[books] The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair & Dragon Heat by Allyson James

[ice_of_dreams]

After finishing reading three chapters of a bad paranormal book (Dragon Heat by Allyson James) I had to read something ELSE. And since paranormal and fantasy when I was looking at a new author was hit and miss for me, I settled to go for romance. Never mind the fact that I was reading romance novels instead of a solid fantasy, urban fantasy or the like. Brain junk food. Yum. (I really must look for a new good urban fantasy that speaks to my soul)...

The Kitchen witch pleasantly surpsised me. (And I wonder why I've been putting it in my to read pile for almost three years... maybe because I have been reading fantasy lately). The situations are funny and heart warming at the same time.

You get to deal with a single dad, and his next door neighbor slash baby sitter (yeah a common enough occurence in romance novels, like Seventh Heaven by Catherine Anderson). Although I must admit, I adore anything with a baby/children in the story, and Shane was a very dear four-year-old re-learning how to live with his father after being left alone by his mother.

I was a little dubious about Melody and Logan's instant attraction, but it was a romance novel. It was supposed to have instant attraction. (I really need to find more books that have more beta males.)

It's set in Salem, (where else to have a Witch production but in Salem?) and it's not paranormal. It's a production stint, more like a cooking show and a Witch idea, but I love looking into production and TV series (I haven't since Sherryl Wood's Angel Mine which I must remember to re-read someday)

As for Dragon Heat...

I love shifters. I have prejudice against warewolfs and were-cats because EVERYONE writes about them, but I love reading about other shifters. Especially if they shift into something OTHER.

So Dragon wasn't other (other defined as things and humans etc), it was animal... albiet sentient animal... but rare enough. So I sat down to read this.

UGH. My problem with Allyson James' writing, is that it reads like it was meant for thirteen year olds. Or maybe I have problem with sentences that go: because they were old they were very, very smart. Used in narration. When have you used very, very in narration?

Or MAYBE it's because of the fact that she explains everything in DIALOGUE. She let out most of the plot in one dialogue between Caleb and Lisa in chapter three.

OKay after reading more than half of the long dialogue between Caleb and Lisa, I stopped reading. It wasn't worth my time. Chapter check: chapter three. Okay, I'm off to find a better way to procastinate for my pedia exam.

Comments

[shartyrant.livejournal.com]

I'm currently reading THE KITCHEN WITCH. I am about a 3 chapters in and am glad to know it is a nice surprise going by your comments. The cover attracted me as it looks like a kitchen witch in a more contemporary setting and on TV just strucked me as hilarious. It is the first one in a series.

I have only read so far ALLYSON JAMES book from Ellora's Cave Tales of the Shareem: Rees...it is the first book in a erotic sci-fi futuristic story. I liked the idea of having these created guys who are three levels of sexual adventure who were first created as a type of slave but are FREED and considered their own person, but most are afraid of them because of their abilities. I thought it would be a cool thing, but it turned into nothing but straight out erotica (which really should not be a surprise considering the publisher). I kept thinking it could've been a really creepy science fiction if done one way or even just a cool science fiction novel with the idea of theses guys (and one gal in later books) who were created for these and not allowed off the planet because of their abilities. The sex scenes were okay. I was getting irritated with the constant use of "cream" to the point where I was yelling at the book (not a good sign).She did the infodumps when the heroine was using the computer to check out what the shareem really were which is probably why it is so thin of a book and had to have so much sex to fill it out. Again, it is erotica, but I felt a bit cheated on that idea of people being created in a lab with scary abilities in a sexual nature. Her sentences were pretty much the same there in the book as you describe, but I figure it was just because she didn't have a good enough editor to warn her off of it.

I only had read that one book, but was thinking of giving her DRagon series a whirl. I had not had a lot of people I know read them yet so I didn't know what it would be like. Sounds like I should be glad I waited. Does it get ANY better? Or will you finish it later? It kills me because I had some little hope as I adore Dragons. You might give THE SMOKE THIEF by Shane Abe. It is pretty good. I wish the author had not forced the romance so much in it, but the world building and characters are pretty strong. It's a pretty decent romance historical if you are interested in Dragons.

[shartyrant.livejournal.com]

AGh...I should say I FINISHED THE KITCHEN WITCH and three chapters into the sequel. Grrr..I have lost my mind. I somehow got the two confused. Be interested to see what you think of the sequels if you get a chance to read them.

ANd good luck on your test.

[ice-of-dreams.livejournal.com]

What do you mean you have "lost your mind?" didn't like it? :) I saw the next copy of the Witch series... My Favorite Witch, I'm about to pick it up some time after my exams. It's about Kira right? I'm not so sure if I would like Kira in a book but I'd give her a try first.

Ellora published her books? *groan* I should have known better then. This was published by Berkley, so I was expecting better. Although I admit I like some of Ellora's authors. Some of them are half-way decent if you're reading it knowing that you're set out for some hard core porn. Look at Lora Leigh's Breed series, it's all right. Too much sex, but as I said, the series is porn, so it's expected. Ellora is okay for some paranormal and futuristic stories, but you'd have to sort through the trash.

The Dragon Series? I put it down before finishing it. I don't think I'd be able to finish it without my brain protesting every step of the way, so I might not finish it. Too much time wasted on something I don't want.

I own Abe's The Smoke Thief. I found it good, and Kit witty as well as pretty much amoral. He knows he's not good, he knows he's not noble and he doesn't try to hide it. Rue is pretty witty too.

I remember a scene that goes Kit: this is Camille (or whatever her real name is I forgot, it was so rarely used). She's my wife...
Rue: (when they were alone) Now EVERYONE is going to call me Camille. I hate that name.
Kit: The only people calling you Camille are people you hate.

Or the time when Kit was describing how he loved the night even beside garish stars. He waxes on poetry. Haha.

I managed to read Dream Thief and Queen of Dragons, but I like Smoke Thief better. I think her story telling suffered when she was forced to write out in a series.

I have read only one other book from Shana Abe (other than the Drakon series that is), because I can't find any other books here. I enjoyed The Secret Swan as much as I enjoyed the first Drakon book. Maybe it was because of the misunderstandings, or maybe it was because Tristan found out later what three types of fool he has been. I like stories about people marrying early and then years later finding out about each other. The characters are so lovable, that I REALLY want to buy a lot of Shana Abe's later works, but I can't find them. I'd resort to second hand bookstores, but there are none here that carry her books and I'd have to order abroad through credit card. *sigh* someday, when I have my own credit card then.

[shartyrant.livejournal.com]

Meant I lost my mind when I got the titles confused. It seems to be happening a lot lately due to having to take some benadryl for my allergies. The brain gets all fuzzy. I had only read the first one and the last one in that witch series. I liked the first one best so far. It was cute and sweet. I don't come across many romance like that lately set in contemporary times.


Yep. James has been with them for a while now. Her Shareem stories took off as one of the more "successful" series I think. Plus, when all the publishers started noticing Ellora's success, they started courting some of the authors to do books for them. Some are better than others. Cheyenne McCray Magic series are decent. I am not so into her "prey" books which are more suspense thrillers with a lot of sex. Lora Leigh it depends on which book. I like her Breed series, but get bored with the female breed heroines matched with human males for some reason. I think it goes into the heroines get annoying for me with all their "I must prove myself" attitudes.

I agree about Ellora. I keep meaning to try one author everyone has recommended: Sherri King. It is definitely paranormal. Her books are hard to find in print format so I might have to get the e-book formats.

I just bought THE DREAM THIEF. The excerpt that THE SMOKE THIEF had caught my curiousity enough to want to try it next. Actually, I just got 30 new books this weekend due to trade credit where I was getting rid of some CDS/Games/Books that I didn't like. So I couldn't resist picking up THE DREAM THIEF at such a bargain.


I notice a lot of authors have that problem with series. They do great on the first two books and then the quality gets repetitive or way off on a weird tangent or seems like it will never end. I don't want to get started in a series that will never be finished or resolved on all the questions which is why I am getting more selective on the book series I pick.

Do have a local library in the country your in that you can access? OR maybe even better, maybe getting a e-book reader that doesn't charge you shipping might be the way to go. There are so many versions out there (cheap and expensive) that it might be the way to go with you being in a country where it is harder to get the books you want. Just an idea. Might save you money in the long run. (Unless your like me and prefer to have the actual book and hate reading stuff on screens).

[ice-of-dreams.livejournal.com]

yeah benadryl does that.

Sherri King. I've tried her. I don't like the style.

*groan* 30 books. That's a lot ::sighs in envy::

We don't have a local library. All of our libraries here are connected to schools. If you're not enrolled in the school, you don't get to borrow. Plus even if I was enrolled to a school that had a fiction library, romance novels aren't on their top aquiring list.

My school right now is an extension of the university main. So it's a graduate school so the library I have access to has only medical books.

[shartyrant.livejournal.com]

Be warned that I give up LOTS of sleep to get the books done. Much to my husband's dismay when I am still up at 3 a.m. I got quite a few people online and off who use me as a recommendation for books to try or continue with as I read so fast that I have to keep up with the demand. (doesn't that sound like such a good reason to get so many than just the more honest reason that I am addicted to books? Hah!)

I had that same problem with a library when I was attending a private college. A private christian college at that. VERY LIMITED on the books. I had a hard time even getting the medical or biology books I needed for reports or studies. And very limited access to the internet because they were so busy all the time. This was before I had my own computer which makes life so much more simpler on research and doing papers. I have no clue how I had the patience with just using a typewriter in high school and the beginning of college.

I now frequent a few local libraries (3-4 so far). Thinking on getting a job with one as part-time if possible. Maybe I can have some input then on what they get as the closest one to me (ironically) is the least well-supplied and focuses on books I dislike. *sigh*

Any chance of you coming to the US?

[ice-of-dreams.livejournal.com]

Haha. If I don't have school I finish 3 books a day. If I have classes, I'd have to settle for 1 a day or I won't get any studying done/sleep through class. urg. :)

Shareem Novel

[ice-of-dreams.livejournal.com]

I tried to read The First Shareem novel. Seeing it came from James as well, I was surprised it turned out more decently than the Berkley published one. (It still reads poorly and I wouldn't ever recommend it except for porn, but I managed to finish it, compared to Dragon Heat which I didn't) It was a short read tho. And too much info dump in one page sometimes, but better than Dragon heat.