Happy Tuesday!

Sorry for the delay, but here is the winner of the YOU DECIDE CONTEST:


STELLA

Hi Stella. Please e-mail me at lynettestwocents at gmail dot com to arrange for your prize: Shadow Protector by Jenna Ryan.

Thanks to everyone who entered. I really appreciate your support!

Author Name: Jenna Ryan
ISBN #: 9780373745487
Publisher Name: Harlequin Enterprises/Harlequin Intrigue
Date Released: September 2010
Page Count: 224
Price: $5.75
Genre: Series Romantic Suspense
Book Format: Print

BACK COVER BLURB:

Sera Hudson didn't need an invitation to Blue Ridge; she was looking for an escape. The only surviving witness of the Blindfold Killer, Sera wanted to lay low, but when danger found her yet again, she had no choice but to turn to the handsome local sheriff.

Logan may have patrolled a small town, but he had big-city instincts. The object of every woman's desire, he had a soft spot for newcomers and there was no chance he'd allow a murderer free rein over his charge. But he wasn't going to babysit Sera, either. He knew more about her than he let on, and their shared past held clues to the killer's identity. If they could find common ground, then maybe, just maybe, Sera could finally stop running away and see that he was her reason to stay….

COVER SNARK:

Given the snarkiness of Harlequin covers at times, I actually like this one. My only grip is that Logan isn't a cowboy so the cowboy hat is a little misleading.

FIRST LINES:

The dream unfolded piece by resistant piece in Serafina Hudson's sleeping mind.

LAST LINES:

As his mouth came down hungrily on hers, Sera slipped the Sedona rock he'd given to Sig as a child into the pocket of his jeans.

FAVORITE LINES:

As his mouth came down hungrily on hers, Sera slipped the Sedona rock he'd given to Sig as a child into the pocket of his jeans.

LYNETTE'S TWO CENTS:

Confession: I still read a lot of series romance. My favorite lines are Silhouette Romantic Suspense, Harlequin Intrigue, and Silhouette Desire. I love these books. They are my secret vice. While I can see the umm cheesiest sometimes, I still devour them.

I couldn't devour SHADOW PROTECTOR. Usually I can read a series romance in about a day and a half, it took me almost two weeks to read SHADOW PROTECTOR. I just couldn't get into it.

Usually when I read a series romance I can see that even if it wasn't to my tastes where it fit into the line it was published into. I didn't get that sense with SHADOW PROTECTOR. If you are familiar with the Harlequin/Silhouette lines, while reading SHADOW PROTECTOR if felt like I was reading a Harlequin American romance instead of a suspense novel and the American romance line isn't one of my favorites.

SHADOW PROTECTOR seems more about the quirky characters Sera meets in the town she's hiding away in instead of the suspense (who's trying to kill her) and her relationship with the hero (the local sheriff).

Things I didn't understand.

• Someone is trying to kill her and she is still wanders about all by herself. Despite various attempts made on her she is still wanders around town like she doesn't have a care in the world. VERY, VERY, VERY implausible!

• Sera the heroine is a psychiatrist, yet she acts in a manner that I can only describe as TSTL. One of her best friend's has died, someone keeps trying to grab her, yet she acts in a TSTL manner when the hero tries to protect her. She doesn't need him hovering over her.

• In a brand that is so focused on the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine, there was very little if any interaction and sexual attraction/tension/relationship buildup between Sera and Logan.

• All the quirky characters, some who seem very stereotypical to what you find in small towns, distracted from the developing relationship between Sera and Logan.

• Not sure how to describe it. The plot seemed very disjointed. Like it wasn't meant to be a series romance. As if the writer had written the story to be a single title romantic suspense and had to chop it down to try to make it fit as an Intrigue.

Although the Shadow Protector didn't work for me, I decided to let YOU DECIDE! Want to win a copy of SHADOW PROTECTOR? Look below to figure out how!


CONTEST:

I'm offering up a copy of SHADOW PROTECTOR for you to decide. If you'd like a copy please say ENTER ME in the comments section below so I know you're not just commenting on the review but want to enter the contest as well. I'll be announcing the winner Monday!


WHERE PURCHASED:

Received copy from Publisher for review.

Rating:
E

Happy Monday!

The You Decide Winner according to Random.org is commenter number 4:

Mar!

Mar, please e-mail me your address at lynettestwocents at gmail dot com

Characters:

Ben Baldwin reminded me of a Matthew McConaughey type. Matthew McConaughy annoys the heck out of me every time he appears on the screen. (Okay, I don't know him personally, but I mean the type of roles he plays in movies.) Ben Baldwin is the guy who is sexy and knows it. He believes if he smiles women should bow down and worship him. But Ben is tired of easy and decides to pursue a woman who's more of a challenge. Enter our heroine. Ben decides to stalk, harass her, but because he's the hero of the story and he's cute and charming it okay that he keep pursuing a woman that's not interested in him.

 I loved Sierra Murphy in the first chapter. She was strong, independent and tells him straight up that she isn't in the mood for his games. I was like, 'Yes. A strong, woman who can put up with this bull.' I couldn't wait to see the sparks fly between them as she put him in his place. Then I got to Chapter Two. Sierra Murphy turned from a strong, independent woman into an emotional pile of goo. I missed the strong heroine from the first chapter. She doesn't believe in herself, she didn't stand up for herself, and she let Ben control the situation. I felt really let down by the drastic switch in her personality. I mean I honestly. The tone of the first chapter of Never Too Much is totally different from the rest of the novel (at least what I read).

Chemisty:

I felt that Ben and Sierra had no chemistry. It annoyed me how they made assumptions about each other. Those assumptions didn't fit their characters to me. The internal narrative dragged and didn't feel natural. I personally couldn't believe that two strangers would suddenly delve into their deepest darkest secrets within an hour or two of meeting each other. They acted as if they had known each other for months instead of minutes.

I couldn't read anymore. Never Too Much didn't capture my attention enough to make me escape from reality and ignore all the other books I have on my too be read pile. However, I am just one person out of a trillion people in the world and what doesn't work for me, might work for you!

SO


Never Too Much was a Do Not Finish for me. But I'm going to hold a contest. The winner will receive a copy of Never Too Much from me so they can decide for themselves.

YES, I'M HAVING A CONTEST!





To enter YOU MUST DO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:



• Be a follower of my blog. See that nifty follow button on the side there? Click it, register, and follow me if you're not already.

• Comment on this post.

• Check back on Monday, March 22, 2010 to see who won.

• The winner will need to e-mail me by Wednesday, March 24, 2010 with their contact information to claim their prize.

• The winner must reside in an area where The Book Depository will ship to.

Easy isn't it! Good luck!