Bookwormom

2011-07-28T21:31:00.000-04:00

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Harper Lee Comes Out of Hiding??

2011-04-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

Apparently a former Chicago Tribune reporter wrote a book about Harper Lee, the well known but very reclusive author, claiming to have had input from the author herself. The New York Times briefly mentions this in THIS ARTICLE. According to the NYT Ms. Lee has repudiated any involvement. Even Jezebel, the fashion & celebrity gossip site has picked up this story. Several newspapers & websites, the Chicago Tribune among them have picked the story up, and some articles claim Penguin (the new book's publisher) has insisted that Lee did indeed cooperate with Ms. Mills in the writing and researching of the book. According to the Tribune article linked to above, Penguin claims to have a letter stating that Lee did indeed cooperate.However, I've done a search on the Penguin Press website and can't find a mention of Marja Mills.

SO- who knows? Did Ms. Lee really cooperate with Ms. Mills? Or not? Will we ever know or will it be buried by the lawyers?

Personal Life Update

2011-04-13T19:48:00.000-04:00

Well you guys, I passed my 2nd exam in the computer class I'm taking. I totally screwed up the tabs (& thus the formatting) by neglecting to hit the set button before I hit ok..I passed, but my ego-such as it is, lol, is bruised. This was also a poignant reminder that I really do need to devote more time to this portion of the class. I'll cop a plea to being neglectful and a procrastinator.

What else? Younger son Maestro will be confirmed next Saturday, the Great Vigil of Easter. I love the Holy Week services, old and quiet and dark, almost primitive feeling. My husband will be reaffirmed at the same service. I hope family will come, but at this point I don't know who will or won't be be there.

More Links:

1. Happy birthday Beverly Cleary

2.Books that inspired author Elizabeth Moon

3.News about the Dragonriders of Pern movie adaptation

And in more erm..ADULT news, if you could call it that:

Iceland has a Penis Museum! Yes, I'm only 12 years old.

Links for Today

2011-04-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

The Orange Prize (an award for women) shortlist is out, list available HERE.

In other book news a 600 year old copy of The Nuremburg Chronicles has turned up in Utah, story available HERE. I'd love if it could tell us how it got there, that must be quite a story!

World Book Night tonight

2011-03-05T00:13:00.002-05:00

Tonight is the first annual World Book Night, held in the UK & Ireland. The participants will give away copies of 25 titles, link to list here. I'm ashamed to admit, I've read only 2 of the 25 listed: All's Quiet on the Western Front and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. The about page for the site says some will be given to places like hospitals and prisons, so I think in honor of World Book Day I'll donate some books to a hospice facility in our area.

Today's Quote

2011-03-04T15:09:00.000-05:00

Writing eases my suffering..writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence.

~ Gao Xiangjian, author

Me too!!

No real news on the book front. I decided last week I will 'earn' my book money by going to the gym. 1 hour at the gym = $1 for books. Do you think I've been to the gym since then? NOT. LOL. I do have a big TBR pile to keep me going though. :)

Coming Soon

2011-03-03T00:51:00.001-05:00

I'm currently reading:

1. Blood Born by Linda Howard and Linda Jone I can't find an "official site" for Linda Howard, but here is the publisher page for herher.

2. The Book of Night Women by Marlon James.

Reviews next week. After that I don't know what I'll read.

Nothing to Read?

2011-03-02T06:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know I'm way behind in book news, after all I've been on hiatus for a year, but this is ridiculous. Really. The The Guardian is my favorite book site by far. Lots of info, reviews, news and more on a daily basis. Imagine that- not just once a week, but daily! Such luxury. Book pages in American pages are becoming as scarce as hens' teeth. ANYhow.

I normally read the Guardian book pages on my feed reader. Less content, but easier for my lazy butt to keep up with. Tonight I actually go the page &, lo & behold, I find THIS!!! Holy cow. Yes, I really am a dumb Yank. A page full of book stuff: reviews, news, crit, bios. Enough book things to keep me occupied for ages.

SO- if you have nothing to read quel horreur!!, go to the page linked in the paragraph above & your woes will be over.

You're welcome

Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Program

2011-03-01T11:30:00.005-05:00

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It has been a whole entire year since I've posted here. I can't believe it has been so long, yet I thought about my blog every day. Wistfully, you know? Remember when you were little and you wanted something just out of reach and no one was there to help you get what you wanted? I've felt that way about this blog for a very long time now. So here I am. I'm going to redo the look a little bit, with Maestro's help. Customize the template & patch up some old stuff. A lot of old stuff.

Meanwhile I've emailed an editor asking for a galley to review an historical set in pre WW I Britain. I hope I get a copy, despite being down for so long. The book sounds good & I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things here.

I hope the book blog world is still out there somewhere. I've missed wandering around and having impossibly long TBR lists.

Annus Horribilis

2010-10-18T10:45:00.005-04:00

You guys know that the title phrase comes from HM Queen Elizabeth, right? It means horrible year in Latin.

So much has happened this year- not much of it fun or happy, I'm afraid. I've not read a single book to the end. I've gotten about half way through & given up on quite a few. I associate my blog with happiness & fun but my personal life isn't matching up and I can't figure out how to blog here while 1) not reading and 2) feeling very unhappy & stressed. Thus I'm on hiatus.

I'm really sad. This is my 5th year blogging. I should be celebrating.

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2010-01-30T10:41:00.002-05:00

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Semester Hiatus

Due to my chronic inability to be organized enough to both post on the blog, take classes and maintain my sanity, posting here will be sporadic at best until the end of the semester, which is early May. I will post occasionally but generally I anticipate greatly reduced activity here until late spring. I'm sorry to do this but it's inevitable I'm afraid. See you then!

2010-01-15T22:33:00.000-05:00

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Therefore today's post will come tomorrow! :p

Best of 2009

2010-01-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

All of the authors and titles are hyperlinked to reviews I've written or author's pages. In the case of Georgette Heyer I've linked to pages that detail her work or the specific title I'm referring to. I hope 2009 was an enjoyable reading year for you too!

Best Book of 2009~

The Risen Empire and The Killing of Worlds; Scott Westerfeld

Best New to Me Authors~

1. Ariana Franklin
2. Georgette Heyer
3. Linnea Sinclair

Best Mystery~
Contemporary~ The Midnight Choir; Gene Kerrigan
Historical~ Mistress of the Art of Death; Ariana Franklin

Best Fantasy~ Scar Night, Alan Campbell

Best Science Fiction~

1. The Risen Empire, Scott Westerfeld (duology)
2. The Moon's Shadow; Catherine Asaro
3. The Ruby Dice; Catherine Asaro

Best Romance~ Hope's Folly- Linnea Sinclair

Best of the Rest~

1. Death Wore White; Jim Kelly
2. In Defense of Food; Michael Pollan
3. The War of the Flowers; Tad Williams
4. Devil's Cub; Georgette Heyer
5. Frederica; Georgette Heyer
6. These Old Shades; Georgette Heyer

2009 Annual Statistics

2010-01-11T19:04:00.000-05:00

And the grand total for the year is......65! Not too bad considering going back to school totally sank both my reading statistics and my blog. Not reading much romance these last few months, and these next few aren't looking great either, at least for romance reading. Vampires, though, are totally on the upswing.

2005~ 102 2006~ 104 2007~ 64 2008~ 88

General Fiction~

Chick Lit- 1
Children's Fantasy- 1
Christian Thriller- 1
Christian Women's Fiction- 1
Diet & Health- 0
Erotica- 1
Fantasies- 11
Fictionalized Memoir- 2
Historical Fiction- 1
Historical Mysteries- 2
Horror- 1
Humor-0
Literary Criticism- 1
Literature- 0
Manga- 2
Metaphysics- 1
Mystery, Contemporary- 5
Mystery, Historical- 4
Science Fiction- 4
Sociology- 2
Thrillers- 0
Travelogue/ex-pat adventure- 0
Women's Fiction- 2

Romances~

Contemporary Suspense- 0
Fantasy- 1
Historical- 13
Medieval- 1
Mythology- 0
Paranormal Vampire- 3
Science Fiction- 1
Time Travel- 0
Traditional Regencies- 2

YA Paranormal/fantasy- 1
YA romance- 0
YA Chicklet- 0

DNF- 6

I Heard a Bird Sing; Oliver Herford

2010-01-03T23:07:00.001-05:00

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December

A magical thing

And sweet to remember:

"We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,"

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December

December Monthly Synopsis

2009-12-31T16:39:00.004-05:00

This month I read:

1. Devil's Cub~ Georgette Heyer

2. Frederica~ Georgette Heyer

3. The Untamed Bride~ Stephanie Laurens

4. Quatrain~ Sharon Shinn.

5. Divine Misdemeanors~ Laurell K. Hamilton

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo~ Steig Larsson

ETA: 7. These Old Shades~ Georgette Heyer

Notes:

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read Georgette Heyer, as much as I love traditional regencies. She's wonderful & I'm rapidly glomming the new Sourcebooks Casablanca qp size releases. Untamed Bride is a wonderful Laurens, kind of a historical romantic suspense. I plan to read the rest of the series. Sharon Shinn's book is a collection of short stories, each one set in one of her worlds. They're all quite good. The one set in Samaria finally convinced me to read that group. I've bought them all at the UBS. The LKH is fine, as far as it goes. It's an episode in Los Angeles, wherein Merry & her crew must solve a mystery & Merry must learn a little more the role of a ruler, as opposed to simply being the heir. Less carefree and more responsability and more choices between what she personally wants and what id best for the group or for Faerie as a whole. I read the Steig Larsson book earlier this fall, but forgot to list it.

Note, pt.2

These Old Shades is paired with Devil's Cub, I read them in reverse order (which I don't recommend, as subtle interactions are lost if you are unfamiliar with the characters). They do stand alone though, if you're interested in reading them. TOS made me cry & therefore earns an automatic place on my keeper shelves.

2010 Releases

2009-12-30T21:15:00.015-05:00

Below are a few books I'm looking forward to hunting down next year. I'm quite sure the to be bought list will grow significantly as the year progresses, but as of now this is it. List is linked to author's sites.

1. Rebels and Lovers~ Linnea Sinclair February

2. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms~ N.K. Jesmin March

3. Except the Queen~ Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder February

4. Shalador's Lady~ Anne Bishop March

5. Foiled~ Jane Yolen April Graphic novel about a teenage girl fencer!! How cool is that?!!

6. Naamah's Curse~ Jacqueline Carey June

7. Dark Peril~ Christine Feehan September

8. Cryoburn~ Lois McMaster Bujold No date available yet, possibly November This is a Miles book.

9. A Kiss at Midnight~ Eloisa James No month listed Described as a Cinderella theme

10-12. The Black Cobra Quartet~ Stephanie Laurens February, July & end of the year First title is The Elusive Bride

13. The Chalice of Blood~ Peter Tremayne July, UK release

Other News

Both Scott Westerfeld and Juliet Marillier are writing new books. Marillier's title is said to be Seer of Sevenwaters formerly Song of the Island, I couldn't find a pub date for it though. Westerfeld's new book is supposed to be titled Behemoth, second in the trilogy that began with Leviathan, and is currently being worked on.

October and November Synopsis

2009-12-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Listed below are what I've managed to read between 1 October and November 30, none of which are reviewed or listed in the archives. I hope to slowly work my way through them and review them, but am not overly hopeful that I will be able to achieve this in any timely fashion.

1. What Remains of Heaven~ C.S. Harris

2. The Taming of the Duke~ Eloisa James

3. Kiss Me Annabel~ Eloisa James

4. On the Way to the Wedding~ Julia Quinn

5. Desperate Duchesses~ Eloisa James

6. The Disdainful Marquis~ Edith Layton

7. The Abandoned Bride~ Edith Layton

8. The Untamed Bride~ Edith Layton

2009-12-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

The angel Gabriel from heaven came, his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail," said he, "thou lowly maiden Mary, mostly highly favored lady", gloria!

"For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be, all generations laud and honor thee, thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,most highly favored lady," gloria!

Then gently Mary meekly bowed her head, "To me be as it pleaseth God," she said, "my soul shall laud and magnify his holy name." Most highly favored ,lady, gloria!

Of her Emmanuel, the Christ, was born in Behtlehem, all on a Christmas morn, "Most highly favored lady," gloria!

This is the text of a Basque hymn, one of my favorites, that our church plays during Advent although it is also appropriate for the Annunciation (March 25th). The painting is La Vierge au Lys by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. I love to hear it at this time of year.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

May God grant you the light in Christmas,
Which is Faith;
The warmth of Christmas,
Which is Love;
The radiance of Christmas,
Which is Purity;
The righteousness of Christmas,
Which is Justice;
The belief in Christmas,
Which is Truth;
The all of Christmas,
Which is Christ.

~Wilda English~

Found on the website of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Photo is from an album posted by fwz on Webshots

Dear Author's Top 100 Romances

2009-12-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Click the link in the title above to go to the Dear Author page with the list on it. Often the discussions are well worth reading, no matter how long they are. Below I copied & pasted the list, bolded titles I've read, italicized titles I own but haven't read yet. I almost never read contemporaries, so that always colors my numbers. If my tallies are correct, I've read 17 and own another 12. What are your numbers?

1. To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney
2. For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale
3. Black Silk by Judith Ivory
4. Naked in Death by J.D Robb
5. My Reckless Heart by Jo Goodman
5. The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale
5. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
8. The Windflower by Laura London/Tom and Sharon Curtis
8. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
10. Delicious by Sherry Thomas
10. Forbidden by Susan Johnson
10. The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
10. Wild at Heart by Patricia Gaffney
14. Beast by Judith Ivory
14. False Colors by Alex Beecroft
14. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
14. The Changeling Bride by Lisa Cach
14. Dance by Judy Cuevas
19. Heart Of The West by Penelope Williamson
19. Practice to Deceive by Patricia Veryan
19. Reforming Lord Ragsdale by Carla Kelly
19. Tatiana And Alexander by Paulina Simons
19. The Bride Fair by Cheryl Reavis
19. The Outsider by Penelope Williamson
19. Uneven by Anah Crow
19. Bad Girl by Michelle Jaffe
19. Archangel by Sharon Shinn
19. The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe
29. As You Desire by Connie Brockway
29. Night in Eden by Candice Proctor
29. Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone
29. Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale
29. Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie
29. Crooked Hearts by Patricia Gaffney
35. Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
35. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
35. The Duke’s Wager by Edith Layton
35. Dream Man by Linda Howard
35. Ember by Bettie Sharpe
35. Mirrors and Mistakes by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
35. The Dream Thief by Shana Abe
35. It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
35. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
35. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer
35. Spring Fancy by LaVyrle Spencer
35. A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh
35. Again by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
35. Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught
35. Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
35. His Lordship’s Mistress by Joan Wolf
35. One Good Turn by Carla Kelly
35. Shattered Rainbows by Mary Jo Putney
35. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
35. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
55. Lady’s Choice by Jayne Ann Krentz
55. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
55. Natural Law by Joey Hill
55. Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
55. Out of the Blue by Sally Mandel
55. The Passions of Emma by Penelope Williamson
55. Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran
55. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
55. A Man to Slay Dragons by Meagan McKinney
55. Beloved Lord by Mallory Burgess
55. Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight
55. Dearly Beloved by Mary Jo Putney
55. Devonshire by Lynne Connolly
55. Don’t Forget to Smile by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
55. Dream A Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
55. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
55. Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran
55. Fireflower by Edith Layton
55. George and the Virgin by Lisa Cach
55. Jovah’s Angel by Sharon Shinn
55. Lady Gallant by Suzanne Robinson
55. Lily by Patricia Gaffney
55. Lion’s Bride by Iris Johanson
55. Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
55. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
55. Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
55. Pure Sin by Susan Johnson
55. Scandal by Amanda Quick
55. Scandal by Carolyn Jewel
55. The Dominant Blonde by Alisa Kwitney
55. The Slightest Provocation by Pam Rosenthal
55. To Love a Dark Lord by Anne Stuart
55. Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory
55. Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan
55. Wild Sweet Ecstasy by Jo Goodman
55. Wildest Hearts by Jayne Ann Krentz
55. The Reluctant Heiress/Magic Flutes by Eva Ibbotson
55. “A House East of Regent Street” by Pam Rosenthal (novella in the anthology Strangers in the Night)
55. A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith
55. Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens
55. Heart Throb by Suzanne Brockmann
55. If Wishes Were Horses by Curtiss Ann Matlock
55. Lady Elizabeth’s Comet by Sheila Simonson
55. Rejar by Dara Joy
55. Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb South
100. Beyond Breathless by Kathleen O’Reilly

Book Related News

2009-12-22T13:34:00.001-05:00

According to the Guardian newspaper, Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit series is being released with all new animation in 2011. The article says the new cartoons will be released around the world & all new merchandise will accompany it. Read all about it here.

Also found on the Guardian, for those of you who like to follow authors behaving badly, there has apparently been a huge troll fest over on Amazon involving an author named Candace Sams- who is apparently so upset she threatened to involve the FBI. Seriously. LOL I just can't imagine. Read all about it here.

On a personal note, I'll be posting more now that finals are over & grades are in. Updates coming soon, both family & reading lists.

Advent Blog Tour '09

2009-12-11T17:17:00.009-05:00

I thought I'd participated more years than 2006, but the only other Advent post I can find is this one. Click link in the title above to go to Marg & Kailana's Advent blog. You'll find lots of other folks who're writing. The Tour is a great way to find other book blogs, often from all around the world. Head on over there & check it out. This year I find myself in a more contemplative frame of mind than usual. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes here Chez Bookwormom, other than the absolute dearth of posting here, and it has affected my mood.

In an effort to cheer myself up I decided that I would decorate using a snowman theme. I already have several acrylic snowmen cavorting across the top of Pianist's new piano. A skiier, a caroler, a nurse (to tend the skiier who always falls over), a penguin riding an ice cube, a couple of glass Christmas trees. Silly, fun little charms, really. I found glass snowmen ornaments with glittery orange carrot noses (cheap, too!) and one that has a long striped hat streaming above his head. I dug out some old snowflake placemats. I bought a large package of hard Christmas candies & poured them in a bowl, the Hubby was surprised- I rarely buy candy to keep in the house.

What else? I wrapped the back door in bright red Christmas paper & ribbons, now it looks like a giant present. I'd not done that for a few years. I put a new purple cloth under my advent wreath. I think I need a cinnamon broom, I saw one the other day in the craft store but skipped it. There's nothing like scent to cheer you up and bring back memories. I put a giant pink-freckled poinsettia on the dining room table. I made the kids hunt down the giant pinecone wreath buried up in the attic & its on the front door now.

I don't normally like to associate Christmas with more shopping, more stuff, more more more!!! but somehow this year a little retail therapy goes a long way towards lightening my mood. Sorry this post is a little down, but I can't help it. This is the only place I can 'let my hair down a little' so to speak & you guys just have to listen. I'm glad I stocked up on romances last month, maybe subconsciously I knew I was going to need a surefire pick me up this month.

1,000th Post Giveaway is Here

2009-11-23T22:03:00.008-05:00

This is the 1,000th post! Remember?? From ages & ages ago? Whoever posted comments between August 7th and the 1,000th post would get to pick two titles from a list of books. Never did I think it would take me so long to get to 1,000 posts, but here we are at last!

If anyone still wants them here's the deal: I'll mail them to you, including overseas. There are 10 titles so let's say three winners? Email me your list of two titles & your address & I'll mail them to you. In the event of duplicate choices, the email with the earliest date & timestamp gets top pick, runners up can email back and forth with me as to which ones you want.

Email me at: bookwormomsterATgmailDOTcom no later than Sunday 29 November 2009 at midnight Eastern time US.

I think they've all been reviewed and can be found in my archives.

The choices are:

1. Cybele's Secret- Juliet Marillier

2. Ruby's Slippers- Leanna Ellis

3. Certain Jeopardy- Struecker & Gansky

4. Rooftops of Tehran- Mahbod Seraji

5. Dirt: An American Campaign- Mark LaFlamme

6. Twenties Girl- Sophie Kinsella

7. Four Wives- Wendy Walker

8. Make Ahead Meals- Jane Doiron

9. The Book of Unholy Mischief- Elle Newmark

10. The Prince of Midnight- Laura Kinsale
This is a 1990 hardcover edition complete with Fabio. If you're a romance lover who admires Ms. Kinsale & you posted this one is in nearly pristine condition.

Newest Treasures

2009-11-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

On Sunday I mentioned the last few romances I've read & mentioned that I've bought some new books. Almost all were found at my UBS & unfortunately they'll have to wait until the end of the semester before I can read most of them. Still, I love seeing them on my shelves & am anticipating some light and delicious reading in December.

This Duchess of Mine~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

Duchess by Night~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

When the Duke Returns~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

A Duke of Her Own~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

The Taming of the Duke~ Eloisa James Essex Sisters group: Imogen's book

Pleasure for Pleasure~ Eloisa James Essex Sisters group: Josie's book

An Affair Before Christmas~ Eloisa James Desperate Duchesses group

Broken Wing~ Judith James A book I decided I wouldn't buy unless it came to the UBS. The reviews really put me on the fence, but it finally showed up so I bought it. *shrug*

Bride Enchanted~ Edith Layton Starting to collect backlist

To Love A Wicked Lord~Edith Layton See above

A Rogue's Proposal~ Stephanie Laurens A Cynster family member, it has been ages since I've read their books.

A Rake's Vow~ Stephanie Laurens See comment above. I stopped reading this series once Laurens was finished with the original family tree.

The Frenchman's Plain Jane Project~ Myrna MacKenzie HQN Romance #4123 October; I love the 'plain Jane' plotline

Picture Perfect Christmas~Melanie Schuster HQN/Kimani Love the plot- very unusual & the smile on the cover model?? Delicious

I'm intrigued by the Duke Of Villiers in the Desperate Duchesses group, but his character thread runs through the entire group so I bought most of them so I could learn just what a rogue he is! He sounds yummy & delicious & in need of the love of a good wooman, I must say. LOL :) I needed Imogen's book because Rafe & Imogen both needed to straighten up. Josie I don't really give a damn about but Mayne needed his own book & this is it. Soooo...I still read the original Cynsters by Laurens. After Traditional Regencies died I needed something to take their place, but starting on HQNs has taken me a very long time. I'm dipping my toes in the water with these.