And Then She Fell

So for those who don't know, I'm an avid reader of all books by Stephanie Lauren.  My latest read on about Cynster family is And Then She Fell by Stephanie Lauren.  Unfortunately for her faithful readers, this one should have been titled "and then they were disappointed."  One of the things that has captured so many of Stephanie Laurens readers is the passion and sensuality that she weaves into her stories.  It just wasn't there in this book.  The spark never really flared for me between the main characters.  I don't want to make false accusations but it felt more like the work of a ghost.  Either that, or Ms. Lauren has hit a serious slump.  I know that in the literary world those can be fighting words, but I'm just calling it like I see it.  I just hope that she gets her mojo back for the next one!

The Maid's Daughter by Janice Maynard

We love free books don't we?!  Well this latest offering by the Harlequin Desire line  is:  The Maid's Daughter by Janice Maynard.   This is very much a modern cinderella.  However, in this version, "the prince" also has issues of his own.
The story touches on the very serious subject of child abuse and the lingering effects it can leave on a person.  However, I think I would have liked to see it addressed a little further within the scope of the story.  I personally believe the author missed an opportunity to weave greater attention to such an issue, as this, into a beautiful love story.  Because to me personally the most beautiful love stories aren't alway the "and they lived happily ever after" with perfect endings but rather those stories where they love through the scars.  Where one leaves the story knowing they will continue to love through the difficult areas ahead.

Heartbreaker part 3

Finally, the last story in the book, Heartbreaker, is Kandy Girlz by Nichelle Walker.  This story was not as shocking or exciting as the other two and so the book suddenly fell flat.  I think the publishers should have considered rearranging the stories in the book.  The redeeming point in this story, however, is that the main characters shows a bit on a conscious at the end.  Of course, the argument can be made that the only reason she showed any hint of remorse for her actions is that her manipulations finally caught up to her.

So there you have it.  If you are a regular reader of Urban fiction, I'd love to hear your take on both the genre and these stories in particular.