Quick words before starting the review. Keishon has issued a TBR challenge for those who wanted to read from their TBR pile and decreased it. Here are the specifics of the challenge. I used not to have any TBR pile when I was still a student. The reason? Less budget to buy books, more time to read and also, I wasn't actively reading reviews on internet. Now? Hmmm, I'd say my TBR pile is somewhere around 300-400... LOL, how did that happen? ^_^;
Anyway, my first book for the TBR Day is Rumble on the Bayou by Jana DeLeon.
Rumble on the Bayou by Jana DeLeon
publishe by Dorchester in October 2006
Genre: contemporary romance
Series: --
The Story: I'm going to skip on a summary, because I think that the back blurb did a good job :) All I'll add is that along with the stoned alligator, Dorie finds several bags of heroin in a backpack and a finger. A single finger. She gets a print... and DEA agent Richard Starke shows up at her doorstep. The print belongs to a long-time drug trafficker named Shawn Roland that the DEA has been trying to catch for decades with no success. However, Richard is determined not to fail this time and he'll do anything for his investigation... even playing nice with Dorie.
My Opinion: I thought this book was very good :) I enjoyed it a lot. I like small town settings, because there's always a lot of hilarious situations possible and this book has tons. The opening scene, Dorie and Joe Miller, her friend and co-worker, finding the alligator? Awesome!... it was just a great way to start a book.
I also really liked the characters. Every one of them. Dorie makes a great heroine. She's smart and tough with a soft side. It was fun to see her interact with others. She kind of run the whole show. She also has a lot of layers, as in what you see isn't what you get :P Most important of all is that she's competent :P Richard Starke was also interesting, unfortunately, Dorie stole all the spotlight. He's a good man: determined, stubborn, smart and handsome... but not the kind to make me swoon... To the H/H, you add in a mix of secondary characters, all looking after Dorie's best interest and you get a great comedy. The biggest plus of this book however was the plot. It was well thought out and all the things connected well. In addition, good writing doesn't hurt.
I do have complaints though. I have to admit that some parts were a bit boring. Those parts are very short and basically have to do with Dorie and Richard's confrontation over the investigation. It's just been done over and over already... it's not the writing or the plot, just something that had to happen, but isn't very interesting. Also, I thought Richard and Dorie fell for each other a bit too abruptly. One minute Richard is annoyed with Dorie and the next one, he's in love. Sure they were attracted to each other, but there's attracted and then there's Love. Finally, I read Unlucky not too long ago and I felt like both were based on the same templates. I mean, both books are great and the storyline and action is quite different... but the main action, the feeling and the flow were identical... as a result, I didn't enjoy Rumble on the Bayou at full capacity, because I felt I knew the story already... and that was unfortunate :(
My Grade: Overall, a good book - B from me. It would have been a great book if I haven't read Unlucky and this one in such a short period.
Anyway, my first book for the TBR Day is Rumble on the Bayou by Jana DeLeon.
Rumble on the Bayou by Jana DeLeon
publishe by Dorchester in October 2006
Meet Deputy Dorie Berenger - her days of lingerie sunbathing are over...
Deputy Dorie Berenger knew it was going to be a rough day when the alligator she found in the town drunk's swimming pool turned out to be stoned. On heroin. Now she has some big shot city slicker from the DEA trying to take over her turf. And Agent Richard Starke is everything she'd feared-brash, demanding and way too handsome for his own good. Or hers.
The folks of Gator Bait, Louisiana may know everything about each other, but they're sure not going to share it with an outsider. Richard wouldn't be able to catch a catfish, much less a drug smuggler, without Dorie's help. But some secrets – and some desires – are buried so deep that bringing them to the surface will take a major Rumble on the Bayou.
Genre: contemporary romance
Series: --
The Story: I'm going to skip on a summary, because I think that the back blurb did a good job :) All I'll add is that along with the stoned alligator, Dorie finds several bags of heroin in a backpack and a finger. A single finger. She gets a print... and DEA agent Richard Starke shows up at her doorstep. The print belongs to a long-time drug trafficker named Shawn Roland that the DEA has been trying to catch for decades with no success. However, Richard is determined not to fail this time and he'll do anything for his investigation... even playing nice with Dorie.
My Opinion: I thought this book was very good :) I enjoyed it a lot. I like small town settings, because there's always a lot of hilarious situations possible and this book has tons. The opening scene, Dorie and Joe Miller, her friend and co-worker, finding the alligator? Awesome!... it was just a great way to start a book.
I also really liked the characters. Every one of them. Dorie makes a great heroine. She's smart and tough with a soft side. It was fun to see her interact with others. She kind of run the whole show. She also has a lot of layers, as in what you see isn't what you get :P Most important of all is that she's competent :P Richard Starke was also interesting, unfortunately, Dorie stole all the spotlight. He's a good man: determined, stubborn, smart and handsome... but not the kind to make me swoon... To the H/H, you add in a mix of secondary characters, all looking after Dorie's best interest and you get a great comedy. The biggest plus of this book however was the plot. It was well thought out and all the things connected well. In addition, good writing doesn't hurt.
I do have complaints though. I have to admit that some parts were a bit boring. Those parts are very short and basically have to do with Dorie and Richard's confrontation over the investigation. It's just been done over and over already... it's not the writing or the plot, just something that had to happen, but isn't very interesting. Also, I thought Richard and Dorie fell for each other a bit too abruptly. One minute Richard is annoyed with Dorie and the next one, he's in love. Sure they were attracted to each other, but there's attracted and then there's Love. Finally, I read Unlucky not too long ago and I felt like both were based on the same templates. I mean, both books are great and the storyline and action is quite different... but the main action, the feeling and the flow were identical... as a result, I didn't enjoy Rumble on the Bayou at full capacity, because I felt I knew the story already... and that was unfortunate :(
My Grade: Overall, a good book - B from me. It would have been a great book if I haven't read Unlucky and this one in such a short period.
