With one website launched, I have a little bit of breathing space, so without further ado, here are the reviews of four books read recently.

Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmel is a prize find. I mean, I’ve always been a fan of Greek heroic fantasy, but have always stuck to the interpretations of female authors. Mr Gemmel swept me off my feet with this gritty, enthralling tale of three different characters – two heroes and a priestess-princess and the roles they will eventually play in the Trojan war. A veteran writer renowned in the fantasy genre, this gentleman took me by surprise with his sensitive treatment of the finer emotions of the heroine, and the barely suppressed feelings of love.

But as with all heroic epics, the central theme here is still about honour on the battlefield, and the friendship which sprung between two heroes from rival kingdoms. I’m so pleased with the rounded characters, the developing plot and the hint of more intrigues to follow that I’m already scouting the stores for the sequel and the finale, completed by the late author’s wife and published posthumously very recently.

The Dangers of Deceiving A Viscount by Julia London was truly worth waiting for. I knew Phoebe’s unusual talent for designing gowns, and her secret identity as London’s most-sought-after modiste Madam Dupree would be good fodder for an unexpected romance … and she was despairing over being left on the shelf. But of course, as she’s introduced to Will in her role as modiste, she’s face with the dilemma and risk losing him who hates deceit of any kind, or accept his offer of carte de blanc and enjoy her brief sojourn in his estate.

It’s been two crazy weeks of non-stop preparation for the launch of another website, and the company annual dinner, so much so that now that the party’s over and we’ll know for sure if the site’s ready for take-off on Monday, I find myself with some time on hand, so what better thing to do than a quick catch up on all those review posts. So here goes …

Now, Crazy Cool by Tara Janzen, has been on my TBR list ever since Kristie and Cindy, put it on their Top 25 (?) lists two years ago. So, it was with much anticipation that I finally got a hold of one copy and settled down to read. Hmmm … the action scenes, the suspense (two murder mysteries to solve) and the build-up of romantic tension were what I expected, so no complaints there. However, I did find one or two of the detours e.g. Kidd and whats-her-name making out, a little annoying. Overall, this book is packed with equal amounts of romance, adventure, action and suspense to provide an entertaining evening read.