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4.03.2010

Whispered Lies by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love

Whispered LiesWhispered Lies by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love
Review copy provided by Simon & Schuster.

PJVs QUICKIE POV: Even though this particular series keeps popping up on PNR genre lists and amazon.com PNR listmania fun, this is not what I would call a PNR. My only explanation I can come up with would be because the big name at the top of the book...pause for effect... Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the masters of that genre. So, now that we cleared that up, I have stepped out of my usual genre and dabbled in a bit of romance. PJ Fact #69 sugar and spice romance and chick lit kind of bores me. This one wasn't that bad though, luckily Kenyon has the flavor that gives this particular romance a little more spice than the usual cut and dry romance that is peddled by authors such as Roberts and *gasp* Sparks.  There was a bit of violence that kept me interested, and the male protagonist was hotter than hot...but Gabrielle the heroine just left me feeling, well like I should join a feminist movement or something. Which is my usual reaction to romance heroines.

REVIEW: The series focuses on an acronym agency called BAD  (Bureau of American Defense) and the BAD boys and girls that protect the US government from SUPER VILLAINS and TERRORIST, kinda like GI JOE. Agent Carlos Delgado, is a smoking hot Latino macho man and former cartel family member and the star of our novel. He is placed as lead on a mission to rescue a kidnapped teenager from the dastardly terrorist movement that call themselves the Fratelli.  The BAD agents are flying blind, going on the word of a cyber criminal/informant, code name MIRAGE, and Carlos is not to happy about this.  Mirage knows too much to not be a criminal, so after the teen is rescued, Carlos makes it his mission to apprehend Mirage and pump the informant for all that they know.

Unfortunately for Carlos, Mirage happens to be shy, recluse Gabrielle Saxe, descendant of French royalty and daughter of French political big wig, oh and he thinks she's pretty hot too, so pumping her for knowledge turns out to be rather difficult. Things turn even more difficult when Gabrielle talks Joe (BADs leader) into letting her infiltrate the school where the teens are disappearing from, in exchange for her freedom.  Carlos must accompany her...and try as he might he just can't resist Gabrielle's lure.

Well written and the plot flowed nicely, this novel kept me entertained, but in the end left me lacking. There were a few plot holes that I thought were rather ridiculous, that fans of Tom Clancy and other Spy greats might turn their nose up to.  But it is what it is, and the BAD agents are more on the lines of Vin Diesel and not Harrison Ford. And if I'm reading a sex scene I would so rather picture Vin instead of Harrison...no offense Mr. Ford, you look good for your age, but... Speaking of the sex scenes, for the length of the novel, the hot level could have gone up a bit.  Carlos and Gabrielle were just...well cut and dry. Which brings me back to the basis of this review. A good, typical romance story, with a bit of action and espionage thrown into the mix to liven things up.

Which leads me in another direction, why are romance heroines always these wilting flower, quaking virgin chicks? This is the whole reason my taste lead me toward the Urban Fantasy persuasion and PNR genres.  Every now and again I would read a romance where the heroine was kick buttesque...but as soon as the bad boy swept in she turned to a wilting puddle of jello...and to boot revealed herself as a virgin that was saving herself for Mr. Perfect. Cue Mr. Perfect...who steps in knocks the chick on the head and spits, "Mine."

I will probably read another BAD novel, like I said entertaining...and I can't wait for a kick butt chick to pop up.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Fans of Nora Roberts, you will probably like this one. This is also adult fiction, rated R.






4 comments:

Trini said...

I love Sherrilyn! Her Dark Hunter & The League series are sooo awesome. Have you read any of those? The truth is I will read anything Sherri writes but her PN books are the best. Achreon is my fav. Well thanks for the review. I always love to read what others think of a book I have read.

Donna said...

While I really like Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series, I've never been pulled to read this series because the synopsis for the books never felt like they were a paranormal book in the true sense. Your review just confirmed my suspicions. Thanks!

Patti (@TheLoveJunkee) said...

I like her Dark Hunters but haven't tried her Guild books. I do like non-paranormal romance, so maybe I will like this; I may give it a chance.

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

I also agree with you on the romance "girls". That's also why I like UF and PNR.

Thanks for the review. Not sure I'd like this one.

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