Book Review: Wicked as They Come by Delilah S Dawson

Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to Dark Romance, Delilah S. Dawson knows what she's doing. With engaging, concise, and lively prose, as well as careful world building, Dawson impressed me. I have recently found myself complaining that I don't like it when my leading characters are both helpless and in the dark, which seems more and more often to be the case in novels with a paranormal edge. In Wicked as They Come, while the main character has to have a good many things explained, she is never both helpless and uninformed at the same time, and she is always armed with wit, logic, and the scientific method to help her get through the toughest of problems.
With the sequel, Wicked as She Wants launching right now, I'm anxious to get my hands on it. I want to see what happens next because although the loose ends are tied well enough for this to be a stand alone novel, I care enough about the characters to want to know more about them.
Hat's off to you, Ms. Dawson.

Austenland, by Shannon Hale, a Review

Austenland by Shannon Hale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I can not properly sum up my thoughts or experiences with this book. From the moment Jane began to discuss her obsession with the Pride & Prejudice DVDs, something in the tone reminded me of the work of Anne Rice, when writing under the pseudonym Anne Rampling. This slightly uncomfortable feeling bloomed as Jane headed off for Austenland. I must say, the premise of the novel's primary setting was about ten kinds of squicky for me. Romance with actors paid to pretend to like you? That's most unsettling.
However, after many plot twists, sadly predictable, I found the novel resolving around 2am and realized I hadn't wanted to put down a guilty pleasure in the least, and had read it cover to cover in a matter of hours.
I don't know that I'll read the sequel, and I don't know that I'd recommend it, but it did keep me turning the pages, even for all it's Regency propriety.