Ace of Hearts (House of Cards, Book 1)

Ace of Hearts by Barbara Metzger (2005)

Pages: 340

ISBN: 0451216261

Description: Alexander "Ace" Endicott, Earl of Carde, needs a woman who will beget him heirs to the earldom. But never did Ace imagine himself to be thrice betrothed against his will by the doings of three desperate females. So Ace does what any respectable earl would do - he folds.

Escaping the comforts of London, Ace journeys north and follows through with his deceased father's last wish. He and his brother, Jack, promised to find their long-lost stepsister. But he draws a wild card when his search takes a detour and leads him to Nell, whose delicate beauty piques his interest. And when Nell returns his affection, the situation becomes more than either wagered for. Now Ace may have to reconsider his rejection of marriage and see if two mismatched lovers can make a winning pair.

Review: Ace finds himself deep in trouble. He somehow has gotten himself engaged to three different women. Well, to be honest, they just said they were engaged, he didn't do anything to provoke that state. To escape them, he takes off for his family estate and then decides to look into the disappearance of his half sister. This journey takes him right to Nell's door. It is obvious they are attracted to each other and events get in the way of them getting together. This was an average story. It seemed to lack more strength of character. For ever step taken forward, there were two taken back. The characters were bland and the plot seemed to be too flimsy. Not a bad book, but one that you could skip.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Fruits Basket (Volume 1-23)

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya (1999-2006)

Description: Tohru Honda was an orphan, living with her grandfather, when one day fate kicked her out of the house and she was forced to take up residence in a tent in the forest. Little did she know that the land she was staying on belonged to the Sohma family, a clan of beautiful and mysterious people. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything's going well until she discovers the Sohma family's greatest secret: when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they each turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal!

Review: Right from the start this manga had me hooked. How can you not like Tohru? She has to be one of the sweetest people on the planet. All the hopes of breaking the Sohma curse fall on her head. It was interesting to see the relationships grow and change throughout this series. Not only are the characters great, but the storylines were fantastic, although somewhat depressing at times. This is the one series that everyone should read. It was outstanding.

Score: 5 out of 5

Then Came You

Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas (1993)

Pages: 371

ISBN: 038077013X

Description: Reckless, wild, and beautiful, Lily Lawson delights in shocking proper London society - and now she is determined to rescue her sister from an unwanted impending marriage to the notorious Alex, Lord Railford, by fair means or foul. But while she succeeds outrageously, Alix is a master gamesmen who is not to be undone.

Alex has lost one bride, yet he is enchanted by this remarkable lady who is willing to break any rule to flaunt her independence. When lily offers him only scorn, he counters with kindness, and he parries her blistering barbs with gentle words and a soft, tender touch. The spirited miss will pay dearly for her interference - with her body, her soul, and her stubborn, unyielding heart. But will Alix's own heart be the prize to be won in this sensuous game of love?

Review: To start off, Alex and Lily dislike one another. It has been said there is a fine line between love and hate... that would be the same with these two. They are bitter rivals from the beginning. Lily shocks Alex with her outlandish behavior and with her determination to save her sister from an unwanted marriage. It is obvious to everyone that Lily and Alex are perfect for one another, it just takes them many pages and exposition to find that out for themselves. For the most part, I enjoyed this story. The characters were well made and enjoyable (or not). However, I found the story to be somewhat repetitive and not very creative. Its not a bad read, but there are far better novels by Kleypas out there.

Score: 3 out of 5

The Mistress Diaries (Pembroke Palace, Book 2)

The Mistress Diaries by Julianne MacLean (2008)

Pages: 370

ISBN: 0061456845

Description: The night I met Lord Vincent Sinclair, son of the Duke of Pembroke, was the night I lost control. I never imagined that I, Cassandra Montrose, could engage in such wicked, wanton behavior with a man I hardly knew. But in that fateful moment, alone in his coach, the passion I felt for him was undeniable, even though I knew that after my surrender I was unlikely to ever see my lover again.

Until a fateful secret brought me to his door...

I always believed my pride would prevent me from becoming any man's mistress - especially a rogue like Vincent, who cares for nothing but his inheritance. Yet I have very good reason to remain in his life. If only he did not tempt me so...

Review: This book starts of with a bang (quite literally). Vincent and Cassandra are instantly besotted with each other. For Vincent this is just one night, but something happens that connects him with Cassandra forever. A year later, Cassandra brings their daughter to his home for him to care for as she thinks that she is going to die. Vincent reluctantly agrees to care for their child, but then when she discovers that she is not as ill as she though, she tries to leave with their daughter. Vincent has other things in mind. Eventually, they become friends and then lovers once more. The book is average. The story was somewhat bland and the characters were even worse. Often I was left wondering why Vincent and Cassandra were even drawn together. The side characters were worse. There were too many gaps in the story. I realize belatedly that this is part of a series, but even so there is too much missing. It wasn't a bad book, but one that I would definitely say to check out at your local library.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

Wintersmith (Discworld)

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett (2006)

Pages: 336

ISBN: 0060890312

Description: At 9, Tiffany Aching defeated the cruel Queen of Fairyland.

At 11, she battled an ancient body-stealing evil.

At 13, Tiffany faces a new challenge: a boy. And boys can be a bit of a problem when you're thirteen. . . .

But the Wintersmith isn't exactly a boy. He is Winter itself—snow, gales, icicles—all of it. When he has a crush on Tiffany, he may make her roses out of ice, but his nature is blizzards and avalanches. And he wants Tiffany to stay in his gleaming, frozen world. Forever.

Tiffany will need all her cunning to make it to Spring. She'll also need her friends, from junior witches to the legendary Granny Weatherwax. They—Crivens! Tiffany will need the Wee Free Men too! She'll have the help of the bravest, toughest, smelliest pictsies ever to be banished from Fairyland—whether she wants it or not.

It's going to be a cold, cold season, because if Tiffany doesn't survive until Spring—Spring won't come.

Review: This Discworld novel for young adults continues the story of the young Tiffany Aching. She is now a witches apprentice and on her way to a great adventure. While watching the dance, she gets caught up in the rhythm and jumps in. Because of this, she unknowingly interrupted the coming summer and caught the eye of the Wintersmith. Her guardian witch attempts to shield her from his interests, but life intervenes. Throughout this adventure, Tiffany learns many lessons about life and grows up even more. This is a really fun read. Pratchett has such a great wit. A laugh out loud adventure that everyone should read.

A side note, if you haven't read any of the previous novels (two in total), you still can enjoy this book.

Score: 5 out of 5