Boilet, Frederic (w) and Benoit Peeters (ill) –Tokyo Is My Garden Blurbed by Chris
David is an account executive for a French cognac company, trying to get the brand to catch on in Japan. At a party, to which he has been sent in order to try and sell his cognac, he impresses several of the ladies with his knowledge of kanji, and catches the eye of one in particular, Kimie (who does PR for Gaultier and is as dedicated to her job as any salaryman.) However, even after two years in Japan, he has not managed to sell any of his product, and the head of the company is coming out to see why. If he cannot prove his worth, he will lose his job, his Japanese visa, and, very likely, Kimie.
The book was originally in French and Japanese; the Japanese is kept, but the French has all been translated into English (the Japanese is subtitled). The story is well told, although the art is occasionally difficult to follow. It does get very explicit, so people not ready for that sort of thing are duly warned. The apparently requisite deus ex machina comes when David's boss runs into him in a restaurant where he (David) is meeting Kimie's parents; the boss is charmed by the parents, and everything works out.
Brockmann, Suzanne – Hot PursuitBlurbed by Yvonne
Troubleshooters, Inc. (a squad of moonlighting and retired Navy SEALs) helps when help is needed. In this case the travel to New York City to help out a politician that is receiving death threats by mail, and unpleasant “gifts” at her office. Troubleshooters is called in to improve security, but the crew gets pulled in deeper and deeper as things get stranger and stranger... Could a serial killer be setting up one of their own as his next victim?
There is a LOT of romance in this book. Some is sweet, like the flirting between long time gay partners (one an actor, the other an FBI agent); some is sexy, like between the married SEAL and the female boss of Troubleshooters; and some is downright steamy, like the escapades between one of the SEALs and the politician’s right hand lady. Wow. VERY steamy, especially on audio. The love stories were as important as the suspense, so overall a good romantic suspense listen.
Denson, Abby (w/ill) – Tough Love: High School ConfidentialBlurbed by Chris
Brian is a shy boy, who has never had a date -- he just never met any girl in whom he had any interest. On his first day at a new school, he joins the Martial Arts club and meets the instructor, Chris, and feels the first stirrings of romance in his heart. But what will he do about Julie, the girl with a crush on him? And what is the story with Chris' ex-boyfriend Li?
The book deals with the subject in a rather lighthearted manner. Brian's coming out to his parents is fairly painless (despite his fears); while he is attacked later in the book for his sexuality, and there is an instance with a homophobic private school kid to whom Julie was attracted, Chris is pretty much openly accepted, as is, eventually, Brian; it is a pleasantly open-minded suburb, wherever it is. The book is a quick read, fun, everyone lives happily ever after.
Garwood, Julie – Fire and IceBlurbed by Kay
Sophie Rose is a young and beautiful reporter working for a small newspaper near city of Chicago. Her job covering a simple story about a 5K runner develops into a complex mystery involving the runner’s death by Alaskan polar bear. There are hints of strange scientific research being conducted in Alaska with mystery men attempting to stop the reporter from unearthing the truth. The novel has murder, mayhem and of course a love story between the young reporter and the handsome FBI man who accompanies her to Alaska.
The book is a fast paced thriller with a “science gone wrong” theme. The love story is an expected outcome of the two characters working the mystery together. The characters are a bit one-dimensional, but the novel is a fun read with the bad guys getting caught and the young lovers finding true love.
Blurbed by Yvonne
Gabriel is visiting his parents and son in backwoods Maine when an ice storm blows in. Lolly, the really annoying girl Gabe remembers not so fondly from high school, is at her family home readying it for sale with no means of communication with the outside world. Gabe is asked by his dad, the police chief, to go get her. Reluctantly he goes. Good thing because two meth addicts followed her home from the grocery store and are holding her hostage…
Kleypas, Lisa – Seduce Me at SunriseBlurbed by Yvonne
Winnifred almost died of scarlet fever as a teen and has suffered from a weak constitution ever since. Kev Merripen is the hunky gypsy her family took in years ago that helps her through her illness. She loves him, but can’t be his lover because of her weakened state. So she goes to France to a radical new doctor who will make her a whole woman again. Winnifred returns feeling rather spunky and declares her love for Merripen who makes out with her repeatedly but refuses her because he feels he isn’t good enough to marry her. But why do he and the son of an Irish lord have the same tattoo?
Lindsay, Johanna – The Devil Who Tamed HerBlurbed by Carolyn
Ophelia Reid is a beautiful but headstrong young woman who has earned herself a reputation for lying and starting rumors. After her engagement to Duncan MacTavish ends badly Raphael Locke decides that for her own good he will teach Ophelia how to change her ways.
This Regency romance is fast paced and the tone is light.
Wiggs, Susan – Lakeshore ChristmasBlurbed by Jane
Lakeshore Christmas is a fairly predictable, but very enjoyable, romance with a touch of magic. Although it is set at Christmas, it could be read at any time of the year.
The story involves Maureen, the prim and proper town librarian, and Eddy, former child star and musician, who must work on the town Christmas pageant together. Conflict arises almost immediately because they have very different ideas about how the program should be presented, as well as just about everything else. Despite these differences, they are attracted to each other.
In addition to the pageant, Maureen has other worries. Due to budget cuts, the library is threatened with closing. The people of the town rally in a last-minute attempt to save the library. As expected, everything is happily resolved in the end.
