August 2011 Book Reviews by Morgan A. Thomas

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Fresh and Compelling Novels

Romance, vampires in the fictional town of Morganville, Texas, and historical fiction.

 


Burning Down the Spouse,

written by Dakota Cassidy

Bite Club: The Morganville Vampires,
written by Rachel Caine

Becoming Marie Antoinette,
written by Juliet Grey

book_burning_down_the_spouse.jpgBurning Down the Spouse

Written by Dakota Cassidy

Despite the title no one really gets burned in this new romance novel from Dakota Cassidy. There is in fact an evil ex, who cheats on our heroine Frankie and then leaves her penniless, forcing her to live in her aunt’s retirement village in New Jersey.

Having fallen into a deep depression, she spends all her time in bed. She is soon forced from the comforts of said bed by one Maxine Henderson-Barker who runs Trophy Jobs Employment Agency. Once she gets a job she realizes that she can turn her life around and she gets a job working in a diner—coincidentally home of the world’s best meatloaf.

But of course it would not be a romance novel without a man who is instantly attracted to our heroine despite the baggy sweatshirt and jeans she now wears (who cares about appearance when there is no rich chef ex-husband to control her?). He is, of course, incredibly gorgeous and works in the diner too. Of course he has relationship issues and there needs to be a big moment at the end where his lack of trust causes problems for the two of them. Then he has to do something heroic and grand to get her back. He does, and then all is well.

I have to say that this book was quite enjoyable. It is funny and you want Frankie to discover who she is and to have a life of her own. She has never really had one because she married too young. But one of the problems with this book—one that I sometimes have with other romance novels, which ranges from some serious problem to something that is just comical—is the issue that causes the hero and the heroine to test their love.

The one here is that the hero accuses her of stealing and cheating which she tried to tell him would never happen. It seems to me that the big problem is that there are too many unsolved feelings and emotions that even though apologized for may cause problems at a later time.

Burning Down the Spouse; Dakota Cassidy; Berkeley Sensation, 356 pages, $15.00

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Bite Club: The Morganville Vampires

Written by Rachel Caine

I have to say that I am not one for the huge vampire craze that has taken over the book, movie, and television scenes, but I do enjoy this series, of which this is number ten. Compared with some of the other books out there about vampires, this series is much more light-hearted, even though the main character often faces life-threatening circumstances due to the vampires living in their town.

For those of you unfamiliar with this series, the book takes place in the fictional Morganville, Texas, where humans and vampires have been living together since the town’s inception. There is often trouble in the town that needs to be taken care of and Claire, along with her friends Eve, Michael, and Shane do just that.

They have encountered all types of vampires and evil in their small town and manage to save the day every time.

The book is written in the third person but it is Claire to whom readers are usually exposed most. In this book, Claire’s boyfriend Shane starts to fall in with the wrong crowd, a group of vampires who start their own gym. He plays a large role in the whole plot and we even hear his thoughts as he experiences the trouble that has come to town. It is refreshing to hear the thoughts of another person as the characters do what they can to try to save the town.

All in all this was an enjoyable addition to an already good series. Despite the series’ longevity Ms. Caine does a good job at both character development and at creating exciting new adventures for her cast. There is something deeply enjoyable about the story as the characters continue to face the evil that exists in Morganville, Texas, and themselves.

Bite Club: The Morganville Vampires; Rachel Caine; New American Library, 340 pages, $17.99

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Becoming Marie Antoinette

Written by Juliet Grey

I would like to begin by saying that I am a fan of historical fiction. It is a great genre and there are few stories I have found more interesting than a twist on some of the great events in history. Marie Antoinette is one of the most famous and endlessly fascinating women in history, and I was excited to find out about this book, one of many I have read about her. Unfortunately, this book did not do it for me. I did not finish it, but not liking to give up on a book, I may somehow find a way to pull through in the distant future.

The new release is the first in a series that will show the transformation of a young archduchess of Austria into the infamous queen of France. It begins when she is a girl of ten and her mother is doing everything she can to set Marie Antoinette on the French throne. With a subject as well-worn as this one, the freshness has to come from somewhere other than the basic material; unfortunately, this first book in the series never quite takes off.

Becoming Marie Antoinette; Juliet Grey; Ballantine Books; 466 pages; $15.