Claiming The Courtesan by Anna Campbell

I'm glad that it took me a while to read this book. It allowed me to figure out if I enjoyed it or not which is a weird thing to say because it's normally pretty cut and dry with me.

So let's get the blurby thing over with.

Cindy Blurb: Soraya is a courtesan of high regard in 1825 London, a woman who is bought and paid for and whose latest protector is the Duke of Kylemore. What London does not know is that Soraya is an act that was brought about by necessity and now that she has set herself up financially well enough to care for her brother and sister, she is preparing her exit. Thus, Verity comes back to life and in the process, angers the Duke of Kylemore beyond what a human should ever feel.

The Duke of Kylemore, meanwhile, is far from likable and is quite taken with his possession. When Soraya up and disappears he puts all his power into finding and exacting revenge on her for daring to embarass him.

The Duke finds her, drags her away from her family, forces her to travel for days to an old cottage of his family's and then forces himself upon her as his vengence. (Okay, seriously, I'm not really sure what his vengence was supposed to do but I'll get to that) Slowly and without any great cause, these two share their pasts and somehow this absolves the Duke at the very least for his sins. They fall in love but hey, she's a courtesan and he's a Duke but they find a way.

Just trying to summarize this story is hard to do.

Let's be fair, I would have stopped reading this book long before they ever made it to the cottage because I found the Duke repulsive and Verity never seemed to fight him. Cause it was all inevitable. Ugh.

I continued reading the story to get to the muched talked about forced seduction/rape scene and well, it didn't really affect me. However, the heroine does everything she can to keep distance from the hero during the sex and this slowly erodes at the Duke's sanity. I think in the legal sense, in today's world, it is rape. No question. But then, it doesn't take into account what the hero and heroine are thinking.

Part of the reason the scene didn't feel upsetting was because Verity had days of thinking how the Duke was going to force her to have sex. It was inevitable. Over and over and over the reader hears how it's just going to happen and well, what can you do? I felt that Verity never tried to get away from Kylemore.

Get this, she asks someone in the Dukes' employ to help her escape because she has been taken against her will. The woman says how the Duke has saved her family and she can never go against him. Meanwhile, this woman knows the Duke is wrong. Then the H/H get to the cottage and again, Verity asks someone for help and gets the same answer. The Duke is a great man blah, blah, blah. By this point I had no idea who these people thought the Duke was but whatever.

Now this just didn't work for me. I was thinking that everyone in the book was off their friggin' rocker. I mean, you have a best friend right? Your best friend has been there through thick and thin and then one day they show up on your doorstep with a person in tow that you know is not there of their own free will. You think maybe you'd do something about it? Hell, take your friend to task? Okay, the guy was a Duke but I was just flat out annoyed. I could have understood if the people were afraid of him but to not go against him because he once did something nice? Not buying it.

So you have all these people saying the Duke is a great guy but we've been in his head and egads, this guy is missing a few screws! He believes himself to be above everything and well, he acts like he is a god. I was repulsed by this guy and even when he starts to become human, I'm still not sure I would want to be near him.

Needless to say, I was expecting some really great trauma from his childhood. Again, not so sure that he has any reason to be such an asshole. People have lived through far worse and managed to not become so offensive.

Still, at some point the story grabbed onto me. I do think that Verity was the saving grace of this story and yet, I didn't like that she wouldn't fight. She fought in her own way but it wasn't enough for my bloodthirsty self. And then the ending was over the top in the drama department.

Basically, I would read the next book by this author because I do like the flair for drama and the intensity of some of the scenes. I'm only hoping that maybe the characters in her next book have more honour and thus, more of my empathy.

I'm going with a C+. The beginning was maybe too drawn out and could have been cut down some. The heroine could have had more of a spine and the hero could have suffered more for what he did to her and the ending with the 'evil' was a bit much. A frustrating read for sure.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Part Whatever

First some pimpage for Book Binge. You knew 'em and loved 'em as Sanctuary's Finest but they wanted a fresh start and created a new reviewing blog. Super cool. Just one question - will the background be black forever? My eyes!!



They are running a contest for those who pimp so follow the link and see for yourself!

NEXT!!

My husband sent me a wonderful gift today in my e-mail.

Apparently there is an article about a gene that creates people like me. Night Owls or Nocturnal People. What was super cool was reading the comments and discovering there were other people just like me and suddenly I understand that I'm not on a 24 hr cycle like other people which is why my sleeping goes around the clock!!

Okay, it was exciting for me. You can read the article and comments here if you like. Turns out that my ancestors may have been those who kept watch while others were sleeping.

So.

You're welcome.

Too bad I'm obsolete now.

Ga-ga

I'm am so head over heels in love with a dress I saw at the store today. The only problem was the one I wanted was not in my size and they are not sure they can order one in. Then I decide I can look up the company on the Internet but nope, can't find them.

Thing about me and clothes is that for the most part I don't care. It's when I see something completely classic and beautiful that actual fits me where things go crazy. I have only bought two other dresses that I loved on sight. Neither fit me now although the one that might have was given to my best friend and when I mentioned I would like it back she said there was no way it would fit me now. Nice. True it turned out but nice. And she kept it and then I think it died a horrible death in her washing machine. No. I will never lend her anything I really like again.

Anyways, the dress is just the perfect summer dress and I'm all ga-ga over it and I'm hoping the owners of the store can order the dress in my size. This isn't the dress but it's in the same style - it would come to just below the knee - the dress I like is mostly white with some green on it. I would buy the dress pictured but of course, they don't have my size.

Other news. It poured today while I went out shopping. It did not pour while I slept in the morning and it didn't pour once I was done all my shopping and had everything in the house. Stupid rain.

Books!!


Ames has been vera, vera happy with this series by Keri Arthur so I thought I would give it a try. If the first book grabs me then I figured I better have the second in the series up at bat. Just in case. I can be obsessive that way.

Also, nobody panic! I know these aren't romance and I'm equating them to something like an LKH when she was good.


Even though I was not thrilled with the last Chase book I read, I had to buy this book because she has written such gems as Mr. Impossible and Lord of Scoundrels.

Reading the backblurb I saw no mention of children or dreadfully boring canals. I'm just a wee bit excited!

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt was a book I wasn't sure I would buy and I'm still not sure how badly I want to read it. I do have to remember that her debut was extremely well done and even though there were parts of the story that upset me I'm hoping that anything that might push my buttons won't show up in this book.

And finally. I'm closing in on the end of Claiming of the Courtesan and I think stuff is beginning to gel in such a way that I might be able to write a somewhat coherent review. You know. As coherent as usual. Hopefully I'll have that for tomorrow.

Okay, I should be going to bed but my eyelids aren't heavy yet.

Yikes! It's three am. Screw my eyelids, I'm going to try and hit the sack!

If I Only Had A Brain

Okay.

I figured out how to put my e-mail somewhere on my blog.

It's in my profile now.

Hey! I'm in a Midol haze and I've been up for more hours than I can count and yes, I have my socks off! I'll give you a minute cause that was quite a stretch for a laugh and it may have passed you by.

Can I figure out how to post a little 'e-mail me here' thingie on the blog?

Nope.

I'm claiming PMS.

Okay, don't be like that. I want it to say 'E-mail Cindy' and then you click on it and the e-mail thingie pops up.

Damn. I'm leaning heavy on 'thingie'. Meh. Another day.

On the book front I am at the half way point of Anna Campbell's Claiming the Courtesan. Just 5 pages ago I was ready to throw in the towel. I was done! Then Bob was late or something (hazy brain) and I picked up the book again because I was being lazy and it was right there. Now, suddenly I want to know what happens next. Could be the brain haze or something shifted. I just can't figure out what changed.

I'll ponder once the brain has returned from it's vacation.

A Little Bliss

Yesterday I went to an epicurean party - basically tuperware party only you buy herbs and spices. I'm nothing if not supporting of people who sell at these parties, especially since the ones who go to Sue's parties are a loud bunch. And yes, this includes me. I'm a little upset that I missed the last party after hearing how the participants got drunk and spent small fortunes. Since I'm not a drinker I would have just laughed my ass off.

So I dropped some coin and will see some jar showing up in the future.

On that note, since I don't have kids I'm going to start hitting my friends up for the odd family thing that comes across my desk. My dear cousin works for a daycare and they are moving so they are having a Spaghetti dinner (not my first choice for food) that's only 6 dollars a person. I dropped that one on the ladies at the party and got some weird looks. Looks like stuff like that only works when you have a kid. Still, I'm going to start pushing back!

Today has been a wonderful day both weather wise and Bob wise. I haven't really gotten out of my PJs because my body has been on the brink of sleep for most of the day. Oh, I was up at 4am and was dressed and ready for my hubby to take me to breakfast at 6:30am. I always throw him off when I'm up before him and Lordy, I can talk the poor man's ear off.

We got home and he went to the 'other' house and I went back up to bed at 11am but I couldn't sleep. I got up when he got home and then sat on the couch and watched a few shows - I was still whacked. Finally I decided to start Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell - all I know is that right now I hate the hero. He's such an asshole and the way he thinks of the heroine is painful but I'm looking forward to seeing if Campbell can reform him.

I then crawled back into bed and heard Bob outside cleaning and scrubbing up the BBQ. I think I fell asleep for about an hour and then Bob woke me with a steak dinner and roast potatoes.

I know! I'm such a spoiled woman!

Now, I'm all bundled up because we have had the windows open all day and since I love being able to air out the house, I don't have the heart to close them yet.

On another note, Bob and I have discovered that Cody greatly resents the 'gate' we put up when we leave the house. I put the gate up and right in front of me Cody grabbed an envelope off the desk - I took it from him, did a scan of the room and saw that everything was up. We came home to a destroyed Kleenex box. Then this morning when we went out I knew he was going to eat something but again, what? He chewed an old pair of my slippers in his rage. Silly dog. So this afternoon I left him out of the room. When we got home we found him upstairs sleeping by the bed. Bob figured he thought I was in the bed. So tomorrow we'll try again. The only thing I worry about is the leather couch we have. All I need is for him to decide it's just one big rawhide.
Okay, off to veg in front of the TV. I hope you are all having a great weekend and that the weather is wonderful and of course, if you have some reading in your future, I hope it's a keeper.

Summer Breeze by Catherine Anderson

I finally found a book that stuck.

Holly reminded me of Summer Breeze by Catherine Anderson a few days ago and I remembered that the heroine of the story was agoraphobic and since it's a historical I wanted to see how it would play out.

Cindy Blurb: Story is set in 1889 and would be considered a historical western. Joseph Paxton is a beginning rancher who is ready for hard work to make his way. He enjoys his life just the way it is, working, drinking on a Friday night and when the need arises, finding a girl at the saloon to scratch his itch. Sorry. Jo was pretty plain spoken so I don't think he would mind my words.

Joseph's life takes a turn when a neighbour's foreman rides onto his property shot in the back. The foreman, Darby (old guy), is worried about his boss/charge, Rachel Hollister and needs Joseph to pledge to take care of her. Joseph, more worried about Darby's wound promises even though he has heard rumours that Rachel has bats in her belfry.

Rachel Hollister survived the slaughter of her family one summer day five years before. Fear quickly overcame Rachel to the point where Darby's only choice was to hole her up in her house in her kitchen/family room. She lives in total isolation with the windows boarded up and unable to open any doors. Darby keeps her in supplies and she cooks for him and they exchange stuff through a wood safe. So it's a shock to her system when she hears Joseph Paxton pounding on her door.

Someone blows a hole in the wall with a shotgun, Rachel slowly starts to trust Joseph while Joseph finds ways to bring actual sunshine into Rachel's life. Jo's family members start showing up and Rachel again gets used to things (a little fast but whatever) the towns people suddenly want to help and build her a walled garden with a cast iron grill ceiling so she can get outside. And then there is the 'culprit' and reconciliation of those who were wronged.

HEA.

If you are new here then you should know that I have experienced agoraphobia and have had panic attacks most of my life. I knew where Rachel was coming from except for the fact that Rachel had experienced an extreme trauma and thus, she had a 'built in' excuse for what was happening to her. I don't know enough about post traumatic stress but I wondered if maybe this should have been the real diagnosis for this character. I think by having the past trauma, Anderson was able to have a hero who could accept the heroine for how she was. I wonder if it had been done without a traumatic event, how a hero or heroine for that matter would feel about a shut in.

So a few things, Rachel uses the term agoraphobia in her mental musings which seemed out of place for me as I didn't learn about agoraphobia until I was in my late twenties. Also, I looked up the etymology of the word :

"fear of open spaces," 1873, from Ger. Agorophobie, coined by psychiatrist Carl Westphal, 1871, from Gk. agora "open space" (typically a marketplace), from ageirein "to assemble," + -phobia "fear."

I'm not sure how fast word traveled back in the 1880's but I'm not sure just anyone would know the word.

Many of the scenes where panic attacks were depicted were well done except that Rachel actually did pass out (which I'm not sure actually happens in a panic attack - you only think you're about to pass out) and then she would have 'episodes' where she would be in a catatonic state and come to without remembering what had sent her into one.

Then there was the end.

Uh, no. Mental illness does not just get up and leave. Sorry. No. I figured it was coming but I was hoping Anderson would show a more natural progress to leaving agoraphobia behind.

Also, one of my pet peeves showed up in this book by having the story begin in 2005 (which had me worrying it was going to be a time travel) with the reading of a journal and then ending in 2005 with the letter from Joseph.

WHO IS DEAD! Cause, he was alive in 1889. I'm just saying. I hate that. The good news is that when I started reading the prologue I jumped to the end to see if I was going to have to be there when they died. I read that and then read the story in between and pretended that that was where the story ended. Hey, I know they are dead but in my brain they live in 1889 and are quite happy. I need to leave them there!

Dang, there was something else but it floated off. Meh.

Oh yeah.

Then there is the author's style which is really more about me than anyone. I prefer stories where character interaction and dialogue are prominent. Most of what moves this story along happens with internal dialogue. So I was reading pages and pages of what the hero or heroine were thinking instead of being there when they might have a conversation.

So, you're thinking I didn't like this book.

It wasn't bad and it kept me reading which is always a plus. I liked both Rachel and Joseph but I think having the family tree in the opening automatically has me figuring out ages of death and such. (There is a brother that only lives until the age of 66 and his story is yet to come! I like having people live to a ripe old age - oh, which has me with the secondary characters who wasted most of their lives without telling each other they loved each other - meh).

Basically you have a guy and girl who fall in love which was what I was in the mood for. I'm going with a straight C.

Anna Campbell's book showed up in the mail yesterday so I think that's the next book up. Okay, you know me, anything could happen.

I May Have Sinned

I didn't let you all in on a little something I did this weekend.

I mean, I have street cred as a lazy bum and revealing what I did could tarnish my well worn image. Thing is, it got funny and I'm all about sharing the funny.

Bob and I have been married for eleven years and when we were first got engaged I did my level best to have a dinner prepared for my fiance most nights of the week. Hell, he was even helping in the kitchen!

Anyways.

My fiance thought Puritan Beef Stew was fan-freakin'-tastic and I secretly smiled because when I finally get around to cooking him real stew, he'll think I'm all that. Oh and how he would wax poetic about my lasagna.

Yeah, my man could appreciate my skills in the kitchen.

Then we get married.

Suddenly my chicken is too dry and Bob eats around the 'dry' parts.

We go to my mom's one night and she makes lasagna. Well, you would think it was delivered to Bob on angel's wings the way he went on and on. My mother wasn't even in the room and he would go on about how fab it was! Best lasagna he ever had, was the mantra he carried on about on the way home.

I make homemade stew for the first time ever and my man, the one who appreciates me, says 'huh, I like the stuff from the can better'.

Now, I'm a person who needs motivation. I'm sure that is not news to you all and many of you haven't even seen me in person. You would think the man I'm married to would realize that all these little comments would cause me to find no reason to actually cook anymore. Afterall, it wasn't like the food was being appreciated.

It get's worse.

My husband will not eat left overs.

Ever.

Since there are only two of us in the house, it doesn't make a bunch of sense to me (the extremely logical and lazy one) to cook a meal that will be more than we can eat in one sitting and which will not be touched again! I can't buy a little turkey and roast it up for Bob and I because he won't eat it the next day. MY husband showed up at my mother's house with a frozen pizza on Boxing Day his first Christmas because he wouldn't eat left overs.

Yep, my family just stared at him oddly while he hummed and ate his pizza.

Gah!!

So for the last four years I would say we eat out most nights. Or order in, whatever. And if we cook it's pasta which I don't really like unless I cook it, put it in the fridge for a few hours and then reheat it or it's something like toast and peanut butter, grill cheese, etc.

Seeing as how I was brought up on meat and potatoes, it's only obvious that my body would crave home cooked meals. Now, I was sick over the Easter weekend and my Aunt (whom I love tons and tons and tons) pre-cooked the turkey the day before and thus, I didn't get my feed bag on.

Wow! Talk about a long way to go to find a point! Bear with me now.

Sunday afternoon I decide I must make a meat and potato meal and gravy is an absolute must. Bob, has been buying those pre-made roasts that are made from beef and taste like crap only Bob thinks it's the most tender stuff he's ever had. *gag*

So I buy prime rib because I *think* it's the best cut of roasting meat you can buy. ( I have to check because it seemed very fatty to me)

I cook it all up and shave some roast for Bob because I know he doesn't like slabs of meat.

Well! He goes on and on about how fabulous it is but hey, it's been four years since I've even really bothered to cook for just Bob and I and I'm not really buying his sincerity. I'm thinking he'll do anything to cut down on our dining out costs and I think he may have figured out that not praising my cooking has caused this dearth of home cooked meals.

So there was this small pittance of meat left over that I had shaved into itty bitty pieces and I mention to Bob that he could maybe put it on a bun and put some cheese on it and melt it in the microwave for lunch the next day. Not that I thought he would but hey, he likes Arby's roast beef sandwiches which again, *gag* but then, I guess I like to talk. *snort*

Here is the e-mail I received yesterday from my man:

Hi Sweetie,

I just finished my roast beef sandwich. I have two thoughts:

1) I have been missing out on this whole leftover thing for far too long. The gigs up. Get ready to split them from now on.

2) You need to schedule roast beef made from prime rib Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s.

Uuummmm, Roast Beef, yummy.

Love ya babe,

Bobby

The gigs up indeed. I think Bob has learned that fawning praise is the only thing that he will get me back into the kitchen. It only took 12 years but I think Bob may have just figured his woman out!

Intrepid?

Good morning and welcome to our newscast.

This is your intrepid reporter reporting in that, uh, yeah, I did use the word 'report' twice in this introduction because I'm a reporter and well, I report. Like those big wigs.

Okay, quiet! I have something to - crap.

Reporter: We are here at the residence of CindyS where it is rumored that a rut is underway. We only have vague reports of an ongoing series of events that seem to repeat themselves in a 'Ground Hog Day' sort of way.

Reporter: *puts arm up to welcome man into shot* I have here with me the mailman that delivers to CindyS. Sir, what have you been noticing in the past few weeks?

Mailman: Well, I have noticed that the mail is picked up everyday.

Reporter: Uhm, hmmm, and how does this chain of events make you feel?

Mailman: *scatches eyebrow* It makes me feel appreciated.

Reporter: Okay! Can we cut? No!? Ahem. Sir, we have reports that the person living inside this house may be in a rut, can you confirm or deny this.

Mailman: *shrugs* I just saw the cameras and thought my Mom would like to see me on TV *waves to camera*

Reporter: *edges mailman out of shot* As you can see we have a situation brewing that is so insidious in nature that even the mailman sees nothing wrong with the situation. *Pauses as if for drama but really, the reporter is not sure what to say next* In a few minutes we will have Dr. O. M. G. Iminarut to explain to us exactly what kind of a person is susepta - *Frantically pushes on ear piece to hear producer better*

Wait.

We have breaking news.

Uh, huh, yes, I think we have a confirmation. *nods as if just learning the secret for the Caramilk bar* Okay, we have just been told by a reliable source that CindyS is in a rut.

Reporter tries to act calm and barely resists a victorious fist pump. "You heard it here first on News 24/7 an affiliate of BeatemOvertheHead Newsnet and owned by Redundant Idiocy - CindyS is in a rut. Please stay tuned for this special news coverage of *pauses for effect and this time, knows what is to come next* The Rut, Could It Last A Lifetime?"

Producer: Annnnnd, we're out. Back in three!

Reporter: We need a graphic of the Grand Canyon for the title shot people!

Same Old Song and Dance

I have been very aware that I'm boring you all to tears. No, no, let's not lie to each other, I'm sitting here and yawning is all I'm doing. Well it turns out there are some archives around here and I wondered what I was up to at this exact same time last year.

I was much worse.

I don't know how you all stuck in there but, wow. The good news is I'm not having any anxiety issues like I did last year at this time, taxes turned out to be a snap and I already live in my new house. Who'd a thunk it? Amazing what a year will do.

So, some stupid questions and general nonsense about to commence. Hey, you must be bored also or you'd be off somewhere else. Or doing your taxes.

1. Over at Dear Author there are two women named Jane and Jayne. I thought they were the two women who ran the site. So my question is who are Jan and Janine? I noticed when I filled out my Rita ballot that four names were at the bottom and suddenly I'm wondering who everybody is. Then I was all tickled that their names all started with J and then I realized they could be akas. Sorry, I don't get out much.

2. How many forums are you signed up for in the romance world? And can I just say, I must be getting old because when AAR switched over to the new setup I was all, 'I'm out!'. I see how they work and stuff but I liked being able to pick into a thread at certain levels. Let's not get into the signature lines that can have oodles of graphics flashing at me (not at AAR). I don't know if there are as many discussions going on now or not. I used to be able to flash in and see everything in one shot. I knew where I had left off so I could see all the new stuff in one shot. Now, you have to click back into the area, page through till you find your post and then read on from there. Yes, there is the 'new posts while I was away' feature but they only lead you to the beginning thread. I'm just saying. Not so conducive for the lazy.

3. How hooked into the reading world are you? I mean, if you are a romance reader are you at the forums and boards often? If you are more along of the lines of fantasy, are there other places you hang at besides Twisted Kingdom? I guess I'm asking if there are sites like AAR for fantasy and sci-fi and chicklit cause, seriously, those would be the places to go to if I wanted to start reading in another genre. I *think* I'm becoming more of an isolationist without meaning to. I like my blog hopping way too much and it's like visiting friends but I am less likely to hang out where there are tons of comments. Probably because then someone has already said what I wanted to only better and well, that sucks.

That's enough for now.

I decided to pull down Summer Breeze by Catherine Anderson after Holly suggested it in the comments. (The heroine is agoraphobic - squeeeee!) I'm thinking I need to go book buying also.

This will come as no surprise to anyone but I'm of the mind that if my copy of Claiming the Courtesan doesn't show up in the mail tomorrow I may have to go out and buy it.

I'm so predictable.

OH!!! Who's the other Nathan Fillion fan? Did you watch the new show Drive!? It the Amazing Race only hard core! I'm going to be so pissed if they cancel this show!

I'm an EEEdiot!

Have I mentioned I'm sick?

I am one whiny grumpy sick person as a rule but I sometimes pull this 'mind over matter' crap outta my arse and power through. Monday through Wednesday were the 'lay around moaning in ill frustration'.

Then I get an inkling of 'hey, I think I feel a tad better!' and I go bat shit crazy.

No really.

I take on extremely physical tasks although at least this time I didn't wash any floors on my hands and knees. (When my mom said she no longer did stuff like that I was all 'hell yeah! I'll never get down on my hands and knees again!) So I kind of ran around the house yesterday getting stuff put away and then I posted on the blog saying I was off to bed soon.

Uh, no.

I decided I had to learn how to use a label maker that I just bought and then I decided to re-label all my files to get myself even more organized. In my brain this took all of 10 minutes.

THEN, I decided to take a run at the TBR pile by looking for To Have and To Hold by Patricia Gaffney (I don't think I've ever read it before but you never know - thing is it's a used copy and now I want to see if it's ever been re-printed. Smoky smells really get to me lately and my best friend is a smoker! OMG - It's was re-released - gotta run!). I knew it was there but again, I don't like to sort stuff so I ended up moving all the books around and yes, it was in the last place I looked. Okay, I had already looked everywhere and was starting again when I noticed it sitting face out at eye level all along.

I hate that.

Finally, I give Cody a tap to let him know I'm leaving to go to bed (he's stone cold deaf now - ohhh, I have to tell you a silly story!) and off I go only to glance at the clock as I'm climbing into bed.

10 am.

I thought Bob had maybe hit the wrong button when he got up so I double checked with the TV. Nope, I had stayed up an extra 2 hours. Ugh.

I go to sleep but for some reason wake up at 4 pm. That's six hours people!

I got up and then Bob came home and I wanted out of the house (bad, bad, bad idea) so Bob took me out and then he went to the reno house and I gallivanted around a few stores, tried on some shorts and scared myself stupid, decided that fat is so not the look for me but, I'm lazy. So, yeah, I'm out and about and stuff.

I go to Chapters and leave with NOTHING. I told Bob and he went to get a thermometer. So far no fever but Bob's looking worried.

Oh, before Bob got home I decided to spend time trying to get the horrendous squealing noise to cease on our garage door opener. This involves me getting on a ladder and farting around with tools and such in a cold garage. Again, felt like 10 minutes but I'm thinking it was longer.

So why the run down on my day?

I'M SICK!

I friggin' made it worse. Headache, achy all over (which gets me thinking about the flu and how I'm terrified of it) and painfully tired. I took Tylenol and Bob gave me a head rub and yikes, I feel crappy. I even tried to go to bed and nothing.

Cody, meanwhile, is being supportive by laying full out on the couch and snoring up a storm.

Lucky bastard.

Crazy Side Trip:

So Cody is now deaf. Okay, he's deaf but if you are really, really loud he either hears something or the movement of soundwaves in the area lets him know something is going on.

Now, I have mentioned that Cody loves Bob to itty bitty bits. He will race to the window when Bob leaves just to make sure he is really going to work in the morning. Bob has thrown him off a few times by driving away and discovering he has forgotten something. Cody will then stand at the door for an hour not trusting that Bob has really left.

Anyways, the other day Cody crawled up on the couch with me and was snuggling. I don't know what came over me but I wanted Cody to know that I loved him and I thought if I yelled it really, really loud he would get a sense of it.

So I yelled. And I'm loud naturally so it was no soft holler.

Poor guy knew something had happened but he must have thought it was Bob returning home. Ears up and staring at the front door. I felt so bad, I got him all excited because he thought his 'love' was coming home.

Now I make him look at me when I talk to him and hope he is learning to read lips.

Blue River

I'm sucking wind over here!!

I am so bored I don't know what to do with myself. Bob has suggested helpful shit like clean the house, vacuum, laundry, you know fun stuff that makes your toes curl with glee.

Meh.

I did de-clutter my kitchen which means a ton of crap was carted to and fro since the kitchen is our 'dumping' ground. Heaven forbid I can actually get to the cleaners under the sink, it takes me an hour of sorting and moving stuff.

And why is it I have a bigger house and less storage?

Maybe I'm collecting way too much shit.

Hey, I did our taxes too. That's progress. Course, if I do it the way it's been set up by my father in the past few years we would get a ton of money back but we'd have to pay it to them again next year when the house finally sells. I tell ya, taxes. Blergh. And Bob's helpful in a 'you don't have to do anything with that stuff because we didn't have or sell a house next year'. Uh, yeah doo-fie, you still need to put the numbers in there and that's a huge pain in the arse when there is a partner who hasn't sent me any financials. Bob does taxes in his head but not in real life. Two thumbs up.

Mission for you:

Give me some of your best reads from 2007. I have 40 bucks in gift certificates burning a hole in my pocket but I'm afraid to pick out anything. It all looks like romantic suspense and those aren't working for me lately.

I even went to Amazon and looked at my recommendations and I swear they are all rom/susp. All because I said I love Anne Stuart and I do, I really, really do!

I'm currently tip-toeing through my TBR pile but the 'sickies' are still hanging in although I think I'm handling it way better than poor Bob did. The first three days were killer but hopefully I'm on an upswing.

I hope I didn't just jinx myself!

Oh and the weather has turned crappy again.

WTF?

And, I'm back on nights. Being a sickie sent the clock into overdrive. It's 8am and I'm soon off to bed.

Okay, I'm going to let you go on to bigger and brighter things. Go find something cool and shiny and share with the class!

Love Is Blind by Lynsay Sands

I'm pretty sure I have to count this as a DNF even though I read through to page 182 and then skimmed to the end.

Bored.

Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored.

This so isn't an author for me. I think I picked up this book because I saw this book in the interim results at AAR and I had been hearing about it a lot.

My example of what went wrong:

Hey, look at that flower.

This flower?

No, not that flower.

Oh, this flower then.

Why would that be the flower, no the other flower.

Ah, this flower, I see.

Isn't it a pretty flower?

Yes, it is a pretty flower.

Hey so and so, look at this flower.

What flower?

This flower.

OMG with the friggin' flower already!!!

There was no actual flower in the book but holy crap, the dialogue was atrocious.

THEN, there is the evil crime of telling. The whole first part of the book is the hero finding out what the 'scandal' (that is attached to the heroine) is about from his cousin and mother.

Talk, talk, talk, talk...UGH!!

The heroine talks about all the little mishaps she has had since not having her glasses. The hero tells his cousin and so the reader gets a second telling of said incidents. Then the hero has to go over all the mishaps because, dum-dum-duuummm, they may actually be attempts to kill the heroine but that damn cousin is there going 'Wha??' so the reader is beaten to death with the reasons why they aren't mishaps.

Geez Louise, I figured it out the minute she turned up in the friggin' fountain.

I started to skim when there was some sort of misunderstanding about where everyone was supposed to meet for tea.

Here?

No, there!

Oh, right, there. I remember something about there, but then why are you here?

*stabs self repeatedly with knife*

I survive the self mutilation and skim to the end. Okay, I actually can flip ahead 20 pages at a time and still get the gist of what happened.

Okay, I should be a little more truthful, I made it to where the hero is hiring an investigator to look into the 'accidents' the heroine is having. This is where my brain exploded as the investigator now gets the rundown on the whole story and I mean WHOLE story. Therefore the reader has now been subjected to listening to dialogue that has happened three times before this.

Ding, ding, check please!!

This is why I sometimes find my TBR pile overwhelming.

I'm terrified all my books will turn out to be like this and then I will be a weeping, sobbing mess of ugly goo.

All I wanted was a simple romance without any paranormal stuff (weird, cause I love that stuff but, I don't have the brain power going on right now) or Rom Sus or anything else to detract from a simple love story. Like the last book I finished. Yeah, I just want a wonderful romance with some heat.

Actually, I'm impatiently waiting for the Anna Campbell book to arrive - I know it has left Australia but hey, slow boats and all that!

Anyways!

I'm pretty sure that my reaction to this book has nothing to do with me being sick but I figure this little rant has been brought to you by the letter B.

Bitchy, blechy and blergh!

Sicky McSick

Here's a picture of the chocolate monkey I got for Easter and yeah, I'm pretty sure he's hollow. How well my family knows me.

I'm in Sicklandia, pop. one at the moment. Bob's feeling tons better (the bastard) and merrily goes on his way. I slept for 20 hours today, round about.

Things I must remember not to do.

1. Blog hop when sick. Grumpy Cindy shows up and begins angry rant - we'll see if there are consequences later. I'm sure everyone will ignore the angry woman in the corner. If I'm lucky.

2. Don't try and review a book when NyQuil has been injested. Probably not a good idea to do anything while on a healthy dose of NyQuil.

I have a regular Doc appointment tomorrow at 4pm so my only hope is that I'm not comatose. Today I woke up at 1pm, took another hit of NyQuil and woke up at 5pm. I then got up for 2 hours and crawled back into bed for another two hours and now I'm just up and miserable.

Yeah. I didn't quite think it through.

I can't seem to decide which book to try and read next.

How I deal with the stress is beyond me!

His Secondhand Wife by Cheryl St. John

I picked this little gem off the TBR pile in desperation.

There is nothing new in this story and reading it is like putting on an old cozy sweater.

I'm giving this book a B- because I enjoyed reading a romance that had nothing to do with anything other than a budding relationship. It was a nice change of pace from the frenetic reads I normally indulge in.

Keep in mind, this book probably wouldn't be rated very high in the sensuality level - maybe subtle - and there is a baby. I mean, really, if this wasn't a recipe for disaster then I don't know what is?

Cindy Blurb: Katherine Cutter is a woman of no means, living with her bitter mother after her husband of a few weeks ups and leaves to find a job. When he doesn't come back after a month Katherine tries to keep the faith even though she has discovered she is pregnant. Terrified of not having enough to raise her child she holds onto the hope that her husband will come back to her.

Noah Cutter is a man who keeps away from everyone due to the scars marring his face and body. Believing he was an abomination to look upon he isolated himself alone on his ranch until word came that his brother had been killed. Discovering Katherine, Noah offers to take her to his home so she can be safe and raise her child. Eager for a new life Katherine leaves her known life behind for a better chance at happiness.

So, we have a man who doesn't know he can be loved, a woman who doesn't flinch from the sight of him and only wishes to make him happy and an oppressive and evil step mother who only wants to ensure than her grandchild, her last connection to her beloved son, be within her grasp.

Really, we've all read this story before but in this one there wasn't any real drama. No one got overly upset or yelled or well, anything. Kate is a woman who can talk from sun up to sun down about anything and everything and has a positive look on life. Noah, having closed himself off from people is charmed by her love of life and her willingness to she everything as a blessing. Thus, when they marry, Noah is surprised that Kate offers her bed to him but then realizes that she feels obligated.

And that is how the rest of the story progresses. Kate and Noah begin to believe that the other is a saint who couldn't possibly want anything to do with themselves.

What intrigued me was the Noah was a virgin but really, this didn't play into the romance as A) he never tells her and B) this book is not explicit with the sex scenes except that I know the second time they make love, Noah has found a way to make Katherine orgasm twice. I wish I knew how he learned that so easily because DUDE, there are men out there who still don't have a clue and they've been 'slinging hash' for far longer!

Side Note: I just took some NyQuil so I'm not too sure of what I am writing as it's starting to take it's effect.

So, if you are looking for a romance that is set in the west and you have read an Harlequin Historical before and enjoyed it then I would suggest giving this one a try.

Okay, I'm going to stop with trying to review but will now update you on me. Aren't you just tickled?

1. My anti-bodies threw up their little white flags of surrender sometime yesterday and today I am a full fledged sicky.

This blows. Literally and well, however, else I mean.

2. I love my Aunt to itty bitty pieces but she cooked our turkey dinner the day before our scheduled dinner to make it easier for her. Here's the thing. It's like eating leftovers without the benefit of eating a great Turkey meal with all the fixings. I'm feeling totally ripped off so Bob suggested I go and get a turkey and make one. I have to wait and see how I'm feeling because I will be pissed if I do up a turkey and then can't taste anything because of this cold!!

So, I'm not sure how 'up and about' I'm going to be so hold down the fort for me 'kay?

Okay, I have to go to bed now because my eyes are already drooping from the NyQuil.

Man I love NyQuil!!!

Edited to Add: Sorry, I forgot to tell you how good the Easter Bunny was to me! My puppy and kitties got me book gift certificates and Bob got me some too!! I don't know how they knew what to get me. Meanwhile I only got Bob some Laura Secord Dark Chocolate Eggs which he has said are wonderful (I will take his word for it since I can't do dark chocolate). Did the Easter Bunny leave you guys anything special?

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Luckily, I found a picture of a dog all dressed up in an Easter costume so we can save Cody the embarassment!

Hope the Easter Bunny is good to everyone! We did out celebration with our family tonight and Bob and I managed to get out of the house with the smallest amount of chocolate. I couldn't leave the chocolate monkey my cousin bought me behind!! I'll have to take a picture if I remember before biting it's head off.

Ice Blue by Anne Stuart

I have no words.

You all know I'm a fangirl but - Oh. My. God. - I loved this book!

This book is the epitome of all that is Anne Stuart and holy crap I'm happier than a pig in shit, if you don't mind me saying.

The hero, Taka was perfect and sure Summer has those TSTL moments but it just doesn't matter when you get such a great sexy romance.

So, yeah - KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER!! but I would also say this one is an A. I'd throw a plus on there but hey, TSTL moments have to have some sort of consequence but then, without those moments you would have a completely different story.

I just want to grab all my Stuarts off my keeper shelf and re-read every single one. Just to relive all those moments that make me sigh.

*sigh*

I'm really too happy to talk coherently about this book and I'm really trying not to gush.

Hey! I'm trying here!

Okay, I'm going to tell you this but you can't use it against me at a future date.

Pinky swear.

See, Bob is now in Burlington, Vermont (I guess it's just a few hours over the border) on business and when I got to the end of the story I flipped through the rest of the pages, you know, looking for a hint of what would be coming next. Nothing. I then see Stuart's picture at the back and start to read the little bio.

Anne Stuart lives in Vermont.

I think I know what I want Bob to bring back with him.

*dreamy sigh*

Right. Sorry. Snap out of it!

I'm just not that crazy.

Okay, I flirt with 'that crazy' but really, I'm not that bad.

Shut up.

So to recap, I think this book is one of the best Ms. Stuart has to offer (so of the three in the series this is my favourite), I'm wondering if I can claim TSTL as a defense for kidnapping and I'm trying to remember I'm not that crazy.

*chants* I'm not that crazy, I'm not that crazy, I'm not that crazy...

*sigh*

The Great Book Blues are going to be KILLER!!!

Currently Reading

I am reading Anne Stuart's Ice Blue.

I know, I'm so predictable!

Bob's now in Montreal on business and I'm going to try and get to bed - I don't sleep well when Bob's not home, especially at night. It's 2:30am already so I'm definitely screwing up my friggin clock!!

Ah, well.

So far, I only have a slight cough and it's nothing compared to what I know Bob is going through and I do feel bad for him. I get really whiny when I am sick and I am shocked that I have managed to keep this one at bay! Still, poor guy.

Other than that, all is well except I think I may have just been bit by the painting bug. I found some old pictures of our home on a disc that I had forgot we had. I saw our kitchen (which I miss horribly) and the colour on the walls and I realized that even though the colour was far from beige (grey/purple) it was also like a neutral. So, if I paint similar colours here it's okay. I just have to stop worrying that I'm going to put up a colour from the old house and then get sick of it. It's not like I like the colours on our new walls (the living room has a weird burgandy and I'm so over burgandy on walls!!). If I at least put colours up I like then I'm one step further than I am right now. Walking into rooms and not able to relax cause all I can think about is the fact that the walls need to be painted! I figure if I really mess up, I can paint again.

Also, the fact that we don't plan on moving again frees me to do whatever I want and it's okay if it's to my taste (with the reno homes we paint strictly neutral colours and I have forgotten how to put colour in a home!!). I don't think I'm an odd duck as one of my TV shows had a designer on who told us to stop being afraid of colour. I just can't believe that when I go to pick colours I naturally go towards the more purple/greys. I keep thinking I'll move on but nope, I love my purply colours.

I think I may go to Home Depot by myself which is a totally different experience - I last about 5 minutes before the hives break out and I bolt from the store. As long as it isn't raining I think I'll dash into the store to look over the colour chips.

Picking the colour is the easy part.

It's the painting that can be a pain!

I'll post before and after pics if I get around to it.

Until then, what are you reading right now? Are you enjoying it or are you thinking of putting the book down and never picking it up again?

Right now, I'm plum tickled with the book I'm reading ;)

Da Nile

You may have seen me out and about in blogland talking about my TBR pile every once in a while. There are a few people who have what I would call a little ant hill of TBR books and then there are people like me.

I had estimated my TBR pile at about 200 books but that was back at the old house. I only had two bookcases that were tall so I only had about 150 books in the towers. Sure there were a few laying around in odd piles but I had rounded up the 150 to 200 so it was all good.

Turns out I have been swimming in Da Nile. Now, I'm not suggesting that I have bought a ton of books since we moved but uh, I did a loose head count and uh, yeah.

400.

Shhhh!!!! Bob'll hear you!!!

Yes, you're right, he can count and I'm sure he has a better concept of just how many books I have since he was the one who unpacked them all. I'm just not about to tell him how many books I haven't read yet. I mean, someone might impose a budget or some such atrocity!

Still, I haven't really stepped into the room and done a real count. There is an Anne Stuart shelf in there that I counted and a few shelves aren't full but they are wider than the rest so yeah, I'm thinking 400 is probably close to accurate.

I'm beginning to think I have to do an Ames and read 50 books strictly from the TBR pile.

*can't breathe*

*grabs paper bag*

Okay, let's not lose our heads. I mean, it's not a crime to have a big TBR pile.

You know I'm not good with authority!

Next!

I got the stickers! It's the little things in life that make me happy.

I also bought Bob a boatload of chems to put in his sicky body. Now, Bob never takes medicine - hates to for some reason. So there I am with a bottle of NyQuil and I'm laughing to myself because this stuff should knock him flat on his ass. I mean, I take sleeping pills and NyQuil will still take me from awake to drooling unconsciousness in seconds.

Bob's little sicky germs laughed. Course, he may not wake up with the alarm tomorrow but I was shocked that the meds did nothing. He sounds bad and we think he's going to lose his voice.

Meanwhile, I keep dodging the kisses. Poor guy, I don't even want to snug!

I figure if I get out of this I'll be mincemeat next year - managed to not get sick once this year, means I have no antibodies for next year. I have a tickle in my throat and a bubble in one of my sinuses but I'm using that Oprah thing about 'The Secret' where I just think myself healthy. *snort* While I'm doing that I'm thinking I'm thin, rich and 20. So far, no good. Thanks for the good vibes being sent my way - hopefully if it hits I won't get it as bad as Bob!

Tomorrow I'm going out with my best friend to get the Easter stuff for the Godchildren - I don't want to be running around last minute so I figure if we go tomorrow I can get it all done!

Bob took me over to the 'other' house tonight to show me the progress. Looks real good but I know there's at least another month of work. Bob says as we're leaving 'I thought you would freak because it doesn't look like a lot got done'. I just looked at him. The first two houses took 9 months each and that was when they (Bob and Dad) worked every weekend and three nights a week. This house, they(Bob and Cam) didn't really get into the house until Jan because no one else can do the work if Bob's not there. Basically, it's a clusterfuck and what gets me every time is that the men always say shit like, 'as long as we break even'. Fuck that! If we only break even I will tell Bob he's done because I lose lots of time with him and I won't even get into the hassles of getting him out socially!

Nuts, I'm going to.

This weekend is Easter weekend so I told Bob he has to go to his parents (I'll bloody well go by myself if he bails) which I want done on Good Friday and then of course, my parents will have us over for dinner either Saturday or Sunday. Again, I don't do well when I have to *be* somewhere but as long as I feel like I have some control I'll be okay. So Bob only gets one day in this weekend to work on the other house.

Yeah, I'm all teary eyed.

(Have I found my sarcasm button lately or what!?)

I have started Ice Blue by Anne Stuart but I think I'll wait now until Tuesday because Bob leaves for three days and I'll have my obligations out of the way so it'll just be me, Cody, Amber and Emma.

And one great book.