Scott Stoddard is an American graduate student who has been accepted into a prestigious program in Switzerland. On his way overseas, Scott is introduced to the enigmatic Countess de Rovere and becomes infatuated. With a promise to his parents to focus on his studies, Scott puts off calling on the Countess and attempts to concentrate on school and girls his own age. However, the pull of the Countess' presence is hard to resist and Scott finds himself under Desiree's spell. Scott and Desiree find that their attraction is mutual, even though there is a long list of reasons that they should not be together. Being introduced into Desiree's social circle takes a toll on Scott's academics, but their attraction grows. As news of their relationship spreads, pressure mounts on the couple. 

An Improbable Pairing takes the reader through the whirlwind romance of a very lucky American student and a privileged Countess in 1960's Europe. The beginning of the book grabbed my attention with the voyage, the mystery surrounding The Countess and the suspense of how Scott and Desiree would come together. After Scott arrived, the pace slowed a bit as he went about being a student and attempting to date the girls he believed he should. Things began to pick up again when Scott and Desiree begin dating. At this point, it also seemed like Scott was just the luckiest man alive as everything fell perfectly into place for him. Desiree's world is shiny and exciting as her status invites her into world's that I would never be able to see. The descriptions of luxurious homes, clothing, jewelry, restaurants, food and events were very encompassing and detailed allowing me to richly imagine places in Switzerland and France that I will never see. The romance plays out as I would expect, the addition of Desiree's ex-husband adds a slight tension, but could have been used to ramp up the excitement even more. Overalll, a classic historical romance that add the glamour of 1960's Europe. 


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Ice-skating - An awe inspiring sport where poise, grace and beauty take center stage. With her Red Hot Russians series, Ms. Harmon gives her readers an up close and personal look at the drive of the athlete. The successes and losses, as well as backstabbing betrayals that are often overlooked within this beautiful sport. Through fictional characters we get a look at the drama behind the scenes of it all. Pairing Off is the first book in the series. Through no fault of her own, Carrie lost out due to the scandalous actions of her partner. At a crossroads, she receives a second chance to fulfill all her hopes and dreams, but it comes at a price. An injured partner, a foreign country and a complicated relationship are at the forefront of this second chance story. How far will she go to succeed? Good start.

I picked this up on sale at Amazon this week, and I really enjoyed it. It's kind of like that 90s skating movie, "The Cutting Edge," except the plot's a little more complex. Yet it certainly targets the same audience, and it hits the same sweet spots. 

 

I was skeptical when the hero and heroine hook up in a coat room at a party in Amsterdam during the prologue, because while I'm no prude, I think a drunken one night stand is generally not a good way to start a relationship. I kept an open mind and kept going, and the story improved. Years later, Anton (Russian) and Carrie (American) are reunited after each is betrayed by their long-time skating partner. In order to salvage their careers, they partner with each other, even though it means Carrie has to move from balmy Georgia (US) to frigid Moscow and become a Russian citizen. After a rough start, they find their skating styles compliment one another far more than the styles of their prior partners, and they begin enjoying their sport and excelling at it more than ever before. 

 

"Pairing Off" employs a TON of romance tropes: kiss-kiss/slap-slap love-to-hate-em initial tension, ruined reputation (Carrie's), mistaken identity (it takes Anton forEVER to realize Carrie is "Amsterdam Girl"), fish out of water (Carrie is an outsider in Moscow), damsel in distress, infidelity (Anton's), sabotage by ex-lovers (both), tragic past (Carrie's), marriage of convenience, sports rivalry, secondary romance between supporting characters, and probably several others I'm forgetting. Still, they're all woven together in a way that feels fresh and keeps the plot moving along, though the romance itself is fairly slow-burning. 

 

This was certainly well worth the $1.99 I paid for it, and I will seek out Elizabeth Harmon's work again. 

Ja, lange habe ich nicht mehr ein neues Pairing in FFs für mich entdeckt, aber nun ist es wieder soweit. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly present...

 

 

 

 

RUMBELLE!

Also Rumpelstilzchen und Belle, aus die Schöne und das Biest....

 

Ich bin mal wieder hin und weg und ihr wisst ja, es liegt einzig und allein an diesem Typ Mann: gefährlich, unbeliebt und dabei unsterblich in eine Frau verliebt.... YEAH!!!!!

All das bietet ONCE - Upon A Time.

 

This novelette is a thing of beauty.

It tells a more compelling tale in 30 pages than many a full-length novel.

 

 

A girl, disguised as a boy, who ran away to sea.

 

This book is not shy with same-gender relationships, something I've not come across often in stories of sea voyages (which I admittedly have not read many of).

Eg. Sailors who do not succumb to the lure of sirens because the person they love is a fellow sailor on board

(spoiler show)

 

 

It does not shy away either, from the risks that the main character is taking as a female masquarading as male on board a ship at sea.

 

Gareth, you must treat her only as your friend, and you must never, ever tell anyone else her secret.”

“Aye,” Gareth said, laughing, “or the captain will propose marriage to her, as happens in all the ballads, and we know our Peg will never marry.”

“The captain might do a great deal worse than that, and so might his men.”

(spoiler show)

 

 

She’d given me a bag of herbs before I left. “If you’re forced, Peg, make this into tea and drink it. You’ll get sick, but if a baby’s started, it will stop.”

(spoiler show)

 

 

And then of course, there is a storm and a shipwreak :D

In a nutshell, this was startlingly lovely, and I highly recommend it.It can be found for free reading here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/07/homecoming