Sword of Darkness

                                                                      3.25 out of 5

Being a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon and her Dark Hunter series, and being in the mood for a bad guy Hero, I decided to try the first book of Kinley MacGregors (aka: Sherrilyn Kenyon) Lords of Avalon series.  Kenyon, er I mean MacGregor, writes in a way that I can easily read one of her books in only a day - Sword of Darkness took me a day and a half.  The story flowed well, I will admit I was a bit confused at first as this series is a "dark spin off" of the tales of King Arthur and Camelot. Once I got past that though, I found myself enjoying this story as well as the cast of interesting character MacGregor introduces.

I wasnt all that sold on Kerrigans (hero) evil dark demon self, which is a bit of a bummer because Ive been in the mood for a main character that is truly dark and bad despite loving the heroine. Kerrigan was close, but again I couldnt really buy the "darkness" MacGregor attempted to shroud him in. Close, but not quite.

The heroine, Seren, I enjoyed. She was spunky without being a female warrior man hater, or a defenseless baby who couldnt do anything for herself.  The story has your typical HEA which I expect to find when I read a book deemed a "romance". Be it PNR, historical, or contemporary - i need an HEA. If I want to cry at the end of something Ill eat a pint of Ben and Jerrys in one sitting.

So will I continue on with this series? yes, but Im in no rush to run right out and grab the next one. This will be a library only type of read. Wouldnt spend any money on it in order to find out what happens next as I would with some series.

Amazons Product Description:
The new king of Camelot wears no shining armor: Arthur and his knights have fallen and a new king rules.

In the darkest forest...
A scared, forsaken youth has become the most powerful—and feared—man in the world. Ruthless and unrestrained, Kerrigan has long ceased to be human.

In the heart of London...
A spirited peasant mired in drudgery, Seren dreams of becoming her own woman, but never expects that by fleeing her fate, she will meet her destiny.

Their worlds are forever changed...

Kerrigan's goal is simple: barter or kill Seren to claim Arthur's Round Table. Yet she is the one person who holds no fear of him. More than that, her nobility sparks something foreign inside him. In his nether realm, kindness is weakness and a king who harbors any sort of compassion loses his throne.

For countless centuries, Kerrigan has lived alone in the shadows. Now Seren's courage has forced him into the light that will bring either salvation to both of them...or death.

Bet Me

                                                                     rating: 2 out of 5

This was my very first Jennifer Crusie book. It came HIGHLY recommended via amazons online romance message board (a great group of people who know their romance). Having received numerous recommendations from there that have been wonderful, I hit my local library for Bet Me.

This was not my kind of book. At all. I found it fluffy and drab, with no plot, and a cast of so-so characters. Also, it made me hungry. The story itself centers around chicken Marsala, bread, and donuts. All three things are delicious, but when on Weight Watchers, they are definite "can't haves". And the fact that I read at night, doesn't help any either - last thing I should be doing is craving junk food at 10pm.

I do see the appeal for alot of women however in that the heroine was not a perfect size 2 with high firm breasts, and thick hair down to her ass. She was plus sized, with full and round everything and frizzy hair (until she cuts it short and shows off her curls - a girl after my own head...er heart).

So if you re looking for an easy read with a predictable HEA and you want to read about a gorgeous Hero and a not perfect Heroine, this is your book. Just watch out for late night cravings.


Amazon's Review:
Thirty-three-year-old Minerva Dobbs is annoyed when her current boyfriend dumps her three weeks before her sisters' wedding. But she's downright furious a few moments later when she overhears her now "ex" boyfriend bet hunky Calvin Morrisey that he can't take her home and bed her. In fact, she's so angry at them both that she lets Cal take her to dinner and decides to string him along until after her sisters' wedding. Minerva pegs Cal as a handsome "used car salesman of seducers." Cal thinks Minerva is a "cranky, starving, risk-averse statistician." But Minerva's hormones keep whispering "this one," although she knows the gorgeous Cal isn't the man for her practical, white-cotton-bra, several-pounds-over-thin, self. And Cal is blindsided by the lust he feels for the voluptuous, sensual woman he glimpses behind Min's actuary exterior. While Cal and Min struggle to deal with their mutual distrust and attraction, their friends and families try their best to interfere and direct the progression of the unlikely romantic connection.