Pretty Woman (Pocket) by Fern Michaels starts things off for us this week, with overweight Rosie Gardner Bliss finally deciding she's had enough of her cheating husband Kent on their anniversary--enough of him treating her badly, enough of being fat. Rosie winning the lottery puts a real crimp in getting rid of him, however. Let me start by saying this belongs in women's fiction, not romance. Yes, there's a slight love story in this tale, but the main focus of the story is people changing--Rosie, her slimy husband Kent, her housekeeper and close friend Luna Mae. But it is not strictly a romance, and because of that, doesn't work for me. Worse, the changes don't ring true to me. Rosie's motivations seem wishy-washy to me. Even Kent's sudden revelation late in the story rang false to me. I'm sorry to say I can't even rate this one. But if you're looking for so-so women's fiction, you might disagree with me.
Perfect Weapon (Brava) by Amy J. Fetzer is next. Dr. Sydney Hale finds herself unexpectedly on the run from whoever killed everyone else in her underground lab. The hunter she runs into on her way down the mountain turns out to be a Marine, Jack Wilson, and her arrival turns his own world upside-down--and not in a good way to start. If you want adventure and military espionage, you might like this one. I didn't--when I pick up a book with the Brava imprint on the spine, I want a good, steamy romance. It's what readers were lead to expect when the line launched. Lately, though, there's more mystery, less sensuality, more chick lit, less sizzling attractions. Sure, there's some steam, but not nearly enough for me, and way too much of the other stuff I mentioned previously. It kinda made me wish Ms. Fetzer had stuck to writing paranormal romances. At least there I wasn't disappointed when I reached the end.
Until next time, happy reading!
