Familiar Oasis

ISBN 037322673x - Much to my surprise, I'd really like to give this one 5 stars, but I can't. In general, romance novels rarely impress me. This happens to be the first Harlequin Intrigue I've read and, if it's any indicator, I do think I'm going to like these far more than the usual fluff. That said, there's one major flaw - any good author knows that every book in a series ought to stand alone, so that people like me, who stumble upon a book in the series, can jump right in and enjoy themselves. Burnes fails in that, to a degree. If you haven't read Familiar Mirage (Fear Familiar), you're likely to feel a little lost. Amelia Corbet's got a reason for stopping off in the desert on the way to Paris. Her "sister" Beth sent her a message - and the message contained their childhood code word for danger! Not sure of what the danger is, Amelia walks right into it. Fortunately for her, Familiar is right there every step of the way. Then again, so is Harad Dukhan, the brother of the man Beth is planning to marry. Familiar is clearly a very special cat and in Alexandria, where all cats are special, that's saying something. Without the help of the brilliant black cat, humanoids are likely to end up dead and Amelia's name is on the top of the list. Tough and ever-so-American, Amelia doesn't take quickly to a country where woman are so far from being the equals of men, and Harad, despite leaving the desert behind, is a man of his country. Accepting his help, or even asking for it, is alien to Amelia's hardheaded way of thinking. Being practical, she's not about to turn to Familiar for help, either. It's a good thing both of these males take it upon themselves to help her anyway. A secret lost city, a special plant that allows people to foresee the future and a power hungry man named Nazar Bettina add up to trouble for Amelia. That she knows nothing about any of it doesn't matter, because her sister does - and Amelia would make excellent bait. I have a habit of counting typos and grammatical errors in romance novels - they are cranked out by publishers in such numbers that I'm not surprised to find a dozen or more per book. I found one in Familiar Oasis! The sex scenes were more minimal than average, and better done except for one thing. Main character or not, Familiar is a cat and I really could have lived without his critique of Amelia's physical attributes or the night Amelia and Harad have sex. It's just a little creepy. Other than that and the fact that this book relies too heavily on the assumption that you've read the previous book, what a treat - a romance novel with an exciting story and the potential for a great series. Familiar, as a main character, is so unlikely to get his own love story (and, really, that's okay because we can ALL live without those sex scenes) that he can flow freely into any story and connect them all. One of the few romances I've read that has me saying "I'd read more of THAT!"

Familiar's Egyptian adventures continue in the sequel to last month's "Familiar Mirage," "Familiar Oasis." Amelia Corbet has come to Egypt after learning her sister Beth is in danger. She instantly finds herself in conflict with Harad Dukhan, who tries to warn her against rushing into a dangerous situation she doesn't understand. When Amelia is captured in the desert after coming to her sister's rescue, it is the darkly handsome Harad who comes to save her. Can Amelia resist this powerful man as danger tracks them through the desert?"Familiar Oasis" is good companion to "Familiar Mirage," the rare sequel that is just as good as the original. Readers who liked book one should like this one too. I do think anyone who hasn't read the first book should read it first, since it follows what happened in "Familiar Mirage" and the events and characters of that book are all an important part of the story. The books don't really stand on their own. They're like two parts of one whole."Familiar Oasis" is not without flaws. Amelia and Harad seem to go from dislike to love in about a page, there are so few supporting characters the villain is far too obvious, and Familiar doesn't have much to do this time around for most of the book, which may disappoint some diehard fans of the feline detective. For the most part, he's just tagging along on Amelia and Harad's adventures. "Familiar Oasis" is still so much fun readers may not notice. It has all of Burnes's characteristic touches, with a tough, strong-willed heroine and a fast-moving, action-packed storyline. The author does a good job of placing Amelia in situations where she needs her desert rescuer without making her seem like any less of a strong woman who knows her own mind. Harad is a compelling hero, a good combination of modern businessman and desert sheikh. Interestingly enough, I found him more believable than most romance novel sheikh-types, despite the obvious fantasy elements of the plot. There's not a dull moment to be found in this larger-than-life adventure. For fun and passion under the desert sun, "Familiar Mirage" and "Familiar Oasis" can't be beat.