by misscz on April 13, 2009
in 1 Star,2 Stars,3 Stars,4 Stars,5 Stars,Christine Feehan,Christine Merrill,Eve Kenin,Georgette Heyer,Housekeeping,Jessica Andersen,Kelly Hunter,Lori Devoti,Nalini Singh,Penny McCall,Sharon Ashwood
Being behind on reviews has had an unexpected plus side.
By having that gap between finishing the book and when I actually sit down to put my thoughts on paper, I have a better take on which books stay with me. Since I have to refresh my memory on some points, I usually have to do a little re-reading. If I really love the book, I tend to keep reading after I found whatever it was that prompted me to refer to the book. That’s a bit annoying, since I should be writing, not reading. The harder it is for me to put aside the book, the more likely the book is going to be a 5-star book, flaws and all.
With that in mind, I’m going to go ahead and give ratings to the books I’ve already posted. I’ll eventually update the individual review posts. Reminder: anything I give a 3-Star or above is a guarantee that I will try other books from the author.
Five Stars: LOVED!
- Dawnkeepers (Jessica Andersen)
- Bedded for Diamonds (a.k.a. Priceless) (Kelly Hunter)
- Ravenous (Sharon Ashwood)
- Dark Crusade (Lori Devoti)
Four Stars: Liked a lot!
- Driven (Eve Kenin)
- An Unladylike Offer (Christine Merrill)
- Ace is Wild (Penny McCall)
Three Stars: Enjoyable Read
- Slave to Sensation (Nalini Singh)
- Cousin Kate (Georgette Heyer)
- Shadow Game (Christine Feehan)
I mentioned in my 2008 wrap-up post that I might change how and/or when rate a book.
In 2007, I did not rate the books until the end of the year. By having to think back and re-read reviews, I was able to sift through and determine which books still stood out in my mind (5), which were good/enjoyable reads (4 and 3), and which were okay and not-so-okay (2 and 1).
In 2008, I rated each book after I finished it.
Looking back — and trying to decided which of the 19 5-star books were my favorite of the year – I saw immediately that books like Personal Demons by Stacia Kane and Nightkeepers Jessica Andersen (books that still stand out in my mind) wouldn’t even be in the top 20, let alone the top 10. And there were a few sentimental 5-star books — the Gilded Age mystery series books with Nell Sweeney, for instance. I loved the series as a whole, and loved Nell and Will — but in retrospect, I would have given some/all of them 3 or 4 stars (I read four books last year)
Now that I’ve tried both ways, I think that the 2007 method was more accurate than last year’s. Therefore, starting with the review of Dawnkeepers, the rating will be left blank — or TBA (to be annonced) — until the end of the year. The exceptions will be books that are Did Not Finish (if I even bother trying to review it), and books I absolutely know aren’t going more than a 2-star — I think those will be few, easy to figure out, and my opinion is not likely to change with the passage of time.
The two books I’ve already rated (Hail to the Chef and Innocence Unveiled) will retain their ratings.
Christina
about
A Lady of Rare Quality
Author: Anne Ashley
Copyright: 2006 (Harlequin); pgs. 297
Series: Harlequin Historical #200 (Regency)
Sensuality: Kisses
Who: Annis Milbank and Deverel Greythorpe (Viscount Greythorpe)
Summary: They’ve never seen Viscount Greythorpe listen so intently when a lady speaks. To have caught the eye of this esteemed gentleman, Miss Annis Milbank must be a lady of rare quality.
Comments: This book was a nice change of pace, after Black Ice and Silent in the Grave. I particularly liked Deverel and Annis. The viscount is a serious man, but not a recluse or a rake. Up until he meets Annis, his criteria for his potential viscountess is that she be a kind and affectionate mother. Once he gets to know her, he realizes he also wants an intelligent and capable wife as well. Annis is just that. However, Annis is not really looking for a husband. She’s financially comfortable and she’s not after a title. All that Deverel can do is ask her to stay longer, hoping that she’ll grow to like him well enough to accept his proposal. For her part, she has grown to admire and respect him during her stay at Greythorpe. She doesn’t realize the depths of her feeling for him until she believes he’s on the brink of proposing to another woman.
The rest of the story I thought was so-so. There is a small mystery as to who has a grudge against Deverel and why. I thought the who was obvious — though the why wasn’t what I suspected.
I liked the author’s book, Beloved Virgo, much better than this one. But, as I stated above, I was looking for a “quieter” book, and it fit the bill.
Started: 18 February 2008
Finished: 24 February 2008
Just Ok
Rating:
