Quick Looks at Some Ongoing Series

I've been catching up on some favorite authors lately, trying to get up to date on new entries in various series. I have to say, my reactions have ranged from somewhat disappointed to distinctly underwhelmed. Here's the scoop:


Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts
This is the third book in the Bride Quartet. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, liked the second one well enough, realized the fourth one had just come out, and thought I better get busy. I figured I would enjoy the story of Laurel, the pastry chef. I like Nora Roberts, I like the whole wedding planning business storyline, and I like cake, so what's not to love? Unfortunately, while I loved Laurel's cakes, and would happily sit down to a tasting, I just never warmed to Laurel. She's okay, and the hero is okay, but I just never really got into the whole relationship. Laurel has always seemed to have a chip on her shoulder, so that could be part of the problem. All in all -- it was okay. Worth reading if you are a fan of the series, and with a few really entertaining scenes, such as the knock down fight between a bride's mother and stepmother minutes before the ceremony. Roberts always includes a bridezilla/wedding party behaving badly scene, and they always make me laugh. Other than that -- not a standout.



In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz
I have always been a big fan of Krentz (a former librarian) and of the Arcane Society series. I found things getting a little hard to follow in the Burning Lamp trilogy, but since I had read all the previous books it wasn't too bad.
I had really been looking forward to reading Fallon Jones' story, since he has always been one of my favorite characters. In Too Deep, the first book of the Looking Glass trilogy, features Fallon and a new character named Isabella Valdez. I truly enjoyed the book, as it contained all of Krentz's trademark elements: fast pace, great secondary characters, and dry humor. My complaint is that there is a lot of explaining of various elements of the backstory. Given that this is book 10 in the series, there IS a lot of backstory to explain, but even with that I still think it would be hard for someone not familiar with the series to pick this up and really enjoy it. It's just not a great stand alone book. So, a little less explanation and a little more development of the relationship would have worked better for me. But overall, I'm glad I read it, and look forward to the next installment. If you are new to the Arcane Society though, better start elsewhere.

~Macaire