Under Her Skin (Blank Canvas, #1) by Adriana Anders

  Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders

Blurb:
 
Her Body is His Canvas
A darkly possessive relationship has left Uma alone and on the run. Beneath her drab clothing, she hides a terrible secret-proof of her abuse, tattooed onto her skin in a lurid reminder of everything she's survived.
Caught between a brutal past and an uncertain future, Uma's reluctant to bare herself to anyone...much less a rough ex-con whose rage drives him in ways she will never understand. But beneath his frightening exterior, Ivan is gentle. Warm. Compassionate. And just as determined to heal Uma's broken heart as he is to destroy the monster who left his mark scrawled across the delicate tapestry of her skin.


This book is really intense. It wasn't easy to read as Uma's former relationship really was a nightmare but I loved to see how she started to heal, how she got stronger and fought to get her life back.

Ivan and Uma are both very complex and very interesting characters who make me want to know what happened to them and what makes them tick.
Ivan`? Well, that's the rather rough and frightening looking guy living next door, an ex-con actually, who gets her and her fear and who helps her to get back on her feet and to feel good again.

"Feel good again"? Feeling good isn't easy when your *** of an ex left you with more than a simple broken relationship as a reminder of the time with him and to show what he is capable of. He got under her skin alright, literally. So it's not just a question of brushing him off but also of getting rid of every single reminder he left on her, of getting rid of her fear and also of getting her self-confidence back.
A long way to go but with someone like Ivan at her side, there might be a good chance for her to get there....

Sometimes I felt really sick when I read what had happened and there were times when I was a bit worried how things might turn out and...well, I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know Uma, Ivan and all the other people around them.

★★★★

Waiting For an Earl Like You (Masters of Seduction #3) by Alexandra Hawkins

  Waiting For an Earl Like You by Alexandra Hawkins

Blurb: 

LOVE ISN’T ALWAYS WHAT IT SEEMS.
Justin Reeve Netherwood, Earl of Kempthorn—a.k.a. Thorn—has never cared much for his neighbor’s daughter. But his twin brother, Gideon, befriended the wild, reckless, and wholly inappropriate Miss Olivia Lydall in youth, and two have been close ever since. So when Olivia finds herself in a state of romantic conflict and seeks out Gideon for advice, he’s only too pleased to oblige. Only problem: The man Olivia is speaking to is Thorn. And now it’s too late for him to tell Olivia the truth…

Thorn always believed that Olivia was too smitten with Gideon for her own good. So what’s the harm in steering her away from him? But Thorn’s charade turns out to be anything but harmless once he begins to see Olivia for who she really is: A woman full of spirit and passion…and someone he can’t live without. But how can Thorn claim Olivia’s heart when their deepening connection—and burning desire—is built on lies and deceit?


I enjoyed reading this book even though Thorn, our hero and his attidude turned out to be indeed a (teeny tiny) thorn in my side. In the end, when I got the much-anticipated and much-needed HEA, I forgave him a lot but seriously, you can't always forgive everything just because people are in love and tend to do stupid things to get what they want, can you?
But let's get back to the beginning, when Thorn finds his (identical) twin Gideon and their neighbour Olivia out on the water in a boat together. Again. The two of them always shared a special bond that left him at the outside. Of course he doesn't need them because, well, he is the heir and he is important and...you get it, right?
Somehow it matters, despite all his attemps to convince himself of the opposite.
A kind of tug o' war starts with Thorn on the one side and Gideon on the other, when they all go to London for the Season where Olivia is supposed to find a husband - as soon as possible, acccording to her father and his almost betrothed who want to have the house to themselves when they marry.

Thorn does everything to seduce Olivia and I must admit that I was really upset because I hate when the hero thinks that it is alright to risk their beloved's ruin in order to get what they want. Soon they find themselves betrothed, albeit temporarily according to Olivia's father but Thorn is very willing to turn it into a more permanent option. Gideon wants to protect Olivia, even if he has to protect her from his own brother, Thorn wants to protect her from some other rather unsavory people and while all this protecting goes around, well, things get really tight and dangerous.

Sometimes I felt like everything was a bit too complicated, too many people were involved and things were a bit too obscure but on the whole I liked the book and would read it again.

★★★

"101 Things A Translator Needs To Know"

Talking about translation...

I really love this book:

 101 Things A Translator Needs To Know

Blurb:

This is a book for beginners.
It’s also a book for seasoned professionals, students and teachers. For freelancers and staff translators. For amateurs and experts, generalists and super-specialists — be they certified and sworn, recognised, authorised... or simply tantalised by translation’s potential for a varied and enriching career.
The authors are all successful translation professionals in fields ranging from highly technical to literary. Here they share insights and tips about what translation involves and how a professional translator needs to think, work and act when dealing with clients and colleagues.

I got this book for christmas because my translation teacher recommended it. It really is a book that is interesting for every translator, a hopeful future one like me or a rather experienced one. Every other page carries a simple but nevertheless very important statement, underlined by some explanations and a drawing on the other page. Those statements deal with transalation itself and what it means to translate a text and with the interaction between client and translator and the way you as a transaltor represent yourself. Short, simple statements, easy to grasp but with a lot of impact. 

The book was written by a number of experienced translators who share their wisdom and help you see the simple but very important things that make a difference no matter if you're dealing with a text or a client. I love the way those statements are presented because it reminds me a bit of a comic or one of those books that you place in the bathroom where people can browse and amuse themselves, you know? 

Much content but without being stuffy or too much like a manual or whatever. Just a very useful and well done book that you can enjoy in tiny bits and bites or read as a whole.

I can definitely recommend this amazing and helpful book!

 ★★★★★

Exams and other translation stuff...

Remember that exam I had two weeks ago?

That was the exam for the Diploma in Translation (and I have no idea if I passed or if I'm among those 60% who have to resit the exam and - even worse- I won't know till mid-may) and we weren't allowed to use the internet for our translations but we were allowed every book or piece of paper we thought useful. What do you think how many books we brought and how big our bags were?

??? ??? ??? ??? ???

 Any idea?

That's what my little carry-on looked like! 

*****

***

*

 

From London with Love: Rebellious Brides (Rebellious Brides #3) by Diana Quincy

  From London with Love by Diana Quincy

Blurb:

Emilia St. George is moments away from marrying the admired grandson of a duke when the man who once jilted her decides to kidnap her at the altar. It’s the second time in five years Hamilton Sparrow has ruined her wedding day, and Emilia isn’t about to forgive him. The mere sight of her ex-fiancé revives painful memories—and, most regrettably, aching desires that refuse to be ignored.

Scanning the guests at Emilia’s wedding, Sparrow spots a familiar face: an assassin he recognizes from his days as a spy in France. Whisking Emilia away, he’s pleasantly surprised by her newly formed curves. Could this be the same flame-haired slip of a girl once promised to Sparrow? And does the fop she still insists on marrying realize what a prize she is? True, Sparrow left Emilia at the altar. But he’s afraid that the only way to right that particular wrong is to risk the one thing he’s always guarded: his heart.


I really, really, really love this series. Starting with Spy Fall, every one of those books kept me glued to my reader and I didn't put it away till the last page was read.

When Sparrow kidnaps Emilia right from the altar where she was just about to get married to a duke's son, he doesn't do that, contrary to what Emilia might think, because he has a habit of breaking up weddings for sport.
Of course, Emilia might be a bit a bit touchy there as he was the last one who left her standing at the altar but facts count, don't they? And he couldn't have let her marry somebody when her life seems to be in danger, right? So...no matter how good his intentions were, right now it leaves him with a very unhappy Emilia and also (too) much time for some realizations of his own.
Needless to say, this series being as amazing as it is, nothing is as simple as it might look and very quickly it's not just their lives at risk but also their hearts.

I love those amazing, complex characters and the well written, gripping story - a wonderful book, that I can definitely recommend!

★★★★★

Oh, did you know....

...that Ednah Walters will soon release a new book in her fabulous 

Runes-Series

?

No?

Oh, oh, don't miss it!

Coming on February 14th!  

GODDESS

 

 

Herzenszauber in Thunder Point - Robyn Carr

Herzenszauber in Thunder Point von Robyn Carr

Inhalt:


In einem Akt der Verzweiflung verlässt Devon McAllister mit ihrer kleinen Tochter ihr Zuhause, in dem sie sich nicht mehr sicher fühlt. Sie will nur eins: ihrer traumatischen Vergangenheit entfliehen und irgendwo untertauchen. Unerwartet landet sie in dem Küstenstädtchen Thunder Point, wo sie mit offenen Armen aufgenommen wird. Vor allem der attraktive Spencer unterstützt sie tatkräftig–und berührt ihr Herz. Doch wird es ihr gelingen, ihre schmerzvollen Erfahrungen hinter sich zu lassen?



"Wir sind alle nur ein Haufen zerbrechlicher Menschen, die versuchen, mithilfe ihrer bescheidenen Mittel ein ordentliches Leben zu führen."
(S. 185)


 Dieser "Haufen zerbrechlicher Menschen" ist es, der Thunder Point zu einem Ort werden lässt, an dem es sich gut leben lässt (allerdings definitiv nicht ohne wohlwollende Einmischung der  Nachbarn) und der auch Devon in Thunder Point eine Zuflucht bietet, nachdem sie sich aus einer traumatischen Beziehung befreit hat. Diese Menschen sind es auch, die ihr helfen, wieder selbstständig leben zu können und die ihr zur Seite stehen, als ihre Vergangenheit sie einholt und sie um ihre Tochter kämpfen muss. Ganz nebenbei ist da auch noch Spencer, ein alleinerziehender Vater, der Devons Herz gewinnt.
So weit, so -eigentlich- gut. 

Allerdings ist alles allen Problemen zum Trotz fast schon ein wenig zu  rosig. Einer der Charaktere, Eric, drückt es einmal sehr treffend aus, wobei diese Beschreibung fast schon kritisch klingt, auch wenn das in dem Kontext eigentlich wohl eher nicht so gemeint ist: "Er wollte liebend gern ein Teil dieser Gemeinschaft werden, die sich beinahe zwanghaft freundlich benahm." (S. 307) Aber egal, in Romanzen darf es ja gerne auch einmal sehr süß und kitschig sein, von daher hätte mich das nur bedingt gestört. 
Viel schwerwiegender ist für mich, dass allen Problemen und allen romantischen und liebenswerten Interaktionen zum Trotz, die Charaktere ein wenig flach bleiben und man nur bedingt mit ihnen mitfühlt. 

Insgesamt habe ich rein sprachlich manchmal ein wenig Probleme, nicht nur, dass es anfangs schon etwas widersprüchliche Aussagen gibt, sondern manche Formulierungen sorgten bei mir (und meiner Familie, der sich einige Zitate vorlas) auch ein wenig für Heiterkeit, leider wohl eher ungewollt. Wenn Eric sich ein wenig seltsam fühlt, "irgendwie innerlich warm und flauschig" (S.247), dann habe ich eher ein Bild eines Osterkükens vor mir, aber nicht unbedingt einen gestandenen Mann und Vater, der auch schon seine Zeit im Gefängnis abgesessen hat. 
Auch Spencer überrascht mich einige Male mit eigenwilligen Formulierungen, wie etwa die Erkenntnis,dass er Devons Lebendigkeit gebraucht hatte, "nachdem er seine Trauer mit der Verstorbenen verbrannt hatte." Oder wenn er feststellt, dass seine Aussage, dass seine Höhlen dicht sind (aka Nasennebenhöhlen) nicht ganz gelogen ist, "weil er [anfängt] zu verstehen, dass er gefühlsmäßig verstopft war." (S.260/261)
Es gibt noch einige andere Beispiele, die mich immer wieder aus dem Lesefluss rissen. Nun bin ich mit Sicherheit was Sprache anbelangt sehr kritisch, das dürfte unter "Berufskrankheit" fallen, aber ich tat mich letztlich doch schwer zu verstehen, warum die Bücher von Robyn Carr Bestseller sind, weil mich das Buch zwar kurzfristig unterhielt, aber nicht wirklich fesseln konnte. 

Hinzu kommt dann noch eine Vielzahl von Einzelschicksalen und Charakteren, die es dem Leser schwer machen, mit den einzelnen Personen wirklich Schritt zu halten und die verschiedenen Kinder und Partner und dergleichen immer wieder korrekt zuzuordnen. Vermutlich ist dies etwas leichter, wenn man die Reihe in der korrekten Reihenfolge liest und die Personen der Reihe nach kennenlernt, aber momentan habe ich nicht das Verlangen, noch ein weiteres Buch dieser Reihe zu lesen.

Das Potential für eine nette, unterhaltsame Geschichte mit wirklich spannenden Elementen war gegeben, aber leider hat es in dieser Umsetzung für mich nur zu zwei Sternen gereicht.

 ★★