To go on or not to go on (with the series), that is the question!

I'm currently rereading "Outlander" the first book in Diana Gabaldon's series (of the same title). I loved it the first time I read it and I'm still loving it now. It's not an easy book to read, but it's powerful and emotional at the same time and I just adore Jamie and Claire and the Happy End they got in "Outlander". This was also the reason why I didn't go on with the series. I decided to treat the first book like a standalone and avoid all the following drama.

But now my mom - who loves the series, but refuses to reveal too much, hmph >:/ - is telling me to at least read the next three books "Dragonfly In Amber", "Voyager" and "Drums Of Autumn". I'm just not sure if I should. I'm afraid that at some point I will stumble over something that will ruin the love story for me. The one thing that I can't forgive a character for is cheating. I insist on fidelity and some of the rumours I heard worried me quite a bit.

If you haven't read the series - spoilers ahead! 

I'm aware of the fact that Claire and Jamie  are apart for twenty years and I don't hold their relationships/affairs during that time against them - they aren't saints and twenty years is an awfully long time to spend alone. But if Claire and Jamie cheated on each other once they found each other again, it would ruin the whole series for me. I don't care if this series takes place in another time, with different customs and morals.

As you can see I'm in a bit of a bind. On the one hand I'm curious about Jamie and Claire's journey, seeing how so many people love this series. But at the other hand I'm worried about ruining a great book like "Outlander" by going on with a series that's just not for me.

So did you read the series? Would you advise me to go on with the series or just let it be and treat "Outlander" as a standalone novel? What were your general thoughts on this series? Feel free to include as many spoilers as you want. I'd be very grateful for your help. All this wondering is starting to drive me crazy!

Recpectively, have you ever had a hard time deciding if you want to go on with a series? What were your decisive factors?

It's kind of scary...

I never planned to do a post about covers on this blog, but I stumbled over something and I just have to share. Btw, if you're interested in cover-themed post, Sabrina from "About Happy Books" is doing a lot of great posts in German, comparing and discussing original and German covers on her second blog "Bücher - lost in translation". You might want to check them out!

On to my discovery. I guess most of you know the great, historical Hathaway series by Lisa Kleypas (if you don't, go and check it out, right now!) so I won't go into more detail. But let me just tell you, it's a wonderful and humorous series about an unconventional and loveable family. "Married by Morning" is the fourth book and my personal highlight of the series. I like both versions of the cover, the US, as well as the UK version.

I think the US version (left) might not be special, but it's charming and the light and cheerful colors suit the storyline of the book. I simply love the UK version. It's beautiful and fits the time of the story. In my opinion the publishers did a decent job and created appealing covers for a lovely book.

Then there's the disastrous German cover. I think it's best if you just take a look yourself.

Seriously? I was truly speechless when I first saw this. I don't know what the German publisher has been thinking. Covers like that are the reason people are still making fun of romance books. Even if I ignore the lacking design, there's still the fact that it doesn't fit to the story in the least. The cover is gloomy, dark and the couple looks like it's in pain (especially the woman).

I would never EVER think of buying a book like that. And that would have been a shame because "Married By Morning" is one of my all time favorite historical romances. I'm happy that I decided long ago to only read the original versions or I would have missed out on a great reading experience.

So what do you think of the covers? Especially the German version?

What makes "Angels Fall" by Nora Roberts so special

I recently reread "Angels Fall" by Nora Roberts for what feels like the tenth time and although I always loved this book, this time it felt even more special. I can't really say what it was, but it got me thinking. What makes this book so special? Why does it stand out from all the other great Nora Roberts books for me?

I think I found the answer. There are a few factors playing in:

The perfect balance between the suspense and the charming and sexy love story. It's the way Roberts portrays the little Town of "Angel's Fist" with all its eccentric, but likable characters. But, for me it are the great conversations between two of the most compelling main characters I've ever read about.

Brody, a bit of a loner, sarcastic, but with a truly good heart and Reece, neurotic and plaqued by a horrible event from her past, but willing to fight on and find the beauty in life again. It were their "discussions" and conversations that made me grin or even laugh out loud while reading a story that was propelled forward by the suspense part surrounding a perfidious murder. Those moments of humor balanced the scale and made this a wonderful reading experience.

Here are some of those amazing and funny scenes (if you haven't read the book and don't like spoilers you might want to skip the rest of this post):

"I don't sleep with every man I'm attracted to."
Now he leaned on the open car door. "According to you, you haven't slept with anybody in two years."
"That's right. If you think you're going to take advantage of my... dry spell-"
"Bet your skinny ass I am." And he grinned as he slid into the car.
She marched her skinny ass to the passenger door and huffed her way inside. "This is a ridiculous conversation."
"So shut up."

from "Angels Fall" by Nora Roberts, p. 138

"Being a little crazy is just human," Brody commented as he helped himself to a cookie.
"I'd be human then. And look," Reece began, "I appreciate you trying to put me at ease. I do, and you have. But I know I'm a simmering stew of neuroses with chunky bits of phobia, seasoned heavily with paranoia."
"It's good to know yourself." Brody bit into the cookie. "Most people don't know they're nuts, which is annoying to the rest of us."

from "Angels Fall" by Nora Roberts, p. 187

"I've gained three pounds."
"Three whole pounds. Where'd I put that confetti?"
"It's because I'm doing more cooking. Not just at Joanie's, but here. Like this."
"Whatever I can do."
"I'm having sex on a regular basis."
"I repeat, whatever I can do."
"I had my hair cut and styled."
"So noted."
She cocked her head. If she had to pull teeth, she'd get out the pliers. "Well, do you like it or not?"
"It's okay."
"Oh, please stop." She waved a hand. "Must you be so effusive with your compliments?"
"I'm an effusive kind of guy."

from "Angels Fall" by Nora Roberts, p. 250

Just rereading those scenes and writing them down makes me grin again. I just love those two, especially the effusive Brody ;)

So, what do you think? Did you read "Angels Fall"? Did you like it? If you did, what made it so speacial for you? Or do you know any other books that have a great deal of entertaining and awesome conversations?

The Love Triangle Thing (Rant Alert!)

Love Triangles. Where to start? Well, I guess the best thing would be to start by saying that I really, really don't like them. But a lot of readers do or I guess the whole love triangle theme wouldn't be so prominent in romance novels. And that's totally okay. Everyone should be able to read what he/she wants to read.
But that's just the thing - I don't want to read about them and lately I get the feeling that they are getting to be the norm, especially in the Young Adult section. Every other book I pick up seems to involve a love triangle and it's really starting to get on my nerves. But the thing that really bothers me is that in a lot of cases there's not even a warning in the synopsis of the book. If authors and publishers (I guess this is mostly the publishers fault, since authors don't really have a say in it) want to release books with love triangles they should at least have the courtesy to warn readers like me so I can avoid those particular books. Being taken by suprise by a love triangle (although that happens less and less, since I'm starting to expect them everywhere) is a terrible feeling that, for the most part, ruins the whole book for me.

Here's my problem with love triangles. I like to read positive and happy love stories. I like to read about a woman and a man (a boy and a girl) getting to know, TRUST and love each other. Call me naive, but I want to read about true love and Happily-Ever-Afters. What I absolutely don't want to read about is cheating, deception and heartbreak. And for me love triangles are a form of cheating (and there's always lying and heartbreak). Sometimes it's actual cheating, sometimes it's just in the head or the pre-phase of it. But a person that is in love with/considers both love interest at the same time is a person I can't trust as a reader and that's an awful feeling.
I like to feel a connection to the characters I read about and I just can't understand "fickleness" like that. It makes me angry and wary. Maybe it's because I know that I would feel absolutely horrible if I were on the receiving end of an unsure relationship like that, but whatever origin my aversion has, it's there.

So the thing I want to know from you is, do you like to read about love triangles? If you do, could you name a few reasons for it and try to explain their appeal? If you don't, what are the things that bother you about love triangles?
I would really like to try to understand the pro side as well, so if you have some input, please, share!