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What Isabella Desires

by Anne Mallory

Avon Books, 2007

Historical Romance

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Lady Isabella Willoughby has always been patient and proper. But secretly, scandalously, she longs to be wild—to wear daring gowns while dancing the night away. Above all, she craves one thing:  to be more than merely a “friend” to Marcus, the dashing, sinfully handsome Lord Roth.

Marcus has everything—power, prestige, wealth . . . enemies. He thrives on danger and lives life to the fullest knowing each day might be his last, for he carries a dark family secret which precipitates one simple rule—never fall in love. Especially not with dear Bella, who has, of late, transformed herself into a siren, bewitching every male she encounters with her newly unfettered sensuality. Marcus must not allow himself to be tempted—but his resolve is weakening by the minute.

For what Isabella desires, she is determined to get . . .

Isabella Willoughby has been in love with Lord Roth for a decade or longer, but he has always treated her as a dear friend. Now, a widow, Isabella is determined to change her demure ways and make a play for Marcus. She’s determined to catch his eye and turn their relationship to something more than friends –friends with benefits, to be precise, since she knows that Marcus isn’t interested in marrying. It seems charming and daring that this woman is going to take charge of her life and go for what she really wants.

Then there’s the focus of her affection. For his part, Marcus is willing to play along, once he becomes aware of Isabella’s interest. Not because he’s got any deep, long-suppressed feelings for Isabella, beyond friendly fondness. Nor because he’s discovered new feelings for her. Nope.  He decides to accept her offer to deepen their relationship, at first because he wants to pacify her, seeing as she’s lonely and just looking for a lover or something. When she proves she’s serious about her interest in him and begins to get irritated that he’s simply humoring her with mild courtesy and an occasional dance, he thinks about stepping up his game, if only to keep her from just looking elsewhere to satisfy an itch. When the evhil villhin (who’s pretty easy to figure out, cardboard character that he is) targets poor Isabella to get back at Marcus, well, he’s finally spurred into action and takes her to the seaside where things get physical. Does he tell her why they have to leave town so abruptly? Of course not. Don’t want her knowing what’s really going on, when he can just play on her feelings.

Sadly, things never seem to develop more emotionally between them. Marcus breaks things off with Isabella for personal reasons, that are never really resolved. Instead, he just changes his mind at the end because…. well, he just decides to.

I really wanted to like this story. I did like Isabella and her motivations. She came across as a realistic and motivated. And I felt by the end of the story that she deserved someone better than Marcus, someone who actually would grow and care deeply for her. Marcus never really seems to feel anything unique or to even long for Isabella, at least no more at the end than he did at the beginning.

Assessment: Not for me.

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as a promotional giveaway at the 2009 RWA National Convention.

Bride of the Wolf

by Susan Krinard

HQN Books, 2010

Historical Paranormal

Release date: March 1, 2010

Rachel Lyndon yearns to escape her scandalous past, but her dreams for a better life seem ruined after she buries her fiancé on the Texas plains.

Heath Renier has been evading the law by the skin of his teeth for years. Now he’s found a new identity as Holden Renshaw, foreman of Dog Creek Ranch. But the arrival of his boss’s mail-order bride, now a widow, upsets his fragile peace and threatens to expose his deadly secrets.

Rachel knows that the mysterious and savagely handsome Holden is the last man she should trust–especially once she’s seen glimpses of his true nature. When he’s suspected of killing his employer, she has a terrible choice to make. But the heat of his gaze ignites something seductive and irresistible within her. No matter how dangerous the road ahead, she’s determined to give him the one thing he’s never truly believed he deserves: her undying love.

As a mail-order bride, Rachel Lyndon feels she can forge a new life with respectable, sincere Jed MacCarrick who’s looking for a helpmate. She travels from Ohio with nothing but determination, only to find her fiance missing and a stranger trying to buy her off. Rachel heads for the ranch to get some answers. What she finds are two contrary men –Sean MacCarrick and Holden Renshaw –who are not only at odds with each other, but also put out by her appearance on the rance. Unwilling to be run off easily, Rachel declares she’s already married, so she can wait for Jed’s return and explanation.

Holden Renshaw is a man without a home, even at Dog Creek Ranch, though his work as a foreman there is valued and impeccable. Jed certainly trusts him more than he does his no-account nephew, Sean, but he also knows the truth about Holden’s past, which means Holden’s time at Dog Creek Ranch is limited. After Holden discovers Jed’s dead body, he suspects foul play and keeps the knowledge to himself. Afterall, he’s got a newborn son with no mother, and he’s gotta figure out how he’s going to see the boy settled. Thankfully, Rachel, who he suspects is lying about the marriage, is willing to care for the baby till he figures out what to do next.

Sean McCarrick’s determined to get rid of both of them so he can claim his uncle’s ranch and become the big-shot he believes himself to be. And he’s willing to do whatever is necessary to have his way. When a bounty hunter comes to town, looking for Heath Renier, Sean discovers that the best way to handle Holden is to reveal his true identity and watch him hang.

This story is a classic western with a twist –Holden Renshaw is a werewolf, so this story is also a paranormal. At first, I was afraid that would prove to be a bit gimmicky, but I was quite surprised by how the author handled this dynamic. The central story isn’t about a werewolf. Rather, the story is about a man who’s struggled to come to terms with and find a place in the world for himself because he is so very different from everyone else.  Holden grew up knowing he was abandoned by his mother, and he was abused by the people who fostered him.  Somehow, he managed to survive by thieving, killing when necessary, and generally carving out a solitary life for himself. The wolf is just one aspect of who this tough man is.

Rachel isn’t a meek woman, either, though she’s determined to find a place at Dog Creek Ranch. She’s lived a rough life of her own, made real-world mistakes and overcome some serious adversity. And she’s a survivor, too, who keeps her focus on her goals. No silly nonsensical antics like so many historical heroines offer. Even the romance is a steady build and development.

This is a refreshing historical romance with a strong plot and realistic characters. The paranormal story aspect flavors the story without running away with it . It also looks like we may see some future Renier-family werewolf stories.

Assessment: Recommended

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) via NetGalley.

Shift

by Rachel Vincent

Mira, 2010, ISBN #978-0778327608

Urban Fantasy

Release date: March 1, 2010

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother’s death and my father’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of an old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option….

Faythe Saunders is a werecat and an enforcer who’s tasked with protecting a new young female tabby, Kaci, who has joined their Pride. That protection is put to the test when thunderbirds swoop out of no where and attempt to abscond with Kaci. What at first appears to be a simple abduction turns into a full out attack by thunderbirds upon the werecats. The thunderbirds are out for vengeance for the recent murder of a young thunderbird, and they are convinced that this Pride of werecats is responsible.

As it turns out, the evil Alpha of a neighboring Pride has deliberately misled the thunderbirds, using the Flight as an unsuspecting tool to wipe out the Saunders Pride –with the exception of the females, of course, who are rare and coveted.

When the thunderbirds manage to seize both Faythe and Kaci, Faythe is able to negotiate a temporary cease-fire. All she has to do it make it from New Mexico to Kentucky and back with compelling proof of who really did kill the young thunderbird, and the attacks will stop.

When I began to read Shift, I didn’t at first realize that this was a later book in a series. After several cryptic references to things that had recently happened, it became apparent that I had started somewhere in the middle. For about 40 pages or so, I floundered in what was/what did happen without as much backstory as I would have liked, coupled with a bazillion characters. Since the attacks take place right in the middle of a big meeting, there are some 30 or more characters stomping in and out of scenes to add to the confusion. Some of the characters had too similar names, adding to the fun (for example: Kaci and Kai, Jake and Jace, etc).

After that, though, things settled in to a strong pace, with the author ratcheting up the tension scene after scene. There are some interesting things the author has to deal with in this story, including the differing social mores between the werecats and the thunderbirds.

Throughout the story, there is also a romantic triangle sub-plot between Faythe, her boyfriend Marc and another enforcer named Jace. Apparently in the last book, Faythe and Jace slept together, but at the beginning of Shift, neither has told Marc about the infidelity. So, we get to watch Faythe twist on the guilt-pike of her own making, trying to decide what to do about her conflicted feelings and how to break the news to Marc. Of course, Marc finds out at the wrong possible time and not from the person who should have told him. Faythe’s betrayal and lack of character in this sub-plot really disappointed me, especially when I’m told repeatedly throughout the book that Faythe is supposed to become the next Alpha of the Pride.

Which leads me to wonder –why, precisely, is Faythe supposed to be the next Alpha? Why would Faythe, a young and clearly reckless young woman, be identified and trained to be the Pride’s next leader? This is never explained and, frankly, the only thing that would make sense is if it’s a hereditary role. But since we know Faythe has brothers, and women are apparently very scarce in this society (it’s not a matriarchal society by any stretch of the imagination), why would they be ‘training’ her to be the next Alpha? I’m still wondering. Hopefully, this is explained in earlier books of the series, but it would have been nice to understand why during this reading.

All in all, once I got past what felt like an insufficient amount of backstory and mild disappointment in the main character, this was an enjoyable read. The author is talented and imaginative, and she has crafted a well-paced, tension-filled story.  This is a classic ‘race against the clock’ storyline, with a mostly satisfactory ending and strong set up for the 6th and, presumably, final book in the series called Alpha.

Assessment: Recommended

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) via NetGalley.