This was a reread for me. Long time ago so I’m not sure if it was better the second time around but it was a good book. Dragged a bit in places and the wife was kind of annoying and prone to hysterics but a generally good storyline.

Errol Flynn does the worst Texas accent EVER. That aside, this is an entertaining romp about a banker who leads a secret double life as a mystery writer and is drawn into a world stranger than any book and must solve a crime to clear his pen name while trying to dodge the suspicions of his wife. Besides the Texas accent, excellent natural accent and good story.

Never – well, unless, of course, the psycho sidekick gets his very own book where we get to see first hand what goes on in his mind. I have to say, this could have gone terribly wrong. Joe Pike is a good character in the Elvis Cole books and maybe seeing his perspective would ruin that. SO not the case with “The Watchman.”

A favor incurred in an earlier book is called in and Joe finds himself protecting a highly annoying media teen – think Paris Hilton – who, thanks to an accident, was slated to testify against a big baddie who wants her dead.

I was cringing at the stuff on RC’s site about this. Heck, I like romance but JOE PIKE finding love? Especially with a spoiled diva? Not a good outlook. That did not turn out to be the case and this book was just well worth the money and time it took to read. If you’re an Elvis Cole fan, this is a do not miss read.

Agatha grows up a bit and gets some good sense of self. GO AGATHA!

Agatha finally meets someone as jealous, vain and catty as she is and just a tad more crazy. One of the best books in the series.

That I didn’t hate this character (or real person, I should say) as much as I expected to is a testament to just how much I expected to hate her. Anyone working in the RL knows someone like this. She is defined by what she wears and her position and knows EVERYTHING. You leave her every day thinking it must be great to be her and be so sure about everything no matter how wrong she always proves to be. At the start of the story, Jen is nothing short of an entitled, self- absorbed, mega-bitch and by the end she hasn’t changed a whole lot.

Jen, herself, is unpleasant. She’s not someone I’d want to buddy up with in RL and, frankly, she probably wouldn’t want to buddy up with me. We’d annoy the crap out of each other and I might even wind up hurting her severely. I cheered Courtney on when she stole that job from under Jen. With Jen’s “My need is so much more than your need” attitude, she would have done the same to Courtney. Stealing the Coach breifcase as she does early on speaks of the lengths to which she goes to get what she wants and how she views the plight of others…..the more downtrodden you are, the funnier she finds you.

In the end, this is the story of humility but not really a lesson learned. Jen does learn that she doesn’t need all the stuff she’s indulged herself with to define her. That having been said, she’s still a bitch and she still loves confrontation. I seriously dislike people who get joy out of making others feel bad.

At this point, I don’t know if reincarnation is something that I believe in. I can tell you that this book didn’t help me to decide one way or another. I found the narrative, while entertainingly written, self important and my feeling was that from the self-importance that it was likely to be exaggerated. That having been said, I enjoyed the read. As a story of one woman’s past lives, it went quickly and didn’t really drag. Worth the time it you’re looking for something on the subject. If you’re looking to be convinced, you may want to try another book.

I came upon this book. Normally I’m not into the medieval romances and kind of let them pile up. This one, however, stood out from the crowd and, while the typical formula, was well worth the few hours spent reading. The characters were different and rather refreshing and, while not a lot of intrigue, compelling.

Lori Foster is always hit or miss with me and I think her story in this anthology is one of her weaker stories. The other two stories by Jennifer Cruise (a personal favorite) and Carly Phillips (another hit or miss author) are certainly well worth the price of the book.

I have a subscription to Harlequin Historicals and this is the first Roman era book I recall reading. It wasn’t a terrible read but I really had the idea that it could have been set at any time. It’s extreme upside was that the book only took about an hour to read. Worth checking out if you like the HEA.