The Stepmother by Diana Diamond

I have read several of Diana Diamond's novels and throughly enjoyed them. In fact, while looking over my spreadsheet from last year, I read three of Diamond's novels and they all ranked as a 4.5 or 5's, which are really rare. So when I saw The Stepmother by Diana Diamond at the bookstore awhile ago, I couldn't resist. This one was all right, definitely my least favorite of all of those I have read so far, ranking a 3 out of 5.

Sixty-five-year-old multi-millionaire Steven Armstrong tells his three children that he is going to remarry. But his new bride isn't the stepmother they have in mind. Charlene "Charlie" Hendricks is his vivacious, 35-year-old personal trainer, the single mother of a teenage daughter. To Steven's midlife children, she is nothing but a gold-digger...

Days before her wedding, Charlie, training for a triathlon, decides to go for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean. Out of nowhere, a mysterious figure on a speeding Jet Ski shows up, making an attempt on her life. The children head the list of suspects- but which one plotted her death?

Then, after the wedding, a second attack backfires and mistakenly kills her husband, making Charlie a wealthy heiress. Now it is the children who accuse her of murdering their father. Is Charlie a ruthless fortune hunter, or the innocent victim of her husband's greedy heirs?

I think a main problem that I had with the story is that I wasn't very sympathetic for Charlie. I thought her reasons for marrying Steven in ther first place was absolutely crazy, and she really was a gold digger. She was claiming to do it for a better life for her teenager daughter, but I really do not like or think she was setting a good example for her. Then right after her husband dies, she jumps into another relationship. Throughout the whole story Charlie is so worried about her daughter, but I found it hard to believe.

I figured out the whodunit about 1/2 way through the story though I was not 100% sure I was right. The suspense aspect of the story was very well written, and the story moved along well. I did find the other characters hard to believe as well.

The other thing that really bugged me was the extreme use of exclamation points. It was so annoying, and at least 3 per page, on average. It was always used in dialogue and it just grated on my nerves.

Part of me worries that I was so sensitive to some of the things in the story because of reading 19 Minutes beforehand. I don't feel like it was a waste of time to read the story or anything like that, and I will continue to read more of Diamond's novels, however, this one just didn't do it for me as much as the others did.

One more note, Diana Diamond is a pseudonym for the author of William Kennedy. I have not heard of him before, or have seen his books at any bookstores, but if anyone has any information about him, I would be excited to hear about it.

Not sure what is up next... will grab something off of Mt. TBR. Now is homework, but I will grab something to read at least one chapter before bed.

Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich

Well like I stated before, Plum Lovin' finally came in for me from the library. I almost broke down and bought it, but now I am soooo happy I didn't. While I really love Stephanie, Lula, and Grandma Mazur, this one was somewhat of a disappointment. 3 out of 5 stars.

Mysterious men have a way of showing up in Stephanie Plum's apartment. When the shadowy Diesel appears, he has a task for Stephanie- and he's not taking no for an answer. Annie Hart is a "relationship expert" who is wanted for armed robbery and assult with a deadly weapon. Stephanie needs to find her, fast. Diesel knows where she is. So they make a deal: He'll help her get Annie if Stephanie plays matchmaker to several of Annie's most difficult clients. But someone wants to find Annie even more than Diesel and Stephanie. Someone with a nasty temper. And someone with "unmentionable" skills. Does Diesel know more than he's saying about Annie Hart? Does Diesel have secrets he's keeping from Stephanie and the two men in her life- Ranger and Morelli? With Stephanie over her head, things are sure to get a little dicey and a little explosive, Jersey style!

I really love Evanovich's writing style and have always enjoyed the Plum books since I got the first one five years ago from a former coworker. I think they are funny and always bring a smile to my face as well as a few laugh out loud moments. This book had some funny aspects, but I hated that Evanovich might have brought in another possible love interest for Stephanie. Plus, since it was so short, there was so little of Grandma Mazur (NO FUNERAL SCENES!?!) and Lula I felt cheated. Plus this book was so short, and I finished it while I was subbing today. I probably spent an hour reading it. I almost wish Evanovich would have just thrown this story in with her next book coming out this summer or made this one longer. I know she would have lost money, but come on! $16.95 for 164 pages with big print! That is a ripoff! But all in all, it was a nice fun read and I know I will be reading the next one. The past few years I have stopped by hardcovers, and so I know I will have to wait awhile to read it, though I am already on the library list for my county.

Up next is Most Likely to Die by Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton, and Wendy Corsi Staub. I absolutely LOVE Staub's books (and also those written under Wendy Markham) so I want to get through this one this weekend. We will see. I have to work tomorrow and then we have a St. Patrick's Day party to attend. Sunday will be getting through some homework for school, so hopefully I will be able to get a good amount read tonight!

Have a safe weekend and happy reading!

The River Killings

I requested The River Killings from the library after reading Merry Jones' previous book, The Nanny Murders. It was a good read, and I enjoyed it. Three out of five.

On summer vacation from her job as an art therapist, Zoe takes a sculling class for fun with her best friend, Susan Cummings. One evening, while her daughter, Molly, waits with Susan's children at the boathouse on the banks of the Schuylkill River, Zoe rows off with Susan to practice for an upcoming regatta. When Susan's oars catches on some flotsam (which turns out to be a woman's dress). the boat flips and the two find themselves in deep waters with not just one but an entire throng of floating bodies.

Someone along Boathouse Row is a murderer, but who? After Zoe argues with Detective Nick Stiles, her boyfriend, she and Molly head out to the river at night. There, Zoe uncovers a sinister plot that she and Molly might not be able to escape.

This was a good book, quite suspensful. I enjoy Zoe and her daughter Molly, though I do wish there was more development between Zoe and Nick. It does seem that their relationship is not that strong but they are moving along. The mystery was a good one, and there were more than one, though the ending was somewhat rushed and for one of them, I didn't even realize it had been solved. That is the main reason why I gave it three stars. I really enjoyed the story and do not regret reading it though. I am even going to look and see if more are going to be continued in the series.

On the IPOD front, I found out it isn't compatiable with the audiobooks that the library uses. I tried to cancel my order, but it was too late. I found another MP3 player that I really like and got a great deal on, with rebate $35. I was going to return the IPOD, but my niece really wants one, so I am jsut going to give it to her for her upcoming birthday. A solution we are all happy with! I downloaded Vanished by Karen Robards and listened to it tonight while on the treadmill. It is so nice!

Well that is it from me! Hopefully the weather won't be too bad tonight. We are under a winter storm advisory, so I am crossing my fingers. We had a ton of ice tonight, and my car rolled out of my sister-in-laws driveway earlier today! Hopefully the roads are all right in the morning. Also, is everyone else so excited that Rob and Amber finished first in the Amazing Race now for two weeks in a row! Yeah! Go Rob and Amber!

Happy reading and stay warm!

Love You to Death

I picked up Love You to Death from the library. I used to read Red Dress Ink books each month, but I realized I just read them too fast to justify spending $13.95. As I mentioned above, I really enjoy chick lit mysteries, and this one did not disappoint. 3 out of 5 stars.

First a former boyfriend (who dumped Abby in the most humiliating way imaginable) is found murdered the day his engagement is announced. Then two other ex-boyfriends report attempts on their lives right after breaking up with her. Coincidence? Detective Benjamin Orr of the Portland Police Department (and very Probing Questions and Incredibily Delicious Face) doesn't think so either. Neither do Abby's friends, family, coworkers and other exes- who are suddenly shaking in their shoes. Soon everyone is sucking up to her as though the Abby they know and supposedly love to death is capable of poisioning their drinks...

Is someone trying to frame her? Who? And why? She has to find out fast. Because by-the-book Ben is bound to break her heart. Which makes him next on someone's list...

This was a fun read. Nothing too serious to digest, and I really enjoyed Abby and Ben. Melissa Senate has a fun style to her writing and I have enjoyed all of her books. The one bone I have to pick with the book is the way her family treats her. Even though Abby has an alibi, with her family members, when the murder takes place, they act like she may off them next. What is up with that?!? That kind of threw me through a loop, and had me asking HUH? a few times. I am happy that I read, though I doubt it will stick with me for a real long time.

I am not sure what is up next. I just picked a new one up from the library, but may pull something off of the TBR shelves. Have a great weekend!

Little Children

I picked up Little Children when I ran up to Target. I saw a book there the last time I was there that I wanted to get (though of course I couldn't remember the title or the author's name... just the location) but couldn't find it. Being the book nut that I am, I couldn't walk out of the story empty handed, so I picked this one up as it sounded like something I would enjoy. I am glad I did, though I did have mixed feelings about this one. 3 out of 5.

Tom Perrotta's thirty-ish parents of young children are a varied and surprising bunch. There's Todd, the handsome stay-at-home dad dubbed the "Prom King" by the moms at the playground, and his wife Kathy, a documentary film-maker envious of the connection Todd has forged with their toddler son. And there's Sarah, a lapsed feminist surprised to find she's become a typical wife in a traditional marriage, and her husband Richard, who is more and more involved with an Internet fantasy than with his own wife and child. And then there's Mary Ann, who has life all figured out, down to a scheduled roll in the hay with her husband every Tuesday at 9PM.

They all raise their kids in the kind of quiet suburb where nothing ever seems to happen- until one eventful summer, when a convicted child molester moves back to town, and two parents begin an affair that goes further than either of them could ever have imagined.

This book was a bit slow to get involved with, but I eventually became hooked. I should be studying right now for a test, but I really had to finish it. I really enjoy these stories that take place in the suburbs... not sure why, but I really do. Probably part of the reason why I love Desperate Housewives (though I really do not think that the show is a good reflection of life in the suburbs). The love interest was well done, though I was surprised at some of my feelings for those that were having the affair. I was afraid that the child molester aspect might make me sick, but it really wasn't a detailed description or anything like that. It was very tactfully written.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the book was turned into a movie this past fall. Baring the same title, it stars Kate Winslet as Sarah, and I believe she is nominated for an Oscar in it. It is also up for best screenplay as well. Normally I hate seeing movies where I have read the book, though I am definitely interested in this one. I checked listings and it isn't playing anywhere near me and does not come out on DVD until the end of April, but I am hoping that it may show up at one of the discount movie theatres or one of the mainstream ones as the Oscars draw closer. Mr. Peccotta is also the author of the book Election, which the same movie starring Matthew Broderick and Resse Witherspoon star in. I adored that movie, so I am anxious to see this one. I had never even heard of the book or the movie and wasn't informed about the Oscar nominations until I heard one of the actors on the View discussing the movie. On the cover of the book it said that it was now a major motion picture, but I guess I didn't pay close attention.

In other news, I began getting a cold last week and thought I had it licked. Now my throat is killing me, I can't breathe through my nose, and I am losing my voice. School was finally back in session today and after I subbed for a kindergarten class. I had to do a lot of talking and well, yelling, and I think it was a bad mistake. I hope I am better tomorrow morning as I have class and I want to sub again, but I guess it won't kill me if I have to spend the day reading in bed, right? Up next is Melissa Senate's Love You to Death which I got from the library. Jana gave it raving reviews, and I like Chick Lit once in awhile, especially when it is combined with mystery. I always try to read library books first... though I picked up 5 new books today from the thrift store. (I know I am not supposed to be buying new books, but I got them for $1.00!) And I am also going to a library's annual used book sale on Saturday, but I am just planning on getting children's books for when I have my own class.

Well enough rambling and delaying the studying fact. Stay warm and happy reading!

Slightly Psychic by Sandra Steffen

I picked up Slightly Psychic after reading a review at another blog, Nicole's Blog Happy, if I am remembering correctly. It sounded like a nice, funny, light read and I have been wanting to read something from Harlequin's Next line. I am glad I did, 3 out of 5 stars.

Lila Delaney never claimed to be entirely psychic... just slightly psychic. But any ability she might have had disappeared the minute Lila's visions led her and the police to a missing heiress- healthy, happy, and tied to the bed of Lila's fiance. Broadcast live on national television, the incident was enough to make Lila hightail it out of town.

Lila's journey brought her and her best friend Pepper to a small Virginia town. All too soon the woman who just wanted to be left alone was indulging in mint juleps and moonlight celebrations, becoming attracted to a too-secertive man and getting involved in an unsolved murder. If only her psychic abilities would return, Lila might just figure out what she was getting herself into next...

This was a quick, easy read with me reading the majority of it at work today into between answering phones and dealing with clients. I did think that Lila's psychic powers would play more into the story and that there would be more mention of the murder, but overall it was a fun story.

I really enjoyed Lila's best friend, Pepper. She was a lot of fun, and I loved her story as a rich socialite cut off by her family. She definitely added some spice to the story. I also absolutely adore stories set in the South, and this one touches on the lovely aspects of small towns and the South. There was a slight amount of humor in it, but the story was much more of a heartwarming story. The way the story opened up, I really expected a lot more humor, but it was a fun story all around.

The one big downside of the story was the way things were tied up at the end. The end seemed really rushed and things just worked out... well I don't want to say to ruin it, but it was kind of rushed in my opinion. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it and could picture myself in this small Virginia town in a hot summer. That was really fun to picture, especially since right now it feels like -20 degrees with the wind chill.

Tomorrow, I am not planning on spending a lot of time watching the Superbowl, and it really is too cold to leave the house, so studying, cleaning, and hopefully some quality reading will get squeezed in!

Audiobook- Michelle Martinez "Most Wanted"

I picked up Most Wanted from the library. I have a bit of an anxiety problem driving on the expressway, and to attend classes, which is in downtown Detroit, it is required to. So, I decided to pick up books on CD last year to see if they will help me relax, and they do. Most Wanted was one of those such books.

Melanie Vargas is a hardworking, hotshot federal prosecutor in New York City with a rising career in law and a marriage on the rocks. On an innocent evening stroll with her baby daughter, Melanie stumbles upon a horrifying crime spree. It's the high-profile case that can make her name, and Melanie wants in- to what becomes a wild race against the clock to solve a brutal high-society murder before the killer finds her.

It took me quite a while to listen to this, though it was a good story. It was a long story, and classes didn't start until last week, so my time in the car was in shorter spans. It was a great story, that was thrilling and had a good suspense factor. The reader was wonderful and I really feel that the reader can make or break the story. I give the story three out of five, but it would probably higher if it hadn't taken me so long to get through it. It was not so engaging so that I would listen to it over my morning program, ,which the really good stories do. It also seems to be the first of a new series, and I will look around for the new ones.

The Key by Jennifer Sturman

I picked up The Key by Jennifer Sturman from the library because I had read the first two books in the series, The Pact and The Jinx. While these are "chick lit" mysteries, I really feel like they are not so much chick lit, even though they take place in New York. The mystery was all right, though I was more involved in the main character, Rachel, and her relationship with Peter. Overall, it was an average read with 3 out 5 stars.

Ever wished your boss would drop dead? Of course not. Well not really. And neither had Rachel Benjamin- until she finds herself working for Wall Street terror Glenn Gallagher on his latest pet project. Rachel thinks the deal-and Glenn- are more than a little shady, but she has a promotion at stake. It's either keep her lips sealed or kiss her partnership goodbye. Or kill Glenn. (Just kidding!)

At least she has Peter. Rachel's too-good-to-be-true fiance has moved in, while his stuff is everywhere and he's strangely jealous of her friendly new coworker, she's confident they'll figure things out. It would help if Glenn's killer scheldule didn't have Rachel working around the clock. Really, the man must be stopped.

Rachel's jokes about killing her boss don't seem so funny when Glenn is murdered. And it's even less laughable when she becomes the prome suspect. With the police hot on her very stylish heels, and the threat of an unflattering orange jumpsuit in her future, Rachel's learning the hard way to be careful with what you wish for. She needs to catch the true killer quickly, before the killer catches her.

I checked this book out of the library after seeing it at the bookstore. I had read the previous two books and was interested to see what was happening with Rachel and her love life. The price tag of $13.95 for a book I can read in less than a day had me go to the library. It was a nice, easy read and as I mentioned I was more interested in finding out about Rachel and her friends than the mystery. It was a fun book, but I am glad I didn't pay for it. There will be a fourth book in the series to be released next December and I will look for it at the library to hopefully find a better conclusion to Rachel and Peter's romance. If you enjoy chick lit with a twist of mystery, I would look for this book. Up next is a recommendation from Kristie (a fellow blogger who happens to spell her name the RIGHT way) of a Linda Howard titled After the Night.

I'm In No Mood for Love by Rachel Gibson

I'm In No Mood for Love by Rachel Gibson is the loosely connected story to Sex, Lies, and Online Dating. It was a quick and easy read, and I enjoyed it. 3 out of 5 stars.

What is Clare Wingate doing? One minute she's suffering in a pretty-in-pink gown she'll never wear again, and the next thing she knows it's morning... and she has the nastiest hangover of her life.

To make matters worse, she wearing nothing but a spritz of Escada and lying next to Sebastian Vaughan... her girlhood crush turned sexy, globehopping journalist. Somewhere between the toast and the toss of the bouquet she'd gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble.

Clare had the right to go wild- after all, she'd been knocked off her dyed-to-match shoes after finding her own fiance in na compromising position with the washing machine repairman. Clearly her society wedding is off.

But Sebastian pushed all the wrong buttons- and some of the right ones too. Clare is in no mood for love-not even lust- and wants to forget about Sebastian and his six-pack abs ASAP. But he isn't in the mood to go away, and his kiss is impossible to forget.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed watching Clare and Sebastian's relationship evolve from not liking each other to friends, and eventually more than just friends. Sebastian and Clare are good matches for each other, and were a pleasure to read. While this book follows Sex, Lies, and Online Dating, it is not necessary to read that book first. That book discusses Clare's friend Lucy and how she met her match. They are just briefly mentioned in this book.

The only reason I gave it 3 out of 5 stars and not more is just because it was not a total page turner and was a cozy read. Not spectacular, but fun to read. I really liked that all four of the friends are different authors. It was fun to see about the inside of a writer that Gibson provides. I will be looking for the following book, Maddie's story which comes out in the summer of 2007.