The Lady Flees Her Lord by Michele Ann Young

Lucinda, Lady Denbigh once made a terrible mistake: she married Lord Denbigh who abuses her both physically and emotionally because she hasn't given him an heir and because she's both tall and plump and not traditionally pretty. One day, Lucinda decides to leave her husband and hides in the country posing as a widow - along with her newly adopted daughter Sophia - living the sort of quiet life she always dreamed off.

However, things change when Lucinda's landlord returns from the war. Lord Hugo Wasnted spent many years in the army and returns to Kent to find his family home practically in ruins - thanks to his father's obsession with having more children to secure the family line - and a young widow whom he finds very attractive living on his land.

His first impulse is to send her away, he doesn't need to be attracted to Lucinda or anyone, he doesn't want to marry ever again - he was married once before but his wife died - or have children; but Lucinda isn't going anywhere, not with the threat of her husband still lurking out there.

All right, first let me say that this is not a fluffy, lighthearted romance novel; the things Lucinda goes through are pretty awful but, that being said, Lucinda is a great heroine, both vulnerable and strong, very resourceful and smart. Hugo makes a fine tortured hero: a gentle man who was hardened by war, life and loss.

The writing is very engaging and it hooked me right from page one, I wanted to know more. There is plenty of mystery and a great cast of characters; as well as a twist I didn't quite see coming.

Grade:

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Warnning: I'm going to assume you guys already read The Summoning (book one of this series) so some spoilers might show up.

A few weeks ago, Chloe Saunders was a regular girl, but that all changed the day she saw her first ghost. After being sent to Lyle House - a group home for mentally disturbed kids - she finds out she's not crazy at all, she's a Supernatural and her life might be in danger.

So, she runs away, ready to seek answers with the help of foster brothers Derek and Simon, and her new friend Rae - young Supernaturals like herself - but after they get separated, Rae and Chloe get taken by what they find is The Edison Group, a group of mostly supernaturals who claim to be trying to make life easier to supernaturals by using science.

In reality, though, The Edison Group has way more devious purposes than that. After realizing that Rae actually likes the Edison Group, Chloe escapes the Group's clutches with the help of Tori - a fellow housemate from Lyle House whom she doesn't like really but is forced to trust in until they can find Derek and Simon.

All too soon, the four of them are on the run again, to find answers and save their lives.

Oh! I loved this book, my only complain about The Summoning was that I found it slow at the beginning, there is nothing slow about The Awakening, things are happening left and right all the time. It's action packed, yet there is a lightheartedness too the story that keeps it from being oppressive, yes, Chloe, Derek, Simon and Tori are in the run for their lives, and everything - from their powers to whom they can trust outside the odd foursome - is uncertain, but they still mostly act like teens. Smart teens, but teens all the same.

3/4

Sea Lord by Virginia Kantra

We have met the Hunters in Sea Witch and Sea Fever, first two books of the Children of the Sea series. The first two stories were about the brothers, Caleb and Dylan, the third one, Sea Lord, is about their little sister Lucy.

No one has ever thought much of Lucy Hunter, she's quiet, unremarkable, well liked but always in the background. Lucy doesn't think much of herself either, her mother abandoned her when she was just a baby and though her brother Caleb did the best he could to raise her, he grew up and made his own life.

Conn app Lyrr is the Prince of the selkies, Lord of the Seas and has been ruling in his father's stead for almost a thousand years. But, with ever decreasing numbers of selkies and demons plotting to bring the children of the sea into hell's war against heaven and humans, Conn has a vision that he feels holds the key to their survival, and that vision is all about Lucy.

Why? He doesn't know, she's human - though her bloodline as Atargantis' daughter makes her valuable - and she's not particularly pretty, but if a long foretold prophecy holds true (the one that says that a daughter of Atargantis' house will change the balance in the power between the Elementals), then Conn needs Lucy. What's more, he wants her.

So, Conn sets out to get what he needs, no matter the cost.

Well, I had the same pet peeve with this book as I did with Sea Fever, I'm sorry to say that selkies often come off as selfish and almost petty. Conn is all about what he needs and what he wants and if it makes Lucy uncomfortable then too bad for her. Lucy does begin to come to her strenghts and that is nice to see but still, Conn acts jerky almost all through the book. I definitely liked the first book of the series, Sea Witch, more.

Book Gossip (#15)

Book Gossip #15

Lisa Kleypas is giving a way a free short story about The Hathaways!
I shan't spoil the title of it but you can check out all the details at Lisa Kleypas' site.

After I read it I found some info, Mrs. Kleypas' next two books will be called Married by Morning and Love Me in the Afternoon, out in 2010. I'm pretty sure one of them is the next Hathaway one, dare I even guess that both of them are Hathaway books?

I sort of think so but, as with everything, time will tell.

In the meanwhile, remember that the third book in the Hathaway series, Tempt Me at Twilight, is coming out September 22!

Grade Up!

Okay, so back in June I participated in the Bloggiesta and part of it was to use the Website Grader and at first I think I got like a 69 and then I added Meta Tags and got up to 70.

Now, I kind of re-check it now and again, and today I finally got up to... 80!!

I even put the badge up finally :)