Once Upon a Scandal by Delilah Marvelle

Publisher: Harlequin

Source: Amazon Vine

Publication Date: 18 Jan 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 0373775458

Format: Paperback

Pages: 384

Websites:

Delilah Marvelle - Official Site

Delilah Marvelle - Blog 

Delilah Marvelle - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England and Venice, Italy (1829)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First Line: The sharp crack of thunder startled Lady Victoria Jane Emerson from slumber

Scandal Series Order

Book 1: Prelude to a Scandal

Book 2: Once Upon a Scandal

Book 3: The Perfect Scandal

Its no secret that romance books follow a pattern, before picking up a book you have an idea of what to expect. The same goes for the series of a romance book. If a book is a trilogy/quartet/or what have you then you will usually meet in the first book at least 1 part of the main characters in that book. As a reader, I like to try and figure out who those future main characters will be when I start off a new series as it adds a bit of detective work to the story. However, there were so few characters in PRELUDE TO A SCANDAL that I was hard pressed to figure out who might be the 'stars' of ONCE UPON A SCANDAL. Turns out...there is no character connection between the two at all. None. They aren't siblings or best friends or former army buddies. Nothing. The only super slim loose tie between them is the epigraphs before the start of each chapter from an etiquette book that is popular in Marvelle's world. 

In fact, when I first started ONCE UPON A SCANDAL I was slightly confused as the book was set a good 5 years before PRELUDE and I questioned myself and thought that I'd picked up the books out of order. Although about a quarter of the way through ONCE UPON time passes and the years then align. As with PRELUDE there are very few excess characters in ONCE. You pretty much have the hero and heroine....and the hero is absent for a good portion at the start of the novel. Then you have a cousin of the heroine and later on the sister and brother-in-law of the hero. I am not sure what I think about this minimalist approach to characters that Marvelle has in her books. On one hand it does allow for deeper focus on the main characters and there is less random head jumping moments. But on the other it makes for a bit of a monotonous story. While a large cast can get confusing at times, I do love it when I spot characters from other books I've read by the author in a scene. I love how those minor interactions really flesh out a world and make it more solid and less fictional.

Marvelle's world is what it is though and while in PRELUDE the lack of other characters annoyed me a bit...mainly because there was no distraction from the hero/heroine (both of whom annoyed me in some form or another) I didn't mind it as much in ONCE. This is because I liked the main characters better. Victoria had some spunk in her and she wasn't afraid to let Jonathan know that he was an ass for doing what he did. The only thing that I wish there was more of was to see more POV from Jonathan during that 5 year period when he was in Venice. That part of the story was all done via letters from Victoria to Jonathan and you never really learned what he went through. Yes he does mention it briefly at one point, but I think if we had seen more of his life there before it would have made the climax of the book more climatic. As it was, I never really felt that tension or urgency to those moments that I was probably expected to feel.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor but I'm unsure if I will ever read the final book in this trilogy, THE PERFECT SCANDAL. I'm not sure that I want to spend the time getting to know some other random characters who are plucked out of the ether just for this book and to never see those that came before again. The minimalist character approach might work for some readers, but for me....I think I'm a character girl...the more the merrier! I also want a bit more depth to my stories. I think that Marvelle starts out with a good idea but then she just sort of skims the surface of it. As a reader I want more. I want to feel like the characters in the book I'm reading are more than characters that they could be real. And for that to happen there just needs to be more information given into their thoughts and background than Marvelle was able to give me. ONCE was enjoyable. I'm not sorry that I read it. But there is no burning drive for me to finish the series.

Book Trailer: Highlander Series by Maya Banks

Some of you might recall how a while back I posted a trailer made by Tessa Dare where she only used toys from her children's room. I thought this was a really clever and unique idea for a book trailer and couldn't help but smile when I saw it. So when she offered up making a trailer using Dareling toys as part of an auction I just had to step up and say that I'd post it here when it was done. Because entertainment like that just needs to be shared. This trailer was made for Maya Banks and her upcoming Highlander series. I thought this was a really fun trailer to watch and I don't know about you...but its certainly made me interested in these books. 

For those who view via a reader that strips out the video you can click here to see on YouTube or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn67JJmhZ9w

Wanna know more? Here are some handy dandy links

Maya's website

The reason for Operation Auction (You can still donate!)

The Dareling Toys Debut video

More info on the books:

In Bed with a Highlander (releases August 30)

Seduction of a Highland Lass (releases September 27)

Never Love a Highlander  (releases October 25) 

Siren by Tricia Rayburn (Audio)

Publisher: Brilliance Audio (Audio); Egmont USA (Print)

Source: Publisher

Publication Date: 20 Oct 2010 (Audio); 13 July 2010 (Print)
Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN:  1441888578 (Audio),  0571260063 (Paperback)

Format: Audio

Audio Length: 8 discs (~ 9.5 hrs)

Narrator: Nicola Barber

Websites:

Tricia Rayburn - Official Site

Tricia Rayburn - Blog 

Tricia Rayburn - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Winter Harbor, Maine

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

First Line: My sister Justine always believed that the best way to deal with your fear of the dark was to pretend it's really light

Siren Series Order

Book 1: Siren

Book 2: Undercurrent

Book 3: Pulse (02 Feb 2012)

This is a review where I'm not entirely sure where to begin as I did want to like Siren by Tricia Rayburn and yet there was just something about the story that never connected with me. The start of this was a little slow but I did like how the story began before the death of Vanessa's sister. So that we got to see a bit of her and the whole family dynamic before everything falls apart. Its watching the family deal with the after effects that this book really started to fall apart for me. Initially the parents seemed to be this tight nit family unit but then they just fade into the background so you get another YA read with no parents. 

I thought that the mystery really wasn't much of a mystery as I was able to figure out most of the major twists long before they happened. The things I found hard to figure out was the ending. Well not hard per se, but it was so very very muddled. There is just this big information dump and yet Rayburn doesn't really explain the WHY or HOW her conclusion came about. So that added to my frustration level with this book. 

One thing I  liked was the romance. There was no bad boy who wanted to kill the heroine. There was no love triangle. There was no insta-love. Instead there was a long time friendship that blossomed into something more. Did I agree with all the choices that Vanessa made? No. But then I wasn't her and I wasn't dealing with all the same things she was.

The narrator was also something that didn't help because you could hear each and every time she took a breath. There was this audible gasp and it became a huge distraction. But other than her loud breathing she wasn't a bad voice for Vanessa although her characterization of the male voices could have used a bit of work. However, I don't think that Barber is a narrator that I would like to encounter again. At least, not until she gets that whole audible breathing thing under control. 

Reviews from people who thought differently than me

The Secret Life of a Bibliophile - "Tricia Rayburn crafts a unique story about family and dealing with loss while trying to figure out who or in some cases what you are."

Oops I Read That Book - "Siren captivated me from page 1. Tricia Rayburn’s writing was fluid and soulful. It flowed effortlessly and I was sucked into the story."
Daisy Chain Book Reviews - "With numerous plot twists and a seductive romance that I just loved, the dramatic conclusion of this one has left me in shock and wondering what on earth will happen next!"
Red House Reviews - "From the very start, this book captivated me. "

Relic Master Contest Winner

This is long over due....the winner of the set of Relic Master books is 

ROBIN of Intense Whisper!

Congrats Robin! I've already sent your info in to the group running this contest so you should be receiving your books soon.

Saturday Snapshot: 06 Aug 2011

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. It’s easy to participate – just post a picture that was taken by you, a friend, or a family member and add your link on Alyce’s site.

This week I've been thinking a lot about London and how I would love to move there...or at the very least go back there for another trip. So for today's Saturday Snapshot I thought that I would share a few of my photos from London. To get a better look just click to embiggen.

The Tower of London

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge

A raven at the Tower of London

At the Tower of London

City of London Marker

St Paul's Cathedral

Stormtroppers!

Phone Booth

The London Eye

In St James Park

Ok....so that was more than a few....and just a very small sampling of all the pictures I took...I tend to go a bit photo happy on my vacations. But you never know what you might see or will want to remember so I just try to capture it all. This is way easier to do now in the digital age =)

Friday Fragment (38): All You Desire by Kirsten Miller

Welcome to the latest edition of Fragment Friday, a weekly meme hosted by James from Book Chic Club where we vlog a small snippet from a current read. This weeks excerpt is from All You Desire  by Kirsten Miller which will be published on 07 Aug 2011 from Razorbill.





For those who view via a reader that strips out the video you can click here to see on YouTube or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://youtu.be/w3Qb62dfx90

I hope you enjoyed this weeks fragment...see you next week!

Things/People mentioned in this vlog:
James from Book Chic Club
Kirsten Miller

Kat, Incorrigable by Stephanie Burgis

Publisher: Atheneum

Source: Publisher

Publication Date: 05 April 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 1416994475

Format: Paperback (ARC)

Pages: 304

Websites:

Stephanie Burgis - Official Site

Stephanie Burgis - Blog 

Stephanie Burgis - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England (1803)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: I was twelve years of age when I chopped off my hair, dressed as a boy, and set off to save my family from impending ruin. I made it almost to the end of my front garden.

Related Posts: Friday Fragment

The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson Series Order

Book 1: Kat, Incorrigible

Book 2: Renegade Magic (03 Apr 2012)

Book 3: Untitled (~Aug 2013)

There are no real words to say just how much I adored Kat, Incorrigable by Stephanie Burgis. This is one of those books that I really wish had been around when I was growing up as I know my 12 year old self would have LOVED it. Heck my much older than 12 year old self loved it so my parents would have probably needed to hide this book away so that I would...you know...eat...and do homework and be all sociable and stuff. 

This book hooked me from the very first line...I mean seriously read it...isn't it just filled with awesome?  There is so much about the character of Kat that I loved. As the youngest sibling I was so able to relate to have older siblings who just didn't understand. Older siblings can be so very frustrating. Yet despite that there was a strong bond with them and the love between them all really shown through...even when they were fighting. Because while a sister might call one sister a name...heaven forbid if a non-family member tries to do the same!

Kat is a strong, intelligent character and a great role model for those who read the books. She isn't perfect, she makes mistakes but she's also able to get herself out of trouble and she knows when to rely on others for aid. This book had several laugh out loud moments and a few that make you go awe. And most importantly its a book that you just want to live in. Kat is just so much fun I want to be 12 again and have her for my bosom buddy.

If you are looking for a fun, sassy read then I highly recommend Kat, Incorrigable this is a book that everyone can enjoy. And I, for one, am really looking forward to the mischief that Kat finds herself in next. So much so that I will probably be buying book two from the UK because I don't think that I can wait until 2012 for the US release!

Book Event: Karsten Knight Signing Wildefire

Last week, I was able to attend Karsten Knight's book signing for his debut novel Wildefire. This event was held in Framingham, MA and had quite the attendance. Not only was there members of Karsten's family but the audience was filled with a few local authors, local bloggers and a reporter from the local newspaper. Lots of local love for Karsten. But on top of all that love from the locals but this event was also attended by David from Michigan and Lexie from New York. David came via Maine as a trip to see his sister coincided with the event and we got to attend our very first book even together (woot!). Lexie decided to go on a grand adventure and it was great seeing her again...although as with BEA there was just so little time!

I didn't take many pictures of this event...but I did take video which is better as this way you can feel like you were there too. I even got to ask a question...which was in doubt at first as I'd joked with Karsten prior to the official start of his signing by saying I was going to ask him a really hard question. So when he opened things up he bypassed me at first. The look of disappointment on my face must have been severe though for I did get to ask a question...one that will be very familiar to Dani J as I stole it from her - but its a good question and I like to think that it means a part of her was at the event even though she couldn't make it this time around.

Intro

>

Reading

Q&A (which includes a few tidbits on books 2 & 3)

Leigh Fallon, Kim Harrington & I

I forgot to get a picture of Karsten and I at this event...there were just so many people waiting in line that I didn't want to hold people up...but I did pose for the above photo for Leigh and then proceeded to steal it from her site. 

Prelude to a Scandal by Delilah Marvelle

Publisher: Harlequin

Source: BEA 2011

Publication Date: 01 Jan 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 0373775377

Format: Paperback

Pages: 384

Websites:

Delilah Marvelle - Official Site

Delilah Marvelle - Blog 

Delilah Marvelle - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England (1829)

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

First Line: Lady Justine Fedora Palmer knew all too well that her dear, dear father, the sixth Earl of Marwood, had always been an intelligent and upstanding, moral citizen.

Scandal Series Order

Book 1: Prelude to a Scandal

Book 2: Once Upon a Scandal

Book 3: The Perfect Scandal

To be honest before picking this book up at BEA I had never heard of Delilah Marvelle before and if she wasn't part of the signing line at the Harlequin booth I'm not sure if this was a book I'd have picked up. I liked the cover and during our quick chat I was impressed with Marvelle's personality so I decided to give her book a shot. I do love a good historical romance and this one had an interesting premise in which the hero is dealing with an addiction to sex. I was curious to see how this idea would play out in a historical setting. 

For the most part I liked this book but I didn't love it. The heroine really really really annoyed me. She started off nice enough but then it seemed like every time I turned the page she was condemning the hero and saying how the marriage wasn't going to work. Which got old. Fast. The hero was mostly likeable although he started off as a strong character and then just seemed to fizzle out as the book progressed. I also really wish that the premise of sex addiction could have been explored more. As it was I really didn't think there was much in the plot that lead to the hero being afflicted with this condition. 

I also found it a bit odd that there were so few characters in this book. The story was very much centered around the hero and heroine and very little penetrated the bubble of their world. Except for a bit near the end where the heroine's parents came in from left field made a declaration and then whisked the heroine away. To which I just sat there and was like....huh? But other than that there were some humorous scenes in the book and I was invested in the story enough to read the book until its conclusion.

In the end....I liked how this book started and I liked how it ended. It was parts of the middle that I could have done without. It was a quick read and while I don't see myself running out and bullying people to read it it wasn't terrible. I liked Marvelle's writing style and I will be checking out some of her other books.

The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: 18 May 2010

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 1416963812

Format: Paperback

Pages: 440

Websites:

Sarah Rees Brennan - Official Site

Sarah Rees Brennan - Blog 

Sarah Rees Brennan - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: "Any minute now," Rachel said, "something terrible is going to happen to us."

Demon's Lexicon Series Order

Book 1: Demon's Lexicon

Book 2: Demon's Covenant

Book 3: Demon's Surrender

When I finished reading The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan I wanted to immediately dive into the second book in the series, The Demon's Covenant and yet at the same time I was hesitant to do so. The reason being that the narration switches POV from Nick to Mae and I wasn't sure how that would work. For you see, I'd fallen in love with this world through Nick's eyes and then I was about to be tossed into a new head and who knows what I might have to relearn. But I did dive in and it wasn't long before I realized that I had nothing to worry about as Brennan is quite the story teller. This series isn't about really about whose eyes you are looking through because each new set of eyes only adds to the magic and realism of the world that Brennan has created.

Demon's Covenant picks up shortly after Lexicon leaves off and its not long before the shenanigans begin. As with Lexicon some of my favorite moments came from Nick and Jamie interacting. I swear Brennan could write a book with just the two of them in a room talking and I would probably love it. I also really liked seeing Nick and the gang through Mae's eyes. Mae is a mortal and she's still new to the whole idea of magicians and demons and yet she is very accepting of the chaos that her life has become. She thinks that she yearns for a normal life but part of her craves that adventure that the Reves brothers brings. Its always hard to go backwards when your eyes have been opened. 

This book makes you fall in love with Mae and her strength. She is a kick ass girl who doesn't take crap from anyone but she's vulnerable too which makes her relateable. She's the sort of girl that you want to be if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to battle demons and magicians.  Another thing that I really liked about Demon's Covenant is that it doesn't fall into the book two of a trilogy trap. You know the one, where nothing much happens in book two and its all just a set up for the big climax in the last book. Well, this book doesn't do that. Yes there is set up for what happens in the last book but this one has enough action and plot to stand on its own. 

This is one of those books where once you start reading you really don't want it to stop. Its a book where you end up hating coming to that final page because you aren't ready to leave these characters behind. So you are glad that its part of a trilogy because you know there is still more story to be told. If you've been thinking of reading this series but have held off for whatever reason then stop. Pick up all three books, grab your favorite beverage, settle in to a comfy chair and just sit back and enjoy the ride. You won't be disappointed. 

To quote my favorite Drasnian spy*...."Trust Me."

*10 points to everyone who knows who that is. ;-)