Monday, April 20, 2015

#AtoZChallenge--Quote-tastic--You're...you're...a...what?!!--Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

It's the A to Z Challenge!

We're blogging the alphabet along with 1000s of other bloggers.

There's a specific letter for each day and then you pick your own theme.

Our Theme: herder of cats, burner of soup
Basically...a day in the life of and all the things I love

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed ya for one reason or another. 

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier! Just grab the button and toss up your post :) 

No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section.
Yay for Quote-tastic. My Q post which also went with Quick. For yall new around here. I'm a total junkie when it comes to quotes. I just love them and host Quote-tastic every Monday :)

Amanda Quick is one of my favorites and I had a nice time with Garden of Lies. The hero and heroine were both great. I totally related to the hero in this first quote. heh

"May I ask what sort of...eccentricities you possess that you feel would likely put off potential applicants for posts here in this house?"

He released the chair, widening his hands.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a cook who will serve vegetarian fare at every meal?"

Ursula blinked, caught entirely off guard. She tried to stifle a giggle but failed.

"Good heavens," she said in mock horror. "You're one of those? A vegetarian?"

He seemed disgruntled by her teasing, as though not quite certain what to make of it. He took off his glasses, whipped out a pristine white handkerchief and began to polish the lenses.

"Is that really so strange?" he demanded. "There's no need to look at me as though I had grown a second head or turned green."

She smiled. "Sorry. Your answer was not quite what I was expecting, that's all." 
Heh. There's all kinds of gossip about him and the wicked things he does to unsuspecting females in his basement. lol

And then this one. Poor, poor dumb male. Got himself in quite a pickle. I loved that she was all *shake a fist* at him.

"You were very nearly murdered this afternoon," he said. He flexed the fingers of one hand, thinking about Rosemont. "Your nerves are still in a delicate state. I should have realized you were not yourself. I took advantage of your fragile condition--"

"Bloody hell, sir, how dare you apologize to me?"

She was furious. He looked at her, uncertain how to deal with this situation.

"Ursula, I'm trying to explain--"

"Yes, I know." She watched him with fierce eyes. "You wish to explain that you think I'm such a silly goose that I did not understand what I was doing when we...when we..." She broke off, waving a hand at the chair and the towel.

"Your nerves--"

"There is nothing wrong with my nerves. It's my temper that should concern you. Are you implying that I don't know my own mind?"

"No, absolutely not," he said. He was starting to feel cornered. That, too, was an unfamiliar experience.

"Then what are you trying to say? That you regret our recent encounter?"

"No, damn it." His own temper started to surface. "I found the experience quite satisfying."
---
He cleared his throat. "This might be an appropriate time to tell me that you found our encounter at least mildly pleasurable if not entirely satisfying."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh. Yes. Well, as to that, I am not sure."

He winced. "On second thought, it might be best if we moved on to another topic. At this rate you will completely unman me."
Rating: 3-3.5 out of 5    Heat: 3 out of 5 (though light)

Amanda Quick is one of my all time favorite authors. Seriously I'd have a total fan girl moment and embarrass the devil out of myself if I ever got to meet her. And I am totally good with that. ::snort:: Her historical romance-mystery hybrids so just do it for me. Laughs, swoonage and curiosity all swirl together and just leave me a damn happy reader girl. Even if I'm not totally blown away I still manage to walk away content and ready for another. And that was Garden of Lies for me. While it didn't totally wow me Quick had me all wrapped up and enjoying the ride as Urusla and Slater joined forces to uncover the truth behind the death of a friend. And...maybe, just maybe, had a little romance along the way

The quick of it is that Ursula runs a secretarial business and one of her employees has died. But Ursula is sure there's something suspicious to it all and decides if the police won't investigate... she will. She'll just have to quit her current post--as Slater's secretary--to do so. Though he'll be damned if she's going to shake him off that easily and he opts for sticking close and helping her instead.

Ursula--I know, what a name--and Slater were the type of characters I enjoy seeing together. The thing about them both was they just do their own thing. They don't let the conventions and expectations of polite society dictate how they're going to live or behave or go about life and I love that. 

Ursula has determination and is fierce in everything she does. Stands up for herself and is in no way the meek biddable female. She knows her mind and will do whatever she needs to do. And Slater. Well he's a spot mysterious and eccentric after spending a year trapped on an island after an archaeology dig went wrong and he nearly died. He's a bit dangerous underneath his slightly polished exterior, was a vegetarian and a good man who was their for his family, his rag tag and unconventional staff of out of work actors and anyone who needed him, They had nice banter and chemistry and I loved seeing them work together. The romance though somewhat light since the main focus was their investigation. There was still plenty of time for some loving and teasing though. Yay!

The mystery kept me curious and turning the pages as piece by piece the duo put everything together and unraveled a crime ring involved in all sorts of sordid things from drugs to blackmail and murder.

All in all, it's hard to be disappointed by one of Quick's books. She just has a way of wrapping you up in the mystery, the humor, the quirkiness of her characters and the romance of things. It's a lovely ride watching all of the pieces come together. I've missed her books and am glad I dove into Garden of Lies. It definitely whetted my appetite for her unique brand of romance and mystery and I'll be pulling out my old books next chance I get. 

Have you read Quick? Do you have a favorite?

  


So, what's YOUR favorite quote this week?
Joining in on Quote-tastic? Leave your links in the comments!





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