He actually SLAPS THE HEROINE. And not one, TWICE. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we start off with our sweetheart heroine, Gail, swooping in to save Carl's ass. She drives through a STORM for him for God's sake. That's how much she loves him. Now, I'm all for smitten heroine (my most favourite trope), and I loved that she was doing that. I also loved how she wasn't a doormat and stood her ground, gave him his due. Whenever he yelled at her/insulted her, she didn't keep quiet. She was fiery, with just the right amount of sweetness. It was at the end that I hated her.

 

 

But let's not get into that now. For now I'll concentrate on my hatred for HIM.

 

 

So, as I was saying, our hero here is sulking. All because the woman he loved left him and married someone else BECAUSE HE BROKE HIS LEG. I'd think that says enough about OW, right? But NOO. Our dense hero sticks like an ant to chewing gum to his 'love' for OW. Aye, I know, that's another of my favourite tropes. But see, what made me really angry was how he treated the heroine. He kept rubbing the heroine's plain face into her every chance he got, insulted her and kept bringing up OW all the time. OH GOD. He was such an ASS. And not in the good, I-love-hating-him way. In a if-you-choose-him-you're-signing-up-for-a-life-of-psychologist-consults-and-hospital-visits. I saw no redeeming qualities in him. Even after they get married and Gail changes her appearance to please him, puts on a bit of make-up and everything, he doesn't notice ANYTHING. And then when Carl's cousin comes over and shows interest in Gail, Carl gets all possessive and back-off-beeyotch. You don't love/value her, asshole, but are married to her so he can't have her either? (Don't get me wrong, I hate adultery and the lot. And Gail had no interest in the cousin whatsoever. But Carl's possessiveness really bothered me because HE FUCKING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT GALE AT ALL.)

 

 

 

Now we'll get to the part which maddened me THE MOST. He crossed THE LINE after this. He discovers that Gail hides OW's divorce from him and gets angry with her. OF COURSE she's going to hide it from you, you idiot!!! I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE REASON WHY SHE SHOULD TELL YOU.

 

 

And then HE SLAPS HER. Oh God. He actually hits her so hard that she is flung across the room.

 

 

And she just takes it, thinking she deserves it. And then he packs up and LEAVES HIS PREGNANT WIFE FOR THE OW. By this time I was just like 

 

 

 

 

So he up and leaves her, and she's pregnant and alone. And of course, because it's Harlequin land, she must have all happiness snatched away from her, she has an accident and miscarries. And STILL, STILL, EVEN AFTER ALL THE THINGS THE ASSHOLE DOES, she loves him.

 

 

 

 

But wait, that's not it. She even DEFENDS him to her sister, and says that she (the sister) mustn't say bad things about him because she loves him. When Asshole comes back, begs for forgiveness, says that nothing happened between him and OW - he came back because he realises he loves her, he's been at his house the entire time and blah blah blah, she forgives him and they live unhappily ever after. And I wouldn't have cared if his grovel was the king of all grovels (which it definitely wasn't - Diana Palmer does them best), he was past all redemption. 

 

 

 

 

As for the author's writing, it didn't really light a match with me. I found it too flat and unemotional, but the flow and dialogues were superb. It was the descriptions (or lack of them) and story-telling I didn't like. I'm not sure whether or not I'll pick up more of this author's books, but most probably not.

Oh. My. God. I never thought that a day would come where I'd find myself bitching about the hero instead of the heroine. I never thought it was possible. I mean ME, the HEROINE hater, HATING A HERO.

 

 

But there you go. I fuckin' HATED this guy. Hated him in a I'ma-draw-and-quarter-him-chop-his-d-into-tiny-little-pieces-and-feed-em-to-the-eagles-and-his-balls-to-the-ducks. I don't think I've ever read a hero more of an asshole than this one, other then Carl in 'The Odds Against'. NOW THAT ONE TOOK THE CAKE HE EVEN SLAPPED THE HEROINE TWICE!!! 

 

 

Okay, here goes the review. Brace yo'selves, y'all.

 

OH MY GOD. OH DEAR GOD. OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK. I CANNOT BELIEVE THE CRUELTY OF THIS HERO!!!! OH DEAR GOD. I HAD TO TAKE THREE BREAKS TO CALM MYSELF DOWN, AND THAT WAS ONLY DURING THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES.

 

 

The book started off with hero insulting, verbally abusing and taunting the heroine at every turn, blaming her, trying to put her down and just basically acting so damned cruelly. I was repulsed my him right from the start, and I LIKE cruel, asshole heroes! So we're well into about 70 pages AND HE'S STILL INSULTING HER AND THREATENING TO KILL, BEAT AND RAPE HER AND EVERY AWFUL THING IMAGINABLE.

 

 

About 40% of the book. All. About. The hero mocking and degrading the heroine. The first half of the book, practically. What infuriated me even more was that the stupid heroine JUST SAT THERE AND TOOK IT ALL, BELIEVING THAT SHE DESERVED IT. Another non-Aayesha thing. I love the quiet heroines who don't throw temper tantrums. I LOVE THEM. But this one, OH GOD. OH GOD THIS ONE. She defines the phrase 'too stupid to live'. She had so little self-confidence that she believed that she deserved all that he was throwing at her. In a way I kind of feel sorry for her. BUT NOT ENOUGH TO ABATE MY HATRED FOR HER STUPIDITY.

 

Back to hero. As I said (*cough cough* many times, I believe), the hero was just plain awful. I can't imagine these two ever living happily ever after together if the hero is this abusive every time something doesn't go his way. And for God's sake, HE DIDN'T EVEN LOVE THE OW!!! He just wanted to have sex with her!!! When that was taken away from him and he turns that abusive, I seriously don't want to imagine the poor girl's future with him.

 

 

And as if that wasn't enough, Winspear had to go and make him all abusive. He actually shoves the heroine into the balcony railing so hard that she bruises. Oh right, and there was also the beginning where he was pulling the heroine's hair like all hell had broken lose. And bruising her arms. Same old, same old.

 

 

When they were in the villa or wherever that place was, he kept going off to work, leaving her to herself. And telling her that after she'd give him a son, she was supposed to give up her baby to him and divorce him was DESPICABLE.

 

 

How can someone even love a man like that is beyond me. 

There are a countless other details that maddened me, but I won't go into them now for the sake of my sanity.

 

Now I'll come to the heroine. Dumbest chick I've ever read, with the sole exception of Gail (once again from 'Against the Odds'). I don't even know what she saw in him. She must have had some serious issues, putting up with all that. ESPECIALLY the Greek macho-ism shit.

But I do give her credit for bearing all that abuse, and not cheating on him while she had the chance. Even though I think she'd have been much better off with the brother, I still didn't want her to be with anyone else but said asshole hero, because I am, in the end, a hopeless romantic at heart. But meh, they deserved each other.

 

 

 

Now for the Greek-male-dominance thing. Seriously, that was over the top. I mean, I know that it's scientifically proven that males are the better species in body and intelligence than females, but all that shit about females staying at home looking after their husbands and bearing them 'sons' (note: NOT daughters)?

 

 

This book wasn't just a trainwreck, it was the King of all trainwrecks. With a capital K.

 

 

 

Now I'll come onto the writing. I must say, I was too caught up raging over the asshole-ness of the hero to notice the writing. The impression that I got was that Winspear can pull off the story very well. The dialogue was great, the flow was good. It was just the PLOT that sucked. But I'm not completely put off by her, though. I might decide to read her again in the future. Here's to hoping that the next book I read by her won't be this awful.

 

1 star, I'm giving grace because of the wonderful hero.

 

This time it was the heroine that ruined an otherwise perfectly good book for me. (Makes me happy, seeing that I'm getting back on track.) So, like in so many good books, this one had a very unlikable heroine. No, she wasn't bitchy or immature or anything - I quite like her sensibility and her maturity, it was the OTHER MAN that was the root of all of it. She disobeyed her guardian, waved away his advice, and still continued her friendship with Cantlin (OM). If I had a guardian, who had been nothing but honest with me, advising me to stay away from a certain young gentleman with a reputation, I would STAY AWAY. And, as she claims she was, if I was in love with my ward, I would certainly not go out with other guys. It was such a pity, because the heroine was quiet, but not a doormat. She knew how to stand up for herself. And she was sweet and innocent too. BUT THE OM TROPE RUINS IT ALL FOR ME

 

 

 

 

But TBH, that was the only thing I disliked about her. Still, that one thing made me decide to give this book a 0 star. The 1 star's for the hero.

 

Anyways, moving on. The hero was really swoon-worthy. I've always loved the guardian-ward trope, and the Lucifer-like guardian-ward trope even more. Sweet, sweet 'These Old Shades'. I'm always comparing books with this trope to Georgette Heyer's. And they never come close to that one. So, about this hero. There weren't many redeeming qualities about him, but then again I'm always on the guy's side.. But what I loved was the air of mystery that clung around him, his mind (I have a thing for intelligent heroes) and his deportment, his manners, the way he spoke. *sigh* He really was like Lucifer. 

 

 

 

 

The plot wasn't all that interesting, nothing much really went on. But Burchell is a wonderful writer, her books are always so deep unlike your regular Harley. They actually talk about things that matter, going into the core of a subject and philosophising. Thank you Leona, for convincing me to give her another try. I'm loving her ;)

Nanny by Chance by Betty Neels

4 stars

 

Oh. Dear. God. *wails* Oh my God. This book was just so…oh God. I love Betty Neels so much, and dear GOD, how much I missed her!!! *wails some more* The food, the breath-taking description of the scenery, the unflappable calm of her heroes, the sensibility of her heroines… *sigh* She is one of the most talented authors I’ve ever read. I am so glad that I found her. Reading her books is one of the simple pleasures of life.

 

Now this book, while very much the same, had something very different in it; the heroine wasn’t good at nursing, even though she wanted to be a nurse. But again, the typical nanny-plot was there, with RDD and an evil OW and superb descriptions of food and cakes (I even DREAMT about them; I was reading the book before I slept) and beautiful descriptions of the surroundings. Neels’ stories make me want to go to Holland so badly!! She is so amazing in the way she describes everything, and so unique in her grammar structure.

 

The heroine was really good, and she wasn’t as much of a doormat as some other BN heroines are. I can’t say I liked the OM plot very much, but that was dealt with quickly so it’s fine.

 

The hero was swoon-worthy. BN’s heroes are always so amazing!!! They all also have a special manner, a way of talking/walking/watching that sets each of them out. This one wore spectacles and looked at people from above them. *shiver* I’ve always found intelligent older men attractive!!

 

The children were a delight, with the non-ending chatter and childish resilience. The plot was also a good one. Also, I’m probably giving this one 4-stars instead of 3 because I’ve missed Betty so damned much.

Highland Wedding by Hannah Howell

2 stars

 

While this book was very well-written, I didn’t like it at all. I found it too heavy for me, with a very large dose of realisticness. My inner critique says that that is what made the story so amazing, but my inner hopeless romantic hated that it was like that. I want a sweet, fluffy story that will pull me into its world. It’s not that I don’t want my characters to be perfect; imperfection is good, I love imperfections, but I don’t want those imperfections to be things like cheating (the hero almost having sex with his ex-love, WHILE HE’S MARRIED) and having less-than-platonic thoughts about your husband’s friend (heroine curious about knowing what having sex with Alexander would feel like).

 

Before these two events, I swear, I loved this book SO MUCH. I was LITERALLY laughing with joy. It was because of the sweet beginning that this book gets an extra star. It started off exactly the way I want a book to start off; with the heroine and hero attracted to each other, the heroine half in love with the hero already, and the hero a tortured, brooding and cynical soul. But it went downhill from there.

I really hated how much of a coward whatshisface was being (I forget his name; I read it a couple of days ago) about childbirth, and I hated how he told the heroine that he wouldn’t have sex with her until she used the sponge (a contraceptive). While I loved him in the beginning, I really didn’t find him hero material at all. And this coming from a heroine-hater, a person WHO IS ALWAYS ON THE GUY’S SIDE NO MATTER WHAT.

 

I had no objection whatsoever to the heroine, just the fact that she *ahem* was curious about sex with Alexander, AFTER SHE WAS MARRIED. But seriously, she was so much better than the hero. AT LEAST SHE DIDN’T ACT UPON THE CURIOSITY, UNLIKE THAT WIMPY UNDESERVING HUSBAND OF HERS. She was the strong one in their marriage.

 

Now about the writing. Can I just say HOW AMAZING AN AUTHOR HANNAH HOWELL IS??? GOD, SHE IS JUST SUPERB. I don’t know why I waited so long to read her. The writing, the flow, the dialogue, was incredible. So very professional. She carried the story through with such a pleasing ease that it was a crying shame that I didn’t like the plot. Even the secondary characters were beautifully constructed. I might check out more of her books when I get in the mood.

I liked this book a lot in the beginning, but then in the middle and end I didn't find it enjoyable. The main reason why was because it was a bit too heavy for my tastes. And because they were both kids. I mean, a 20-year old hero and a 16-year old heroine? I can stand younger heroines, that was definitely not the problem. And this heroine didn't go around throwing tantrums and acting immature like young heroines usually do. But GOD, A 20-YEAR OLD HERO. HE'S NOT EVEN OUT OF THE CRADLE YET! It was also a bit unbelievable that three seasoned Native warriors would be scared of this boy. Admitted, he did act mature at times, but I JUST CAN'T GET PAST THE FACT THAT HE WAS TWENTY.Anyways, back to what I didn't like about the book. As I said, it was a wee bit too heavy for me, with all the raping, violence etc. I also didn't like that Woape (the heroine) hid the fact that she was raped and the possibility that the baby wasn't the hero's from the, um, hero. Yes, she didn't need to afterwards, but it's not something you hide from your husband, woman!!Now I'm going to state the reasons why I gave this book a 3-star rating.In the beginning, I swear the book was such a delight for me!! It made my heart flutter with sweetness and made me laugh so many times. I wished that the rest of the book would have been just as sweet.I also loved Woape, and her blind faith in Gary and the way she always followed him around. She was a real sweetheart, innocent and giving. And as I mentioned before, the only thing I disliked about her was that she hid that from Gary.The author was an expert at shifting from lighter tones to heavier tones, at evoking fierce emotions from the reader. The attention to detail wasn't that great, but the story-telling was superb, the characters were beautifully crafted. The novel wasn't bad; I myself just like lighter, fluffier stuff to read.

My 1-star rating doesn't mean that the book wasn't well-written. It just means that I didn't find it to my taste. Which is why I won't write a bad review, I'll just state the things I liked about the author. The writing was very smooth and the characters were constructed very well and very realistically. Zoe was extremely vulnerable beneath that flighty, cheerful exterior. Leandro was a dear

3.5 starsAh God, this book was amazing, simply amazing. The heroine was such a delight; strong, persistent and completely believing in the hero. I loved the way she loved him.The hero was totally swoon-worthy, with his tortured cynicism and broodiness. His pain and loneliness pulled at my heartstrings, and I was so glad for Valentina's love for him. It was amazing, how her love for him made him human again

2.5 starsAh, once again I find myself so damned conflicted about this one!! The practical side of me says that this was a good one, but the romantic side of me wants, well, a bit more romance and sweetness.In all fairness, Jennie Lucas is a great author. Her plots really are very well though out and executed, twisting and turning unexpectedly. She plays havoc with your heartstrings, Jennie Lucas. But, for me at least, this isn't the kind of havoc I enjoy. I like the Diana Palmer kind of havoc. Anyhoo, I digress.I liked this heroine quite a bit more than I liked the previous one. There were only two things about her that irked me - her reluctance to admit her love for the hero, and the fact that she left him. (Although saying that her leaving the hero 'irked' me would be an understatement.)She was a total sweetheart, and overly innocent. But *cough cough* she leaves him. I just want a heroine who loves the hero unconditionally and stays and fights and never gives up on him. Is that too much to ask?End of rant. Back to review.So the heroine was a sweetheart, the hero was deliciously cynical, and the chemistry sizzling. I loved how the hero's love for her mellowed him and turned him softer, and I also loved how the hero's brother's love for the heroine's sister made him (the brother) softer too. The reunion between the two brothers at the end was so heartbreaking-ly beautiful.

Now this, this is the kind of story that I absolutely love! The kind where a hard, cynical man softens and learns how to live again because of the unconditional love and caring of a strong, persistent woman. But the reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars was because it didn't start out that way, neither did it end that way. The heroine doesn't love the hero from the start (although I absolutely loved her), she slowly stars to love him later on, and even then she tries to deny her feelings. And the hero was too much of a blind ass at the end.Anyhoo, the good parts. This book made me feel so good from inside because of its sweetness. The heroine was such a delight to read, so practical, honest, understanding and mature. And an adorable sweetheart, to top it off. I loved how she didn't throw temper tantrums left and right, and understood the hero's POV and conceded to his wishes, even if she didn't agree with him. Another thing I applauded her for - coming all the way to the States to tell the hero of her pregnancy. Seriously, it's become so rare in romances nowadays, finding a heroine like that. Lynn Raye Harris, I hail you.The hero was cynical, tortured, self-depracating and oh Lord, so wonderful. I absolutely loved him. I more than loved him. And the PTSD just made him hotter. It was only that he kept pushing the heroine away. And the heroine, at times, held onto her pride too much. It kind of irked me, but I understood why she did it.At the end, when the h expresses her love for the H, I really disliked how he broke her heart and pushed her away. But then it wouldn't've been a HP if that hadn't happened, eh? The grovel was really good; I loved how the hero didn't give up easily. As for the writing, it was amazing. The flow was so good that I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it. I loved the exotic setting and the description. This author is a good one. I loved the sweetness in this story.

1.5 starsThis rating does not mean that the book was awful, it was in fact wonderfully written with 3-dimensional characters who make mistakes and a very well-though out plot with lots of twists and turns and angst. It's just that I didn't find this book to my liking.Reading this book, I found myself so confused and conflicted regarding the characters and the plot. I loved Grace's innocence and her good heart, yet I hated that she was so infatuated with her boss (not the hero. He was an ass, and not in the hot-possessive-hero way. He was discourteous, impolite and had the manners of a donkey. I don't even know what she saw in him.But I also loved how she didn't allow her love for said asshole to cloud her judgment, and wasn't as blind and dense and tantrum-y as your regular HP heroine. She was practical. She was also extremely loyal, a trait I admire, however misplaced the loyalty.I also liked how, when the hero comes along, she realises that this is true love and opens her eyes with no idiotic denials or plain stubbornness.THEN when she finds the hero with OW, she runs away. This part I hated. She should have stayed and asked him for an explanation. Yes, she was on her way to do exactly that when she sees him with OW, but she really shouldn't have run away. There is an explanation for everything.AND THEN WHEN THE HERO COMES AFTER HER, SHE HIDES HER PREGNANCY FROM HIM. For me, this was the damning action. I don't care if he's an ass or if he doesn't love you, it's his child too, and he has a right to know! And when he asks her if she's pregnant, she lies to him! God, HP heroines. But still. She was a lot better than she could have been. Now we move onto the hero. I can't say that this one struck a particular cord, but I did like how he was willing to give up his revenge vendetta for the heroine. I loved that, in fact. It redeemed him in my eyes.The rest of the story was a roller coaster of ups and downs. I liked how Grace loved him enough to let him go, hated how she didn't want to stay and fight. Loved how her love for him was so deep, hated how she lies to him and runs away to 'set him free'. Like I said, I was really, really conflicted. It wasn't at all a bad read, I just didn't find it to my liking. Although the writing was great, the dialogue was superb, and the little details the author added made the book seem very realistic. Another point in favour of the author - her characters were flawed, had their own growing up and grovelling to do, were less-than-perfect and completely unlike regular HP characters. But I suppose that's why I didn't like the book very much - I like rainbows and unicorns and perfection. It's the reason I read romance.

The 2 stars doesn't mean it was awful. I loved it; I love all Diana Palmer books, but this one wasn't as good as some other DP books. The way I rate Palmer's books is completely different than the way I rate regular reads. It's because I love Diana Palmer so much.Anyways, moving onto the book. I absolutely loved Jason and it was quite obvious, unlike in other DP novels, that he was completely smitten with blondie, I forget her name (I'm awful with names). She, on the other hand, wasn't quite as likable because she was so dense, blind and insecure. But still, she was much better than a non-DP heroine. I shudder to think what a non-DP heroine might have done if she was in her place.I loved that she was willing to even sleep with him because she loved him so much. Loved loved loved it. (Request to my review readers: do not count the number of times I use the word 'love' in my DP reviews.) I love it when the heroines admit their love for the heroes in the beginning, and are willing to go to any lengths for them. Some folks love a smitten hero, I love a smitten heroine. It's not at all archaic when you think about it, in fact it's very liberal. These heroines who are in love with the heroes then quietly and subtly set out to capture the heroes' hearts for themselves. (Yes I know this a completely different topic, but bear with me)So, as I was saying, Blondie wasn't as enjoyable for me as most other DP heroines are. But I still loved her anyway.This book was one helluva book, with an angst overdose and a uber possessive alpha. God how I love DP's alpha heroes *shiver*

4.3 starsAHHHH GOD, DIANA PALMEROH God I love her so much*deep breath*Okay, okay I think I'm fine now. NO WAIT-*more deep breaths*Yeah, I think I'm okay now.Anyways, as I was saying. GOD-DAMMIT I LOVE DIANA PALMER SO MUCH!!!! (Must. Resist. From. Adding. Another. Gif. Must. Resist.)So last night I picked up at least five different books, which I all abandoned because GOD-DAMMIT I WANTED A HEROINE WHO ISN'T IMMATURE OR BITCHY OR DECEPTIVE, A HEROINE WHO LOVES THE HERO LIKE HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOVED. I got so frustrated that I literally started hyperventilating. And that was when I decided - DIANA PALMER TO THE RESCUE!!!And boy oh boy, did she give me exactly what I wanted. It was such a wonderful feeling, such an awesome breather from all the other awful heroines and plotlines!The heroine in this one was such a sweetheart. Some people might call her a doormat, but, in fact, she was the complete opposite of one. Her quietness belied an inner strength, an ability to make it through the hardest of times and still come away unscathed. God, she was wonderful, with her kind heart and her goodness.The hero was your typical Diana Palmer alpha-hole. And oh GOD, the sweetness of the angst he caused!!! Oh dear God. I LOVE DIANA PALMER. He was a real asshole, but the ending more than made up for it (as usual).This book was exactly what you expect from a Diana Palmer book, with all of her famed angst and old-fashioned conventionality. The writing wasn't up to snuff, though, probably because it was one of her earleir works. Too much drama. But meh, who cares. *sigh* I love this woman. I wish that, at least once in my life, I could go and meet her .DIANA PALMER FOR THE WIN!!Whoop whoop!

Oh Lord contemp romances. I suppose the only reason I read them is for the smut.

Too short, but I loved loved loved Logan so much!! I don't know what it is about overbearing, possessive alpha males that just melts my spine *sigh*A cute, delightful read with wonderful characters. But once again, contemp romance isn't just my cup of tea.