So check her out. She’s a demon. Pretty hot, huh? Though demons aren’t actually demons in this book. I mean, they’re demons,but not in the Biblical-twisted-and-deformed-to-externally-show-their-internal-sin sense. Consider it a race name. It makes it easier to follow the shift in mythology. Possibly if you never attended a Catholic school, this may not matter so much to you, but I did for a brief time, and it’s had a lasting impression, so that’s the way I get around it.

Also, that’s not necessarily the most helpful way to start a review. It’s more of a peek into the chaotic-but-somehow-sense-making workings of my internal mind. Let’s start again, shall we?

So Kylie Griffin is great. I know. I’ve met her a number of times. What is also great is her book. Which is doubly great, because it really sucks when you know great people and their books just…aren’t. Highly awkward situation, people. Highly awkward.

Luckily, that’s not the case here. There are some spots where the work behind the writing is evident, and some areas where the author over-exerts herself to make sure the reader gets the point, but they’re issues of maturity, and I’m confident that the deeper this series goes, the smoother the writing will become, and the easier it will be to melt completely into the story with no navigation of rough bits required.

And, readers? It’s a fantasy romance. There are just not enough fantasy romances out there. Hear that, publishers?! Send me fantasy romances!

Want to hear about this one? Sure you do.

So Annika is half-demon, half-human, all outcast. She’s basically kept around as a nose-rub to the humans and a whipping post for the demons. She’s managed to hold on to her sanity, and even develop some grace and strength, through her own will and the help of a human servant who treats her with the only kindness that she’s ever known, teaches her a useful skill - and introduces her to the solace that is the Lady.

Here’s the thing that’s really great about this series: the religion. Stop backing away. This isn’t a scary-religious-fanatic fantasy romance. But it is a fantasy romance where religion plays an enormous part in the world, and therefore in the story. And, if you want it to, it can work as a pretty powerful message about the role religion plays in this world too. But it’s never a ‘hey look at me and my allegory! Aren’t I clever with all this allegory I’m doing here?!’ narrative. 

What I’m saying is Annika worships the Lady, and draws her strength from Her, which goes a long way to explaining the serenity she attains even in the face of constant torture and humiliation. It also provides a link between her and the human captive she helps rescue, who later becomes her travelling partner and guide to the human land.

Said Human captive is Kalan, a Light Blade warrior - a human to whom the Lady has gifted certain powers. He was captured during a battle, and subjected to torture under the Demons. He’s certainly not at all interested in trusting one, but it’s his only way home, and he figures he can sort it out when he’s on the outside.

This racism also represents a pretty big theme throughout the novel, and it’s here that you’ll likely see the writing through the story, and the emphasis on the message. It’s exacerbated by the fact that this novel only introduces the two races to each other, and doesn’t have the scope to start the peace process. I’m hoping these issues will be cleared in subsequent novels.

There’s a journey. And, you know, barriers are breached, secrets are told, perceptions are altered. The arrival at the Human city doesn’t solve all problems - in fact, it creates many more. But there’s hope. And some evil people using religion in twisted ways. And maybe more hope. With some potholes along the way, and a good set-up for sequels.

But mostly, there’s the deft handling of spirituality in a way that I haven’t seen in recent times, an acknowledgement that a belief system is a powerful force, even if we try not to recognise it, and that for all the strife it can cause, it can be an enormous force for good as well.

Bottom line: Vengeance Born is a thought-provoker, but you might not necessarily notice, wrapped up as it is in the trappings of an entertaining fantasy novel, with a little road trip romance in the middle.

Now that’s what I’m talking about. You want really good Aussie outback romance? Jilted is the book to read.

So ten years ago Ellie leaves her fiance Flynn at the altar, runs clear across the country and becomes one of Australia’s favourite soap stars. Now Ellie’s beloved godmother is ill and needs help, and Ellie rushes back to be by her side. Returning to Hope Junction isn’t ever going to be easy, but Ellie will face it. Some things are more important than pride. But she dreads facing Flynn, and all that could have been if things had only been different.

So, yes, like every other reviewer, I cried. But I also laughed. And I totally feel like a local at Hope Junction. The use of place is often overwhelming when it comes to the spate of Rural stories on the market, but Johns has really used her community organically to first isolate, then welcome Ellie back. It’s easy to understand where she and Flynn came from, and how that continues to be tied really strongly to their identity.

Secondary characters are another real strength, adding to the overall immersion of the reader into John’s world. I really feel like I could walk into Hope Junction as a local, have a pint, visit the Co-op, have a gossip. I was sorry to leave when the book ended.

There is only one teeny-tiny little thing that really bugged me, so I rewrote it in my head, and it made it all better. I’ll rewrite it here for you, just in case it bugs you too. I’m keeping it as spoiler-free as possible.

The Setting: Ellie finally reveals the true reason behind her flight to Flynn.

this is what really happened:

Ellie: here is my emotionally and physically traumatising reason for leaving you at the altar.

Flynn: Me. me me me. Me me me me me me me. Let’s make this about me. Here’s what Iwould have done in your emotionally and physically traumatised state. Me. Me me me. Now I’m going to run away for a week, not let anyone know where I am, and freak you all out, just to make this even more about me.

Ellie: *is guilty*

Flynn: *returns* I forgive you for not making your emotionally and physically traumatising event about me. I’m going to love you anyways, and try not to blame you for not making everything all about me.

Ellie: Yay!

Kate’s rewrite, from Flynn’s return, because, really, his initial reaction is believable, if not commendable.

Flynn: *returns* I’m a douche. I’m sorry for acting like a douche. I’m sorry for douchily making your emotionally and physically traumatising event all about me, which is a very douchey thing to do. I love you, and hope that you still love me, even though I’m a douche. Will you marry me if I promise to work really hard on my douche-bag tendencies and never be such a douche ever again?

Ellie: Yay!

Bottom line: This is a great example of Aussie Rural Romance, with an organically created setting and fully realised characters. Sure Flynn is a bit of a douche in one part, but, really, aren’t all real-life heroes occasionally?

I moved interstate. It played havoc on my blogging.Buthere are the books I’ve read that I need to talk about, and will be blogging about soon!

• Joan Kilby,Gentlemen Prefer Nerds
• Nicola Marsh,Busted in Bollywood
• Rachel Bailey,What Happens in Charleston
• MJ Scott,Blood Kin
• ylie Griffin,Vengeance Born
• Kristin Higgans, Somebody to Love
• Julia Quinn,About Last Night
• Karina Cooper,Tarnished
• Sarah Mayberry, Her Best Worst Mistake
• Sylvia Day,Bared to You
• Rachael Johns,Jilted
• Shannon Curtis, Guarding Jess
• Fiona Palmer,The Road Home

Some books I read, but don’t really feel the need to elaborate on:

• Charlaine Harris,Deadlocked

Guys, I just really love Fiona Lowe. I’m putting that out there, so you can take this review with the necessary fangirl grain of salt.

So, Career Girl in the Country is not breaking any new ground. In fact, it’s going over already well-tilled ground. Poppy is the titular career girl, who has daddy issues, and control issues, and workaholic issues, all of which have affected her relationships which naturally give her relationship issues. She’s all porcupine-y, and a very bad marriage has driven her into an intense focus on her career to the exclusion of everyone else.

Matt, on the other hand, is a grieving widow who lost his perfect wife and child in a horrific way, and he’s all wounded and damaged and feels like he has nothing to give. Also, even looking at another woman drowns him in guilt because he should only ever be thinking about his dead wife.

Okay? Yeah we’ve seen this before. And naturally Poppy and Matt (they’re colleagues, by the way, when Poppy is forced into a tree change for a couple of months) ignite sparks off each other like nobody’s business, but they can’t possibly do anything about it, etc etc.

It’s all been done before. But guys, this book is just sodamnedenjoyable, that really, you should all get over it. The story isn’t going to surprise you, but it’s going to entertain you, and give you all those warm fuzzy feelings that a good author can evoke. Even the final complication, inevitably career vs relationship, which should be aggravatingly obvious, makes so much sense for the characters that, as a reader, you won’t even notice. Trust me. You’ll just be racing to the end so that you can see Poppy and Matt all gooey again. You’ll crave it like chocolate sauce on ice cream. Sure you’ve had it before - but it never ever gets old.

At least, not in the talented hands of an author like Fiona Lowe.

</fangirl>

This is the third book of Nicole Murphy’s Gadda trilogy (but, let’s be honest about paranormal series - they have a perennial quality to them that defies labels).

The Gadda are a group of magic-doing people who live in secrecy in Ireland, but keep a protective eye on their human neighbours. Their biggest fear is exposure, but there is a small, but powerful contigent who believe that exposure is the only way to take their place as the rightful overlords of the Earth (maybe not in so many words, but that’s the general idea). This contingent’s threat has threaded through the whole of the trilogy and comes to a head (and conclusion) in this book.

The other thread is the guardians, those Gadda tasked with protecting all the others. It is within their ranks that the love stories lie, and Rogue Gadda follows Lucas, the most powerful of the Gadda to his happy ending. Lucas’s father also held his exalted post, and Lucas watched how his father’s job destroyed his relationship, and Lucas swears that he will never put a woman through that, vowing to remain single and focus only on the job. Of course, this is not going to work in the context of a romance novel, so enter Charlotte, alost Gadda, a Gadda living outside the influence of the greater community and considered a danger to the rest. Charlotte has been raised to hate and fear the Gadda establishment, and trust only in her step-father who can protect her.

Needless to say, certain preconceived notions are overthrown, the bad guys get punished, the good guys endure some hardships but are ultimately triumphant, and Charlotte and Lucas find a way to make things work. Because, otherwise, I’d be complaining about what actually makes a romance novel. Never fear, this is a romance novel.

It’s also incredibly detailed, much more so than you might find in other paranormal series. In fact, I’d go ahead and claim this as more fantasy than paranormal. The worldbuilding is intricate and involved, with a lot of introduced terms and titles that are more consistent with fantasy novels than their paranormal counterparts. Therefore, the plot feels a lot deeper and intense. While there is violence and action scenes, Murphy doesn’t rely on these to move the action forward. Indeed most of the plot is taken up with discussions and character interaction, introspection and examination. THis makes it a slower read than many will be used to, but once readers get over their impatience, it makes for a welcome change of pace to sink into the story.

Readers should probably not start with this one if they’re interested - confusion around the  politics and intricacies of the Gadda hierarchy would diminish enjoyment of the novel, but I had only read book 1 when I picked this up, and I muddled through just fine.

Bottom line: a fantasy romance for the reader looking for a slow burn rather than a flash in the pan. Intricate world building and a happy ending.

Overarching thought: are category romances more issues-based than single title?

Most of my review work - scratch that, allof my review work is in single title novels, so I love things like Aussie Author Month, because it’s a great excuse to delve back into the category romance where I cut my romance reading teeth. Like with Barbara Hannay’s Rancher’s Twins: Mom Needed, a Harlequin Romance that’s nominated for a RITA award this year.

So, Gray was married to this woman, and they had twins together, but she couldn’t hack the Outback life, so she took the kids and moved back to NYC. Then she had a brain aneurysm and died - in front of her kids. Anyways, they go and live with their cousin Holly who agrees to take care of them until Gray can get from his ranch to New York. It takes a bit longer than expected as Gray attempts to ford a flooded stream and ends up breaking his ankle.

Fast forward three months, and Holly is doing pretty well. The kids’ PTSD is getting more manageable, and she loves having them around. So when Gray arrives, she’s got all these feelings and emotions and stuff all churning around, plus, you know, he’s totally hot, so that doesn’t help.

Long story short: she ends up going back to Australia with everyone on a very short-term basis to help the kids settle. Also Gray has a big secret he’s not sharing and Holly is determined to niggle it out of him.

Then: it’s time for her to leave, but he doesn’t want her to, but he can’t possibly ask her to stay ‘cause it’s really selfish, and she doesn’t want to go, but she wont’ stay unless he offers her more than just a nanny position with his kids, and…

Well, I won’t spoil the ending, but you can probably guess where it goes.

The bottom line is this is a very sweet little story, and to be honest, it’s utterly innocuous as well. I can’t imagine anyone not liking it, because there is absolutely nothing not to like.

However, what was more interesting to me is Gray’s great problem. Readers get an insight pretty early on that Gray is functionally illiterate, and has managed for a long time to not only successfully manage his business, but fool everyone around him. Holly eventually finds out, and one of their greatest bonds is created as she helps him to learn.

When I was telling my husband about this story, he asked, ‘why would she fall in love with an illiterate hero?’, which is a non-romance reading point of view, but it did highlight that category romances often feature ‘issues’ as part of their overarching story in a way that single titles often don’t. In fact, in my experience, many category romances have external barriers to the HEA, as opposed to internal, which is more common with single titles.

But I’m not nearly as well-versed in category romance as I am in single title, and this is an impression rather than a solid conclusion. So tell me, those of you who are more involved with category romances: do I have the right end of the stick here?