chez_jae | Entries tagged with line: silhouette dreamscapes

Burning Times by Evelyn Vaughn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a ton of things yet to do before leaving on my trip tomorrow, but I had so little left in my "work" book that I brought it home and just now finished it. The book was Burning Times by Evelyn Vaughn, and it's part of Silhouette's "Dreamscapes" line of paranormal romances. Main characters are Brigit (Brie), a witch, and Steve, her reporter husband who doesn't believe in anything he can't prove.

Steve suspects his beloved wife is keeping secrets from him. He begins to wonder if she's having an affair, and when he comes home during the day to find a stranger in their house, he becomes angry, enraged, which scares even himself. Brie knows that there's something off with her husband. It's not like him to fly off the handle. However, neither she nor any of her witch friends can suss out what may be affecting Steve. Brie cannot tell him she's a witch, not without breaking a powerful vow she made, forbidding her from revealing herself to a non-believer. As Steve's episodes become increasingly more violent, he leaves for fear of harming Brie. For her part, Brie must pinpoint the source of Steve's possession...before he kills her.

This was well-written but disturbing. Steve did lay his hands on Brie in anger more than once, which was not pleasant to read. She was able to defend herself by using her powers, but it was still horrifying. Steve was also horrified by his own behavior, but Brie can't help him the way he needs to be helped unless he believes and accepts her abilities. Characters were three-dimensional, and the plot held my attention. It was somewhat odd to begin a book, in which the main characters were already in love and married, but it worked in this instance. Also, it took me awhile, but I figured out that Steve's sister Sylvie and her fiancé Rand were the same Sylvie and Rand I'd read about in another book yonks ago.

Favorite lines:
♦ "I've only once seen a case of demonic possession. Foaming at the mouth, groaning, shrieking--the possessed person, of course, not me."
♦ "Leave you folks for a minute, and a wizard's duel breaks out."
♦ The witch and her all-powerful blankie

A compelling and slightly creepy read. Four stars.

Current Mood: rushed

Twist Of Fate by Linda Randall Wisdom

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had juuuuuust enough time on my lunch break today to finish reading Twist of Fate by Linda Randall Wisdom. It's from Silhouette's "Dreamscapes" line of otherwordly paranormal romances. Main characters are Allie Walker/Brianne Sinclair (it works, trust me) and Pete Hackett.

Waitress Allie is attracted to the private eye who regularly comes into her diner, but she doesn't think she's good enough for Pete. Instead, she goes home every night to her good-for-nothing boyfriend, Whit. Allie wishes for a better life, like that of the wealthy socialite she sees in the paper, but she soon learns to be careful what she wishes for. After Whit murders Allie in a rage, she awakes in the body of Brianne Sinclair. Unfortunately, she's standing over another body and holding the gun. Allie, in Brianne's body, now has to prove her innocence. Her coldly distant mother recommends she plead insanity, which will spare her prison time. With no one else to turn to, Brianne hires Pete to look into her case.

Pete is devastated when Allie is murdered. He knows her loser boyfriend did it but has no way to prove it. When prim and proper Brianne Sinclair turns up, looking to hire him to investigate her fiancé's death, Pete takes the job. He has trouble getting a read on the woman. Everyone tells him she's quiet and reserved, but the Brianne that Pete knows is bold and brash and reminds him achingly of Allie. As the two of them work to clear Brianne's name, they form an intimate connection. Allie is desperate to tell Pete the truth, but she fears he'll think she's crazy. Now she has several things to prove: that Whit killed her, that Brianne didn't kill Michael, and that she's actually Allie Walker, given a second chance at life and love.

This was a very enjoyable story. The mystery was compelling, and I really liked Allie/Brianne. She's been thrown into an impossible situation, but she forges on, full steam ahead, which is something the old Brianne never would have had the courage to do. There was no 'how did they fall in love in a couple weeks' issue, because Allie and Pete had been dancing around their mutual attraction for a long time. Characterizations were wonderful, the plot was engrossing, and the resolution was satisfying. ( One thing bothered me... )

Favorite line: "Remington Steele would have felt right at home here."

Very good, four stars

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "Don't Leave Me This Way" ~ Thelma Houston

The Pirate And His Lady by Margaret St. George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I came so close to finishing my "work" book at lunch today that I brought it home to read the last chapter. The book was The Pirate and His Lady by Margaret St George. It's a time-travel romance from Silhouette's "Dreamscapes" line. Main characters are historical researcher Elizabeth Rawley and privateer Richard Colter.

Elizabeth has long been fascinated by the legendary Captain Colter, to the point of finding modern day, real men dull in comparison. When a freak storm washes a man up on the beach in front of her house, Elizabeth is astonished to discover it it Richard Colter in the flesh. While initially enchanted, Elizabeth is soon faced with the daunting task of introducing a man from the 1800's to the marvels of modern technology. Not only that, but Richard has a lot to learn about current values and societal norms.

One moment, Richard's beleaguered ship was going down in a storm, and the next he found himself being rescued by a lovely wench. Once the reality of his situation sinks in, Richard is horrified and intrigued in equal measure. He's convinced that Lizzy is the one for him, but he won't ask for her hand until he can make his own way in this strange, new world.

The first half of this was vexing to read. While Richard is a product of his time, his antiquated notions concerning Elizabeth were annoying. He felt less than a man, simply because he was startled by things that she took in stride. Things improved somewhat by the second half of the story as Richard gained confidence and found simple employment. The book was compelling with engaging characters, although it wasn't terribly enjoyable, if that makes sense.

Favorite line: He intended to protect her by doing battle with a dune buggy.

I didn't really like the story, but it was well-written, earning four stars.

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "Livin' On a Prayer" ~ Bon Jovi

Dark Moon by Lindsay Longford

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I brought my work book home last night to finish the final chapter. I'd suffered long enough. The book was Dark Moon by Lindsay Longford, and it's part of the Silhouette 'Dreamscapes' line. Main characters are Josie Birdsong Conrad and Ryder Hayes.

Josie's young daughter, Mellie, disappeared months ago, and Josie is desperate for answers. The local police have no leads and provide scant help. Josie can't help but feel a pall of evil hovering over her. When she is nearly attacked by a pack of dogs, Josie blames her new neighbor, Ryder Hayes. Confronting him leaves her more confused and frustrated.

Evil seems to be following Ryder, causing him to experience visions that he doesn't understand. He is immediately drawn to Josie, to her warmth and solid presence. Sensing salvation in Josie, Ryder strives to get closer to her.

Sigh

Reading this was like tagging along in someone else's dream (or nightmare). It was confusing and disjointed. I swear the author devoted several chapters to a single encounter between the main characters. Initially, Ryder came across as so smug, arrogant, and obnoxious that I was ready to step in and pummel him on Josie's behalf, seeing as she was too stupid and weak-willed to do it herself. But wait, it gets worse: ( Spoilers )

Favorite line: He'd asked for her trust, but she wasn't handing it out like candy at Halloween.

'Breath' line: She'd been holding her breath and hadn't known it.

In short, the book was confusing, disturbing, and annoying. One star.

Current Mood: disappointed
Current Music: "Renegade" ~ Styx

Waiting for the Wolf Moon (The Circle #1)

Waiting for the Wolf Moon by Evelyn Vaughn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Finished my work book during my lunch hour today. It was Waiting for the Wolf Moon by Evelyn Vaughn. The book is part of the Silhouette "Dreamscapes" line of paranormal romances. The main character is witch Sylvie Peabody.

When grisly murders begin happening during the full moon in the small town of Stagwater, LA, Sylvie and her friends are left wondering if the attacks are from a werewolf. The police have been chalking them up to wild dog attacks, but the witches know better. Sylvie can't help but notice that the attacks began after mysterious Rand Garner arrived in town. He purchased a crumbling old estate and is intent on turning it into a haunted house. Sylvie can't help but be drawn to Rand, and the attraction seems to be mutual. Although her friends caution her to stay away, Sylvie finds herself falling for the enigmatic Rand, even as she fears he may be the werewolf.

Ugh. Sylvie is dumber than a box of rocks, and as for Rand, he came across as a cocky, immature frat boy. Although the story was in third-person pov, from Sylvie's perspective, a few times, toward the end of the book, the narrative was in Rand's pov with no discernible break to warn the reader. It was jarring and distracting. Sylvie takes the cake in idiocy for letting her vagina control her actions. She literally fled from Rand in sheer terror at one point, but when he caught up to her (because the best way to convince someone not to be afraid of you is to chase after them), he kissed her, then took her to bed, after which Sylvie is convinced that he's not the werewolf at all. Because sex solves everything. I need some brain bleach. The story was exciting, if not for the right reasons, and there was some humor laced throughout, but I spent most of my time reading it wanting to smack Sylvie upside the head. And kick Rand in the balls just to wipe the smug smirk off his face. The ending was confusing. ( Spoilers )

Favorite lines:
♦ One minute she didn't even have a relationship, the next minute it was doomed.
♦ "Or, as my mother used to say, um...Damn, I knew I should have listened to her."
♦ "Do you know what lousy gas mileage hearses get? It's no wonder that so few corpses take road trips."
♦ She couldn't run from what frightened her without leaving what fascinated her. Stupid slut
♦ "I sense tar and feathers in the future, and that's just not my look."
♦ "It slices, it dices, it makes honest-to-gosh Julienne fries. When you're lucky enough to have a hunk of Julienne."
♦ "For heaven's sake, you got laid, not coronated!"

And, here's one for my new hobby of cataloging the overdone line about releasing a breath that the person didn't know s/he was holding:

She released a breath, only then realizing that she'd been holding it.

So...yeah. The plot was interesting, but the characters were aggravating, and things were left unexplained at the end. I'm giving this a generous two stars.

Current Mood: cold
Current Music: Live Coverage: Tracking Hurricane Ian

This Time Forever by Margaret Chittenden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finished reading the book I'd taken to work on my lunch hour today. It was This Time Forever by Margaret Chittenden, and it's part of the Silhouette Dreamscapes line. Main characters are Liz Brooks and Matt Lockwood.

Travel rep Liz is afraid she's losing her mind. She keeps falling into a fugue state that seems incredibly real to her. Desperate for answers she agrees to regression hypnosis. Dr Matt Lockwood is convinced that Liz is recalling a past life, but the first time he hypnotizes her, he is stunned. Liz begins recounting the hard life of a woman in 1880's Scotland--Jeannie Findlay. Matt is astonished, because when a colleague helped him with regression hypnosis, he recalled his life as Robert McAndrew, the man who fell in love with Jeannie. Matt is overjoyed to find his lost love again, but he is reluctant to reveal anything to Liz; he wants her to figure out on her own that he was once her beloved Robbie. Liz isn't sure she believes in reincarnation, and as she delves further into Jeannie's life, she finds herself unable to separate her growing feelings for Matt from Jeannie's attraction to Robert. Matt is left waiting for Liz to realize they were meant to find one another in this life...and hoping she will agree they're destined to be together forever.

The story was interesting, yet I couldn't help but feel that more of the narrative was devoted to Jeannie and Robert's romance than Liz and Matt's. It was off-putting. Liz and Matt fell in love rather quickly, although I suppose that can be attributed to the fact that they'd loved one another before. Since I was reading two stories, the entire thing seemed disjointed. I did like the easy banter between Liz and Matt.

Favorite lines:
♦ If you were going to be weird, it was nice to know you weren't abnormally weird.
♦ "You mark my words, Jeannie Findlay. Robert McAndrew wants to toss you in the feathers."
♦ "You're a good passenger. You didn't scream once coming down the mountain." // "Yes, I did. I screamed silently. Wore out the passenger brake halfway down, too, then I closed my eyes." // "Me, too."

A little disappointed in this one. Giving it an average score of three.