Es ist mal wieder Valentinstag und wenn man der allgemeinen Mehrheit folgt, dann bedeutet das wohl, dass einen Tag lang weltweite Romantik ausbricht. Oder ausbrechen soll. Für manche wird der 14. Februar zum Spießrutenlauf mit unzähligen lauernden Fettnäpfchen. Menschen wie mir ist der Valentinstag eigentlich egal, aber er bietet eine gute Gelegenheit für eine Buchliste mit Titeln, die Romanzen jenseits des Schmalzes enthält und sich mehr auf den humorvollen Ton konzentriert. Paare die sich liebevollem Zank hingeben, statt melodramatischen Versprechungen. Ganz einfach ist es nicht solche Bücher aufzutun, trotzdem habe ich versucht meine Top 5 amüsanter und erwachsener Paare zu finden, die mehr Lacher als Augenroller zu bieten haben.

1. Degrees of Wrong – Anna Scarlett
Aus meiner Sicht eindeutig das witzigste Paar in der Sammlung. Zugegeben der Schwerpunkt liegt hier schon deutlich stärker bei der Liebelei der Protagonisten, aber das Gezanke von Elise und Nicoli ist so herrlich unterhaltsam, dass ich dieses Buch regelmäßig auspacken und erneut lesen muss. Außerdem ist es mit einer interessanten Prise Sci-Fi, der Jagd nach einem Impfstoff und einem Unterwasserschiff gewürzt.

2. Uprooted – Naomi Novik
Während Degrees of Wrong ein futuristisches und urbanes Setting hat bewegen wir uns in Uprooted durch eine mittelalterliche, märchenhafte Welt, die aber Erwachsene Leser zum Ziel hat. Auch hier geht die Dynamik zwischen Dragon und Agnieska mit Witz und viel verbalem Schlagabtausch einher. Die Liebesgeschichte der beiden entwickelt sich dezent nebenbei und vervollständigt eine der besten Haupthandlungen, die man sich als Fantasyleserin für einen Roman wünschen kann.

3. Soulless – Gail Carriger
Diese steampunkige Geschichte spielt in einer alternativen Realität des viktorianischen London. Es tummeln sich Vampire und Werwölfe offen in der Stadt. Auch in Soulless ist die Romantik ein nebensächlicher, aber regelmäßig auftauchender Teil der Handlung. Das Buch sorgt nicht nur mit einer selbstbewussten Protagonistin und einem grantigen Werwolf-Ermittler regelmäßig für ordentliche Lacher.

4. Ghost Planet – Sharon Lynn Fisher
Hier scheiden sich die Geister ein wenig, gewissermaßen sogar buchstäblich. Das Buch bietet ein unheimlich spannendes Konzept das mehr Gewicht hat als der romantische Part. Letzterer ist gelegentlich mit ein bisschen Fremdschämen verbunden, unter dem Strich aber auch nett gemacht.

5. Sophie im Schloss des Zauberers – Diana Wynne Jones
Das einzige Buch in meiner Sammlung das sich eigentlich an Kinder richtet und trotzdem zwei herrliche Protagonisten bietet, die auch der erwachsenen Leserin viel zu bieten haben. Sophie und Howl sind in vielerlei Hinsicht zwei Figuren die man wirklich kennenlernen sollte. Daher kann ich dieses Buch auch gar nicht oft genug empfehlen.

Title: Ghost Planet

Author: Sharon Lynn Fisher

Genre: Science Fiction, Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world—a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she'd struggle with the requirement to shun these "ghosts." She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet.

As a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy—creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone—oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love—Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence.

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man that she loves.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

This book was FANTASTIC. Right away, the rich world-building pulled me into the story. The concept of a planet that spawned ghosts of loved ones as a mechanism of survival was such a fresh idea, and it hooked me from the start. Then, the author threw me a loop, and I discovered the main character was actually one of the ghosts - only she didn't know she was dead.... it was absolutely fascinating and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

The characters in this book were well-defined and full of depth. For once I didn't have a problem keeping track of the myriad of characters and their names. Their personalities and actions were so distinct. The dialog was invisible - just as any well-written dialogue should be. I didn't feel as if I were reading something someone had constructed--but was simply watching people have a conversation. The narrative too was well written and faded into my subconscious. I was completely absorbed in the story. In fact, it was only after I found myself missing dinner by about 2 1/2 hours that I realized I'd gotten so absorbed into the story that I'd forgotten everything else. I could not put this down!

I will say that I'd pretty much figured out the ghosts' connection to the planet and the colonists from the very get-go. In fact, I found it somewhat frustrating that it took so long for the characters to clue into the situation - they'd previously seemed so bright and clever, yet somehow missed the obvious. Still, there were lots of surprises left in store.

The plot of this story was so incredibly clever and interesting - I really have to hand it to the author. This was an entirely new concept than anything I've read before, and it was done amazingly well. I was astounded to find that this was a first novel. I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for any further works from this author.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys light sci-fi, romance, and adventure. There were a lot of fast-paced action/adventure scenes in this story, a lot of romance (though I don't feel it was the strongest aspect of this particular book), and superb writing as far as science fiction goes. It's definitely going on my keeper shelf.

A Heart for Copper is a "choose your own adventure" style book, taking you through the different choices that Copper must make in her life. While this format is somewhat distracting, having to flip back & forth through the book, the story still manages to flow well.

Created by William, Copper is an automaton who is now given the chance for life. But this chance, brought about by Clockwork Magic, is not only dangerous and illegal, it also forces Copper to immediately make choices that will forever change her life. Does she give William the key her her mechanical heart, choosing to stay with him? Or does she go off on her own, keeping the key, to discover who she is as a person. Both bittersweet and questioning, this is not your "Happily Ever After" story, and romance is not guaranteed.

I enjoyed these book, but my one major gripe is one that I have to put behind a spoiler, though the book will still be enjoyable even knowing this detail:

Even with that issue, the stories are still enjoyable and I would be interested in reading more.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Synopsis: Second novelette in the Fantasies in Color series by RWA RITA-nominated author Sharon Lynn Fisher ...

Pearl knows it was Raven who stole her mama's heart -- a beautiful quartz stone given to her by Pearl's father right before he died. She sets off alone to the crow-man's keep determined to bring back the stone, but she's caught by a servant and taken to the tower. The dark-winged ruler of the keep isn't at all what she imagined, and he isn't about to let Pearl go before unlocking all her mysteries -- mysteries she never dreamed her body possessed.

Available at: Amazon / Aerbook