A Wallflower Christmas, by Lisa Kleypas

It's the Christmas season! And what a delight it is to read a book that has all of the Christmas traditions and a good romance in it.
This book is a follow up of Kleypas' Wallflower series, in which we met 4 London Season wallflowers: Annabelle, Evie, and the sisters Lillian and Daisy Bowman.
Now it's time for Lillian & Daisy's big brother to fall in love.
Rafe Bowman is a rude American who has been at loggerheads with his dad since forever. Now comes the promise of redemption and acceptance - as well as a big chunck of the family business - if Rafe marries an English lady.
The lady in question is Lady Natalie Blandford, who is well mannered, attractive, and knows how to manage men. However, Rafe can't help but feel attracted to her comely companion, Hannah Appleton, who is the ultimate wallflower.
They all gather together in Lillian's country home in Hampshire, where we find once again the rest of the wallflowers, and we see love spark between Rafe and Hannah between a huge and impossible to decorate Christmas tree, carols, Dickens, and even sleigh rides in the snow.
The romance was great, the wallflowers remained true to their personalities, and I closed the book with a warm feeling and the lyrics of that Mariah Carey song in my head: All I want for Christmas baby... is you.

Daddy's Girl, by Lisa Scottoline

I love, love, love Lisa Scottoline. Her books are fast paced, well researched, with believable twists and turns, and kick-ass heroines.

At first sight Natalie Greco doesn't seem a kick ass heroine. She's a law teacher, whom her students don't really pay attention to, comes from a rich and dominant italian family with an Attitude, and has a boyfriend who spends more time with her brothers than with her. She's also a serious bookworm. Serious.

Her life changes when Angus Holt, a hunky fellow teacher, convinces her to give a seminar at the local prison. Nat doesn't really feel comfortable with the idea, but goes along with the plan, only to find herself in the middle of a riot, almost raped, and the only person who hears a murdered officer's last words: Tell my wife it's under the floor.

Nat delivers the message to the grieving widow, and the next thing she knows, she's framed for murdering a cop, and has to run for her life. The answer lies with the cryptic message she had to deliver, and Nat will try to solve it while running away from the police and her overwhelming family.

I really liked this book. It's a great thriller, with just the perfect dose of romance thrown in.

A reliable wife, by Robert Goolrick

On a snowy afternoon in Wisconsin, Ralph Truitt waits for the train that will bring his mail order bride to him. A rich man in his fifties, Ralph has spent the last twenty years doing penance for mistakes commited in his youth, but his impending marriage is due to more than the desire for company in the long, maddening Wisconsin winter.
Catherine Land, Ralph's bride, has her own agenda, and it doesn't involve everlasting happiness with her new groom. They're both united, and separated, by Antonio, Ralph's first wife's son, who cherishes a virulent hatred for Ralph.
This is not a novel characterized for its complex plot or fast action; quite the opposite. The plot is very simple, and though it has a couple of twists, it resembles too much "Original Sin", the movie with Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas.
As for the fast paced action... snail's pace action is more likely. Events happen, dragged by days and days of details and characters' introspection.
I had high expectations, and I really didn't enjoy this book so much. Catherine is a complex character, and she steals the show from page 1. She's also the only one who changes and grows in the book. Truitt and Antonio seemed one-dimensional in comparison...
Actually, I didn't dislike the book because of the characters or the cliched plot; it was the continuos repetition that drove me crazy.

Romantic Kisses

I just wanted to share some picture of kisses (from anime series) that I found on the internet:

They're Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes from "Robotech" (the american version of the japaneses anime series Super Dimensional Fortress Macross). Did anyone watch it as a child or teenager too?
Rick and Lisa were part of a threesome (the missing girl is singer Lynn Min Mei), but I always wanted Rick to pick Lisa, a senior officer.
I love this picture. The kiss looks so tender. Look at where his hands are, barely touching her shoulders.

Burn, by Linda Howard

The plot: Jenner (heroine) won the lottery 7 years ago, and that changed her life... not always in a good way. After being accosed by moochers and snubbed by the rich and famous, Jenner only has one true friend: sweet heiress Sydney Hazlett. That is why she accepts to go with Syd in a charity cruise to Hawaii.

Cael Traylor is special ops, and his new job consists in following Frank Larkin, who is suspected of selling arms to the North Koreans and who's also the host of the charity cruise. Cael's survelliance plans go to hell when Frank changes the suites reservations, thus forcing Cael to think another plan to get into the suit next to Larkin's. His brilliant solution? Kidnap one of the suite's owners, Sydney Hazlett, and force the other one to pose as his girlfriend.

Jenner is scared to death... for all of 5 minutes. She's street smart, and she's taking no bulls*it from anybody. Mostly she's worried for her friend and mad at Cael, but soon she begins to feel tempted by his gorgeous body.

Frank Larkin is up to more than selling secrets to the North Koreans, and soon Cael figures that something more is happening. Jenner also figures out that the guy who kidnapped her and her friend are "the good guys" and starts to pester Cael so he will let her help. Which he doesn't want to.

The plot has some holes as big as a swiss cheese, but is fairly entertaining. I found Jenner utterly annoying, and didn't warm up to Cael either. I was far more interested in Sydney and Tiffany, one of the "spies".