Book 42 - Broken

After three weeks of vacation, I should be way past the halfway mark of my 100 Books in 2010 challenge, right?

Not even close.

I've not hidden my affection for Kelley Armstrong. Ever since Bitten, I've been obsessed with Armstrong's skill, her characters, her plotting. I figured Broken, the sixth book in the Women of the Underworld series, would be a sure bet.

Sadly, it took me three weeks to read it - and I was on holidays! You know, the time when you ought to be able to kick back with a good book and a cold drink. In theory, I should have been able to plow through at least ten novels.

To be fair, it wasn't the author's fault. While Broken lacked the rapid pacing I've come to expect from Armstrong, the premise was brilliant, and the characters familiar - and endearing. I couldn't wait to revisit Elena, the werewolf and her sexy mate, Clay. To sweeten the deal, the plot involved time portals - and Jack the Ripper.

Like so many people, I've always been fascinated with the Ripper files - so to experience this history with a supernatural bent? Heaven.

Almost.

Elena is pregnant and of course the pack is encouraging her to be cautious - which meant she wasn't as feisty as she was in Bitten. And Clay, while still brooding and smoldering, failed to excite me. The steamy scenes were lukewarm. And parts of the book dragged thanks to a weak supporting cast. (It almost hurts to type that.)

All that said, I'll read the next Armstrong book because despite my nit pickiness with Broken, Armstrong's mastery of the craft is well above many of the novels on the shelves today.

Thanks to Jamie and Sue, I have two Nora Roberts books burning a hole in my TBR pile - but I suspect it won't be either of them I pick up next. (Eep!) The third book in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series has glued to my hip for almost two weeks, spine begging to be cracked. A girl's only got so much willpower, you know?